Severe disadvantage + very easy mitigator?

[beevr]

Hello, everyone!

I have a character idea, and I'd appreciate if you could share your views on appropriate point costs and other game balance issues that it might entail.

In short, the character is being stalked by a demon. If the demon gets his way with the character, the victim gets 100 points worth of mental disadvantages - all sorts of hallucinations, delusions, etc. But keeping the demon away is rather easy. The character has to pray for 1d6 x 10 minutes every 12 hours.

But I am not really sure how to price it correcly. As I understand, the standard mitigator is supposed be something material that the player has to obtain on a regular basis (some medicine) or owns but can loose (glasses). But praying is available to the player at no extra effort, unless someone deliberately prevents praying, or the player is stuck in an extremely distracting environment. So praying should probably be cheaper than 60% that come with 'vulnerable' and 'daily treatment' mitigators. On the other hand, the player would have to pray twice as more often than he'd have to take a 'daily treatment' mitigator.

Also, I'm not really sure if such a set up would be reasonable at all, and not exploit the game rules.

If that matters, the campaign is supposed to be 'gritty super' power level. And all advantages are limited to TL10 Bio-Tech.

I'd love to read your thoughts on all that.

[Verjigorm]

Does the prayer time have to be completely uninterrupted?

[johndallman]

In effect this is an attempt at a 50 point secret "I'll go totally mad unless I pray twice every day". However, Secret only goes up to -30, and you're attempting to make it worse by making the secret easy to learn and exploit.

I wouldn't take this, or allow it. All an opponent has to do is keep the character unconscious for 13 hours, and you're screwed, with no way to recover.

[beevr]

Originally Posted by Verjigorm

Does the prayer time have to be completely uninterrupted?

I was thinking of imposing Will rolls on interruption. If the player failed to keep his concentration, he'd have to start over.

[beevr]

Originally Posted by johndallman

In effect this is an attempt at a 50 point secret "I'll go totally mad unless I pray twice every day". However, Secret only goes up to -30, and you're attempting to make it worse by making the secret easy to learn and exploit.

I wouldn't take this, or allow it. All an opponent has to do is keep the character unconscious for 13 hours, and you're screwed, with no way to recover.

This is an interesting way to view this disadvantage that never crossed my mind. Thanks for the insight!

Theoretically, the player could recover. He'd just have to win a load of ridiculous Will rolls against Phantom Voices, Flashbacks, Chronic Pain and the like. That would probably take months, but is possible. Also, other players could help via some non-trivial anti-demonic actions.

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by beevr

I was thinking of imposing Will rolls on interruption. If the player failed to keep his concentration, he'd have to start over.

The more detailed it is, the higher I would go on the limitation. Actually, this strikes me as similar to Trademark...

Saying "Hail Mary, Full of Grace" or reciting a Psalm, crossing yourself, worry beads, etc, would be maybe a 5% limitation. These actions don't take a lot of time, they don't particularly inconvenience you, and they arn't particularly flashy.

On the other hand, if your Prayer session requires you to partially disrobe, kneel and submit yourself, chant length mantras and burn incense... That's a different kettle of fish(and it might feed more than 5,000, too) and is definitely a 60% or worse limitation.

[beevr]

Originally Posted by Verjigorm

On the other hand, if your Prayer session requires you to partially disrobe, kneel and submit yourself, chant length mantras and burn incense... That's a different kettle of fish(and it might feed more than 5,000, too) and is definitely a 60% or worse limitation.

Yes, that is more or less what I had in mind. A rather complex ritual, only no material components are required. Thanks.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Verjigorm

The more detailed it is, the higher I would go on the limitation. Actually, this strikes me as similar to Trademark...

Saying "Hail Mary, Full of Grace" or reciting a Psalm, crossing yourself, worry beads, etc, would be maybe a 5% limitation. .

95%. You're mitigating a disadvantage.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

95%. You're mitigating a disadvantage.

You could treat the praying as a Required Disadvantage, and the negated disads as actual Advantages, limited as by a Power Modifier. That should get similar results.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by beevr

In short, the character is being stalked by a demon. If the demon gets his way with the character, the victim gets 100 points worth of mental disadvantages - all sorts of hallucinations, delusions, etc. But keeping the demon away is rather easy. The character has to pray for 1d6 x 10 minutes every 12 hours.

That's an average of over an hour, daily, which is kind of a lot of time. Also, if the demon knows about this, what's stopping it from just getting somebody else to tie him up and gag him or something?