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More Exaltations
Topic Started: Sep 18 2014, 01:24 AM (3,390 Views)
Eisenritter
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Old Iron Knight
Phoenix Magic is intentionally written to widen the main benefit of Magical Aptitude while narrowing the option pool used with it. You get both magic schools added to your class progressions, but only gain a free rank in one; otherwise it's identical.

And Gloaming Aspect is a functional copypasta of the Tremere clan, except I'd deemed the bonus on the Focus Power test to be too much, since we've already gotten a free rank from Phoenix Magic. :$
Edited by Eisenritter, Sep 28 2014, 06:47 PM.
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Soulblazer_87

Can I request a Witcher-inspired Exaltation?

Possible abilities; Free sword schools, potions/elixirs that only the Witcher can consume for various bonuses in return for different penalties (think Dragonsouled elements, only switching from one to another and you get penalties as well as benefits from them), quick-firing spells provided they are half his caster level and at the expense of Resource (no spamming lv5 spells, at most you'd quick-fire lv2 spells), improved senses.

Or could we just bash together a few classes for the same effect?
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Soulblazer_87

What I've thought so far on the PsiLord (fluff pending, but shouldn't be too hard):

PsiLord
Power Stat: Ego

Resource: Psi, equal to Resolve+Ego, recover Ego/Scene

Powers:
Unquiet Whispers: When near crowds, the constant thinking of others makes a constant, penetrating drone of thought and ideas, distracting the PsiLord. This manifests in headaches, nasty temper and general unpleasantness as the PsiLord is trying to isolate his identity from the mass around them. Because of that PsiLords suffer –XkX in Social Tests while around more people than 4 times their Ego, within a range of 5m per point of Ego. This can be consciously suppressed by expending 1 Psi for a scene to create a Tower of Iron Will around them.

Extrasensory Sense: May sense the presence (not location) of all living beings, sentient and not. Prolonged exposure to a specific mind, or attention enough to memorize its pattern can lead to specific identification, as opposed to the usual ‘number and relative distance’.

Telepathy: By spending 1 Psi, the PsiLord may contact a being they are aware of the existence and that is located within 1 mile. Superdense or magic-affecting materials might affect this distance. The connection is both ways.

Thought-skimming: Passive reading of thoughts, grants +1k0 bonuses to Social tests and, by spending 1 Psi can get a faint impressions of people around them. This does not necessarily mean reading their mind, but more reading unconscious clues as to what people really feel at that time.

EgoPower Gained
* Hivemind: After a moment of contact (at least a round) and unbroken focus, a PsiLord can form a telepathic bond deeper than most. By ‘assigning’ the bond to an unused part of his brain, he can allow for constant streaming of information, rather than merely targeted thoughts. Because of this, the PsiLord and whomever is in such contact with him benefits as if they were in a Hive Mind. This bond weakens with distance and/or specific materials and can be, at most, maintained at a distance of 30m before breaking. Once broken, a member of the Hive Mind must be re-connected in the normal way. Creating and maintaining a Hivemind takes 1 Psi/scene.
** Telekinesis: By spending a Psi, you can manipulate objects at a distance for one scene. You effectively have a reach of three meters per dot of Ego. You cannot control objects well enough to make attacks with this ability. The effective Strength score for moving objects using this power is equal to your Willpower. At Ego 4, their control is fine enough to make melee attacks out to that range, though they cannot make opportunity attacks using Telekinesis
*** Past-Sight (Psychometry): look into the past of an item. May gain clues or temporarily gain skill ranks in its use. The ranks are one less than the highest rank of a previous user (not just owner). Obviously new or unused or recently-unused items have too faint a trace to read.
**** Astral Projection: By spending 5 Psi and sacrificing the ability to recover any Psi for the duration of this power plus another 2 scenes, the PsiLord may project their consciousness and awareness away from their body. The location to project must be either visually or conceptually familiar or they must have memory of it. They can perceive anything there and pass through solid matter or energy, but not magic, if they so desire. However, any sensation from the body is cut off, including things such as pain or hunger. The PsiLord must make a Willpower+Composure Test to return to their body, with a TN equal to the number of scenes away from their body, minus one, times 10. Failure means the PsiLord may not return for this scene. Other effects might also affect the PsiLord’s capability to return to their body. If the PsiLord cannot return in the usual way, they must make their way to their body manually and re-enter it.
*****Energy Projection: May create and fire psi-bullets as if from any ranged weapon OR create a melee weapon to use. The choice for both range or melee and the type of the weapon is made when gaining this power. The only weapon attributes that carry over are; Flexible, Balanced, Tearing, Brawling, Defensive, Reach, Two-handed (grants +1k1 to damage), Scatter.


Assets:
Foresight:
Teleport:
Matter Control: By spending 1 Psi, a PsiLord may phase a single body part out of the material world, therefore able to move past matter and energy, but not magic. The affected body-part is still visible, but immaterial for most things except anything with a power field or magic in it. It is usually applied to eyes, enabling sight into the Umbra. If the PsiLord so wishes, he may affect one thing with this ability, but not something else.
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Eisenritter
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Old Iron Knight
Still rather fond of "Parapsyker" as the name of this one, let's see, let's see~

Unquiet Whispers - Sensory drawback. I'd recommend bringing the list of skills this effects down somewhat; the press of thoughts makes it difficult to see and hear (Perception), or to think straight enough to read the situation (Scrutiny). You might also do something with Mental Defense here.

Extrasensory Perception - Sensory power. Seems a bit plain. Maybe add something like Detect Thoughts substituting Ego for the magic school?

Telepathy - Manipulative power. Even if it's only used for communication. Might tack an asset onto weaponizing it?

Thought-Skimming - Sensory power, trappings of Manipulative. Might give a larger bonus on Scrutiny tests specifically.

Hivemind - Manipulative power. Seems pretty useful, though, especially if your group's trying to be stealthy.

TelekinesisMind-Hand Manipulation - Environmental power, and reason enough for me to go with it even if nothing else works by me.

Psychometry - Sensory power. Could get !!fun!! if there are artifacts involved, especially Syrneth ones.

Astral Projection - Unclassifiable. Seems a bit complex in how it's explained, maybe it'll flow better in practice?

Energy Projection - Environmental power. Personally, I'd stick with using Mind-Hand Manipulation to wield a lot of guns at once... "soulknife" stuff like this is better suited to early levels, I think. And weapons created this way should be treated as magic.

Assets - Try "Precognition," rather than "Foresight," which is already a feat. I'd recommend what's essentially a "style" feat for each discipline; a focus on Sensory powers gets clairsentience and/or pre- or retrocognition to some degree, Somatic powers might lean toward substituting Mental scores instead of Physical ones (and maybe teleportation), Manipulative would be the mentioned ability to use Telepathy as a means to attack someone's mind, Environmental would be something playing with psychokinetic powers (or, y'know, give Evocation a la Tremere clan asset).

The psyker exalt must LIVE! @_@
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Soulblazer_87

Eisenritter
Oct 15 2014, 03:09 PM
Still rather fond of "Parapsyker" as the name of this one, let's see, let's see~

Unquiet Whispers - Sensory drawback. I'd recommend bringing the list of skills this effects down somewhat; the press of thoughts makes it difficult to see and hear (Perception), or to think straight enough to read the situation (Scrutiny). You might also do something with Mental Defense here.

Extrasensory Perception - Sensory power. Seems a bit plain. Maybe add something like Detect Thoughts substituting Ego for the magic school?

Telepathy - Manipulative power. Even if it's only used for communication. Might tack an asset onto weaponizing it?

Thought-Skimming - Sensory power, trappings of Manipulative. Might give a larger bonus on Scrutiny tests specifically.

Hivemind - Manipulative power. Seems pretty useful, though, especially if your group's trying to be stealthy.

TelekinesisMind-Hand Manipulation - Environmental power, and reason enough for me to go with it even if nothing else works by me.

Psychometry - Sensory power. Could get !!fun!! if there are artifacts involved, especially Syrneth ones.

Astral Projection - Unclassifiable. Seems a bit complex in how it's explained, maybe it'll flow better in practice?

Energy Projection - Environmental power. Personally, I'd stick with using Mind-Hand Manipulation to wield a lot of guns at once... "soulknife" stuff like this is better suited to early levels, I think. And weapons created this way should be treated as magic.

Assets - Try "Precognition," rather than "Foresight," which is already a feat. I'd recommend what's essentially a "style" feat for each discipline; a focus on Sensory powers gets clairsentience and/or pre- or retrocognition to some degree, Somatic powers might lean toward substituting Mental scores instead of Physical ones (and maybe teleportation), Manipulative would be the mentioned ability to use Telepathy as a means to attack someone's mind, Environmental would be something playing with psychokinetic powers (or, y'know, give Evocation a la Tremere clan asset).

The psyker exalt must LIVE! @_@
Unquiet Whispers; I left the list long because it's not a drawback that will necessarily come to play often -you just don't use a PsiLord as a 'Face' and you're done. And it's possible to supress anyway.

Extrasensory Perception; I'm trying to keep from Overpowering everything. Plain is something I like with this exaltation; you can passively tell how many things are around you. No cast, no roll. You just do. It's mainly there for "It's a trap!" moments.

Telepathy; again, I'm trying to keep powers from being directly weaponized. An asset that does so, would indeed be welcome, as soon as I think one up anyway :P

Thought-Skimming; I think that's what I wrote, but I might have to write it down anyway. However, it's not just Scrutiny it helps; Charm (by telling them what they really want to hear), Diplomacy (avoiding faux-pass and offering them what they want), Intimidation (ever had anyone whisper your greatest fears in your ear?). Again, though, it's a Passive ability. No rolls, no expenditure, just something that's 'always on'.

Astral Projection; mostly a Sensory power and, to be exact, mostly for scouting purpose. Fun fact; the SM could very well allow the use of certain powers through the Projection -since your mind is at that place and not in your body. Of course, the same SM could rule that, while you're out of your body, something else sneaks in.

Energy Projection; I was thinking more along the lines of firing bolts of mind-energy. But if you have a better capstone ability, I'm all for it. It's just where my ideas ran out :P

Assets; have I told you, you're a genius? I think I have, but I say it again; you, sir, are a genius. I was thinking of 3 different areas; Mind Over Matter (Using Psi points to enhance the body and/or perform 'direct' effects), Mind Over Dimension (Teleportation/Warp Space/Warp Time) and Mind Over Perception (Clairvoyance, precognition, etc etc). Since the PsiLord's powers are so generic (and this is why I left them so) and, generally, focus on passive effects that can be overcharged, rather than activating some ability, all those 'active skills' can be transferred over to the Assets, allowing for several different options to each Asset.

For example; Mind Over Matter can have 2 options, which can be used at any time (but at a hefty Psi cost); increase Physical stats (say at 3 Psi/Dot) or use an Evocation Spell by paying 3 Psi/Spell Level and using Ego instead of Evocation.

I wanted to think of Assets the same way Psychics in most anime/comics have several abilities common to each other, and then they each specialize in a specific discipline/ability. Since you recently brought up Kill La Kill, think about how every Life Fiber gives enhanced Strength/Speed/Regeneration, but Senketsu gives a LOT more abilities that are unique to it and it alone, on top of the regular ones.

EDIT: I just got a wicked Idea; why not leave the level 5 Ego power blank? Bear with me; by leaving it blank, we can fill it with whatever we want, according to the Asset. This way, each Asset would give a basic, passive or active, ability to play with, until you got to Ego 5, at which point your mind that is transient with nodes of brilliant thought, realizes the world itself reshapes according to their mind, and they promptly unlock an ability unique to that Asset alone. Matter-specialists would get a different ability from Voyance-specialists (also; Voyance specialists are called voyeurs. Clairvoyeurs. And now I need to make one of them that is Youma.) and both of them would be different from Dimension-specialists. Each to their own and, since you DON'T have to take the Asset at character creation, you can hold that off, until you get to that level before 'realizing' specifically why you are so different. Hell, I can add that as a minor drawback (that needs 100exp to get over, but it's better than nothing).
Edited by Soulblazer_87, Oct 15 2014, 03:40 PM.
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Eisenritter
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Old Iron Knight
Understood... but KLK's a bad example, because it's pretty much stated that Senketsu's a special case. You might have more of an argument with Junketsu, but that one's also explained; Kamui are essentially ten-star garments, they have more power in them because they're just more Life Fiber.

My assets were based on the four classes of parapsychic powers in Cthulhu Tech. Manipulative powers can directly attack the mind (a strong Manipulative parapsychic would be comparable to a good Enchanter), Environmental powers affect matter and energy in the surrounding area, Sensory powers include precognition and clairvoyance, and Somatic powers aren't very flashy, but basically amount to turning your body into a conduit for your will.

So any form of psychokinesis (tele-, pyro-, cryo-, gravi-... whatever prefix you can think of, really) would fall under the Environmental specialist's purview, hence the suggestion of poaching Evocation. Similarly, a Sensory adept might poach a lot more from Divination (note, by the way, that retrocognition can be useful and differs from psychometry). Other two don't really match well to specific magic schools.

...However, the phrase "speed of thought" does come to mind for a Somatic-focused asset, maybe enabling Int and Wis to add to or replace Str and Dex respectively for the purpose of determining Speed.

EDIT: DO IT.
Edited by Eisenritter, Oct 15 2014, 03:55 PM.
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Soulblazer_87

So we can have four, relatively large, Asset groups.

Manipulative (enchantment/mind control/indirect effects). Minor Power; use of Telepathy to insert whispers in the mind of others to affect their way of thought, leading to some rather large bonuses in Social skills, but potentially catastrophic if they realize what you've been doing. Major Power; Dominate/Minionize, turn others to your way of thought by crushing their ID and taking over.

Environmental (Psychokinesis, blowin' stuff up). Minor Power; Gain Evocation, may not free-level it, but may use Ego instead of Evocation, no Pushing but also no Perils of the Warp. Major Power; err... no idea, but I'd like to point at Psyren's Nova power, that is becoming one with your Psychic Ability and elevating yourself to a whole other level of magnitude in badassery (speaking of which, we need a Badass class, just to say "I took a level in Badass" with a straight face).

Cognition (Precog, Retrocog, Hypercog -that is, the ability to make intuitive leaps of understanding, think Sherlock Holmes/Doctor Who going SSJ). Minor Power; observe anyplace, anywhen, proper tests pending. Major Power; observe the World Behind, the Great Wheel, the Tapestry of Existence to some pretty significant bonuses into long-term plans/actions that might seem inconsistent at first (think Butterfly Effect, but actually being planned rather than random).

Somatic (Become an unstoppable mesh of man and machi- err, man and mind). Minor Power; burn through Psi to increase Physical stats (the greater the increase, the greater the cost, a la Vampire: The Masquerade). Major Power; Again, thinking of Nova from Psyren, or it might lead to some rule-breaking, within reason. Such as, for example, increasing Initiative/Taking extra actions, gaining great bonuses to various stats (buffing SD or Resilience, rather than just STR/DEX/CON).

Obviously some are easier to think up, others are harder to pin down. Ideas/Criticism?
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Eisenritter
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Old Iron Knight
...Just to be clear, you are referencing the Psyren manga that started running in Shonen Jump shortly before it went full-digital, yes?

Environmental is the simple one... think of Lucy or, well, any of the silpelits from Elfen Lied. Might be able to shift damage types dealt through Mind-Hand Manipulation (Lucy likes what amounts to Rending damage when "unarmed"), maybe some ability to "push" Ego solely for the use of that power? Major power can be taken from the end of the manga, where she basically turns into a psychokinetic nuke for a couple chapters before literally melting down; a psionic nova blast, as 'twere. Can also add some Abjuration; one of the most common things Lucy does is catch or deflect bullets (Shield).

Sensory should include gaining Divination through Ego somehow, I think.

The most obvious thing for Somatic is, to me, substituting Mental stats wherever Physical stats normally go. I.e. you can run Speed off of Int and Wis instead of Str and Dex if they're higher, use Willpower in Static Defense, and so on? Buff your allies, too, for that matter, but you might need to actually touch them. Somatic powers also include empathic healing/wound transfer abilities, so between this and Environmental you'd have all the PSI powers from EarthBound.

And then, one that doesn't really fit in with the other four, just because the soulknife is an awesome idea: Metacreative parapsykers. Affects or summons nonliving objects; these could be anything from sheathing your sword and shield in psychic force to protect from daemons, to calling the Ideal Sword out from the depths of your mind to smite heretics with! This one... eh, less of a priority. I might fiddle with it once the rest is done. :P
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Soulblazer_87

To be clear, yes, yes I am. Loved that manga.

So, how do we put everything in written form? Without OP'ing the heck out of it. One way would be to make a limit of spells (1/spell level) and say 'hi, this is what you get, now start rolling'. Another way to get Environmental down would be to give a Natural Weapon (which can be enhanced with Psi). Giving it, for example, Reach a couple of times would simulate tearing someone apart at range, giving it Defensive and/or Armored, could simulate using it to defend. Major Power could see that weapon turned into a Blast around the character (or aimed somewhere nearby) with gods-know-how-many-bonuses, at the cost of taking Health damage every round (as your powers start tearing you up from the inside out).

Cognition could be stated this way; "Spend X Psi to look into the past or future. A successful Test is required to locate the correct moment you wish to observe. The further back/forward an event is, the less defined it is, until it passes from a visual/auditory experience into merely a conceptual one." This covers past and present, leaving Astral Projection to observe the present. Major Power... read the Fate of something and then throw a wrench in the chain of events? I'm thinking of 'decide something you wish to happen at least 10 scenes from now. You can take an action now and, if you let the world resolve it as it should -that is, neither you nor any affected in even indirect ways, use a Divination or Divination-based ability, what you planned for occurs'. My throwing a baseball down that corridor resulted in people tripping, a gun fired at a critical electronics system, which caused an overload, which then drained the power of this location, which then ASPLODED. Because why not.

Subbing Mental for Physical might seem cool at first, but it doesn't allow for superhuman feats of body capability. More like, same old, but you don't spend exp for Physical stats. Breaking through the limit of what is possible, however (spend 1Psi/dot until 5, 2 for 6, 4 for 7, 8 for 8, 16 for 9) might be cooler. Or we could use a combination; spend 1 Psi to use Mental stats instead of Physical if better, after that, you can keep pushing your Physical stats higher by spending 1 Psi to increase one Physical stat by 1, until you come to 5, at which point the cost doubles for each dot above 5. Could lead to literally burning through a dozen Psi to perform a single, but astounding, feat of strength (punching out Cthulhu). Major Power... Either more of the same, that is, increasing ALL characteristics instead of 1 (think Primal Power vs Animal Power) or increasing Resilience/SD/Health etc. Of note; a Warrior with about 15 Resilience is very much liable to tanking, well, tanks. Think Guts from Berserk; they can hit him, but they sure as hell can't stop him.

As to the last one, I'll merely point at Fairy Tail (before the Time Skip anyway) and say 'Go for it!'.
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Eisenritter
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Old Iron Knight
Oh, well, in that case...

Environmental: This one's basically Melchess's Door as you've written it, isn't it? If you're going fixed-list, start with Magic Missile, force bullets to tide us over until we can go full diclonius. Telekinesis can already cover the natural attacks once you've gotten to Ego 4 (you can attack anyone within your range with an unarmed strike), just let it be able to change damage types (default force bursts are I, Lucy's rip-and-tear vectors are R, energy manipulation is E) and maybe give Ego a bump specifically for the purpose of getting that into attack mode faster. Agreed that spending Psi to mod out your "unarmed" telekinesis might be interesting. And yes, a psychokinetic nova blast is perfect for the major power. :D

Cognition: That works, yeah. With the caveat that the major power will, of course, be named "Just As Planned." :P

Somatic: Yeah, that's why I outed it as obvious while I blathered on in an attempt to hide that I was thinking more deeply. As pointed out, this one is essentially "mind over body," to the tune of "conscious control over unconscious systems." Let's say, this could allow you to spend Psi to heal in combat (overriding your body's adrenaline-fueled rejection of it in favor of keeping it at peak form), spend Psi to add/replace a Physical characteristic with a Mental one for a bit (overriding your bodily limitations through impression of what you want it to do), spend Psi to replace your ranks in a Physical skill with your Ego (overriding your own lack of skill with your ideal of it) and so forth. Not quite sure on what the major power to go with it is...
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