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Old 08-15-2016, 10:44 PM   #1
Sciencezam
 
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Default [Supers] [Thaumatology] Threshold-Limited Powers

So I've been bouncing around some ideas in my head for a game I run, and how to appropriately do chaotic magic that despoils land and ruins crops. Threshold-limited Magic is an obvious choice for that, but it got me thinking.

How would you port such a basis to the use of Powers? In particular, I'm looking at how Threshold-Limited (instead of FP-costing) powers would interact with the One-Use Powers from Supers-Overcharging your power should certainly cost you, not just bring you to 0 FP or your Threshold.

What sort of Tally point-benchmarks might people use? I think I would want Titanic feats to push the tally up, Legendary feats to immediately start match Threshold, while anything higher is even worse.

The general goal is to make Powers quite strong, but risky to push too far, lest you get a Dark-Sun like situation. This is intended as part of a custom setting, so I can talk about the story motivation behind this if it's wanted, but I think it's neat enough on its own that's not hugely important.
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Old 08-16-2016, 12:17 AM   #2
Nereidalbel
 
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Default Re: [Supers] [Thaumatology] Threshold-Limited Powers

If you allow Ultrapower in such a setting, treat it as a multiplier for Tally. So, x2 Tally, x4, x8, etc.
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Old 08-16-2016, 12:31 AM   #3
Christopher R. Rice
 
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Default Re: [Supers] [Thaumatology] Threshold-Limited Powers

So, I'm currently running four (soon to be five) games set in my supers campaign "Aeon". In the Aeon Universe all powers (magic, super, etc.) stem from a single source (Kyberic Energy or kE), but are expressed in different ways.

One of my original ideas for the campaign is that external powers (metahuman abilities mostly) can channel this force to exceed the normal limits of their power...but at a cost. It might physically corrupt or drive you mad leading to MMAD (Metahuman Maladaptive Awareness Disorder - a nasty cocktail of neurodegenerative symptoms). I've since discarded the idea (for now) since it wasn't being really used by the players in the games it was appropriate for. It's basically Godlike Extra Effort meets Threshold Magic meets Corruption

If you want access to it I wrote this up on my Patreon as "Extra Extra Effort" (If you are already a subscriber, simply go to this link.)
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Old 08-16-2016, 06:47 PM   #4
Sciencezam
 
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Default Re: [Supers] [Thaumatology] Threshold-Limited Powers

Poking at this more, I realized that Imbuement Skills get about as much play in the game I'm doing this for as Magic-Based powers. So, here's the first stab at things, using some of the jargon from Powers to classify abilities. Usually any abilities to this will have a -10% Threshold Magic modifier, and function as magic.

Normal Use

Transient Abilities: Always cost at least 1 Tally to use(represented by Corrupting limitation). Examples: Innate attack, Terror, Luck
Passives/Switchable Abilities: Turning the power on increases your tally by a fixed amount (see: corrupting) that cannot be recovered until the advantage is switched off. Examples: Flight, advantages with Switchable, Innate attack with aura. I'd probably let damage resistances and Injury Tolerance (Unliving) be taken here.
Always On Abilities: cannot be used with this power source.
Imbuement Skills: take Threshold Magical limitation (-10%), cost is now in Tally, not FP. A -1 to skill can be bought off for 1 Tally.

Extra Effort (Powers)
Godlike Extra Effort: Will roll at -1 per +5% to effectiveness, but you can multiply the effect by extra tally spent on use. Will -3 and 10 tally gets you 150% effect. Affects Transient abilities and strength

Temp. Enhancement (Powers)
1 Tally per 10% of enhancement, +1 over and above any extra, must pass will roll (-1 to the will roll can cancel 1 tally cost). Transient abilities only.

Ultrapower/One-Use Power
Abilities and Strength only. On a critical success, the usual FP costs for a feat are turned directly into Tally (1 Tally for a Titanic feat, 2 tally for a legendary feat, etc.). On an ordinary success, the cost in tally for using the ability is multiplied by a factor based on the feat: x2 for a Titanic Feat, x4 for a legendary feat, x8 for a Awesome feat, all the way up to x16 for a Transcendent feat. This will probably force calamity checks! Enhancing strength in this way has a base cost in Tally of 20% the character's strength attribute. To avoid punishing people who invested in a high ST score, lower the situational will penalties or class of feat needed to perform the task.

The goal here is to have a number of chaos magic-powered wizards (already covered by threshold magic) and supers-like warriors in a fantasy setting. They should be able to maintain some base supernatural abilities effortlessly, here represented by switchable ones; but doing so twists their auras and will set off anything that detects magic. Fights between them should be a gradually escalating affair, and when pushing as hard as they can it should invite disaster not just for the combatants but for everyone in the area. So, having it so that Ultrapowers rapidly jack up your Tally should get that across. I think I'd just need to fine-tune the Calamity table, then, emphasizing blight and natural disaster. Calamities would not reduce threshold.

Last edited by Sciencezam; 08-16-2016 at 06:51 PM. Reason: clarified some of the switchable advantages
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