Negative Powers?

[screamingtongue]

This might be a strange question, or too advanced for someone who is relatively new to the system, but I'm trying to come up with a way to give a character the effects of certain powers in a negative way. For my science fiction universe, I'm thinking of making a race that's caught in a constant state of temporal flux. That is, at any given moment they could be flung forward or backward in the timeline, without wanting or meaning to, and it could happen at really inopportune times as well as at good times.

 

Naturally I could build this as an Extra Dimensional Movement power with appropriate limitations like No Conscious Control, but that would seem unfair to anyone playing this race, as it would still cost them points when it seems almost like a complication. Does anyone know of any rules to take a power that impacts a character negatively and turn it into a complication?

 

For the record, in the working version of this ability, I've got it with 47 AP (20 for the base cost, 20 for time travel, and 7 for moving up to one day forward/back), and with No Conscious Control as a limitation, it comes down to 16 RP. It's not at all a high cost, but it still seems unfair to make a power like this cost the player anything, when it might frequently be problematic to them. I could be wrong, it just seems off to make that character pay for something that could prove to be such a major hindrance.

 

One other thought I'm having is to give the character some other power, like clairsentience, an make this time travel thing a possible side affect of using it. So they use their clairsentience ability to learn something, and then they might randomly be shot forward or backward in time as a result of tapping into the timeline.

[Folded]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

I would build that as a Complication to represent the downside. Base the mechanics on the build you describe, and add an Activation roll, or adapt the Enraged system to determine when it happens (first roll for occurring, second for returning). Set the cost to whatever seems appropriate for your campaign. If the race can learn to control it to one degree or other, then buying powers based on that temporal flux would be reasonable, or buying off the Complication altogether. It's not all that different (ultimately) than giving some races certain disadvantages like Susceptibilities, Vulnerabilities or Social Complications, just more involved. I like it, altogether, and would like to see what you come up with (so I can steal it, of course...).

 

Depending on the frequency of occurrence, this could represent a huge problem. Imagine trying to walk down a crowded street and constantly having the people around you 'jump' a few feet in various directions as you go. Not to mention that it would draw a little bit of attention as you did the same (from their perspective). Anything involving careful timing (like piloting any vehicle), could get sticky, to say the least. That species probably wouldn't produce a lot of surgeons, either...

[John T]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

I'd also contribute that, if the effect is never advantageous, it should be just a complication, not a power to purchase. Obviously, that would require a certain amount of planning on the GM's part.

[Christopher]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

It would help to know just how often/how far those involuntary jumps happen.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

One other thought I'm having is to give the character some other power' date=' like clairsentience, an make this time travel thing a possible side affect of using it. So they use their clairsentience ability to learn something, and then they might randomly be shot forward or backward in time as a result of tapping into the timeline.[/quote']

 

I think that you are looking at a more productive way forward here.

 

If this effect that you are looking at is not an inherent part of the character but may be triggered by actions that the player is aware of (even if the character is not) then you are looking at powers with side effects (when the clairsentience is used, the character may uncontrollably time travel) and/or a physical complication (when the character does [these sorts of things] he may uncontrollably time travel).

 

Doc

 

PS: if the power does not have to be on the character sheet then I do not think that it should be costing points...

[Lucius]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

You just gave me a flashback to the days when I was far more of a munchkin.

 

I had a character who randomly moved forward in time. I bought the WHOLE CHARACTER - all Characteristics, Skills, and Powers - on an Activation Roll. On a 14 or less, the character was there normally. On a 15 or higher, the character did not exist that phase and was gone until the next time the Roll was made. If I'd been allowed to play her, her catch phrase would probably have been "what did I miss?"

 

Lucius Alexander

 

I bought an entire palindromedary on a Focus

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

You might want to take a look at Always of the New Circle created by OddHatt (essentially a mystical version of Flash & the Justice League).

Powers/Tactics: Alan can speed or slow time from his own point of view, and can move forwards or backwards within his own personal time line. In most way Alan is a classic speedster, and a very effective one. The combination of his Speedster Martial Arts and VPP allows him to pull off a range of extraordinary power stunts, limited only by what you consider permissible in your campaign.

[screamingtongue]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

So I'm taking this concept back to square one. I'm just not sure I can do this concept in as few points as I would like. Most races in my world have only 15 real points worth of abilities. My new idea is this:

 

It will be a power that costs points, because I will use it to assist characters rather than harm them. Their fates are tied to the timeline, meaning roughly that they will randomly be pulled forward or backward in time to be a part of events important to the their fate/the timeline. If they are about to fight a battle on a historical battleground, where a small army once held off an army that overwhelmingly outnumbered them, and they are part of a small army trying to do the same, the character might be pulled back to the original battle, so they can witness what the small army did, and then, once they've accomplished their task, they'd be yanked forward again. In other examples, they might be more active participants in shaping history/the future.

 

I think this requires two time travel powers. The first will be built with No Conscious Control, and the second will be built with some kind of Trigger, to simulate the randomness of step 1, being pulled back in time, and the objective oriented operation of step 2, moving back to the original time when the event is passed/when a task is accomplished. I have a host of questions on how to build these powers, so I'll just shoot them out there and see what answers I get.

 

Questions:

-This is important: Can anyone conceivably see these powers being so heavily limited/so cheap to buy that they come in at under 15 points in total?

-Is there a way to achieve these effects without building a second costly time travel power? Can the first time travel power just be made to have a temporary effect somehow?

-Would "events tied to the current timeline/to what the character is doing" count as a group of events that a character could travel to, or would I have to buy the time travel power up to say, 500 years to make it possible for the characters to reach far distances?

-What would be the best way to make it so that not just one character, but the entire party gets pulled along? Like if I wanted one triggering of this power to spark a major plot development, and I wanted every PC to be present. I'm thinking Area of Effect, and the character can tell that it's going to happen, so he can tell his allies to get close.

-Related to the question above: Would I need to give it some sort of advantage/limitation to simulate that the character might have some warning that it's about to happen?

[Folded]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

Given what you describe, I would not mechanize this at all, but make it a Plot Power that activates when the story needs it to, in the way that it needs it to. No points, just a racial effect that happens at the GM's whim. Plenty of things you could give them (related or not) for 15 points without the headache. After all, unless you force it, none of your players may choose to play one of these, so it could all be moot, and if the effect is generated by an NPC, hey, easier.

[Christopher]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

It will be a power that costs points' date=' because I will use it to assist characters rather than harm them. Their fates are tied to the timeline, meaning roughly that they will randomly be pulled forward or backward in time to be a part of events important to the their fate/the timeline. If they are about to fight a battle on a historical battleground, where a small army once held off an army that overwhelmingly outnumbered them, and they are part of a small army trying to do the same, the character might be pulled back to the original battle, so they can witness what the small army did, and then, once they've accomplished their task, they'd be yanked forward again. In other examples, they might be more active participants in shaping history/the future.[/quote']

That is neitehr a power, nor a complciation. That is a Special Effect for the Adventure. An enabling device. Nothing more, nothign less.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

My first thought is 'this better be a solo character'

[screamingtongue]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

Thanks for the input. I think rather than make this a race, I'll a) not mechanize it into game terms, and just work it into a campaign as an NPC or sect of NPCs or a god or something that will at times show up to find people of destiny (such as the PCs), and "assist" them by moving them backward/forward to key events. For circumstances like this, I don't think I need to create the power, even though it's something that acts on the PCs, because it would be so integral to the party, and I imagine they would generally be willing to go along with it.

 

So, long story short, sorry to have wasted your time with this question.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

Never a waste of time! I think the approach you are taking is the best one given what you want to create.

[Christopher]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

I could see it be done with a very small "Subject to Orders" Limitation. It's just that it is not your employer dragging you along, but the time stream. Could propably be done with a 0 Point Complcation (so it's in the template somewhere).

[John T]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

I could see it be done with a very small "Subject to Orders" Limitation. It's just that it is not your employer dragging you along' date=' but the time stream. Could propably be done with a 0 Point Complcation (so it's in the template somewhere).[/quote']

Name it the "Wibbly-wobbly, Timey-wimey Effect"...

[Lucius]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

Or take a line from "Quantum Leap"

 

Hunted by: Time, or God, or Fate

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Quantum Palindromedary

[Vondy]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

It sounds an awful lot like a plot device to me.

[Vondy]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

Or take a line from "Quantum Leap"

 

Hunted by: Time, or God, or Fate

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Quantum Palindromedary

 

Destiny Calls 14-

[Arc Esu]

Re: Negative Powers?

 

You just gave me a flashback to the days when I was far more of a munchkin.

 

I had a character who randomly moved forward in time. I bought the WHOLE CHARACTER - all Characteristics, Skills, and Powers - on an Activation Roll. On a 14 or less, the character was there normally. On a 15 or higher, the character did not exist that phase and was gone until the next time the Roll was made. If I'd been allowed to play her, her catch phrase would probably have been "what did I miss?"

 

That idea is so munchkiny, and yet so awesome. I'd probably make you buy a triggered Extra-Dimensional movement or Desolidification for times when you're "not there," (since if you aren't there you can't be hurt, and that should be paid for with points), but other than that I'd allow it. Repped.