The Physical Master, Is it unbalanced and munchkiny? Options

[RedSunOfKrypton]

I was wondering of the opinions of my fellow Dumpshockers if the archtype "Physical Master" was too powerful/unbalancing, you can check it out here.

[Ancient History]

Munchkin.

[Sphynx]

Yes and Yes.

[RedSunOfKrypton]

I thought so, I wonder why people make those (Munchkiny) things.

[Hasaku]

The costs...my ghod, the power costs...

[RedSunOfKrypton]

I know, 1 Power point for 10 levels of Deep Breathing, that's five minutes additinal holding time for 1 point...crazy.

[Smiley]

Who on earth put something that amazingly unbalanced together? And can i shake his hand?

[Austere Emancipa...]

If it's for GM use, it's just a lame excuse to get +50% the abilities you'd normally get. If it's for player use, well, good luck getting that through any sane GM.

A beginning Physical Master could also take 9 levels of Enhanced Velocity and 4 levels of Multiple Strike for 1.3 PPs, for a Running Multiplier of 12 and the ability to ignore all Multiple Enemies In Melee modifiers.

This post has been edited by Austere Emancipator: Apr 11 2004, 07:42 PM

[TinkerGnome]

Hmm... It is magic priority A, at least.

I'm trying to think of a simple fix that would make this usable. And I can't. ;) Possibly a flat +1 power point or a caveat that the price reductions are based off of the total power cost (ie, if you buy 4 levels of Improved Ability (stealth), it'd cost you .75 points (as it's a 1 point power at that point).

The only reason I could see letting this into a game is if, for some reason, none of the PCs ever play physical adepts (are there games like that? Never been in one...).

[Glyph]

If you allowed that monstrosity into a game, everyone would play a physical adept.

[TinkerGnome]

Well, ideally, if no one was playing a physical adept and just one or two PCs were coming in and you allowed it, the effect wouldn't be that great.

Besides, I'd personally never allow it since I've never had a lack of phys ads ;)

[A Clockwork Lime]

A "fix" might be that Priority A "Physical Masters" automatically learn powers as if by a geas, but don't have to select a geas to do so, but cannot take a geas to lower the cost further (but they can take them to offset Magic Loss). It's the equivalence of alpha-grade implants for sammies at the cost of +5 Build Points instead of one or more geasa.

[Sphynx]

[Lilt]

I'd have to agree with other people that the physical master is too powerful. I also agree that physads should be able to pump more (or less) into their phyad powers at chargen. Sphynx's system is good, but rules for Physad 'Lights' and 'Heavies' for the priorities system would be good too. IE: What could a Magic priority C character get?

[A Clockwork Lime]

Magic 1, Astral Perception, and access to Aura Reading and Enchanting. Just like the Astral Sight SURGE option.

[mfb]

most of the powers are insane, but i like Mobile Efficiency. i'd probably rename it to something a bit less clunky, though. Mobility, maybe, if i could call it that without being burned at the stake by anti-d20 fans.

[Panzergeist]

That's right up there with true drakes and magically active awakened whales.

[Lilt]

I think mobile efficiency would be better re-hashed as a multi-level power at 0.5/level, each level reducing TN penalties from movement by 1. Seem fair?

[edit] Enhanced velocity should probably cost 1.5 power points per level. A sammie needs to buy 2*1-essence kid-stealth cyberlegs to get a similar bonus, equating roughly to 2 power points, but he gets other bonuses too so I reduced it to 1.5/level. Comments welcome. [/edit]

[A Clockwork Lime]

I'd say that's another 0.25 point per level power, myself. 0.5 Power Points is a lot. It's the equivalence of a Smartlink-2, cutting blind fighting penalties in half, or the ability to pull out and ready a pair of spiked maces as a free action.

[GunnerJ]

[Herald of Verjig...]

[Moonstone Spider]

I wonder how he'd fare against the Path-of-Kings Wheelmage?

+4 dice in every spell catagory.
May Conjure any Spirit.
+1 Die when dispelling.
1+ Die to all spells in the province of Meath.

[Lilt]

He'd whip his ass, largely because the wheelmage must be an NPC. As no NPC is ever as crafty as a PC, the munchkin PC with the Physical Master character would trounce the NPC wheelmage.

[Sphynx]

Red Sun, it really looks like you just want a way to make adepts alot more powerful. I recommend if you're looking for some min-max potential for an Adept that you do Resources A and Magic B (or equivalent BP levels). That'll let you get +4 to an attribute (Muscle Toner/Muscle Aug), Synaptic Accelerator, Boosted Reflexes-1, and some spare change in other augmentations for 2 Magic Points. Counting how much the same thing would cost in Adept Power Points (4+ for Attributes, 3 for Reflexes-2) you can easily get a good 8 Power Points in powers for 2 Magic, leaving you 4 Power Points to split amongst Adept Powers. It's actually alot more powerful than the Physical Master, but would require 50+ BP instead of 30. However, since you'll have the cash, you can start with an un-bonded weapon focus, so well worth the extra BPs. ;)

Sphynx

[Blades]

Another way to make it possible for the adept to get more Power points at char. creation.

Make it possible to buy additional points at char gen with a cost of 100.000 a piece (max 4 extra) we are not talking about initiation "just" extra power points.

I tried this with at GM, and it looked to work alright, just like the mage being able to buy additional spell points. The char will be forced to have less in other categories since they have to cough up with the cash.

By the way I like the idea of a 30 BP adept, with a "free" Astral perception power a char gen.