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Old 11-01-2017, 02:03 PM   #1
JanMikal
 
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Default "Inflicting" Serendipity

So a character I want to make is a Fae, from the Unseelie Court. To be specific, a Cait Sith (Caught Shee).

The most specific thing I am struggling with is that the Cait Sith are known to 'Bless people who leave out saucers of milk for them on Samhain'. Let's leave out the milk and the holiday, and focus on the blessing.

Cait Sith tend to focus on 'success and health', so I am thinking Healing, for one, which could easily be a couple of Racial Healing spells, or something similar.

However, for 'success' - that seems like it could be an Affliction that 'inflicted' someone with Serendipity, perhaps with a Limitation of something like 'Financial or Career only'. But Serendipity is ALWAYS working, and I was thinking something more along the lines of the Bless spell - provides minor benefits until it gives you a pretty big success, then goes away. I don't want the character to be godlike powerful, in that her 'blessing' will follow people through their entire lives. Any ideas how I can modify Serendipity to end at a certain point? Or make it somehow temporary? I couldn't find an answer in the Affliction rules, either. I have RAW, Magic, Powers and Supers.

The reason I don't want to use the Bless spell, maybe as racially learned as well, is because it's too mechanical. I don't want it to be 'bonus to die rolls'. I'd like it to be general circumstances and good fortune, like Serendipity provides for.
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:04 PM   #2
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

Affliction is already temporary.
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:10 PM   #3
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

Can you show me where it says that? It says '

"...Advantages with instantaneous effects
affect the target once, as soon as he is
hit, if he fails his HT roll; e.g., Warp
immediately teleports the subject.
Advantages that can be switched on
and off (such as Insubstantiality) are
automatically “on” for one minute per
point by which the victim fails his HT
roll, and are not under the subject’s
control..."

Serendipity has neither an instantaneous nor switchable effect.
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:12 PM   #4
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

By default neither is Insubstantiality. Afflicting Serendipity gives you as many uses of the advantage as you inflict levels of for margin of success (as a benediction) minutes.
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:16 PM   #5
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

Quote:
Originally Posted by JanMikal View Post
Any ideas how I can modify Serendipity to end at a certain point? Or make it somehow temporary? I couldn't find an answer in the Affliction rules, either. I have RAW, Magic, Powers and Supers.
Well, for starters, remember that Afflictions, unless you modify them with Increased Duration: Permanent, are already time-limited by default.

But if you're trying to build a Bless spell, effectively, you're really looking for something that will terminate once the "big" effect goes off, and not before. I think that what you need is actually two effects being Afflicted - one for the generic bonus, and the other the big "save your life" effect, that then ends the overall effect.

Since the duration on Bless is actually "indefinite until the effect saves your life" effectively, I would build this with Increased Duration: Permanent, the +150% version. This version always requires a terminating condition, which I would just say would be the save-your-life effect going off. This is a classic example of Luck. I would use base Luck (since it's only going to be used once, higher levels don't matter), with the Emergencies Only and Unconscious Only limitations (normally, Unconscious Only can only be taken with Uncontrollable, but I think in this case it's appropriate on its own, to represent the fact that it goes off even if you don't think you need it).

I'd probably use the same Unconscious Only limitation, without Uncontrollable, on the Serendipity advantage as well. You could call it "Under GM Control" if that makes you feel better about violating the guidelines under Unconscious Only. It effectively means that the GM will decide when someone with Serendipity gets the bonus, and the player can't request a lucky break at all.
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:17 PM   #6
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

Quote:
Originally Posted by JanMikal View Post

Serendipity has neither an instantaneous nor switchable effect.
Serendipity is actually a limited use ability so I would treat it as it stays till used rather than buying up the duration. Travelers Blessing from GURPS Powers:Divine Favor p. 10 is an example of this.
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:17 PM   #7
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

Insubstantiality is, by default, Switchable.

p. 34 of RAW: "...An advantage that...has to
be on at all times to be of benefit... is always on.
You cannot turn it off."

I cannot imagine that Serendipity wouldn't be in this category.
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:19 PM   #8
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
Well, for starters, remember that Afflictions, unless you modify them with Increased Duration: Permanent, are already time-limited by default.

But if you're trying to build a Bless spell, effectively, you're really looking for something that will terminate once the "big" effect goes off, and not before. I think that what you need is actually two effects being Afflicted - one for the generic bonus, and the other the big "save your life" effect, that then ends the overall effect.

Since the duration on Bless is actually "indefinite until the effect saves your life" effectively, I would build this with Increased Duration: Permanent, the +150% version. This version always requires a terminating condition, which I would just say would be the save-your-life effect going off. This is a classic example of Luck. I would use base Luck (since it's only going to be used once, higher levels don't matter), with the Emergencies Only and Unconscious Only limitations (normally, Unconscious Only can only be taken with Uncontrollable, but I think in this case it's appropriate on its own, to represent the fact that it goes off even if you don't think you need it).

I'd probably use the same Unconscious Only limitation, without Uncontrollable, on the Serendipity advantage as well. You could call it "Under GM Control" if that makes you feel better about violating the guidelines under Unconscious Only. It effectively means that the GM will decide when someone with Serendipity gets the bonus, and the player can't request a lucky break at all.
I'm not seeing where Afflication is temporary. Can you point that out to me? I've read the RAW text several times now, and maybe I'm missing it. I would be perfectly okay for an Affliction to, for example, affect someone with Serendipity for say, a week or so. That seems VERY fae-bargain-like. "Yes, I offered you success. I didn't say HOW MUCH."
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:22 PM   #9
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

And I recall seeing somewhere about a 'terminating condition' - for example, the Shapeshift terminating after a kiss, but I don't remember where. What book was that in?
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:22 PM   #10
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Default Re: "Inflicting" Serendipity

Quote:
Originally Posted by JanMikal View Post
I'm not seeing where Afflication is temporary. Can you point that out to me? I've read the RAW text several times now, and maybe I'm missing it. I would be perfectly okay for an Affliction to, for example, affect someone with Serendipity for say, a week or so. That seems VERY fae-bargain-like. "Yes, I offered you success. I didn't say HOW MUCH."
Under Advantage, B36 it lasts one minute per margin of Success. That can be bought up with Increased Duration which is what Kelly is recommending. However you have a RAW example with Travelers Blessing that would be cheaper and better model what you asked for. So I would go with that.

Edit: Terminating conditions apply with Increased Duration so its in a few places.
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My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items)
My GURPS Wiki entries
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