Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
Power Points; *snickers*
Topic Started: Jul 12 2015, 10:50 PM (54 Views)
TempestAtiri
Judge
For the most part, we follow the rules in the Ultimate Powers book. Here are some known adjustments for this setting, and other resources to use regarding it, as well as a list of the currently active characters with that power set.

Darquarius
 

Just a word from your friendly, neighborhood Darquarius. The Ultimate Powers book has a lot of really awesome options for more than just powers. It has an extensive and intuitive (albeit a little long and dry) break down of the character creation system, offering a huge number of options for origins, species, sub-types, and even weaknesses! And while it also sports a wide variety of powers to choose from? There's a site called 'Classic Marvel Forever', where the folks there have taken painstaking efforts to list even -more- options! And what's more? They put them up for open public use! How cool is that?! So cool that even Mr. Freeze would get a frost bite, that's how! And the link is riiiiight...

HERE!
Edited by Darquarius, Aug 2 2015, 05:56 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Darquarius
Judge
Now, we here at DCMU like to believe we're pretty friendly and trusting. But, be that as it may? There's still a lot of people out there who might threaten the overall peace and prosperity of our little community here by abusing things that weren't meant to be abused. And so, it is in that spirit that we've built a list of powers of varying restriction levels. The restriction levels, and what they mean for you? Are listed out below


  • Cautioned: These are powers that are being over-used, generally, and more often than not? You'll find that the powers listed here? Are actually listed in combination with other powers. Things like, say, Super Strength and Super Endurance. It's an easy power set for people to run with, because it's easy to understand and easier to play. You hurt things a lot easier, and you don't get hurt as much yourself. This list will actually fluctuate a bit based on staff observations to keep things from coming completely unbalanced and unhinged (If everyone has the exact same powerset, after all, it kinda stops being fun after a while, you know?)
  • Restricted: These powers are things that are powerful enough to warrant immediate moderation just based on their very nature. Things that, if left open to the public for everyone to have? You might have a handful who have them and -don't- abuse them, but generally speaking, people are going to, if only accidentally. These powers are not forbidden, but require staff approval, and will be denied if a trend starts to take too much of them.
  • Forbidden: These powers are usually of a deific level or nature and are flat out not allowed. There might be a few NPCs and staff-controlled characters who employ these powers? But if they do? You can rest assured, they are being -very- carefully regulated.


And now that those are defined? We'll begin listing powers and their status labels in the following posts.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Darquarius
Judge
Cautioned Powers List

There are no Cautioned Level Powers at this moment! Yay!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Darquarius
Judge
Restricted Powers List


  • Reality Perception:This is a pretty hefty little power here. Not only does it allow you to see through disguises and illusions and such? It also enables you to see vital signs and even comes with X-ray vision as well. The reason it's restricted instead of forbidden, is that it's kind of a dialed back version of other forbidden sensory powers. Has some potential for abuse, but not as much as the others.
  • Channel(energy):This is one of those 'borderline' powers. The paranoid moderator in me? Really just wants to forbid this, because it's another case of multiple powers wrapped into one power. However. It allows for an energy detection, energy emission, healing, and also allows the character to temporarily boost one single stat for up to ten rounds. Comparing that to some of the forbidden powers, however? That list of abilities just feels kinda lack luster, seeing as the ability boost is heavily restricted by the power itself. It isn't forbidden YET, but it might be in the future.
  • Extra-Terrestrial Energy Control:Here's the thing with this one. This certainly has -potential- to cause a lot of grief? But the energy in question is ET in nature, as described. It's found somewhere else in the universe, NOT on Earth. Obviously, there's going to be instances of things containing or producing this energy to fall to Earth, sure, but if this sort of event becomes a common thing? That could fall under power abuse. This power is restricted, not forbidden, due to the rare nature and difficulty in accessing said energies
  • Probability Manipulation:Worth noting? I am 33 years old as of the day we first made this site. So I remember a time where I wouldn't have even restricted this power. And then J.K. Rowling released a series of books that became an international phenomenon featuring a probability manipulating potion and showcasing exactly how broken this power -can- be. As a result? This power is almost guaranteed to be permanently restricted, since it will require the player and the staff coming to a few understandings about it's application before it can be accepted
  • Time Control:This power might actually wind up being forbidden. I'm undecided at the current moment. For now? It's restricted, heavily.
  • Space Manipulation:This power is basically an auto-dodger's wet dream. It's restricted, instead of forbidden, because it does have it's weak points, but could easily be combined with some other abilities to become something very very broken
  • Cosmic/Extradimensional/Extraterrestrial Energy Emission: These powers are all restricted for the same reasons. Mostly because we won't be allowing these powers to be combined with Energy Control powers of the same types, owing to the perpetual broken-ness of that combination.
  • Life Absorption: This one is generally reserved for deific level characters, however, given proper understandings between Player and Staff? I can also see this power being less broken and more useful.
  • Memory Elimination:When you think about it? This power could unleash some serious havoc within the RP. We'll need to reach a few understandings before a character can just run free with this kind of power, I think.
Edited by Darquarius, Aug 3 2015, 04:45 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Darquarius
Judge
Forbidden Powers List


  • Aura Perception:This is one of those deity-level powers that really would detract from the enjoyment of things. As an alternative, consider 'Lesser Aura Perception', and just pick one or two items from the list of abilities that this power, in full force, would allow.
  • Cosmic Perception:In the same vein as Aura Perception, only this one's even more generalized and vague.
  • Cosmic Energy Manipulation:This power is basically the equivalent of about ten powers in one. Not only does it allow one to rapidly boost their own stats, heal themselves, and all manner of other things? It also gives the character energy projectiles for free on top of that. If you want this kind of power? I suggest looking at the list of abilities it gives you, and rebuilding that list using individual powers.
  • Electro-Magnetic Manipulation:This power, as written on the CMF website? Is just outright overdone. Aaaaalmost seems like the author of that power's description kinda went a little overboard with it. I may wind up supplanting that description with a better one, but in the meantime? That's a definite no-no.
  • Reality Manipulation:This isn't an illusory thing, this kind of power is reserved, normally, for gods and goddesses of the highest order. This is the kind of power that God Almighty used when creating Earth and The Universe [referring to the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible]. As such? It is very strictly, and very permanently, forbidden.
  • Continuum Control:Pretty much in the same vein as Reality Manipulation...
  • Birth Power:Not that I see anyone actually -wanting- to take this power? I mean, it -can- spontaneously create life by means of a sort of instantaneous immaculate conception, but then, that's also why it's forbidden. Because there's always one 'funny guy' out there who's thinking 'You know what would be hilarious...?'
  • Death Power:If I have to tell you why this one's forbidden? We should probably be having a very different discussion. XD
Edited by Darquarius, Aug 3 2015, 04:42 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Darquarius
Judge
Notes on Creating New Powers

Now that we've gotten through that big, obligatory list of 'no-no's', let's talk about one of the 'bread and butter' aspects of a board RPG like this, shall we? New Powers!

The list on Classic Marvel Forever is more than just a little on the comprehensive side. I mean, there's a LOT there to consider, right? Right. But sometimes, and I've encountered this problem as well in my use of the system, you come up with an idea, and the power listed just isn't quite the same as your idea, or maybe it's not even there at all! So? What do you do? You develop an entirely new power concept, that's what! And we, here at DCMU, absolute -adore- that kind of creativity. However, you can't just apply for a character with a power that has no precedence. A lot of our character costing formulas are relatively static based on the prescribed descriptions of powers given. So, in order for us to price your new character with his or her new power? We need to have that prescription already lined up, otherwise it lags the whole process and sets off a chain reaction that could wind up destroying the entire space-time continuum!

... Okay, maybe not. But still, it is a pretty big headache. So, to eliminate some of these potential rough spots? I'm going to walk you through a few things to consider -before- trying to create a new power, as well as outline a few tips that will help your power creation process go a lot more smoothly, thus making everyone involved a lot happier.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Darquarius
Judge
The first thing I'm going to talk about? Is something that I call "Instance Modifiers". These are basically tiny little differences in the way a power works that can make it something entirely different from what it normally is. The modifiers can be something as small as changing the aesthetics of a power (a pyrokinetic that creates/controls only blue flames, for example), or it could change some minor aspect of the nature of a power (A speedster who doesn't use the 'speed force', but instead just insanely dense and complicated muscle formations in their own bodies, for example)

Before we can discuss these modifiers, however, it -does- need to be understood, that, unless a power's description specifically states otherwise? There are a few givens about how some things work. Like, in the above examples? ALL Speedsters (any character whose power set is based on super speed) draws their power from the mystical 'Speed Force'. Shapeshifters of all sorts are generally able to do what THEY do to the fact that their body is composed of neutral cells instead of normal cells (Also known as 'Stem Cells'). The list of 'basic givens' is far too long and comprehensive for me to begin listing right here and now, so I would highly suggest researching the topic, and maybe even asking a staffer or fellow member if they have time to help you figure things out. Doing this? Can only be rewarding, as not only do you expand your knowledge of the setting and how it works? You also come to a more intimate understanding of that power and it's nature, which unlocks all -kinds- of new possibilities!

But, then again, on that same note? Not everything -has- to make sense. We're playing this game in a world where Super Science and Fantastical Magic aren't the exception, they're the rule. The Earth has a population of seven billion people. Five to Ten percent of that population? Are Mutants. Another 1 percent are Inhumans. And then you have another two or three percent, total, that reflects the number of various aliens, interdimensional beings, and other such weird, crazy, and outrageous sorts of people. And then? You take all those people, and you expose them to unbelievably horrific threats such as Darkseid, Galactus, Dark Phoenix, Hell, Olympus, Asgard, and no one even knows how many OTHER threats could be out there waiting for their turn!

And what does all this mean in relation to the topic at hand?

It means that all Supers are NOT created equally. Pyrokinesis will always be, mechanically speaking, in terms of what we, as staffers, deal with? Pyrokinesis. But to you? The Player? It could be so much more. There is no need to create a new form of Pyrokinesis just because you don't like the phrasing of the description and mechanics of the power as written. If you need to change some minor aspect of the power? Just note the difference as a bullet point or short sentence underneath the power! Now, granted, if you try to make a pyrokinesis whose fire is immune to the effects and presence of water? We're gonna hit you for that one, that's a power within a power, and that kind of abuse will not fly, but we'll work with you to get that power custom tailored to -your- character's needs.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Free Forums with no limits on posts or members.
« Previous Topic · Rules and Information · Next Topic »
Add Reply