Ideas for combat runes

[pinecone]

Re: Ideas for combat runes

 

Rather than tatoo I'd learn the rune, then draw it in blood (my own?) Each time I was going into battle...not really a focus that way though....

 

I remember the Rune quest thang...I remember some one shaved got the focus runes, then grew their hair back to hide them...real limited canvas though...If there exist an easy way to disempower tatoos then that could help...

[Maelstrom]

Re: Ideas for combat runes

 

Point totals. Don't allow him frameworks.

 

Wait, metagaming how?

[bubba smith]

Re: Ideas for combat runes

 

rune of ghostlyness allows it its bearer to walk through was or let swords pass through harmlessly

rune of leaping superior leaping

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Ideas for combat runes

 

The big dif, as I see it, is that my way doesn't allow the IND limit, while yours almost requires it. You could make it a personal or restricted universal focus, but it would be hard to justify the "I put the 'Rune of Forcefield' on this castle, protecting it from the strongest catapult" without taking the IND limit.

 

Is this a good or a bad thing? Should runes be independent, or should they be considered similar to potions?

Either way. In general, I'd probably want to avoid IND in this case. IND is never really "required" - it only means you don't get the points back if/when you lose the power. It could be that the rune of Forcefield has to be erased before you can use it again somewhere else. Or maybe they just naturally fade over time, or require some periodic maintainence, or they only last a specific length of time. The possibilities are unlimitless.

 

In all seriousness, what would you call it? For ex Marvel has a weird villain, The Tattooed Man IIRC, who's powers were all based on his tattoos (I very vaguely recall him peeling an anchor off and throwing it at She Hulk -very very vaguely).

If it can't be taken away against the character's will, then it isn't a Focus. It might have limited charges (like one each in this case), or it might have Physical Manifestation.

[Midas]

Re: Ideas for combat runes

 

If it can't be taken away against the character's will, then it isn't a Focus. It might have limited charges (like one each in this case), or it might have Physical Manifestation.

 

 

One charge recoverable then? What is Physical Manifestation?

 

Midas

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Ideas for combat runes

 

One charge recoverable then?

That would work.

 

What is Physical Manifestation?

Someone else will have to explain this. AFAIK, it's a new Limitation added in 5ER (which I don't have), that seems like just the thing for this.

[Midas]

Re: Ideas for combat runes

 

What is Physical Manifestation?

 

Someone else will have to explain this. AFAIK, it's a new Limitation added in 5ER (which I don't have), that seems like just the thing for this.

 

OK, that seems to fit: A physical manifestation is where the attack (or other power) has a body, and can be "shot down." Like a missile or a flying surfboard (not bought as a focus, but as the special effect of a flight power). -1/4

 

Not sure it would work for Tattooed Man, but as a tattoo of a power with the special effect "Rune" it just might. "Power is unavailable if character has unhealed body at the location of the rune." I'll go along with that.

 

BTW, I'm glad somebody else has managed to make it through 5e &5er. I always give up before I find the [Easter Eggs] changes from an earlier edition.

 

Midas

[Markdoc]

Re: Ideas for combat runes

 

But I certainly wouldn't allow a tattoo to take a focus limitation.

 

We actually did in our game, without problems, because the "damage the rune = lose the power" meme meant that it could be removed out of combat fairly readily - make a cut, or (for something more permanent) a branding iron...

In that, it's no different from a regular OIF, and the rule was that to be useful a rune had to be "visible" so you could not hide it under your clothes or armour. The caster had to be able to access it too, after all.

 

cheers, Mark