Power Limiters

Flavor & Fun

Power limiters exist in order to make the game more fun & flavorful.

Power limiters should be used to flesh out important character traits, and to give those traits real mechanical weight within the games’ systems.

A few examples of power limiters in practice:

• A character who found a mighty magical sword, and draws the majority of their power from it, should take the required equipment power limiter.
• An advanced cyborg warrior who requires vast amounts of electricity at regular intervals should take the Required Ritual power limiter.
• A water bender from Avatar: The Last Air Bender would take the thematic restriction power limiter, allowing her to use her water based powers only when a sufficient source of water is nearby.

General Rules for Power Limiters

Power limiters are rated from 1 to 3.  Reduce the buy cost of the power by the rating of the power limiter, to a minimum of 1.

Power limiters have a hard cap of rating 3.  No combination of power limiters or sub-limiters can make a power limiter go above a rating of 3.

The rating of a proposed power limiter is chosen by the GM, but we’ve provided a large list of examples below.

A single power limiter may apply to more than 1 power, without limit.  You can put all your eggs in one basket.

A maximum of 1 power limiter per power is allowed.

Some powers come with their own limiters by default.  The default limiters on these powers do not benefit from the cost reduction for buying the power.  Additional power limiters may be applied to such powers, and will receive the cost reduction.  This is the only case in which a power may have multiple limiters.

Lost Powers

If the terms of the power limiter are not met, you are unable to use that power.  There are 2 ways to recover the lost power:

1. Fulfill the terms of the power limiter.
2. Pay off twice the amount of experience the limiter saved you.
   1. There should be a gap in time between losing the power and regaining it , even if the PC has plenty of exp on hand.  The GM decides how long this should take.  Typically, the loss of the power should be inconvenient or dangerous at least once before its regained.
   2. The narrative requires a reason that the character regained the use of this power.  Often, it will be “The power was inside me all along!”.  In any case, there has to be an explanation.

Negating Power Limiters

If a player character manages to effectively negate any possibility of losing their power limiter condition, they are placed in experience debt by the GM, for twice the experience that was saved by the power limiter.  The PC may not spend exp on anything but getting out of experience debt.

Sub-limiters

Some power limiters have additional sub limiters, which are optional to add to the main power limiter.  A sub-limiter cannot cause a power limiter to exceed a buy cost discount of 3.

Power Limiters List

Required Equipment(1-3)

You need a piece of equipment to use a power. Your Dark Vision power may require a set of night-vision goggles.  Your Scry power may require the use of a a stationary, magical, pool of water.  Your Super Speed power may require a hover board.

This Power Limiter is an intentional replacement of any systems that deal with high-power magical/technological items, objects, or equipment.

The Magic Item Asset exists, but is limited in scope to the mods which can be applied to weapons or armor.

This power limiter can take care of almost any potent macguffin, ancient sword of legend, or high-tech gear.  This is the power limiter that would be used to create an Iron Man suit.

Required Equipment (1)

This piece of equipment is small and easy to carry on your person.  For example: Night-vision goggles, potions, grenades, binoculars, a cell phone, a skateboard, etc.

Required Equipment (2)

This piece of equipment is large and unwieldy, but easily moved by a reasonably sized vehicle.  For example: a portable radio system, a large & heavy toolbox, etc.

Required Equipment (3)

This piece of equipment is typically stationary, though it may be moved by a large vehicle and a lot of work; such an undertaking is probably a project of weeks or months.  This equipment needs to be stationary to be operational.    For example: A chemical laboratory, a library, a server room, an ICBM launch site, a magical throne made of solid gold, a large stone statue or fountain, a magical sigil spanning miles in diameter, a small fortress, etc.

Required Unique Equipment(+1)

The power requires a very specific piece of equipment.  Not just any old sword will do; it needs to be Excalibur.  This power limiter is added to the Required Equipment limiter, adding +1 to the limiter value, to a maximum of 3.

1. The description should be cool, fun, or evocative.
2. The description should communicate something about the nature of the user and/or the power.
3. The description should be proportional to the skill rating requirement, or buy-cost, of the power. We’ve provided a list of example descriptions below.  This list is not at all exhaustive; you should make your own descriptions.
   1. 1. At skill rating(or buy cost) 1-3 the description should be limited to the character or characters directly affected by the power.
         1. A shadow may veil your face, a sword of ice may appear in your hand, a bolt of fire may shoot out of your hand and burn an enemy, your eyes/hands/tattoos may begin to glow.
      2. At skill rating(or buy cost) 4-6, the description may affect more than just the user and the victim of a power, it may effect the immediate environment.
         1. The room may darken briefly, music might swell out of nowhere, flames may burn larger & hotter, a cold ghostly chill may creep into the room.
         2. At this and all greater skill ratings, the effects on the power user and victim should become even more spectacular.
      3. At skill rating(or buy cost) 6-9, the description may include some effects which may be noticed by anyone within ~20 kilometres.
         1. Lightning may strike, clear blue sky may turn cloudy, a swirling vortex of magical energy may appear, the earth may shake & shatter, your voice may become impossibly loud, plants may wither and die around you, plants may grow & blossom around you, an aurora may appear in the sky, the moon may turn blood red.
      4. At skill rating(or buy cost) 10-12, the description may be noticeable by people all across the world.
         1. You may cause a sudden and unnatural solar eclipse, the stars might go out, you may appear in the dreams of everyone currently asleep, time may seem to stop for a moment.

It is important to note that these descriptions are merely short term cosmetic effects of using your obviously magical powers.  These descriptions have no mechanical impact on the game, other than being obviously supernatural and the social consequences of that, unless the GM says they impact the game mechanically.

Obvious Passive Powers

Passive powers can fundamentally change the nature of the character possessing them.  Placing the obvious power limiter on a passive power permanently changes the appearance of the character, to match their changed nature.  It is plain to everyone that the person is magical, high-tech, or supernatural.

For example: Hide In Plain sight could cause you to be slightly translucent, or you may have chameleon skin that involuntarily matches your surroundings.

Taboo(+1)

This is a sub-limiter for Obvious powers.  Something about your power is not socially acceptable.  This can vary from setting to setting, but there are a few standard tropes you can build upon: necromancy, dark arts, blood magic, mad science, demonic influence, etc.  In some setting, any type of obviously magical power is considered taboo.  When playing in those settings, players are encouraged to take this sub-limiter for all of their Obvious powers.

Thematic Restrictions (1-2)

Your power has a theme that must be adhered to in order to be used.  These themes can be used broadly for all of the powers the character has, or only one or two.

The GM sets the discount rating for a chosen theme.  GMs should take care not to allow overly broad themes.  “Magic” or “Conventional weapons” are too broad to be considered a valid theme.

Not all themes are valid Power Limiters; some are merely cosmetic.  For example, telekinesis is a fun & flavorful cosmetic theme, but it isn’t a Power Limiter because the only counter for telekinesis is telekinesis.

Characters can have cosmetic themes regardless of taking this Power Limiter.

Examples of valid themes are below:

Example Themes

Elemental(1-2)

Your powers require the use of some local element that is external to your character; fire, water, plants, etc.  Lacking an abundant nearby source of the element means your powers will not operate.

You must pick an element when you select this theme; it does not cover all elements.

The rating of this power limiter is chosen by the GM based on the context of your game.  For example, in a game that takes place mostly on land, water would be a rating 2 power limiter.  In a game that takes place mostly at sea, water would be a rating 1 power limiter.

Avatar: The Last Airbender provides excellent examples of how elemental themes can play out.

There are powers that allow you to create a volume of an element.  The volume created is always enough to fulfill your theme requirement.

Technology/Hacking(1-2)

Your powers require that the victim be relying upon technology, or that mechanical, electronics, computers, and similar devices are abundant in your local environment.

Mind Control(1)

Your powers require that the victim have a mind.  Zombies, robots, & lower(non-sentient) forms of life may be resistant or immune to your mind control powers.

Mind control, as a theme, pairs well with social powers linked with Presence, Guile, or Insight.  Mind control also pairs well with the fantastical weapon mod; your attacks could take the form of turning your enemy’s weapons on themselves.

Required Shapechange(1)

Changing into another form is required to use the power.

For example, Werewolves need to transform into their wolf form to use their claws, gain supernatural strength, etc.  Anyone seeing you transform knows that you are obviously magical.

The transformation takes place instantly, whenever the player wills it; it is an interrupt action.

This power limiter may seem like it’s very similar to the Obvious power limiter.  There are some practical differences, though:  Shape shifting directly in front of someone does nail you as obviously supernatural.  However, if you do not shape shift in front of someone, they may have difficulty knowing that the animal/monster they see is you.

You may lock as many powers as you want behind your shapechange, including both active & passive powers.  In your human form you might be a completely mundane and powerless person, but when you transform you become a terrifyingly mighty foe.

This power limiter can be taken with the Giant power, allowing you to be a normal sized human up until you change shapes.

Slow Transformation(+1)

This power limiter makes your shapechange take longer.  Instead of being an interrupt action, it now requires a simple action to change your form.  This limiter must be taken together with Requires Shapechange, for a maximum possible cost reduction of 3.

Uncontrolled Change(+1-2)

This power limiter makes your shapechange somewhat difficult to predict or manage.   For example: on Sundays, you may be forced into your human form, unable to use your transformation for a time.  Work out the details of what triggers your uncontrolled transformation with your GM.  The GM will set the rating of the limiter based on how much time the uncontrolled change makes the character unable to use their powers.  For example, if you are always shapechanged in sunlight and always not shapechanged at night, you would receive 2 points for this sub limiter.  Uncontrolled Change must be taken together with Required Shapechange, for a maximum possible cost reduction of 3.

Inconvenient Change(+1)

Whatever gear you’re wearing, or items you’re holding, are dropped on the ground when you change shapes.  Clothes may rip or tear.

Borrowed Power (1-2)

The source of this power is not the character himself.  It comes from something else; a god, a spirit, a master, etc.

The player specifies where the power comes from when taking the Power Limiter, pending GM approval.

It must be possible for the source of the Power to be lost in some way. If the source of the Power is lost, the character loses the ability to use the power until he regains the source.  A gods favor can end, a spirit can be destroyed, a master can reject a student, etc. GM sets the rating for this Power Limiter.

Restricted Usage (1-3)

The character may only use the power for certain things.  Examples:

• In service to a nation
• To protect children
• To uphold the law

It cannot be completely self-serving.

GM decides the rating of the proposed Power Limiter.

Required Ritual(2)

The character must perform a ritual at a regular interval.  These rituals can represent a wide array of activities.

A cyborg may need to plug in for electricity for a few hours every day.  A monk may need to meditate.  A witch may need to brew up a potion.  A shaman may need to go vision questing.

These rituals are not performed in lieu of regular sleep.  Your character still needs to sleep unless they’ve bought a power that negates the need.

Failure to perform the ritual results in loss of the power until the ritual can be performed.

Rituals do not involve any rolls to fail or succeed.  Success is automatic as long as the ritual is completed.

Having the ritual interrupted gives the character one half of the ritual’s duration to return to the ritual, without having to start at the beginning.

Additionally, the ritual costs energy to perform.

Only by interrupting the ritual, or not having the needed energy, can one fail.

The cost of these rituals is time & energy.  These rituals do not have any additional costs which haven’t been presented here.  There’s no need to worry about the money spent buying candles, incense, or electricity.

Suggested Ritual Times & Intervals

Rituals need to be performed at about the same time each day/week/month.  You cannot begin your ritual early just to get it out of the way & be on the safe side.  If your daily ritual begins at sunrise, you cannot begin the ritual before sunrise just to get ahead. When taking this power limiter, you need to work out a few details in advance:

1. What frequency of ritual do I want?
2. What time of the day/week/month should my ritual start?  Midnight/Sunday/The 1st?
3. What does the ritual itself involve?  A dance?  A prayer? Knitting?