A Different Take on Imbuements

Varyon · 12-12-2016, 04:43 PM

This is meant to be something of an alternative to Imbuements, and makes use of a modified version of Godlike Extra Effort (P161). It also replaces many esoteric skills, such as Breaking Blow. Instead of skills, it uses Techniques, and divides them up into Cinematic and Supernatural.

Having access to these Techniques depends on the campaign. Typically, the Unique Technique Perk is sufficient to gain access to any one Cinematic Technique for one skill. Having access to a single Technique for all skills costs [3], all such Techniques for a single skill costs [5], and all such Techniques for all skills costs [15]. Optionally, Trained by a Master and Weapon Master grant access to such Techniques automatically. Supernatural Techniques are handled the same, but require an enabling Advantage, such as Magery - price is up to the GM, and some Techniques may require a higher level of the enabling Advantage. You must have the ability to buy up the Technique (that is, meet any Supernatural prerequisites and have Unique Technique or similar) before you can use it at default. Some GM's may opt to waive the need for Unique Technique for certain Techniques, making them available by default - for example, I intend to run a Fantasy campaign where armor gives much greater protection than is the GURPS default, and thus intend to give all characters access to Armor Breaker (see below).

An Imbuement Technique is built as follows - find the Enhancement you wish to add to the attack and apply a -1 per +10%. This is a Hard Technique, and has a built-in cost of 1 FP. You may spend more (or no) FP on the attack - divide the modifier by the number of FP spent (treat 0 FP as 0.5 FP). With GM approval, once you have determined the effective modifier you may add appropriate Limitations to reduce it further. Any given combination of Enhancements and Limitations is its own Technique, however. You may buy up the Technique to any level, but the end modifier is limited to half the penalty (round in favor of the character, as for Targeted Attack). Buying up beyond half is useful when you want to use the Technique without burning FP, or for Enhancements that have multiple levels. If your attack fails due to this penalty, you still spend FP and simply make a normal attack, which succeeds (if not spending FP, check if you would have succeeded had you spent 1 FP; if so, you make a successful normal attack; if not, your attack misses outright).

Optionally, a character can imbue his weapon, rather than each individual strike. Instead of paying the FP cost (and taking the penalty) on each strike, the character instead rolls against skill floated to Will, and suffers a -1 per +5%. The effect lasts for 1 minute - when the minute is up, the character must either let the ability lapse or make another roll. This actually uses the same Technique as the single-strike version, so you can build up from there rather than having a new individual Technique. Non-attack Imbuements are also possible, and typically use this trend.

An alternative to building things as Enhancements is to outright improvise an Advantage, like using Climbing skill for Clinging, Jumping for Super Jump, Running for Enhanced Move, and so forth. Multiply the point cost of the relevant Advantage by 5% to determine its worth as an Enhancement. For example, a higher level of Lizard Climb, instead of simply rendering unclimbable surfaces climbable again, makes the character function as though he had Clinging. Clinging costs [20], and is thus a +100% Enhancement.

12-12-2016, 04:43 PM	#1
Varyon Join Date: Jun 2013	A Different Take on Imbuements This is meant to be something of an alternative to Imbuements, and makes use of a modified version of Godlike Extra Effort (P161). It also replaces many esoteric skills, such as Breaking Blow. Instead of skills, it uses Techniques, and divides them up into Cinematic and Supernatural. Having access to these Techniques depends on the campaign. Typically, the Unique Technique Perk is sufficient to gain access to any one Cinematic Technique for one skill. Having access to a single Technique for all skills costs [3], all such Techniques for a single skill costs [5], and all such Techniques for all skills costs [15]. Optionally, Trained by a Master and Weapon Master grant access to such Techniques automatically. Supernatural Techniques are handled the same, but require an enabling Advantage, such as Magery - price is up to the GM, and some Techniques may require a higher level of the enabling Advantage. You must have the ability to buy up the Technique (that is, meet any Supernatural prerequisites and have Unique Technique or similar) before you can use it at default. Some GM's may opt to waive the need for Unique Technique for certain Techniques, making them available by default - for example, I intend to run a Fantasy campaign where armor gives much greater protection than is the GURPS default, and thus intend to give all characters access to Armor Breaker (see below). An Imbuement Technique is built as follows - find the Enhancement you wish to add to the attack and apply a -1 per +10%. This is a Hard Technique, and has a built-in cost of 1 FP. You may spend more (or no) FP on the attack - divide the modifier by the number of FP spent (treat 0 FP as 0.5 FP). With GM approval, once you have determined the effective modifier you may add appropriate Limitations to reduce it further. Any given combination of Enhancements and Limitations is its own Technique, however. You may buy up the Technique to any level, but the end modifier is limited to half the penalty (round in favor of the character, as for Targeted Attack). Buying up beyond half is useful when you want to use the Technique without burning FP, or for Enhancements that have multiple levels. If your attack fails due to this penalty, you still spend FP and simply make a normal attack, which succeeds (if not spending FP, check if you would have succeeded had you spent 1 FP; if so, you make a successful normal attack; if not, your attack misses outright). Optionally, a character can imbue his weapon, rather than each individual strike. Instead of paying the FP cost (and taking the penalty) on each strike, the character instead rolls against skill floated to Will, and suffers a -1 per +5%. The effect lasts for 1 minute - when the minute is up, the character must either let the ability lapse or make another roll. This actually uses the same Technique as the single-strike version, so you can build up from there rather than having a new individual Technique. Non-attack Imbuements are also possible, and typically use this trend. An alternative to building things as Enhancements is to outright improvise an Advantage, like using Climbing skill for Clinging, Jumping for Super Jump, Running for Enhanced Move, and so forth. Multiply the point cost of the relevant Advantage by 5% to determine its worth as an Enhancement. For example, a higher level of Lizard Climb, instead of simply rendering unclimbable surfaces climbable again, makes the character function as though he had Clinging. Clinging costs [20], and is thus a +100% Enhancement.