Topic: Two Questions: Channeling & Control Lycanthropy

[BugsyThugsy]

So, I am returning to gaming after a 5 year break.  I used to run RMSS, but I have picked up RMU and so far I am liking what I am reading.

However, I have always wondered about... well, lots of things, but let's stick just two in this post:

1.  Channeling skill:  does anyone actually use it?  If so, can you describe the game / setting / situation / use case?  It seems like it might be interesting, but I've never used it before...

2. Control Lycanthropy skill:  does anyone actually use it?  If so, can you describe the game / setting / situation / use case?  I've never run lycanthropes before, and I'm curious as to how others have used it...

[netbat]

My experience is in RMSS as I don't intend to switch to RMU but:
1. Channeling skill - We have never used it although I have toyed with using it as a limiter or level proxy for spell parameters.

2. Control Lycanthropy -  We have used this for a beorning shapeshifter to be able to shift when she wants to and to avoid shifting when hurt or enraged or provoked.

[MisterK]

Same here - I'm experienced with RM2 and RMSS.

Channeling : used it. The characters never used it voluntarily to channel between them and an NPC, but I also use it to control the ambient Essaence and limit the effects of Essaence Burn [Shadow World setting]. Recently I've introduced the possibility to use ambient Essaence instead of one's own to cast spells, and to cast when PPs are all spent, and Channeling is also the skill I use in this case (to control the ability and limit the side effects).

Control Lycanthropy : never used it. I never had a lycanthrope in the groups I GMed - I never propose the option, and no player ever asked. And it did not happen in game.

[B Hanson]

Wrote about our use of Channeling skill back in 2016:

https://www.rolemasterblog.com/rolemaster-house-rules-skill-consolidation/

But the big takeaway was no one had really used the Channeling RAW despite the number of pages in the rulebook given to it. I never got a chance to discuss this in depth with Terry, but I assume it was tied into their original ME campaign that drove RM development.

[pastaav]

One of the big limits of the Channling skill as written IMHO is that very few spells from the Channling realm has self as range. Spending extra power points to cast a non self spellsm doesn't make much sense.

There is a possible use for low level clerics to channel their spells through a high level character to maginfy the effect, but this seldom apply to players who usally is of the same level. Possibly a high level cleric, could send spells to his minions at some predetermined location, but few players will have such a schedule. The skill as written is pretty much a NPC-only skill.

One possible way to make the channling skill much more useful to players is to relax who provides the power points for the spells. Having the cleric borrow power points from other players to give them spells is cool and makes it much more worthwhile to learn the skill.

Logically the first spell from Channels list should be cast by the cleric since he has not established contact with the other character, but I have found it works even better if it is up to the reciever if they want to cover the pp for the on or two of the involved spells.

[Hurin]

Channeling is such a niche skill that I've never had any player use it. It is one that you have to really work to make useful.

I would like to see some discussion of how to make Lycanthropy viable in RMU, because we're at a point in the campaign where a character could become one, but I've always been hesitant to implement it because it seems so unstable and potentially unbalancing.

[jdale]

The risk in the current incarnation is minimal, it's just going to be low efficiency if your skill is low. Within 100', in sight, and same realm, you are sending power and receiving power with +0 modifications. A +25 skill on average will result in 70% efficiency, and if both parties achieve that you end up transmitting 49% of what you wanted. That said, the moment when you are running out of power, that you in principle would consider transferring it, is when the inefficiency is going to be least acceptable, so I don't know. We've never used it in practice. I think if you want it to be useful, the best way would be to have an NPC willing to send power at a scheduled time to a particular place. If the NPC has a high skill, then the amount received depends mainly on the PC's skill bonus. It's also possible to channel power to an item, so in principle you could have an item capable of channeling back and then it becomes a form of storage.

In principle it could also be helpful for ritual, since you can receive more PP than you are otherwise capable of holding, and expending large amounts of power is good for a ritual bonus.

[gog]

Control Lycanthropy - have used this when playing a Naga. Used to change in stressful circumstance, also used to do partial changes (such as just tongue to track some one by taste), or also to move into partial transformation (30 foot long snake with arms).

[BugsyThugsy]

Thank you all for your comments. 

I have the start of an idea to incorporate ley lines and other "places of power" where the Channeling skill could be used as a way to use those power sources...

I'll have to keep thinking on it.

[Hurin]

You might want to check out the stuff about 'Earth Nodes' in Rolemaster Companion I too.