GURPS Psionic Powers Designer's Notes in Pyramid #3/9

[Refplace]

Read the article.
By the way I'm happier with Astral Projection now that I understand the Crossing technique.
Pulled out my copy of Powers and reread the relavant sections also. Thanks for the page references. I had read them in the begining but not with the same eye/perspective used this time. I am going to apply some of this to my Shaman builds and see if I like it better then other options I have tried so far.

[hari]

Might I ask, what exactly are your Shaan builds?

[Huyderman]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

* A new (complex) limitation: Limited by Margin

Wouldn't offer a tease of what this is? I'm a little on the fence for this issue, but new limitations always interests me, and might be the final prod I need.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by hari

Might I ask, what exactly are your Shaan builds?

Sorry that was a typo. I meant Shaman (edited it just now)
I've tried a bunch of builds and I'm not fully satisified with one yet.
Using Powers we see Jumper, Insubstantiality + Invis, Clairsentience, and Alternate Form with Projection.
None of those really do it all and each adds undesired capabilities and complexity.

Using Magic we have a couple of spells but that adds power to the build I don't want as well as making every mage able to duplicate the effects. Also I just don't like the flavor and gaming of those spells for this kind of thing.

Path/Book has a similar problem but again doesnt fit my concept.

Psionic Powers gave us Astral Travel based off Insubstantaility with a trick from powers that is closer to my concept goal, especially since I read the designers notes on Astral Crossing.

I also tried a new power based off Trained By a Master that gave access to certain Shaman abilities but its a little complex and clunky and not streamlined.
Making a new power is also not elegant and would thus be relagated to House Rule.

The Designer Notes and rereading some of Powers has given me another direction for a couple of magic systems and might work ou for the Saman builds too.

Put so much work into this I've thought about submitting it for a pdf (since its on the wish list) but Kromm would hate me.

[capnq]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

* A new (complex) limitation: Limited by Margin

Originally Posted by Huyderman

Wouldn't offer a tease of what this is? I'm a little on the fence for this issue, but new limitations always interests me, and might be the final prod I need.

It's a fairly simple concept: the results of using the power vary in strength based on your margin of success on a skill roll.

The complex part is the mechanics of how you calculate what the limitation is worth.

[PK]

Originally Posted by capnq

It's a fairly simple concept: the results of using the power vary in strength based on your margin of success on a skill roll.

The complex part is the mechanics of how you calculate what the limitation is worth.

Yeah, that's why I didn't even want to include it in Psionic Powers proper, because I've shown it to people before and it hurt their brains. I was waffling on whether to share it in the DN, and only decided to after Molokh pointed out the danger of someone thinking "Damage cannot exceed margin of success" was now a generic -50% limitation on any IA. I figure, since the DN is like "extra credit", the gearheads will be happy to see how the sausage is actually made, while everyone else can just enjoy the tasty meat product in its final form.

[Mark Skarr]

RPK's got something in it? I'm likely to buy it. Have to check into it when I have some time.

[hari]

Ah, not "Shaan" but "Shaman" huh? You know, the last I looked at it, the wish list had an expansion to Powers, similar to Psionic Powers, just about shamanic powers.

I don't think it's realistic to hope for more Psionic goodness, so instead I'm holding out in hopes that the other power books will be just as good.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by hari

Ah, not "Shaan" but "Shaman" huh? You know, the last I looked at it, the wish list had an expansion to Powers, similar to Psionic Powers, just about shamanic powers.

I don't think it's realistic to hope for more Psionic goodness, so instead I'm holding out in hopes that the other power books will be just as good.

Me too :)
And yeah thats the item I saw but I hope whomever does it does more then focus on the powers. DF Allys for example probably has the most on spirit interaction which should be a good portion in a Shamans book.