I misunderstood tumbler's question about the laws as being limitation, thinking he was asking about the same question about the dresdenverse rules of magic.
He is fine with them being a limitation, so the question is answered.
Nothing to discuss,there.
The mechanic for reducing a powers cost to less than 1 pt per rank is this.
A 1 pt/R power with a -1 pt/R flaw would cost 1 pt/2R's.
It's discussed under the flaws/advantages section.
The device does the same thing it always does , submerged or not. It saves points on powers by making them easier to lose. Water, sunrise, etc. does not change that.
The spell does not, and for many of the powers in your device, it will stop working each sunrise/sunset- which doesn't seem to match Harry's item's effects.
The blasting rod doesn't blank at dawn, the ring that stores movement to beef up a punch doesn't drain at sunset, his amulet doesn't stop glowing, etc.
Say a power costs 2pts/R.
An easy to lose device with R10 of the power would cost 12 pts.
A -1pt/R flaw would reduce the cost of the power to 10.
The same device with the power/flaw would cost 6 points.
Applying the flaw to the device instead of the power would cost 8 points.
In this case, putting the limitation on the device, not the power would result in a higher cost.
That's what I meant by putting limitations on devices giving weird results.
Hmm, now sure how I forgot about PUFF. As a German citizen and a werewolf, not even sure he could go for PUFF exemption i the US. That pretty much means he would perpetually be in hiding.
I've have to think about those implications.
Generally speaking, no one is hunting random human looking monsters whI aren't causing trouble. It is more like being a second class citizen.
The mechanic for reducing a powers cost to less than 1 pt per rank is this.
A 1 pt/R power with a -1 pt/R flaw would cost 1 pt/2R's.
It's discussed under the flaws/advantages section.
Whoops. I guess I missed that bit, thanks for pointing it out. And now I think I understand what you mean with the device. I'll adjust it as necessary here shortly.
The device does the same thing it always does , submerged or not. It saves points on powers by making them easier to lose. Water, sunrise, etc. does not change that.
The spell does not, and for many of the powers in your device, it will stop working each sunrise/sunset- which doesn't seem to match Harry's item's effects.
The blasting rod doesn't blank at dawn, the ring that stores movement to beef up a punch doesn't drain at sunset, his amulet doesn't stop glowing, etc.
Actually, Harry does mention a few times that the devices he makes actually are subject to the same limitations as his regular magic, to an extent. I can't remember which book it's in, but I remember a conversation he's having (I think with Murphy) trying to explain the dawn-cycle, and what that meant for him when he was trying to make his duster bulletproof. Basically he said that he had to go over the magic over and over, laying it down in the same way again and again in order to be able to make it resist the natural inclination to dissipate at sunrise.
That is a key differentiation; dawn does not wipe all magic clean, it laps up against it, like the waves on the shore. Every dawn is another wave. If you have a very simple magic, something that was not designed to withstand the dawn, it gets washed away, like a sand castle on that beach. However, magic can be layered and laid down in a fashion allowing it to last, and to survive the changing of days.
The impression I get is that short term magical effects, things like blasts of fire or an animated coprse, when they are subject to the coming of dawn, they have no protection, and just get swept away. However, there are many ways to protect things from the dawn, and locking the magic up in an object is one of the same. Kind of like if a hurricane comes, there is a big difference between being outdoors and being indoors.
Even then, Harry says he has to re-lay the spells into his duster every so often, as even resistant as they are, they can still get muted, little by little, as the days go by. Foci are different, in that they are not exactly magical, according to the rules of the setting; Harry's staff, amulet, and blasting rod, and also warden's swords, won't do any magic by themselves, but are just channels that allow the user's magic to take effect in particular ways. Those magical effects are subject to the limitations of the settings, but the devices are not; they are just tools.
For the reasons mentioned above, I'd argue against either the effects of dawn or running water being a "No Saving Throw" effect", because we see such things resisted in the novels, and on occasion, the heroes are able to power through it. Minor magics get wiped out by dawn, but the books are full of examples of magics that persist, and last several days, or are even seemingly permanent. However, using Drain as opposed to Nullify is a good suggestion, as it does fit a bit better thematically. However, Drain usually effects a person's ability to do something and not the effect itself (can you Drain a wall of fire effect?), so Nullify may work better across over the broad range of magic...
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Regarding how items should work mechanically, I really like the alternate power concept many of Dresden style magic items. While some items in the setting do seem to be empowered in their own right (I think anyone could put on Harry's jacket and expect to be relatively protected from gunfire), most of his other items still require magic on the part of the wielder to use. His blasting rod is a good example. It is not a magical rod that spits fire. Harry explicitly describes it as a focus for his own magic, and that by channeling his magic through it, he can manipulate it in ways that he could not without the device. I think the same goes for Warden's swords; they have to be individually calibrated to the individual that will use them, as it is that person's magic that fuels the abilities of the weapon.
If you are not familiar with this kind of item, I'll give an example:
Rod of Flames (Device 5/Easy to Lose; Arcane Lore Check Required) 10 pp
Blast 7 (Penetrating; Affects Insubstantial 2, Increased Range (175 ft) Incurable) (Power costs 25 pp)
.
Harry's Blasting Rod (Device 1/Easy to Lose) 3 pp
Fire Blast (Blast 3/rank+4pp) (Penetrating; Affects Insubstantial 2, Increased Range (25 ft/rank) Incurable) 1 pp
Stream of Fire (Blast 3/rank+4pp) (Autofire; Affects Insubstantial 2, Increased Range (25 ft/rank) Incurable) 1 pp
Flame Thrower (Blast 3/rank+4pp) (Autofire, Secondary Affect; Full Action; Affects Insubstantial 2, Increased Range (25 ft/rank) Incurable) 1 pp
Fire Ball (Blast 3/rank+4pp) (Explosion; Affects Insubstantial 2, Increased Range (25 ft/rank) Incurable) 1 pp
Wall of Flames (Blast 3/rank+4pp) (Area: Shapeable, Sustained Duration; Full Action, Tiring; Affects Insubstantial 2, Independent, Progression 2 (5 5ft cubes per rank) Incurable) 1 pp
Which item better reflects Harry's blasting rod? One is a magical flamethrower that requires a little magical know-how to use, while the other is just a stick to anyone who is not a wizard. To a wizard however, it is a tool that allows them to shape and manipulate fire magic into a wide variety (but still somewhat limited and specific) set of uses.
Obviously, I favour the second view of how the blasting rod would work. In that respect, I think that unless an item has independent effects that will work for any user, it would probably be best represented by the Alternate Ability type (for anyone using Dresdenverse as their inspiration, of course; others work differently). As an Alternate Power providing item isn't doing magic on it's own, it would not have the Dresden style limitations (or get the cost savings associated - of course, they are so much cheaper already that it is less of a concern); the magic of the user, which is being channeled through the item already has that limitation, so it's double discounting if you put it on both. For permanent (or semi-permanent) enchantments, the Limitation only makes sense if it is actually subject to those limitations.
I'm inclined to agree with Rigor; both types of devices work, but for different purposes. And what I'm going for is more of something that is a continuous magical-bullet-resistant-duster style object with mine, so I'll stick with the way it's adjusted to now. Might change it to a baseball cap over a sweatshirt, but that's fluff stuff.
I do have a mechanical question about the second example, though. Since you've "paid" power points for the device but all of those powers attached to it are alternate powers, are you just using the power points that the device gives you to buy the Alternate Power feats? And if so, are you able to use the device and the parent power at the same time?
I'm inclined to agree with Rigor; both types of devices work, but for different purposes. And what I'm going for is more of something that is a continuous magical-bullet-resistant-duster style object with mine, so I'll stick with the way it's adjusted to now. Might change it to a baseball cap over a sweatshirt, but that's fluff stuff.
I do have a mechanical question about the second example, though. Since you've "paid" power points for the device but all of those powers attached to it are alternate powers, are you just using the power points that the device gives you to buy the Alternate Power feats?
Yes. That's exactly what it is, and all it is.
An alternate power costs 1 pp. Device 1 provides 5 pp to spend. Since thematically the device doesn't do anything by itself, all 5 pp are spent on just providing Alternate Powers. Since you need to have the Power mentioned by the Alternate Power to have something to be an alternate power of, only people with the Magic power can use the device.
As for using them at the same time, no you can't, because it's the same power. However, given action economy, you can't usually use two powers at the same time anyway. As a result, this is not a good system for an ability that you want to be "on" all the time, like Protection or your Force Field. That one has to be a more traditional Device power, since a Shield-Bracelet style defense would leave you unable to use any other magic at the same time (just like Harry).
What you could do though is make your Obscure power an Alternate Power feat. Since it requires an action to perform, you won't be using it in the same round as your magic anyway, and this way, instead of a measly 1 Rank smoke bomb, it could be a foci that allows you to bring your full magical might to bear, and blanket an entire building in darkness...
Not a bad idea! Done and done, though that does mean that Cooper can now black out about a 100,000 foot radius area with his obscure. Just a touch more powerful than I was intending to make him, but that's still pretty darn cool.
An area about 80 times the size of Washington DC, and about the same square mileage as the State of Rhode island.
Not bad, but you might have a little trouble maintaining a low profile if you try pulling that at full strength...
Perhaps more senses at a lower range would be more useful? Block out sight and sound, for instance. Everyone, instantly blind and deaf... for miles. That would be scary...
Edit/Note: Vision counts as two sense types (Double cost). Therefore, if you have the Selective extra, it should have a 3pp/rank cost, for a max of 10 ranks.
I'd do it this way, I think:
Obscure 9 (Vision) (Selective) (Standard, Ranged, Sustained; Independent, Slow Fade 4 (Fades 1 Rank per hour)
Or...
Obscure 7 (Vision and Hearing) (Selective) (Standard, Ranged, Sustained; Independent, Slow Fade 3 (Fades 1 Rank per 20 minutes)
At rank 9, it has a 2500 ft radius, covering an area about a mile across. At rank 7, the area would be a 500 ft radius (1000 ft across) Occasions when you need to be able to cause a biblical plague of darkness on an entire state (or at least several counties) all at once will probably be few and far between...
The Independent Feat would allow you to pop it on, still use all your other powers, while the cloud slowly fades back to the point of origin. Since use of Feats are optional, you could decide not to use the Independent effect if you didn't want to, and maintain the power actively if you wished. That way you would also be able to drop it when you wanted, which I think you would not be able to do if it was set in motion as an independent effect.
Regardless, depending on which powers your adversaries have, that could be potentially game breaking...
Yeah, that's definitely something I'll look into. 100k feet radius is a bit much, in my opinion, so I'll see what I can do to tinker with that. Much as I'd love to make it sight, hearing, AND smell to just shut down everything, the math just doesn't work out.
EDIT: I'm not seeing the Independent power feat in the Core book, though. What book is it from?
Each rank of power moves you up one scale on the progression table from where the power starts, not necessarily from 1. Obscure starts at 5 ft, so two ranks gives you 10, three 25, and so on. So while rank 8 on the progression table is 250, 7 levels up from 5ft (the rank 1 power value) is actually 1000.
So if you go with the rank 8 power, it will have a 1000 ft radius, not 250 ft.
Independent is in Ultimate Power. And I was wrong about it being a Feat, it's an Extra. Up side, it's free. Down side, Extras can't be turned off, meaning the power would always be independent, and you couldn't choose to end it early or cancel it without using some sort of counter or nullify effect.
INDEPENDENT +0 MODIFIER
Applied to a sustained effect, this modifier makes its duration independent of the user and based instead on the number of power points in the effect. The effect occurs normally and then fades at a rate of 1 power point of effectiveness per round until it is gone. While it lasts, it requires no attention or maintenance from the user, like a continuous duration effect, although it can still be countered or nullified (also like a continuous effect). This is like a combination of the Duration (continuous) and Fades modifiers. An Independent Alternate Power continues to function even when the Array is switched to a different configuration. If an effect is not sustained, modify its duration before applying this modifier.
Independent is useful for effects like Create Object (for objects that fade or melt away), Environmental Control (for changes to the environment that slowly return to normal), or Obscure (for obscured areas that slowly shrink and disappear, like the effects of a smoke or gas grenade). The Slow Fade power feat can modify the rate at which the Independent effect fades, and the Total Fade modifier can keep it at full strength until its duration runs out, although the GM should approve any increases in the fade duration as best suits the effect and the series.
As mentioned, it goes great with:
SLOW FADE (Power Feat)
An effect that fades over time—such as a trait effect or an effect with the Fades modifier—does so slower with this power feat. Each application moves the time interval one step down the Time Table: from one round to five rounds to one minute (10 rounds), and so forth.
Both good to know! I think, given that it's also Selective, it should be just fine to have it last for however long. And given that Sustained lets you set how long you want the power to last for, it might actually be better to leave it dependent. That way it doesn't end up lasting for upwards of 24 hours at a time.
EDIT: Does Obscure fade? I didn't see it listed anywhere in the description for it that it does, but I could've just missed that.
(Edited)
Both good to know! I think, given that it's also Selective, it should be just fine to have it last for however long. And given that Sustained lets you set how long you want the power to last for, it might actually be better to leave it dependent. That way it doesn't end up lasting for upwards of 24 hours at a time.
EDIT: Does Obscure fade? I didn't see it listed anywhere in the description for it that it does, but I could've just missed that.
No, it doesn't - it's sustained. Sustained basically means you have to concentrate to keep it going, but that the concentration isn't hard or distracting (it takes a Free Action every round). Independent effects fade, since they're not connected to the source of the effect (you), and no longer have a power source. The Slow Fade feat would only be applicable to the power if it were also independent.
Sustained has up sides and down sides. It also means that as long as you are using it, you can't use any other powers based on your Magic ability, as as soon as you shift the Array over to something else, the affect would shut off (I think... Arrays have all sorts of odd exceptions, so I could be wrong - I think anything Instant is fine (such as Summon Minion), as is anything Continuous, but since Sustained and Concentration powers are still being used to maintain the affect, I don't think you can switch away and keep the effects active. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
With an Independent effect, you can set it off, like popping a smoke grenade, and then move on to another power. Say you create your cloud of darkness, making all the BBEG's human goons useless - but he's got werewolves as well, and they're moving towards you, tracking by smell. No matter how much you want to, you can't switch back to your Telekinesis power in order to attack the werewolf, because if you do, the lights come back on and the goons will all just shoot you.
Independent has disadvantages as well, of course. Say you set it off, and then you find a group of bystanders you want to get out of the conflict zone. You can't then add them to the Selective effect, because you're not in control of the effect anymore; you just started it. Likewise, say you see a bunch of cops, or MIB's or whatever milling about outside the cloud, and you would really love to get their attention so the will come rescue you or whatever. Sorry, you gotta get out of the radius before you can signal them, just like anyone else.
In the end, it's a toss up, and depends on what you would like the power to do.
Another Edit:
Another thought occurs to me, that you could change the duration to Continuous, and get the benefits of both worlds. You are not connected to the power actively, so you can switch away to other Alternate Powers as much as you wish, but as soon as you want to modify the Obscure power, you can reconnect to it and modify it however you like (change the point of origin, add in someone new to the selective effect, or shut it off.). Continuous effects basically don't stop until you end them, or they are countered by someone else (or in our case, dawn comes around, or it starts raining...).
Changing the Duration from Sustained to Continuous is a +1 Extra.
Awesome, that's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Thanks very much for being so helpful, I really appreciate it. I'll juggle the power itself around so that it should work as Continuous without being a state-wide blackout. Also, mechanical question about Obscure. Does someone have to be inside the area to be affected by it? Or do people outside of it also see the area as completely "blacked out," metaphorically speaking?
Would having weird eyes (slit pupils, yellowish-orange in color) that I need to cover with colored contacts be considered a Drawback? I assume it'd be a Minor one.
Would that move up to Moderate if, say, my Infravision and Ultravision didn't work while I had them on?
Awesome, that's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Thanks very much for being so helpful, I really appreciate it. I'll juggle the power itself around so that it should work as Continuous without being a state-wide blackout. Also, mechanical question about Obscure. Does someone have to be inside the area to be affected by it? Or do people outside of it also see the area as completely "blacked out," metaphorically speaking?
I believe it blocks vision access to a specified area, whether you are inside the area or outside the area. Depending on your descriptor, anyone outside the area of effect would just see a dome of blackness, a dense fog, a smokescreen, etc...
Would having weird eyes (slit pupils, yellowish-orange in color) that I need to cover with colored contacts be considered a Drawback? I assume it'd be a Minor one.
Would that move up to Moderate if, say, my Infravision and Ultravision didn't work while I had them on?
I think a Drawback has to represent some sort of Mechanical issue with you or your powers; social issues/reactions such as an odd appearance are probably better suited to Complications.
Both good to know! I think, given that it's also Selective, it should be just fine to have it last for however long. And given that Sustained lets you set how long you want the power to last for, it might actually be better to leave it dependent. That way it doesn't end up lasting for upwards of 24 hours at a time.
EDIT: Does Obscure fade? I didn't see it listed anywhere in the description for it that it does, but I could've just missed that.
You do know that we're trying to be subtle with our magic here? think of all the people who get upset about the Harry Potter books simply talking about magic.
I believe it blocks vision access to a specified area, whether you are inside the area or outside the area. Depending on your descriptor, anyone outside the area of effect would just see a dome of blackness, a dense fog, a smokescreen, etc...
but if you add subtle to it, then people outside wouldn't see anything odd. They'd be blacked out if they went in the radius.
=-=-=-=-=-=
I also like the increase/decrease area progression feats. As feats they can be turned on and off, so you can control how big your effect is.
You do know that we're trying to be subtle with our magic here? think of all the people who get upset about the Harry Potter books simply talking about magic.
Yeah, that's kind of what I was getting at. Having it be 100k feet in RADIUS and lasting for days at a time would be apocalyptic levels of bad, so I'm trying to branch away from that. As for the decreasing area avenue, don't you get to choose how big you want the area of your spell to be? Or is Obscure automatically its max size?
You always get to choose, unless you take the "Full Power" Drawback. Or at least that's the impression I get.
Of course then you get into asking "Do you really NEED a 100k ft. radius?". That's an area you're unlikely to need even in an emergency. 99.999% of the time 100 feet or so is the biggest you'll need. Why not make it like a sensory deprivation field instead? No sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, maybe even null mental communication or something.
You do know that we're trying to be subtle with our magic here? think of all the people who get upset about the Harry Potter books simply talking about magic.Yeah, that's kind of what I was getting at. Having it be 100k feet in RADIUS and lasting for days at a time would be apocalyptic levels of bad, so I'm trying to branch away from that. As for the decreasing area avenue, don't you get to choose how big you want the area of your spell to be? Or is Obscure automatically its max size?
Generally, I think you choose how many Ranks of the power to use at one time. Making something small (20ft?) would mean using a low ranking version of the power (probably rank 2 in that example). This makes it easier to counter or nullify, since it is such a mincy affect. (Rank 2, DC 12)
Philo's method has the advantage of being able to be full power, even at really small sizes.
Okay, I think I get what you all mean now. I still have to pick descriptors for all of these (with Magic being a given), so that should be an adventure. Fortunately, I've slimmed my Obscure down to rank 5, 50 ft. range, 250 ft. radius, Selective, Subtle, and Continuous. So no need to worry about 100k foot radius blackouts. Right now, it's hitting visual and auditory senses, so I think that's decent enough for the moment. I'll start poking through everyone else's crunch to see what I ought to be using for descriptors, but I'm always open to suggestions.
but if you add subtle to it, then people outside wouldn't see anything odd. They'd be blacked out if they went in the radius.
I wonder what they would see, in that case. They don't get to see in from the outside, just because it's subtle (though you could do that with the Selective extra). Subtle generally means the effect is still there, people just don't see it, or can't tell why it's there.
"Why is that fog bank just hanging around that building? And why isn't it burning off in the sun? Huh; weird. Wonder what the cafeteria's got for lunch today, I really hope it's not tuna again..."
Cooper: For descriptors, it just depends what flavour you want. Is it an eerie cloud of darkness that absorbs sound? Is it a dense fog bank? Is it a cloud of insects whose buzzing wings drown out all the other sound? (that one would be creepy). Just decide what works with you, and go with it.
Wizards often have a bit of a theme to them; Harry likes burning things and using fire (unless they're him), Molly likes illusions and Glamours, Ramirez liked green-laser beam thingies. Whatever works for you, really...
In regards to my own character, Warden Kishan, I think I have decided to drop the Enhanced Firearm idea. Though I really like the idea, I think it conflicts a bit in-setting given that the reason that some Warden's use guns is in order to deal with those situations where magic is inappropriate, or it is forbidden by White Council law. Therefore, using a magic gun goes a bit against the grain. In our hodge-podge setting where there are a lot more non-human baddies (not that Dresden is lacking for them), it might be excusable, but it still just strikes me as a little against type.
Therefore, I've switched my offensive device over to a bracelet that provides lightning and electrical themed powers. Interesting, and flavourful.
I bought Immunity to Fire, does that also grant the lesser immunity to Heat? I bought both, so I was wondering if I could save a point there.
Wow. so many rules and stuff, so glad I went with a normal human lol. That said, I'm thinking of making his shotgun a device instead of a basic equipment.
I bought Immunity to Fire, does that also grant the lesser immunity to Heat? I bought both, so I was wondering if I could save a point there.
Immunity generally affects closely related keywords. Though what level of immunity you got depends on what it protects against.
Well I bought 8 ranks in it, but what Immunity does is basically gives you 8 points to allocate among stuff.
In this case Disease, Poison, and Heat for 1 point each, and Fire for 5 points.
Heat is a much lesser immunity, but they seem to be fairly specified until much higher ranks where you can get stuff like "Immunity: physical damage of all kinds" and whatnot.
I believe that heat is immunity to fortitude saves vs environmental effects and fire is immunity to toughness saves against fire damage, so they are separate. I say that because it came up with a character I had in a past campaign, but I can't remember the source of that ruling.
Quick summary of concepts submitted:
Completed/Mostly Completed:
Odd John - [Changeling Rumpelstiltskin] -
Detective Jackson - [Human Detective toting shotgun] -
Hans Ritter - [Human Mercenary Monster Hunter] -
Wisp - [Elemental prince] -
Lakshmi Kishan - [Warden of the White Council] -
Cooper Harris - [Wizard of the White Council] -
Annurian - Fire Djinn -
In Progress:
Nameless Knight of the Sword Aspirant - Rynjin
Interest:
Cornielius - Fey/Kidnapped human
Mimesyne: Half Fey
Andostre: Gargoyle or Human Spiritualist?
His name is Aaron Drachmen (Formerly Smith), I have an alias I just haven't posted under it.
x.x
DONE! Maybe. There are probably errors. This is my first time working with M&M so it was a bit of a learning curve and I was fumbling around a bit in the dark with some parts of it. Okay, maybe I was fumbling around with most of it but I got it done and that's the important part, right? >.>;;
Anyways, her background and crunch are all in the profile of this alias. If someone wanted to take a peek at the crunch (or fluff for that matter) just to see if I've done something horrifically and blatantly wrong, I'd be very appreciative.
I will admit to not being familiar with several of the works mentioned here, but I'm accepting it as a future reading list (gotta get through the rest of Wheel of Time before I commit to anything at this moment). I'm most familiar with the Dresden aspect of things which is what I based my character around (although I have taken some liberties since this isn't a purely Dresden setting)!
Tumbler, almost missed this, as I didn't see the link in the interest thread. My idea is one of the bounty hunters used by the different Gov't organizations. Sort of like Rachel Morgan from the Hallows series by Kim Harrison. I like the idea of the charms being made and delivered by the "splat gun". May need some help with the build though.
Hi guys. I'm going to bow out. I took too long to come up with a secondary concept, and now I don't have enough time to build either my first or my second concept by the time recruitment ends with some other stuff I have going on.
If you ever need a replacement character, feel free to PM me.
Kelarith, I am more concerned about concept. We can fix the build up before we start. I am familiar with that series and that would work.
Well I bought 8 ranks in it, but what Immunity does is basically gives you 8 points to allocate among stuff.
In this case Disease, Poison, and Heat for 1 point each, and Fire for 5 points.
Heat is a much lesser immunity, but they seem to be fairly specified until much higher ranks where you can get stuff like "Immunity: physical damage of all kinds" and whatnot.
Ultimate power explains it nicely:
DEGREES OF IMMUNITY
Some Immunity effects are a matter of degree. For example, “immunity to cold” can range from the environmental effects of cold (described in M&M, pages 167-168) to cold damage, to complete immunity to all effects with the “cold” descriptor. The first requires only 1 rank, and provides no resistance to other sorts of cold effects. The second requires 5 ranks and only provides immunity to cold Damage effects (even those with saving throws other than Toughness). The third requires 10 ranks and provides complete immunity to all effects with the “cold” descriptor—whether Damage, Fatigue, Paralyze, or what have you.
If I were running, I'd say that the 5 point immunity to fire would cover a damage effect that was a "Heat ray". Or Wisp's damage which is based on scalding hot gasses. The 10 point would also cover environmental heat and most heat effects. I'd say it wouldn't cover an effect that was described as a heat drain (though it would be easily countered by most fire powers). But this is just me.
Likewise, cold damage immunity would affect an Ice Beam (that's all Johnny Snow).
Full disclosure: Wisp has the 10 point Immunity to Fire with the partial limitation.
Thanks for the summary, Rigor.
I hadn't realized how hard this winnowing process would be. We have nine submissions, and past experience tells me we will probably lose one or two. I think nine characters would be too cumbersome, though. I'll have decisions up tonight.
I am set on starting the campaign in Boston. That was a good suggestion and I know Boston a little, though not as well as some other cities.
Edit: 10 submissions
Mannn, the suspense is killing me! How are we supposed to wait that long!? Good luck to everybody who apped, there are some really cool concepts here. Any idea how many people you'll be taking, tumbler?
Best case scenario, I think, would be to keep all 10 and split them into two groups of five. But since I am new to running pbp, I would worry about taking on too much. Past experience tells me that we will lose a few people once we get going, but I hate the idea of taking 8 and leaving out 2. If there were 30 or something it might feel easier.
Two tables of five isn't so bad because it's not even close to twice the work. Any descriptions, maps or dialog (other than responses) can just be ported across tables. Cut and paste makes life easy.
Also, when one table loses too many, you can shuffle them together.
True, but I was thinking of a more complicated set up where the groups are in parallel campaigns and could have some crossover and shuffling. I think that would be very cool, but maybe too much to manage. At the same time, one of the things that attracted me to using MnM is that it requires a little less in tactical mapping.
Yeah, I wouldn't bother with maps for M&M either. However the text cutting and pasting applies.
Trying to think "out loud" on the structure of this. Please chime in.
Two groups work fine as two groups in two separate campaigns. One group of 5 and one group of 6.
That is way to much clutter for one gameplay thread, right?
I kind of wish there was a way to have one campaign info tab, one discussion tab, and two gameplay tabs.
That isn't possible, obviously. When we start play, will recruitment thread shut down? Could we use Recruitment thread as a 2nd Gameplay thread?
What I'm imagining is a sort of shared world Arrow/Flash sort of thing. So one thread is Arrow, one is Flash. Production can happen together in Discussion and Campaign Info, and characters can move back and forth as needed, but the storylines stay in their respective threads.
I'm new at this, so please feel free to advise.
If that plan works, I am pretty close to having teams built.
The recruitment thread does not close, it just goes dormant. You can still use it as a second gameplay thread, I suppose. Or you could use the Discussion thread as a second Gameplay thread, with the recruitment thread as the discussion thread. That way you don't get random people posting in the second Gameplay thread.
The biggest problem I see with that would be the fact that the recruitment thread would keep popping up in the Recruitment messageboard section, which would cause people to think that it was still recruiting and post in it.
His mother, meanwhile, was anything but. Maria Smith was an archaeologist and theologian, who traveled the world to various sites of religious significance (to any culture) and would try to uncover their secrets. She was highly intelligent, and well recognized in her field as one of one of the foremost experts on ancient religions, including the roots of Christianity. She loved her son, of course, and he loved her. Until, shortly after he graduated from high school, she disappeared without a trace. Neither her friends or colleagues knew where she might have gone, and the local authorities never found her during their search. A more wide reaching one wasn't feasible, and so it was dropped.
Aaron dropped everything to begin the search for her, against the advice of everyone. He traveled to her last known location (a small town in northern Egypt), and began the hunt. The people were less than helpful, to start, but someone managed to point out the last potential site she'd been surveying, and he went there.
He searched the area for hours before finding what he was looking for: the remains of her camp, almost completely covered in sand. nearby was a likewise submerged entrance to some sort of structure, a small room containing nothing but an opened lead box with a small circular indentation in the cloth lining it.
This was the first and last concrete clue Aaron received on his initial search. After a year of fruitless searching, he mourned her death and returned home, starting college that fall. It was another few years before he would be dragged back into the world he'd touched only the periphery of.
Halfway through his sophomore year a Russian man showed up on his doorstep to ask for his help tracking someone down. At first Aaron was confused...until the man showed him a picture of his mother traveling with some strange man. The timestamp was recent, only a few weeks ago. His spirits soared...then abruptly sank again into confusion. His mother was alive, and not apparently under duress. So why had she disappeared?
He begged Sanya to allow him to come along, and the man (after some silent contemplation) said that it would be necessary that he did. After that, he dropped everything again to begin traveling with this "Sanya", the strange man who carried a sword of all things in his travels. Over the course of the next few weeks he learned much, including the basics of how to defend himself with the knife Sanya handed him, telling him it would be useful.
Aaron found these things odd, but figured they were precautions for some of the rougher areas they traveled through. He had a rude awakening once they finally caught up to Maria and her traveling companions.
At first things were peaceful. Sanya and the two men talked a bit, while Aaron's mother remained silent, no matter how much he tried to get her attention.
Things went downhill quickly. The two men transformed into a horrifying gorilla creature and a feathered, be-tentacled...thing. Aaron stepped back in horror as his mother ran to him, arms outstretched, and eyes wide in what Aaron assumed was fear. He reached out to her, and her hands clenched around his throat, choking the life out of him. He looked at her in horror and begged her to stop, but she just tightened her grip, and grew larger and scalier slowly.
In desperation he decided this was no longer his mother and swung his knife into her throat, once, twice, three times. On the third it dug in and he dragged it across her neck, hot, scalding blood spilling all over his face and into his open mouth. The last sight he saw before he passed out was the cut closing shut as fast as he tore it open, and the scaly face of whatever thing had devoured his mother looking at him with its dead eyes.
When he awoke only he and Sanya remained, swathes of blood the only indicator of what had happened. Sanya explained it would be a bad idea for Aaron to accompany him further, and put him on a plane back home.
That evening the changes started.
Wrote this but I need to go to the store. Will finish later tonight.
True Deko, that would be an issue.
It'd be awesome to manage multiple tables in one thread now that you've said that...
That said, I think individual threads would be needed just to give the campaigns somewhere to discuss their own adventures and ideas w/o sifting through two parties worth of posts.
Bonus, if you do lose players, you can merge them at a later point as needed.
Yeah, I would not use recruitment as a gameplay. It would end up with people popping in all the time. Better to just make a new thread in gameplay and link a discussion thread to it.
This way you don't get attention with a new recruitment thread either since you won't need to make one.