New Modifier: Knack

[dorkknight23]

This is a modifier I’ve started kicking around in my noggin. It needs a little tweaking, but it’s a start. Questions/comments/criticism?

Knack:
Cost Level: Modifier + 4 Levels[/b]

Add modifier’s worth of stones to a single Action of choice (attack only, not defense.) It can never more than double either the ability bonus you apply (if it has an ability bonus,) the weapon modifier used, or the amount of stones of effort you put into it (if it doesn’t have a bonus.) If the action has two ability bonuses or weapon modifiers, then the lower one is the limit for the maximum. If you have any combination of ability bonuses and/or weapon modifiers, then the lowest ability bonus or weapon modifier is used.

Options:
(-1): applied that has no combat value, and thus applies stones to neither attack nor defense, but merely to defeating resistance (some examples: General Knowledge, Gambling, Technology. Any skill that can be combined with a combat [black ops, flight, or acrobatics, for example,] can not have this option.)
(+0): stones can apply only for defense (for skills like force field)
(+2): stones can apply for both attack or defense (but must be divided accordingly)
(+1): cumulative for every option you have on the action. This curbs the benefit for telepaths and masters.
(+X/2): where X = the cost level, for all actions with an innately increased cost level (round down.) For example, flight would cost an additional +1, whereas having an Innate Talent with the Power Cosmic would cost an addition +6.)

Comments:
Good for those characters who shouldn’t have high intelligence or durability but should be able to use quite a bit of energy in a single action.

[sgingell]

I think the game definitely needs something like this, it's just a matter of getting the details right.

I think the cost should have some relation to the cost of the action modified. It would be unbalancing to let someone take a modifier to an CL=AN+8 mastery for CL=MN+4 for instance.

What would you think of a cost structure like
Cost of the base action +3 for most things.
+1 if the bonus is directly applicable to one of offense or defense.
+2 if the bonus is directly applicable to both offense or defense.

So a Social Skills knack would cost MN+3, an Acrobatics knack (which you could also apply to defense) would cost MN+4, and a Close Combat knack would cost MN+5 (just like retractable claws).

-Stephen

[dorkknight23]

The pricing seems to be the stickiest issue here.

And yeah, it becomes unbalancing when put on something with a lot of available options (Telepathy or Mastery of Elements immediately come to mind.)

Maybe add an additional +1 for every option you have?

Made a couple of tweaks. Let's see how it flies now.

[sgingell]

Charging for options sounds good to me, but it won't pick up expensive powers that don't have options. Strictly speaking you could have a knack for the Cosmic Power for a CL=MN+6 as it stands. Less obscenely, a Metamorphosis knack would be no more expensive than the actual power.

The easy way out is to insert a "+X for knacks of abnormal power", but that seems like a cop out to me. I'd still suggest some function of the cost level of the underlying power coming into the Modifier cost. So you *could* take a knack for Cosmic Power if you wanted to, it would just cost you MN+18 or so...

It is a nitpick, but +2 for attack and defense seems too high to me. Retractable Claws are MN+5 and I've always read Close Combat modifiers as flexible between attack and defense. That probably just comes down to personal tastes. In general I think it is a really good modifier. I can now stat up an excellent public speaker (Social Skills: 7) who isn't a genius or a body builder (Int: 3, Dur: 1) , which I count as a big plus.

I'm curious to know what you would charge to take a Knack for an ability. As it stands a character with Agility: 10 and Durability: 3 isn't really possible under the rules (impossible in that he isn't functionally different from a Agility: 9 character). I'd like low Durability Speed and Agility characters to be more playable, and a knack for Speed and Agility can do that. Personally I'd go with MN+6, but I'm curious what you think.

-Stephen

[dorkknight23]

I just thought of that. I think having to add half the cost level addition (rounded down,) should discourage those kind of powers from being chosen (the +1 from flight, invisibility, or forcefield don't really impact things too much, but the additional +6 from Power Cosmic will definitely discourage its use in that particular avenue.)

Also, I think putting it at +7 sounds about right, so I thought a +3 option works for it.

Also added in weapon modifiers into the rules. It only seems fair.

We might need to playtest these powers.

[sgingell]

I think MN+7 is too expensive for an attribute modifier. Basically I think it gives you +1 energy per panel and +1 to an attribute and costs more than raising durability and the attribute in most cases.

For example: Consider someone with Agility 3 and Durability 3 who wants to be able to put 6 stones per panel into being agile.

He could take an agility knack for +3, spend 15w on it, and be able to put 6 stones per panel into being agile.

Alternately he could just raise his Agility to 6 and his Durability to 6, spend only 12w rather than 15 for the boost, be able to put 6 stones per panel into agility, *and* have all the perks of huge energy pool, resistance to injury, etc... that the Dur: 6 gives.

I'll need to do some math to see where the break points actually fall, but the impression I get is that you have to be playing in a pretty high stone game before it would become worth it.

-Stephen

[dorkknight23]

I removed the option entirely in favor of another modifier "Special Ability."

[treebeard]

bottom page 91 of avengers guide
equipment that adds directly to action, ability or modifier cost level +3

bit inexpensive but potential answer for the cost of this modifier which believe does the same thing?

just thought i'd throw that out there for anyone interested in taking that into consideration.

[Ricochet]

treebeard said:

bottom page 91 of avengers guide
equipment that adds directly to action, ability or modifier cost level +3

bit inexpensive but potential answer for the cost of this modifier which believe does the same thing?

Yeah, but just keep in mind the guide also says if the stones are free you've got to ad some stones according to the little table. (Same page)

[treebeard]

well pointed Ricochet