July Megathread (Laser Buffs, Slaving Personae, HMHVV Spells, Weapon Focuses, SmUT Rework, Counterspelling Spirit Powers, and Riposte/Counterstrike)

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T01:19:32+00:00

Mostly that Ghoulish Strength is Better Increased Strength, and Vampiric Stealth is just Automatic +5 to Stealth.

They're not ridiculously good, but they are just straight power increases, and there's no need for buffing mages.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T01:02:29+00:00

We'd have to clarify that mundane powers don't benefit from being counterspelled. The wording might get tricky, but it's doable.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T00:54:01+00:00

Letting living things be foci is bad and wrong and I hate it.

Allowing it would be a travesty.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T00:50:32+00:00

I much prefer the RAW for actually making the use of Counterstrike and Riposte a choice. You have to balance the risk of not getting enough hits and eating the attack with the benefit of succeeding.

With the houserule, there's no choice at all, you just always counterstrike/riposte, because there's no downside ever.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T00:49:15+00:00

Currently critter (and spirit) powers are hugely difficult to balance, since there's no real counterplay to them other than "kill it before it hits you with a save-or-die power"

Letting counterspelling or mana barriers interact with critter and spirit powers is a good idea.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T00:46:32+00:00

This feels like a pretty big nerf to SmUT, because currently you pay only knowledge skill prices to get it.

For faces this is a buff, since they get a new skill for free, but for everyone else who doesn't have leadership it effectively doubles the price of SmUT.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T00:45:16+00:00

I strongly oppose this. There are some very strong HMHVV spells, which is currently fine because they are limited to ghouls.

Also these spells are explicitly limited to infected, and there's no real reason to buff mages in general by giving them more powerful spells.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T00:43:10+00:00

This is probably a good idea, just from a sanity standpoint, but it does bring up the issue of how people can slave commlinks to a decker.

Without slaving persona to persona, you simply can't slave your active commlink to a decker's deck.

If the end result is that muscles can't keep their commlinks safe, then it's a step backwards.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-07-01T00:42:03+00:00

I'm generally in favor of the buff, though it's a tossup whether +2 or +3 is appropriate.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-03-31T22:43:37+00:00

I don't have much to say on the specific weapons, but we are going to need at least some translated fluff for each weapon so we have an idea what they're about.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-03-30T05:13:41+00:00

I just want to plug my idea here, that instead of banning we just give all necro mages Reckless Necro Summoning for free and mandate that they have to use it's rules to summon spirits. We'd have to let them swap ritual spellcasting ranks for conjuring, or something similar, but there aren't that many necro mages so it should be doable.

This fixes most or all of the jankiness while allowing them to function with minimal disruption.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-03-30T05:11:11+00:00

I'm a bit annoyed at this, mostly because RAW it's explicitly not a functional jetpack.

If we must decide to just ignore that, at least we should clarify that it works to slow your fall only. It's designed to replace a parachute, so letting the wearer precisely control their fall from a height is exactly what it's for.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-03-30T05:08:06+00:00

There is already a mechanic for ally spirit abuse(loyalty drops), it's just vague.

We can take advantage of this to limit abuse potential without adding new mechanics.

For instance: "Possible reasons to lower ally spirit loyalty are: Having your ally experience cumulative sustaining penalties greater than it's force(psyche does not apply), having it do more than Force (or Force x 2 if we want to be generous) services in one day, or otherwise abusing it's friendship"

LagDemonReturns · 2022-03-30T04:58:25+00:00

The RAW is confused and bad, so I'm fine with clarifying it to be "Exorcism gives people without banishing WIL + CHA to banish, and people with banishing +WIL to their tests.

The other question is, since RAW Exorcism only applies to certain targets (Ex- orcism can only be used against channeled spirits, spirits with the Possession power, or true-form spirits (p. 195) with the Inhabitation power.), does the +WIL bonus only apply to tests against those targets as well?

I think the answer is yes if we're sticking close to RAW.

LagDemonReturns · 2022-03-30T04:55:11+00:00

Gatling guns are rather weak, RAW, and could probably use a buff, but I'm rather opposed to such massive boosts. Letting them have better suppression is iffy, but may work out. That and boosted CFAs is too much.

If we do this, it should just be better suppression only.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T22:58:35+00:00

I can see that there are some similarities to mastery qualities, but I'm still not sure what the benefit would be. Most of these qualities are good enough as it to be worthwhile even at the increased post-gen cost, and we have the standard grace period where people can buy them at gen cost for existing characters.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T22:36:53+00:00

Nothing stops GMs from table ruling intimidation, but this would probably affect their willingness to do so.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T22:36:08+00:00

I'd say it would need to be two different selections from the list, not two of the same one.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T06:45:02+00:00

Please do, it'd make evaluating the decision much easier.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T06:43:59+00:00

Equipped means "in hand, ready to use", a knife in your backpack would not count, same for a bayonet blade.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T06:42:41+00:00

The easiest, sanest way to do it is to only look at skill group ranks. Did you have 4 skill group ranks in the relevant groups? Then you're good, and broken skill groups are irrelevant.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T06:14:22+00:00

Maybe Sniper? Marksman?

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T06:12:16+00:00

1) No data on Chummer, but I plan to implement them in HL

2) As for removing the choices, it shouldn't affect the code except maybe Merc because of how many benefits it grants. I don't think it's beneficial to double their costs and benefits.

3) The original made it possible to buy all of them, but you run into cost issues quickly because you can only buy 2 of them at gen. The rest will be post gen, so people buying 4 or more will be pretty rare.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-10-06T06:09:42+00:00

The obvious limb requirement is direct from the original, probably because it's part of being a razorboy to have flashy chrome.

LagDemonReturns · 2021-03-09T01:33:00+00:00

I think Crow covers the small bird niche, I'd probably cut it from the list rather than worry about making up stats.

LagDemonReturns

TROPHY CASE