[Powers] Abilities that age user per use

[JCurwen3]

If I wanted to build a power that aged the user some number of years per use, how would I do that?

I thought it might be straightforward for an ability that has a duration, like an Affliction, to use Temporary Disadvantage, Short Lifespan, at maybe 19 levels (which of course would translate to -80% capped), which would make someone age about a year per minute. That'd be increased or decreased depending on the actual duration of the Affliction.

And maybe for Innate Attacks and abilities that don't have a meaningful "duration", hijack Nuisance Effect: Backlash to do the same thing, or use Temporary Disadvantage: Aftermath?

Do these sound like reasonable ideas for how to make powers that "Cost Years"?

[sir_pudding]

Isn't there a modifier for Affliction somewhere that turns it into a Aging attack? I'd start there.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

If I wanted to build a power that aged the user some number of years per use, how would I do that?

?

Permanently or reversibly?

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Isn't there a modifier for Affliction somewhere that turns it into a Aging attack? I'd start there.

Nope, not one that I can find anyway. The only canonical way to age someone is to Leech (Steal Youth) them, or I guess Affliction (right kind of Draining with Aging); I suppose you could slap +300% Permanent on the Age Control part of Unaging and Afflict that on a target to age them (you'd need Reduced Time on that too). Or you Afflict them with Short Lifespan of high enough level to knock off a few years during the duration.

Only canonical way to get aged yourself is to be attacked in one of the above ways, have Draining with Aging yourself and let yourself get "drained", or have Unaging with Age Control and make yourself older. Or you temporarily have Short Lifespan of high enough level to knock off a few years off your own lifespan during the duration.

There's really not an abundance of age manipulation stuff to draw from when trying to build powers that just age another person or yourself, or just rejuvenate an other person or yourself, unfortunately.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Permanently or reversibly?

Permanently. Basically, if you're 25 and human and use a power that ages you, say, 1-6 years per use, it'll just add to your age and do nothing else, but use it enough times and you'll start to suffer aging checks and risk age-related decline. And you don't get better.

[aesir23]

As I suggested in your other thread, I'd model this on Corruption from Horror.

[Lamech]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

If I wanted to build a power that aged the user some number of years per use, how would I do that?

I thought it might be straightforward for an ability that has a duration, like an Affliction, to use Temporary Disadvantage, Short Lifespan, at maybe 19 levels (which of course would translate to -80% capped), which would make someone age about a year per minute. That'd be increased or decreased depending on the actual duration of the Affliction.

And maybe for Innate Attacks and abilities that don't have a meaningful "duration", hijack Nuisance Effect: Backlash to do the same thing, or use Temporary Disadvantage: Aftermath?

Do these sound like reasonable ideas for how to make powers that "Cost Years"?

On the fright check table you can get a -15 point physical disadvantage, and a year of age counts as -3 points. So each year of age per use could reduce the cost by 15 points, using the idea for one use powers costing 1/5th normal cost. Otherwise temporary draining/shortened life span seems a good choice. Also limit the maximum reduction to 4/5ths of the powers cost... and make sure its a meaningful limitation.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by aesir23

As I suggested in your other thread, I'd model this on Corruption from Horror.

I wasn't exactly sure how to use it for aging, but then Lamech pointed something out that I'd completely missed all these years...

Originally Posted by Lamech

On the fright check table you can get a -15 point physical disadvantage, and a year of age counts as -3 points. So each year of age per use could reduce the cost by 15 points, using the idea for one use powers costing 1/5th normal cost. Otherwise temporary draining/shortened life span seems a good choice. Also limit the maximum reduction to 4/5ths of the powers cost... and make sure its a meaningful limitation.

Somehow I'd missed treating a year of aging as [-3] all along. I wonder if the intent is for that to scale that up or down depending on Extended / Short Lifespan, but that's another question. I could use the Corruption rules to build up the character point deficit to age the user appropriately, with the valuation of [-3] as the "disadvantage" of having lost a year of one's life.

I wonder if it'd be considered kosher to create a pure aging attack using that [-3] value with Disadvantage and Cumulative for Affliction, or to do its reverse [3] to rejuvenate someone with Affliction. Again, another question, but the above really helps with my build, thanks!

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

Permanently. Basically, if you're 25 and human and use a power that ages you, say, 1-6 years per use, it'll just add to your age and do nothing else, but use it enough times and you'll start to suffer aging checks and risk age-related decline. And you don't get better.

So there is _no_ age reversing power in the game universe? It makes a big difference.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

So there is _no_ age reversing power in the game universe? It makes a big difference.

As it stands, the answer is ostensibly "no". Short of leaving the door open for currently unknown, not publically available, and dangerous experimental bio-tech or alien tech, or the possibility of making some very dark deals with very dark supernatural creatures, there is no real way to reverse aging in the game world as it stands.