ratcatchers | Character creation

ironphoenix.livejournal.com posting in

You know, no matter how many points you have, you always want about 20 more.

Also, building a mage, even a non-killing one, with a 40 AP pool is a very complicated but effective way to burn through 194 CP. And I still haven't spent 40 points on the slots!

A few questions for our illustrious GM:
* Is the net cost for the Fey package now 0 CP, since the RPPM and the prince/outcaste disadvantage are now obsolete?
* Is there a maximum telepathy, transform or mind scan power level for PCs?
* What are the classes of mind for telepathy etc? I assume that "humans" now effectively includes demons, fey, changelings, teiflings and were in human form, but not angels, gods, monsters or were in animal form.
* Do you have any objection to my using extra time, charges, fuel charges, recoverable charges, expended foci, and non-expended foci to trim down points costs on spells?
* Do we have to buy END costs for enhanced senses and other effects that don't normally cost END? Also, do they have visible special effects (aside from in magic sense)?
* Do you want to have a hand in creating his sorcerer mentor and/or a DNPC girlfriend? I don't know that I'll have time to flesh them out 100% before the game as things stand; what do you need?

That's all for now, I think...

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From:

m-danson.livejournal.com

*Is the net cost for the Fey package now 0 CP, since the RPPM and the prince/outcaste disadvantage are now obsolete?

5cp because the character must first be made with the old system for the first 174cp THEN must use the new system for the last 20 xp. The character must be fully functional on the old system. This means that a few of your 20 xp will end up going towards dealing with the changes in magic.

* Is there a maximum telepathy, transform or mind scan power level for PCs?

I've not imposed a max on telepathy other than the max power pool (40AP).
Transform is still in a maybe status and I'm still likely to ban it. It has been tightly controlled up until now. I'm waiting on Anc posting the jury results to finish the new magic system. Wait until then and see.
Mind scan is and always has been banded. That is a broken power.

* What are the classes of mind for telepathy etc? I assume that "humans" now effectively includes demons, fey, changelings, teiflings and were in human form, but not angels, gods, monsters or were in animal form.

Humanoid, monster(catch all for weirdness), angels, alien tech, animals, anything that doesn't fit into those is on a case by case basis and if you want to be narrower (ie Demons only) then it would be an appropriate level of limitation. The above categories are not limitations.

* Do you have any objection to my using extra time, charges, fuel charges, recoverable charges, expended foci, and non-expended foci to trim down points costs on spells?

Case by case basis and charges are things that I look at carefully. Usage depends on whether or not it breaks the game or avoids necessary limits.

* Do we have to buy END costs for enhanced senses and other effects that don't normally cost END? Also, do they have visible special effects (aside from in magic sense)?

They must draw from the end pool (magic) at least activation I think. I'll check my notes to make sure. They MUST show to magic sight but I'm less worried about other types.

* Do you want to have a hand in creating his sorcerer mentor and/or a DNPC girlfriend? I don't know that I'll have time to flesh them out 100% before the game as things stand; what do you need?

Give me the contact stats for the sorcerer and two lines of how, where, why tpe description and I'll fill him out.

DNPCs have been banned in this game. A girlfriend would be back ground color in this game only.

From:

ironphoenix.livejournal.com

I don't think there's any significant change in magic for an outcaste; 5 points for old-style fey package: ~~wasted~~ spent ;)

Telepathy: 8d6 (40 AP), coming right up. The mind classes make sense.

Transform wish list:
Transform: Cosmetic, 2d6, any target (+1), invisible power effects (all but magic sense) (+3/4): 27 AP; All or Nothing (-1/2), Delayed phase (-1/4): 15 RP; Fixed slot (/10): 1 CP; healed by touch of living wood.
Transform: Major, 1d6, any target (+1): 30 AP; All or Nothing (-1/2), Full phase (-1/2): 15 RP; Fixed slot (/10): 1 CP; healed by touch of living wood.
Both of these, especially the former, are intended to work well with Forgery: Money and Forgery: Documents, but that's not their only use.

I've reduced my use of charges. Most charges are now tied to expendable foci, so the charges are regained by replacing and preparing the focus. The Entangle uses recoverable charges and a focus, recovery consisting of reknotting the focus cord. I would like to keep the Invisibilities (each sense group is a separate power in this guy's system) as 1h fuel charges replenished by sleep (sleep periods being allocated time-for-time to the various invisibility fuel charges).

END: Okay, everything now costs END at least to activate.

I love my MPP slot cost spreadsheet...

Sorcerer mentor: 11- (2 CP), very useful (+2 CP), contacts (+1) very good relation (+2 CP): total 7 CP; I also plan to take a 5-point social limitation representing Halim's obligations to him.

DNPCs: Banned? Whups, must've missed that somewhere. *rejigs character backstory to reduce game effect of girlfriend, and finds another disadvantage*

From: (Anonymous)

Important note about 40AP pool... if he had it pre-jury then it costs 50cp. If he gained the last 10AP as part of being "touched by God" it will cost him 10xp of the 20 xp I gave you to play with.

There are going to be some major changes to the magic system so leave some of your post jury xp open to deal with that. ALL of the paths are gone for new magic but not for old. I'll explain when I post. I will be posting after I get the jury results from ANC. I'm mostly done but I need to clarify a few details. The first bit of the next session will have to be character changes *sigh*.

The cosmetic transform looks okay so far. We may have to discuss a few changes after I post the new rules but maybe not.

Multiple use of charges = *CRINGE* We will have to go over them in detail. Why are you using charges and not just making them normal? After all you have a 40AP whopper of a power pool.

I'll get back to you on the END thing.

From:

m-danson.livejournal.com

*sigh* me

From:

ironphoenix.livejournal.com

Guessed from content!

From:

ironphoenix.livejournal.com

The reason for making the invisibilities 1h fuel charges is that if they're run as regular powers, the continuing END costs make them impractical for infiltration work. 40 AP means 4 END per phase, which means 12 END per 12 seconds, or 60 END per minute. That's not a whole lot of invisibility, when the standard END pool is 30 END. Or am I reading END costs wrong for out-of-combat use?

The other charges reflect the general idea of a focus which is consumed gradually over the use of a spell. Mechanics-wise, it's to reduce the cost of the MPP slots. Generally, the MPP slots I've created cost 2 CP for big powers (at or near 40 AP), and 1 CP for small powers or single effects (up to about 30 AP), and this is part of how I got there.

Putting it in perspective, the AP pool cost 39 CP, END for 3 CP, REC for 1 CP, Sorcerer contact for 7 (minus 5 for the soc lim) CP, EGO for 16 CP, Magic skill for 3 CP, 2 Magic attack CSLs for 6 CP, KS Occult for 3 CP, and MPP slots for 35 CP. That's 113 (minus 5) CP spent on magic, which is a ****load of points any way you measure it. All that cost gets focussed into the MPP slot effects, so I'm pretty keen on getting good bang for my buck there.

From:

ancalagon-tb.livejournal.com

the cost was even worse for Julien, who reached his natural limit at 20 AP, not 30. This is why he wasn't a particularly capable character when not using magic. You might want to consider spending a few more points to get a bigger end pool - Julien had 50, and I actually needed that many points once.

The social contact I really wouldn't include as part of the cost of magic. You could take 2 points CSL for magical attacks, and 35 points for spells is a lot - how many are you going to take?

You way want to revise your character design a bit. Being a skilled warlock is, as you can see, a very expensive endeavor, and perhaps using a bit less magic and a bit more skills would be beneficial? It's hard being a full out warlock and have any kind of points for being good at something else.

From:

m-danson.livejournal.com

Invisibility using charges makes sense and I think I allowed this before with one of your characters. Double check the details with me but that should be okay.

The other charges are a no. The focus limitation should be able to cover that. I'll double check it and see how. The significant reduction of MPP slot cost was something I was trying to avoid.

From:

m-danson.livejournal.com

Important note about 40AP pool... if he had it pre-jury then it costs 50cp total. If he gained the last 10AP as part of being "touched by God" it that last 10 AP will cost him 10xp of the 20 xp I gave you to play with and the previous 30 AP will cost per the racial characteristics.

From:

ironphoenix.livejournal.com

Awww, I don't get the whole 40-AP pool for 10 super-XP? Yeah. Figured.

From:

ironphoenix.livejournal.com

Actually, now that I think about it, just 9 of them will be from the 20 bonus, because of the extra 1 AP for all.

From:

ancalagon-tb.livejournal.com

Hello

I was under the impression that now everyone could reach 30 at a 1 per 1 basis, and after that you still had to pay double to reach 40 - I guess I was wrong :)