Aberrant RPG - Rules Clarification

[John Galt]

Apprecaite any help on this.

Let's say you have Matter Chameleon, you save up your 40 xp to get Quantum 6, then save up some xp for Mastery. This says that your powers effects are doubled. So, let's say your in metal form, and you have 3 density increase, and 3 armor. Mastery would double these effects (i.e. 3 Str is 6 Str, 9 soak is 18 soak) But...MC says that you cannot have any benefit of a material beyond PR x 3, and no more than PR in Strength bonus. This defeats Mastery, so would Mastery double this effect? i.e PR x 6 and PR x 2 Strength?

Thanks for any clarification, this is costing me a lot.

Also, a neat little Extra that our ST created, Matter Memory, meaning that you can Chameleon into any maaterial you have in the past, also requires a Q6.

I have a long journey in front of me : )

DD

[astronomer]

In that paragraph, the last line states that those guidelines may be modified due to exceptional successes. So the door is open to exceed those limits right there. Since Mastery is from the APG and postdates Aberrant, it seems reasonable that it overrides/modifies Matter Chameleon's description. It should, in fact, double MC's effects as stated. With Mastery, you're not just steel, you're Quantum-laced super-steel! As is also stated in MC's description, the Storyteller is the ultimate judge of the effects. So long as he's consistent and fair in how matter/energy properties work with Mastery, you should have a very interesting nova (sort of like Marvel's Absorbing Man). I like the extra, but it does seem powerful. Just expose yourself to as many materials or energies as you can manage, and you've an unlimited array of potential powers. Tricky for game balance.

[Jager]

I will disagree with astronomer here. Mastery doubles the power limits (things like soak being max. x3 level becomes x6), but not the material requirements. While you can get maximum usage out of truly exotic materials for things like high soak, you can only go beyond the material properties using extra successes. Balsawood is still balsawood, an I-beam's an I-beam, and a diamond is a diamond.

Essentially, Matter Chameleon is one of those powers that doesn't profit all that much Mastery. Its advantage is being a kick-ass level 3 power.

[John Galt]

Thanks for the info from both of you, still a little confused on what to do though, I understand that it would double the MC rules, i.e. benefits of a material can be doubled, so right now, as a 3 PR I'm not limited to just 9 (PRx3) soak from say Armor, but I get PRx6 max.

But where do you get your materials properties? The book says use Bodymorph as a guideline, so that's what were doing. Let's take metal, you can put points towards density increase and armor. So if I put 3 points into armor, I would get 9 soak, which works well as that's my maximum anyways. But then I get mastery, wouldn't that same 3 points now give me 18 soak instead of nine?

If not, then Mastery really doesn't offer much at all for a MC. Doesn't really help much with range, as few materials give me a range ability, doesn't help with the reduction in cost of the power, as Mastery always increases the level of the power, bypassing any free extras you had. Sure it increases the time from Maintenance to Scene, but that hasn't been much of an issue yet anyways.

Thanks again for clarification.

D

[astronomer]

I'm not sure I agree with you, Jager. If you can exceed the material's properties with extra successes, then you should be able to exceed them with Mastery. Either way, it's not simply a matter of balsawood being balsawood. Admitedly, where the limits are can be dicey for the ST to judge. I still maintain that Mastery as presented in APG is a honking big extra that, as written, can double the material limits. Having boldly stated that, I would appreciate the opinions of other STs on this matter. Us rural Sts don't always get enough feedback to keep us balanced, 'cause we're often the only one around. Makes this forum real helpful. As for decreased Q-cost, John Galt, even though Mastery increases the power's level, it does not increase the Q-cost, otherwise halving the Q-cost (per the description) would be nonsensical. I believe this was discussed on other threads. And MC is a cool power in ways that Mastery isn't necessary for.

[astronomer]

After reviewing Mastery, it says each level of Mastery raises the power's effective level by 1. Mastery 1 raises MC to an effective level 4 power, then halves level 2 and 3 powers, rounding down. So MC costs 3 QPs/use; MC with Mastery 1 is effectively a level 4, costing 2 QPs (4/2=2; more powerful and cheaper). Mastery 2 makes it effectively level 5 and quarters the cost of level 3 powers, down to 1 QP(5/4=1). Mastery 3 would make it effectively level 6, and level 3 powers cost nothing. The thing to remember here is the actual level of MC (3), and the effective level when adding Mastery 1-3(4-6). The actual level is what the description keys off, the effective level is where you do the math.

[Jager]

I am unsure about the quantum cost reduction for Mastery. After all, Reduced Quantum Cost extra raises the level of the power, but not the base q-cost of the power before reduction. Thus, Claws + RQC costs 0 quantum, not 1.

To me, the same goes for Mastery since it has an inherent reduction built into the power. A level 3 power with Mastery costs 1 quantum (3/2=1) to use, not 2 (4/2=2). Besides, if WW had wanted a level 3 power to be raised to level 4 for the 2q cost, I hope they would have stated that in the rules. They keep to the level One, Two, Three format instead, giving some indication that they are counting the base (non-Mastery) level of the power.

[Courier]

RE: Mastery with M-Cham

Double the number of available succ. You roll 3 succ, effectively you have 6 to throw around.

More importantly, talk to the ST first about everything and submit 4 or so examples so you both know where you are.

[John Galt]

Thanks all for the info and ideas, not sure if I'm going to take it at this point, many feel that Mastery is broken in our group, so might not be an issue.