[DF11] Demonology Question

[Mehman]

Another question from me. At least it's been awhile since the last one.

I'm reading through Power-Ups and get to the Hellfire ability under the Demonologist power-ups. The last sentence or two make absolutely no sense to me. I'll quote the confusing part:

"... the Demonology modifier ensures that if the user ever drops to -HP or worse thanks to using Hellfire, he's at a -1 on the HT roll to avoid death, with failure meaning he goes to Hell and can't be resurrected."

I've read the Demonology entry in Summoners until my eyes have crossed. I'm not seeing where the Demonology modifier ensures this -1 to HT roll or dying and going to Hell where he can't be resurrected (unless an Orphic saga is launched, I presume) because of using Hellfire. Under the "Advantages" section for the Hellfire power, it doesn't spell this out either.

Someone help me out!

(This was posted in the DFRPG forum by mistake. Who knew DF and DFRPG were different?!)

[Kelly Pedersen]

The effect isn't explicit in the Demonology power modifier from Summoners, no, but I don't think it has to be - power modifiers contain lots of effects that are effectively 0% modifiers (either because they're too weak to be worth a limitation, or because their benefits balance their drawbacks), and it's okay for a particular ability, as in this case, to specify one of those effects. It's basically a logical extension of the implications of Demonology, that it draws on hellish power and moves your soul closer, cosmologically, to Hell.

[Mehman]

Sounds good enough for me, Kelly. Thanks!

[Kromm]

The Demonology modifier includes -5% for sensitivity to supernatural energies and -5% for Nuisance Effect. For most abilities, the latter amounts to distressing appearance . . . because stuff like Detect, Hard to Kill, Resistant, and See Invisible normally have no visible effects. Blasting a 10-yard jet of Hellfire isn't subtle, so that -5% would be a free discount here. For this ability, then, the usual Nuisance Effect is changed from "Your ability earns a reaction penalty from those around you" to "Your ability physically inconveniences you." It's such a severe inconvenience because it does nothing (and once again is basically free) until you seriously reduce your HP and fail a HT roll.

[Mehman]

Thanks, Kromm! With your answer and Kelly's, it seems I was thinking of it the wrong way. The pieces of the puzzle are complete. All hail the puzzle!

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Mehman

Thanks, Kromm! With your answer and Kelly's, it seems I was thinking of it the wrong way. The pieces of the puzzle are complete. All hail the puzzle!

Glad to help! And here's a generalized bonus answer:

In published GURPS, when a power modifier for an entire power is a net limitation and not terribly applicable to a specific ability, we try to avoid having it become a consequence-free discount. One way to do that is not to apply it to those abilities . . . except that tends to isolate those abilities from the rest of the power, which isn't pleasing in a narrative sense. We therefore avoid that and instead change the drawback for those abilities, as here. (For instance, if a whole power involved abilities that cost 1 FP per use but one ability was intended to regenerate FP, we would simply say that for that one ability, the FP cost is replaced by some comparable drawback, like causing you to suffer from the equivalent of Slow Riser whenever you're missing FP.)

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Glad to help! And here's a generalized bonus answer:

In published GURPS, when a power modifier for an entire power is a net limitation and not terribly applicable to a specific ability, we try to avoid having it become a consequence-free discount. One way to do that is not to apply it to those abilities . . . except that tends to isolate those abilities from the rest of the power, which isn't pleasing in a narrative sense. We therefore avoid that and instead change the drawback for those abilities, as here. (For instance, if a whole power involved abilities that cost 1 FP per use but one ability was intended to regenerate FP, we would simply say that for that one ability, the FP cost is replaced by some comparable drawback, like causing you to suffer from the equivalent of Slow Riser whenever you're missing FP.)

I think this solves a problem with something I have had on the back burner for years. I will need to look into some mouldy drafts now...