New Talent....

[imported_Rasyr]

The discussions regarding the Innate Ranged Attack talent got me to thinking about certain things....

For example, there was a d20 variant called Diablo (based on a video game, IIRC), that had a sort of mystical archer type who could "enchant arrows" with elemental damage as they were fired. There there are comic characters like "Iron Fist" who can charge their attacks with Chi Energy.

And I thought it would be cool to add a new talent that allowed for things like this.

How does this sound?


ATTACK ENHANCEMENT
Cost: 6
Trainable: Yes
Description: The character has the ability to enhance one particular type of attack by imbuing it with additional force. Most often, this is some sort of elemental energy, but it can be described or manifested in any way that the character likes. However, this enhancement may only be applied to a single type of attack, such as arrows, basic strikes (unarmed/martial arts attack), broadswords, daggers, short swords, etc. More often than not, the ability granted by this Talent is considered to be the result of secret, specialized training.

This enhancement does 4 points of damage. This may be increased up to 10 points of damage using the Feature, Additional Damage, at the time of acquisition.

The damage from this enhancement is considered to be a second type of Base Damage. This means that the attack has 2 types of Base Damage, and that any Boons that increase Base Damage will only apply to one type of Base Damage from the attack, unless that Boon can be taken twice.

When this Talent is acquired, the character gains a number of Power Points (PP) that is equal to one of his Stat Values; Con if the manifestation is physical (such as temporarily encasing the character's fist in iron), Willpower if the manifestation is energy (such as chi energy), and if the manifestation is described as being magical in nature (such as magically electrifying arrow heads), the player will use his character's Magic Stat.

It will take the character 1 Action Point (AP) to activate the enhancement. Activating the enhancement will cost the character a number of PP equal to half of the Base Damage that the enhancement deals. The character may then keep the enhancement active for 1 PP for each round after that first. Any attacks of the specified type made while the Talent is active will do the extra damage.

The player may also decide to include the Feature, Activation Roll, as well. Activation Roll requires that the player make a Willpower-based roll (TN 15) to turn on or activate this enhancement. The character may spend extra AP concentrating prior to the roll and gain a +1 modifier for each extra AP spent, up to a maximum of +10, when making the Activation Roll.
Feature                                       CP Cost
Additional Damage (per point)  +2
Activation Roll                             -2

[Fidoric]

I am not sure of what to think about such talents. On one hand, it's rather cool ans almost enough to create a warrior-mage-like character all by itself. That said, I think it's a good way for non magic users to duplicate spell effects. This, combined with innate ranged attack and maybe a similar defensive power will make your warrior able to cast elemental bolts, elemental weapons and magic shield without casting spells, that is without being subject to impedance and such regulation.
I can easily see this kind of talent abused.
Maybe they should come with an intrinsic balance (elemental or magic susceptibility, for example).

[imported_Rasyr]

I do believe that Perhaps I should make it clear that any Talent that relies on Power Points of any kind, regardless of the "source" is also subject to impedance...

[Fidoric]

That makes those innate talents magic powers similar to spells ? That is, they are susceptible to counterspelling or any magic-affecting effect, if I understand.
In your mystical archer example, it means that, because of the impedance, he can use his trick less often when wearing rigid leather armor than in simple clothes.
I feel that somehow an innate ability should be subject to other kinds of limitation, lest these innate talents become indistinct from spell magic.
I should reread the rules on blood magic from Harp. IIRC, they were rather close to those innate mystical talents.

[imported_Rasyr]

Right now, Power Points (of which, Spell Points, is a single example), are subject to the same recovery times and Impedance rules as described in the core rules for Spell Points.

However, Talents are innate abilities, even if they are magical in nature, and as such they are not subject to counterspelling or other sorts of magical dispelling efforts (unless the player defines them specifically as a "spell"). This also means that Boons for these abilities cannot make use of the Spell Boons either (i.e. no extra targets or extra range, etc..)

Now, I might remove the Impedance from Innate abilities, but the PP recovery times will remain (still considering this). After all, the innate abilities actually DO have higher PP costs than comparable spells, AND characters with these innate abilities will usually have fewer PP than a spell user will have Spell Points.

[Fidoric]

I missed the distinction between power points and spell points. I guess I am too used to power points expenditure to cast spell... call it a cultural flaw !
And I think you should keep a recovery time similar to spell points. The cost in power along with the available power (stat value ?) gives the number of possible uses in a row, the recovery time defines the periodicity.