|
Homebrew Exalt - The Font; Henshin or bust
|
|
Topic Started: May 22 2015, 06:57 PM (2,161 Views)
|
|
SporkMaster5000
|
May 22 2015, 06:57 PM
Post #1
|
|
- Posts:
- 185
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #36
- Joined:
- May 18, 2011
|
So Highwind made an exaltation, T_A made a different exaltation, Eisenritter made some edits to it, and they both got into book 3 despite stepping on each other's toes. Then it all went to shit and I started from square 1.
Fluff:
Spoiler: click to toggle Fonts are changed people. Born average, or sometimes less than average mortals, circumstance conspires to grant a font power. Sometimes a benevolent warp entity requires aid in the materium, sometimes ancient artifacts full of enough magic just need to blow off steam, sometimes being near the right magic ritual at the wrong time has some serious side effects. Regardless of what induces the change, the Font's very soul is altered. No longer just an ambulatory force keeping a meat puppet moving, the font becomes a wellspring of raw power.
When a font first changes, their body is altered to reflect the ascendance of their spirit. Some fonts become more attractive or idealized versions of themselves, radiating strength or serenity, some just look like they put on a cool new costume. Whatever aesthetic a Font's new form takes, it is a reflection of the individual's inner strength and desires. After this first awakening a Font soon returns to their original form, but the change itself is permanent, and the Font's empowered soul drives them toward new and greater experiences, causing them to seek circumstances where their abilities can be put to use, and where it can again awaken its full might.
Tell: When a font spends drops they let slip a small facet of the incredible being that is the reflection of their new spirit. Their empowered form may be visible out of the corner of an observer's eye, or they may only partially transform, such as one hand changing color or only the cape of their alter ego appearing. Crunch:
Spoiler: click to toggle POWERS: Bare your soul: When a Font spends a Drop the font gains one Residue. These residual traces of the Font's soul make it difficult to hide who they are, or gird themselves from the terrors of the Wheel. A Font's Residue is subtracted from the results of all Politics, Stealth, and Deceive checks, as well as any willpower tests to snap out of a result on the shock table. At the end of a scene a font may make a TN 15 composure + disguise check to convert one Residue to a Drop, plus one more for each raise.
I have the power!: Once per scene, by spending one Drop as a full action, a Font may enter an empowered form. Their physical appearance and clothing change into an idealized and supernormal form. This does not change race or size, and any armor being worn by a Font's mortal frame is incorporated into their new appearance and confers its same protection. The empowered form lasts a number of rounds equal to the Residue a Font has when they transform, or when the Font changes back to normal as a free action. Each time the font gains a residue, the form lasts one additional round. While in Avatar form, your Font gains +1 to a characteristic of your choice, plus one additional characteristic at 5, 10 and 15 residue.
Instant expert: Your allies benefit from any specialties you have as long as they are within a number of meters of you equal to your Residue (this does nothing if you have 0 Residue)
By your power combined: When you spend a drop each ally you can see may choose to gain one of the following benefits until you spend another drop: -Subtract your Residue from the TN of the next test they make. -Add your residue to their static or mental defense for the next attack made against them
Power Stat: Channel. A Font's spirit is a raging current of power, and their power as an individual is measured by how well they can channel their own inherent might. Resource Stat: Drops. The character has maximum Drops equal to their Charisma plus twice their Channel. Channeling Powers: * - Burning Spirit. While in Avatar form, a Font can add their Residue to the results of all focus power, dodge, and parry rolls. ** - Finishing move. When using a special attack, trick shot or spell combo, the Font rolls 2 additional dice for each exploding die instead of one for the attack roll or focus test. *** - One step beyond. While in their empowered form, a Font can spend a Drop as a half action to enter a super powered form. Aside from looking even grander than the empowered form, the font adds their Channel to their speed, gets +1 to a characteristic not already affected by their empowered form, and loses one drop at the start of each turn. **** - Too cool to die. The font gains Stuff of Nightmares and Aura equal to their Residue while in their empowered or super powered form. ***** - Open the Floodgate. The number of Drops a Font can spend in one turn is no longer limited by their channel. However, for every Drop beyond their Channel spent in a single turn, the Font takes 1 point of Energy damage to the Gizzards that cannot be reduced.
Assets:
Spoiler: click to toggle | Font Hero Assets |
|---|
| Mighty Hero | You don't need weapons to fight. | | Unerring Hero | You shoot things good. | | Indomitable Hero | You're more durable and harder to mess with. | | Mystic Hero | You're better at channeling the warp for spellcasting | | Ceaseless Hero | Your stores of power run dangerously deep | Font Flow AssetsMighty HeroSome heroes prefer to fight with fists and feet, or other extremities. Gain +0k1 damage to Brawl attacks. While in your empowered or super powered form your unarmed attacks gain the power field property. Unerring HeroSome heroes punch evil in the face or charge their enemies with sword in hand, but you prefer to rain justice down from on high. Add your residue to the final result of any attack you make requiring a ballistics test. Indomitable HeroCool heroes don't look at explosions, and many claim to have seen Fonts walk unflinchingly through seas of gunfire. You gain +1 AP to all locations for each residue you have. This does not stack with any other armor. You may spend a drop as a free action to negate any non-damaging effects from one attack made against you. Mystic HeroYou have learned to channel the power that flows through the warp just as easily as the power that flows through yourself. If you are sanctioned then when you cast a fettered spell add your channel to your magic school rating when determining the number of rolled dice. If you are unsanctioned then you may add up to +5 to your magic school when pushing a spell instead of +4. Ceaseless HeroSome Fonts' power seems practically limitless, but all power comes with a price and a deep well often forces a Font to struggle to survive the torrent. Once per session, you may convert all your residue to Drops as a free action. When you do, roll for psychic phenomena with +5 for each drop regained this way. If you are in your empowered or super powered form when you use this asset, you may extend the duration for a number of rounds equal to the residue converted this way.
|
|
|
| |
|
SporkMaster5000
|
May 22 2015, 06:58 PM
Post #2
|
|
- Posts:
- 185
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #36
- Joined:
- May 18, 2011
|
Posting my starting point and requesting any name suggestions. I'll be posting changes made and reasons therefore as I go.
|
|
|
| |
|
Doc
|
May 22 2015, 09:29 PM
Post #3
|
|
Just a Guy
- Posts:
- 410
- Group:
- Admins
- Member
- #106
- Joined:
- May 5, 2015
|
I think Avatar could work as a name, but I'm also not that imaginative.
What I'm really here to post is a few ideas I have for assets. Keep in mind that I'll be having a bit of the rationale I used for making Champion assets when I go into this, which was basically as follows: Champions definitively get more resource points than Wellspring, and they almost always have some on hand and aren't constantly losing them. As such, their assets should have minor effects along with more powerful effects for them to drop points on. That's the rationale I'm bringing here, so bear with me.
Spoiler: click to toggle Hotshot Hero While in Avatar mode, add your Channel to the final result of any Ballistics tests. While in Second Gear, add your Channel as Penetration to any trick shot using advantages or restrictions from your school. Finally, you can spend a Drop to temporarily transform guns you hold; until the end of the turn, a gun you hold gains positive modifications (such as the ones in Book 2) with a cost equal to or less than your Channel.
(Now, an explanation: The first to are simple bonuses for just using guns, nothing special. The last bit is more experimental and kinda clunky, but hear me out: Reliable is hardly something I'd bother spending Drops on. Reliable is barely half of just using a Best-quality gun, so really, every gun can already get a better form of Reliable. Now, I may be mistaken (by which I mean I probably am), but I think it's a thing for transforming heroes to be able to change their gun by infusing it with their power or whatever, hence... that.)
Armored Hero While in Avatar form, gain armor and aura equal to your Channel. While in Second Gear, gain Resilience equal to your Channel (rounded up). While in either form, can spend a Drop to ignore non-damaging effects of attacks for one round.
(Just simply taking a few things I like about Unlimited Durability and kinda shifting them over, while still fitting the original effect in there.)
Bladed Hero Can use your signature Sword School without having to be in Avatar form. While in Avatar form, if the Wellspring uses a maneuver with advantages or restrictions from their signature School, the attack gains penetration equal to their Channel. While in Second Gear, any weapon they wield may have the Flexible quality, and they may opt to cause their weapon to do E damage instead of its normal damage type. Finally, when the Wellspring uses a maneuver, they may spend a Drop to add advantages from their signature School or the universal list to that maneuver.
(Personally, I get a very "I am a master of my chosen form of combat"-vibe from Bladed Hero, and I think allowing them to basically improvise on the spot would be cool. Like the Hotshot bit, though, it's kinda experimental and a little clunky.)
Fanged Hero is basically good in my book (I feel the Power Field bit should be able to just be used while in Avatar or Second Gear, but eh), and Horned is one I'm not quite sure how to tackle.
Edited by Doc, May 22 2015, 09:31 PM.
|
|
|
| |
|
SporkMaster5000
|
May 22 2015, 10:24 PM
Post #4
|
|
- Posts:
- 185
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #36
- Joined:
- May 18, 2011
|
First major revision: Signature style and my proposed finishing move rolled together. Restriction of free school to only in avatar mode removed, this was flavorful, but either an XP sink, or an unnecessary restriction. Also while the "instant expert" is a common trope among transforming heroes, so it fighting out of the suit once a character has been established as a hero. If enough people don't like it I'm willing to put the restriction back on, but it was cut mostly for playability.
Winning smile and power of friendship rolled together. They're related fluff, and LN's four abilities and five star-abilities asthetic is maintained. Neither were actually changed. The more evocative name was kept.
Resource stat change. Cribbing from the Champion, because power of friendship was kept, a lower total pool is given than the champion or warewolf despite the same recovery method listed. Might take out the once per round restriction of PoF. dropped regular drain from avatar mode and super mode
Burning spirit back at 1* the old finishing blow got taken out of the channel powers, the new finishing move seems too much for a 1*.
New finishing move. I made it up whole cloth. Tried to take the champion's finishing move principle of the super big attack that kills the monster of the week, but make it actually impressive, and not a resource sapping.
New ablative avatar. Tried to capture the "hit so hard they go flying and un-transform" from Toku. Wording might need help.
Push it to the limit at 5*. It's a good ability, I've said it feels more like a capstone than the alternatives. Reduced damage per drop to be a 1:1 ratio.
Various wordings were updated, but most of them aren't functional changes unless mentioned above.
|
|
|
| |
|
SporkMaster5000
|
May 22 2015, 10:37 PM
Post #5
|
|
- Posts:
- 185
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #36
- Joined:
- May 18, 2011
|
- Doc
- May 22 2015, 09:29 PM
I think Avatar could work as a name, but I'm also not that imaginative. What I'm really here to post is a few ideas I have for assets. Keep in mind that I'll be having a bit of the rationale I used for making Champion assets when I go into this, which was basically as follows: Champions definitively get more resource points than Wellspring, and they almost always have some on hand and aren't constantly losing them. As such, their assets should have minor effects along with more powerful effects for them to drop points on. That's the rationale I'm bringing here, so bear with me. Spoiler: click to toggle Hotshot Hero While in Avatar mode, add your Channel to the final result of any Ballistics tests. While in Second Gear, add your Channel as Penetration to any trick shot using advantages or restrictions from your school. Finally, you can spend a Drop to temporarily transform guns you hold; until the end of the turn, a gun you hold gains positive modifications (such as the ones in Book 2) with a cost equal to or less than your Channel.
(Now, an explanation: The first to are simple bonuses for just using guns, nothing special. The last bit is more experimental and kinda clunky, but hear me out: Reliable is hardly something I'd bother spending Drops on. Reliable is barely half of just using a Best-quality gun, so really, every gun can already get a better form of Reliable. Now, I may be mistaken (by which I mean I probably am), but I think it's a thing for transforming heroes to be able to change their gun by infusing it with their power or whatever, hence... that.)
Armored Hero While in Avatar form, gain armor and aura equal to your Channel. While in Second Gear, gain Resilience equal to your Channel (rounded up). While in either form, can spend a Drop to ignore non-damaging effects of attacks for one round.
(Just simply taking a few things I like about Unlimited Durability and kinda shifting them over, while still fitting the original effect in there.)
Bladed Hero Can use your signature Sword School without having to be in Avatar form. While in Avatar form, if the Wellspring uses a maneuver with advantages or restrictions from their signature School, the attack gains penetration equal to their Channel. While in Second Gear, any weapon they wield may have the Flexible quality, and they may opt to cause their weapon to do E damage instead of its normal damage type. Finally, when the Wellspring uses a maneuver, they may spend a Drop to add advantages from their signature School or the universal list to that maneuver.
(Personally, I get a very "I am a master of my chosen form of combat"-vibe from Bladed Hero, and I think allowing them to basically improvise on the spot would be cool. Like the Hotshot bit, though, it's kinda experimental and a little clunky.) Fanged Hero is basically good in my book (I feel the Power Field bit should be able to just be used while in Avatar or Second Gear, but eh), and Horned is one I'm not quite sure how to tackle. I need to decompress before I look at assets, I pulled the resource closer to the champion, so something to spend them on is probably a good idea. I'm thinking some asset that grants a transformation trinket that grants some variety of benefit i haven't throught through yet, and possibly one that makes the avatar better but inflicts a regular expenditure of resource, or maybe just a time limit. This could actually be a nod to the wellspring and a GARO reference.
|
|
|
| |
|
konrad13
|
May 23 2015, 12:27 AM
Post #6
|
|
- Posts:
- 50
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #94
- Joined:
- Sep 17, 2014
|
Truth be told, I am loving this!
|
|
|
| |
|
SporkMaster5000
|
May 23 2015, 06:44 PM
Post #7
|
|
- Posts:
- 185
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #36
- Joined:
- May 18, 2011
|
- SporkMaster5000
- May 22 2015, 10:37 PM
- Doc
- May 22 2015, 09:29 PM
I think Avatar could work as a name, but I'm also not that imaginative. What I'm really here to post is a few ideas I have for assets. Keep in mind that I'll be having a bit of the rationale I used for making Champion assets when I go into this, which was basically as follows: Champions definitively get more resource points than Wellspring, and they almost always have some on hand and aren't constantly losing them. As such, their assets should have minor effects along with more powerful effects for them to drop points on. That's the rationale I'm bringing here, so bear with me. Spoiler: click to toggle Hotshot Hero While in Avatar mode, add your Channel to the final result of any Ballistics tests. While in Second Gear, add your Channel as Penetration to any trick shot using advantages or restrictions from your school. Finally, you can spend a Drop to temporarily transform guns you hold; until the end of the turn, a gun you hold gains positive modifications (such as the ones in Book 2) with a cost equal to or less than your Channel.
(Now, an explanation: The first to are simple bonuses for just using guns, nothing special. The last bit is more experimental and kinda clunky, but hear me out: Reliable is hardly something I'd bother spending Drops on. Reliable is barely half of just using a Best-quality gun, so really, every gun can already get a better form of Reliable. Now, I may be mistaken (by which I mean I probably am), but I think it's a thing for transforming heroes to be able to change their gun by infusing it with their power or whatever, hence... that.)
Armored Hero While in Avatar form, gain armor and aura equal to your Channel. While in Second Gear, gain Resilience equal to your Channel (rounded up). While in either form, can spend a Drop to ignore non-damaging effects of attacks for one round.
(Just simply taking a few things I like about Unlimited Durability and kinda shifting them over, while still fitting the original effect in there.)
Bladed Hero Can use your signature Sword School without having to be in Avatar form. While in Avatar form, if the Wellspring uses a maneuver with advantages or restrictions from their signature School, the attack gains penetration equal to their Channel. While in Second Gear, any weapon they wield may have the Flexible quality, and they may opt to cause their weapon to do E damage instead of its normal damage type. Finally, when the Wellspring uses a maneuver, they may spend a Drop to add advantages from their signature School or the universal list to that maneuver.
(Personally, I get a very "I am a master of my chosen form of combat"-vibe from Bladed Hero, and I think allowing them to basically improvise on the spot would be cool. Like the Hotshot bit, though, it's kinda experimental and a little clunky.) Fanged Hero is basically good in my book (I feel the Power Field bit should be able to just be used while in Avatar or Second Gear, but eh), and Horned is one I'm not quite sure how to tackle.
I need to decompress before I look at assets, I pulled the resource closer to the champion, so something to spend them on is probably a good idea. I'm thinking some asset that grants a transformation trinket that grants some variety of benefit i haven't throught through yet, and possibly one that makes the avatar better but inflicts a regular expenditure of resource, or maybe just a time limit. This could actually be a nod to the wellspring and a GARO reference. I'm having trouble thinking of a good upside to a transformation trinket. Especially without avatar taking resources every turn. I have some thoughts but it'd be a really middling feat with what I've got.
I think fanged hero needs a little reworking, but it's in the right direction. A power first costs 3 dots of inheritance, or 150xp. This asset costs 100xp and gives a sometimes power fist. getting the power fist means you can't get as much from inheritance, but you still have potentially two more dots you can buy up, and it can be taken by the SM if appropriate. This asset denies you any other exalted asset, but is permanent. I dunno if it needs to be more powerful, or just needs some polish.
hotshot hero I like your drop expenditure, but I'd rather it be spend a drop to get all/any of this short list of specific properties, instead of demanding the player consult the somewhat arcane item creation section. Also, providing specific properties would make it easier to balance, as any problematic properties can just get dropped from the list.
Armored hero: i actually like the resist non-damaging effects as the base effect, as eisenritter and I worked out, it covers a good mix of stuff. I think getting armor/aura or resistance as a super mode benefit and spending a drop to get the other is a good place for this one.
bladed hero: I think I might make this the spiritual successor of true strike, taking all three of its benefits and making this the "spell combo/special attack/trick shot" focused asset. I need to mull it over exactly. I don't like the idea of just adding advantages just because it's not something I'd expect a player to be consulting mid-game, like item creation rules.
horned hero I've got some plans about, I dunno if I want to keep the White devil and caster assets as one, but at the least i'll let the critical damage debuff apply to any damage, and allies.
Still need to work through the specifics, but only now started thinking about assets and looked through these suggestions.
|
|
|
| |
|
Doc
|
May 23 2015, 07:52 PM
Post #8
|
|
Just a Guy
- Posts:
- 410
- Group:
- Admins
- Member
- #106
- Joined:
- May 5, 2015
|
I more or less agree with your points, except for Armored Hero. I like the "ignore non-damaging effects of attacks" and all, but I just think that 'takes less damage' is more generally useful (and should be up more often because of that) than 'can ignore abilities not everyone can or will use.'
Though, I'll admit that the same argument can be made in regards to the asset providing something good to spend Drops on. In which case, I simply think it should be usable at any time instead of just Second Gear.
As for the artifact thing, perhaps there's some merit in having such an item be like a legacy thing, passed from one Font to the other and attaining bits of their skills as it goes. Such an asset could allow them to tap into the experiences of Font's passed to gain an edge. Or something.
Edited by Doc, May 23 2015, 08:09 PM.
|
|
|
| |
|
konrad13
|
May 23 2015, 09:36 PM
Post #9
|
|
- Posts:
- 50
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #94
- Joined:
- Sep 17, 2014
|
Ah, sort of like how some of the Power Rangers/Kamen Riders acquired their powers: By having an older Ranger/Rider pass it down.
I like that!
|
|
|
| |
|
SporkMaster5000
|
May 24 2015, 01:11 AM
Post #10
|
|
- Posts:
- 185
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #36
- Joined:
- May 18, 2011
|
i dunno that i want the legacy artifact concept built in, that kinda fluff seems like more of a player call, but getting more skills and/or specialties might be a thing, or maybe one free signature style combo? play up the instant expert trope
|
|
|
| |
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
|