#Make a Signature Talent - Intellect+Toughness

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

open plank
#

Thread go

arctic salmon
#

Agent? I think of like James Bond or John Wick

open plank
#

John Wick feels like it fits

arctic salmon
open plank
#

What sort of mechanical bonuses would John Wick have in a TRRPG. Let’s workshop this idea

wheat shale
#

Indomitable.

tacit cedar
#

I feel like Toughness and Intellect would correlate to mental fortitude, but maybe that's more Wisdom and Toughness?

torn hornet
#

This is non magical leaning Intellect? Like a sort of tactician / Operative? Or is that too military sounding.

arctic salmon
#

Could be like Sheer Will; can spend Focus to shrug off certain conditions, or be more resistant/immune to incoming conditions

open plank
shell hornet
#

Is there any name theming that already exists for talents?

wheat shale
#

Resolute maybe.

shell hornet
#

Resolve, Tenacity

open plank
tacit cedar
open plank
#

We have that signature talent already as an Intellect/Presence combo

tacit cedar
#

aaah oki

wheat shale
#

Beast from X-Men would be tough, intelligent.

shell hornet
#

Tenacious cunning

wheat shale
#

The converse of the Badass Bookworm. In general, a Genius Bruiser looks huge and powerfully muscled, then unexpectedly shows off an intellectual side, whereas a Badass Bookworm looks like a standard geek, but then displays a surprising amount of physical prowess.

#

From tv tropes.

open plank
wheat shale
#

Something like Tactician but "tough".

#

Combining smart and tough into a single noun isn't easy.

#

Adamant Savant.

charred quail
#

Completely left field suggestion - a "self-modding" artificer, either towards the kinda "steampunk cyborg" end, or a Dr jekyll(-as-often-presented-but-not-in-the-actual-book)-like "experimental alchemy to make myself better". Intellect for the "can come up with stupid things to do to themself", tough for the "can survive the process" (other touchstones; Bioshock plasmids, carving runes onto themself to get imbued with magic, etc)

violet delta
#

Tough + Intelligent makes me think of Rollerderby. A full contact race on squat skates. An incredibly physically demanding, but at the same time highly tactical game. Imagine the stress of going full speed for prolonged time on skates while people try to keep you from going where you want, all while having to keep a myriad of rules in mind.

So how about something in the vicinity of "elite athlete"?

novel mauve
#

Tough + Intelligent kinda gives me Kingpin, though the word is often associated with crime which would maybe be undesirable

#

I also like Fulcrum

open plank
novel mauve
#

abilities to take center stage in a battle, and direct it as needed

torn hornet
#

Vanguard. A very much take charge, and lead from the front. Maybe some sort of action that lets others move with you towards the enemy, and you granting them a bouncing to defence?

open plank
#

Oyabun would be interesting but it’s a degree of cultural (mis)appropriation that I don’t think I can get away with

sand pike
#

Ironclad Savant. Brilliant Fortitude. Indomitable Intellectual. Steadfast Sage. Steel Scholar. Brainy Brawn.

Idk what they do, I'm more into names.

#

Or do they have to be single word

violet delta
#

Something along the lines of "Master of Body and Mind" maybe? Pointing to the duality that a certain degree of healthy lifestyle is important to ones mental wellbeing, and this character has hones both body and mind.

delicate flicker
#

I was thinking an Archaeologist

#

But obviously

mighty walrus
#

Mastermind?

open plank
sand pike
open plank
#

“Field Scientist”? Something like that maybe?

mighty walrus
#

Or Paragon

delicate flicker
wheat shale
#

Paragon feels like someone that exemplifies a single trait or archetype.

open plank
#

It’s tough to classify Indy, but I would put him as maybe Dexterity+Presence

#

Ymmv

mighty walrus
#

Field Commander

open plank
#

Commander feels like Presence more than Intellect to me. More inspirational than intellectual, but that’s just my reading

delicate flicker
#

Maybe we need to break down some intellect themed terms and toughness themed terms

charred quail
#

What are all the other stats?

violet delta
#

Something with Veteran - Someone who's been in the dirt, got experience and came back. Experience pointing to the intelligence part - smart enough to make the right decisions. And also tough enough to not be broken by this experience.

mighty walrus
#

Battle Scholar

violet delta
#

Action Scientist xD

novel mauve
#

What are the other, similar ranked, nodes called? Just so we get some frame of reference

violet delta
#

I think one was Battlemage, wasn't it?

delicate flicker
#

War mage was one

#

Some kind of explorer?

mighty walrus
#

Combat Controller

violet delta
#

Vital Veteran

arctic salmon
#

I see all of this, and all I can think of is this thing I found a long time ago, lmao:

#

Maybe it would be better to come up with the effect first, then find the name that best fits the effect?

shell hornet
# open plank Sounds good but what would it do?

I don't have a ton of context on mechanics right now so what's appropriate is hard but maybe something like

  • Damage mitigation or boons on ?saves? to simulate predicting enemy attack and being able to mitigate it

  • Uno reversal ability doing something akin to a damage reflection

ie something tying into a theme of their mental and or physical durability/resiliency

violet delta
#

Toughness + Intelligence lends itself to keeping your cool even under extreme physical stress. If physical attacks can cause mental "wounds", then maybe that signature talent can prevent that?

shell hornet
#

Yea I'm not clear on exactly how combat mechanics function so it's hard to give concrete suggestions on function outside of abstracts.

open plank
#

These abstract ideas are all good though. Giving me good food for thought

#

I like the damage reflection concept

#

Predictive mitigation also a good idea

shell hornet
#

I'm visualizing the RDJ Sherlok holms brawling/pit fight scene

violet delta
#

Cold blooded: When the going gets tough, you remain calm. You can take a punch and still strategise your enemies' downfall.

open plank
#

I like the “cold blood” concept for this

#

Maybe something like added boons as you take more Health damage? +1 below half, +2 below 25% or something?

#

Pretty edgelord

violet delta
#

How about something beneficient to focus? Because you stay "focused" even under stress.

#

Wasn't there a rule about once your mental health goes down, you can't use focus anymore? What if the talent would allow you to still use your focus, or at least one last point?

arctic salmon
#

So am I right in thinking that Intellect + Toughness is different from Toughness + Intellect? In each one, the first is the source, and the second is where it is leaning?

#

Or are those both considered the same thing?

sand pike
#

I think it's just the signature talent at the intersection of those two zones. Regardless of primary or secondary.

open plank
arctic salmon
#

In my mind, I'm thinking of some sort of Threshold of Pain thing, where you can reduce the amount of Health damage that gets transfered to Wounds.

#

Pain is all in the mind, kinda thing

#

Or split it between Health and Morale, or something like that

arctic salmon
violet delta
#

Combat Medic - Can intervene in an active combat situation and patch up their team mates while arrows, stone and spells buzz by. Even a hit doesn't deter them from helping the wounded. Take reduced damage (from attacks) while you're healing someone. Especially helpful if healing takes more than one turn as per rules.

frail hedge
#

Intellect TOUGHNESS as opposed to Intellect STRENGTH sure is a tough one. Toughness really (to me as someone who has not touched the system yet) speaks to ideals of defensiveness and endurance. My two cents would be, if I were a player investing heavily into those two, I would probably be striving for some sort of mitigation like suggested earlier. Knowing how to roll with/dissipate energy, or predicting your opponents.

#

The John Wick example is tough because he's certainly that, but he's also so tactically offensive that I would worry about intellect/strength instead. (though john wicks strength is his yaknow..guns and pencils rather than a big sword)

arctic salmon
#

I think Wick's strength is his immense focus and endurance. Everyone else also has guns, everyone else also knows martial arts. But Wick can last fight after fight, and knows where to go. The others can't/don't do that.

ebon widget
#

Oops, I see the thread now. Investigator, Tactician could be good, but definitely lends toward a militant aspect.

arctic salmon
#

So to me, Intellect/Toughness should make better use of the substats that Intellect and Toughness grant.

frail hedge
#

As for a noun, it doesnt sound very fantasy-y but, when I think of someone who uses their intelligence to endure and survive the most unfortunate of situations, I think of Survivalist or Prepper or something.

arctic salmon
#

Which is why I've been thinking of the Health/Morale bend, and ways to manipulate it

delicate flicker
#

Survivalist is pretty close to what my friend group was thinking. I mention it to them and someone blurted out Steve Irwin. And he fits being a Tough and Intelligent person

ebon widget
#

I kinda like Survivalist as well

arctic salmon
#

Same

delicate flicker
#

And if you want to lean toward sounding more like intellect just add "Keen" Survivalist

frail hedge
#

Its hard to suggest mechanics without more hands on experience too. I'm not sure what signature talents are supposed to "look like", or how hands on they're supposed to be. Something like a "utility belt" where I can store X many consumables for use in an upcoming battle at reduced action cost ("I know we're fighting snakes, so i'm going to put antivenom on my batman belt!") would be an incredibly attractive option that would promote the sort of actual forethought that my intelligence/toughness would probably be putting into these things...but that would also be an incredibly different feel/not fit in to other signature talents if they're more in line of "gain number, reduce number" and dont introduce sub mechanics like that.

vernal gorge
#

I’m thinking Batman. Tough/Intelligence (though presence/Dex also)

Maybe Dedication or Persevere or Tactical as a talent. Thinking through challenges and continuing despite adversity.

rain latch
#

Hard-Boiled

#

Nyeh, see?

quartz orbit
#

Erudite Enforcer, Tactical Titan, Cunning Brute

soft saffron
#

Relentless Mind. Apply a bonus based on the user's intelligence to their resistances in some way to represent their ignoring discomforts in pursuit of results. Without knowing more about the system, can't be specific with nuts and bolts here, but that's the gist of my thought when you mention Holmes, who subjected his body to great indignities in many cases.

hallow radish
#

Fortified Scholar, Stalwart Scholar

open plank
#

Okay folks, great ideas all around. I did translate these ideas into two signature talents for the playtest. We'll see how they plan and how they are feeling from a satisfaction and balance perspective.

image.png image.png
novel mauve
#

hey, I suggested Fulcrum, where are my million dollars

#

maybe I didn't read the fine print

#

Operator reads like a "barbarian-type" ability to me, which I don't really attribute to intelligence

#

also I don't know how impactful a +1 or 2 boon is

open plank