[Powers] Innate Attack + Wall, Power Parry or Power Block

Plane · 10-16-2020, 02:52 PM

To get back to OOMN, there's THREE -10% versions of Costs Fatigue to consider.

These are distinctions which I don't know if they have different names... slightly different terms would probably help in illustrating the different workings so that abilities don't need fluff for that.

There's the one-level "1 FP per second for -10%" version...
There's the two-level "2 FP per instantaneous use" version...
There's the two-level "2 FP for 1st minute, 1 FP per additional minute" version.

Not to mention the "requires success roll and if it fails, spend FP to try again if you have 4 or more FP left" versions (which luckily are not called Costs Fatigue so we don't get them confused, but still have similar "instant or minute" questions sometimes) which have a "btw you can never attempt the ability again until you rest all your FP up to 100%" brutal embargo (ideal FP to have: 4):

Unreliable Activation 14
Unreliable Gadget Malfunction 15
Unreliable Power Malfunction 15
Requires (Attribute) Roll (primary attribute, uncontested)

Authors with a better understanding of advantage classification probably just assume readers can intuit which should be used, but I have trouble with intuition like that which is why tweaking the name would really help.

P153's AVP box first bullet (passive) makes me wonder about the 2nd grouping:

If it requires a die roll, the owner or the GM must roll – there’s no opting out.

Is THAT how RAR/RSR and the three Unreliable variations all work? Die rolls don't imply character consent?

OTOH die rolls also fall under the 2nd bullet (active) too:

An active ability does nothing until the wielder takes a maneuver to use it – most often Attack, Concentrate, Move, or Ready – or chooses to make a die roll

The "takes a maneuver" thing probably shouldn't be taken too literally since I'm pretty sure you can have "free action" active abilities too...

The bottom paragraph's distinction between switching=active but switched-on-effects = passive could be helpful here...

This makes me wonder if you could have identically modified (same enhancements/limitations) abilities have both passive or active variations as 0% features? There would be benefits and drawbacks to either of them.

For example with "passive ability which requires HT checks each minute" you're forced to make the HT checks (can't turn the ability off unless you fail the HT check against your will) but since the HT checks are passive (you're not choosing to make them) the HT checks would not count as an "active use" for detection purposes?

Whereas with "active ability which requires HT checks each minute" you're NOT forced to attempt the HT checks (you have a once-per-minute window to "switch off ability for free" if you opt to pass on that) but each time you DO attempt them (or perhaps only if they succeed?) that minutely moment counts as a detectable active use?

10-16-2020, 02:52 PM	#6
Plane Join Date: Aug 2018	Re: [Powers] Innate Attack + Wall, Power Parry or Power Block To get back to OOMN, there's THREE -10% versions of Costs Fatigue to consider. These are distinctions which I don't know if they have different names... slightly different terms would probably help in illustrating the different workings so that abilities don't need fluff for that. There's the one-level "1 FP per second for -10%" version... There's the two-level "2 FP per instantaneous use" version... There's the two-level "2 FP for 1st minute, 1 FP per additional minute" version. Not to mention the "requires success roll and if it fails, spend FP to try again if you have 4 or more FP left" versions (which luckily are not called Costs Fatigue so we don't get them confused, but still have similar "instant or minute" questions sometimes) which have a "btw you can never attempt the ability again until you rest all your FP up to 100%" brutal embargo (ideal FP to have: 4): Unreliable Activation 14 Unreliable Gadget Malfunction 15 Unreliable Power Malfunction 15 Requires (Attribute) Roll (primary attribute, uncontested) Authors with a better understanding of advantage classification probably just assume readers can intuit which should be used, but I have trouble with intuition like that which is why tweaking the name would really help. P153's AVP box first bullet (passive) makes me wonder about the 2nd grouping: If it requires a die roll, the owner or the GM must roll – there’s no opting out. Is THAT how RAR/RSR and the three Unreliable variations all work? Die rolls don't imply character consent? OTOH die rolls also fall under the 2nd bullet (active) too: An active ability does nothing until the wielder takes a maneuver to use it – most often Attack, Concentrate, Move, or Ready – or chooses to make a die roll The "takes a maneuver" thing probably shouldn't be taken too literally since I'm pretty sure you can have "free action" active abilities too... The bottom paragraph's distinction between switching=active but switched-on-effects = passive could be helpful here... This makes me wonder if you could have identically modified (same enhancements/limitations) abilities have both passive or active variations as 0% features? There would be benefits and drawbacks to either of them. For example with "passive ability which requires HT checks each minute" you're forced to make the HT checks (can't turn the ability off unless you fail the HT check against your will) but since the HT checks are passive (you're not choosing to make them) the HT checks would not count as an "active use" for detection purposes? Whereas with "active ability which requires HT checks each minute" you're NOT forced to attempt the HT checks (you have a once-per-minute window to "switch off ability for free" if you opt to pass on that) but each time you DO attempt them (or perhaps only if they succeed?) that minutely moment counts as a detectable active use?