5E Wish List, Or 'What I want for Christmas'. Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Standard Switch to: Linear+

[sk8bcn]

Thank you. I can see your point, and it is well though out. I don't agree, but I do think you have valid points. I don't have a problem with unique abilities assigned to specific race or category of beings, however I can see that other might. My thoughts on the wish list still stand, after all it is a wish list.

-D

I would always select an exponential xp-cost rather than hard caps. Anyway, the request you formulate IMO, is so easy to house rule anyway.

[Tashiro]

Actually, I gave my players the option in one campaign to have a ritual done which would give one of them Twist of Fate. It had been originally a ritual used by dragons to enhance their abilities, but got stolen by an elf who had used it on himself. The catch? Since it was intended for dragons - if you use the ritual, you don't get your normal Edge uses, and your Edge only recovers by pulling it out of other people. You touch them, their edge drops by one, you get a point of Edge back. The Edge loss manifests as bad luck -- the more Edge you take, the more horrific the bad luck manifests as. The problem is that ANY skin-on-skin contact will trigger Edge siphoning if you aren't at full Edge. You can't prevent it from happening.

It was interesting to see the PCs considering this -- since all the PCs were in relationships, they declined. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

So then you'd be in favor of equalizing other non-playables, like Cyberzombies, Paracritters, Cyborgs, Twisted Path Mages and Adepts, and the like?

Cyberzombies, Cyborgs, Twisted magicians and adepts, and (sapient) paracritters are not, in fact, things that players can't be, they're just not expected to be. There's no reason they can't be, it just changes the nature of the game. Hell, I'm in a game right now with two Free Spirits in the crew. There are rules for things like cyberzombies and cyborgs that would only matter if it were a player running them, for instance.

And moreover, none of them have powers/abilities that break the core mechanics of the game. The core game mechanics expect that your Edge score is sacrosanct, and your choices to spend Edge to its detailed uses matter. Then along comes Twist Fate and says "Yeah, lolno." Which is asinine.

I don't understand where you're coming from. You're fine with countless other splat/race based powers, but for some reason Twist Fate just torques you off?

~Umi

How about you stop twisting what I'm saying and deliberately being obtuse about my point, hmmm? Most other things are things that PCs can be, they're just not likely to be. Hell, even Dragons are something PCs might be, but Twist Fate is fucked-up because it fucks with core game mechanics. It's an ability that says "My rules are not your rules," and it might as well be "A Dragon eats 1d6 player characters per round."

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I would like non-augmented mundanes to be viable in some way perhaps a higher edge cap or something.

They are viable... I am currently playing one in our Shadowrun game. And his Edge is a peasly 2. *shrug*

[sk8bcn]

And moreover, none of them have powers/abilities that break the core mechanics of the game. The core game mechanics expect that your Edge score is sacrosanct, and your choices to spend Edge to its detailed uses matter. Then along comes Twist Fate and says "Yeah, lolno." Which is asinine.

While I agree that if an NPC can do something, in theory a PC should too -In theory-.

It's not however a problem that both doesn't follow the same mechanics. Many pulp style games gives some NPC mooks stats (7th Sea, Savage Worlds).

What I don't agree with is powers that "twist" game rules. An horror or spirit able to syphon edge or nullify it doesn't seem more unlogical to me than a ghost that could make you age in seconds. It's just a power among others.

It's an ability that says "My rules are not your rules," and it might as well be "A Dragon eats 1d6 player characters per round."

Y a know, Cthulhu used to tramble 1d4+1 humans per round. I've never had an heart attack for that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (It was pretty pointless tough).

[sk8bcn]

They are viable... I am currently playing one in our Shadowrun game. And his Edge is a peasly 2. *shrug*

I don't understand what "viable" means, here. It's not an PvP game. Either you wanna max or have a strong character, either you just have fun roleplaying.

And if it's that, a mundane non-augmented is quite a nice choice anyway.

[_Pax._]

It's not even out of the question to imagine that very old, very powerful magicians have lots and lots of Initiate ranks. After all, they got to be very old and very powerful for a reason.

But to say that's a feat the PCs are blanket incapable of because they aren't the right splat/race is assinine, as is giving the dragons the ability to influence core game mechanics in unfair ways that nobody else can.

The setting kind of supports this, though.

Consider: what if getting initiate grades above your Essence, or maybe 2xEssence, requires a dramatically higher Mana level throughout the world, than we currently have today? Those Immortal Elves, and the Great Dragons? They had access to said Mana Levels at one time, and could have gained their extraordinary Initiate grades then.

You could even posit that an artificially-inflated mana level today might, carefully and expensively applied, permit initiation past that first "ceiling" - into the 2x or 3x range. Say, an aspected BGC of 10 or 20, an outright Mana Warp really, but focussed "just so" by Geomasonry or Geomancy and used "just so" via a ritual with a sizeable number of participants (and maybe the leader needs geomancy/geomasonry, too? Or worse,all participants?). And then chage double Karma for the initiation.

IOW, brutally prohibitive ... but possible.

...

Also remember that, if you subscribe to "Earthdawn was the 4th world", those Immortal Elves were "adepts" of that age - and their current status, even as "megapowerful" Initiates, is probably tothem but a pale shadow of what they had once achieved. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The rules should be the same for everyone. If you can't hack it because you lack sufficient XP/resources/magic/technology/backup/whatever, that's one thing. But being unable to hack it because they're just playing with different rules than you are is assinine.

You mean, like being an Insect Shaman, or Poisoner tradition mage? Just sayin' ...

[Shortstraw]

There are 3 reasons not to have 'ware in SR
1) Awakened - loss of magic.
2) Poor - can't afford it but will buy stuff if they get the money.
3) Moral Objections - people with this sort of objection are unlikely to be runners.

So playing a mundane without 'ware either means I had no money and this state won't last past a few runs or I have moral objections to altering people and am unlikely to want to work with people who have it so 90%+ of runners.

Edit: I also wasn't specifically saying give them more edge I want them to have something that can bring them in line - perhaps if skills can only be brought to 12 even with augmentation so adepts and people with control rig boosters can get their driving skills to 8 and then beef them to 12 whereas a unauged mundane has to pay the karma to get it up there.

[CanRay]

You could just have an issue with having 'ware in YOU. Dirk did/does, and he's still a pretty decent 'runner.

[_Pax._]

Yeah, sensitive system, nano intolerance, and if you're willing to compromise a TEENSY bit on bioware, pick up just two minor things (say, Biotattoo and Clean Metabolism - 4,000¥ and 0.1E between them both, and neither would be especially easy to take back OUT ...), and get Biosystem Overstress.

Blammo, 50 extra BP, and a very good reason to have very little, or almost NO, augments. Of any sort.