Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Sorcery: (Inspired By) Charmander Abilities

The one you are "supposed" to want to
start with, though I liked Squirtle better
A bit of writer's block again today, so I'll stat out each of the moves that Charmander, a character from Pokemon learns as a pseudo-demonstration of one way to adapt moves from a different series to another.

Assumptions

Power of attacks ranges from 10 (very weak) to 250 (Unusually strong) with 40 being nominally weak, 80 being nominally strong, and 120 being very strong.
So, to scale this, I'll say that every 40 power in the pokemon system is worth about 2d damage because a normal scale of 1d to 6d with some powerful outliers works for me.
So let's go over the list of moves from generation 1.

Scratch

This is simply a bare handed attack using the Blunt Claws advantage.

Growl

This attack lowers an opponent's physical attack ability a little bit. As a Sorcery ability, we might write it as:

Growl

Keywords: Area (Fixed), Resisted (Will), Leveled

Full Cost: 28 points for level 1, 2 points for each additional level.
Casting Roll: none, use innate attack.
Range: 4 yard radius
Duration: 3 minutes
The "caster" growls and anyone within 4 yards that can hear must roll a contest of will versus Charmander. Failure means strength is lowered. extra levels lower Striking ST by an additional 2.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Sorcery, -15%; Disadvantage, Striking ST - 2, +10%; Area of Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Emanation, -20%; Malediction 1, +100%; Sense Based, Sound, -20%; Based on Will, +20%; Fixed Duration, 3 Minutes, +0%;) [12]

An improved version that is more accurate might include cumulative, but that is super expensive!

Ember

Ember is a simple innate attack that is incendiary. A simple burn damage attack.

Ember

Keywords: Missile, Obvious
Full Cost: 9 points.
Casting Roll: none, use innate attack.
Range: 100 yards
Duration: Instantaneous
The "caster" spits somewhat weak embers that deal 2d burn damage.
Statistics: Burning Attack 2 (Sorcery, -15%; ) [9]

Leer

Leer is a visual counterpart to growl that lowers physical defense instead of offense.

Leer

Keywords: Resisted (Will), Leveled
Full Cost: 30 points for level 1, 3 points for each additional level.
Casting Roll: none, use innate attack.
Range: 100 yards
Duration: 3 minutes
The "caster" stares the opponent down who must roll a quick contest of will. Failure means DR is Reduced by 4. extra levels lower damage resistance by an additional 4. No effect beyond DR 0.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Sorcery, -15%; Disadvantage, Cosmic Damage Resistance - 4, +30%; Malediction 2, +150%; Sense Based, Vision, -20%; Based on Will, +20%; Based on Will, Own Roll, +20%; Fixed Duration, 3 Minutes, +0%;) [30]

An improved version that is more accurate might include cumulative, but that is super expensive!

Rage

The user goes berserk and has an increased strength. This is slightly mechanically different than the original.

Rage

Keywords: None
Full Cost: 45 points
Casting Roll: none
Range: Self
Duration: 1 minute
The "caster" concentrates and goes berserk for 1 minute. During this time, the "caster" has an additional 12 Striking ST. The caster immediately recovers after the 1 minute period.
Statistics: Striking ST 12(Sorcery, -15%; Temporary Disadvantage, Berserk, -30%; No Signature, +20%) [45]

Slash

Slash is a high chance of a critical hit but requires a lot of skill to use.

Slash

Keywords: Leveled
Full Cost: 2 points for level 1, 3 points for level 2.
Casting Roll: none
Range: Melee
Duration: Instant
If the caster's physical skill is high enough, he may have an increased chance of landing a critical hit. The ability is instantaneous and allows a user to critical hit on a roll of 7 if melee unarmed skill is 17 or higher. Level 2 allows a critical hit on a roll of 8 if melee skill is 18 or higher.
Statistics: Rule Modification(Critical hit on 7 if skill is 17 or higher; Sorcery, -15%; Reduced Time, Instant, +20%) [2]

Flamethrower

Another simple innate burning attack, but stronger

Flamethrower

Keywords: Jet, Obvious
Full Cost: 23 points.
Casting Roll: none, use innate attack.
Range: 20 yards
Duration: Instantaneous
The "caster" breathes an incendiary jet 20 yards for 4d+2 damage.
Statistics: Burning Attack 4d+2 (Sorcery, -15%; Blockable, -5%; Increased 1/2D, 2x, +5%; Increased Range, 2x, +10%; Jet, +0%;) [23]

Fire Spin

Fire spin is a type of binding that deals burning damage instead of crushing damage, which is easy to do by just adding the incendiary modifier. It is easy to entrap someone, but after the fact, it is easy to break out.

Fire Spin

Keywords: Obvious
Full Cost: 48 points.
Casting Roll: none, use innate attack.
Range: 100 yards
Duration: Instantaneous
The "caster" enshrouds the target in a burning binding. Every turn after the first, the victim has +3 to escape. The attack does damage as if this was a constricting attack with ST 15. Consider it burning for incendiary purposes.
Statistics: Binding 15 (Sorcery, -15%; Constricting, +70%; Incendiary, +10%; Hard To Use, +3 to Break out, -5%) [48]

Other Thoughts and Conclusion

When converting from one system to another, don't worry about copying mechanics exactly. As long as the effect feels similar, then it's ok. You could very easily make a leveled version of ember and flamethrower, but I didn't, but you could! I dunno if any of these are helpful, they are all pretty pedestrian I think, but hey, it might inspire someone. Oh, and I have a habit of using Sorcery, but these spells should be easy to convert to your power modifier of choice.

6 comments:

  1. The main reason why its recommended to start with a fire pokemon is that it's often harder to find one to catch than either grass or water.

    Between this, and seeing someone who had a bunch of 'type' templates set up a while back, you're tempting me into a project I really shouldn't have the time for.... >.>;

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    1. If your idea is pokemon... that sounds like a lifelong pursuit. Well, maybe not that bad. Several moves are straightforward to stat out, and then they are used repeatedly. I think the most useful thing that'd come out of a project like that would be a bestiary that, functional or not, could be pretty inspirational for more ideas.

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  2. How am I just now reading this?! And why didn't it cross me mind to treat some of the pokemon's moves as sorcery spells?!

    Believe or now I actually got a pokemon post on the back burner for when I have more free time and this post gave me some much needed food for thought.

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    Replies
    1. Cool! I just used it as writer's block filler. If I ever can't think of something that doesn't seem like it'll take enough words, I always have mountains of video game to ste- I mean, draw inspiration from.

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  3. Just went through this in more detail.

    Maledictions don't have a 1/2D, so Leer doesn't need it adjusted, but your total looks right, so maybe you just forgot to strip out the text?

    "Based On (Other Attribute)" just changes the target's roll. If you want a malediction with a pure quick contest of Will, you also need "Based On (Other Attribute), Own Roll", which is another +20% (see PU4, p. 12).

    I don't think Striking ST has an explicit signature that needs negating. (I seem to remember a forum thread that went round and round on the point though.)

    Slash: Your "Rule Modification" sounds like one of the expensive forms of Cosmic. I believe the canon way of doing this is to price how much applying the modifier to an Innate Attack equal to your actual ST swing damage and buy that. Which gets really annoying if you want it to be an ability package like this. (And this would be a 15-point ability at ST 10 assuming it's 300% Cosmic—which I would considering you're moving up the good side of the bell curve.)

    Again, I don't think you need No Signature there. The attack it modifies will have a signature anyway, and if Slash adds an extra special effect... well that's in-genre.

    Reduced Time isn't considered kosher for actual Sorcery (p. 6), but I'll note that you're also providing it for a full minute, not just one attack. Removing Reduced Time and making it an actual buff spell is probably better here.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the helpful feedback, I'll chew on this and probably update the post a bit later, I think everything you are saying makes sense.

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