Savage Firefly - want some "space western" adventures?

Game Master ZenFox42

Evindyll - 6 out of the 10 Powers available are Novice, and most of those are pretty useful (Boost Trait, Stun, Healing). And the other 4 Powers are Seasoned, so you can get them at your first Rank increase. I think that's reasonable, but if you (or Daniel) want to propose more Novice Powers to be available to use, feel free to make a list (but remember, in the TV show, a Psionic has shown only so many abilities).

I get that you want to use TK (I always want to too), but it's a Seasoned Power, so I'm afraid you'll just have to wait. :(

I wanted a Psionic PC to be powerful, but limited, that's why I chose Gifted. Does anyone want to make an argument for Gifted or Psionics either way (and why)?

Psionics
Skill : Smarts-based
Spells : 3
Power : 10

Gifted
Skill : Spirit-based
Spells : 1
Power : 15

P.S. - you're free to do what you want with your PC, but I've never found *any* activates-when-you-get-a-Joker-on-initiative Edge to be very worthwhile, just because of the rarity of the trigger. Besides, in SWADE you can cash in a Benny and get 5 PP automatically, and as often as you want.

Daniel - looked at your latest build. Really, don't put any Skill points into Language, everyone speaks their native language pretty well.

If you spent 2 Hindrance points on your Abilities, you have 2 more Edges available, which you used on psionics-stuff. But the Gifted Edge only gives you 1 Power automatically, so you'll have to drop 2 of the ones listed.

Or, since Gifted starts with 15 PP, you could drop the Power Points Edge and use it to purchase another Power, having to only drop one.

Evindyll and Daniel - as psionics, you are prone to "Freaking Out". How would y'all feel about picking the precise way in which you freak out when it comes up? It should be attention-getting, and possibly dangerous (like when River absent-mindedly picked up a gun and started waving it around), and different each time. If you don't feel up to it, I can handle it, but I thought you might want to decide yourself.

I'm looking forward to having new blood in the game and also to seeing how the psionics work. I expect it will make our missions more prone to Alliance entanglements, which is fine. We've had a few minor run-ins with them so far, including our present situation, but so far we're not someone they are looking for.

Evindyll - 6 out of the 10 Powers available are Novice, and most of those are pretty useful (Boost Trait, Stun, Healing). And the other 4 Powers are Seasoned, so you can get them at your first Rank increase. I think that's reasonable, but if you (or Daniel) want to propose more Novice Powers to be available to use, feel free to make a list (but remember, in the TV show, a Psionic has shown only so many abilities).

I get that you want to use TK (I always want to too), but it's a Seasoned Power, so I'm afraid you'll just have to wait. :(

I wanted a Psionic PC to be powerful, but limited, that's why I chose Gifted. Does anyone want to make an argument for Gifted or Psionics either way (and why)?

Psionics
Skill : Smarts-based
Spells : 3
Power : 10

Gifted
Skill : Spirit-based
Spells : 1
Power : 15

P.S. - you're free to do what you want with your PC, but I've never found *any* activates-when-you-get-a-Joker-on-initiative Edge to be very worthwhile, just because of the rarity of the trigger. Besides, in SWADE you can cash in a Benny and get 5 PP automatically, and as often as you want.

Sorry I missed this yesterday :( needed to work a little ;)

A) - I'm all in on freaking out, for any number of reasons

B) - at least one of those reasons is that it's thematically appropriate, like ... Gifted versus Psionic. I feel strongly that Gifted is way more "Firefly" than Psionic. More powerful in principle, but also more limited in scope, making Daniel and I need to allocate additional Edge buys to broaden the scope, which I also think is campaign-aligned.

C) - tbh, I went through alllll of this Novice/Seasoned TK stuff with PWGM re: the re-introduction of Ceven Valdemar into Savage Sandpoint, but I at least thought I would ask. And yes, I would like to propose that additional powers be included, like gateway powers if you will. If Evin-Prime can't start out with TK ... can he have the Mage Hand cantrip? TK-minus? Cinematically, the power growth from Novice to Seasoned would be totally sexi, and he can give Mage Hand back later if that helps. Just a thought.

I can go with gifted if that works better than psionic....not a big change for me and it might actually make more sense in this game

ok...I think I got it sorted out now...

Daniel : I have you as one point over your limit on Skill Points, otherwise things look good.

Evindyll : I don't get your references to Savage Sandpoint, and what do you mean by "gateway" powers? Also, cantrips are only in SW Pathfinder, and they're still based on a Power that the PC already has, so I can't see Mage Hand working without already having TK.

Also, I checked TK, which gives a Strength value, but I couldn't find any table converting TK strength to the amount you can lift (like in RIFTS), there's only the Encumbrance table in Core, but which happens to match the base TK strength lifting weight in RIFTS, which only lets you lift 80 or 100 pounds. However, your max lift load is 4 times your Strength's Encumbrance base value, but it's hard to convert physical Encumbrance limitations to the TK Power.

TL;DR - TK is a Seasoned Power, partly because it has so many uses, and because it's pretty powerful.

How about this : if I make TK a Novice Power, you would have an effective Strength of d6 (d8 on a Raise). Then when you reach Seasoned, you spend an Advancement to bring it up to its usual d10 or d12. I know that means spending 2 Edges for one Power, but in exchange, you get to use it much earlier in the game than normal.

Everyone else : has anybody by any chance noted the number of Advancements I've given out?

Daniel : I have you as one point over your limit on Skill Points, otherwise things look good.

Evindyll : I don't get your references to Savage Sandpoint, and what do you mean by "gateway" powers? Also, cantrips are only in SW Pathfinder, and they're still based on a Power that the PC already has, so I can't see Mage Hand working without already having TK.

Also, I checked TK, which gives a Strength value, but I couldn't find any table converting TK strength to the amount you can lift (like in RIFTS), there's only the Encumbrance table in Core, but which happens to match the base TK strength lifting weight in RIFTS, which only lets you lift 80 or 100 pounds. However, your max lift load is 4 times your Strength's Encumbrance base value, but it's hard to convert physical Encumbrance limitations to the TK Power.

TL;DR - TK is a Seasoned Power, partly because it has so many uses, and because it's pretty powerful.

How about this : if I make TK a Novice Power, you would have an effective Strength of d6 (d8 on a Raise). Then when you reach Seasoned, you spend an Advancement to bring it up to its usual d10 or d12. I know that means spending 2 Edges for one Power, but in exchange, you get to use it much earlier in the game than normal.

I will get him sorted today :)

Everyone else : has anybody by any chance noted the number of Advancements I've given out?

That, to me, is an extraordinary middle gorund. I will take it!

I think it also lends itself to atmosphere, flavor and role play, because full powered freakouts at low levels could be awesome also.

We've received 2 advances so far.

We've received 2 advances so far.

oh okay, so we need to build those in

Daniel and Evindyll : you get 2 extra Advancements on your build to keep you even with the other PC's.

Evindyll - I mentioned this before, but we'll have to work out some penalties for your TK when you try to lift more than its Encumbrance load based on which die you get when you use the Power. I'll stick to d6 for this discussion.

So, if you have a d6 Strength TK, you can lift up to 40 pounds with no problem. After that, your TK is "encumbered". At up to 2 times the base lift, if this was you carrying stuff, you'd be at -2 to Pace, Running, Agility and its linked skills, and Vigor rolls to avoid Fatigue.

At three times the base weight or more, you can move at a Pace of 1 for a number of rounds equal to your Vigor. Every round thereafter you must succeed at a Vigor roll or take a level of Fatigue.

The maximum weight a character can lift or carry is four times the listed weight, but the rules don't mention anything about movement limits or taking on Fatigue.

Most of this doesn't really apply to TK. What I'm thinking is something like "after N rounds, you must start making a Spirit roll to avoid Fatigue". So :

If you lift up to your base TK "encumbrance", no penalties.
Up to 2*encumbrance : once every 3 rounds, make a Spirit roll at -1 or take on a level of Fatigue.
Up to 3*encumbrance : once every 2 rounds, make a Spirit roll at -2.
Up to 4* encumbrance : every round, make a Spirit roll at -3.

ALL - any thoughts on this? Balanced or unbalanced? Too fiddly?

Not 100% on Psy powers, or Magic.

But it looks okay to me.

Makes sense to me!

Evindyll - I mentioned this before, but we'll have to work out some penalties for your TK when you try to lift more than its Encumbrance load based on which die you get when you use the Power. I'll stick to d6 for this discussion.

So, if you have a d6 Strength TK, you can lift up to 40 pounds with no problem. After that, your TK is "encumbered". At up to 2 times the base lift, if this was you carrying stuff, you'd be at -2 to Pace, Running, Agility and its linked skills, and Vigor rolls to avoid Fatigue.

At three times the base weight or more, you can move at a Pace of 1 for a number of rounds equal to your Vigor. Every round thereafter you must succeed at a Vigor roll or take a level of Fatigue.

The maximum weight a character can lift or carry is four times the listed weight, but the rules don't mention anything about movement limits or taking on Fatigue.

Most of this doesn't really apply to TK. What I'm thinking is something like "after N rounds, you must start making a Spirit roll to avoid Fatigue". So :

If you lift up to your base TK "encumbrance", no penalties.
Up to 2*encumbrance : once every 3 rounds, make a Spirit roll at -1 or take on a level of Fatigue.
Up to 3*encumbrance : once every 2 rounds, make a Spirit roll at -2.
Up to 4* encumbrance : every round, make a Spirit roll at -3.

ALL - any thoughts on this? Balanced or unbalanced? Too fiddly?

This makes total sense, and since TK (Novice) is already differentiated from TK (Seasoned) by the die level itself, this will apply even after 4th advancement when he can take the higher power.

P.S. - for 3*encumbrance and 4*Encumbrance, if you fail the Spirit roll you take a level of Fatigue. When I wrote it I thought that was implied, but I just wanted to explicit about it.

Also please note, you become Incapacitated on your *third* Fatigue point, as opposed to becoming Incapacitated on your *fourth* Wound. And the only Power that can remove points of Fatigue is Relief, which almost no one takes. Otherwise, in-game rest is the only thing that reverses Fatigue.

Any new PC versions to look over?

Once you finalize your PCs, I'll work you into the game ASAP.

Any new PC versions to look over?

Once you finalize your PCs, I'll work you into the game ASAP.

You were correct - savaged calculated the Edges incorrectly.

0k...hope this is good for starting...

Daniel - I will put the entire PC thru my spreadsheet soon, but off the top of my head, everything looks ok.

Daniel - I will put the entire PC thru my spreadsheet soon, but off the top of my head, everything looks ok.

... other than maybe the whole "GIFTED" vs "PSIONIC" thing ;)

Could we maybe get a final ruling on that?

I really thought we had selected Gifted
I used that as my move forward basis
I purchassed New Powers so that I could have more than 1 power

I'm not even opposed to a ruling which has BOTH as appropriate either, but it would be helpful to know all the options

Sorry to be the holdup, work's been slamming me lately...

Also sorry, I didn't realized this issue hadn't been fully resolved...

My inclination is to go with Gifted, since it starts the PC with lots of power, but limited "spells", and if you want to start with more, well, that's what Edges are for.

Any counter-arguments?

OK...switched to Gifted so I think it is good now?!

Sorry to be the holdup, work's been slamming me lately...

Also sorry, I didn't realized this issue hadn't been fully resolved...

My inclination is to go with Gifted, since it starts the PC with lots of power, but limited "spells", and if you want to start with more, well, that's what Edges are for.

Any counter-arguments?

No, this is what I thought we had discussed.

I can work you two in to the current combat, since there are many by-standers in the Bridge when the Reavers attack. and y'all could be among them.

If you want to just appear in the fight, wait till everyone has acted, then jump in. You can introduce yourselves after the fight.

Of course, you might not want to reveal your Powers in a room full of Alliance agents...

Bob - the list of available Powers in the setting rules for Psionics is :

Barrier (force), Boost Trait (self only), Confusion, Healing, Mind Reading, Object Reading, Speak Language, Speed (self only), Stun, Telekinesis

While you have picked :

Bolt, Healing, Illusion, Mind Reading, Telekinesis

Of those, only Healing, Mind Reading, and Telekinesis are in the setting rules. You'll have to change Bolt and Illusion to something in the Setting list.

The remaining Novice Powers are : Boost Trait (self only), Confusion, Speak Language, and Stun. You could choose Telekinesis at Novice level as I outlined to Evindyll above.

I've also been thinking of allowing the New Powers Edge only once per Rank, just so Psionics don't get way overpowered very quickly. But if this destroys your PC concept, I won't impose it on you, since you had already created the PC before I thought of this.

Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions?

OK...so I will get rid of the bolt and illusion and I will remove the New Power edge as well. Will check what other power I can find that might fit I suppose

Actually, with just the one New Powers Edge, your three powers that are in the setting rules are exactly the right number. But if you want to swap one (or more) of them for a different Power, that's fine.

Note that Mind Reading will let the target know you're reading their mind unless you roll a Raise on the Focus roll. I consider that a big nerf to the Power, but them's Da Rules. If you're not happy with that, you can pick another power on the list from the setting rules (which are available in the Campaign Info tab).

Hey GM_ZenFox42

Thanks for the opportunity to play, but I think I am going to drop out of this game. Best of luck to you all and I hope to see you around on the boards.

Daniel/Bob