Today, I’m offering a quick recap of what we’ve done so far
before forging onward to creating individual abilities. This post will serve as
a reference for rules, power modifiers, power talents, and power descriptions.
Next time, I will begin building abilities whole cloth. My goal
there is to sufficiently flesh out the powers with useful, playable abilities
to be able to begin working on one or more mysticism-based templates. I’m not
sure how long this process will take, and I may decide to break it up into more
frequent, smaller posts. I’ll know more for certain as I write them.
If you are just joining us or want to walk the road to this post,
check out the Mystical Powers Index.
In the meantime, here is what we have so far for Mysticism:
Mystical Powers
All mystical abilities are purchased as power-ups from within one
of seven powers: Body Mastery, Projection Mastery, Perception Mastery, Dream
Mastery, Fate Mastery, Telepathic Mastery, and Soul Mastery. Each of these
powers consists of a list of abilities, a power modifier, and a power talent.
The power modifier demarks an ability as belonging to that power and imposes
the limitations inherent to all mystical powers. The talent adds to any skills
necessary for using those powers.
Power Modifier
Each power has its own power modifier, typically named after the
power and abbreviated as “PM” in the ability’s statistics block. This modifier
is always the Mystical limitation described below and also, not explicitly
stated, includes the fact that mystical abilities do neither work on everything
and may be neutralized by certain supernatural means typically related to
demons and Corruption.
Mystical
-10%
Mystical abilities require the practitioner to maintain a close
attunement to the world spirit Ananta. The user must take Disciplines of Faith
(Meditative Reflection) for [-5] points to reflect this. Each day, roll 1d to
determine the number of hours he must spend that day meditating; this is time
that cannot be used for anything else, including sleeping, hiking, eating,
standing watch, etc. If he fails to spend the necessary time in contemplation,
he must take a full day to readjust his connection to Ananta. His power will
immediately burn out for 1d days if he calls on it before doing so.
Talent
Each power has its own power talent. This talent gives +1 per
level to any skills needed to use abilities in this power, to resist other
mystical powers, and to a group of related skills; gives +1 per two full levels
to Power Defenses (see below); and increases the FP cap on Extra Effort (see
below). These benefits are in place of
the normal benefits associated with talents, and no mystic may have more than
six levels of a power talent. Each one costs 5 points/level.
The seven mystical power talents, their associated powers, and
their skills are as follows:
- Body Awareness (Body Mastery). Autohypnosis, Body Control, Body Sense, Breath Control, Esoteric Healing (Mystical).
- Projector (Projection Mastery). Body Sense, Exorcism, Kiai, Mental Strength, Push.
- Mystic Perception (Perception Mastery). Blind Fighting, Body Language, Observation, Search, Sensitivity.
- Dream Walking (Dream Mastery). Body Sense, Dreaming, Fortune-Telling (Dreams), Mind Block, Mental Strength.
- Telepathic Talent (Telepathic Mastery). Detect Lies, Interrogation, Hypnotism, Mind Block, Psychology.
- Oddsmaker (Fate Mastery). Finance, Gambling, Games, Sports, Zen Archer.
- Soul Manipulation (Soul Mastery). Esoteric Healing (Mystical), Hidden Lore (Spirits & Undead), Pressure Points, Pressure Secrets, Theology.
How Mysticism Works
For the most part, the specific rules governing how a given
mystical ability works are described within the ability’s write-up. This
includes any applications of Abilities
Enhancing Skills (GURPS Powers, p. 161), Power Techniques (Powers, p. 162), Skill Use (Powers, p. 175), Skills Enhancing Abilities (Powers,
p. 162), and Temporary Enhancements (Powers,
p. 172-173), as well. The rules that follow describe the ways every mystical ability works, regardless
of power or underlying statistics.
Using Mystical Abilities
There are two broad categories of mystical powers that describe
how they are used: active and passive. Active abilities must be consciously
activated with the maneuver and often a related roll against a mental
attribute, characteristic, or skill, as indicated in the ability’s description.
Passive abilities simply function all the time, within the limitations of the
power modifier.
The roll to use an active ability may take a number of modifiers:
- Talent. +1 per level in the associated power talent.
- Multiple Feats. -1 for active ability of the same power in use. Neither passive abilities nor abilities from other powers count toward his penalty.
- Additional Contact. +1 for ranged abilities used while making physical contact, +1 for abilities that require touch if skin-to-skin contact is made, and +1 for blatant contact of a sort that requires 1d seconds and is obvious. These can be combined for up to a +3 bonus.
- Situational Modifiers. Penalties for shock, stun, and so on apply normally to any skills used in conjunction with mystical abilities. Time Spent (p. B346) may, at the GM’s discretion, apply to non-attack abilities. Treat these as having a minimum base time of 1 minute.
Any success results in the ability taking affect normally, and
critical success means that use doesn’t cost any FP. Failure usually results in
nothing happening, but the FP cost must still be paid.
Critical failure results in not only no effect despite paying the
usual FP cost, but also some additional inconvenient effect like being
identified by the target of a mindreading attempt, being scried on by the
target of a clairvoyant attempt, etc.
Furthermore, the practitioner must make an immediate Will roll
with any failure means a moment of doubt that breaks his connection to the
world spirit and counts as a violation of his power’s code. He will know this
happened, so he can avoid complete burnout by not using that power again before meditating for 1d hours. Note that this
applies to the specific power.
Passive skills do not require skill rolls to use and cost no FP.
They simply work as long as the power modifier’s requirements are met, so they
do not take any bonuses or penalties and do not result in potential power
burnout. They do, however, stop working if their power does burn out, however.
Long-Term Use
Active and passive skills alike, regardless of FP costs to use,
will still cause fatigue if used for extended periods of time. Assess these
costs in addition to any costs
already associated with a given ability.
- Combat. Using abilities on oneself adds an additional 1 FP the cost of Fighting a Battle (p. B426), and using them on someone else costs an extra 2 FP.
- Long-Distance Travel. Using mystical powers for long-distance travel incurs the same FP costs as hiking, minimum, and counts for journeys while projecting, too. Using abilities to increase the speed of hiking, climbing, swimming, etc. double FP costs.
- Intensive Use. Extremely vigorous use of mystical abilities – e.g., using Fate Mastery to pull only cards of the same suit from a deck, one after another, for a minute straight, using Perception Mastery every couple of seconds to watch for flanking foes while marching, etc. – costs 1 FP per minute.
- Long-Term Use. Low-intensity, long-term use of an ability – e.g., using a Telepathic Mastery to maintain continuous contact with your allies while skulking through a dungeon, using Body Mastery to stand watch atop a flimsy sapling, etc. – costs 1 FP per hour.
Getting Tricky
A mystic’s abilities are only limited by his talent, energy
reserves, and willingness to take a risk. These options provide ways a mystic
can stretch his powers beyond what his abilities suggest. A critical failure
using any of these options has the same outcome as a critical failure on an
activation roll (see Using Mystical
Abilities).
Extra Effort
Any ability that comes in levels can be boosted through sheer
force of will. First, determine by how many levels you wish to boost your
ability, and then spend 2 FP per 10% increase in level, to a maximum of 3 x
Power Talent level and make any necessary activation rolls for the ability.
Passive abilities and active ones that can be maintained are boosted for 1
minute; after that, more FP must be spent to maintain the same power level.
Power Defenses
Mystical abilities can be used to defend against attacks in
surprising ways. The following power defenses can be used in place of a normal active defense whenever the associated
requirements are met. The usual restrictions for active defenses apply.
Modifiers include the usual +1 for Combat Reflexes or Enhanced Time Sense and any
penalties for Multiple Feats (see Using Mystical Abilities), plus those
listed below.
- Power Dodge. Basic Speed + 3 + Talent/2. Abilities that could allow the attack to pass around or through the user may let him completely avoid it. The usual Dodge modifiers apply, except for those related to Acrobatic Dodge, encumbrance, posture, relative height, retreating, shield DB, and terrain.
- Power Block. 3 + (HT + Talent)/2 for physical abilities or 3 + (Will + Talent)/2 for mental ones. Abilities that can obstruct an incoming attack that requires a resistance roll or could interpose solid Damage Resistance provide double their usual protection or bonus. Abilities that use Control to dampen an attack provide DR 1 or +1 to resist per level, as applicable. Use standard Block modifiers, except those for posture, relative height, retreating, shield DB, and terrain.
Mystical powers also allow practitioners to trade 1 FP for +1 to
resist supernatural powers. The mystic must declare that he wants to use this
before any Quick Contests are made. The GM then makes the attacker’s rolls
secretly, only relaying if it was a success or not. The defender must then
declare how many FP he wishes to spend to boost his resistance roll, to a
maximum of his highest mystical talent level. The Quick Contest is then
resolved.
Targeting Mystical Abiltiies
Those who know Pressure secrets can use it to target mystical
abilities by striking a foe’s soul portal at -9 to hit. If this attack inflicts
any injury, a Quick Contest of Pressure Secrets versus the target’s Will
ensues. Victory by the attacker cripples the target ability for 2d seconds.
Detecting Mysticism
By default, mystical abilities are anything but flashy, but some
abilities, like those that open gates to other planes of existence, can be
quite obvious. That said, most casual observers won’t notice the use of
mystical powers.
The target of a mystical ability may realize what is happening,
regardless of his training with a successful roll against the better of Per-based
Hidden Lore (Mysticism) and Per. No roll is ever required for an
obvious physical effect like injury, but FP loss affords a roll at -2, plus +1
for every 2 FP lost. The GM sets the modifier for noticing other physical
effects.
Mental intrusion is less noticeable: the penalty is equal to the
victim’s Margin of Failure on his resistance roll with the mystic’s failure
giving +0 to the roll. Finally, nonintrusive mental abilities simply cannot be
detected without supernatural means; follow the rules for those spells and
abilities.
Also, unless an ability’s effects are physical and obvious,
non-mystics don’t get a roll to notice if someone is being affected by mystical
abilities. At best, they can notice if the person is acting strange with a
successful roll against Observation or an appropriate specialty of Psychology. Anyone
with abilities that detect mysticism can use those abilities normally, of
course.
If a person succeeds his roll to notice an ability’s use, he must
still make another roll to determine if he understands what is going on. This
is a roll against the better of Hidden
Lore (Mysticism), Occultism-2, Theology, or IQ-4, all with the same modifier used for the roll to notice. If no
roll was required to notice, the modifier is +5. On a success, he knows a
mystic is using his powers on him, and on a critical success, he gets another
resistance roll. Any failure gives no information, and a critical failure points
the person at the wrong supernatural
source.
The Powers
The following seven powers are presented in the usual stat block
from Powers.
Body Mastery
Source: Mysticism.
Focus: The user’s body.
This power let’s a mystic exert extreme control over his own body.
This lets him boost his reflexes, strength, and metabolism, as well as giving
him control over his involuntary bodily functions. Thus, a mystic is capable of
amazing physical and bodily feats.
Body Awareness
5 points/level
Body Mastery Abilities
Breath-Holding; Catfall; Damage Resistance, with Tough Skin
(-40%), Limited, Mystical Abilities (-20%) and No Signature (+20%), or Ablative (-80%), Force Field (+20%),
and No Signature (+20%); Enhanced Move (Ground); Hard to Kill; Hard to Subdue;
High Pain Threshold; Lifting ST; Metabolism Control; Perfect Balance; Pressure
Support 1; Protected Power; Protected Sense (any mundane); Rapid Healing;
Recovery; Reduced Consumption; Regeneration; Resistant to any physical threats; Sealed; Silence;
Striking ST; Super Climbing; Super Jump; Temperature Tolerance; Universal
Digestion; Walk on Liquid.
Power Perks: Gecko
Grip; No Visual Damage; Personal Awareness; Pressure-Tolerance Lungs; Striking
Surface; and That Extra Inch.
Power Modifier: Body
Mastery. The advantage belongs to the Body Mastery Power. This modifier is
Mystical (-10%).
Projection Mastery
Source: Mysticism.
Focus: Other planes of
existence.
This is the power to project yourself into or bodily travel to
other planes of existence. It includes abilities that project the user’s
consciousness to other locations, discorporate the user’s soul from his body,
travel to other planes of existence, channel beings from other planes, or
otherwise interact with other planes of existence mentally or bodily.
Projector
5 points/level
Projection Mastery Abilities
Acute Sense with Limited, Only to Offset Penalties to Sense One
Specific Plane (varies); Alternate Form (spirit forms); Channeling with
Specialized, Astral or Ethereal Entities, both (-50%); Damage Resistance with
Limited, Specific Plane Only (-20%) or Limited, Extraplanar Only (-10%);
Insubstantiality, often with Projection; Jumper (Spirit), often with
Projection; Medium with Specialized, Astral or Ethereal Entities, both (-50%);
Mind Block with Limited, Specific Plane Only (-20%) or Limited, Extraplanar
Only (-10%); Resistant to Supernatural Attacks with Limited, Specific Plane
Only (-20%) or Limited, Extraplanar Only (-10%); Spirit Empathy with
Specialized, Astral or Ethereal Entities, both (-50%); True Faith with Limited,
Extraplanar Entities (-20%) or Limited, Astral Entities or Ethereal Entities
(-40%).
Some abilities only function while a practitioner is projecting
or physically on another plane. Represent these with Clinging, Doesn’t Breathe,
Doesn’t Eat or Drink, Doesn’t Sleep, Enhanced Move (any), Flight, Immunity to
Metabolic Hazards, Invisibility, or Possession, all with either Accessibility,
Only While Projecting (-10%); Accessibility, Only on Another Plane (-10%); or
Accessibility, Only on a Specific Plane (-20%). Such abilities work only while
using abilities with the Projection or Projected Form modifiers or while
physically on another plane of existence.
Afflictions with Malediction and Advantage for Alternate Form
(spirit forms), Insubstantiality, or Jumper are appropriate for people others
to other planes with or without their consent. Innate Attacks should be either
burning or corrosion attacks, depending on whether they destroy or disintegrate
their targets, and have Malediction and one of Limited, Extraplanar Entities
(-20%) or Extraplanar Entities from a Specific Plane (-40%).
Power Perks: Astral
Awareness; Licensed Exorcist; Retractable Cord; Spirit Accessory; Spirit Badge;
and Subjective Navigator.
Power Modifier: Projection
Mastery. The advantage belongs to the Projection Mastery Power. This modifier
is Mystical (-10%).
Perception Mastery
Source: Mysticism.
Focus: Knowledge and
the senses.
This is the power to enhance or extend one’s senses beyond the
natural. It includes supernaturally enhanced mundane senses, entirely new
supernatural senses, the ability to tap into the Akashic Library for
information, and the ability to assimilate all of this information into new
knowledge.
Mystic Perceiption
5 points/level
Perception Mastery Abilities
360° Vision with Panoptic 2; Blessed; Combat Reflexes; Danger
Sense; Detect; Clairsentience; Dark Vision; Discriminatory Smell; Enhanced
Tracking; Infravision; Intuition; Medium; Night Vision; Oracle; Psychometry;
Racial Memory; See Invisible (Ghosts); Sensitive Touch; and Vibration Sense
with Sense of Perception.
Power Perks: Card
Sharp; Dowsing; Dream Visions; Exposition Sense; Eye for Distance; Forecast;
Rule of 14.
Power Modifier: Perception
Mastery. The advantage belongs to the Perception Mastery Power. This modifier
is Mystical (-10%).
Dream Mastery
Source: Mysticism.
Focus: States of
consciousness.
This is the power to affect other states of consciousness, in
particular, those who are dreaming. It includes the ability to visit and shape
the Dreamlands, project oneself into others’ dreams, alter other people’s
states of consciousness, and even meddle in their thought processes by
infiltrating their subconscious via their dreams.
Dream Walking
5 points/level
Dream Mastery Abilities
Traits marked with an asterisk (*) also have Accessibility, Only
on sleeping targets, -20%.
Animal Empathy*; Channeling, with Accessibility, Only While
Sleeping (-20%); Charisma*; Clairsentience, with World-Spanning, Dreamlands
Only (+0); Detect for dreams, sleeping people, etc.; Doesn’t Sleep;
Fearlessness; Jumper (Spirit), with Limited Access, Dreamlands (-20%); Less
Sleep; Mind Control, with Conditioning Only or Suggestion; Mind Probe*; Mind
Reading*; Mind Shield (Limited, Dream Attacks Only, -40%); Oracle; Snatcher,
with Creation and Accessibility, Only in the Dreamlands (-20%); Telesend*;
Terror*; and Unfazeable.
Attacks are primarily built on Affliction with any of Coma,
Disadvantage (Delusions, Flashbacks, Phantom Voices, Nightmare, etc.),
Hallucinating (for daydreams or altered mental states), Paralysis (for sleep
paralysis), Sleep, or Unconsciousness. Fatigue Attacks with Missed Sleep are
equally appropriate, however. All should have Malediction.
Power Perks: Alarm
Clock; Dream Trance; Dream Visions; Ping; Rule of 15; and Sleeping Beauty.
Power Modifier: Dream
Mastery. The advantage belongs to the Dream Mastery Power. This modifier is
Mystical (-10%).
Fate Mastery
Source: Mysticism.
Focus: Probabilities.
Fate Mastery lets the user manipulate the outcomes of seemingly
random events by influencing the world spirit Ananta in subtle and minor ways.
This lets a practitioner bless and curse others, always find just what he needs
in his pockets, benefit from serendipity, and yes, cheat at cards and dice.
Oddsmaker
5 points/level
Fate Mastery Abilities
Abilities marked with an asterisk (*) are open-ended. The GM
should set a limit for each, but reasonable caps are Oddsmaker / 2.
Combat Reflexes; Detect, for blessed or cursed items,
reality-warping, wishes, etc.; Enhanced Defenses; Gizmo; Intuition; Luck, with
Wishing; Protected Power; Serendipity*, with Wishing; Super Luck*, with Alter
Reality and Wishing; Terrain Adaptation, with Active; Visualization, with
Blessing or Cursing; and Wild Talent*.
Afflictions that bless or curse others can also fit. These have
one of Advantage, Disadvantage, Negated Advantage, or Negated Disadvantage and
only affect Cursed, Destiny, Luck, Serendipity, Super Luck, or Unluckiness.
Additionally, these must also have No Signature and one of Malediction, Melee
Attack, or Sense-Based. While the player is free to state what he would like to
see happen, the GM ultimately decides the outcome. Abilities that allow the
player to decide carry an additional Cosmic, +300%.
Power Perks: Doodad;
Good Neighbor; Karma Bank; Loaded Dice; Moneyclip Magnet; and Shopper’s
Blessing.
Power Modifier: Fate
Mastery. The advantage belongs to the Fate Mastery Power. This modifier is
Mystical (-10%).
Telepathic Mastery
Source: Mysticism.
Focus: Minds.
This is the power to sense and manipulate the thoughts and
emotions of others. Practitioners can dig through the memories of others, alter
their personalities, communicate directly via telepathy, and even turn them
into slaves. This power overlaps some applications of Dream Mastery, but it
does not suffer the limitation of only working on the sleeping.
Telepathic Talent
5 points/level
Telepathic Mastery Abilities
Animal Empathy; Detect sentient minds, sapient minds, etc.;
Empathy; Enhanced Defenses (any) with Accessibility, One Target at a Time
(-20%); Illusion with Mental; Medium; Mind Control; Mind Probe; Mind Reading;
Mind Shield; Mindlink; Modular Abilities 3 (Cosmic) with Limited, Languages
Only (-50%); Plant Empathy; Possession; Rapier Wit; Speak with Animals; Speak
with Plants; Spirit Empathy; Telesend; and Terror.
Attacks are also possible. These are primarily based on
Affliction with one of Incapacitating or Irritating Condition, but Advantage,
Disadvantage, Negated Advantage, or Negated Disadvantage are also possible for
traits like Absent-Mindedness, Confused, Versatile, etc. Fatigue Attack is also
possible with Cannot Reduce Fatigue below Zero, (-10%).
All options above must also have Malediction, Melee Attack, or
Sense-Based, and if a resistance roll is allowed, be modified as necessary to
be resisted by Will.
Power Perks: Avatar;
Call of the Wild; Gaze into the Abyss; I Know What You Mean; Ping; and Soothing
Touch.
Power Modifier: Telepathic
Mastery. The advantage belongs to the Telepathic Mastery Power. This modifier
is Mystical (-10%).
Soul Mastery
Source: Mysticism.
Focus: Souls.
This is the power to directly affect a person’s soul.
Practitioners can use this to remove accumulated demonic corruption, heal
themselves and others, or syphon off the pieces of a person’s soul. It can also
be used to repel spirits, forge unbreakable bonds, and directly scorch a
person’s soul.
Soul Manipulation
5 points/level
Soul Mastery Abilities
Damage Resistance with Limited, Soul Mastery (-40%) or Corrupt (-60%);
Healing; Protected Power; Regeneration; Resistant or Immune for soul attacks;
Special Rapport with Transferable; and True Faith, with Cosmic.
Afflictions that either represent sickness – e.g., Attribute
Penalties, Nausea, Coma, Retching, etc. – or can result in healing – e.g.,
Ecstasy, Sleep, Advantage with Rapid Healing, Regeneration, or Recovery, etc. –
are appropriate. Burning, Corrosion, or Toxic Attacks are appropriate as long
as they represent burning, annihilating, or poisoning the target’s soul.
Lastly, Leech in its many forms is also appropriate. In all cases, attacks
should have Malediction.
Power Perks:
Controllable Lifebane; Efficient Esoteric Medicine; Efficient Surgery; Healing
Bond; Life Support; Natural Doctor; Personal Awareness.
Power Modifier: Soul
Mastery. The advantage belongs to the Soul Mastery Power. This modifier is
Mystical (-10%).
Next Time...
...I will begin posting fully-worked individual abilities. Most
likely, I will put each ability up as its own post, but do so more often than
my current posting rate – especially once I get ahead of my current posting
schedule. I’ll still post other stuff about once per week that pertains to
other aspects of Starfall, with the ultimate goal of having enough material to
start making characters as quickly as possible. This way the playtesting can
begin.
As I currently see it, I still have a few things to do before a
playtest is feasible:
- Address divine magic users and holy warriors
- Decide which existing Dungeon Fantasy templates fit Starfall
- Determine if there are any niche gaps after pruning the master list and make templates to fill them
- Make at least one template that centers around mystical abilities
- Check the current gear lists against the feel of Starfall
There are probably other tasks that will arise as these points
are addressed, and some of them will help further flesh out the setting, too. I
also want to start creating monsters for the setting, too. I won’t be posting
all of these because when I eventually run a game in Starfall, I want the less
common creatures to be surprising and interesting. Instead, I’ll post stats for
creatures any typical adventurer should already be familiar with – e.g., giant
animals, common hybrids, some common spirits, etc.
I hope you look forward to this material as much as I do! As
always, I’d love to hear your feedback on my work thus far. Please feel free to
comment below!
No comments :
Post a Comment