[spycraft] Mass Craft

[Morgenstern]

Actually, unless you grant Edge as part of being a Biotic (so you start with enough edge to use your powers), it doesn't fit the game well at all. Edge is a warm up system, not a cool down system.

Both are a subset of "timers". I just happen to prefer timers that are based on taking action to advance them, rather than staring at the clock. At the speed of table-top gaming I preffer systems to put the spurs to players to 'do', rather than to 'wait'.

[Krensky]

I appreciate that Morg, the question is, I suppose, is how important it is to capture the cool down mechanic. To me, it's not that important, but it is important to me that we understand how Edge differs from a cool down when building powers.

[Morgenstern]

I agree that mimicing the cooldown is not really the point. My thinking when I sugested incorporating Edge was more along the lines of, "abilites that are not availabe at all times can be stronger for the amount of character resources being invested to acquire them than abilites that are at-will." Compare a weapon forte to the mix-up trick (both requiring the same investment). Since biotics seem to be fairly strong and flashy, but also have a "not always available" timer mechanic, Edge came to mind. It also seems to follow the source that Biotic powers strive to not have a "X number of times per scene/combat" cap, which again points to a timer instead of charges as the means of restricting access/enhancing potency.

Timers are tricky business at the tabletop. Many of them are gone from Mastercraft (a huge number of effects now simply persist to the end of the scene rather than making you count to a certain number of rounds). I'm always leary of introducing them. When possible I favor fixed time values because they can be memorized if part of a character's regular arsenal, where as rolled durations add record keeping ("how many rounds is it this time...?").

[gaghiel42]

Hmm.  Definitely something to think about.  I was kinda seeing edge working more like rechargeable spell points in my head and not so much a timer.  Every time I was trying to think of how long an appropriate recharge would be I saw it as an "every other round" sort of power or perhaps at best a once a round thing for some of the weaker powers that just do damage (like Charge).   The edge system had the extra bonus of being able to put more points into a power when you activate it to do additional craziness.  Spending edge to recharge your barrier, make you size categories larger for collision damage, etc.

If we can decide on a "you can use this power X times every Y rounds" for biotics and instead give them spell/biotic points, I would be ok with this as well. 

Sorry I haven't been to active at the moment, works gotten busy come midterms time and I've had a lot of other stuff distracting me.  (Chuck, Rainbow Six Las Vegas 2, etc)

[Morgenstern]

To make it a little more cool-down like, you could mimic the text of mix-up, but put it all on a shared timer.

Big Zappity (Biotic Attack Action): If you have not used a biotic power in the last 2 rounds, you may blah...

Little Zappity (Biotic Attack Action): If you have not used a biotic power in the last round, you may blah...

Basically, when you use any biotic power you start waiting, but the wait can be determined by the next power you want to use. Keeping track of the timer is a little harder than with edge (since you don't have points or other easy markers) but I figure players eager to lay the biotic smack down will be more than happy to count to 3 before killin things with mind bullets .

[glimmerrat]

See what you think of this. It may not agree with everything mentioned so far, but this is how I’d tackle it.

TALENTS
This new talent grants access to the biotic power NPC quality and Biotics feats, and is unique to the Mass Craft campaign setting.

Biotic: Nodules of element zero grow throughout your nervous system, granting you the ability to manipulate dark energy.
● +1 Wisdom.
● You gain the biotic power NPC quality at Career Levels 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20.
● Resolve is always a class skill for you. Further, your result cap with this skill increases by 5 (maximum 60).
● Each time you gain a non-Biotics feat choice, you may choose a Biotics feat instead.
● You gain the Favored Gear feat, which must be used to purchase a biotic amp.


NPC QUALITIES
This new NPC quality is intended to be unique to the Mass Craft campaign setting, but in other settings it could potentially be used to represent a variety of psychic abilities.

Biotic Power (5 XP): The NPC gains a biotic power from the list below. Each time this quality is applied, the NPC permanently reduces their stress damage threshold by 1 point. Additionally, you may not use a biotic power if you activated a biotic power in the previous round.

Warp
Activation Time: 1 half action
Distance: Line-of-Sight
Area: 5 ft. radius
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect: You bombard the target with rapidly shifting mass effect fields, shredding them apart. The target suffers 1d6 lethal damage, ignoring damage reduction. Additionally, this damage is inflicted upon any armor that the target is wearing.


BIOTICS FEATS
Biotics feats enhance the use of abilities gained through the biotic power NPC quality. Each feat chain has a specific biotic power as a prerequisite.

Warp Basics
Your trained warping abilities have become incredibly intense.
Prerequisites: biotic power (warp) NPC quality, career level 3+.
Benefit: The damage inflicted by your warp power increases to 2d6, and its area increases to 10 ft.

Warp Mastery
Your warps interact with other biotic powers in spectacular ways.
Prerequisites: biotic power (warp) NPC quality, warp basics, career level 6+.
Benefit: The damage inflicted by your warp power increases to 3d6, and its area increases to 15 ft. Additionally, if the target is currently under the effects of a biotic power, then that power immediately ends and the damage inflicted by warp is doubled.

Warp Supremacy
The shearing force of your warps can slice apart even armored vehicles.
Prerequisites: biotic power (warp) NPC quality, warp mastery, career level 9+.
Benefit: Your warp is permanently upgraded. Choose one of the following benefits.
● Heavy warp: The damage inflicted by your warp power increases to 6d6.
● Unstable warp: The area of your warp power increases to 30 ft.


GEAR

Gadget Picks

Biotic Amp: This mechanism may only be placed in a housing that is part of a character’s body, and only by a character that possesses the biotic power NPC quality. When activating a biotic power granted by this quality, the amp may be used with one of the following benefits.
● Increase the duration of a power that has a duration greater than instantaneous by (caliber) rounds.
● Increase the damage inflicted by (caliber) points.
● Ignore the restriction stating that you may not use a biotic power if you activated a biotic power in the previous round.

[glimmerrat]

On second thoughts, maybe Biotic should be a Speciality so that any species can take it.

That said, all Asari are born biotic, so i'll need to rewrite the Asari race that I did earlier to factor that in.

Anyway, 54 views since I posted this and no comments? 

[aegis]

I don't know Mass Effect at all, so I would have a hard time judging the feel, but the crunch seems there. The additional rules I see here are both simple and sleek.

My only question is about the biotic amp: what is the caliber of the type that ignores the restriction on biotic powers? Also, isn't 5 XP a bit too much for biotic power? I would say 2 XP are enough, given that you need several feats if you want to make the power really effective.

[glimmerrat]

I don't know Mass Effect at all, so I would have a hard time judging the feel, but the crunch seems there. The additional rules I see here are both simple and sleek.

That's what I was shooting for. Thankyou.

My only question is about the biotic amp: what is the caliber of the type that ignores the restriction on biotic powers?

They all do that, but I might amend it so that only Amps of caliber III or higher can do that.

Also, isn't 5 XP a bit too much for biotic power? I would say 2 XP are enough, given that you need several feats if you want to make the power really effective.

My main reasoning here is that it effectively gives you a line-of-sight attack that can be used regardless of ammunition supply, and you can never ever be disarmed. It's effectively like having a spell in FC that you don't need to pay a casting cost for or make a casting roll. I went with 5 XP because in IMHO it's very powerful, and versatile given that you can customise it with feats.

That, and an NPC with Biotic Power (Warp) and Warp Basics becomes an armour-shredding pain-in-the-ass for a mere 7 extra XP...

[glimmerrat]

That said, we should add Batarians, Drell, Geth and Vorcha as playable races.

While we're at it, we may as well do Elcor, Hanar and Volus too...

[Nepenthe]

My gf just broke up with me last week, I'll take a look at these when my world stops spinning.

[Wolverine]

...I'll take a look at these when my world stops spinning.

Beer + FPS + Bond movies always helped me with that.

[Nepenthe]

...I'll take a look at these when my world stops spinning.

Beer + FPS + Bond movies always helped me with that.

Let's just say it's different this time.

[MilitiaJim]

Let's just say it's different this time.

Scotch and Apocalypse Now?

[Blankbeard]

I don't know how useful these will be because I'm starting from Fantasy Craft but here's my take on the above mentioned races:

Batarian
[0 ] Medium Organic Reach 1, Terminus Species
[1.5] +2 Any, -2 Any
[0 ] Base Speed 30
[1] Cheap Shot:  You gain the Cheap Shot trick
[2] Grueling Combatant:  Each time an adjacent opponent misses you, they take 2 subdual.
[2] Harsh Beating:  The DC of fortitude saves from subdual damage you inflict increases by 4.
[-1] Iconic Classes: Soldier, Assassin
[1] Low Light Vision:  Ignore the effects of dim and faint light
[2] Practiced Skill (Bluff):  If you spend an action die on a Bluff check and it fails against all targets, you regain the die
[-1.5] Reviled -10

Drell
[0 ] Medium Organic Reach 1, Non-Citadel Species
[3] +2 Dex
[1] Base Speed 40
[3] Edectic
   [2] If I recall:  You gain a +5 bonus with Knowledge checks
   [1] Free Hint : Once per session, you may request a free hint from the GM, gaining 1 AD if refused
[1] Heat Resistance 5
[-1] Iconic Specialties: TBD I haven't reworked enough specialties to have a list yet.

Elcor
[-1] Large (1) Organic Beast (-2) Reach 1, Citadel Species
[4.5] +3 Wis, +3 Con, -3 Cha
[-0.5] Base Speed 20
[-0.5] Banned checks:  You may not make Influence or Browbeat checks
[1] Enlightened Skill (Sense Motive): Your maximum rank in Sense Motive increases to your level +5
[-0.5] Fatal Falls:  Falling damage increases by +1 per die and gains keen(4)
[1] Improved Stability: Considered 1 size larger for bull rush, trip, grapple
[-1] Iconic Classes: Courtier, Scientist
[2] Respected:  You may buy Citadel renown for 40 reputation per rank
[2] Thick Hide 3

Hanar
[-0.5] Small (1.5) Beast(-2) Reach 1, Citadel Species
[1.5] Hovering Base Speed 20:  You gain flight 20 but may move no higher than 10 foot off the ground
[3] Bonus Feat (Many Armed):  You have 6 tentacles and the coordination to use them.
[1] Cat Fall: You suffer one less die of falling damage
[1] Charming:  Once per session, you may improve the disposition of one non-adversary by 5.
[1] Encouragement:  1/scene you may grant a team mate +1 morale bonus with saving throws.

Volus
[1.5] Small Organic, Citadel Reach 1
[0 ] -4 Dex, +2 Wis
[-0.5] Base Speed 20
[-0.5] Achilles Heel (Acid) Due to your alkaline physiology, you take double damage from acid
[-0.5] Considered 1 size smaller for Bull Rush, Grapple, and Trip
[1] Enlightened Skill (Haggle)
[2]exosuit:  You possess and must wear at all times an exosuit.  While wearing this suit, you are protected from contact and inhaled poisons and diseases and gain Heat/Cold Resistance 3.  All damage against you gains keen(4).  Optionally, an attacker may spend 3 action dice on a critical to cause a major rupture, giving you decompression sickness (1d6 rounds incubation, effect -1 con)
[2] Slow and Steady:  Activating your downtime errors costs 2 additional action dice
[2] Thrifty:  You gain 2 Prudence

Vorcha
[0 ] Medium Organic, Terminus Reach 1
[1] +2 Str, +2 Con, -4 Int, -2 Cha
[0 ] Base Speed 30
[3.5] Adaptability:  You may select any two of the following benefits.  Once per session after taking damage, you may swap one of your adaptability benefits for the one corresponding benefit
   Cold, Electricity:  Damage Resistance 5 to that type
   Poison, Disease:  +4 on saves vs poison/disease, may benefit from 1 additional tonic per day
   Vacuum:  Vacuum resistance 5 and +4 with Fortitude saves versus vacuum.
   Physical Damage:  Thick Hide 2
   Starvation:  Lean Season
[-1] Iconic Classes: Soldier, Infiltrator
[0.5] Natural Attack I (Claw): You gain a claw attack
[3] Regeneration 2
[-1] Reviled 10:  The starting disposition of non-Vorcha NPC's decreases by 10
[1] Thick Hide 2:  You are considered to be wearing light armor with a DR of 2.