Aberrant: Stepping from Eden - Power Check

[SkyLion]

The thing is at Matery level, alot of powers are about equal at one dot with what they would be at with 5 dots and no mastery. So I am playing this sort of like he was a Nova for a long time, built all his powers up and hit Q6 they all got mastered and the counter reset to one dot. He is going to build up again from there and get even more powerful.

Also an Elementalist would be rad. What element were you thinking of? I would hasten to add that Elemental Mastery is a great reason to take Q6 and Mastery, especially if you take Reduced Quantum Cost in there as well. Each Extra means another technique and at Q6 you can start with a power rating of 6 dots, so that way you could have 8 "mastered" (here referring to a technique you have down), and with RQC and Mastery you only pay a single point of Q for everything and even the techniques you don't have mastered you can still use at +1 difficulty and only 2 QPs. Its expensive as hell. If you take +3 Quantum from background point and take Q6 with 4 starting taint, having Elemental Mastery+ RQC+ Mastery extra will cost you a total of 53 NPs, or 50 if you take one of the Level four EM dots tainted (toal of 5 taint) that gives you 10 NPs left over warp and miscelkaneous stuff. The benefit is that you now have pretty much every Elemental Mastery and Anima power for level 1 or 2 QP cost, sick levels of defense and damge and can maintain your defenses and movement powers indefinitely. With powers like Storm etc, you can create damaging effects 120 kilometers in radius etc etc.

Just a thought...

[Heru]

SkyLion, thanks for the ideas, they are coming in handy. Things look like they are progressing very well now.

On the Elemental Mastery, I was thinking of making it earth, so that I could manipulate rock and stone and stuff. I was also planning on taking Mega-Intelligence, Perception, Wits, and Stamina. Warp and Elemental Mastery. Plus use some nova points to gain extra willpower, attributes and ability dots.

By the way, could I take Warp and add a Weakness that causes my character to take extra time to use the power. So that it is not a direct combat power, only when I have to sit and concentrate. That and maybe reduce the size or duration of the warp portal, so that maybe it is present for only a few seconds and that only me and maybe one other person can use it at a time. My goal is to reduce the nova point cost for the power while not removing my ability to go range.

++

To players of nova characters, can I ask what numbers you guys have for Taint. I was thinking of making it Taint 4 or 5, allowing me extra powers. But I wanted to know what was average.

Taint 4 provides a +1 penalty when interacting with baseline humans. And that is not that much.

By the way, do psions count as baseline humans in relation to the penalty on Taint, or are they immune to being affected by it because of their supernatural nature.

[Alex Green]

Ares has Taint 3.

[Heru]

I just want to come in and say that my character will be taking Spatial Manipulation. After reading through both Warp and Teleport, I realize that it is really teleport I want. Thus my power is Spatial Manipulation and I will be using the level 2 Teleport as a technique.

[SkyLion]

Keep in mind that as a suite power it will take you 2 successes to replicate one succes on the table and it's STs call on whether you can add your Q in auto sux.

[Heru]

Keep in mind that as a suite power it will take you 2 successes to replicate one succes on the table and it's STs call on whether you can add your Q in auto sux.

Where does it say that and why would I do that. I mean its a level 2 power going in a level 3 suite, why should it be changed or modified in anyway.

[Alex Green]

Where does it say that and why would I do that. I mean its a level 2 power going in a level 3 suite, why should it be changed or modified in anyway.

It's ST's call for how much Teleport the suite power gives you, but a good rule of thumb is the suite powers don't give as much as the level 2 powers themselves. Suite's give you lots of versatility, but less raw power.

EM's Bolt (or Sphere) does a lot less than Q-Bolt.

Ditto TK vs. TK.

Ditto Shield vs. Forcefield or Armor.

Ditto Propel vs. Flight.

[Heru]

Alex Green,

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

I mean from a game perspective I am not entirely sure I see the essential why of why it is that way. From what I was reading it seems that techniques are just standard level 2 powers a part of a level 3 power. I mean I know that it is no longer Attribute + Teleport, rather its Attribute + Spatial Manipulation, but I figured everything else was the same

SkyLion,

I just want to say that if my comment relating to your point sounds confrontational, it is not meant to be.

++

This all leads me to a question. Does a nova add his Quantum Score as automatic successes to all powers or only just the few that mention it. I figure its probably just the few, but I think it would be cool if it was all. But I want to ask anyway.

[Alex Green]

I mean from a game perspective I am not entirely sure I see the essential why of why it is that way

Because with 5 nova points I shouldn't be able to purchase something like 5 level 2 powers, and a score or more others that aren't listed.

Does a nova add his Quantum Score as automatic successes to all powers or only just the few that mention it.

Just those few, and those are mostly resisted powers.

[SkyLion]

I mean from a game perspective I am not entirely sure I see the essential why of why it is that way. From what I was reading it seems that techniques are just standard level 2 powers a part of a level 3 power. I mean I know that it is no longer Attribute + Teleport, rather its Attribute + Spatial Manipulation, but I figured everything else was the same

Because Suite powers give you ALOT more versatility. If you need hard proof look at gravitokinesis..it is weaker than TK in this way. Magnetokinesis uses the same 1:1 TK sux ratio but it only applies to ferrous objects.

[Rorx]

Keep in mind that as a suite power it will take you 2 successes to replicate one succes on the table and it's STs call on whether you can add your Q in auto sux.

Heru, SkyLion is quite correct, as part of a Suite you will only get 1 sux per 2 sux rolled as regards the effect range. However you will get to add your Quantum as full sux.

[Heru]

Heru, SkyLion is quite correct, as part of a Suite you will only get 1 sux per 2 sux rolled as regards the effect range. However you will get to add your Quantum as full sux.

That's totally and completely fine. I have an automatic base success of 6, so I'm perfectly okay with that.

[Heru]

This is pretty much me asking the ST for his ruling on something in his game.

If I create earth or whatever using my powers does the material exist for real, forever and as a natural thing. Or does it disappear once I stop using my power.

I would prefer it exist for real, rather than dissipate.

++

Another area I need ST interpretation on, and this is the quantum point cost for my powers.

Okay, Elemental Mastery is a level 3 power, which means that its techniques cost 3 points (or 6 points for those that I do not know).

Okay here is when it gets tricky. I now have Elemental Mastery + Reduced Quantum Cost + Mastery. Does it work like this

Option 1

*Elemental Mastery is a 4th level power, it costs 4 quantum points or 8 for what I do not know.

*Mastery reduces it to 2 quantum points or 4 quantum points.

*RQC reduces it to 1 quantum point or 2 quantum point.

*Using reduced power option, cost is now 0 for known, 1 for unknown.

Option 2

*Despite being raced to Level 4, I am still counting the quantum cost for Elemental Mastery as if it was a level 3 power, thus it costs 3 points or 6 points.

*Mastery reduces it to 1 quantum point, or 2 quantum points.

*RQC then makes it 0 quantum points or 1 quantum points.

I say it can be both these options because despite the level being raised, under the Quantum Cost section of Mastery it says "Halve the cost of Level 2 and 3 powers, rounding down." Technically, that would be useless because the power is no longer a level 3, its now 4.

No, obviously, I would like it to be Option 2, but I am not against it being Option 1 in the game. I myself am not sure which particular method makes the most logical sense.

[Alex Green]

I'm not ST.... but...

There are at least three cannon examples of Novas where the "element" they create lasts until it's natural destruction.

Tremor of T2M can create islands with EM: Earth (we have her stats).

The Eufiber guy presumably creates Eufiber with EM.

There's a TeenTM member with EM:Ice who also has enhanced artistic abilities and various people have put his creations in cold storage to preserve them.

On the other hand if you have EM:Fire then presumably after you're done it becomes a natural fire and burns or goes out.

Thus in theory you could have EM:Gold, or EM: Diamonds and threaten the gold/diamond market.

[Alex Green]

RQC and Mastery don't increase the level for the purposes of calculating the cost of their reduction.

I.e. Claws + RQC makes the power free to use (that's cannon), even if it becomes a level 2 power.

Ditto Claws + Mastery.

[Rorx]

Heru

The earth/rock is real.

Option 2, but reverse order of RQC and Mastery as you couldn't purchase RQC after Mastery since it would already be Lvl 4.

[Heru]

That is awesome on both accounts, and no matter how its organized it ends up being the same thing, 0 for main and 1 for those not chosen.

Of course, thinking things through, I might decide to not purchase RQC and get another extra. The reason is that 1/2 is not a bad price to pay. Of course, at zero cost I could do shape or a lot of those powers for free for near ever.

[SkyLion]

RQC and Mastery don't increase the level for the purposes of calculating the cost of their reduction.

I.e. Claws + RQC makes the power free to use (that's cannon), even if it becomes a level 2 power.

Ditto Claws + Mastery.

This depends. I have seen it done this way on these boards, but over at NPrime they ruled differently, saying that Claws+RQC is free only because it was a level 1 power to begin with. They ruled that RQC+Mastery is still level 4 so it would be cut in half and then half again for a total cost of 1. This can be reduced to zero with the half power rule. Up to Rorx which interp he wants to go with.

[Heru]

Alex, by the way, what book is Tremor (from T2M). I would like to read up on the character.

By the way, to all, I can honestly say that I do not know that character and it did not have any place in the concept for my character.

SkyLion, yeah, that is why I asked our ST specifically. I wished to know exactly which variation of the rules interpretation that he subscribed to.

And I can honestly say that while I would have been fine with either, the way he ruled is nice. hehe

[Heru]

Okay, I was thinking about something. My character's Elemental Mastery Mastery is over the element of Earth.

Now, I was thinking, well, couldn't their be a Elemental Mastery technique that allowed me to have the character become something like unsubstantial earth energy (or something like that) that then allows him to, for a lack of a better word, teleport through the ground. So he becomes part of the earth and then moves from here to there in a single instant.

This would have the requirement that it would only work on natural materials - things like dirt, stone, even metals in the ground, but not anything like processed metals or purely artificial materials. Things like that would stop him from moving. Another limit is that it only works planetary, well, unless there was a natural tower of rock that reached form the earth through the sky and then through space before touching on another planet. If that existed then, and only then, could he transport to another planet.

I figure that limiting to natural and near natural earth would be a target restriction. Removing automatic successes is another weakness.

Because its not really teleport I would have no problem with a removal of the automatic successes equaling quantum thing. It would be a Elemental Mastery technique so its dice pool would be Perception + Teleport.

I could also see that despite the fact that I have chosen the Reduced Quantum Cost extra it will always take at least one quantum point to activate. Technically 2 if I did not choose it as one of my techniques, which isn't going to happen.

By the way, this does not really impede the usefulness of Movement/Propel (which are exactly the same) as that works above the ground and takes time. This does not, this is an instantaneous teleport.

This idea was not thought up as a means of mix-maxing or metagaming. I just think that the idea of my character being absorbed by the earth, moving instantly through it, and then appearing somewhere else is both cool from an in-game perspective and completely and totally fits.

Of course, as a part and parcel of my purchase of the Mastery extra, I feel that a technique such as this should allow me to operate at least on a planetary scale.

Oh, by the way, I have the image of how I would be able to teleport between continents not connected by landmass. The nova becomes the rock and dirt, moves to the continental shelf and then moves along (in a way under and a part of) the bottom floor of the ocean. He then travels to the point where he wants to go and then rises back to the surface, before regaining mortal form.

In addition, the power would not work in a city - or any such artifical structure. Imperos would have to go to a garden or a patch of green space before he would be able to use the power.

[Forge]

blah blah blah, everything you said

Sounds like the Transmit power from A:PU with the Broadband extra. 2nd to last page in the book, not including credit page.

[Heru]

Sounds like the Transmit power from A:PU with the Broadband extra. 2nd to last page in the book, not including credit page.

Thanks for mentioning the power, reading through it now (I hadn't read it before because I did not read my Project Utopia book, I dislike Project Utopia).

Just as a note, I hadn't seen that power as I was thinking about mine. Its no fair that they already created something like it.

I must say that, reading through the power I dislike how the distance is based on the rating. No other power is organized thusly, it seems more like a Trinity psion power than it does an Aberrant power, which is usually based on successes achieved.

I also have to say that I see no reason why a character would choose that power when Teleport exists. Teleport is a better power, and its easy to change the fluff of teleport to allow it to do what one wants it to do.

But anyway, yeah, I guess that is somewhat a good power for what I am talking about, though I dislike it. It is a level 2, though, and we all know that sometimes level 2 can be techniques for level 3 powers, as long as there is some changes.

Anyway, while I have read the power (and I appreciate it being mentioned) I would still like to see if I can implement my idea for a modified teleport power that works as a technique for my Elemental Mastery.

[SkyLion]

I agree that tranmit is weak compared to teleport. It takes longer, cost more with the broadband extra and you don't get the auto sux from your Q. With all those drawbacks in mind i always found it better to take teleport with weakness, which in turn give more dice to the activation roll. Note that EM: Movement technique already lets you move through the earth/stone.

[Alex Green]

The thing about Transmit is it represents you getting inside your medium and looking around for a way to find your target.

Ergo, you don't *need* to know where you're going. I.e. you can say, "I'm going to Transmit to Jeff", and if Jeff is available through your medium, you can do it if he's in range.

[Heru]

SkyLion,

I plan on taking the Movement power, even if I gained a teleport power. And the reason is that sometimes it would be more useful to move very fast above the ground by surfing the earth. Its not instant but it does have its always useful purposes. And I don't think something like modified teleport would change that usefulness.

I agree with you. Honestly, its like the designers took teleport and removed all the features that made it an excellent power, and then created transmit. The auto locate is not that great of a power feature, not really, when you consider all the other lost features of transmit.

And like I said, using the power of Weaknesses would allow me to make Teleport something that is a worthy technique. Just change the imagery and what I have is the power that I want.

Alex Green,

Your right that that one extra feature is nifty, but it is not that great of a thing as well. I mean, the nature of the power makes it limited to location of where it can go, which means that having auto-locate is not a unbalancing thing, compared to auto-locate regular teleport in which a character could say "take me to Eden" and then their there even if they have never been there before.

Plus, for my character, if I want him to go to North America, well, my character has been to North America. which means that I can at least get the continent right. But even if he ends up in a random spot, I can then have the character use Movement to get to where he wants to go relatively quickly, easily and painlessly.

++

Here is a question, what level of Target Restriction do you guys think that the power is. I would say probably 3 points - the power only works against a fairly broad but defined set of targets.

In addition, like I said, it doesn't work interstellarly. Which means that its useless from escaping the confines of a planet, which would have come in handy in a science fiction multiple-planets based game.

I could even see adding a level of weakness (reduce by 1 the number of successes to the Dice Pool). Even another level, automatically make the cost at least 1, which cannot be reduced by anything.

Like I said, I am willing to work to make the teleport power technique both fit the rules, make sense and work.

That is, of course, if Rorx does not come in and say "no". hehe

[SkyLion]

I think EM:Earth [movement] would include moving through the earth as well as "surfing" on it. Combined with shaping and you could increase your elevation too.

[Heru]

SkyLion, yeah, exactly. But its not instantaneous.

Look, just having EM: Movement is not me settling for something I don't want. I very much like it as a power, its cool, nifty and useful. I just thought it would be somewhat cool to have an instantaneous earth teleport power.

[SkyLion]

Hey if ya got the points to spare go for it! ::smile

[Heru]

Hey if ya got the points to spare go for it! ::smile

See, that's the thing. I wanted to know if I could make it into a Technique, and thus 'free.' My questions to the audience was what changes would I need to make to the base teleport power to fit my needs.

[Alex Green]

See, that's the thing. I wanted to know if I could make it into a Technique, and thus 'free.' My questions to the audience was what changes would I need to make to the base teleport power to fit my needs.

I seriously doubt you can make Teleport or Transmit into a technique for EM:Earth. It's the Earth you're manipulating, not yourself.

[SkyLion]

On the other hand, if you took Bodymorph: Earth I could see you buying a transmit or weakened telport for it as a level two slot/dot. Prob. not transmit though since the braodband would make it level 3.

[Heru]

Alex Green, yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

It would, though, be completely within theme for my character to learn (as the game progresses) the bodymorph power so that I could learn how to teleport myself. Even if I cannot start with it, I could always get it later.

SkyLion, interesting. I might have to consider that for the future. There is no way I can get it now, .

++

I just had an idea. Using whatever technique, would it be possible for me to create a small mass of rock and then use it to float in the air. Elemental Mastery does have the power to make things float and move, even if it wouldn't do it normally. This variant of movement would look like what Magneto did in the second X-Men movie, except earth instead of metal.

I realized that the point of Elemental Mastery is that I am capable of having my character use a 1001 different techniques. The six basic ones that I have chosen as well as any other effect that I can come up with in the course of the game. All have to have the same theme of earth, but that is pretty much all-encompassing.

I have already thought of something. Since my character has Pacifist he won't really use Lethal Blast. But, there is nothing wrong with me having my character use it occasionally against a target he really wants dead (as long as I spent the Willpower point).

[Alex Green]

I just had an idea. Using whatever technique, would it be possible for me to create a small mass of rock and then use it to float in the air.

That's a theme description, not a technique. I.e. that'd be the effect if you were to buy flight.

Elemental Mastery does have the power to make things float and move, even if it wouldn't do it normally. This variant of movement would look like what Magneto did in the second X-Men movie, except earth instead of metal.

Magnetic Mastery can already fly.

I have already thought of something. Since my character has Pacifist he won't really use Lethal Blast. But, there is nothing wrong with me having my character use it occasionally against a target he really wants dead (as long as I spent the Willpower point).

Your non-lethal attack will get more use I dare say.

With Mastery your bashing attack will do 6 dice more per attack, that's enough more that mostly you'll be wanting to use it anyway... and further, non-living things don't take lethal or bashing, they just take damage. In a world with VARGs and the like, that's an important note.