Post by wayne on Jan 11, 2004 17:42:55 GMT -5
OK, others have had their take on this. This one is mine. ;D Since this is such a slippery power to work out, I'll probably take some time on some of the options to explain why I've costed and/or limited it in the way that I have.
Comments always appreciated.
<<EDIT: Raised a number of the costs for the options. Also restructured how Temporal Assault works so that there's no armor 'penetration'. Also clarified the power a little, and added an example.>>
MASTERY OF TIME
Cost = Action Number + Options + 3 cost levels
Description
A rather unique mastery, over the ebb and flow of time itself. This power comes automatically with Precognitive Flashes, and you may still buy Flight at a discount (although it makes sense to have there be some connection between the method of Flight and time manipulation.)
The options are what make this mastery so powerful and versatile. A number of different temporal manipulations are available, all with a default range of 4 (that, unless otherwise specified, cannot be increased by spending extra stones):
Comments
A detailed Action with a lot of uses... for greater effect, you may want to buy it at a low Action Number and work on building it up, or apply Disadvantages to be able to use it fully right away.
Rule for Modifier Box:
Example
Shasta has Mastery of Time at level 4. She has the Acceleration and Slowdown options, for a total cost of 20 stones.
She's finally convinced Cyclops to give her a Danger Room drill, and she wants to make a good impression her first time out. The first thing she does when the session begins is to hide and wait until she spots Cyc. As soon as she does, she puts 4 stones into Slowdown, targeting him. She has now effectively slowed down his Actions, and rushes out to him.
He turns (in slow-mo) and fires at her with his Optic Blasts, putting in a mere 5 stones (2 into defense, 3 into offense.) Shasta meanwhile is putting 1 stone into her Mastery to maintain her Slowdown on Cyc, and two stones into running straight at him. She arranges the Slowdown pool so that it hits all of Cycs offensive Optic Blast stones, reducing his 3-stone offensive attack to 0... she dodges without any effort!
Next panel, Cyclops, realizing she's about to deck him (at what appears to be hyperspeed) burns all 7 stones into trying to take her out before she gets to him... it appears to be his only option. He shoves all his stones into an offensive Optic Blast. Shasta, now right in Cyclop's face, again puts one stone into her Mastery to keep Cyc slowed down, and four into her meager Close Combat (one into defense for a total of two--she has Kevlar--and three into a punch.) Cyclops has the slight edge and goes first, but the Slowdown reduces his attack to 3 stones, of which only 1 gets through, hitting her for one white stones of damage! The GM says that this gives her an additional -1 modifier to her punch, but even with that one stone gets through for one white stone of damage.
Cyclops decides to get some safe distance, and puts both of his regenerated stones into Speed. Shasta guesses that he'll want to run, and maneuvers her Slowdown stones so that two reduce his Speed, and two reduce any more Optic Blasts. She puts 1 stone into her Mastery to maintain it, one into her Mastery to activate her Acceleration, and her last 3 stones (she has a Durability of 3 too) into another punch. Cyclops goes first again, but doesn't get far enough to matter thanks to the slowdown. Shasta then throws a 3-stone punch, which is doubled to two seperate 3-stone punches thanks to Acceleration. Since Cyc only has his Kevlar for defense, he is hit with 2 stones of damage and loses 1 white stone of health, and then 2 more, at which point his player chooses to be KOed. Shasta is spent, but victorious... which might not have been the case had Cyc decided to put stones into Close Combat rather than be his predictable old self! (Or if he had just dropped 9 stones into his first attack rather than taking it easy on her.)
Comments always appreciated.
<<EDIT: Raised a number of the costs for the options. Also restructured how Temporal Assault works so that there's no armor 'penetration'. Also clarified the power a little, and added an example.>>
MASTERY OF TIME
Cost = Action Number + Options + 3 cost levels
Description
A rather unique mastery, over the ebb and flow of time itself. This power comes automatically with Precognitive Flashes, and you may still buy Flight at a discount (although it makes sense to have there be some connection between the method of Flight and time manipulation.)
The options are what make this mastery so powerful and versatile. A number of different temporal manipulations are available, all with a default range of 4 (that, unless otherwise specified, cannot be increased by spending extra stones):
- Acceleration: applicable only to living and/or sentient beings (like androids), this speeds up the target and enables it to deliver multiple effects from Actions each panel. The result is similar to the Acceleration option for Photographic Reflexes--anyone under the influence of this power delivers X extra attacks (or 'effects') from their Actions, X being the number of stones spent per target. For example, for one stone per panel, you can give yourself one extra attack per Action... when you make one 8-stone attack, your opponent has to deal with two 8-stone attacks. You could even spend 3 stones to give yourself quadruple attacks per panel, and 2 to, say, let a teammate apply 3 'assaults' per panel to the computer system he's trying to hack, all for the cost of 5 stones per panel. Does not have to be limited to combat situations, but GM discretion may be needed for non-combat use (it's probably not feasible to let someone deliver multiple uses of Social Skills for greater effect.) (+1 to cost level)
- Fast-Forward: This is similar to Acceleration, but can only be applied to inanimate objects, with very limited exceptions (it's strong enough that being able to use it on enemies would make it an 'instant-death' power.) Simply apply X stones to a target, to cause that target to experience the passing of X+1 stones on the Duration row of the D&R chart within a panel. For example, spend 2 stones to let an hour elapse for a computer system, at which point the computer system thinks it's noon and briefly unlocks the front door. Or spend 9 stones on a metal door and watch it turn into a pathetic rust barrier in the space of a panel. Can use on plants and minor organisms (bugs, bacteria, etc.) (+1 to cost level)
- Stasis: Essentially, you can 'freeze' people or objects in time. It's an attack versus Speed to "stun" the target for X panels (X being the 'damage'.) (+5 to cost level)
- Slowdown: This is akin to Psi-Weapon in that you apply stones once (up to your Action Number) to build a pool of stones that are reused. The effect, however, is to reduce the resistance of applicable situations, or do things such as lower the effectiveness of enemy Actions. If the target was a person, you may choose what Action Box you wish to affect, or split the stones across Action Boxes and/or Defense, etc.; and you may alter the allocation each panel as long as the effect remains. If the target was something like a trap-infested hallway, the resistance to crossing would be reduced. You may build pools for multiple targets, each pool containing stones up to your Action Number, but must pay 1 stone per panel per pool to maintain them. (+3 to cost level)
- Rewind: This is essentially an attack versus the target's defenses. Throw a character or object into the state it was up to X panels ago, where X is the 'damage' done. Ignore defenses such as Toughness, armor, etc. Cannot be applied to yourself (otherwise you have the capacity to have an infinite supply of stones.) (+5 to cost level)
- Time Shunt: The ability to temporarily send a target forward or backward in time; after the specified number of panels, they automatically "snap back" to the current time (you may not apply stones to a shunted person/object to increase the duration of the shunt.) Acting as an attack (again ignoring Toughness, armor, etc.) , the 'damage' determines both how far back in the future/past the target is sent, and how long they remain. Each stone of damage can increase the shunt's duration for 1 panel, or increase the temporal distance shunted forward/backward by 1 column on the Duration row of the D&R chart. (So 1 stone of 'damage' results in a fairly useless instant-duration shunt.) For example, if your target is hit with 5 stones of 'damage', you can choose--after 'damage' is determined--to shunt them 4 stones (a few hours) away forward or backward for 1 panel, or 3 stones (an hour) away for 2 panels, etc. The target must be shunted further 'away' than the number of panels he's gone. This power may be subjected to GM discretion to avoid paradoxes, etc.--plus, the GM has to keep track of NPCs if the temporal distance shunted is short. (If you shunt someone 10 panels into the future for 3 panels, and then decide to stick around, you theoretically should run into them within 3 panels (after they return), and for a brief period of time--after 10 panels elapse, for 3 panels--will be facing two of them!) Of course, you may choose to target yourself. (+4 to cost level) (only +2 to cost level if, while shunted, the target can observe, but cannot communicate, be detected by, affect, or otherwise be affected by his environment.)
- Immunity: You're immune to any temporal distortions, unless you choose to be affected. (+1 to cost level)
- Temporal Assault: Essentially a "force blast" of sorts, this lets you apply stones for an attack to 'throw' temporal distortions toward the target to do damage (by doing things like speeding up one side of the body while slowing down the other, etc.) You may increase the range as per the D&R chart by applying extra stones. (+1 to cost level)
- Temporal Shear: A temporal attack vs. Durability. There's no need to aim here--the target is simply hit. Unlike Temporal Assault, you may not increase the range by applying extra stones. (+5 to cost level)
Comments
A detailed Action with a lot of uses... for greater effect, you may want to buy it at a low Action Number and work on building it up, or apply Disadvantages to be able to use it fully right away.
Rule for Modifier Box:
- Distort and manipulate time
- Includes Precognitive Flashes
- Range: 4
- (List options)
Example
Shasta has Mastery of Time at level 4. She has the Acceleration and Slowdown options, for a total cost of 20 stones.
She's finally convinced Cyclops to give her a Danger Room drill, and she wants to make a good impression her first time out. The first thing she does when the session begins is to hide and wait until she spots Cyc. As soon as she does, she puts 4 stones into Slowdown, targeting him. She has now effectively slowed down his Actions, and rushes out to him.
He turns (in slow-mo) and fires at her with his Optic Blasts, putting in a mere 5 stones (2 into defense, 3 into offense.) Shasta meanwhile is putting 1 stone into her Mastery to maintain her Slowdown on Cyc, and two stones into running straight at him. She arranges the Slowdown pool so that it hits all of Cycs offensive Optic Blast stones, reducing his 3-stone offensive attack to 0... she dodges without any effort!
Next panel, Cyclops, realizing she's about to deck him (at what appears to be hyperspeed) burns all 7 stones into trying to take her out before she gets to him... it appears to be his only option. He shoves all his stones into an offensive Optic Blast. Shasta, now right in Cyclop's face, again puts one stone into her Mastery to keep Cyc slowed down, and four into her meager Close Combat (one into defense for a total of two--she has Kevlar--and three into a punch.) Cyclops has the slight edge and goes first, but the Slowdown reduces his attack to 3 stones, of which only 1 gets through, hitting her for one white stones of damage! The GM says that this gives her an additional -1 modifier to her punch, but even with that one stone gets through for one white stone of damage.
Cyclops decides to get some safe distance, and puts both of his regenerated stones into Speed. Shasta guesses that he'll want to run, and maneuvers her Slowdown stones so that two reduce his Speed, and two reduce any more Optic Blasts. She puts 1 stone into her Mastery to maintain it, one into her Mastery to activate her Acceleration, and her last 3 stones (she has a Durability of 3 too) into another punch. Cyclops goes first again, but doesn't get far enough to matter thanks to the slowdown. Shasta then throws a 3-stone punch, which is doubled to two seperate 3-stone punches thanks to Acceleration. Since Cyc only has his Kevlar for defense, he is hit with 2 stones of damage and loses 1 white stone of health, and then 2 more, at which point his player chooses to be KOed. Shasta is spent, but victorious... which might not have been the case had Cyc decided to put stones into Close Combat rather than be his predictable old self! (Or if he had just dropped 9 stones into his first attack rather than taking it easy on her.)