Limit Breaks in GURPS

[kdtipa]

Hello all,

I'm in the process of building a world setting for a campaign I plan on running... probably starting in February at this point. The basic idea of the setting is real-world Earth about 200 years into the future. I'm cherry picking technological growth. I'm also including Psionics as the primary way to differentiate the main characters. After all, in the real world, most people don't have a reason to go on adventures, and psionics make for a nice hook.

In my campaign, the psionics are done using the 3e design... power categories with skills you can get to use that power in different ways. I like it better than the 4e psionics that seems to be basically: each skill from 3e is an advantage in 4e. Sort of. Anyway, I don't like the 4e way of doing it... but that's not why I'm writing this post. I just told you about my choice of how to handle psionics because it might be relevant to the question I intend on asking.

The last piece of info before asking my question is to describe "limit breaks". In Final Fantasy VII, your characters had something called limit breaks, where after you took enough damage or dealt enough damage, a gauge would fill up, and you could then use an extremely powerful ability. The idea as I understand it is that the character had just reached their limit, and they unleash whatever rage, adrenaline, determination in a big powerful move.

There are two pieces of that puzzle: "what causes the gauge to fill" and "what can you do when you get there". So my question is: How would you implement a limit break system in GURPS? I kind of want to do something like that for my campaign.

The way I see it in my head, if my players' characters are getting along well, and would care about each other, and example of a situation that would cause the limit break option to be available would be seeing one of their friends fall in combat. Basically... situations that I as the GM would consider highly emotional situations that make the person snap and act in a more powerful way.

I know that this could be sort of emulated by players who roleplay really well. Seeing one of their friends go down in combat, might make the player react strongly and suddenly decide to start taking all-out-attacks on the foe that downed the PC. I would definitely award points for roleplaying that well. But I think I want another game mechanic effect of those high strung situations... especially something that could interact with the psionics.

So yeah: How would all of you implement something like this? Would you stick with normal rules and just teach your players to use the other combat options more often? If you did use something like the limit break from FFVII, how would you model the gauge building up to a point where the power could be used? How do I create a mechanic for "reaching one's limit" or do I leave it as GM fiat? What would the power be? Maybe just double power level for a psionic power? A big strength boost (massive adrenaline surge). Free "high pain threshold" for a few rounds?

[JMD]

I would probably make some custom powers that can only happen when the character spends x fp, and they can only spend the fp when some trigger happens. The trigger could potentially be unique for each character depending on preexisting disads, like if a compatriot goes unconscious, they themselves are dropped to below 0 hp, or an enemy regains hit points.

[lexington]

One way to do it is to give characters ER with Special Recharge that requires DR with Absorption in order to recharge then give all the Limit Break abilities Costs ER. I think DR having the DR not stop any damage is a -100% limitation.

[Langy]

First, I wouldn't use limit breaks at all because they're silly and don't match into reality at all. However, if I were to do so, I'd go one of two routes.

1. Energy Reserve with Special Recharge, DR with absorption, and abilities that can only be powered via that ER.

2. Abilities with the Trigger limitation, at the -60% level (a Rare, Dangerous trigger).

With the ER method, the 'limit break' abilities will be usable at defined times - after a character has taken x number of hits, for example. Other times you might grant them ER due to emotional trauma (rather than physical trauma), but that'll have to be GM fiat.

With the Trigger method, it'd all be up to GM fiat.

EDIT: Alternatively, just give every character the Berserk disadvantage, which functions similarly to a 'limit break'.

[BrockNicholson]

If I were to model something like what you are describing, I would probably not give them a power boost, but make powers free for a short time. Essentially the idea that tapping into your rage overwhelms the limitations on your psychic powers, and allows you to use them with no consequence to yourself. It may not be "realistic" but then neither are psionics or most of the other things that are discussed on these forms. I, for one, have never let reality get in the way of my escapist fantasy gaming.

[Langy]

Oh, and Psionic Powers in 4e (not the Psionics chapter in the Basic Set - Psionic Powers is a completely separate book) is relatively similar to the 3e design, but updated for 4e.

If you want your limit breaks to be all about psionic powers, then the obvious answer would be to give a bonus to Extra Effort when the 'break' occurs (this allows you to greatly boost the level of your psionic abilities). You could even still use the ER with Special Recharge idea presented earlier, and use that ER to offset the Extra Effort or Technique penalties.

Brock: Psionic Powers don't usually cost FP or anything else - they're already free.

[whswhs]

Would Unconscious Only + Uncontrollable (pp. B115-116) serve your purposes?

Bill Stoddard

[Refplace]

I have something kind of similar for my Pathos/Angst system. Still working on it.
You have a special ER that is on special recharge so its cheap.
The ER is only recharged by things that affect the particular emotion.
So a rage ER would fill up as you got angry. Lose self control roles for the appropriate disad to fill it up is the main way but anytime the GM says make a roll against say Berserk you may get a point if you succeed but more if you fail.
Then you buy the powers or extra levels of a power using cost fatigue and possibly temporary disadvantage of the right type.

So for an example.
Character normally has TK at ST 10 and is rage powered.
Buys extra 10 ST TK with costs FP and temporary disad berserk.
When he gets mad he makes a will roll and if he succeeds gets 1 FP to recharge the ER.

Not really happy with with all the mechanics yet, as I said its incomplete. But that might give you some useful ideas for your "Limit Break" thing.

[kdtipa]

All interesting responses so far. Definitely giving me things to think about. At the moment, I'm really liking the idea that reaching the limit means not having to expend resources to power the powers.

Hmm...

A separate fatigue point pool (or ER or whatever)... something that is usually at zero, but taking damage can add points to it, as well as GM decisions. That separate pool can't be used until full and then it can be used to power the psi abilities. That way, it could be used to power many small efforts, or a couple big ones. And it has a built in limit on how much can be done. When you run out of points, you're winded, and are otherwise back to normal.

Well... I'm definitely not decided yet. Can't wait to see if there are other ideas.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by kdtipa

All interesting responses so far. Definitely giving me things to think about. At the moment, I'm really liking the idea that reaching the limit means not having to expend resources to power the powers.

You'd need to use an alternative system for those powers, then, because the default ones (including the 3e version, if I remember right) already do not require the expending of resources to power the powers.