what are some good Adept Geasa, but without being munchy Options

[GlassJaw]

I'm hoping to finally give an adept character a whirl and while I was originally thinking about not having any geasa, I'm curious as to some "common" geasa that are taken.

Anyone have any good ideas that make sense and wouldn't make a GM cringe?

[Paul]

Hmmm. I had a player once that used sort of a blind kata thing-were all of his fighting skills were based off being blind, inspired of course by Daredevil, and Blind Fury. He had to wear a blind fold while fighting.

Now that was way back in first edition so we thought we were all that! Now a days I can imagine what a few might be:

• Not new by any means, but I think it's cool: Drunk. The drunker (s)he is, the better (s)he fights.
  
• Specific specially designed weapon. Think signature weapon here. I'd require it be hand crafted, or crafted as much as possible by hand with few complex materials.
  
• One handed-good for weapons stuff, simple admitedly.
  
• Wounded? Is this possible...I don't know. Needs at least apoint of damage to get it in gear.
  
• Tranced-meditative state, asleep, asphyxiated, or what not.
  
• Astral-whether projecting or just vision.
  
• Talker-if he's not leaking from the mouth, he ain't fightin'!

Those are some real simplistic ones admitedly, but I am sure there are more and better. This is a good place to get those suggestions.

[Fresno Bob]

Having to have one hand tied behind your back.

[mfb]

you could do the rage thing. some powers of one adept i play only kick in when she's at 3+ boxes of damage.

[Paul]

Machines. The adept needs a piece of cybernetics to make it work. Maybe something that isn't active all the time? Maybe a type of cybernetic vision, hearing or a weapon?

[mfb]

indeed. another adept i play uses technomagically-altered devices that, in effect, grant him powers.

[Sandoval Smith]

I've frequently had adepts use vocalizations such as humming tunelessly for powers like astral perception (it's what they use to focus their concentration so they can use that power). It works pretty well as a geas, because you can only hum so long on one breath, can't talk while astrally percieving, and you might be in a situation where you really want to take a look at the astral, but also want to keep quiet.

[FrostyNSO]

"I can only use pain resistance when I'm wounded."

[mfb]

heh. let's not get into that argument again. (for the curious, the powers so geasa'd are IA: Krav Maga 2 and IA: Athletics 4. piss her off, and she will chase your ass down and beat you to death.)

[Veracusse]

Exertion.

A friend told me this concept once. An adept who powers are only active when she overexerts herself to the point of exhaustion. This could be doing 2,000+ pushups non-stop, running a 50 mile marathon, or something other insane sort of athletic achievement. Then her adept powers will work for the rest of the day/night.

This geasa would fit well with the Athletics way Adept, plus it will penalize her enough in both time and exhaustion modifiers. You may even be able to make her make a Body or Willpower test as you/the GM deem appropriate.

Veracusse

[FrostyNSO]

heh, jew-jitsu

[mfb]

haha. hey, i like krav maga. it does one thing, and it does it well. and goddammit, when am i going to learn that there's no n in that martial art?

[Cynic project]

Music, as in must listen to music.
Must always wear a type of grab. This type of grab should be unusual.
Chanting, loudly.

[Smiley]

I like the Talisman geas. For example, astral sight geased to a pair of sunglasses.

[DrJest]

As an Equilibrium fan, I'd like to see some kind of reverse of mfb's rage geas; a state of near-transcendental calm. Perhaps requiring Meditation skill checks? One to kick off the state, and needing a check when injured etc?

[Critias]

I made a sniper (but never had the chance or real urge to play him yet) who's got a geas where he only gets his improved ability: rifles when he takes an Aim action.

[ES_Riddle]

I'm a fan of talismans that are pretty off-beat and that actually serve as restrictions. My way of the gun adept who thinks he is nonmagical has a level or two of mystic armor geased to the walther pb-120 that he keeps in a concealable holster in the small of his back. He just feels "safer" when it is there, and he thought about that quite a lot one day after he had some bioware put in and wasn't feeling quite like his old self.

One interesting one I've seen was for a troll martial artist...his abilities were all geased to "only when naked from the waist up." Most of the time he'd walk around in an armored trench coat, but once he got close enough to kick some ass he'd shrug it off and begin the ass-kicking. It was a pretty stiff geas, though, since it significantly limited his armor and wasted an action for him every combat.

[GlassJaw]

I was toying with some ideas for an archer. What about adding a geas to Quick Draw that it can only be used with bows? Sort of like an adept power that was developed through training.

I thought a good geas for Microscopic Vision was Exclusive. You have to concentrate while using it so no other powers work. That doesn't really matter though since all the Imp Sense have a .25 P cost already.

[JaronK]

Well, there's time geasa (only at night, only in day time, only in mornings, only after noon), space geasa (only indoors, only outdoors, only underground, only in natural surroundings, only in a polluted area), prevention geasa (only in service to the innocent, only in self defense, only when the target is aware of you, only if they attacked first), talisman geasa (the most likely to be cheesed out, generally only use something they wouldn't have on them anyway), action geasa (only while humming, only while singing, only while shouting, only while dancing), and so forth, but the general rule is the geasa should actually be a penalty, and not really easily circumvented or ignored when the power is needed (pain resistance only while wounded, talisman geasa on IA: pistols being has to be holding a pistol, talisman geasa on any power being has to still have some piece of cyberware installed, etc).

JaronK

[kevyn668]

[Zolhex]

My best one is the full body tattoo.

First off it is 3 different tattoo's to adhere to the 3 different aspects of the talisman geas.

Next you get cut, shot, acid spiled on ya what ever if the wound you take damages the skin your powers shut down.

The only way to get back up and running is with magical healing for the no scars deal.

Came up with idea when I ran a Yakuza adept enforcer was pretty cool although never had to worry about getting healed had a real good mage partner.

[Raife]

A character in my campaign uses specially designed silk and metal hand/leg wraps. Each wrap is linked to different powers and are extremely expensive because they use small flakes of oricalcum.

If he takes bullet hits or cuts there is a chance they get damage, and if they are damaged he loses the linked powers until they are repaired.

He takes a lot of damage...

[hyzmarca]

Distance Strike which appears to be a giant glowigng enrgy ball geased to 'must grunt like you're consitpated'.

[Cirenya]

I toyed with the idea of an assasin-style character, whose combat-oriented powers only worked on people on which she had a contract...

[mfb]

i used wildcat, but swapped out zoning for whirling. zoning doesn't feel right, in my limited experience, for krav maga; it's too indirect. i mean, face it, krav maga only has two moves: kick 'em in the nuts, then gouge out their eyes with your terrible claw-fingers.