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Old 01-31-2016, 10:19 PM   #1
bearit
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Default Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

Hello all.

Im starting a Ultra-tech campaign soon with psionics and have been bandying around an idea of Altered time rate as a psionic power.

The power would:

-be off until i activated it
-cost fatigue for as long as it was on

Also, the purpose of this power would be primarily to increase combat speed and reflexes. Is altered time rate the best option for this? I've been reading on other threads and it seems like people recommend just increasing secondary stats--Basic Speed, Basic Move--or perhaps buying Enhanced Defenses and Extra Attacks.

So...

what best simulates stereotypical speedy characters (Flash, Quicksilver)?

-and-

how do you turn continuously on advantages (ATR, Enhanced Defenses) into temporary, switchable powers with Fatigue point costs?
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Old 01-31-2016, 10:51 PM   #2
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

Just add Costs Fatigue. That alters the power so that it only works while you're consciously spending FP on it.
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Old 01-31-2016, 11:00 PM   #3
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

Just adding the costs Fatigue limitation makes it switchable.
Not a good discount for the price but ATR would last 1 minute per use and you could add more to make it 1 per Turn like with Attacks.

ATR is a good part of a speedster but expensive so many opt for lower priced options like Extra Attack.
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Old 01-31-2016, 11:04 PM   #4
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

Quote:
Originally Posted by PK View Post
Just add Costs Fatigue. That alters the power so that it only works while you're consciously spending FP on it.
Just doing Costs Fatigue 1 seems like a huge disadvantage for only 5% off the full price. That is a penalty of 1 fatigue every minute, 60 every hour, and 1440 every day--for only 5% off the always on price. I must be missing something?
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Old 01-31-2016, 11:17 PM   #5
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

Quote:
Originally Posted by bearit View Post
Just doing Costs Fatigue 1 seems like a huge disadvantage for only 5% off the full price. That is a penalty of 1 fatigue every minute, 60 every hour, and 1440 every day--for only 5% off the always on price. I must be missing something?
Nope. Hence my reply above.
There have been various non RAW mods but PK hit the official one for you.
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Old 01-31-2016, 11:29 PM   #6
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

If you want to bring the price lower, I recommend Maximum Duration (from GURPS Power-Ups 8: Limitations). You could limit your ATR to only last for a matter of seconds for -75%, after which it would need five minutes to recharge (effectively restricting it to once per fight).

It would technically be double-dipping to also put Costs Fatigue on there, especially if you've limited it to under a minute, but something like "Nuisance Effect, Costs 1d FP at the end of use" (-5%) would be a reasonable addition -- one that hits the -80% maximum discount.
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Old 02-01-2016, 12:50 AM   #7
bearit
 
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

thanks for your answers. ill be looking into those limitations. I did have another question regarding powers...

I want to mimic River Tam's abilities in Firefly. One of such seems to be an ability to passively, constantly sense when others are nearby (almost like a 6th sense). To me, this seems like a permanent version of Detect (Thoughts) or some sort of Para-Radar. How can Ibest create this permanent, passive ability?
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Old 02-01-2016, 08:05 AM   #8
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

I always felt Costs Fatigue was priced wrong, but couldn't quite figure out what was bugging me about it until now.

I feel like it should have an up front negative higher, but be lower as you add more FP. After so many FP I almost feel like it's pointless to give a negative impact.

"Oh, it takes 20 instead of 18... so another 10%" makes my eyes go O_o
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Old 02-01-2016, 08:37 AM   #9
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

Quote:
Originally Posted by bearit View Post
the purpose of this power would be primarily to increase combat speed and reflexes. Is altered time rate the best option for this?
As you've seen in the other threads you mention, ATR is pretty expensive. And even straight-up speedsters like The Flash buy Enhanced Move, Defenses, etc. ATR isn't a complete package.

Its main advantage in combat is that you can use your turns back-to-back for All-out Attack followed by All-out Defense. So it does boost both attacks and defenses.

River probably has a good DX, increased Basic Speed, and perhaps some increased Basic Move or Enhanced Parry and/or Dodge. Keep in mind that +2 levels of combat skill (8 CP) is also +1 Parry, and with Deceptive Attack increases your ability to hit.

The cinematic River is probably also Trained By A Master and possibly a Weapon Master. And thus you might find some of those cinematic martial arts skills like Power Blow useful.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bearit View Post
an ability to passively, constantly sense when others are nearby (almost like a 6th sense). To me, this seems like a permanent version of Detect (Thoughts)
GURPS Psi Powers builds "Telescan" and "Omniscan" on top of Detect, so you're in good company. Probably Vague in River's case. Add Reflexive (+40%) to turn an active sense into a passive one.

I always thought it would be interesting to build River _not_ as a psi, but just with cinematic awareness and analysis of normal senses that just seem to others like they could be psionic (or witchery). She "just did the math". The movie pretty much makes that not canonical, of course, but I found it more interesting as an enigma than as stated fact.
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Old 02-01-2016, 05:48 PM   #10
bearit
 
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Default Re: Altered Time Rate as Psionic Power

Thanks a lot! I'll definitely check out Psi Powers. Out groups is starting a Firefly themed campaign in the Warhammer universe and psionics is right at home there. River is an interesting build. Thanks
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