Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-12-2011, 10:34 PM   #1
pfooti
 
pfooti's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Default Enabling / Helping powers?

Hey board. I'm trying to figure my way through statting out a "help that guy" set of powers for a fantasy game. Traditionally (well, 3rd ed), D&D bards do more than just enthrall people, they sing to buff the attacks and defenses of their friends. I'd like to model something along those lines, either as a bard singing "slay, slay, slay those demons" or a bespectacled bookworm saying, "I say, kick him in the testicles". These powers probably make sense as a PC and not an NPC (otherwise everybody would get cheap follower to do that).

Ideally, there'd be something that could enhance attack skills, damage, other skills, defenses, and so on (one at a time, naturally). Bonus points for stuff I can re-fluff to work with different styles.

Are there extant advantages, skills, or spells I could go look at to get a handle on figuring out how to stat this out?
pfooti is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2011, 10:52 PM   #2
lexington
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by pfooti View Post
Hey board. I'm trying to figure my way through statting out a "help that guy" set of powers for a fantasy game. Traditionally (well, 3rd ed), D&D bards do more than just enthrall people, they sing to buff the attacks and defenses of their friends. I'd like to model something along those lines, either as a bard singing "slay, slay, slay those demons" or a bespectacled bookworm saying, "I say, kick him in the testicles". These powers probably make sense as a PC and not an NPC (otherwise everybody would get cheap follower to do that).

Ideally, there'd be something that could enhance attack skills, damage, other skills, defenses, and so on (one at a time, naturally). Bonus points for stuff I can re-fluff to work with different styles.

Are there extant advantages, skills, or spells I could go look at to get a handle on figuring out how to stat this out?
In GURPS kicking people in the testicles is representing by a called hit to the groin hit location, everyone is allowed to try that by default.

A song that makes people fight better is an beneficial Affliction with whatever powers you think make sense. Increase strength raises damage for muscle weapons, Enhanced Defenses and DR make people harder to hurt, improving their odds of hitting is more difficult but a simple way is to allow people to afflict Skill,Techniques, or the Higher Purpose advantage.

An example:

Song of Strength: Affliction 2 (Beneficial, +0%; Will Based, +20%; ST+2, +20%; Hearing Based, +150%; Area Effect, 16 yards, +150%; Selective Effect, +20%; Requires Skill Roll (Anything Musical) -10%; Requires Concentration, -15%) [83]
Notes: When the bard sings or plays this song successfully anyone he so chooses within 16 yards gains +2 ST if they succeed on a Will+1 roll and retain their new strength for as long as he continues.

By replacing the part that says "ST+2, +20%" with something else and adjusting the point cost you can create a variety of song based powers.

Last edited by lexington; 06-12-2011 at 10:59 PM.
lexington is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2011, 11:31 PM   #3
Lamech
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

Quote:
Song of Strength: Affliction 2 (Beneficial, +0%; Will Based, +20%; ST+2, +20%; Hearing Based, +150%; Area Effect, 16 yards, +150%; Selective Effect, +20%; Requires Skill Roll (Anything Musical) -10%; Requires Concentration, -15%) [83]
Notes: When the bard sings or plays this song successfully anyone he so chooses within 16 yards gains +2 ST if they succeed on a Will+1 roll and retain their new strength for as long as he continues.

By replacing the part that says "ST+2, +20%" with something else and adjusting the point cost you can create a variety of song based powers.
Basically right, but a few things, first to give advantages and what not its 10% per point of the advantage. Or for ST +2 +200%. Secondly I would make in an emanation since its from the bard and not being fired. Finally whats the hearing based thing? As far as I can tell it doesn't do anything useful except maybe prevent deaf party members from getting the benefit. Instead call it an accessibility limitation.

Also for better value I would ditch the second level of affliction. It doubles the cost for very little benefit. If you want people to succeed on their check make it a malediction. So they can choose to fail. Finally if this was part of a power, I would make the requires skill roll, instead the activation skill. Also its going to be much better if you can sing the song and move on to other things instead of needing concentration.


So modified version:
Affliction 1, ST+2 200% Malediction +100% emanation -20%; Requires targets to hear you -10%; Area of Effect 16 yds +150%; Selective area +20% [54]
Make the roll for malediction (or whatever the power-skill is), and all your party members within 16 yds get +2 to STR. They can technically resist if they want, but then they're dumb. Replace +2 STR with whatever other effect you want. The total cost comes to [price of afflicted advantages]+34.

Now either version does have a slight problem in that if you want multiple songs its overly costly. You could build them as A.A. and get the extra ones for 1/5th price but... that is a little unbalanced. Get say 6 songs that dish out 20pts of whatever each? Well you give 120pts of buffs over 6 seconds, and it costs? 108* points. Bit of an issue there. What I would do is ask the GM to let you have a number of songs but have the total cost be 34+price of the benefits of all songs. Yes that isn't how its supposed to be done, but you could have just one buff, have it be more effective and cost the exact same.

*The other version has different numbers but the same issues apply.
Quote:
a bespectacled bookworm saying, "I say, kick him in the testicles".
If this gives a benefit price it the same way. For example the same advantage, but you would have a different skill roll maybe, and the benefit would be "striking strength+5 ball shots only". Or just have the correct knowledge skills and giving tactical advice if that is your meaning.
Lamech is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2011, 11:45 PM   #4
pfooti
 
pfooti's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

Hmm, thanks for the advice- hadn't thought to use the affliction power thing. It's a good start, I'm trying to get a handle on the basic ruleset I should be fiddling with to parameterize the power.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamech View Post
*The other version has different numbers but the same issues apply.
If this gives a benefit price it the same way. For example the same advantage, but you would have a different skill roll maybe, and the benefit would be "striking strength+5 ball shots only". Or just have the correct knowledge skills and giving tactical advice if that is your meaning.
In that particular case, I was actually thinking of someone who had studied the appropriate specialization of occult lore able to point out weaknesses in the enemies, thus giving a +1 DX (effectively) to attack the enemy, or +3 to target vitals or something along those lines. Pretty much the same crunch as the bardic ability (buff the friends, debuff the foes), but based around knowledge skills rather than singing ability.

The cost thus far is pretty limiting (planning a 150 pt campaign), but I think if i put some more modifiers on it (requires a moderately-challenging skill roll on the PCs part, only effective on creatures that have been researched, costs FP, etc) I could probably bring it into reasonable levels. Could even tie it to his notebooks to add the can be stolen thing.
pfooti is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2011, 12:09 AM   #5
Walrus
 
Walrus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Chelyabinsk, Russia
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

Don't use direct ST. You can give Striking ST for damage purpose only unless you want to give more lifting ST or HP. HP is recommended as separate effect.

Hearing-Based on Malediction gives -20%.

Some traditional effects are included in Basic as skills (Musical Influence and Enthrallment). For more clues you can see Dungeon Fantasy 1.

Some traditional effects:

Striking ST - for direct damage
Enhanced Defenses - for defenses
Extra HP - for HP

Harming effects:

Lower DX - to lower weapon skills, decreasing attacks, blocks and parries
Lower Basic Speed - to lower Dodge and Move
Vulnerability and Weakness - for interesting effects
Various Irritant conditions
__________________
MH Setting. Welcome to help.

Last edited by Walrus; 06-13-2011 at 01:11 AM.
Walrus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2011, 12:57 AM   #6
vicky_molokh
GURPS FAQ Keeper
 
vicky_molokh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by lexington View Post
Song of Strength: Affliction 2 (Beneficial, +0%; Will Based, +20%; ST+2, +20%; Hearing Based, +150%; Area Effect, 16 yards, +150%; Selective Effect, +20%; Requires Skill Roll (Anything Musical) -10%; Requires Concentration, -15%) [83]
Notes: When the bard sings or plays this song successfully anyone he so chooses within 16 yards gains +2 ST if they succeed on a Will+1 roll and retain their new strength for as long as he continues.

By replacing the part that says "ST+2, +20%" with something else and adjusting the point cost you can create a variety of song based powers.
I always noted that Buff-oriented classes seem rather expensive.
__________________
Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper
vicky_molokh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2011, 01:36 AM   #7
Sunrunners_Fire
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

May I recommend you look at the Auras of Power article in Pyramid 3-19, starting on page 4? It seems to do exactly what you're asking for.
Sunrunners_Fire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2011, 05:22 AM   #8
Kuroshima
MIB
Pyramid Contributor
Mad Spaniard Rules Lawyer
 
Kuroshima's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The ASS of the world, mainly Valencia, Spain (Europe)
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire View Post
May I recommend you look at the Auras of Power article in Pyramid 3-19, starting on page 4? It seems to do exactly what you're asking for.
and you saved me from pimping my own article ;)

Now, a similar take is present in Dungeon Fantasy 11: Powerups, for bard songs.

To keep things short, you want affliction with malediction if you want to buff.
__________________
Antoni Ten
MIB3119
My GURPs character sheet
My stuff on e23
Kuroshima is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2011, 06:24 AM   #9
gilbertocarlos
 
gilbertocarlos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

The power is giving a bonus to all allies, but the other game system power don't do that, it just give a bonus to one ally, so, there is a change to be made
first, drop the area effect, selective area is dropped as well, probably increase the malediction to speed\size or long-distance and increase the range. The bard will need a musical instrument, that's -20%.

I will put the normal cost first, and then, the cost using the alternative rules from GURPS powers(sum um all the advantages, take the number, and then subtract the limitations from that)

Affliction 1, DX+1 200% Malediction +200%; Requires targets to hear you -10%; Requires musical instrument(-20%)[47\35]
gilbertocarlos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2011, 06:38 AM   #10
Bruno
 
Bruno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
Default Re: Enabling / Helping powers?

"The Other Game" has many different bardsong effects, along with various bard spells which do have mass impact. And more importantly, this isn't D&D, so you can buff in an area if you pay the points to :)
__________________
All about Size Modifier; Unified Hit Location Table
A Wiki for my F2F Group
A neglected GURPS blog
Bruno is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:30 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.