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roleplaying:hero:resources:seemingly_silly_things

Seemingly Silly Things

Watching these boards has given me some strange ideas for powers to model. I thought I would mention a few, and then open the door for others to submit their strange ideas. -Michael Hopcroft

Also see the Fantasy Hero Wuxia Skills, Bizarre Spell Ideas, peasant magic and the Dark Champions super_skills pages

  • Aaah!: Psychological Limitation: Traumatized of Yukari-sensei's Driving, Common, Absolute -(pointyman2002)
  • All Shook Up: Whenever the character opens a can of soda or any other beverage capable of exploding violently when shaken up, it does. Doesn't matter how gently it is handled, something beyond the character's control has ensured that any beverage he comes in contact with has been shaken vigorously just before he gets it. -(Dust Raven)
  • And Thus The Balance Is Preserved: The term “every action has an equal and opposite reaction” was coined with you in mind. Every time you do something significant, an equal but opposite action takes place elsewhere in the world – and that action is somehow linked to you, however obliquely.
  • Bad Writing: This power advantage allows a power to work even when it logically or scientifically shouldn't. Sonic attacks through airless space? Sure. Fireballs underwater? Why not - your writer's a hack! -(CandidGamera)
  • Behold the Power of Hormones: You become stronger, faster and generally more powerful when your lustful impulses are aroused. The greater your state of lust, the greater your power. Seeing the appropriate gender in a compromising position, or holding something that reminds you of sex, is an especially powerful boost. Actual release of the resulting tension might dampen your power, however, so you have to be careful. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Black Thumb: Plants die under the character's care, no matter how carefully taken care of. -(Steve)
  • Blasé: This stimulates the odd scene of the old folks just chatting while they watch paranormal freaks battle UFOs in broad daylight. It's… just surreal. (Again, GURPS IOU for the source). Psychological Lim. (Strong, Total) -(Lethosos)
  • Blood-Maker: You are the opposite of a vampire. Your body generates extra blood, frequently in alarming quantities, when you are under any sort of emotional stress (pleasant or unpleasant doesn't matter). If it generates more blood than your physiology can handle, it will expel the excess through any convenient opening (the nose is usually easiest for the body to cope with, but there are alternatives, including any open wounds). -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Bob Was There, Too.: A guy named Bob has an alarming tendency to be there whenever you are doing something important. He doesn't do anything, he's just there. You can't convince him to go away. You can attack him, although why you would want to who knows….
  • Bus Transfer: The character can ride public transportation all day, with only one transfer (but he has to buy the transfer with money like anybody else). -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil)
  • But This is a Map of Tokyo!: You are LOST. Your sense of direction is so bad that going anywhere, by any means of transportation, is an adventure. You frequently find yourself randomly in places you did not intend to go any cannot conceivably have gotten to in the time available using the means you had. Making appointments is usually futile. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Chuck Austen Took Over My Book: The combined form of the John Byrne and Mark Millar “talents” is this disadvantage. -(CandidGamera)
  • Common Sense: The character can tie his shoes, eat with a fork, and know that a $1,000,000 phone bill should be discussed with customer service. In short, the character has enough brains to be allowed out in public without a keeper. Most heroes should have Common Sense, far too few do. -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil)
  • Defect: A character with this power can change loyalties at any time, even in the middle of combat. -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil)
  • Detect Good Restaurants: with Discriminatory and Analyze, 14- -(bigdamnhero)
  • Detect Turnip: “And if you could have one superpower, Baldrick, what would it be?”
  • Did I Do That?: You yourself may not have any particular talents, yet somehow you have gotten on the good side of Providence to such an extent that anyone who tries to harm or hamper you will be stymied by the most improbable of coincidences. You could be stalked by twenty highly-trained assassins and somehow they will end up destroying each other instead of you as their attempts to do you in go horribly wrong. Simple actions of yours that are completely unrelated to the task at hand turn out to be very much to your benefit – and frequently you will never know it. The collary is that what you try to do often fails spectacularly, although you usually come out of it unscathed and, after taking a moment to compose yourself, barely ruffled. Desolid, Invisible Effects, No End, Persistent, Always On. Then buy Vs. Solid World as a naked Advantage for Strength, with No Conscious Control. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Diving Under The Covers: This combat maneuver can be performed if the character is within 1 hex of a bed. Could be useful for dealing with boogymen… -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil)
  • Double Chop!: +2d6 Hand Attack -(pointyman2001)
  • EC: Behold, the Power of Cheese!: -(OddHat)
  • Ego Attack Does Body, only vs Cheese: -(OddHat)
  • Everybody Dance Now: Whenever the character sings, everybody around him dances and sings backup. This has absolutely no effect on any of their actions, other than characters performing feats of agility and coordination they are normally incapable of, but only to perform actions they were going to do anyway (and succeeding and failing normally). But regardless of what people do, everyone looks cool doing it. cosmetic transform Xd6 (Normal people to Normal people singing and dancing with character), Incantations(Character must be singing), 0 END, Always On -(Dust Raven)
  • Find Week: The character is able to determine the week. (Can't recall if this was of the month or of the year). -(Steve)
  • Fish Kill Themselves When They Hear My Name: Whenever your name is mentioned around fish, they commit suicide by whatever means of self-destruction happen to be available to fish at that particular time. Variations on this power would include the mention of your name causing any passing birds to fall from the sky, making rats drown themselves en masse, etc. +20 PRE, Usable by Others, AoE Megascale (whole earth), Incantations, OAF Fish of opportunity. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Force Field, only protect againt Cheese based attacks: -(OddHat)
  • Format Wars: Breaks (Dispels) any electronic device by making vital components no longer available, with a bonus of +10 to the effect if the device has the letters “s”,“o”,“n”, and “y” inscribed anywhere on it. -(Ternaugh)
  • Frau Blucher Effect: Whenever this particular character's name is said out loud, there is a bolt of lightning or the sounds of nervous animals. In the film Young Frankenstein, saying this name caused the horses outside to neigh fanticly. +20 PRE, Only Usable for Fear Based PRE attacks, Only Against Horses, Limited Result(causes horses to neigh, not bolt etc), Usable by Others, AoE Megascale (whole earth), Incantations (Must say character's name), no conscious control -(Dust Raven)
  • Geek Out: +20 PRE; No Conscious Control (-2), Limited Power (Only to make target flee the room; -1), Conditional Power (Does not work vs other geeks; -1/4), Incantations (must talk about their favorite sci-fi movie/show and/or RPG character; -1/4) -(bigdamnhero)
  • Giant Okonomiyaki Spatula: Er… just as the name says, weilded as a two handed weapon. -(pointyman2003)
  • Green Thumb: Plants thrive under the character's care, growing larger and stronger than normal. -(Steve)
  • Guacamole Dip: green, pasty, refreshing, and goes great on burrito's and omlettes. -(cutsleeve)
  • Harem Anime Leading Man: only works to draw NPCs, or PCs to either a) live with the guy b) find a way to er… “take” him against his will or c) claim ownership against him. All of which takes place in a manner that will put his sanity, and his financial situation in ruins Distinctive Features: Irresistibly Cute to Women (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) -(pointyman2006) Notes:This usually only affects a limited class of girls (such as Exotic Alien Babes, Powerful Martial Artist Babes, Babes with Magical Powers or Your Own Babealicious Students). The result is that the sort of women who are attracted to the character are just the sort who can most complicate his life. Before he snuck into that cave, none of the girls he knew would give Tenchi Masaki the time of day. Suddenly he was up to his armpits in Exotic Alien Babes! It's especially nasty if there's a girl outside the chosen group that the character likes. For example, a handsome high school teacher might carry a torch for one of his colleagues, yet is a magnet for his babealicious students – causing massive problems that could cause him to wonder why he chose to be a teacher in the first place…. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Haunted: The character is troubled by occurrences related to whatever is Haunting them. Example: Haunted by Elvis. The character is pulled over for speeding, and the town is named Elvis, MO. -(Steve)
  • Hey, If There's Martial Arts In It I Can Do Anything!: The character can master any physical or mental skill in effectively zero time provided there is an immediate combat application. I there is impending battle in which it is known the skill will be needed, the character can go from no familiarity at all to mastery in record time, even banking experience points he has yet to earn towards gaining the ability. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • “How Did You Get So Much Custard from Such a Small Cat?”: The culinary equivalent of the Disguise Skill, this enables you to make something look and occasionally even taste somewhat edible that is, in reality, anything but. Your “subjects” will not even suffer ill effects from the realization of what they actually ate, although if their “food” is actually harmful to humans they will suffer those effects. Usually used out of desperation rather than malice….
  • How Did You Make Yourself So Smooth and Flat?: You are a true Master of Disguise, so good that whenever anyone addresses you they will address the wrong thing first. When posing as a hockey goalie, they will address the ice surface (hence the name of the ability). -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • How Do You Know You Don't Like Glorrchi Fungus Stew?: You have a taste in food that is bizarre by Earth standards, but don't realize this. Thus you are continually trying to convince your human companions to eat your “home cooking” which is, unfortunately, completely alien to human experience and is occasionally poisonous to humans. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • I Am Not Yet Dead!: You can feign death very, very convincingly – so much so that people will naturally assume you are dead even if you are merely asleep, intoxicated or otherwise incapacitated. Sometimes this can be useful – people don't bother giving a coup de grace to someone if they're already dead – but in other circumstances it can be a bloody nuisance. Funeral directors are not your friends. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • I Control the Vertical, I Control the Horizontal….😘* You can enter any television program desired and interact with the cast as though you were actually there. It could be a live broadcast, a rerun of a sitcom from the 1950s, a telenovela – anything. The effects of what you do in the program do not extend beyond this event, though, so if a program is repeated it will go on as if you were never there. -(Michael Hopcroft) * I Don't Know: Every time you or anyone near you says the phrase “I don't know” a large amount of green slime falls out of of the sky and hits you in the head. -(Dust Raven) * I Don't Know What They Have Against Me: All members of a single, otherwise innocuous animal species hold an intense dislike for you specifically. If they have the ability to do so, they will attack you on sight. If they are too overwhelmed or weak to attack, they will flee. Oddly enough, any gesture of friendship you offer makes the situation much, much worse. And especially intelligent examples of that species will take special measures to make your life miserable should you get into their proximity. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Ice Skating Kung Fu: A Martial Art that necessitates Teamwork rolls and coordinated attacks to perform certain maneuvers. -(pointyman2004) * Illegal Servant: Summons an illegal immigrant who will do chores for you. Fluent in another language. -(Blue Jogger) * I See London, I See France: You are always able to view events that occur in the nation of France and the city of London regardless of your present location. WHAT? -(Michael Hopcroft) * I'm Not From Around Here, Am I?: You are from Earth – but not the same Earth as you are living on now and where everyone else came from. What is more, you have no idea how you came to be in the world you are in now. Because you were raised on a different world, a lot of things that go in are baffling to you. The history you remember is different, sometimes vastly so, than the actual history of the world you are on. Even if you speak English, you might use a much different set of idioms than everyone around you, making understanding people's conversations a challenge. Even the cultural norms of this world are unfamiliar to you (“You don't practice ritual defloration at the coming of age? What kind of parents are you?”) -(Michael Hopcroft) * I'm Too Sexy for my Cat: All types of feline creatures that have not been “altered” find your presence induces heat or rut as gender-appropriate. What is more, they will tend to act upon their new state immediately, and if they cannot find an appropriate lust object they will find an inappropriate one – usually the one that is least convenient to you. with domestic cats this is inconvenient and annoying, but should you be alone in a tiger cage with the tiger…. -(Michael Hopcroft) * I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt: Any clothing you wear becomes alarmingly provocative, regardless of what it shows and what it doesn't. People of the appropriate orientation will make lewd comments, proposition you and leer suggestively at you no what you wear – even a burkha. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Introduction: (Big Tonight show style intro) Iiiiit'sssss Misterrrrrrrr AaaaPoCaLypssssssssssse Phys lim, incapable of steath. Whenever the character enters a new place, a disembodied voice loudly announces the character. -(Toadmaster) * Isn't She The Most Adorable Little Baby Orc You've Ever Seen?: You have the sort of cuteness that causes anyone to want to protect and nurture you individually, even if they harbor a genocidal hatred for the rest of your species. -(Michael Hopcroft) * John Byrne Took Over My Book: Distinct from the above. This is a talent that simulates a specialized variable power pool. You may redistribute up to 10% of your points when this is purchased. Change the special effects of your powers, completely revamp your DNPCs and Contacts - whatever! -(CandidGamera) * Kasumi, What an Unexpected Surprise To See You In This of All Places!: The presence os a single, specific person of whom you are enamored causes you to lose all connection with reality. In the presence of that person, you are constantly mistaking people for other people, misinterpreting the nature of common objects, and become totally inept at all skills – frequently in bizarre ways. You behavior is so bizarre that would need to do something about this problem if you actually were going to have a relationship with that person…. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Let's Do the Time Warp Again!😘* By performing certain bizarre dance steps, you can cause the flow of time around you to alter for varying effects. This has the side effect of causing you to be mentally unstable for the immediate future (it's the pelvic thrusts that really drive you insane). -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Mark Millar Took Over My Book: You acquire the PsychLim : Liberal Demogogue, and the Distinctive Feature : Boorishly Preachy, (even for those who agree with you.) Not Concealable. You may also add a number of other Psych Lims, as long as they're sophomoric. -(CandidGamera)
  • Maternal grandmother syndrome: Can't wear a digital watch. Dispel Electronics, one pip, Extra Time, Cumulative, Requires body contact. -(Zeropoint)
  • MEEP! MEEP!: Sneaking up on someone (using Stealth) and then yelling your battlecry disrupts them so much that they either knock themselves silly by jumping into a cliff overhang, or off a nearby cliff. (Presense Attack, Does Knockback, x2 Effect from Surprised out of Combat?) -(Blue Jogger)
  • Mind Control, Cheese Only: -(OddHat)
  • Missile Detection: The character can spot an incoming Ranged Attack. Not that he can do anything about it… -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil)
  • Move Away: The character can, during his phase, move to a new residence, making it hard, or even impossible, for a Hunted to find him. There's a “Forwarding Address” option, which means the character will, eventually, be found. -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil)
  • “My Lady is Like the Sun in the heavens….”: You have a knack for figuring out the right thing to say to prevent utterly insane authority figures from inflicting extreme harm and pain upon you, and to make them believe that you think they are, in fact, perfectly rational. It helps to know that your King or Queen is a total barking nutter, and in what particular way, so that you can use those elements of his or her unique lunacy to your advantage. But when this skill is failed, it tends to backfire in truly spectacular ways….
  • My territory: All dogs think that you are their territory sign post, and will lift a leg to you. -(APE)
  • Never On: A power with this Limitation can never be used. It's a -10 Limitation. -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil)
  • Never Seen: The face of the character is always blocked by a something so the audience never gets to see his or her face. -(Blue Jogger)
  • No, Akane, I'll Buy Lunch: A variant on “She's A Demon On wheels” (below) that makes you dangerous with skills that ordinarily pose no threat whatsoever, such as Cooking. -(Michael Hopcroft
  • No Hentai: 10d6 Mind Control; One Command Only {“I'm a handsome, virile gentleman and not perverted at all.”), Limited Group of Minds (Only your own wife and daughter), Continuing Effect. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • No Identity: The character doesn't know who he is. The authorities don't know who he is. NOBODY knows who he is. It's recommended that the best (well, most amusing) way to play this disadvantage is for the GM and the other players to completely ignore the player whose character has this. -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil)
  • No Mass!!😘* You can instantly reduce the mass of any object to zero. This does not cause the object to cease to exist, but the universe tends to act as though the object is no longer there. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Not me, you idiot!: Wizard summons a monster who “will almost certainly attack the Summoner” for summoning him. (Summoning with the -3/4 Antagonistic: Violent) -(Blue Jogger) * Not Tonight, Dear, You've Got a Headache: You have the ability, with just a single icy glare, to make those members of the opposite sex who are giving you unwelcome attention decide they have better things to do with their evening. Things like washing dishes or organizing the sock drawer. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Not The Real Sean Connery, But An Incredible Simulation: You bear an uncanny physical and verbal resemblance to a certain celebrity (I used actor Sean Connery as an example, but it could be anybody). If you wanted to, you could pass for him or her, or make a good living as a look-alike model or stunt double (with the appropriate skills). The downside is that people who might wish to do that person harm are just as likely to mistake you for him as his admirers are. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Oh, How I Love Me!: You have such supreme self-confidence that you truly believe you are the most wonderful being since – well, since God. And you are so convinced of this that you can usually convince most people you meet that you are just as wonderful as you think you are. The downside of this ability is that when it fails, it fails dramatically – those you fail to win over have a nasty tendency to thoroughly despise you, and while they may not actually attack you or try to harm you they are not going to go along with your plans. The other downside is that you are a magnet for admirers who are fawning and enjoy feeding your enormous ego but are useless to your activities otherwise (and even get in the way at inopportune times). * Overall Levels: The character is +1 with everything, but only if he's wearing overalls. Very popular in rural areas. -(Marc R. Blumberg, Keith Hannigan, and Mike Malony, Adventurers Club magazine, Issue #10, paraphrased by Basil) * Owlish gaze: staring, expressionless, at a person makes him blush and feel ashamed, even if he's done nothing wrong. -(AliceTheOwl) * Penguin Suit: 6d6 Mind Control, One Command Only {“I'm So Cute You Can't Stand It!”}, Reduced END; 0 END, OIF: Penguin Suit. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Peter David Took Over My Book: You become extremely witty (+2 Skill Levels, only usable for interaction skills), but your days are numbered - you'll probably be canceled in the next dozen issues. -(CandidGamera) * Pigtails: Flight 2“; Reduced Endurance, 0 END; IAF - Pigtails -(pointyman2000) * Precocious: You are extremely young (five or six years old) but gifted far beyond your years. You can do things that amaze your peers and confound your parents, teachers and any other adults you come into contact with. You also have a near-supernatural awareness of what is going on around you and what people are thinking, which means you can take an active role in matters that would normally be far beyond your comprehension, much less your capabilities. On the downside, you only have a preschool education, so many adult tasks such as reading and writing anything beyond the most basic of things might be beyond you. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Public Figure, Secret Agent: In addition to your adventuring career, you have another profession which has brought you considerable fame or fortune, such as being a star athlete or film megastar. While this gives you all the benefits of celebrity, it also means you will have to use Disguise skills or fast talking when on adventuring missions to prevent your enemies from recognizing you from your “other life” and exploiting that information. In addition, adventures frequently come up at times which are frequently inconvenient in the extreme (like right before the biggest game or movie shoot of the year). And like most adventurers you tend to be a magnet for trouble – so if the bad guys have their pick of which awards show to hold up for ransom, one guess which one they usually choose…. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Reflexive Dope Slap: 2d6 HA, Triggered (when someone within arm's reach of character says or does something stupid, Automatic Reset, +3/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), (22 Active Points), STUN Only (-0), Hand-to-Hand Attack (-1/2), No STR Bonus (-1/2) Total Cost: 11-points -(Marcus Impudite) * Render Slightly Less Dead: The character has the ability to “freshen” any dead object into something slightly less dead. 3d6 Cosmetic Transform (Dead to Slightly Less Dead), Only on formerly alive objects (-1/2), Does not work on Mostly Dead–Use the Big Chocolate Coated Pill for that (-0). Active Cost: 15. Real Cost: 10 -(Ternaugh) * Rose-Colored Glasses: Leads you to say things like “You have fun playing with your friend Ryoga” when what is actually going on is a vicious duel to the death. Psych Lim: Always Sees Things in Nice Lights (Common, Strong, -15) -(Michael Hopcroft) * “She bang! She bang!”: Your singing, due to a combination of your natural talent, your musical choices and your desire to please, is so awful that when you sing it is literally an assault on the sanity of your audience. People will go to any lengths, up to and including suicide or self-induced deafness, rather than have to listen to you sing. Those who do actually hear you complete a song are forever scarred by the experience, losing EGO permanently. * She's a Demon On Wheels: There is a common Everyman Skill (such as Driving) that you passionately love doing but are so bad at that even the most innocuous uses of that skill become a major hazard to those around you. You tend to use the skill in “creative” ways that ignore the most basic principles of safe, reasonable usage. That you haven't killed yourself of several other people with it yet is merely the result of sheer chance. -(Michael Hopcroft) * So, Nobody Knows Where my Service Record Is?: Invisibility to Paperwork, 0 END, No Conscious Control -(Zeropoint) * So Sexy It Hurts: When your lustful impulses are aroused, you take STUN damage every turn as your erogenous zones give off sensations so intense they are searingly painful. Sexual activity itself is so intense that it can cause you to pass out from the alarming combination of pleasure and agony (Le petit mort has a quite literal meaning for you). Despite this, your sex drive can be normal or even more active than normal…. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Summon Chunder: You can cause everyone around you to, er, throw up whenever you want them to. Most people find this very annoying, but it's a handy ability to have when people have swallowed something they shouldn't, or that you didn't want them to. -(Michael Hopcroft) * Suprisibus! Suprisibus!: Whenever you dig a Burmese Tiger Trap and turn your back for thirty seconds, a Burmese Tiger will somehow appear in the bottom of the pit. This won't set off the trap, so anyone who falls into it (including yourself) will not only have to climb out of the trap but find some way to deal with the tiger. Summon, OAF Bulky: Tiger Trap, No concious control, extra time (30 secs)? -(Michael Hopcroft) * Telepathy, Cheese Only: -(OddHat) * That's much too big an axe for you to play with, little girl. I mean it, Missy – PUT THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW! AND STAY AWAY FROM THOSE GOBLINS!😘* There is one specific object I(such as a weapon) that is seemingly light as a feather to you, certainly light enough for you to wield very, very accurately, yet is in reality so heavy that nobody else can even pick it up. Your own STR is normal, if not a little less than normal, for every other purpose. If it is a melee weapon that adds STR damage, you add damage as though you had the full STR required to use the weapon. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • The Power of Avery: You can warp your personal reality in helpful ways, but only if it is funny from the perspective of a reasonable outside observer seeing it. There doesn't have to e an actual observer, but if the action is dull, mundane or presented ineffectively it won't work; instead, something that actually is funny, but not to your benefit, happens instead. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • The Cat Does My Bidding: You can command any housecat to perform any simple task of which a housecat would otherwise be capable. You cannot command it to do something cats cannot do (like fly unaided), but you can make it do things that a cat could do but which would be unwise (like launch an all-out attack on a large, vicious dog). Mind Control - It'd be easy to get +20 on a cat, I'd think (and Krosp, the character in question, doesn't actually suggest that he could give them suicidal orders); if it was No End, he could trivially do it to every cat he meets (has he ever met another cat?). It needs to be telepathic, though. Or Perk: King of all cats -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • The Cat Does My Bidding 2.0: You can command any housecat to perform any simple task of which a housecat would otherwise be capable. You cannot command it to do something cats cannot do (like fly unaided), but you can make it do things that a cat could do but which would be unwise (like launch an all-out attack on a large, vicious dog). +20 PRE, only versus cats, OIF big black boot. -(Dust Raven)
  • The Closed Door: Whenever the character approaches a door that automatically opens, it doesn't. It's like the sensor that's suppose to detect his presence just doesn't see him. Invisibility (Automatic door Group), 0 END, Always On or Invisibility (Radio Group), 0 END, Always On, Only works on Automatic doors -(Dust Raven)
  • The Coyote Effect: The Laws of Physics are wonderful things. They are rational, predictable, orderly and they work just fine – for everyone except you. Unfortunately, you have done something to thoroughly annoy whoever enforces the Laws of Nature, so in your case they are applied selectively. You could blithely walk or run off a cliff, and would be just fine until you realize what you've done, at which instant Gravity comes back from its coffee break and has its usual effect. Even causality itself will malfunction in your presence, and it will always do so to your detriment. The Cosmos has enough pity on you that it will not kill you outright with this effect – why destroy your favorite plaything? – but your life will be unpleasant if interesting for some time to come. You ca usually overcome this problem only by completing some fantastic, impossible task (such as catching an elusive bird with Superspeed) at which point the Universe might forgive you. Mind you, I said might. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • The Eyes of a Killer Angel: By looking into someone's eyes, you can invoke such extreme intimidation on your target that they will fall over backwards not to get on your bad side. They will volunteer information they would normally rather die than divulge (or that could get them killed or worse for divulging), forgive even the gravest of offenses, or give you any item you request – all because they don't want you to be mad at them. +75 PRE (75 Active Points); Only To Intimidate (-1), Eye Contact Required (-1), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Gradual Effect (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12); -1/4). Active Points: 75; Real Points:20 -(Michael Hopcroft))
  • The Open Door: Whenever the character approaches a closed, and possibly locked door, it opens a crack. This only happens if he is planning on turning the doorknob though. cosmetic Transform 2-3d6 (Closed door to Open door), Character must want to open door Might have to upgrade to minor or major depending on the type of lock in question -(Dust Raven)
  • The SPCA Has Nightmares About Me: You love animals. You love them to pieces. Unfortunately, you love them to pieces quite literally, as not only do you have no idea how to truly care for animals but you are so possessive and touchy-feely that the ones you don't kill outright are horribly scarred by the experience of being in your company. You cannot resist the chance to turn any animal, even powerful and dangerous ones, into a pet, and to treat them in lovingly bizarre, painful and humiliating ways once you do. You have so little clue about animal husbandry that you will give meat to herbivores and grass to carnivores, dress up anything in clothes that only you believe to be adorable, and otherwise endanger the welfare of every non-human living thing that comes into your field of vision. You might also decide that Orcs or Martians would make great pets should you come into contact with them. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • “This Gives me the Strength of Twenty Atom Bombs for a Period of Twenty Seconds!”: You have access to a special drug, usually in pill form, that boosts your physical abilities to an alarming degree. However, the abilities go away at the end of your next turn and it does not give you any additional phases. In addition, you use the full END of your new ability levels while they are active, and you can only carry one dose on your person.
  • This Isn't a Conference Call, Henkel – I'm Actually IN THE ROOM!: You have the ability to cause those who do not respect you to act the way they would if you could not see what they were doing, even though you are present. They will not recognize your presence until you remind them of it, by which time they should have given themselves a more than adequate supply of proverbial rope….
  • “This'll fix you right up! Don't believe me? Ask Joe!”: You have the ability to whip up a potion/drug/whatever that will be effective in curing the illness or injury of one specific person but nobody else. A typical use is to go to an area riddled by a plague, publicly cure one person, sell the potion to everybody else in town, and then skedaddle with all their money before the survivors catch on and catch up to you. Also useful for rescuing spies in enemy territory.
  • Unlikely Servant: Summons a supermodel to perform household chores. -(Ternaugh)
  • Weirdness Magnet: For all you would-be Ataru Moroboshis out there Social Limitation: Very Frequently, major. -20 points combine with 5d6 Unluck (-25), Psych Lim: Obsessively Pursues the Opposite Sex (Very Common,. Total, -25) and Psych Lim: Phobia (Intimacy with Lum) (Uncommon, Strong -10 points – Lum emits electricity when happy as well as when angry, take that as you will). -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • What did you do to the Pig-tailed girl!?: Even if all the facts point to a glaringly obvious conclusion, you are unable to determine a person's alternate identity. PhysLim: Unable to know X, where X is whatever fact you want. Note that Akane has this for knowing that P-chan is actually Ryouga's cursed form, and for knowing that sometimes it's not Ranma's fault. -(pointyman2005)
  • What Do You Mean, That's a Cow?: Your eyesight is so bad that you are constantly mistaking objects for other objects and people for other people. In combat, you are focused enough that you have no problems and can easily distinguish friend from foe, but our of combat this is a major problem. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • What we Need Now is a Cunning Plan….: When you as a player are stumped as to how you are going to get out of the mess your in, you can ask the GM to make an INT roll on your behalf in secret. If the roll is made, he gives you a suggestion that might get you out of your predicament. If it is failed, he gives you a suggestion that is guaranteed to get you into even deeper trouble. What you do with this information is entirely up to you. Further, the GM is under no obligation to tell you whether the roll was made or failed.
  • What, You Again?: This applies to NPCs, particularly in games involving a great deal of travel. Wherever the player-characters go, either within their world or in others, there are one or two particular people who ALWAYS turn out to be around in one form or another. They will turn up again even if killed or maimed at a previous meeting. They might even be alternative versions of the character (such as the innumerable Toyas and Yukitos in Tsuabsa Chronicle) or different versions of the same person scattered all over the world (the way every Pokemon Center in the world has their very own Nurse Joy). -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Who Are You, Who Am I, And Why Is My Hair So Fresh and Clean?: You have the ability to selectively erase other people's memories. Possible tricks include rendering it so that the subject forgets entirely about a specific person, a specific event is blotted out of their minds, or a specific set of facts is forgotten. You can't replace the lost memories with others, however. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • Yes, You Can Be Too Rich: You are so extremely wealthy through no effort or ability of your own that it's really a serious problem. You have to go to extraordinary lengths to do anything yourself before some servant or employee does it for you. People have a habit of anticipating your needs and frequently being utterly incorrect in doing so, micro-managing every detail of your life without asking for your input because “This is what's best for Master”, and putting everyone you want to have any sort of contact with through background and security checks that rival the NSA's. Everywhere you go you are surrounded by bodyguards, and should you succeed in eluding them the full resources of of every public and private security agency in the area will be used to re-locate you. -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • You Can Be Too Thin!: You weigh 25 kg and take +3 KB, but you are still normal height (5' 6”). Apparently, this worth 15 points from the book (1/4 density). You probably would have Distinctive Features that people will go out of their way to try and feed you. “You're so thin! Eat something.” Others might think that you have an eating disorder. To complete the package, you need Gliding (a strong wind will blow you away!) and LS: Reduced need to eat (oh, I already ate this week) -(Blue Jogger)
  • “You didn't frisk me well enough.”: You have somehow managed to mount functioning weapons on a certain type of intimate garment. This makes your Concealment roll for the weapons much easier, but there is a serious downside: given where the weapons are located (which varies depending on your gender), actually firing them is quite painful, meaning you do STUN damage to yourself when you do.
  • You Don't Want Mess With Me – I'm a DD Cup!: Your breasts are like massive power batteries, absorbing ambient energy from your surroundings which can be used in place of your own END to power or Push your physical abilities. This energy accumulates over time, and while it is accumulating your breasts grow. In turn, as you use the power in place of your own END, they shrink. Not using the power for too long a period means that you end up with truly enormous knockers, with all the problems that result (strain on your back from the extra weight, none of your clothes fit anymore, etc.). However, the other functions of the organ (such as sensitivity to touch and milk production should you be lactating) are not adversely affected. I would describe the equivalent power for males, but you don't want to know. Trust me – you don't want to know! -(Michael Hopcroft)
  • You Have to Know Where to Look: You have an uncanny ability to find important, powerful items that logically shouldn't exist, yet somehow do. The plug you pull out to drain the Pacific Ocean? You can find it. The Dimension of Lone Socks? You went, returned and brought back postcards. The Off Switch for the Sun? You just might stumble onto it. The cosmic impossibilities will frequently present themselves to you for no apparent reason, simply so that you can mess with them and do the worst imaginable thing. -(Michael Hopcroft)
roleplaying/hero/resources/seemingly_silly_things.txt · Last modified: 2009/03/05 14:53 by 127.0.0.1