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Old 03-24-2010, 03:27 PM   #1
nerdvana
 
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Default Unconscious Only Question

The Unconscious Only limitation (B115) states that an advantage modified with it "can only come into play under GM control, as a result of stress". What if it doesn't come into play under all stress but only under exposure to a certain environmental hazard?
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Old 03-24-2010, 03:52 PM   #2
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Unconscious Only Question

Accessibility.
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Old 03-24-2010, 04:20 PM   #3
thedot
 
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Default Re: Unconscious Only Question

I'm pretty much a noob, so take this with a grain of salt...but on pg 106-7 of Powers, it gives examples of limitation values for Uncontrollable based on an environmental trigger (actually described as an item, but probably close enough). The actual values for the limitation are based on the rarity of the item or condition.

In the event you don't have Powers, the values listed under Uncontrollable are -5% for Occasional, -10% for Common, and -15% for Very Common. It says Rare items/conditions don't count.

I'd probably reverse the listed values, since for Unconsious Only, the more rare the condition which would allow the advantage to activate the greater the value of the limitation. For example, you could set values for Unconscious Only at: -5% for Common, -10% for Occasional, -15% for Rare, and say that Very Common items/conditions are too broad to qualify as a limitation.

Alternatively, since the whole point of Unconscious Only is for the ability to be under the GM's control, you & the GM could just discuss the types of conditions for the ability to come into play and handwave the wording of the rules.

That's probably how I'd handle it, depending on the GM. Then again, I'm a little lazy. Hope my rambling helps!
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Old 03-24-2010, 05:08 PM   #4
nerdvana
 
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Default Re: Unconscious Only Question

Actually, thedot, that was helpful. In this case, I am the GM and I'd forgotten about that in Powers (which I do have, thanks for the reminder).
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Old 03-24-2010, 05:40 PM   #5
Anaraxes
 
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Default Re: Unconscious Only Question

Environmental hazard that enables the ability sounds like a Trigger to me -- especially if the player knows what the environment has to be. "Uncontrollable" means exactly that; nothing the player can do will influence whether the power manifests.

The Powers bit I always took to describe a condition that makes an ordinarily controllable ability Uncontrollable, as opposed to one that makes an ability at least possibly manifest when normally it wouldn't at all.
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Old 03-25-2010, 03:30 PM   #6
thedot
 
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Default Re: Unconscious Only Question

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Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
Environmental hazard that enables the ability sounds like a Trigger to me -- especially if the player knows what the environment has to be. "Uncontrollable" means exactly that; nothing the player can do will influence whether the power manifests.

The Powers bit I always took to describe a condition that makes an ordinarily controllable ability Uncontrollable, as opposed to one that makes an ability at least possibly manifest when normally it wouldn't at all.
I think if it was simply a matter of a condition that allows an ability to activate, you're right, Trigger would be the best choice. My interpretation of the OP, though, was if there was a way to replace the "as a result of stress" verbage in the Unconscious Only limitation with an environmental condition which would allow the ability to function under the control of the GM.

I was just using the environmental condition values from Uncontrollable as a starting off point. I wonder though, since you brought up Trigger, I was looking and it already has values for rarity of the condition which would trigger the ability. Once you get past "Common" those values go way beyond the original value of Unonscious Only. But, do you think those values might work as a better starting off point? If so, would you simply combine the value for Trigger (at whatever level of rarity for the condition you're going for) with the -20% (or some fraction thereof) of the Unconscious Only limitation?

Maybe I'm overthinking things and getting all muddled up in the process. Wouldn't be the first time...
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