RE: Playing Augments

From: Bruce Ferrie <bruce_at_...>
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 17:58:05 +0100

On Monday, April 15, 2002 11:20 AM, smcginnessuk wrote:
>
> For example, its been asked (and I'm sorry that I'm not attributing
> these comments - too much work!) how much time is being given to
> augments. It's been said that a W5 character would not stand idly by
> as the W3 character came at him with +60 augment or +120 edge. I was
> wondering how the W5 character would know about the edge or augment.

It would depend if the ability used to get the augment was obvious.

Frex, "Surprisingly Strong" - probably not very visible until the character in question has hit you. But "Cloak of Hungry Flames" would be readily apparent from a long way off.
Another issue, of course, is whether you can even recognise that the W3 stranger *is* a W3-level hero and not a W2 or W4 one in the first place.

For me, though, if someone has spent the time and effort getting +60 worth of augments, they're probably using major magical mojo. Wyters, sixth sense type abilities and godar might be able to warn them that this sort of thing is being hurled about. I don't imagine you get a hero on the tula pulling this kind of magical firepower every Clayday...

>
> Would it be useful to have a guide to time required for larger and
> larger augments? Perhaps with specific materials reducing the
> necessary time...

Depends on what ability the hero is using. In *player* terms, my experience is that everyone starts to get bored and fidgety after the second round of augments so I, as a narrator, would tend to contrive some excuse to cut it off here. Though maybe not if all the descriptions were cool and everyone was actually having fun.

>
> Would preparations necessarily alert intended targets of such magic?
> What skills etc might be used to give warnings? This could be good
> ways of involving PCs in scenarios as they find out someone is
> targetting them for future attacks.

1. Maybe. ;)
2. See above.
3. Definitely.

>
> Would magical augments be visible? Would larger ones be identifiable
> (size, nature etc)??

Oh, yes! Hero light, glowing weapons, auras of fire, booming thunder, all thee fun things.
An initiate augmenting from only the affinity might just have the air shimmer or glow about them, or move with unnatural grace, or have the blade of their plough sparkle in the sunlight.
A major hero would glow like the sun (and need to be quenched in water to cool them down afterwards), speak with a voice booming like the gods, have the veins stand out like ropes on her forehead, etc. As a special effect, this could even be hazardous to the extras who are filling out the scene.

Regards,

Bruce