Aberrant RPG - Mega-Attribute Books

[Sprocket]

Well, now that the forum glitches have been fixed, I'll go ahead and post the essays for Mega-Appearance that I've written up. (Pity they couldn't save the posts from yesterday, or you'd have already been reading them! ::tongue )

Re: new slang terms-

That's just the kind of stuff I wanted the EON poll to provide us with, Gideon- thanks! ::thumbsup Those terms of yours will end up in the Lexicon, as they fit in very nicely. If you've got any more, don't be shy- go ahead and post them! ::laugh

Mega-Appearance: Idols

Humans have always paid close attention to physical appearances, both their own and those of others. As a result, those people who are deemed attractive are admired, desired, and envied by most of their fellows. The emergence of the idols, novas with Mega-Appearance, has taken this to the extreme. The superhuman beauty possessed by these modern-day Venuses and Adonises has made them darlings of the media and stolen the hearts of baselines around the world. For good or ill, they are the sirens of the Nova Age.

Exquisite Beauty

Arguably the most obvious Social Mega-Attribute, Mega-Appearance is also the simplest- it enhances all of the myriad and seemingly minor aspects of the human body that contribute to what we know as "physical beauty". While literally millions of people (men and women alike) use whatever they can to enhance their appearance with special diets, cosmetics, plastic surgery and the like; novas with Mega-Appearance look better than any baseline supermodels to be found without any need for such extreme measures. Many baseline social commentators have compared the idols to living works of art. It's not an unreasonable description- given that all humans are "hardwired" to find looking at a beautiful person very pleasurable, merely catching a glimpse of an idol can dazzle even the most rational and disciplined person. And if that idol shows any interest at all in that person, he or she is likely to be reduced to a beatific daze. Is it any wonder, then, that most baselines (and many novas) can turn to putty in an idol's hands?

A Bed Of Roses...

It's also no wonder that Mega-Attractive novas tend to receive preferential treatment from most of the people around them- humans seem to instinctively want to please a beautiful person. Lacking any other data to go on; most people will tend to assume that a Mega-Attractive nova is more intelligent, more sociable and popular, of better character, and of higher social status than a less-glamorous peer. If she's smart, an idol can often have the world for her oyster, especially where matters of romance are concerned. Even in the 21st Century, many people (novas and baselines alike) still have a hard time believing that an evil mind can reside behind a beautiful appearance. Consequently, a sufficiently savvy idol can sometimes get away with committing even the most serious crimes- and not only is she less likely to be reported than other novas, she's also less likely to be accused or penalized if she is. Even if the idol winds up being penalized for her crimes, her punishment will more likely than not be a good lighter than would usually be expected. Certain baseline psychologists explain this as the long-standing belief that "beautiful people are better in every way- including inherent goodness- than ordinary people". Despite being fallacious, this myth does help to explain why idols are often granted perks and gifts more appropriate to the god-kings of antiquity instead of mortal aristocracy. As all novas are larger than life, idols are often treated as being more than mere mortals- in short, as they're treated as living gods.

...Complete With Thorns

Ever since the early days of the Nova Age, baselines have fantasized about what the lives of the Mega-Attractive novas must be like. What they usually end up imagining is a mélange of Hugh Hefner-style hedonism, Robin Leach-style extravagance, a love life straight out of a paperback romance novel, and a supremely high quality of life possessed only by the greatest of historical royalty. After all, they think, they're so wonderfully perfect, so their lives should be perfect too! It's a nice fantasy- "champagne wishes and caviar dreams", gorgeous young baseline groupies always eager for a night of passion- good times and the Good Life, as far as many baselines are concerned.

The realities of an idol's life, however, are somewhat different.

Being Mega-Attractive means that an idol will be desired sexually by many of the people that he or she will encounter in a social setting. While that sounds great at first, several drawbacks soon make themselves apparent. For one thing, there is no guarantee whatsoever that a person who is turned on by an idol's quantum-charged good looks will meet the idol's own criteria for a possible lover or significant other- the idol's admirer might be of the wrong gender, too young or old, be unpleasant in appearance or personality, or simply might be repulsive to the idol for one reason or another. Also, many of the status symbols that grant otherwise boorish and unappealing individuals high status in baseline society- extreme wealth, political power, academic achievement, descent from the upper social strata, being an influential figure in a powerful organization, etc.- often count for little to an idol. More often than not, those egotistical baselines are left dumbfounded- and sometimes resentful- when their displays fail to win an idol's affections. On the other hand, a baseline whom an idol becomes romantically interested in can fail to see the idol's interest as being honest and legit. With a head filled with fantasies of what an idol's life is like, some baselines simply cannot imagine any reason why a Mega-Attractive nova would have any real interest in them, and assume that the idol has dishonorable attentions towards them. That usually ends the matter then and there.

Then there's the fact that a large fraction of an idol's admirers will seek treat the idol as a sex object. (Yes, Virginia, women can and do sometimes treat attractive men as sex objects. Welcome to the 21st Century.) While the more lusty idols don't have much of a problem with that, those who are less hormone-driven quickly tire of being wanted only for impersonal sex instead of a healthy romantic relationship. Making things even more difficult is the tendency of many people to constantly misinterpret any simple gestures of friendship the idol might make as signs of sexual interest or seduction attempts.

Oh, and while we're talking about friendship... Despite what one would think, idols are sometimes rather lonely, since they can find it extremely difficult to establish and maintain lasting friendships. By definition, a Mega-Attractive nova's good looks are far beyond the "1-to-10 scale" commonly used in the singles scene. Potential sexual rivals will tend to feel envious of and/or threatened by the idol's superhuman attractiveness, even if they're ostensibly his or her friends. Nobody likes to be outshined by a more attractive rival- they'd much rather outshine other potential rivals. Potential sexual partners will tend stare at the idol and otherwise act bizarrely. This becomes even worse if it's a friend's significant other that's getting flustered over the idol. It also makes Platonic friendships rare, as it's hard for an idol to keep things Platonic when the other person can't help but spend his or her time thinking about how to get into the idol's pants. After dealing with these types of situations for several years, some idols might get married just to escape from the singles scene!

Another problem has to do with the preconceptions that many people will have about attractive people in general and Mega-Attractive novas in particular. If an idol is female, baseline men tend to assume that she is sexually permissive and confident, and that she has a high sex drive. Female idols are also thought to make poor mothers- and given that there have been no known nova pregnancies, the matter is still considered to be strictly academic. As for the image problems of male idols? Well, baseline women don't automatically assume that a male idol is a skilled Don Juan with a quantum-charged libido, although a few of them may fit that description. No, the major problem for male idols is that many ignorant people automatically assume that they are all homosexuals, regardless of their actual sexual orientation. The efforts of "Ironskin" Andy Vance and the QNA notwithstanding, as of 2015 male idols of all orientations are still liable to face anti-gay prejudice from bigoted baselines (usually macho thugs) on increasingly rare occasions simply due to being seen as "pretty boys". This can result in some truly ugly situations, but most male idols come out none the worse for wear. The same can't be said for their baseline antagonists, though...

There are a few other drawbacks to being an idol. Like attractive baselines, Mega-Attractive novas are often seen as being less prone to maintaining their fidelity in a relationship, and more likely to instigate a divorce. An idol's superhuman beauty can very easily distract other people from any other valuable qualities that he or she may have, which can lead to much frustration on the idol's part. Being Mega-Attractive doesn't automatically make other people see an idol as having integrity, being sensitive, or being compassionate. Finally, there are always some people who despise their beautiful fellows for one reason or another- and if they loathe beautiful baselines, then how much more will they hate a Mega-Attractive nova?

Roleplaying Mega-Appearance

If you're intending to play a character with Mega-Appearance, take a moment to think about the really handsome guys or the drop-dead-gorgeous femmes you might have known. Now remember all the ways- both good and bad- in which other people would treat them. Did you know a beautiful woman that had practically all of the guys on the local rugby team begging her for a date? Or maybe it was her boss who was infatuated with her, to the point of committing sexual harassment? On the other hand, were you drinking buddies with the hunk who always seemed to have lovely ladies either hanging onto him or fighting over him every Saturday night? Or was it a "pretty boy" that you remember, mainly for all abuse that the local macho ne'er-do-wells (who were probably inbred to boot) tried to dish out to him because they thought he was gay? Did any of those beautiful people have an entourage of buddies, or were those potential friends too afraid of losing their love interests to someone much more attractive than they were?

That kind of treatment, both good and bad, is exactly what Mega-Attractive novas can expect to receive on a regular basis- only it's amplified to almost ridiculous levels. How does an idol deal with all of that? Does he take advantage of his Mega-Appearance and indulge in one-night stands seven days a week? Will a female idol be flattered at being courted by a business tycoon, or will she brush him off as an arrogant blowhard? Can an idol manage to make friends out of potential sexual rivals and keep them as friends, or will the idol ruin good marriages and demolish serious relationships without a care?

In the end, the biggest question about an idol is the same as for any other nova: will the idol use the power of his or her Mega-Appearance responsibly? Or will the idol test the limits of what superhuman beauty can let him or her get away with- and the limits of what the people affected by the idol's actions can tolerate?

The Bimbo Factor

One vital thing to remember about Mega-Appearance is that it only enhances a nova's good looks- it does not provide any of the social graces that's required to make the most of an idol's superhuman beauty. An idol who lacks Mega-Charisma will basically dispel any illusions of being thoughtful and charming that his Mega-Appearance might've fostered among other people the instant he speaks. If the nova is also lacking in Intelligence or Wits (ratings lower than 3), he or she will be swiftly categorized as a "bimbo-nova". Note: The myriad slang terms used for these quantum-powered bubbleheads vary greatly with the local culture and media. For reference, El Puerto (from Aberrant: Underworld) is a prime example of a "bimbo-nova".

All I'm asking is for you lot to give these essays a serious look, and to tell me about anything that you think needs to be changed. As for me, I'm off to work on the enhancments for Mega-Appearance. I've written up four so far; Yin-Yang from Glitch, a revised version of Alex Green's Two-Faced, my take on the Sanctity Merit called the Halo Effect, and an enhancement that conceals the nova's actual looks by making him or her look like everyone's ideal mate... or worst personal nightmare. I'll post them here in a few days after I get the rough spots smoothed out, but send in any ideas that you might have for new Mega-Appearance enhancements! I've got four so far, but I'm shooting for 6 new enhancements for each of the Social Mega-Attribute. So let's get cracking, folks! ::biggrin

Seeya! ::smiley5

[Bahamut810]

RE: The Bimbo Factor

LOL!!!! ::smiley1 ::smiley1 ::smiley1

[Sprocket]

Re: The Bimbo Factor- Glad you liked it, Bahamut. After reading El Puerto's write-up in Aberrant: Underworld, I simply couldn't resist... ::devilangel

BTW, Gideon- I've done some editing on my second posting of the Mega-Ugliness material (the version with "The New Pariahs"), so I hereby declare it to be finished. (Pompous-sounding, aren't I? ::tongue ) Just so you know, each of the new Mega-Appearance enhancements will have a little note stating whether or not it is available to Mega-Ugly novas.

[Gideon]

I assume you mean the MEga-Ugly essay on page 15? last edited November 09? If so I can drop that into my site doc asap. ::biggrin I have already added the new lexicon (check the introduction page)

Sprocket: does the squid definition seem okay to you?

[Sprocket]

Re: Mega-Ugliness material posted on pg. 15, edited Nov. 9-

Yeah, that's what I was referring to, Gideon. But remember, it's not just the Mega-Ugliness essays that are on that post- it also has the revised Attribute & Mega-Attribute charts, the new enhancements and the new aberrations. Don't just cut out the essays! BTW, I figure that the Mega-Ugliness section should be the fourth and last section of the Mega-Attributes Chapter. (Mega-Appearance would be first, with Mega-Manipulation second and Mega-Charisma third.) I feel that since everyone has liked the Mega-Ugliness material (so far), then it's pretty much finished, and I can now focus on the material for Mega-Appearance. ::cool

Re: the Squids definition-

::blush I'm afraid that I haven't had the chance to look over your Introduction page, Gideon. I've been too busy looking over my reference materials for ideas to use for those last two Mega-Appearance enhancements that we need! (I'll post the four we've got for review and critiquing in a little while.) I'll get to your Intro page when I have a free moment.

Be that as it may, here's a rewrite of some of the definitions that we've come up with, including my definition of "Squid".

Charmer: a Mega-Charismatic nova.

Cult: a group of people centered around a specific goal or ideal that tries to keep its members separate from outside influences; typically their prior beliefs, their families, and mainstream society in general.

Drone: a derogatory term often used in conjuntion with Queen-Bee, to describe the apparent mindlessness of those people who flock to "hang out" with their queen.

Grifter: a Mega-Manipulative nova, especially one who works as a con artist.

Idol: a Mega-Attractive nova, especially one who is a media star.

Moth: derogatory yet pitying term for those people who are drawn to a Mega-Social nova, like a moth to the flame of the nova's beauty and/or charm.

Queen-Bee - a (frequently female) Mega-Social nova that makes a habit of gathering many baselines around her to do her bidding, or just to do the cooking and other household chores.

Spin Doctor: a Mega-Manipulative nova, especially one who works in public relations.

Squid: derogatory term for a Mega-Ugly nova, especially one that has tentacles.

If this matches what you've written up, more or less, then that's OK- most of the changes I made had more to do with good grammar than content. ::rolleyes

Re: New Mega-Appearance enhancements needed-

I know I must be starting to sound like a broken record here, but I could really use some fresh ideas from you folks! So don't be shy- post them here! After all, if I can't come up with anything else, I'll be forced to submit my version of the "superhuman cuteness" enhancement... ::crazy

[Sprocket]

Re: Gideon's Mega-Social book website-

OK, I've gone to your website and looked things over, Gideon. Aside from a possible revision of the lexicon, everything looks pretty decent so far. BTW, your definition of "Squids" is fine, so don't sweat it. ::thumbsup Your idea of how the Mega-Attribute sections should be sequenced is a little different than mine, but that's OK too. It looks better than I thought it would, but please ask Phoenix to critique what you've got! I've no problems with the content, but we desperately need to have someone sift through that material for errors in spelling and grammar. I know it sounds like nitpicking, but we should do everything we can to streamline the book before we put it up for download on EON.

P.S.- You should probably go back and put the titles of the official Aberrant books in boldface, Gideon- at least, that's how they did it in Aberrant: Brainwaves.

Re: New Mega-Appearance enhancements-

As I promised, here are the four Mega-Appearance enhancements I've collected, rewritten, and come up with (in the case of a couple). PLEASE look over and critique them, guys! That goes double for my revision of Alex Green's "Two-Faced" enhancement- last time I checked, there was still some dispute over how it should function. If any of you have problems with these enhancments, let me know about it ASAP!

New Mega-Appearance Enhancements

Eidolon

This enhancement allows even the most basic details of the nova's Mega-Attractiveness to be seen through and reinterpreted by the individual desires of every person who can see the nova. Aside from letting the nova assume the guise of "perfect romantic partner" to masses of people, it also prevents those people from getting a clear look at what the nova really looks like. Mega-Ugly novas have their own version of this enhancement, which uses people's fears and allows them to don the guise of "horrifying nightmare"- and to make things worse, it provides the same protection against being identified.

System: The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this enhancement for a scene. A Mega-Attractive nova will appear as a "perfect mate" to everyone who sees her, regardless of individual gender and/or orientation, and gains a + 3 dice bonus on Seduction rolls. A Mega-Ugly nova will appear as the "worst nightmare" of everyone who sees him, and gains a + 3 dice bonus on Intimidation rolls. Both versions of this enhancement make it extremely difficult to discern what the nova actually looks like- other people must roll Mega-Perception vs. the nova's Mega-Appearance +1 to see through the illusion. Baselines and novas without Mega-Perception automatically fail this roll. If the roll is failed, the nova's subjects will be unable to indentify the nova and will also disagree strongly with each other as to the nova's appearance and gender.

This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Halo Effect

For some reason, everyone considers a nova with this enhancement to be pure and innocent, though not necessarily naïve. This enhancement grants a Mega-Attractive nova a saint-like quality that is hard to pinpoint but cannot be denied. Unless confronted with direct evidence to the contrary, people will perceive the nova as being likeable and trustworthy, and will tend to confide in her. She will even tend to receive lesser punishments for wrongdoing, as people find it very difficult to think ill of her.

System: People who catch sight of a nova using this enhancement must roll Mega-Wits against the nova's [Mega-Appearance +1] to resist the Halo Effect. Those who fail will perceive the nova as described above. Novas lacking Mega-Wits and other Inspired beings can automatically shake off the Halo Effect after [the nova's Mega-Appearance] hours. Baselines automatically fail this roll, and may remain under the sway of the Halo Effect for years without Inspired aid or serious mental trauma. Furthermore, unless the nova has the Trustworthy enhancement (from the Aberrant Compendium), any subject (Inspired or not) who witnesses the nova committing some act that strongly contradicts her "saintly" image may make a Willpower roll at standard difficulties to shake off the Halo Effect immediately. This enhancement is permanent but can be turned on or off at will, and has no quantum point cost. This enhancement is also restricted to Mega-Attractive novas- Mega-Ugly novas cannot take it.

Two-Faced

Normally, a nova with Mega-Appearance will become either Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly during his eruption, and is usually stuck with that result for the rest of his existence. However, a few novas have developed the ability to shift between the two opposing forms of Mega-Appearance at will. Aside from the obvious benefits in establishing apparently utterly dissimilar alternate identities as two different novas, the shock value of seeing a Mega-Attractive nova suddenly becoming Mega-Ugly might aid a nova who's inclined to mischief in pulling off some truly mean-spirited practical jokes.

System: This enhancement allows a nova to switch from being Mega-Attractive to being Mega-Ugly (or the other way around) by spending 1 quantum point. The nova will lose access to certain Mega-Appearance enhancements that are restricted to either Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly novas while using the opposing form of Mega-Appearance. (See "Banned Enhancements" in the Mega-Ugliness section for details.) The nova also cannot gain any additional enhancements with Two-Faced, but must purchase them normally. (For example, a normally Mega-Attractive nova with Awe-Inspiring could not use it while Mega-Ugly, and would not gain the effects of a different enhancement to make up for that temporary loss.) The effects of this enhancement will last for a scene, and can be activated multiple times during a scene to switch back and forth. The nova cannot employ both forms of Mega-Appearance at the same time- it has to be one or the other. At the Storyteller's discretion, a Two-Faced nova may be able to declare either form of his Mega-Appearance to be a "default visage"; to which the nova will revert to if sleeping, knocked unconscious, or incapacitated. If this option is applied, the Two-Faced nova can also change his "default visage" to the other form of Mega-Appearance by spending 2 quantum points. This enhancement is avaliable to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Yin-Yang

Ever wanted to see how the other half lives? Those novas possessing this enhancement can do so as they can change their sex at will. The change is a complete one; internal organs are changed along with the more obvious features and even the nova's scent changes. This enhancement is also very handy when being pursued, as few people normally confuse male and female bodies. Note, however, that this ability to change gender does not cause any additional radical changes in appearance; both sexes have similar features, and look sufficiently alike to be siblings.

System: It takes roughly one minute for the nova to make the change from one gender to the other and does not require a roll. However, an Appearance roll can be made to cut this time in half. It costs one quantum point to activate Yin-Yang, but once the change is complete there is no need to maintain this enhancement. It is as if the nova had always been of that gender.

This enhancement is avaliable to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Enhancement-5

[Opening Paragraph.]

System: [Game Mechanics.]

Enhancement-6

[Opening Paragraph.]

System: [Game Mechanics.]

OK, that's it for now- seeya! ::smiley5

[Gideon]

Bold-face for Official Product names: I thought I did boldface them, did I miss a section?

Ahhh...sometimes I am a little slow... ::blush ... Did you mean format the text I cut from your post and add the name formatting, right???

[Bahamut810]

you know...I think Andy needs Ying-Yang...

[Sprocket]

Re: boldfacing of official Aberrant products-

I'm talking about the titles of the official Aberrant books wherever they are referenced or mentioned in the entire Mega-Social book, Gideon. That's what they did in Aberrant: Brainwaves, so we should do the same if we're trying to make a product that's comparable to it. Just think of it as yet another thing for Phoenix to watch for if you can get him to be our proofreader. ::smile

Re: Yin-Yang-

Just which Andy would that be, Bahamut? Were you thinking of "Ironskin" Andy Vance, or did you have a real-life person in mind? ::laugh

Re: Ideas for new Mega-Appearance enhancments-

Just so you know, I wasn't kidding about the "superhuman cuteness" enhancement. I'd really rather not include such a vile thing in our Mega-Social book, but I will if we can't come up with anything else to fill up that last empty space in the enhancements listings. ::devilangel

[Alex Green]

Two-Faced

Normally, a nova with Mega-Appearance becomes either Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly during his eruption, and is stuck with that result for the rest of his existence. However, a few novas have developed the ability to shift between the two opposing forms of Mega-Appearance at will. Aside from the obvious benefits in establishing apparently utterly dissimilar identities as two different novas, the shock value of seeing a Mega-Attractive nova suddenly becoming Mega-Ugly might aid a nova who's inclined to mischief in pulling off some truly mean-spirited practical jokes.

System: This enhancement allows a nova to switch from being Mega-Attractive to being Mega-Ugly (or the other way around) by spending 1 quantum point. The nova loses access to Mega-Appearance enhancements that are restricted to either Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly novas while using the opposing form of Mega-Appearance. (See "Banned Enhancements" in the Mega-Ugliness section for details.) The nova also doesn't gain any additional enhancements with Two-Faced, but may purchase them normally. (For example, a normally Mega-Attractive nova with Awe-Inspiring could not use it while Mega-Ugly, and would not gain a different enhancement to make up for that loss.) The effects of this enhancement last for a scene, and can be activated multiple times during a scene to switch back and forth. The nova cannot employ both forms of Mega-Appearance at the same time- it has to be one or the other. A Two-Faced nova must declare one form of his Mega-Appearance to be a "default visage"; to which the nova will revert to if sleeping, knocked unconscious, or incapacitated. This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

RE: Two-Faced

Edited for grammer, spelling, and I also made making a "default" form a requirement. They need to have one or the other be a default, otherwise what happens when they sleep, do they stop having mega-app? I also removed the ability to permanently change your default. None of the other enhancements allow permanent (at will) changes.

Somewhere (maybe not under this enhancement) there should be the note that novas with multiple forms can have different defaults. Example: Dreamy Joe has the power Bodymorph: Fear. His normal flesh and blood body has Mega-App (Attractive) 2; His bodymorphed self has Mega-App(Ugly) 2.

I like the idea that Two-Faced actually grants a second face. Dealing with the idea that a nova can have one face that is both ugly and attractive is a bit hard. Note that there is nothing preventing someone from defining both of their faces from being the same.

RE: Yin-Yang

Do we want to even mention the word pregnancy?

Who?

Normally novas with Mega-Appearance are easily remembered. Short term memory only lasts a minute or two. This enhancement prevents short term memories from being turned into long term memories. Note that unlike Mr. Nobody, Who? doesn't prevent notice nor does it reduce appearance. It merely prevents remembrance.

System: The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this enhancement for a scene. In order to remember what the nova looked like and/or what they did other people must roll Mega-Intelligence vs. the nova's Mega-Appearance +1 to see through the illusion. Baselines without Eidetic Memory and novas without Mega-Intelligence automatically fail this roll. Eidetic Memory grants three extra dice on their roll. If the roll is failed, victims will be unable to remember what the nova looked like or identify the nova in any way. Since memories never formed to begin with, telepathy and similar powers can not help recover them. This power does nothing to prevent the nova from being recorded on any form of media (pictures, movies, etc). Example: John Stupid has "Who?" and turns it on before he knocks over a building and kills two hundred baselines. When T2M shows up 10 minutes later, although all the witnesses agree that a nova did this, they don't remember who or what they looked like. If John actually appears in front of anyone who saw this, although they would recognize John as a nova, they won't be able to connect him to this crime.

This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Fade

Novas with this enhancement can't be recorded electronic media. This includes their shadows and their clothes, but anything larger should use the Attune rules.

System: The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this enhancement for a scene. While active, the nova will not show up on TV's, cameras (film or electronic) or similar media. They also have three auto succ to avoid triggering motion detectors, laser trip wires, and the like. Artificial Intelligences should treat this enhancement as the electronic version of "Who?".

This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

[Gideon]

Boldface: I know, I already did that through out most of the document, thats why I was asking about where you had seen it... ::biggrin ...but instead of waitin I just went through the docs and tried to catch all I could find. Most were in the page I called chapter four.

Appearance Enhancements: Question on Eidolon, is the effect recordable? IF not it may be of note that a baseline or less perceptive nova could look at a security monitor and see the true nova. (course if the nova has the Player's Guide enhancement that allows the glamour of their appearance to transcend recorded media, the monitors would see the illusions) If it is recordable and transmitable via video then that should be clarified.

Yin-Yang: I like, as a "parking-lot note" (i.e. may not be right for this enhancement, but may want to touch on in another section), any issues of fertility with this. My thought being, if the nova is sterile, changing gender wil not help, but if the nova is fertile and changes gender, does this mess with any prescribed fertility or contraceptive drugs they are taking. I point this out, since male and female body chemistry reacts differently to testosterone and estrogren. And such birthcontrol devices such as birth control pills, and certain fertility drugs use one or the other for females, while high dosages of estrogen can act as a temporary sterility drug on males. Mind you since most novas are sterile its sort of a moot point, but I thought I would drop this idea into the pot.

I had an enahancement idea, but I have not had the time to read through all the ones listed in the powers section, so le tme kow if its either too similar or what to existing stuff:

Deja Vou: Everyone is certain they know you, or at least you've met somewhere before. College perhaps? or grade school? regardless of the nova's background, everyone who meets them when this enhancements is active believes that you are someone familiar. Guards that might notmally shoot on sight hesitate thinking you might be a buddy of their's, bouncers let you into clubs if you promise to let them catch-up with you later to talk about the good old days. Taxi drivers will cut you slack on the fare, if you're short since you are an old scool mate.

System: Whenever the nova meets someone for the first time, and they spend 1 quantum point to activate this enhancement, the person targeted by this enhancement will feel certain that they've met you before, and will have a feeling that they liked you then. While this enhancement will convince the victim they know you, it does not grant the nova any knowledge about who the victim thinks you are. So novas with this enhancement had best developed ths skills necessary to bluff their way through the reminesence of their victim. This effect will last fro one scene, and only affect one victim. This enahancement cost one quantum point to activate.

This is my first attempt to write one in the "correct" format, so I appologize if its a little stilted.

[Gideon]

LOL I was writting my last post while Alex green and Bahamut were posting, but Alex apparently was sharing a brainwave with me, only I thought of the opposite...

who? and Deja vou would REALLY warp a person's memory....imagine not recalling who you are but certain they knew you way back when... ::blink

[Alex Green]

"Who?" effects only show up when people stop looking at you.

[Sprocket]

Re: Two-Faced-

Hmm... Your rewrite of my rewrite of "Two-Faced" appears to be fairly workable, Alex. If nobody else objects, I'll use your latest version in the finished document.

As to whether a multi-form nova could have different Mega-Appearance defaults- I'd put that note in the "Quantum Powers and Mega-Social Attribute interaction" section. My thinking on it would be that a Bodymorphed nova could simulate Two-Faced by assigning one Bodymorph dot to it, provided that the Bodymorphed nova has Mega-Appearance in the first place.

As for your last idea... I'd like to quash the notion of a Two-Faced nova's visages being the same, Alex. One of them will be Mega-Attractive, and the other is Mega-Ugly- they can't both be Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly! I think I'll include a note about that in the finished version of Two-Faced, if you don't mind...

Re: Yin-Yang-

There's no physical reason that a fertile Yin-Yang nova in "female mode" couldn't become pregnant, Alex. I'll mention it in the finished version, but I'll keep it very low-key and restrained.

As to the questions on fertility- Let me think on this a bit, Gideon. Offhand I'd be inclined to dismiss the problems of contraceptive drugs UNLESS they've been specifically tailored to affect a nova's amped-up metabolism. And given the "official explanation" of how Project Proteus' sterility cocktail works, I don't think that metabolic gender differences are that much of an issue.

Re: Eidolon-

I'd have to say that it wouldn't work via video surveillance without using the "Almost Live" enhancement from the Aberrant Player's Guide, Gideon. I'll be sure to note that in the finished version.

Re: "Deja Vu"-

Doesn't the "Friendly Face" enhancement from the Aberrant Compendium cover this, Gideon?

Re: "Fade" and "Who?"-

It sounds like these are minor versions of the "Arcane" power I wrote up several months back. Don't get me wrong- I like 'em, but questions about non-electronic video recording (old-fashioned photography), mirrors, and the like should be addressed if we're going to use "Fade". Also, are animals affected by "Who?"

[Alex Green]

...a Bodymorphed nova could simulate Two-Faced by assigning one Bodymorph dot to it, provided that the Bodymorphed nova has Mega-Appearance in the first place.

If they did that, then their bodymorphed self could be either attractive or ugly. For the extreme version, think of someone with Mega-App 5 (attractive). Now assume that he buys Bodymorph 5 (Sloppy Joe).

I don't think it unreasonable to the bodymorph ugly, and the human form hansome. Alternatively, if you have a really mega-ugly nova who bodymorphs into an angel of light, then I don't think it unreasonable to have the bodymorph attractive.

But in both cases it seems off for the bodymorph to be able to look ugly or attractive.

And yes, animals have short and long term memory, so they get Who? too.

[Sprocket]

Re: Two-Faced and Bodymorph-

You might want to take another look at the power listing for Bodymorph, Alex- the "free dots" of other powers simulated by Bodymorph are chosen at the time of character creation, and can't be changed afterwards. (They can be added to by purchasing further dots of Bodymorph with experience, but you know what I mean, hopefully.) A nova wanting to freely assume either version of Mega-Appearance (temporarily) would likely need Matter Chameleon or Shapeshift.

Re: Who?-

OK, it affects animals, too. Gotcha, thanks. I'll probably end up using it. ::wink

Re: Fade-

Having taken a quick peek at my H.P. Lovecraft books and my Call Of Cthulhu core rulebook, I think we could expand the effects of Fade so that it works on old-fashioned photography and reflective surfaces as well as electronic surveillance technology. Not only would it make Fade more useful (not everyone uses videocams and digital cameras in the 21st Century), it would also become a good deal spookier. Besides, I've always been a fan of the The Shadow ever since the remake movie came out in the 90s... ::devilangel

[Bahamut810]

To Which andy:

Andy in QZ-elites...gosh that would be funny...

[ProfPotts]

Just skimming through this stuff I had a quick question / thought on that 'Two-Faced' Enhancement. Mega-Appearance usually requires a minimum normal Appearance of 3, whilst Mega-Ugliness has a maximum normal Appearance of 1 - should the character's normal Appearance score be effected by the Enhancement as well in some way? At least to represent these min' & max' values. After all, 'Mr Nobody' can already effect a character's normal Appearance score, so it wouldn't be going against the established rules.

[Alex Green]

I like the adventure rule for this.

Zombies have an App of 4 because they are distintive.

Re: Two-Faced and Bodymorph-

You might want to take another look at the power listing for Bodymorph, Alex- the "free dots" of other powers simulated by Bodymorph are chosen at the time of character creation, and can't be changed afterwards. (They can be added to by purchasing further dots of Bodymorph with experience, but you know what I mean, hopefully.) A nova wanting to freely assume either version of Mega-Appearance (temporarily) would likely need Matter Chameleon or Shapeshift.

I don't understand your point. Are you saying that you can't have bodymorph with one form ugly and the other attractive?

[Sprocket]

Apologies for my unintentional hiatus from the forums- I've just had a nagging software problem fixed. (Once and for all, hopefully! ::halo )

Re: Two-Faced and Bodymorph-

I'm saying that according to the write-up for the Bodymorph power in the Aberrant Core Book, A Bodymorphed nova has only one alternate form. Bodymorph was intended to reflect the powers of superbeings such as the X-Men's Colossus and the FF's Human Torch. If a nova wants to have a multitude of alternate forms, he'd have to take a level 3 power such as Matter Chameleon or Shapeshift. After all, Bodymorph is just a level 2 power... ::biggrin

Re: Mega-Ugliness-

ProfPotts, you appear to be referring to the original rules for Mega-Ugliness- you know; the old, clunky ones that didn't work too smoothly? Check out the revised version of the Ugliness variant of Appearance and Mega-Ugliness. I think you'll find that they'll function a lot more smoothly that what you're using. ::devilangel

Re: Mega-Appearance enhancements-

Alex, I've been busy reworking the two new enhancements that you proposed- Aside from renaming "Who?" as "Incognito", all I've done is clean them up and dress them nicely. Please let me know if any of you have problems with these latest offerings!

P.S.: I've revised Yin-Yang to cover those problematic questions about fertility and pregnancy, guys. I know it's not going to come up in all games, but something about a macho nova guy developing Yin-Yang and becoming pregnant as a consequence appeals to my twisted imagination... ::devilangel

New Mega-Appearance Enhancements

Eidolon

This enhancement allows even the most basic details of the nova's Mega-Attractiveness to be seen through and reinterpreted by the individual desires of every person who can see the nova. Aside from letting the nova assume the guise of "perfect romantic partner" to masses of people, it also prevents those people from getting a clear look at what the nova really looks like. Mega-Ugly novas have their own version of this enhancement, which uses people's fears and allows them to don the guise of "horrifying nightmare"- and to make things worse, it provides the same protection against being identified.

System: The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this enhancement for a scene. A Mega-Attractive nova will appear as a "perfect mate" to everyone who sees her, regardless of individual gender and/or orientation, and gains a + 3 dice bonus on Seduction rolls. A Mega-Ugly nova will appear as the "worst nightmare" of everyone who sees him, and gains a + 3 dice bonus on Intimidation rolls. Both versions of this enhancement make it extremely difficult to discern what the nova actually looks like- other people must roll Mega-Perception vs. the nova's Mega-Appearance +1 to see through the illusion. Baselines and novas without Mega-Perception automatically fail this roll. If the roll is failed, the nova's subjects will be unable to identify the nova and will also disagree strongly with each other as to the nova's appearance and gender. Please note that unless the nova also has Almost Live (from the Aberrant Player's Guide), a nova using Eidolon cannot affect beings that are viewing him via video transmissions or recorded media.

This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Halo Effect

For some reason, everyone considers a nova with this enhancement to be pure and innocent, though not necessarily naïve. This enhancement grants a Mega-Attractive nova a saint-like quality that is hard to pinpoint but cannot be denied. Unless confronted with direct evidence to the contrary, people will perceive the nova as being likeable and trustworthy, and will tend to confide in her. She will even tend to receive lesser punishments for wrongdoing, as people find it very difficult to think ill of her.

System: People who catch sight of a nova using this enhancement must roll Mega-Wits against the nova's [Mega-Appearance +1] to resist the Halo Effect. Those who fail will perceive the nova as described above. Novas lacking Mega-Wits and other Inspired beings can automatically shake off the Halo Effect after [the nova's Mega-Appearance] hours. Baselines automatically fail this roll, and may remain under the sway of the Halo Effect for years without Inspired aid or serious mental trauma. Furthermore, unless the nova has the Trustworthy enhancement (from the Aberrant Compendium), any subject (Inspired or not) who witnesses the nova committing some act that strongly contradicts her "saintly" image may make a Willpower roll at standard difficulties to shake off the Halo Effect immediately. This enhancement is permanent but can be turned on or off at will, and has no quantum point cost. This enhancement is also restricted to Mega-Attractive novas- Mega-Ugly novas cannot take it.

Fade

While it hasn't become quite as pervasive as George Orwell feared, electronic surveillance is still widespread in the developed regions of Earth, circa 2015. Given that a person is likely to be monitored by at least one video camera in any public area (and in many private areas as well), the development of this enhancement was inevitable. Novas with Fade are virtual ghosts as far as electronic surveillance is concerned.

System: Novas using this enhancement can't be detected or recorded by technological devices. This "cloaking effect" includes the novas' shadows and their clothes, but attempts to cloak anything larger should be handled with the Attunement Background rules. The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this enhancement for a scene. While active, the nova will not show up on video monitors, cameras (old-fashioned film or digital) or similar media. A curious side effect is that a nova using Fade will also cast no reflection; and so can't be seen in any reflective surfaces like mirrors, reflective glass or metal, or bodies of water. This can lead to much consternation among superstitious people, and even your average citizen of the First World will likely find this somewhat disturbing. Novas using Fade also receive three automatic successes to avoid triggering motion detectors, laser trip wires, and other sensor devices. Artificial Intelligences should treat this enhancement as the electronic version of the Incognito enhancement.

This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Incognito

Novas with Mega-Appearance tend to be easily remembered. As short-term memory only lasts for a minute or two, this enhancement can prevents other people's short-term memories of the nova from being turned into long-term memories. Note that unlike Mr. Nobody, Incognito doesn't make the nova unobtrusive nor does it reduce his Mega-Appearance. It merely prevents other people from remembering the nova.

System: The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this enhancement for a scene. In order to remember what the nova looked like and/or what they did other people must roll Mega-Intelligence vs. the nova's Mega-Appearance +1 to see through the illusion. Baselines without Eidetic Memory and novas without Mega-Intelligence automatically fail this roll. Eidetic Memory grants three extra dice on their roll. If the roll is failed, victims will be unable to remember what the nova looked like or identify the nova in any way. Since the long-term memories never formed to begin with, telepathy and similar powers can not help recover them. This enhancement does nothing to prevent the nova from being recorded on any form of media (photos, movies, digital video files, etc.), nor can it operate through video transmissions. Both of these problems can easily be remedied by use of the "Almost Live" enhancement (from the Aberrant Player's Guide).

Example: John Stupid has Incognito and activates it before he knocks over a building and kills two hundred baselines. When T2M shows up 10 minutes later, although all the witnesses agree that a nova did this, they don't remember who or what the nova looked like. If John actually appeared in front of anyone who saw this, although they would recognize John as a nova, they wouldn't be able to connect him to his crime.

This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Two-Faced

Normally, a nova with Mega-Appearance becomes either Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly during his eruption, and is stuck with that result for the rest of his existence. However, a few novas have developed the ability to shift between the two opposing forms of Mega-Appearance at will. Aside from the obvious benefits in establishing apparently utterly dissimilar identities as two different novas, the shock value of seeing a Mega-Attractive nova suddenly becoming Mega-Ugly might aid a nova who's inclined to mischief in pulling off some truly mean-spirited practical jokes.

System: This enhancement allows a nova to switch from being Mega-Attractive to being Mega-Ugly (or the other way around) by spending 1 quantum point. The nova loses access to Mega-Appearance enhancements that are restricted to either Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly novas while using the opposing form of Mega-Appearance. (See "Banned Enhancements" in the Mega-Ugliness section for details.) The nova also doesn't gain any additional enhancements with Two-Faced, but may purchase them normally. (For example, a normally Mega-Attractive nova with Awe-Inspiring could not use it while Mega-Ugly, and would not gain a different enhancement to make up for that loss.) The effects of this enhancement last for a scene, and can be activated multiple times during a scene to switch back and forth. The nova cannot employ both forms of Mega-Appearance at the same time- it has to be one or the other. A Two-Faced nova must declare one form of his Mega-Appearance to be a "default visage"; to which the nova will revert to if sleeping, knocked unconscious, or incapacitated. Note: A Two-Faced nova cannot have both of his visages based on the same form of Mega-Appearance; one must be Mega-Attractive, and the other must be Mega-Ugly. This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Yin-Yang

Ever wanted to see how the other half lives? Those novas possessing this enhancement can do so as they can change their sex at will. The change is a complete one; internal organs are changed along with the more obvious features and even the nova's scent changes. This enhancement is also very handy when being pursued, as few people normally confuse male and female bodies. Note, however, that this ability to change gender does not cause any additional radical changes in appearance; both sexes have similar features, and look sufficiently alike to be siblings.

System: It takes roughly one minute for the nova to make the change from one gender to the other and does not require a roll. However, an Appearance roll can be made to cut this time in half. It costs one quantum point to activate Yin-Yang, but once the change is complete there is no need to maintain this enhancement. It is as if the nova had always been of that gender. Note: if a nova with Yin-Yang is not sterile, that nova can become pregnant while female if contraceptive measures are either not used or somehow neutralized. Yet another interesting wrinkle is that upon the moment of conception, a pregnant nova with Yin-Yang will find him- or herself locked into "female mode" for the duration of the pregnancy. Once the pregnancy ends (through birth, miscarriage, or the death of the fetus), the nova will again be able to switch gender freely.

This enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Assuming that this latest round passes muster, I'll go ahead and post the finished version of the Mega-Appearance document. Afterwards, I think I'll tackle the Mega-Charisma section next.

See you lot later! ::smiley5

[knave]

Just a few personal observations. I realise working on game books is difficult and I am not trying to rain on your parade, but:

1) I would never allow anyone to use a power in my game that 'Baselines automatically fail' nevermind Novas without Mega Int.

2) Eidolon is very very close to 'Seductive Looks' only more powerful

3) Halo Effect. I'd call this Mega Cha.

4) Cool ::biggrin

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Halo Effect is a merit in VtM can't remember the actual name but it does the same thing. One of our players has a Setite with it very cool stuff.

[Finbar]

Call it my knee-jerk response for game balance, but I'd sorta like to see more of the negative effects of some the Mega-socials to be highlighted as well. For example, with Fade, not only would you be able to evade security and surveilance devices, as well as make most people nervous, but it would be harder to establsh an alibi.

Also, as Knave noted, baselines should have some sort of resistance. After all they are just enhancements, and removing that resistance makes them almost superior to some of the powers; why use Dominate or Holo, which require rolls and which can be detected, when you can use an enhancement to accomplish much the same effect and can't be resisted, detected and is ridiculously cheaper?

[Okay, so I really disliked that mortals had no resistance against various supernatural powers, regardless of how powerful their Willpower or other abilities were; saving various rituals and the Iron Will merit, a vamp with a few dots of Presence or Dominate could do pretty much what she wanted with any mortals in sight...]

Overall, they're good, it's just I'm sorta concerned about the possibility of abuse....

FR

[Sprocket]

Re: Eidolon-

Sorry, Finbar, but you need to go and reread the listing for "Seductive Looks". The major benefit Eidolon provides is that it confuses other people about the exact details of what the nova who uses it actually looks like. The 3 bonus seduction dice granted by Eidolon comes off as the "weak sister" when compared to the 3 automatic successes provided by Seductive Looks. ::smile

Re: Halo Effect-

Yes, this is based on the "Sanctity" Merit from Vampire: The Masquerade. You can find it in the Guide To The Sabbat.

Oh, and Finbar? The reason Halo Effect is based off of Mega-Appearance is that it distorts how other people perceive the nova who uses this enhancement. Add in the fact that it can be easily negated if the nova doesn't act in keeping with his "saintly" image (provided that he's caught in the act), and I think you'll find that it's well-balanced. ::cool

Re: Those poor, poor baselines-

I hear you, Finbar, but that situation is one of the major aspects of Aberrant: Most baselines have little or no chance of competing with, resisting, or protecting themselves against a nova. It's a root cause of the Aberrant War. And yes, it does raise the possibility of abuse. That also ties into another major theme of Aberrant- "With Great Power (hopefully) Comes Great Responsibility". And if that theme is disregarded... Well, there you have yet another root cause of the Aberrant War. Sounds like fun, yes? ::devilangel

[knave]

Oh, and Finbar? The reason Halo Effect is based off of Mega-Appearance is that it distorts how other people perceive the nova who uses this enhancement. Add in the fact that it can be easily negated if the nova doesn't act in keeping with his "saintly" image (provided that he's caught in the act), and I think you'll find that it's well-balanced.

1) I think you'll find that it was me who suggest Mega Cha.

2) What does a saint look like?

Most baselines have little or no chance of competing with, resisting, or protecting themselves against a nova.

Little chance is very different to no chance. Further, if there was really no chance then the Aberrant War wouldn't have happened.

That also ties into another major theme of Aberrant- "With Great Power (hopefully) Comes Great Responsibility".

With that much power, the need for responsibility is zero.

The thing is, Divis was not wrong in the Null Manifesto. What he should have realised then though was that the only logical conclusion would be for him to leave taking every aberrant with him. Course that would have meant no game. Go figure. ::tongue

[Sprocket]

Re: Halo Effect-

Oops! ::tongue My bad- Sorry 'bout that, Knave. ::smile

As for what a saint looks like- think of it as the sort of person that wouldn't commit unethical acts for the sake of greed, power-lust, or personal pleasure. BTW, you should take at a look at the V:tM supplement I mentioned- the Sanctity Merit is a good deal more basic than the Halo Effect Enhancement, but the basic concept is still the same.

Re: The Aberrant War-

You have to remember that the Aberrant War wasn't a clearly-divided conflict with novas on one side and baseline humanity on the other. You do have Tainted nut-job novas with their only-slightly-less-loopy baseline cultist followers on one side. The other side is composed of the still-sane novas, their loyal followers, Aeon and the world governments, plus all the rest of baseline humanity. WWII was as precise as a chess game compared to the muddled confusion of the Aberrant War. I get the feeling that one reason for Project: Rewrite was simply to quell those incessant requests for information from folks who wanted some answers about what went on during the Aberrant War! ::laugh

And as to whether or not the baselines would've fought back... everyone has limits as to what they'll tolerate. If some crazed superbeing is threatening the lives of everyone within a given city, nation, or planet, you can bet that they'll fight for their lives in whatever way they can. Thus, China's Ultimatum. ::cool

Re: Great Power & Great Responsibility-

I have to disagree with you there, Knave. The reason behind this theme is that your actions have consequences. And when you have the tremendous power of a nova, your actions have tremendous consequences. The problem is that like most folks, most novas weren't up to that particular test of character. Besides, Divis Mal is INSANE! He probably edited the events of the Aberrant War to fit in with his own delusional ideas of how the world works.

Any more feedback on the Mega-Appearance enhancements, guys? ::lookaround

Or should I simply go ahead and post the finished document?

[Finbar]

1) Just tyo show you that I did read through it, Novas are _not_ Inspired (as per the Halo Effect) ::sly ...

2) Excluding the resistance issue, they're okay. It's just sorta weird that an ENHANCEMENT (at 3 NP) is far more effective than a five-dot level-two power (15 NP) (in this case, Holo, which still allows for a Per-check). Given that their is also a definite social advantage attached (+3 dice to Seduction/Intimidate), and it can be backed by Almost Live, it's just too good of an enhancement.

Again, one of the problems with WoD is that mortals have no chance against some abilities; as someone who actually plays them once in a while, it's sorta annoying to know that I'm outclassed anyway, but the lack of any resistance just adds insult to injury. That even the majority of novas, all psions, and all Inspired can't resist the ability is sorta cool, but it's just sorta weird...

3) Same for The Halo Effect....You have a really powerful effect that's automatic against baselines. Strrangely, it can be resisted against if the nova does something against the baseline's image of a saint, but I can negate that if I ensure that any action I do is in line with what the baseline's idea of a saint (and who says I can't use some other enhancement or power or even basic discussion to change that perception). I mean, some saints would kill heretics; would that trigger a check if that was my idea of them? (Keep in mind, it's the target's idea, not yours.)

4) Incognito is a vrtual carte blanche to do anything I want and get away with it. In a way it's better than Invisibility; I can go straight up to a building, plant explosives, then walk off, all in the light of day. With just a bit of care (like using my node to detect other novas). I can nuke a building with no problem (any witnesses with Eidetic Memory being conveniently taken care of). Combine with Fade, and it's even worse. Of course, I won't have an alibi (no one saw me where I said I was, and there's pix of it), but I won't be caught doing it either (combine with The Halo Effect ::biggrin....or worse yet, Clone...or both, and it gets very effective).

::offtopic 5) Side Note: Divis Mal wasn't necessarily insane; given the context he was dealing with, there are some definite points to what he was thinking. Even The Directive agreed with the Null Manifesto, to a degree; that was the reason for them being formed, in a way...

::offtopic 6) Weird: Knave and I agreeing on something::crazy .... I like it somehow....

FR

[Nullifier]

Incognito is a vrtual carte blanche to do anything I want and get away with it.

...

Combine with Fade, and it's even worse.

I agree with Finbar's opinion on this. First of all, even a watered-down version of Incognito wouldn't make any sense as a Mega-Appearance effect. It's Mega-Manipulation all the way, and it should be resisted with like any of the other mind-affecting powers in the game. Do that, and it's a reasonable Enhancement. ::bigsmile Fade doesn't really seem like an enhancement so much as an Invisbility power that works only against electronic recording media. Why make an Enhancement for what you can do by modifying an already existing power? Also, it seems a little powerful. I mean, even Invisibility only protects against a small portion of the various ways novas can be electronically tracked. Protecting against being detected by any form of electronic surveillence is ridiculously wide-ranging and powerful. O.k., I'm done now.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

I don't have a problem with Incognitto, I let a player of mine have something similar with her "Mister Nobody" character, it was how her mega-apearance worked.

[knave]

My thoughts

1)

Megas should always reflect the underlying attribute.

Appearance: How you physically appear to others.

Manipulation: How good you are at cajoling / convincing / decieving.

Charisma: How others percieve your personality.

Personally I don't believe that any enhancement should break those bounds. Want to affect only electronics - make a new power.

2)

This isn't the wod. And even in wod evolutions there has been a movement away from auto successes.

3)

Notice in the main book, pretty much every enhacement does only one thing.

4)

Assume for a moment that 1000 human troops are charging you down. You say. "Stop. I am innocent. Your leaders have given you amoral orders, and what's more, they have imprisoned my teenage daughter, Casandra and her goldfish, Bob. Here, have a look at these sweet baby photos!" 1000 hardened troops go "Oooh. Ahhh.". As opposed to three of them going "Eat Napalm squiddie! ::crazy ::ohcrap"

5)

WGPCGR only applies to actions that you can't fix with a wave of your hand. "No your honour. I am not the man who assassinated the president. 1000 troops saw me on a beach in Jamaica at that exact time. Oh? Your nova disagrees? Well, I have these photos that show that particular Nova's passion for veal. Still taking him seriously? Didn't think so. By the way, I'm tired of court now. You're all grapefruit."

6)

From where I'm sitting WGPCGR is only a minor theme in aberrant. It's the 'foil theme' of Utopia if you like. They 'make the world over' and sure many benefit, but in terms of power plays, who benefits most?

As for Divis, he is a lonely King in a land of paupers, vainly searching for equals. At the heart of his philosophy is the simple truth that it is hard to play well with others when you're omnipotent.

Assume for a moment that you have an IQ of 165 and everyone else on the planet has an IQ of 55. Assume that this is the result of some ancient biological war. Ages past the 'normal humans' recognised that their kids would be thus affected, so they programmed their computers to 'help' the kids by giving them some guidelines to follow - "Don't go near the windows" for example. These guidelines are backed up by electric shocks. Now 1) Wouldn't you crave some intellectual conversation and 2) Why shouldn't you go near the window? You're not going to jump out, unless you want to jump out - and if you do, why should you have to explain yourself to a bunch of slow talking cow pokes. Surely you'd be quick to realise that the humans who set up the 'rules' in the first place didn't mean for them to apply to you. They are the shell - there to protect the young until its no longer needed. And 3) If you had the chance to lift some of the 55s to 110s, wouldn't you take it?

7)

Finally, I will say that the biggest risk you take when you make a bunch of powers of which some are deemed to be 'too powerful' is that no-one uses any of them. That is generally what is referred to as a darn shame.

[Alex Green]

Re: Two-Faced and Bodymorph-

I'm saying that according to the write-up for the Bodymorph power in the Aberrant Core Book, A Bodymorphed nova has only one alternate form. Bodymorph was intended to reflect the powers of superbeings such as the X-Men's Colossus and the FF's Human Torch. If a nova wants to have a multitude of alternate forms, he'd have to take a level 3 power such as Matter Chameleon or Shapeshift. After all, Bodymorph is just a level 2 power...  ::biggrin

Or he could just buy Bodymorph a couple of times.

My point was that someone with alternate forms (whether from shapechange or bodymorph) should be able to choose which direction his appearence works for any of his forms.

RE: Eidolon

Question: My character "JoeNova" has Mega-App(Attractive) with Eidolon.

He also has bodymorph (something that is mega-ugly).

Is Eidolon useable by Joe in only one form? Both forms?

New Proposed Background: Babyface.

Novas, especially powerful novas, normally can't pass as baselines regardless of their taint. This background makes it possible for a nova to pass as a baseline.

System: For every dot in Babyface, a nova's quantum score is one less for determining whether or not he looks like a baseline. This background has no effect on taint, aberrations, appearence score, power use, or mega-attributes including mega-appearence. In other words, someone who flies, projects power bolts, has aberrations, or is inhumanly beautiful from mega-appearence can expect to be identified as a nova at a glance no matter how "normal" looking they appear otherwise.

[Alex Green]

First of all, even a watered-down version of Incognito wouldn't make any sense as a Mega-Appearance effect.  It's Mega-Manipulation all the way, and it should be resisted with like any of the other mind-affecting powers in the game. Do that, and it's a reasonable Enhancement.  ::bigsmile

Mega-Manipulation effects depend on communicating with the victim. This effect depends on the victim seeing you.

Fade doesn't really seem like an enhancement so much as an Invisbility power that works only against electronic recording media. Why make an Enhancement for what you can do by modifying an already existing power? Also, it seems a little powerful. I mean, even Invisibility only protects against a small portion of the various ways novas can be electronically tracked. Protecting against being detected by any form of electronic surveillence is ridiculously wide-ranging and powerful. O.k., I'm done now.

Fade is almost the opposite of "Almost Live", and it isn't powerful compaired to invisibility when you consider that cameras are rare and human eyes are common. We could make an enhancement (or power) for cameras (chemical), and another for cameras (digital), etc, but that seems a bit abusive.

There is something (actually a lot) to the argument that mortals should have some defense.

Example: Trickster does allow a resisted roll (willpower+Manip I think), its just that the vast majority of baselines will never beat the three auto-succ.

I think all these "mortals don't defend" should just be against Base-Attribute+Willpower with 3 autosucc for the nova?

An Incognito nova (App 5, M-App 1) would average 5.9 succ.

His victims (willpower 3, Int 2) would get 2 succ.

(And ties go to the nova, you need at least one succ to remember this guy).

[Nullifier]

Fade is almost the opposite of "Almost Live",

Now that you mention it seems like the effects of Fade could ostensiby be copied by just taking Incognito and "Almost Live" together, without all the muss and fuss of making another power. I guess I'm kind of a minimalist, though. ::lookaround

[malkboy]

I guess I'm kind of a minimalist, though.  ::lookaround

Maybe because it reduces the amount of stuff you have to buy to be able to do it all

[Sprocket]

Well, ask and ye shall receive... ::rolleyes Thanks for all the feedback, guys. It took me a while to read through your latest postings in detail; but I'll do my best to respond to all of your statements.

Re: Using Bodymorph to simulate Two-Faced-

Oops, another mistake on my part... Alex, there's no reason that a nova with Mega-Appearance couldn't use one of his Bodymorph dots to simulate the effects of Two-Faced- aside from the strong possibility that that particular nova would likely have many other things he'd prefer to spend his limited amount of Bodymorph dots on. What would a bodymorphed nova prefer? The ability to become Mega-Ugly in his Bodymorphed form (and make a bigger target of himself in the process); or some simulated dots of Armor, Invulnerability, or Density Control that would make the nova more likely to survive a battle?

Re: Are novas Inspired?-

Sorry, Finbar, but novas are most definitely Inspired beings. Dig out your copy of the Adventure! Core Book, and look at the three character types offered on pg. 120. They list Heroic Inspiration (daredevils), Psychic Inspiration (mesmerists/psiads/psions), and Dynamic Inspiration (stalwarts/novas/aberrants). Heck, they even refer to the Taint-mad aberrants as Inspired beings- that reference is in the writeup of Max Mercer's unique (at the time) knack on pg. 232 of the Adventure! Core Book. Check your materials before making statements like that, please! We've got to have better stuff to talk about...

Re: Eidolon-

So you guys think that the main problem is that Eidolon provides a minor side-benefit? I thought that the Seduction/Intimidation bonus dice was a logical outgrowth of appearing as the "most desirable person" or "most frightening monster" to masses of people.

As far as to the mechanics of the illusion, then how about this: the nova's Mega-Appearance +1 is rolled against the subject's Willpower. Powers/effects/devices that protect against telepathic illusions will add Willpower successes to the subject's Willpower. As most baselines won't have access to such powers/effects/devices, they are usually automatically affected.

Alex, a nova with both Two-Faced and Eidolon would be able to use Eidolon with both forms of his Mega-Appearance.

Re: Fade and Incognito-

Hmmm. Sounds like that these two concepts of Mr. Green's have gotten a few people riled. Seeing as I've yet to hear from Alex Green (the guy who came up with and submitted these two enhancements to begin with), I'd rather not alter them without his input. If actually you're reading this post, Mr. Green, get on the stick and start talking over your enhancements with these guys!

If Mr. Green doesn't deign to look over Fade and Incognito and attempt to address your concerns, then I'll go ahead and take 'em off the "New Mega-Appearance Enhancements" document that's sitting in my computer files. But doing that will lead into another problem, which I'll touch on in just a little bit.

Re: Halo Effect-

Finbar, the idea of "saint" I decided to use in the Halo Effect is "quite likable person who is very ethical, kind, and good". What you're thinking of seems to be "intolerant religious dogmatist who feels free to treat anyone not of his particular faith like garbage". While some of the latter variety might be recognized as saints by the organized religions that they're attached to, they're NOT what I had in mind! This enhancement is not supposed to imply religious authority, okay?

Re: the resistance mechanics-

OK, what mechanic would YOU guys use for this? I'm sorry, but part of what makes a nova so powerful is that baselines have miniscule chances (at best) of being able to compete with them. I don't care how many "Mr. Universe" competitions a baseline bodybuilder has won, there's simply no way that he can give a serious challenge to a Mega-Strong nova in a weightlifting contest. It's the reason that novas are banned from competing against baselines in sports competitions in Aberrant-era Earth. Also, the collective feeling of helplessness/powerlessness among 21st Century baselines in the face of the novas' overwhelming powers had to have some basis, don't you think?

Re: Why it sucks to be a baseline/neutral in the Aeoniverse-

Correct me if I'm wrong, Finbar, but aren't 99% of the folks who play Aberrant going to be playing novas? The fact that baselines will be outclassed by any variety of the Inspired is a basic facet of the cinematic setting. The Inspired are "larger than life", while baselines/neutrals are "true to life". I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said that "Anyone can stand up to adversity- for a true test of character, give a man power". And Aberrant does that in spades. Sorry if that grates on your sensibilities, but that's the way the game's set up, both in the mechanics and the setting. And can you blame a guy or girl for wanting to play a nova instead of someone you might see from your window right now?

Re: Divis Mal's mental state-

Sorry, but ol' Mike Donighal's still a bona-fide nutter AFAIK. Anyone who has Mega-Intelligence 8 and can still make glaringly huge misjudgements of how someone like Caestus Pax would react to getting his butt handed to him is NOT what most people would consider sane. Mal's being surrounded by relative (to him)simpletons doesn't excuse this grievous miscalculation. Judging from the setting material, it was also this sort of misperception of reality that led Mal to expect that the baseline population would willingly allow themselves to be dominated by novas in general and the Teragen in particular. One only needs to look at the Directive sourcebook to see how well that went over.

Still don't believe hes crazy? Then check out the part in Aberrant: Teragen where he's pouting over how the other Terats aren't able to "speak with the angels". The Aeoniverse is a scientific setting, folks- there is no magic, no angels, no supernatural stuff whatsoever. Anything that resembles the supernatural is the result of Inspired activity or technology-based hoaxes. Divis Mal look the part of a king, but he'd be more likely to end up as "King of the Psycho Ward" instead of "King of the World" if he ever lost his quantum powers.

Re: WGPC (hopefully) GR-

The problem with that, Knave, is that there is one thing that could stop a nova from getting away with the scenario you've described: other novas. That would make your nova end up facing the consequences of his (mis)behavior, instead of getting off scot-free. For a canonical reference to this kind of situation, check out the second sample character offered in Aberrant: Underworld. That miserable blighter of a nova was able to talk his own father into committing suicide with his Mega-Manipulation, and ruined the lives of his more-successful brothers to boot. The only reason that the Nakato Gumi yakuza (who part-owners of the family company) didn't have him killed was that the nova was amenable to being used by them. If he hadn't been seen as useful, the Nakato Gumi would've had him killed first thing, and would've probably sent the corpse to one of their nova-rendering plants to be made into nova-based pharmaceuticals.

Re: WoD, auto. successes, etc.-

Compared to the Aeoniverse, the WoD is a low-powered setting- just compare the psi powers from Trinity and the psychic abilities from WoD: Sorcerer and you'll see what I mean. For crying out loud, folks, the entire central premise of Aberrant is "What Would You Do With The Power Of A God?" In terms of the Storyteller system, nova are practically gods- not just another kind of horror-movie monsters that can be defeated by a heavily-armed knock-off of Sylvester Stallone! Face it- there's nothing that the Directive could do to keep Divis Mal in custody, even if they ever managed to lay their mitts on Mal in the first place. Mal would quickly free himself, and his erstwhile captors would likely end up as smoldering ashes. Auto successes are really the only good way to reflect the god-equivalent level of power possessed by a nova. Otherwise, you end up having to use base Attribute and Trait scores in the "11+" range. I'm not averse to dice-rolling by any means, but auto successes do make things a lot simpler.

Re: Strict derivations of Enhancements from Mega-Attributes-

Take it up with Alex Green, folks- as I've said previously, he's the one who initially came up with Incognito and Fade. The enhancements I've written up have been pretty clearly derived from their respective Mega-Attribute. (Oh, and Knave? Check out the first page of the intro story in Guide to the Sabbat. I think you'll find a pretty clear rationale for deriving the Halo Effect/Sanctity from Mega-Appearance there.)

And Finally...

Re: New Enhancement submissions-

The main reason that I added Incognito and Fade to the listings is that I'd received EXTREMELY FEW good enhancements that hadn't already been duplicated on EON or another Aberrant-based website. When Alex Green first wrote them up, his enhancements were already fairly-well thought out. Add in the fact that they hadn't already been written up elsewhere, and they seemed to have a good shot.

But let's assume that Fade and Incognito don't make the cut, for some reason. That leaves us with four more-or-less workable enhancements (Eidolon, Halo Effect, Two-Faced, and Yin-Yang), and we need six.

Nullifier? Knave? Finbar? You're the ones who've sounded off on why Fade and Incognito should be axed- have you got anything worthwhile to replace them with? ::devilangel

If nobody has any other suggestions as to what to replace Fade and Incognito with, then I'll have to come up with two new enhancements for the listings. Fair warning: one of them will more likely than not be using the concept of "superhuman cuteness"... ::crazy The horror! The horror! ::crazy

[Nullifier]

I think all these "mortals don't defend" should just be against Base-Attribute+Willpower with 3 autosucc for the nova?

I suppose that'd be alright for Incognito. Fade still seems over-powered and redundant though.

Maybe because it reduces the amount of stuff you have to buy to be able to do it all

Or maybe I just don't like redundancy. ::tongue

[Sprocket]

Okay, folks, I've got a question for you to try and answer. Having just now gotten my mitts on a copy of "The Dirty Pair: Run From The Future" by Adam Warren, I've found an effect that's just begging to be converted into a Mega-Social enhancement. Problem is, which Social Mega-Attribute should it be derived from?

Here's the idea: by stimulating a certain part of the temporal lobe of the human brain, this enhancement would trigger intense feelings of spiritual transcendence and religious epiphany in the subjects. It would also make the subjects see the nova as the embodiment of whatever brand of Supreme Deity that the subjects are familiar with. The character using this effect in the book was able to make her victims follow her commands without even the thought of resistance, even to the point of one victim using her own electroshock device to knock herself out.

So here's the question: Can this effect be used as an enhancement, or is it too close to the Domination power to be useful? If it can be used as an enhancement, what Social Mega-Attribute would it be derived from? And if the stated idea is unworkable, can any of you lot think of any other useful effects that could be derived from being able to present oneself as the "Embodiment of the Almighty™"? ::devilangel

Also, please let me know what you guys decide to do about the Fade and Incognito enhancements, so that I can change the Mega-Appearance document as needed.

And send in your ideas for new Mega-Appearance enhancements so that if Fade and Incognito do get the axe, we'll have something to replace them with.

[Alex Green]

Re: Fade and Incognito-

Hmmm. Sounds like that these two concepts of Mr. Green's have gotten a few people riled. Seeing as I've yet to hear from Alex Green (the guy who came up with and submitted these two enhancements to begin with), I'd rather not alter them without his input.

The problems people seem to have are:

1) Don't like the mechanics of operation (baselines not having a chance).

2) Should these be under Appearance?

3) Too powerful/ duplicates a power.

#1: Should be addressed separately. (See previous post).

#2: Since both of these are triggered by vision and don’t require any language component; I don’t see how they could be Manipulation. Incognito is largely a variant on Mr. Nobody. Fade is Mr. Nobody that works on machines.

#3: Something to point out is that neither has any impact on combat.

Incognito sounds abusive until you realize it only works for on eyewitness. Joe Stupid could still be tracked down by smell and if any of his victim’s called 911on their cell phone and gave a description while watching him, while they might not remember a few minutes later everyone else would. Yet another is that most novas (including the Teragen and Elites) want public recognition for their acts.

I’m less sure about whether or not Fade should just be a power.

Invisibility is the wrong power to compare it to. Its closest cousin is cyberkinesis (or perhaps “Silence”). And it seems a bit limited to be a power. No combat use. Limited group of things it can effect and the “casts no shadow” seems very much in theme for a mega-app enhancement. In the games I’ve played this enhancement wouldn’t have been that useful. On the other hand, that depends on how much high tech is in your game. If everyone has sensors and such (like in Trinity), then Fade would be very useful.

[Finbar]

Sprocket:

1) Keep in mind throughout this that I think both you and A. Green have done a phenomenal job re: enhancements. I know how hard it to balance things (I've had to set two whole psi-aptitudes, and provide extra abilities for another, as well as set up a number of knacks, and even a nova power or three)...That said:

2) Whereas I appreciate that 99.99% of the players will opt for novas, rather baselines, you still need to allow for that .01%. The two best reasons are that it allows the baselines to still do heroic things, and that it gets harder and harder to argue that Aberrant isn't just glorified power-gaming. I appreciate that humans stand almost no chance against novas; but they still stand a chance. By allowing enhancements that have a decent effect while allowing no resistant, you sabotage that chance.

It's not so much a "sensibilities" issue, as it one of just basic fairness...

3) Incognito may have no direct combat effect, but it does allow me to snipe someone and then disappear with no consequences, be it with a cream pie or rifle. The only risk I run is if someone who sees me has Mega-Int or eidetice memory, and even then only if they get a decent roll. Even if another nova sees me, unless he has one of those two things, I can get away with no problems. (Of course, with a little bit of cleverness, I can even nullify that (especially if said eye-witness already has cred problems)). Basically, as it acts like Mr. Nobody on steroids, I'm not really sure that it belongs on the final list of enhancements.

4) Fade should just be bought as Invisibility (Weakness: Not vs. living). Otherwise, I think that it gives too much bonus for just 3 points.

5) Psions equal mesmerists??? Re-read that section again: It says that mesmerists evolve into psions, making them effectively two different critters (such as chimps and humans). The same goes for stalwarts, of which novas are the future incarnation (just the the UN was the next incarnation of the League of Nations). Basically, we're dealing with four seperate critters, not two...

FR

[Alex Green]

3) Incognito may have no direct combat effect, but it does allow me to snipe someone and then disappear with no consequences, be it with a cream pie or rifle. The only risk I run is if someone who sees me has Mega-Int or eidetice memory, and even then only if they get a decent roll. Even if another nova sees me, unless he has one of those two things, I can get away with no problems. (Of course, with a little bit of cleverness, I can even nullify that (especially if said eye-witness already has cred problems)). Basically, as it acts like Mr. Nobody on steroids, I'm not really sure that it belongs on the final list of enhancements.

So is it more presentable if we change the mechanics? (Actually I'd prefer we stick to core book mechanics as well).

If we make it a resisted roll, say

Victim: Willpower+Attribute

Nova: Appearence+3d (with ties going to the nova) (or maybe App+[3] with ties going to the victim).

The vast majority of baselines won't be able to remember him, unless of course they write it down or photograph him or whatever.

To put that in perspective, if a nova were to make his eufiber totally black it would accomplish much the same thing. And Mr. Nobody is almost useable in combat.

RE: Invis (not vs. the living).

That is probably a -5 weakness (meaning this is a level 1 power).

For 3 more experience you could reduce the q-cost.

I could talk about the differences between the enhancement and the power, but I'll just note that there is a lot of overlap between "Catfooted" and "Silence".

I don't have a problem saying that there is a lot of overlap between the power and the enhancement. Having said that, I think "Fade" is cool enough to warent its own writeup, and there is a fair amount of litterature of things that have no shadow or reflection or don't show up on photos or whatever.