Questions about Dynamic Campaigns

[Delvidian]

Like Exxar, I recommend a "campaign switch" (the hand-waving I referred to earlier) rather than putting limitations or complications on characters' powers. First, with all the possible different power sources, you the GM will be driven mad. Second, one of the best parts of an IW campaign is the mixed bag of player characters. Mixing your manga characters with your Exalted characters with your pulp characters with your sci fi characters, etc. is a hoot. It is a great campaign for GMs who emphasize characters and settings over rules realism.

Also, keep in mind that world-hopping isn't just a complication for characters with Powers. Characters who use high or ultra-tech items may have problems on low-tech worlds where they can't just whip out their boom-stick. There is fun to be had disguising tech, but players catch on early that brawling or hand weapon skills work everywhere. My own character prefers to fight with demonic black fire but he still keeps a derringer up his sleeve and a handy sword-cane at his side.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Exxar

I would not put players into a situation where they would be de-powered for a significant amount of playing time due to a -10% limitation, no matter their power origin and no matter the specifics of their power modifier. In this case, I'd find a way for them to maintain their Pact.

So what about the players who pay extra for powers without Limitations... what advantage do they gain over the others in exchange for their points?

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Delvidian

Like Exxar, I recommend a "campaign switch" (the hand-waving I referred to earlier) rather than putting limitations or complications on characters' powers. First, with all the possible different power sources, you the GM will be driven mad.

Done years ago.

Originally Posted by Delvidian

Second, one of the best parts of an IW campaign is the mixed bag of player characters. Mixing your manga characters with your Exalted characters with your pulp characters with your sci fi characters, etc. is a hoot. It is a great campaign for GMs who emphasize characters and settings over rules realism.

Agreed: IW is a great setting for GMs who like to play fast and loose, change things up a lot, and favor color over detail in settings.

Originally Posted by Delvidian

Also, keep in mind that world-hopping isn't just a complication for characters with Powers. Characters who use high or ultra-tech items may have problems on low-tech worlds where they can't just whip out their boom-stick. There is fun to be had disguising tech, but players catch on early that brawling or hand weapon skills work everywhere.

Sure, but that's comparing apples and oranges unless people with access to high (and/or ultra) tech and people with powers are mutually exclusive in your campaign. Otherwise, the empowered can make use of higher tech, and suffer the same hurdles carting it around.

[Delvidian]

[QUOTE=Sure, but that's comparing apples and oranges unless people with access to high (and/or ultra) tech and people with powers are mutually exclusive in your campaign. Otherwise, the empowered can make use of higher tech, and suffer the same hurdles carting it around.[/QUOTE]

To be more specific, I should have specified characters that CENTER on showy high- or ultra-tech gadgetry.

One last piece of advice: One thing we do stress to new players in character creation is that their character must be able to appear as a normal human. You can use a hat to cover those pointy ears but not even we can muster enough suspension of disbelief to ignore outliers like levitating garden gnomes and space aliens ambling through the streets of 1930s Berlin.

[Exxar]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

So what about the players who pay extra for powers without Limitations... what advantage do they gain over the others in exchange for their points?

They don't suffer from being hit by an anti-power ray, don't have to worry about hard or impossible to detect low- or no-power zones above huge spiked pits they wanna fly over using their powers, etc.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Exxar

They don't suffer from being hit by an anti-power ray, don't have to worry about hard or impossible to detect low- or no-power zones above huge spiked pits they wanna fly over using their powers, etc.

Sure, but the latter is normally priced at -5% to include spot applications like your example, as well as large and consistent de-powering areas. By eliminating the possibility of those areas, you're giving up something for nothing to everybody who takes a power mod with ambient conditions, while giving just plain nothing to the rest.

[Exxar]

As I've said implicitly before, small-value limitations that kick in very rarely, but when they do they completely kill your fun, are really not the way to go IMO, that's just bad game design. And the bottom line - I don't find it necessary to nitpick for something worth 2.5% of limitations at most.

EDIT: Also, the way you're putting it, characters should by off their Magical power modifiers if they have Mana Enhancer, for example. RAW doesn't work that way.

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by Exxar

As a result, I'm inclined to postulate that each character, for his own personal use only, carries with himself his default mana level or whatever on whichever wolrdline you go.

Torg did something similar - small stuff generally keeps working, big stuff needs a PC whose home world supports it. It might be worth a look for inspiration.