TFT Powers - Mystic Monk portfolio

[TippetsTX]

Going forward, I'll be presenting additional Power portfolios in their own threads. As a reminder, Powers are a new XP-based character option that I will be playtesting over the coming months as part of my Ptolus campaign.

http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...7&postcount=24

Prefacing notes: While I really like the following Powers thematically, I'm not quite as satisfied with the mechanics or confident that the power-levels are appropriately balanced. Part of the issue, I believe, lies with UC talents these Powers are intended to enhance but there are also likely errors in my own design assumptions. Feedback is appreciated.


Mystic Monk (Path of the Five Elements) Portfolio
Prerequisites: See below

Passed down for centuries, the Path of the Five Elements is a tradition of secret martial art techniques taught by a handful of monastic orders on Cidri. Each Power represents a martial stance that the character can adopt during combat. The character must state which stance they are using and only one stance may be active at any given time. The stance can be maintained as long as character remains in combat, but there is a limit on the total number of times any stance may be activated in a day. This limit is based on the character's ST; divide by 3 rounded down (for example, a character with a ST equal to 9, 10 or 11 may use any combination of these Powers a total of 3 times per day). The character may switch stances at any time and switching from one stance to another requires 1 turn.

Unlike other Powers, these abilities will not manifest upon the expenditure of XP alone; they must be taught. The character must seek out a Master that will train them in the various techniques of the ‘Path’ or more likely several different Masters.

It is not uncommon for the various masteries to be associated with mystical tattoos or runes applied to the character's body. Whether these markings are merely symbolic or actually serve as the magical foci or source for these Powers is up to the GM.


Tier 1 - Master of Water (500 XP)
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combat II

The character gains the ability to use the Defend option while unarmed (if they can't do-so already) and may Dodge even when engaged. All melee or HTH attacks made against them will subtract 1 point from the opponent’s DX roll per Power tier they have acquired in this portfolio (i.e. melee attacks against a character who has achieved the tier 3 ability ‘Master of Fire’ are made at -3 DX). This benefit will stack with the UC Evade ability.

This stance also improves the character's Throw ability. By redirecting their opponent's momentum, the character may throw them up to two hexes away from their current position.

Tier 2 - Master of Earth (1000 XP)
Prerequisites: Toughness (at least one level)

While in this stance the character's hardened flesh stops 1 hit per Power tier (i.e. 2 hits initially) and stone-like fists and feet add 1 to unarmed Punch and Kick attacks per Power tier. Both bonuses stack with the character's current UC benefits as well as with other sources like Toughness and Stone Flesh. The character can also use the Defend option while unarmed.

Note: At the GM’s discretion, this Power may be taken as the character's Tier 1 selection and ‘Master of Water’ would become the Tier 2 option. If this is done, UC I should be added as an additional prerequisite. The subsequent Powers in this portfolio are not interchangeable, however.

Tier 3 - Master of Fire (1500 XP)
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combat III

A character with this Power can channel their internal chi into their hands generating extreme heat. This will manifest as a glowing or flaming fist (color will vary based on the player's preference, but yellow, orange or white are typical). The damage dealt will follow the same rules outlined for flaming weapons in ITL (pg 162). A successful Punch attack adds +2 damage if the character normally does 1 die or less HTH damage, +3 if he does more than 1 and up to 2 dice damage, and 1d+1 if he does more than 2 dice damage.

The character also gains some resistance to fire or flame-based attacks (including magical spells). The stance will stop 2 hits of fire damage per Power tier that the character has acquired in this portfolio (i.e. 6 hits stopped initially).

Tier 4 - Master of Air (2000 XP)
Prerequisites: Acrobatics, Running

The character using this stance has the same defensive bonus as the Master of Water except that they apply to ranged attacks and missile spells only (-4 DX ‘to hit’ to start which stacks with Evade) and can make jumps with more ease. All jumping actions will ‘cost’ 1 less MA and require 1 less die to perform (i.e. jumping 8 feet uses only 3 MA and success requires a roll on 4 dice vs. the total of their DX+ST). This character may also Dodge while engaged.

In addition, once per engagement, the character can deliver a whirlwind flurry of blows, striking in all directions against each opponent in their hex or any hex directly adjacent to them. They must roll ‘to hit’ separately against each opponent and damage dealt will be their current Unarmed Combat punch damage.

Tier 5 - Master of the Void (2500 XP)
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combat IV

The character's perceptions and martial abilities now extend beyond the material realm. While in this stance, the character effectively has Mage Sight (as the spell) enhancing their ‘eyes-behind’ Evade ability. Their supernatural senses can also perceive someone cloaked by the Unnoticeability spell and even pierce the Astral plane to detect astral projections. The character may also Dodge while engaged.

Their fists likewise gain the ability to strike non-material targets including ghosts and other incorporeal creatures, opponents using the Insubstantiality spell, and ‘astral bodies’.

Finally, when the character acquires UC V, they can use their Nerve Strike ability once per day to paralyze an opponent as per the Freeze spell. Obviously, this would not work on creatures without discernible anatomy or physical form. Elementals and constructs would also be immune to this ability.