Aberrant RPG - House Rules/Variations

[Guest]

I've wondered at the way of allocating points and powers in the Aberrant system. It seemed a little less than streamlined in some instances. I mean it all works, but there seemed to be a few unclear issues.

In particular, and I've asked about this, is such powers as Invulnerability. It does not say in the powers that one can own more than one of the same power. Nor does it say you can. So, say, can one possess Invulnerability for one kind of attack and another Invulnerability power to resist another, different attack. I'm sure many allow this, as long as the player is willing to pay the cost for it, right? This would allow such things as various Quantum Bolt attacks, etc. Using discretion of course.

Also, I was wondering if others use a limit system to lower or alter costs. Say a player wishes to have Pretercognition, but only in relation to a particular situation or item or something. Would that lower the cost to purchase the power? In the effort to create a personalized character, I'm sure we would encourage the player to tailor a character to fit their views. Lowering the cost (within common sense) for limiting a power in some way, could balance this and encourage someone to do so. Has anyone done this?

Has there been rules for a Shadow Mastery power or similar? If there hasn't would it be alright to post such here?

neXus

[Sidious]

shadow mastery can easily be made using elemental mastery, I've got it for my main character among other powers ("I ~AM~ the great darkness, fool!"). But please, I'd like to see your take on it.

[This message has been edited by Sidious (edited 06-24-2001).]

[Apep]

What techniques do you have with your shadow mastery? I still haven't figured any out and everytime I ask my ST about it he just says we'll work it out later. I still need some ideas on how to work it. Help please.

[Guest]

Well, with relation to the Shadow Mastery power, here are a few ideas you can flesh out. They are somewhat related, as previously mentioned, to an Elemental Mastery set of powers, but centered around shadows.

(Keep in mind anything listed or detailed here hasn't officially been play tested, but are merely suggestions to be tried at your discretion.)

SHADOW MASTERY:

Level: 3

Quantum Minimum: 4

Dice Pool: Variable

Range: Variable

Area: Variable

Duration: Variable

Shadow Mastery, similar to Elemental Anima or Mastery, allows a nova to manipulate and control shadows and darkness. For every dot one purchases in this power, to start, the character receives one stunt useable without any penalties. A character may use other stunts (or make up their own within the scope of the power, and with Storyteller permission) with double the Quantum Point cost and a difficulty penalty of one.

Here are some suggested stunts:

"Dark Bolt" - create a bolt of darkness which causes Bashing damage, use Quantum Bolt rules

"Shadow Door" - using any existing shadow to connect/travel to any other existing shadow (or darkness) similarly to a Warp power

"Shroud" - pretty much the same as the power already listed, to create an area of darkness

"Become Shadow" - this could also be an alteration of Density Control and/or Bodymorph

Of course, as you will see, it's more of an amalgamation of already present powers. It's just a matter of character profile, tieing it all together into one forte. You could also go that route - a bunch of seperate powers that amounts to the same effect. However, the costs aren't as exorbant and it could encourage the player to be creative in creating new and personalized stunts.

neXus

[Sidious]

claws and/or shaping could form weapons and what not. teleportation between shadows. most of which can be used simply with other powers.

[Jager]

Whoa, Nellie! That is too tough, folks. Think about it. For a level three power, I get Warp (a level three power), Quantum Bolt, Density Decrease, and Shroud (all level two powers). Not to mention the fact that other Mastery's are Q:5 powers.

Having the Shadow limitation on a few of your powers is a 1 point weakness, 2 points only at a stretch. Having Shroud makes the weakness pointless, anyway.

Either tone it down, a lot, or simple pick the powers that are your theme.

Elemental Mastery (or Anima) Shadow (for all the tricks)

Invisibility (only works in natural Shadows)

Immobilize (Sensory Deprivation-mental approach)

Bodymorph (density decrease and invisibiliy)

ESP (seeing through Shadows)

Holo (shadow images)

Homoculus (reaching through Shadow)

Hypermove (running through shadow-poor man's teleport)

Quantum Bolt (?) (Maybe as a blast of cold 'lightlessness')

Strobe (blindess, anyone)

Shroud (duh)

Stun Attack

Teleport (Lasombra, anyone?)

Warp (Major League Shadow-stepping)

Your going to get the benifits, so spend the points.

[Apep]

Thanks for all your input. Unfortunatley, nearly all those techniques are powers little apep already has. You know, what's the point of taking warp when you have transmit of five with mastery. add attunement of five and it seems pointless.

My storyteller finally decided it should work like obtenebration, or darkforce control. So now I have acess to this weird abyssal plain which powers me. it's pretty screwed up. But she is Apep after all. But I think it works. This allowed me to pick my first tech of Entrapment.

It's definatly a quantum 5 minimum. If not higher. With that sort of explanation, the possibilities are endless.

thanks again!

[Guest]

Right, I was making a general suggestion which anyone could alter.

It's true that most of the stunts that one would gain under such a general power like Shadow Mastery could be gained by buying seperate powers. Of course, the cost would be very large to begin with.

Having a generalized power this way might allow one to create their own specific stunts tailored to their character. You wouldn't have to buy seperate powers, and all the stunts would be available to that character without them...just at an increased cost. I mean, this is all with Storyteller supervision, of course.

It was just the "having all the same powers available in one package" vs. "having all the seperate powers do the same thing" kind of issue, I guess. And like I keep saying, having one power cover all of it, a player can make up their own stunts with it, too. But anyway...

You know, that wasn't my original intent with this thread, I was more interested in what people thought about using limits to decrease costs for powers, etc. i.e.) Animal/Plant Mastery - a player whom could only speak or communicate with reptiles might pay less than someone who could communicate with ANY animal. It's already sort of done with Invulnerability and other powers that allow Extras, right?

neXus

[Guest]

Oh, by the way, I'd also like to point out the fact that the Warp stunt I mentioned only works when there are two intervening shadows to connect the locations. Essentially, it ties in with the Limitations idea I was asking about. It isn't as versatile as the stand-alone Warp power is, since it has fairly specific conditions one must follow PLUS the usual rules, or the usual rules can be supplanted by ST rules -- you could make it so that 2 successes = 1 Warp success, or something.

Yes, it seems very similar to the Lasombra shadow powers, which one could draw inspiration from.

[Simbiot]

isnt this Elemental mastery :Shadow OR Darkness?

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-=¡WASSUP!=-

........ Warp!

[Winter_Heart]

Since nobody answered your other questions:

Invulnerability: Yup, you can have two for two different type of attack. However, taking IV: Fire and then IV: Electricity is pretty dumb. Just take IV: Energy as a level 3 power and you cover them both (as well as lasers, plasma, magnetic blasts, etc). Same goes with IV: Physical/Kinetic instead of taking one for impact and one for cutting and one for piercing and so on.

Strenght & weakness: There's a system for that in the players' guide. It is easy to abuse tho, the ST need to be wary, but with supervision, it works rather well.

As for your shadow thing... take Mastery or Anima. _You_can_make_up_ your own stunt with Mastery and Anima. If you want the technique that is similar to an existing power, then allow the nova to use a stunt that is similar to both but with a weakness (i.e. Only half range/successes/damage/etc).

[Guest]

In the back of the teragen source book they give the description of bodymorph shadow. It gives a few recomended powers that you could take with it.

Flat Form

Invisibility(in Shadows)

Clone

And some sort of immolate.

WW decribes Shadow as "<an> eerie two dimensional world where most substances melt like hot caramel" It also describes a searing cold touch and the ability to do some shapeshifting like growing claws or a tail.