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Old 04-10-2017, 10:23 PM   #31
KarlKost
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Brazil
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

So, lets see a few ideas

Blinking Fight - for a very anime take, this is an ability that you could give for free to all "ninjas" in the game. Do you that annoying blink "speed" of the guys on Dragon Ball Z? Ok, thats just Warp with a Hard technique to buy off the -10 penalties for rapid teleport. Give it to EVERYBODY, free of charge, and it just become a common feature (just like we don't need to pay for two arms). Ninjas have it thou, mind you, not just low peasants (in this world, not having that ability+technique is a disadvantage of commoners). Very fun.

Focus Chi - thats another Wild Ability that you could give to ALL ninjas. Depending on your game, I could suggest you to DEMAND from your players to spend AT least, say, 90 CP on "Chi Pool" (to buy "Chi Points"), and AT MOST 180 CP. That would give you a pool between 30-60 Chi for beggining chars (I'm just giving some random numbers for thought, play with those as you like). So, if you do adopt this idea, give them between 120-150 extra points at creation. Adjust ALL abilities to have the limitation " Uses Energy Reserve (Chi) only -10%/lvl", instead of making them just using ANY "fuel" (that leaves the regular FP for mundane physical use only, not to fuel the ninjas "Magic"). Another option is just giving a fixed Chi Pool for all for free (it may be a fixed amount, but IMO its funnier if it is only for initial chars but can be increased with bonus CP afterwards).

And, why going at all that trouble? Well, its simple, to give the players Regeneration, but I would put a -5% limitation on it (Energy Reserve (Chi) only), but also with the limitation " Requires All-Out Concentration" (just let me check how much it is that).

Give that to ALL ninjas too... This is that classical thing on animes, when the heroes have been beaten badly, their energies are spent, but they spend some time to increase their Cosmos/Chi whatever, and gain that impossible power out of nothing. They will regenerate 1 Chi/second, but to do so, they must do nothing except glow with Chi energies (add nuisance effect), scream (another nuisance effect) and compress all their muscles.
Better Regeneration is up to you (maybe its the skill of the true Masters)
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Old 04-10-2017, 10:30 PM   #32
KarlKost
 
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
It doesn't have to be -10% or +50%, either, note. A power modifier can really be any value justified by the modifiers common to all advantages within the power.
I was doing out of memory. I know about Savant (-20%), Spirit (-25% I think?), and something like Good (+25%), Evil (+25%). I just dont remember all the examples and neither all the rules to price them, thats why I just tried to be economical. Besides, I like the flat -10% for simplicity sake for my games, and since I dont think he will have other sources, I think it will serve him just fine, so, I would go with simplicity here
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Old 04-10-2017, 10:49 PM   #33
Kelly Pedersen
 
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Quote:
Originally Posted by KarlKost View Post
Blinking Fight - for a very anime take, this is an ability that you could give for free to all "ninjas" in the game. Do you that annoying blink "speed" of the guys on Dragon Ball Z?
When I ran a high-powered martial arts game, I made up a new cinematic skill, along the same lines as Power Blow, Flying Leap, etc. to represent this. Here's a writeup for that (this is not the version I used in that game, this is what I'd do now with more GURPS experience under my belt).

Lightning Speed
DX/Very Hard

Default: None.
Prerequisites: Trained By a Master or Weapon Master.

This is the ability to move at great speed in combat - sometimes even faster than the human eye can see! Every use of Lighting Speed costs 1 FP, whether or not the roll is successful.
You can roll against unmodified Lightning Speed to gain an extra Step or Retreat against a second foe in a turn. Each additional Step or Retreat after the first granted by Lightning Speed imposes a cumulative -5 penalty on Lightning Speed rolls.
You can close distance so quickly it doesn't even count as "movement". Roll Lighting Speed at -5 while making a Move and Attack maneuver. If successful, you don't suffer the -4 to your attack roll for Move and Attack, and your skill is not capped at 9.
You can move so fast that it defeats your opponent's eyes. Make a Quick Contest of your Lightning Speed skill -5, against the better of their Perception or Observation (characters with Enhanced Time Sense add +10 to their side of this roll). If you win, they get no defense against an attack you make on this turn.

No matter which version of Lightning Speed you use, if you critically fail a roll, you fall down and end up prone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by KarlKost
Depending on your game, I could suggest you to DEMAND from your players to spend AT least, say, 90 CP on "Chi Pool" (to buy "Chi Points"), and AT MOST 180 CP.
I'd disagree. That's way too many points of FP/Chi points. Either you're keeping the FP costs of powers pretty low (in the 1-3 range we've already discussed), in which case these levels of chi points will simply make those costs irrelevant, with no plausible fight ever exhausting them, or you scale the FP costs of abilities much higher, in which case what was the point of giving so many points in the first place? There's really no difference between a power that costs 1 FP out of your 10, and an ability that costs 10 FP out of your 100.

Quote:
Originally Posted by KarlKost
Give that to ALL ninjas too... This is that classical thing on animes, when the heroes have been beaten badly, their energies are spent, but they spend some time to increase their Cosmos/Chi whatever, and gain that impossible power out of nothing.
Rather than building this as an ability, I'd strongly recommend looking into some impulse buy options. This is presented in the Basic Set, as "Buying Success", p. B347, where it's explained as spending character points to turn rolls into successes or critical successes, or to influence the scene somewhat by introducing plausible elements. It's greatly expanded in Power-Ups 5: Impulse Buys, though, with lots of options to spend character points on, and some options for providing a permanent pool of points that can only be spent this way, and refresh over time. It's actually quite a useful concept for a cinematic setting like Naruto - it really covers a lot of that "last-ditch turnaround" that characterizes the genre. One of the options, for example, is to spend one character point for 25 FP. That can power a very hefty fireball, particularly if you allow options like Godlike Extra Effort from Powers (p. 161) to spend FP to boost abilities.
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Old 04-10-2017, 10:55 PM   #34
whswhs
 
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

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Originally Posted by KarlKost View Post
I was doing out of memory. I know about Savant (-20%), Spirit (-25% I think?), and something like Good (+25%), Evil (+25%). I just dont remember all the examples and neither all the rules to price them, thats why I just tried to be economical. Besides, I like the flat -10% for simplicity sake for my games, and since I dont think he will have other sources, I think it will serve him just fine, so, I would go with simplicity here
Savant is -10%.
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Old 04-10-2017, 11:18 PM   #35
KarlKost
 
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

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Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
Hmm. I don't know how much you want to get into mental abilities for the various elements, but in case you do, here's some suggestions.

Water: With knowledge, understanding, and compassion all listed as associations, Empathy definitely sounds like a good fit here. Full-blown Mind Reading or Mind Probe might also work. For combat abilities, consider Enhanced Defenses (that is, a package of Enhanced Block, Dodge, and Parry), limited with "only against someone you have made a successful Empathy roll against".
"Compassion" could also encompass healing ("Healing Hands", Chi -10%, Extra Time, Immediate Preparation Required, maybe even requering herbs, incense, and so on - up to you)
"Knowledge" could be the bases for seeing the past/future or having premonitions (sorry, I forgot the names of the advantages in english... Claryvoiance? Something like it)
"Understanding" would definetly be Empathy, perhaps even as a prehequisite for the entire power.
You could also have evil ninjas using forbidden "Dark Techniques" that cause HP or FP damage using Leech (yes, it is "Bloodsuck" ability).
Spitting poison in the eyes is also an option (but probably for disohorable evil ninjas too)


Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
Air: For the "playfulness" association you have, you could use Rapier Wit - literally weaponized jokes! For an even more potent power, you could use Confusion (a version of Terror with slightly tweaked effects, from Powers) for even more extreme effects of super-wit.
Good. Use the +100% Cosmic Enhancement to turn that in Words of Power to be able to affect ANYONE, and to make it into an ability that aint just comical. Add Chi -10%, Costs ER (Chi) (or as I said above, Chi Only), and this becomes a Kiai that stuns the foes (you can just scream "Ya!", but you can also say "Not in the face!" if you'd prefer)
Consider Extra Attacks, Alterade Time Sense, Afflictions to cause suffocation, Innate Attacks that deal with "Sound Waves" - give it a big "thunder". Enhanced Move, maybe even flight.
Discriminatory Smell too

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
Fire: The "passion" and "strength" associations here make me think of Charisma. Put Cosmic, "applies universally", +50% on it to make it apply to literally everything that can see or hear the person. And Awe, another Terror variant from Powers, is worth looking at here.
Emocional Control is good too. I need to check, but that's a limitation for Mind Control if memory serves. You can also consider giving increase ST with the modifiers Chi -10%, Requires ER (Chi) only, -10%/lvl, and others. That makes the additional ST not be just the normal strenght of the char, but a power that buffs his physical might - that could also apply for DX with Air, HT for Earth, and perhaps even IQ for water. But, I would advice you to discriminate secondary characteristics - for example, instead of basing the Water ability "Focused Mind" with +IQ, 20 pts +modifiers, which would also increase Per and Will, make that be 3 separate powers. "Contemplative Mind" for base cost 10 to increase ONLY IQ, "Shaped Senses" to increase Per. And, maybe an ability to give a temporary increase to Will would be more appropriated for Earth powers. Likewise, instead base cost of 20 for DX, make it 15, and another ability to increase speed. And for ST, split into Lifting ST, Striking ST and HP (but I would put HP increase for Earth instead)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
Earth: The "order" association makes me think of the Visualization advantage. It encapsulates the "perfect planner" sort of character well. Put several levels of Reduced Time on it so that it only takes a second or two, rather than a minute, to use, and it becomes useful in combat.
7 levels of Reduced Time, +140%, to make it instant. Add Chi -10%, ER (Chi) only -10%/lvl, and now you have an ability that allows you to roll IQ each turn that you spend the required Chi, and to gain 1/3 its margin of success on a single action per use. Pretty neat. My suggestions - use it with a skill instead of Chi, but make just ONE roll for the entire combat - let the player spend extra Chi as extra effort if he didnt like the result ABOVE the normal costs.
However, that ability is more fitting for water powers "of the mind".
"Order" powers of Earth could be Neutralize.
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Old 04-10-2017, 11:21 PM   #36
KarlKost
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Consider also Body of Fire/Air/Water/Earth. Insubstancial for air and fire, but fire with an aura attack (I'll place the stats for auras soon, I just need some time). Water probably with Injury Tolerance, and Earth with lots of DR. You can Power Dodge with all but Earth Body, which you can Power Block instead.
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Old 04-10-2017, 11:24 PM   #37
KarlKost
 
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

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Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
Savant is -10%.
Damn Eidetic Memory! I knew I should've asked God for the Photographic version!
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Old 04-10-2017, 11:39 PM   #38
KarlKost
 
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
When I ran a high-powered martial arts game, I made up a new cinematic skill, along the same lines as Power Blow, Flying Leap, etc. to represent this. Here's a writeup for that (this is not the version I used in that game, this is what I'd do now with more GURPS experience under my belt).

Lightning Speed
DX/Very Hard

Default: None.
Prerequisites: Trained By a Master or Weapon Master.

This is the ability to move at great speed in combat - sometimes even faster than the human eye can see! Every use of Lighting Speed costs 1 FP, whether or not the roll is successful.
You can roll against unmodified Lightning Speed to gain an extra Step or Retreat against a second foe in a turn. Each additional Step or Retreat after the first granted by Lightning Speed imposes a cumulative -5 penalty on Lightning Speed rolls.
You can close distance so quickly it doesn't even count as "movement". Roll Lighting Speed at -5 while making a Move and Attack maneuver. If successful, you don't suffer the -4 to your attack roll for Move and Attack, and your skill is not capped at 9.
You can move so fast that it defeats your opponent's eyes. Make a Quick Contest of your Lightning Speed skill -5, against the better of their Perception or Observation (characters with Enhanced Time Sense add +10 to their side of this roll). If you win, they get no defense against an attack you make on this turn.

No matter which version of Lightning Speed you use, if you critically fail a roll, you fall down and end up prone.
Interesting. Maybe I'll borrow that for other games



Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
I'd disagree. That's way too many points of FP/Chi points. Either you're keeping the FP costs of powers pretty low (in the 1-3 range we've already discussed), in which case these levels of chi points will simply make those costs irrelevant, with no plausible fight ever exhausting them, or you scale the FP costs of abilities much higher, in which case what was the point of giving so many points in the first place? There's really no difference between a power that costs 1 FP out of your 10, and an ability that costs 10 FP out of your 100.
Like I said, it was just a random amount, and that would be a matter of style. Realistic fights can last as long as 3 blows or less. Supers however can level a city before putting the hurt on the enemy. 30 Chi may sound as much, but for some styles, it may be too little, if you have to send in countless of bolts of attacks before achieving victory.

Anyoway, those numbers are up to be fine tuned as designed

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
Rather than building this as an ability, I'd strongly recommend looking into some impulse buy options. This is presented in the Basic Set, as "Buying Success", p. B347, where it's explained as spending character points to turn rolls into successes or critical successes, or to influence the scene somewhat by introducing plausible elements. It's greatly expanded in Power-Ups 5: Impulse Buys, though, with lots of options to spend character points on, and some options for providing a permanent pool of points that can only be spent this way, and refresh over time. It's actually quite a useful concept for a cinematic setting like Naruto - it really covers a lot of that "last-ditch turnaround" that characterizes the genre. One of the options, for example, is to spend one character point for 25 FP. That can power a very hefty fireball, particularly if you allow options like Godlike Extra Effort from Powers (p. 161) to spend FP to boost abilities.
Errr... That's NOT what I meant. I didnt mean the one blow that bits the badie, but the classical "Chi Concentration" that is so common on many animes (Dragonball Z do that ALL the time). They dont just increase their powers, but rather, on must of the occasions, they just renew their energies.

EDIT: yes, I'd say that BOTH things happen. So, I thing both approaches are a good fitting here

Last edited by KarlKost; 04-10-2017 at 11:45 PM.
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Old 04-11-2017, 08:46 AM   #39
InLaNoche
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

These are all pretty good ideas. Thanks for the good brainstorming!

One thing I am struggling with is CHI vs. FP. I would prefer them to be separate. FP for effort human-like, CHI for powers outside of the human norm (to control the elements). The question is, can I just make CHI = FP? Should I have it as a separate stat that has to be bought up form 0 points? I believe that the initial value is trivial, as they will all start with the same basic amount, but as the powers can become game changers in the game, there should be a cost to increase it. Also, I don't really want this to be powers only fighting. I want them to feel that those CHI points are valuable.
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Old 04-11-2017, 09:42 AM   #40
InLaNoche
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
Stone Arms
Levels 1-4, 6-9, etc. {X} multiplied by 2*/level, level 5, 10, etc. {X} multiplied by 2*+5 points


Skill: Stone Arms (DX/H)

By focusing some earth chi into your arms, you briefly turn them to stone, allowing you to block many attacks that would be dangerous or deadly for mere flesh to stop.
[...]If you succeed, you gain {X}* DR against the attack.
For every 5 levels you have in Stone Arms, add +1 to your roll to activate the power.

Statistics: DR {X}* (Active Defense, -40%; Costs Chi, -5%, Earth Chi, -15%) [({X} multiplied by 2)/level]*. At level 5, 10, 15, etc., add one level of Enhanced Block (Stone Arms) [5/level].


"Earth Chi" is what I named the power modifier here (for Fire abilities, it would be "Fire Chi", for Water "Water Chi", and so on). I reduced the Costs Chi limitation to -5% because the Earth Chi limitation already includes one level of it by default, so this still costs 2 Chi to activate.

The roll to activate the power is now based on the skill, rather than straight DX.
Still trying to get through this Kelly. First off the point cost per level of this skill. From what I can get, little as it is at this point :( , is that every 5th level adds a level of E.Block at 5 points. Is the X for the DR the base, with a multiple of 2 per level? So if I were to have this skill at DR 3, and level 2, the cost would be 6pts, and at level 5 would be (3*5 + (INT(5/5)) 20? (sorry for the program code, forgot the math equivalent of truncate)

Just want to have the math down before I go any further. This is great stuff... The double edged sword on this snadbox type system is there is too much variety in how it can be used...

One last thing. I see how you get the -10% for the Earth Chi power modifier. But the breakdown of the above. I am kind of at a loss of the DR*2/level. Is that based on the base DR advantage with the -60% (5-3)? If so, then I think I am golden, or at least nicely bronzed to move forward. My head is spinning a bit...
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