Lower price of Racial Memory (Active)

[DeathDaisy]

In a 19th century monster hunter-ish game we're running, I'm playing an unaging witch. I think racial memory would be a cool flavor thing to add, but committing 40 points to it is madness.

In our group, advantages like psychometry and such are fun, but seldom of more use than some extra flavor. While my witch is probably well-traveled at times through history (and sometimes through time), I don't expect it to be very useful most of the time, mostly giving some flavor for the place and some fun backstory for the character. Even with a GM using the advantage as intended, I'd be hesitant to spend the 40 points on it. In a globetrotting adventure, how much can one expect one's ancestors to have seen?

15 points is a much more acceptable price for flavor, but passive feels weird for one's own memories and the GM usually forgets passive advantages anyway. Given the limited utility, would I be a huge munchkin suggesting a price of 15-20 points to the GM, akin to psychometry or somesuch? While I am almost always a player, I am the most well versed in the system and my suggestions are usually what goes, so I feel obliged to try and be as fair as I can, especially when it concerns my own characters.

[Anthony]

The simplest way of doing this is as flavor text -- if you succeed at a roll to know something about a particular situation, you can declare it to be the result of racial memory. This has no mechanical effect and thus costs [0].

[DeathDaisy]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The simplest way of doing this is as flavor text -- if you succeed at a roll to know something about a particular situation, you can declare it to be the result of racial memory. This has no mechanical effect and thus costs [0].

Actually, yeah, that makes perfect sense. Kinda use unaging as an unusual background maybe to have anachronistic knowledge from time to time.. Thanks for that

[Canology]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The simplest way of doing this is as flavor text -- if you succeed at a roll to know something about a particular situation, you can declare it to be the result of racial memory. This has no mechanical effect and thus costs [0].

I'm not sure I'd allow that as a GM. You are asking for the benefits of racial memory without paying anything for it.

I'd go with the passive version and chalk missed rolls up to it being so long ago that she forgot the details.
Also, there is nothing preventing you from saying to the GM "Hey, is there any chance my character was in Jakarta sometime in the past?" or whatever you need to remember...

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Canology

I'm not sure I'd allow that as a GM. You are asking for the benefits of racial memory without paying anything for it.

What benefit? The suggestion here is totally cosmetic. If the character succeeds at a roll the player can declare it to be because she remembered something relevant. Everybody can already do this.

[Canology]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

What benefit? The suggestion here is totally cosmetic. If the character succeeds at a roll the player can declare it to be because she remembered something relevant. Everybody can already do this.

I don't usually let characters roll to remember things that are going to happen in the future or the far past. Which was what i thought the original question was regarding.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by DeathDaisy

In a 19th century monster hunter-ish game we're running, I'm playing an unaging witch. I think racial memory would be a cool flavor thing to add, but committing 40 points to it is madness.

In our group, advantages like psychometry and such are fun, but seldom of more use than some extra flavor. While my witch is probably well-traveled at times through history (and sometimes through time), I don't expect it to be very useful most of the time, mostly giving some flavor for the place and some fun backstory for the character. Even with a GM using the advantage as intended, I'd be hesitant to spend the 40 points on it. In a globetrotting adventure, how much can one expect one's ancestors to have seen?

15 points is a much more acceptable price for flavor, but passive feels weird for one's own memories and the GM usually forgets passive advantages anyway. Given the limited utility, would I be a huge munchkin suggesting a price of 15-20 points to the GM, akin to psychometry or somesuch? While I am almost always a player, I am the most well versed in the system and my suggestions are usually what goes, so I feel obliged to try and be as fair as I can, especially when it concerns my own characters.

I have a variation of Racial Memory called "Long-Lived" I use in my campaigns worth 15-points. It works just like Racial Memory (Active) but only for your life and it's worked just fine so far.

[DeathDaisy]

Originally Posted by Canology

I'd go with the passive version and chalk missed rolls up to it being so long ago that she forgot the details.
Also, there is nothing preventing you from saying to the GM "Hey, is there any chance my character was in Jakarta sometime in the past?" or whatever you need to remember...

That's not seldom how it works anyway; I've heard "Hey, GM, I have Danger Sense. Haven't I noticed anything?" "Oh, uh.. Well, yeah, it's been going off this whole time!" more than once. My GM tells great stories and we have lots of fun, but such advantages are often wasted points if you don't constantly mention it

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

I have a variation of Racial Memory called "Long-Lived" I use in my campaigns worth 15-points. It works just like Racial Memory (Active) but only for your life and it's worked just fine so far.

Sounds like pretty much exactly what I had in mind! I'll discuss it with the GM. thanks for the input

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by DeathDaisy

Sounds like pretty much exactly what I had in mind! I'll discuss it with the GM. thanks for the input

If the GM needs an actual write-up - PM me and I'll get you one from my archives.

[Kalzazz]

Starslayer allows people who have Unaging etc to take an Old Stuff! wildcard