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Old 01-15-2013, 04:24 PM   #1
starslayer
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Default How often should power source limitations come up

So I play in a game where I occasional GM, and we allow essentially anything from the books to be involved. Often exotic powers bear some of the power modifiers like Psi[-10%] or Magic[-10%]. As a matter of course due to magic spells, RPM, alchemy, and enchanted items existing the party will generaly encounter at least one threat that is anti-magic, a NMZ, or contains meteoric/DN metal per quest.

How often should the countermeasures for a given power suite in the -10% range show up? How do you handle this in your games? How many different power modifiers do you allow in your games?
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Old 01-15-2013, 04:32 PM   #2
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Default Re: How often should power source limitations come up

What does the plot require?
Limitations should come into play just often enough that the players do not feel that they are getting something for nothing but not often enough that they start feeling abused. It's a fine line which is why I started with the plot. You know your players best, I haven't a clue about what they will feel. Bring the limitations in for serious matters and not trivial ones, but make sure that your players are having fun.
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Old 01-15-2013, 04:39 PM   #3
johndallman
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Default Re: How often should power source limitations come up

If everything is using the same power source, it doesn't have to be very often, provided that the players remain aware of the issue. For example in a secret-magic campaign I play in, the only significant non-magical area (North America) is clearly part of the plot, which we're going to have to solve, but doesn't cause much inconvenience (we aren't based there) and can be useful. However, because almost nobody believes in magic, it's hard to get things done about real and major magical threats, such as the threatened destruction of Europe.

But if you have several power sources in use all the time, keeping the players aware of that probably requires cutting one off from time to time. My Infinite Worlds Cabal campaign has non-magical worlds, because that's part of the IW setting. We also have a character who uses psionics rather than magic; I have not cut that off yet, but it will probably happen someday.
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Old 01-15-2013, 06:14 PM   #4
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Default Re: How often should power source limitations come up

And of course you don't have to cut a power off entirely to have it matter. Anything from resistance, to antipowers, to "wild" areas or "deranging" drugs, up to and including boosters that only work on a specific power source can add a little flavour to things and remind everyone that these things matter.
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Old 01-15-2013, 08:24 PM   #5
starslayer
 
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Default Re: How often should power source limitations come up

but no hard and fast averages?

IE 'a -10% limitation should come up ~2/10 of the time because PCs will always find a way to get around the limits or adapt to them'?
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Old 01-15-2013, 08:26 PM   #6
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Default Re: How often should power source limitations come up

Along the lines of waht is the plot is what is the genre.
Supers would expect countermeasures and overcoming or working around them part of the fun.
I generally use the limitation as my guide but the plot and rule of fun take priority.
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Old 01-16-2013, 01:26 AM   #7
munin
 
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Default Re: How often should power source limitations come up

Quote:
Originally Posted by starslayer View Post
but no hard and fast averages?...
The guidelines I use:

If it's something the player can work around or could choose to ignore (e.g., self-imposed mental disadvantages), I go with reversed Accessibility percentages (p. P99): a -5% limitation means about 1 in 6 times, a -10% limitation means about 1 in 4 times, a -15% limitation mean about 1 in 3 times, etc.

If it's something the player can't work around (e.g., countermeasures, channeled energies), I go with reversed Unreliable values: a -5% limitation means it won't come up on (an extrapolated) 15 or less (i.e., it's a problem 1 in 20 times), a -10% limitation means it won't come up on 14 or less (a problem 1 in 10 times), etc.

Last edited by munin; 01-16-2013 at 09:35 AM.
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Old 01-16-2013, 06:31 AM   #8
Bruno
 
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Default Re: How often should power source limitations come up

Quote:
Originally Posted by starslayer View Post
but no hard and fast averages?

IE 'a -10% limitation should come up ~2/10 of the time because PCs will always find a way to get around the limits or adapt to them'?
Unreliable 14 is -10% (works 90.7% of the time)
Resistable HT-4 is -10% ( Isn't resisted an average of 90.7% of the time)
Bombardment 12 is -10% (74.1% but represents many chances)
Powers p 99 says an Accessability for "69-81% of the time" is -10%, and Accessabilities don't have a random factor, instead are priced assuming players can "game the system"
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Old 01-16-2013, 06:42 AM   #9
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Default Re: How often should power source limitations come up

Quote:
Originally Posted by starslayer View Post
but no hard and fast averages?

IE 'a -10% limitation should come up ~2/10 of the time because PCs will always find a way to get around the limits or adapt to them'?
I use the Percentage of Time the Ability Works chart in GURPS Powers on pg 99.

Power Modifier (Magic), (Esoteric Counter Measures, -5%; Esoteric Ambient Energy, -5%) -10%
... should have them encountering something that messes with Magic one time in five scenes.
Half of those encounters should involve counter-measures and the other half of those encounters should involve non-normal mana levels.
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