Powers Checks

[Hell_Born]

My PC's have something of a knack for failing powers tests, and with characters who do evil deeds out of hand (like the wizard who snuck into the wine cellar of a rival's mansion, left a Delayed Fireball there then split, causing the house, the rival and the three dozen or so innocent party-goers to die a horrible flaming death), I need to assign suitible penalties.

Unfortunately, I haven't got much of an imagination for Powers Checks, so I'm asking if anyone out there can post me some power checks effects (like getting a strength bonus but becoming a blood-crazed psychopath when angry). I've seen a post for curses, I just thought I could put up a post for Powers Checks.

On a side-note, does anyone have any idea how I could go about converting the Terror Tracks from the Book of Secrets to 3/3.5 edition?

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Let me see if I can think of something, I will use your example of the wizard killing many innocents as an opener.

The wizard's preferred weapon of choice in the killings was a fireball, from now on the wizard may cause flames to erupt from his hands 3 times per day as the Burning Hands spell (cast as a 1st level caster), however, the fire in his veins has caused his eyes to turn a fiery red, raising his Outcast Rating by 2 unless he takes pains in concealling them.

A kleptomaniac and somewhat heartless rogue has a bad habit of stealing from just about anyone and everyone. He stole food form the starving, blankets from those sleeping out in the cold and caused other heinous actions. He also likes to squeal on others if there is a reward. After failing a Powers check he finds it easier to steal from others and manages to get others to simply give him what he deisres (works like Suggestion, saving throw can negate its effects) but if confronted and questioned about any crimes he has committed he must make a Will save (DC set by DM) to avoid confessing his own sins.

A serial killer prefers to end the lives of her victims by garrotting them, when the Dark powers take notice, she fnds that her hands have grown small glands that exude fine threads, these threads are surprising strong and are able to suspend upwards of 200 pounds of weight as well as strangle her victims. However, she is unable to halt the production of these threads, causing her to cut them each hour and has to wear gloves to conceal the glands. If the glands are visible or known to anyone, her OR is increased by 1.

I hope those serve as some examples for failed Powers checks, even if they may not be useful in your own games.

[maraudar]

Wiccy ye are a cruel and evil soul. Ilike that in a person. Those are some sweet rewards for failing a powers check.

Hey... Bad powers! Bad powers! I do not need horns growing from my forehead! It was only a compliment.

Maraudar

[Brandi]

The wizard's preferred weapon of choice in the killings was a fireball, from now on the wizard may cause flames to erupt from his hands 3 times per day as the Burning Hands spell (cast as a 1st level caster), however, the fire in his veins has caused his eyes to turn a fiery red, raising his Outcast Rating by 2 unless he takes pains in concealling them.

If you want to be a bit kinder in concealment, have his body temperature just go up a few degrees above normal humans'-- it'll be very disconcerting to people he shakes hands with, and sweating profusely under what to most people are not overly warm conditions will probably make him a bit declasse at the best social gatherings....

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Nice idea Brandi, perhaps the fiery red eyes can be the effect of some other failed check in the future? But what could he get in return I wonder...

[Tobias Blackburn]

Nice idea Brandi, perhaps the fiery red eyes can be the effect of some other failed check in the future? But what could he get in return I wonder...

Ooh! Ooh! I know!

Laser eyes!

That, fire resistance 10 - 15, or the ability to activate a fire shield once per day.

[Hell_Born]

Thank you Wiccy, those are great- anyone got any more?

[Igor the Henchman]

I'd improve that wizard's fire spellcasting abilities, but making him less able to conjure effects not related to fire (necessiting caster checks). At the same time, each time his fire magic causes injury or death, have a vengeful will-o-wisp follow him and thwart his goals.

The first effects would likely be to a +2 to caster checks using fire spells. At the same time, eyes would stare at him from exposed flames.

I believe the key in using Powers Checks as a tool of player control is to grant powers that impress the player little and set hindrances that he finds frustrating, for they make him revise his favorite tactics.

[Tobias Blackburn]

I'd improve that wizard's fire spellcasting abilities, but making him less able to conjure effects not related to fire (necessiting caster checks). At the same time, each time his fire magic causes injury or death, have a vengeful will-o-wisp follow him and thwart his goals.

That's kind of excessive, Igor. At what level would they suffer from that response? The poison carrot does not make an ability unsusable, it just means that there are nasty consequences to using them. If the character completely ignored almost everything but fire spells, I could see it, but not if he just slightly favoured it.

I believe the key in using Powers Checks as a tool of player control is to grant powers that impress the player little and set hindrances that he finds frustrating, for they make him revise his favorite tactics.

But are Power Checks a form of player control, or are they a story/role-playing tool? Yes, they generally control player behavior, but doesn't that go again to the character realizing that something is going on and not liking it?

[Hell_Born]

I try to give "cursed gifts" to match the circumstances by which the characters earned them, but I'm not very good at it. There was this wizard who failed a powers test for casting Vampiric Touch (necromantic spells all cause powers checks), so I gave him a fanged, blood-sucking mouth in the palm of his hand. I know it should raise OR, but can't think of what benefits it might have (bare-hands attacks with that hand have vampirirc regeneration perhaps?)

[Tobias Blackburn]

I try to give "cursed gifts" to match the circumstances by which the characters earned them, but I'm not very good at it. There was this wizard who failed a powers test for casting Vampiric Touch (necromantic spells all cause powers checks), so I gave him a fanged, blood-sucking mouth in the palm of his hand. I know it should raise OR, but can't think of what benefits it might have (bare-hands attacks with that hand have vampirirc regeneration perhaps?)

How about this. Whenever that character succeeds at a grapple check (or the victim is willing or helpless), he deals 1 point of temp Con damage. He is required to drink about 1 to 4 points each night, but afterwards he can full their magic with it. If he drain 3 points of blood within 1 minute (10 rounds) he can cast one of his prepared 3rd level spells without spending the slot (or 3 first level, or a first and a second, etc).

[Hell_Born]

So basically, when he touches someone he can inflict temporary Con damage (how much anyway? 1 point per round of contact?), the penalty is that he gets +1 OR and he needs to drink 1D4 points of Con each night, the advantage is that he can use Con drained (must he sate his thirst first or not?) to power spells, he can cast a prepared spell of equal level to the points of Con drained, but his power boost wears off after 10 rounds?

Sounds good anyway, this actually could be the first start in a Terror Track, I've thought up what might be the next step, basically gains Blood Scent (as per the Blood Genasi special ability), but fixates on blood, making him extremely disturbing as he usually talks only about blood, death and killing.

[The Lesser Evil]

Further along the path the fire mage might become a blazing bones or a pyre elemental. I second giving him bonuses for fire magic. Making him vulnerable (or at least really bothered by) holy water might be a good exchange. Or perhaps the need to constantly keep warm/close to fires as the fire inside his very soul constantly consumes his energy. It might serve well to make him <eventually> addicted to the very fires that he seeks to use (and abuse).

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

A few more ideas for the wizard in question.

After his continued method of less than savoury ways and fascination with fire, the wizard is once more marked by the Dark Powers. His caster level is raised by 1 each time he uses a fire, flame or heat-based spell (including the Burning Hands from his past Powers Check). When angered his body bursts into flame, raising his OR on these occasions by 2. All items he wears must make a saving throw or suffer 1 point of fire damage each round.

The blood within the wizard turns to liquid fire, whenever he bleeds, his blood oozes forth and burns anything it comes into contact with. Those who may be struck or touched by this blood must make a Ref save or suffer 1d4 points of damage, a successful save halves this damage. The fire within the veins of the character is visible as red lines beneath the wizards skin. He must now take pains to conceal all his body or have all encounters begin as hostile.

The wizard begins to breathe fire, reaching forward up to three times a day in a cone 15 feet long and 5 feet wide at the dar end, all within this cone are struck for 1d6 points of flame damage, a successful Ref save halves this damage. The character's skin is seared, scarred and cracked from the heat contained within his body and must make a Fort save (DC 15) every hour to avoid suffering further burns that inflict 1d6 points of damage upon him.

[Hell_Born]

Thak's for your ideas on my pryomaniac pyromancer, do you have any powers checks of your own? I'd like to be able to apply results to any of my characters (they're all warped, like the fighter who as part of a background trait drinks a little blood from each kill he makes, or the rogue with split-personalities; one moment she's friendly, using her persuasion and seduction skills to get close to someone, then she goes psychopathic and brutally kills them). Like the "A Few Good Curses" topic I put this up so people can post cursed gifts they've given to players (or have received themselves) and the circumstances on which it happened. Anyway, thanks to you all, some good stuff here.

However, that end cursed gift (where he takes damaeg each round) is probably overpowered in terms of the curse, the tain from a pwoers check is not supposed to be lethal (unless it means he comes back from the dead as a blazing bones, a [[half?]] pyre elemental or something like that.

I actually had a idea that the second failed powers check would cause his blood to be replaced with smoke, if this is discovered his OR increases by +2 but when he is severely wounded (down to 1/2. maybe 1/3 of max hp) he becomes the ground center for a Fog Cloud spell, which moves with him. This cannot be dispelled and lasts until he is restred to full health.