Re: The "use it once in a lifetime" skill

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_...>
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 03:04:16 +0100


On Wed, Jul 21, 2004 at 11:53:17AM -0000, Jane Williams wrote:
> I think what I'm after is a skill than can't be used as often as the
> normal sort, but is very powerful when it *does* trigger. Rather like
> the way "decapitate foe" *doesn't* work. Nearly-Headless-Nick is not
> an option here.
>
> What she's supposed to get is a new skill at 13. That will not give
> the results I want. Something like "berserk 13" would be useable far
> too often, and not give powerful enough results to notice, nothing
> like the description.

This at least teeters on the edge of the "narrow ability" domain, at least if one can usefully describe it in terms that are indeed more explicitly narrow than "berserk". (I suppose one can even write 'very occasionally' or some such into a tag, and argue it's a 'narrowing' qualifier -- at least if the perception that it's 'very occasional' is shared.)

If you look at it like that, then, there's a basis to proceed -- or indeed, a couple of them. The mainstream way would be to give the ability a low rating, and apply a 'generous sit-mod' on the few circumstances it does come into play (since by definition it must in those case be 'very applicable', as it were). The other would be to allow higher ratings more 'cheaply' in narrower abilities -- Benedict has a page on this, which I found rather well thought-out and neatly constructed. (Though I haven't instantly adopted it myself, it must be said, and would have doubts about doing so across the board.)

Cheers,
Alex.

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