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Old 05-19-2009, 02:40 AM   #11
Dragondog
Never Been Pretty
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Default Re: Shadowstep and Shadow-walk

I'd say it depends on what you can do in the Shadowrealm. If all you can do is travel, then Alternative Abilities is fine. But if you can treat the Shadowrealm as another world and do whatever you like while you are there, then Jumper would be necessary.
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Old 05-19-2009, 03:24 AM   #12
Captain-Captain
 
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Shadowstep and Shadow-walk

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander
I'm trying to create a pair of abilities. One of them allows the character to step into one shadow and immediately reappear in another shadow that is relatively close. The other allows the user to wrap the shadows around him and enter the Shadowrealm. Geography there corresponds somehow to the surroundings in this world, but distance is strangely compressed. He can cover hundreds of miles in a period of mere hours.

The first ability is clearly Warp, suitably modified. The only thing I'm not sure about is how to model the fact that taking extra time will not provide a bonus. I see this as a somewhat intuitive ability, where the user simple steps into the shadow and out of the next, and taking long time to prepare it would be contrary to the feel of it. I want the default use to be without penalty and to take no time. I could do this with Reliable +50% and some sort of a limitation, but how much of a limitation?

Or should I simply create a modification that alters the parameters for the ability so that basic use is unpenalised? Any thoughts?

On one hand, the combat utility is immensely enhanced by the ability to make unpenalised instant jumps. On the other, the use of the ability as a method of long distance travel is severely penalised by the inability to receive +10 for taking long enough to prepare. This could almost be a feature, but I think that combat utility trumps mundane utility when it comes to pricing. Forum denizens, your views?

The second power, however, I'm not sure about. The game mechanical effect is to allow rapid long distance travel, but the Shadowrealm is inhabited by its own strange lifeforms and there are risks to walking through it. It is by no means a simple teleport and it takes a non-trivial amount of time. Does anyone have any suggestion on what power that could be or how to modify Warp to simulate it?
IIRC, MA Lloyd had a set of Paths and Rituals for Voodoo 3rd on a site that included one that sort of did what you want. It took more time to shadow port, enough time for the character to have reached the other destination by normal means, thus allowing anyone inclined not to accept magic as the explanation grounds to keep believing that.

In 4th terms this is Warp Jump with the jump presumably restricted to your shadow plane. Possibly with Control (Shadows) to alter features of this plane on any specifc entry to it.

Alternately this place could be an inner astral plane construct/pocket universe, (psi.28) and I reccomend looking at the Pulver Psionic book for it's greater degree of detailing psi constructs in the Inner Astral plane.

Edit: You will hae to establish a means to let the character get directly to the Inner Astral, since the rules tend to make it a multiple step process at default.
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Last edited by Captain-Captain; 05-19-2009 at 03:31 AM.
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Old 05-19-2009, 09:33 AM   #13
Not another shrubbery
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Shadowstep and Shadow-walk

Looks like the powers are mostly covered, except perhaps for a few tweaks and figuring out how to put it all together. The Warp sounds like it might have No Strain (Powers, p89), and probably Gyroscopic (from Psionic Powers, p18). Instant Use Only looks to be more properly a limitation on Warp itself, rather than on Reliable, and seems comparable to Blind Only... ~ -50%. Add a Range Limit at the level desired, Reliable, and add a suitable Power Modifier (if any), and that should be close to done.

The long-distance travel really sounds like Jumper(World)... probably with some combination of Reliable, Faster Concentration, and Improved (the last two are from Psionic Powers, p15), and Limited Access (if the Shadowrealm is the only place you can go).
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