Newbie questions on -1d Cons on a 1d Perk and Darkness

[bluehammer]

Hey all.

I realize the forums are a little on the quiet side, but thought I'd ask these newbie questions anyway.

1) How do you handle a 1d perk that is in an item, which gives a -1d rebate? For example, if I am designing a suit of power armour that has a 1d Super Sense built in, does that mean the power is free (1d - 1d = 0d) or is it a minimum cost of 1d regardless? Also, what do you do if you have two 1d senses in the item, does that mean the two senses only cost 1d?

2) How does Darkness work? The description makes it feel like a binary power, you cast Darkness and anybody in the area is blind. But that sounds more like a Perk to me. Therefore I'm toying with the idea of using Darkness as a status effect, so every 2 successes will reduce the Perception of anybody in the AoE. For those with experience in the system, would that work OK?

Thanks in advance.

[cosmichunter]

May 6, 2016 14:08:53 GMT -5 bluehammer said:

Hey all.

I realize the forums are a little on the quiet side, but thought I'd ask these newbie questions anyway.

1) How do you handle a 1d perk that is in an item, which gives a -1d rebate? For example, if I am designing a suit of power armour that has a 1d Super Sense built in, does that mean the power is free (1d - 1d = 0d) or is it a minimum cost of 1d regardless? Also, what do you do if you have two 1d senses in the item, does that mean the two senses only cost 1d?

2) How does Darkness work? The description makes it feel like a binary power, you cast Darkness and anybody in the area is blind. But that sounds more like a Perk to me. Therefore I'm toying with the idea of using Darkness as a status effect, so every 2 successes will reduce the Perception of anybody in the AoE. For those with experience in the system, would that work OK?

Thanks in advance.

I would not call myself an expert on the system at all. However, reading it over several times has allowed me a certain perspective I hope, so with any luck I should be able to help you out.

1. I unfortunately do not have the book handy at the moment, however I believe, (and this is how I would adjudicate this in a game), something costs at minimum 1D regardless of the fact that the power/perk would effectively cost 0D or even less then that.

Edit: actually looking at the book now on page 22, it states: "Regardless of cons, however, no trait can ever cost less than 1 hero die"

As to the second part of that question, yes adding a flaw to that would mean you only pay 1D for both senses.

2. As for darkness. Think of it... Like an attack against the senses. It affects an area, but it may not effect everyone to the same degree. Hence why it is a trait and not a perk, because people can actively (or passively as the case may be) resist the effects, or at least attempt to anyway. Does that make sense?

Second Edit: And rolling also determines how long the effect lasts for, like other effects.

[bluehammer]

Thanks for the reply cosmichunter.

That's kind of how I thought 1d perks would be handled, but as it is a perk rather than a trait I just wanted to double check. Thanks for clarifying.

As for Darkness, the power description reads: "You can fill the area around you with inky blackness, impenetrable fog, a blinding sandstorm, or some other obscuring element through which no one but you can see. Your rank determines how large an area you can affect, as shown on the table below."

There is no mention of targets resisting the power, just that they can't see, which sounds like a binary can see/can't see power (a bit like invisibility, which is a perk not a trait). So if Darkness is treated like an attack, what does it 'damage'? I was originally going to treat it as an effect and have every 2 successes impose a -1d penalty to trait rolls for people caught in the area...but then I noticed there is already a power that does that; Dazzle.

I appreciate the help though cosmichunter. I'm about to run my first game, and one of my players has a tenancy to make Darkness wielding heroes.

[cosmichunter]

Very true, perhaps that wasn't the best explanation... and you are right, it does seem more binary overall, however:

It is essentially a status effect as per chapter 2, the effect being that it fills the area with darkness for a number of pages equal to the number of net successes earned on a Darkness trait roll, so you are right it wouldn't really "damage" anything in that sense, curse more in depth looks at trait write ups... Basically the active nature of the effect is in determining how long the darkness lasts for. Depending on how you would want to rule on that the character could just roll their darkness power with no direct opposition to derive how long the darkness lasts for in that area per the normal status effect rules, just without someone directly opposing the roll.

[bluehammer]

Ah, I see! Thanks cosmichunter, that sort of makes sense now. I'll probably set the roll against difficulty based on the light in the area (easy in moonlight, hard in overcast daylight, brutal in daylight, etc).

Thanks again cosmichunter