Aberrant RPG - A Question on Customizing Powers with Str and Weak

[Rathe]

As you may know, one of the things that I like to do is customize powers. After hearing some of the feedback from people such as Dave 00C and Courier I decided to look more closely at the Strengths and Weaknesses system in the players guide. Since everyone has been such a help with my previous attempts at design, I thought you might be able to offer some advice on whether I've understood how you actually use this customization system.

The current project is altering the Enhance/Diminish power, by removing its Ranged component and maintaining its current Area, making it a more powerful PBAOE (point blank area of effect) version by adding to its Effect. The mechanics of this seem to be:

Weaknesses: -5 (for a range of 0 meters)

Strengths: +5 (+5 levels of effect)

The wierdness comes when I factor in the strengths, as the Enhance/Diminish power has multiple effects does this mean that the power would then read:

1) Effect can be enhanced or diminished by 150% per success (25% base + (25% x 5 levels) = 150%)

2) Increase or reduce the intensity by 7 damage dice / success (2 base + 5 levels)

3) Reduce another characters power, a resisted action with the novas Q+PR vs. targets Q+PR, each success reduces the power rating by 6 dots (1 base + 5 levels)

Is that seriously the way it is supposed to work? I mean, it seems over the top, or am I doing something wrong???

[Josh Brickman]

1) Effect can be enhanced or diminished by 150% per success (25% base + (25% x 5 levels) = 150%)

I don't see what strength you're trying to buy that would do that. As you already pointed out, you can buy one more die to roll for the effect.

Other strengths you can buy are +1 to Range, +1 to Duration (which should be used rather than going up a catagory), etc.

If you want much more effect per succ rolled, then I suggest you look over Mastery.

[Rathe]

I was looking at the Strength:Damage it says roll one more when totalling damage or add one level to it if it doesn't roll damage. There isn't anything under the customization section that says anything about effects so I just used that mechanic.

Looking at it, adding dice to roll makes much more sense.

So all that would change is you would now roll Int + Power Rating + Strength Dice instead of just Int + Power Rating?

If so then it is a lot more balanced.

(Wasn't going for mastery level, just didn't read it closely enough and applied the bonus to the wrong section - namely to the effect rather than the success roll)

*Quick note: So in effect, adding a strength to a power is much like maxing it out?*

[Josh Brickman]

Depends on the Strength. On a side note the whole thing is very much "With ST's Permission" since *many* powers get seriously broken pretty easily there.

My personal favorite is upping the duration of "Node Spark" to perm, with perm "Domination" as a close second.

The weaknesses are also easy to seriously abuse and several of them are confusing, especially when applied to suite powers. The "weakness" linked is probably an advantage when applied to offensive powers.

[Dave ST]

I rarely permit permanent. Unless stated otherwise the maximum duration permitted is "One Scene" in my games.

[Ptesan-Wi]

I tend to agree with Dave on this one; Permanent tends to get... well, bad. That said, a decent alternative that can often accomplish the same thing (i.e., keep one from burning up their quantum pool when making habitual used of a relatively minor power) is to weaken a power down to Level 1, then slap the Reduced Quantum Cost extra on it (making it free to use).

I did this with a very weakened form of Telekinesis (inanimate objects of 5 kilograms or less) for Ptesan-Wi, to play up how she has completely integrated her psi powers into her daily life (any fic where you see her doing mundane house/garden work, you'll see her operating with an array of mental "hands" grabbing things from high shelves and the like with barely a thought).