Topic: Suggestions/Critiques Requested: New method of power usage

[arakish]

How the Power Works

NOTE: The text below is from an initial brain fart I had this morning.  I elaborated a little on it, but it is not completed.  I want some opinions and constructive criticism to help flesh it out more completely.  Thanks. - rmfr

Although listed as categories in the Power group, Awareness, Development, Directing, Employment, Manipulation, Mastery, and Scribing are actually the seven skills for wielding Power.

Awareness covers the abilities of detecting, sensing, perceiving, attuning, and reading the power.  In a sense, this skill combines all the skills from the original Power Awareness category in RMFRP.

Development is the same as the skill Power Points Development.  Basically, it is the maximum amount of power one can use before death.  Unlike regular power usage, if you use all of your power points before recharging, you die.

Directing combines all the Directed Spells skill for each "bolt" spell into one skill, much like Power Awareness does.

Employment determines the maximum magnitude of Power able to be wielded.  Essentially, this is the maximum level of spell able to be cast.

Manipulation determines the power wielder's ability to shape the spell into the desired effects.  Essentially, this is the effects of the spell (radius, # of targets, AoE, duration, description).

Mastery is a specialization into a specific type of power such as healing, elemental, information, divination, etc.  This basically gives an additional bonus for using that type of power usage.

Scribing is the ability to imbed power into scribing such as symbols, runes, glyphs, wards, circles.

This allows any user of power to be able to cast any spell they can think of.  In other words, a power user could cast a fire ball spell in one round, then cast a healing spell in the next round.  Essentially, a power user is only limited by imagination or need.

There is also another sub-skill under Directing called the Raw Conduit.  The Raw Conduit is a pure channeling of the power.  Although not a perfect one, a good example is the Emperor Palpatine used a Raw Conduit on Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi.  Each power point in a Raw Conduit will cause 5 concussion hits damage, and each 10 points will produce 1 severity level plasma critical (use electrical if you don't have plasma from Fire and Ice or Rolemaster Companion III).  If desired, the GM may sustitute disruption criticals from Rolemaster Companion III.

The table below lists the Skills, Stats, Progression, and DP Costs.

Skill		Stats		Progression		DP Cost
Awareness		Em/In/Pr		Standard		3
Development		Em/In/Pr		Special		4/4
Directing		Ag/SD/Ag		Standard		6
Employment		none		Limited		6/6
Manipulation		Em/In/Pr/SD		Standard		3/4/5
Mastery		SD/Me/Re		Combined		6/8
Scribing		SD/Re/Ag		Standard		3/3

Any suggestions, opinions, even curses are welcome.  Thanks.

rmfr

[providence13]

Your players must enjoy a level of complexity that would make my players drink even more.

Do all practitioners start with these skills or must they be developed?

[markc]

  First Employment is going to be bought by everyone twice per level so their spell level is double that of RM.
  Second being able to cast any spell you can think of can be/is very powerful and since spell lists suck up a lot of DP for spell casters they will have a lot more DP to spend per level on other stuff.
  If you are trying for an Ares Magica or a Mage (WoD) type conversion then this might be a good approach depending on what other options you have for other PC's.


  I need to think some more on the rest.
MDC

[arakish]

Your players must enjoy a level of complexity that would make my players drink even more.

hic... What makes you think hic... we drink while playing? 

Basically, I am trying for a similarity like in Tim Dugger's Irregular Realms article.  Except I am using only one template (averaged/medianed from all).  The player's are allowed to alter DP Costs in the categories so as to specialize towards a regular profession such as a Fighter, Rogue, etc.

Do all practitioners start with these skills or must they be developed?

Actually they all start off not knowing about any of them.  I was rereading Stephen R. Donaldson's latest incarnation of the Thomas Covenant Chronicles and kind of liked the idea of starting a world where the people know nothing of power.  However, instead of Haruchai becoming Masters, it is another evil race that conquered the good people and have forbidden magic use (power use) except for themselves.  This evil force used the premise of a deadly disease simply called the Scourge to cover up the need to kill anyone who showed signs of being able to use power.  Since they are considered to be carriers of the Scourge, they are taken away and sacrificed so as to keep the general population under control.

This is also what I am working on for a campaign I am planning on running over at Real Role Playing, but I am still working on the world.  So it may be some time before I start.

  First Employment is going to be bought by everyone twice per level so their spell level is double that of RM.

Oops.  I got the numbers reversed.  The 6/6 should be for Directing.  The 6 for Employment.  Thanks for the point-out.  I am also trying to figure out the best DP Cost for the skills.  I don't want to cause too much unbalancing in the skill development.  I also want the DP Cost to reflect the difficulty/ease of learning each particular skill.  I feel learning the Awareness skill would be easiest, where Mastery and Employment may be the most difficult.  Thus, higher DP Costs and fewer ranks per level.  I am also thinking Manipulation should be a bit more difficult?  Perhaps 6/6 or 8/8?  As well as Development?

  Second being able to cast any spell you can think of can be/is very powerful and since spell lists suck up a lot of DP for spell casters they will have a lot more DP to spend per level on other stuff.
  If you are trying for an Ares Magica or a Mage (WoD) type conversion then this might be a good approach depending on what other options you have for other PC's.

This is similar to magic use in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini.  The person still needs to take time to shape the spell.  Still thinking about how long this takes.  But the power user can also "hang" spells or store them using the Scribing skill and Rune Paper or gems...

I was also thinking along the line, "Power is power.  Its effects depend on how you shape it."  Kind of like electricity is electricity.  It depends on the motor/device that shapes what you do with the electricity.

As mentioned earlier, I am also thinking DP Costs may/should be higher so as to bring a little more balance.  Also, I was thinking that any player would need a 90+ (at least in the Potential score) in four stats (Em, In, Pr, SD) just to even think of being a power user.

Keep the suggestions/critiques coming, please.

rmfr

[markc]

  Just off the top of my head I might look at the rules from Pulp Fiction if you have them as a guide. I think they are also reprinted in one of the RM Annuals if you have that to look at.
  That would raise the cost to around 20-30 IIRC, and that would be a bargain IMHO. One cost to cast any spell very powerful with out some other balancing mechanism.


MDC

[arakish]

No I don't have any Pulp Fiction.  The only Pulp Fiction I know of is the movie and the story books in the 20s and 30s.  Also, I have heard of Ars Magica.  Mage I have never heard of.  What is WoD?  I know it ain't the D&D folk.  That's WotC.

Thanks for the suggestions.  More are still welcome.

rmfr

[markc]

  WoD is World of Darkness who makes Mage, Vampire, Werewolf as well as other games. In Mage you buy an area sort of like RMSS Ess Comp Ritual spells and then you can cast all spells below your dots (think rank or power level). This idea is sort of like SM:P except that you just by the area or category and then a general skill that covers all skills in the category.
MDC