users(+4): The power cannot be

activated by only one person. Enough people with the identical power must be available, (you can have more than you actually need). You may take this modifier multiple times, doubling the required people each time.

A power that requires 8 people with the same power to activate it would be a +12 modifier. One person uses and directs the power, but all are required for the power to work. If the power can operate with a subset of the full total, you get a +3 modifier instead of +4, but the effect is reduced if you have less than the full number. The power cannot be used solo. If any preparation limits like concentration are broken for any member, the preparation is broken for all members, which does include things like triggering of side effects.

A power that requires 8 people has a +12

modifier but does not work at all if you only have 4 people to use it. A power can can use up to 8 people has a +9 modifier. If only 6 people show up, you use it with a -3 to the power level (the difference between a +6 modifier for 4 people and the +9 for 8 people).

This modifier and the ‘assistants’ modifier are designed for powers of a ceremonial nature, and the assumption is that all the users are within touching range of at least one other user or assistant for the power. A gameworld might have a different efficiency value for ‘ceremonial magic’, making it the only way to generate really powerful effects for reasonable point costs.

prep time(+time/4): The power requires a

certain amount of time before it is ready to use. The modifier rounds towards zero, so time levels of less than +4 are worth no bonus.

A power that takes 15 seconds from when you start activating it to when it finally turns on (a time level of +8) is worth a +2 modifier.

The default is that once you make the ‘turn on the power’ decision, you do not need to do anything else except wait. However, any limits that would cause the power to turn off will also be applicable during the waiting period and will keep the power from activating.

A power that takes 15 seconds to activate and which has an power duration of ‘until stunned’ will not activate if you are stunned during that 15 seconds of waiting. It would have to be activated again and start a new 15 second preparation time.

The power is considered to be ‘active’ from the moment preparation starts, so you cannot use the same power again just because the first ‘power duration’ has not technically begun.

warmup(+varies): the power is ready to use

almost immediately, but only at a low level. It starts at zero effect and increases by +3 (or +1d) each time level that elapses after this, up to a maximum of the designed power level. If the warmup is per +2 per time level the modifier is +2 and if the warmup is +1 per time level the modifier is +3. Steam engines and really large gadgets can often use this modifier to good effect. The modifier adds some bookkeeping and should be approved before use.

A 6d+0 force field (effect of +18) with ‘warmup’ would start at +0 effect (or 0d+0) and increase by 1d each time level, reaching its full 6d+0 power at a time level of +6 (8 seconds). If it had ‘warmup’ of only +1 per time level it would have taken a time level of +18 (8 minutes) to reach full power.

Flexibility

This is a set of conceptual modifiers that is amazingly important. Flexibility as a type of modifier means ‘what can

I do to adjust this power and make it do things differently?’. Properly applied, this lets you turn one power into a group of powers. Flexibility can be ‘wild magic’, it can be a superhero doing something creative with a power, or a gadget-maker improvising something in the heat of combat.

Flexibility has two aspects, the degree of flexibility and the ease of flexibility. A wizard who can simply alter a few arcane syllables has an easier flexibility than a merc who has to go back to his armory to alter a weapon.

degree of flexibility modifier

+_

each point of flexibility within a power -3

+_

each point of flexibility within an effect -2

+_

each point of flexibility within a detail -2

ease of flexibility modifier

+_

adjustable each action -2

+_

adjustable each encounter +1

+_

adjustable each game session +2

+_

adjustable each adventure +3

+_

adjustable each day +1

+_

adjustable each week +3

+_

reactive adjustment -1

+_

no change at all +1

+_

location-based adjustment +1

+_

usage modifiers +special

omni-power modifier

+_

omni-power -12

targeting modifier

+_

increased number of targets -(lev.+1)

+_

increased area(radius) -radius lev.

+_

explosion -8

+_

line of hexagons(plus incr. area) +6

+_

narrow cone(plus incr. area) +4

+_

wide cone(plus incr. area) +2

+_

boundary effect(plus incr. area) +2

+_

slow power(-1 initiative) +2

may use 2 assistants(+2): The power may

take advantage of skilled or semi-skilled assistants, up to the maximum number for the modifier. You may take the modifier multiple times, doubling the number of assistants each time. At least 2 assistants are always required.

A power with 8 assistants has a +6 modifier and acts like a power with 3 extra users.

Lacking the required number for the modifier chosen means you reduce the power level. Assistants usually must have spent 1S or 1P to be useful. That is, they have some minor amount of power or skill to contribute.

Wand of fire: Step 9

At this point we need to decide how the wand of fire is actually used. Conceptually, we have already decided it is a gadget, and since it is a ranged attack power we know a certain type of skill roll is required. We go with a ranged combat skill roll and gestures with one hand. So:

name type concept

wand paranormal lethal of fire offense magic

gadget

gameworld base = 0/9 modifier



effect: offense(lethal damage) +0

˛

suite: single power +0

range: medium (90 meters) -5

6

duration of power: instant +2

6

duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5

“

defense against: very broad type +4

“

defense against: in decreasing layers +0 contingency(visibility): obvious +0 contingency(circumstance): not wet +1 contingency(special effect): sets fires +1 contingency(accuracy): +2 -1 usage: ranged combat skill roll +2 usage: gestures (one hand) +1 The modifier total at this point is +1. To save space, we will just start with this subtotal from from now on.

You have a power that has ±2 flexibility and for sake of the example we will say that it is our wand of fire. With a flexibility of ±2 we can change 2 modifiers and have a total change in the modifier total of ±2 from the original

configuration. As a default, we have the flexibility in +2 over the normal power level. We could give up this +2 to give the power a range modifier that was 2 points different. We might increase the Accuracy instead. Or we might do something fancy like change the requirement for a ranged combat roll (a +2 modifier) to an opposed Will roll (a +4 modifier). Or, we could just look at the final power level for the wand and increase it by +2 (or -2, if you really wanted to).

+_

adjust flexibility in an effect(-2): This is just

like the previous modifier, but you may only make the alterations within the effect chosen.

Using the wand of fire again, its designed effect is ‘offense(lethal damage)’, which is a +0 modifier. As-is, we could leave the 2 points of flexibility in increased damage. Or, we could change the effect and say it does half-lethal damage instead, or say that instead of doing lethal damage, the power harms a narrow category of other powers. Both of these are -2 modifiers, which places them in the range available to 2 points of flexibility.

+_

adjust flexibility in a detail(-2): This is just

like the previous modifier, except you may only make the alterations within one of: range, duration, defense against, contingencies, flexibility, frequency and gadget. Theoretically you could use this to adjust flexibility in a different way (2 points of detail flexibility could become 1 point of effect flexibility), but this is generally frowned upon.

Any of the above three modifiers can be used to increase the power level. It is assumed that if you are not using the flexibility in some other way, that it is being utilized to boost the power level. This is important to remember for things like small guns or weapon gadgets, where an extra point of damage can be important.

Degree of flexibility

The extent to which the normal effect can be stretched out or modified. Powers do not have to have any flexibility and the default is ‘none’. If you want a power that can do anything, see the ‘omni-power’ modifier.

+_

adjust flexibility in a power(-3): The user of

the power can, within the same power and other modifiers on that effect, change any of them to any other value or combination of values. Each ‘point of flexibility’ can:

•add a new modifier with a value of up to ±1 per point of flexibility

•adjust an existing modifier by ±1 per point of flexibility

•adjust the power level by +1

You may not make more changes or additions than the points of flexibility you have. If you are not using the flexibility for any other purpose, it is assumed to be increasing the power level.

Altering one modifier by +1 and another by -1 is a total of 2 modifiers being changed, with no modifier being changed by more than 1 and the sum of the change being +0. Since the largest of these values is 2 (changing 2 modifiers), doing this would require a flexibility of ±2, which would be a modifier of -6.

You could in many cases simply have a multiple power suite that had a selection of similar powers with different modifiers and end up with a bonus for the suite instead of a penalty for flexibility. The difference is that each power in the suite costs P, while one power that is flexible only costs P for itself.

+_

usage modifiers(+special): This means that

changing the flexibility is subject to a set of restrictions like those used to turn the power on. The amount you get for these restrictions is half the total for usage modifiers needed to use the flexibility, rounding down. You normally only get one attempt to change the flexibility in the listed interval.

If altering the flexibility in your power requires both hands (the ‘gestures’ modifier for +3), then you get a +1 modifier for it.

Usage modifiers may not be used unless they are actually a restriction within the timeframe of changing the flexibility. Having to use both hands to change a power is no real penalty if you can only do it once per adventure and have all the time in the world to do it. On the other hand, a preparation time of an hour is significant if you can change the power once per encounter or once per day. Since this is subjective, the gamemaster decides if there is any question.

+_

reactive(-1): The overall frequency with

which the flexibility can be used is unchanged, but you can do it at any point in that interval. This is most useful with something like ‘each encounter’, so while you can still only change it once, you can do so in the middle of an

encounter to reflect changing conditions.

+_

no change at all(+1): You cannot take this

modifier unless you have at least a -1 modifier in some other aspect of flexibility. All this means is that your power is doing something like having increased targets or area, this is the only way in which it differs from a normal power and you do not have any need to change it.

Your power is ‘forked lightning’, which always has the option of hitting two separate targets. This would be ‘increased targets(2)’ for a -3 modifier, and ‘no change at all’ for a +1 modifier and a total modifier of -2.

Ease of flexibility

This is how frequently you can use flexibility in a power and how easy it is to make changes. Changing something ‘as an action’ may still take significant time, depending on other modifiers. Changing a tire is ‘an action’, it just happens to be complex, time consuming

action.

+_

each action(-2): You may as a minor action,

adjust the flexibility within the limits you have set.

+_

each encounter(+1): Once between each

combat or other turn-based encounter, you may as a major action adjust the flexibility within the limits you have set.

+_

each session(+2): Once between each

session of play, you may adjust the flexibility within the limits you have set.

+_

each adventure(+3): Once between each

adventure, you may adjust the flexibility within the limits you have set.

+_

each day(+1): Once each day, you may as a

major action adjust the flexibility within the limits you have set.

+_

each week(+3): Once each week, you may

as a major action adjust the flexibility within the limits you have set.

+_

location-based(+1): This modifier is taken in

addition to another ease of flexibility modifier. The points of flexibility may only be applied at that location. A ‘location’ is fairly subjective as a definition and should be a fairly small area appropriate to the nature of the power. A mercenary might be able to change up his or her weapons at their armory room, while a mechanic might adjust a car in their garage and a wizard might only be able to adjust spells in their contemplation chamber.

Targeting

This is modifiers related to area effects or hitting more than one target at the same time.

+_

increased targets(-varies): This means

that instead of hitting one target, you may hit multiple targets of the same type. The negative modifier would be the level associated with the maximum quantity of targets, plus 1.

A quantity of x11 is a quantity level of +7. So, a power that could hit 11 targets at once would have a modifier of -8 (the negative value of the (modifier plus 1)).

This modifier means that the power acts in a way that can hit multiple targets, and does so without filling an area. Something like a bolt of lightning that arcs through a group of foes, for instance. Normally, you would pick one target and roll whatever you needed to hit them. Each 2 points you make this roll by chains the effect to the next target, which is usually whichever one is closest to the original target. If a followup target has different modifiers associated with hitting it, you may apply these as though they altered the die roll. Once you miss a target, all subsequent targets are also missed.

If the second target is one range level further away than the first target, you need to make roll by 3 to hit it. If it is one range level closer, then you only need to make the roll by 1 to hit the second target.

+_

increased area(-varies): This means that

instead of hitting a specific target, you are filling an area and everything in the area is hit. You may still have additional targeting modifiers. So, you might fill an area with a mental blast and then everyone in that area has to oppose your Will roll in order to take any effect. Or, it might be like a fireball where simply being in the area applies the effect directly to any defenses.

+_

omni-power(-12): This is a special case of

flexibility. You design a power simply by taking the gameworld base, this modifier and any other modifiers that are mandatory or otherwise cannot be made more positive. After you apply the gameworld base, omni-power modifier and other modifiers, the total must be at least +0. Your final result is a power level to which you can apply any effect or modifier, giving you a power at the resulting level.

If you had a modifier total for your omni-power of +10 and then said it had these characteristics of the wand of fire for your action:



offense: damage to lethal hits +0

˛

suite: single power +0

range: medium (90 meters) -5

6

duration of power: instant +2

6

duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5

“

defense against: average type +2 contingency(visibility): obvious +0 the result would be a power level of +4 (the +10 from your other modifiers, plus the list above. The benefit of the omni-power is that if you could change it every action and your target was just a few meters away, you could drop the range to ‘very short’ (a -1), and get +4 to your power level. Or, if you knew your foe had no bronze armor, you could make the defense ‘bronze armor’ and thus render their defenses useless. You can change the omni-power anytime you can alter the flexibility with ‘ease of flexibility’ modifiers you have set.

The note about some other modifiers being mandatory is this: If you take a limit on the omni-power, it is a function of the omni-power. If it is in the form of a ring that has 3 wishes (in game terms, 3 charges), then you cannot use a wish to give the ring more wishes. If the omni-power can only be used during the full moon, you cannot adjust the modifier to allow you to use it at any other time. You probably have to take some positive modifiers to get the overall total up to +0 or more.

+_

cone(+varies): The effect of

the power extends in a 15° or 30° arc from the source of the power, which means it spreads one hex to each side for each 5 or 10 hexes of range. A narrow cone effect reduces the difficulty for range by 3 and a wide cone by 6. If the area has hexes filled with effect on all sides, a potential target does not get to use Dodge as they are fully within the effect. If they are on the edges of the effect, they can use Dodge. If you

are not using a map, a target can be fully enclosed in a cone if they are far enough away that it has spread at least one hex to either side.

The cone, line and boundary effect modifiers can only be used in combination with an explosion or radius modifier to generate the other dimensions of the area.

If you had a radius effect of 4 meters and a wide cone modifier, then you would make a wide cone that was 4 hexes long. The range of the power would be the furthest point you could put the narrow end of the cone at.

+_

line(+6): A line effect is an area one hex

wide, extending from the source of the power. It reduces the difficulty for range by 2. Targets with Dodge can use it to help avoid the beam, but static targets are likely to be hit. Because you can only draw a straight line on a hex map in six directions, just use common sense and give the player the benefit of the doubt if trying to put multiple targets in a line of fire. A slight zigging and zagging is permitted, especially if there is an adjustable flexibility in the power or its details.

A previous example gave a -7 modifier for an an area effect with a radius of 4 meters. If this were instead just a line of hexes 4 meters long, the total modifier would be -1.

The negative modifier for an increased area as a radius is the distance level of that radius.

A distance of 4 meters is a distance level of +7, so a power that fills a circle with a 4 meter radius

In document EABA Basic Edition (Page 180-199)