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Moonstone Spider
Just a place to list the odd and really cheap geasa players have come up with to try to get free build points.

A physical adept I saw had the following:

Improved Ability (Pistols)
Geasa: Only when holding a pistol.
toturi
Boring.

Pain Resistance. Only when hurt.

Improved Reflexes. Only in combat.

Combat Sense. Only when awake.
Austere Emancipator
QUOTE (toturi)
Pain Resistance. Only when hurt.

Actually, that might be cool. The character has PR-1 and gets a Light wound -- he's hurt, Pain Resistance turns on, no modifier. On the next CT, he isn't hurt because of the Pain Resistance Power, it turns itself off, +1 Modifier. Next CT he's hurt again, Pain Resistance turns on, no modifier.

Next CT he gets another Light wound -- now he's constantly hurt, because the Pain Resistance-1 can only block the modifiers from 1 box of damage, and thus PR is always on.
Gorath
I thought in roughly 50% of your time a geased power should not work (i.e. at night, at day).

So, some of this don't qualify as a geasa.

EDIT: You still are hurt but you are not affected by the wound modifier. So no turning on/off. But as i said, those geasa does not qualify as per MitS rules, but its your GM decision biggrin.gif
Austere Emancipator
I don't think it has to be exactly ~50%. If the power doesn't work for much more than 50% of the time, then I think that's fine. The problem, of course, is that it should be unusable at least 50% of the time when the Power could potentially be used.

The only one mentioned that wouldn't make the Power unusable at least 50% of the actual lifetime of such a character (unless the character is a complete psycho) is the Only When Awake Geasa, because most people are awake more than 50% of their time.

[Edit]Only When Awake would also "duplicate a limitation the character already has" as mentioned in MitS, so it wouldn't count. Unless the particular character is known to do a lot of runs while asleep...[/Edit]
Austere Emancipator
If one of my players gave me such a moronic suggestion for a Geasa, I'd interpret it in any way possible to make him suffer -- only until he sees the error of his ways, of course. In this case, I'd take a literal interpretation of the name of the Adept Power and the word "hurt" (as in "in physical pain").
A Clockwork Lime
The 50% guideline is precisely that, a guideline. Several of the example geasa ignore it completely, such as Talisman, Incantation, and Gesture.

That aside, I simply wouldn't accept some of the geasa mentioned above. I prefer to work with players during the character creation phase instead of waiting to be surprised and then feeling obligated to accept and then bastardize what they turned in, or just telling them no and to create another character. The former is simply petty and immature in my eyes, and the latter is just a waste of time. Both only lead to disgruntled feelings most of the time.

Regardless, if a player wanted to do something like Pain Resistance (only when hurt), I'd ask him to focus that geas a bit as long as it fit his overall concept. Sort of like Pain Resistance (only when shot).
Austere Emancipator
I've never had a SR character in my games not created either in the same room as me with discussion all the way through or completely by me, so you can consider my example above theoretical at best, only to be used if I met a complete prick of a player.

To suggest a Pain Resistance - Only When Hurt (unless using my interpretation) Power - Geas either shows that the player is a complete prick, or just unsure about the rules. There are ways to deal with both.
Aidley
I have to admit to being a bit lazy with geasa - my troll shaman chick had 'has to wear passion pink nail polish' for everything, and my male oni phys ad 'has to wear his treasured marijuana leaf pendant' for everything.

made it easier for me to remember.

plus the thought of a prissy-bum princess troll shaman running about having to have immaculate nails all the time kind of made me giggle.
Fahr
I have Okd Pcs who's Phhys Adept powers were linked t a specifc weapon, not type, but like "My fathers sword holds special powers"... and that worked pretty good, cause you can't go wandering around with a no-dachi everywhere! smile.gif

-Mike R.
Cain
Those are excellent examples of Talisman geasa. Those aren't cheap at all.

The 50% guideline is flexible, but it should cover enough situations that the power can be taken away from you. Talisman, Incantation, and Gesture are all examples of geasa that won't affect you under careful circumstances, but that can change on you really fast. (Incantation and Gesture have a few unique drawbacks all their own, as they make you bloody obvious.)
krishcane
Whether a geas is cheap sorta depends on circumstances. A geas like "Must be on planet Earth" seems really stupid... until you're playing an orbital campaign using T:WL rules.

--K
Kagetenshi
Must be touching the earth would be interesting, especially tied to a special Regeneration power.
Kudos to the people who get the reference.

~J
spotlite
Gesture is actually my favorite geas. Its not cheap, but it sure makes you look cool. If you're tied up, you're screwed, but that's one reason to get the escape artist specialisation...

the Talisman geas described are ok, but I'd prefer it wasn't the one item for everything. Just ones that make sense. Eg, for reflexes and combat sense to work, you must be holding your father sword, or whatever. The leaf might make his various perception powers work biggrin.gif and the nail polish might be for any manual powers like improved physical skills, killing hands and so on - maybe the pink moving back and forth acts as a focus for her or something weird. I'd be inclined to go with a number of talismans because as a gamesmaster it means I can't accidentally completely wreck a player's character by destroying his one and only irreplaceable means to access any of his powers, and as a player because the gamesmaster can't accidentally completely wreck my character by destroying his one and only irreplaceable means to access any of his powers...
Thistledown
I have one that I'm not sure if it'd be considered cheap or not. He's a phys-ad gunner (pistols), but his geas on all his powers is that he's had to have smelled gunpowder in the last few minutes. He has little ziplocks of gunpowder that he uses sometimes, but that can get annoying in a long run or an unexpected fight. Once the fighting starts of course, he has no trouble in a big fight, but he's not great until a few shots have been fired.

Another character that I've seen used (not mine though) was Spam. He had managed to get the very first can of Spam ever made and had to pray to it in the morning to use his powers. Then he also had to eat some spam before the run for his powers to work.
snowRaven
On the geas 'only when holding a pistol' for Improved Pistols...

I'd ask the player if he really wanted it, then rule that by 'holding a pistol' he meant in actual physical contact with it - thus not when wearing a glove. Unless he takes real care in putting on a glove after each firefight, and never losing the gun or touching something else with that hand, he'll leave fingerprints everywhere.

After a few messy runs he'll have the Star jumping as soon as he uses a credstick (thumbprint scan) to gather security cam tapes, interrogate people, etc.
Zazen
One of my players did try to use "Only when holding a pistol" for his Improved Pistols! He also tried "only when uninjured" Quick Strike on another character.

Same guy who tried brain-in-jar riggers with armored drone bodies and zero-essense VCRs in fake tits. It's more work making his characters reasonable than helping the rest of the group combined.
simonw2000
What a nutter!
simonw2000
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
Must be touching the earth would be interesting, especially tied to a special Regeneration power.
Kudos to the people who get the reference.

~J

In Greek mythology, Hercules once fought a man who, whenever he hit the ground, got back up - completely unfatigued. The only way to kill him was to choke him, and keep his body above ground while doing so. I do believe I get the kudos for knowing the reference.
Kagetenshi
I do believe you do.

~J
A Clockwork Lime
QUOTE (Zazen)
He also tried "only when uninjured" Quick Strike on another character.

While not the type of player I'd enjoy gaming with, I don't see a problem with this particular geas.
Kagetenshi
The problem is that that's a built-in restriction of the power, so the geas restricts nothing.

~J
A Clockwork Lime
It is? I never realized that. I thought it was just self-limiting in that it only allowed you to go first each round instead of giving an actual speed bonus. My mistake.
BitBasher
and Quick Stike only wouks if you are completely unwounded.
Luke Hardison
QUOTE (simonw2000)
QUOTE (Kagetenshi @ Mar 17 2004, 07:35 PM)
Must be touching the earth would be interesting, especially tied to a special Regeneration power.
Kudos to the people who get the reference.

~J

In Greek mythology, Hercules once fought a man who, whenever he hit the ground, got back up - completely unfatigued. The only way to kill him was to choke him, and keep his body above ground while doing so. I do believe I get the kudos for knowing the reference.

And I assumed he was refering to the "Brothers" GF fight in FF8, where you would levitate the bosses to cancel their innate regeneration. I guess those are both referenced to the same base legend, though.
RangerJoe
Hmmm... ever think that Indianna Jones has a talisman geas (hat). He always gets his ass handed to him when he is hatless, but seems to have increase-charisma, detect(swag), and any number of other spells up when his fedora is on. Just a thought.
Cain
QUOTE
Must be touching the earth would be interesting, especially tied to a special Regeneration power.

You mean Anateus. cool.gif

QUOTE
Another character that I've seen used (not mine though) was Spam. He had managed to get the very first can of Spam ever made and had to pray to it in the morning to use his powers. Then he also had to eat some spam before the run for his powers to work.

I've used the "power food" geas before-- you have to eat a certain food to activate your power for a time. The duration varies on how rare the food is-- Nuke-it Burritos are only good for half an hour, while prime beef is worth about 12. I always wanted to give it to an adept, who linked eating Spinach to a huge Strength Boost power; that's why I call it the "Popeye geas". biggrin.gif
Lindt
QUOTE (RangerJoe)
Hmmm... ever think that Indianna Jones has a talisman geas (hat). He always gets his ass handed to him when he is hatless, but seems to have increase-charisma, detect(swag), and any number of other spells up when his fedora is on. Just a thought.

Heh. I may have to do that. A archeloigest adept? Whips, pistols, athletics, other fun stuff. Like the adept power 'running away from boulders'.
Sunday_Gamer
Things like "only when touching the Earth" work because they are actual limitations. Anytime you're on a second floor, you lose. Shadowrunners spend enough time on rooftops to make it legit.

Gun mastery that only works when holding a gun on the other hand is just something your player says and you smack him with something heavy and advise him that if he can have it but you'll change it to "Only when an enemy is pointing gun at HIM" then smile and watch him change his mind.

Let's be reasonable people, not asshat cheeseheads.

Only when awake? Why not Only while alive while we're at it, why pussy foot around, just go for the gold I say.

A player ever comes to me with something like that as a serious suggestion, I'll seriously reconsider letting him in my game, for obvious reasons.

Sunday
Traks
I am sure my group of dysfunctional players would seriously ask about most of mentioned "free" geas. But then, I GM for them for such things - is so nice to say No and smack them with book regularly.
toturi
QUOTE (Traks)
I am sure my group of dysfunctional players would seriously ask about most of mentioned "free" geas. But then, I GM for them for such things - is so nice to say No and smack them with book regularly.

Only if they don't band together, smack you up and make you give them those free powers of your own accord. cool.gif
Austere Emancipator
Never gonna happen.
Traks
True.
They are lazy whores who enjoy their regular Shadowrun injection.
So while no one of them will say "I will GM Shadowrun for a while", no worries.
Besides if they would manage to get those weird powers, well, then they are accessible to NPC's widely. No big deal, really.
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