#Prototype Pattern Groups

1 messages · Page 4 of 1

placid glacier
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LORENZ FORCE GO

static kernel
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it's just doing a Kratos

vagrant grotto
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Like this?

Return to Sender
Trait, Reaction, 1/round
Trigger: The Hatchet is targeted by a THROWN, ARCING, or SEEKING attack or would be affected by a GRENADE.
Effect: Roll 1d6. On a 4+, the attack or grenade is negated. If an attack was negated, the Hatchet repeats the attack against the attacker. If a grenade was negated, the Hatchet may throw the same grenade, targeting a space occupied by the grenade’s original controller. These effects ignore any range restrictions upon the triggering effect.
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also: Line Throw sounds clever, but I actually think it would make the Hatchet's life harder to try to line up the throw and then go after the thrown weapon past the first person

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risk, return, yeah yeah

granite saddle
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it wasn't really "line throw" more like "line recall"

vagrant grotto
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ah okay

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I see now

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still, it's working against the pattern I'm trying to cultivate here, so idk

granite saddle
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hence the "this isn't actually a good idea, I just like that mental image"

vagrant grotto
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gotcha

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it's a cool one, tbf, as someone who's played the latest God of War

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While I'm in this zone of "overly niche optionals", I feel like I should add something to Anchor's Reality Anchor

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not polling for ideas here, just something on my mind

granite saddle
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also :

  • how does "the Hatchet repeats the attack against the attacker." work with templates ? Like a ronin, or like overwatch ? (especially since it's a full cancel of the whole attack, not just against the Hatchet itself
  • with "targeting a space occupied by the grenade’s original controller", does that mean "must at least affect the original controller" or "center space from which blasts/etc are drawn must overlap with the original controller" ?
vagrant grotto
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maybe something like "forces teleporting enemies to teleport adjacent" or something

vagrant grotto
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and "center on original controller"

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when you target a space with a grenade, the blast is centered on that space

granite saddle
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yeah I see

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not sure how necessary that is for grenades, but I haven't tested it either so maybe it is idk

vagrant grotto
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I could maybe reword it to say "The hatchet repeats the attack or throws the grenade against the triggering effect's owner. If the effect affects an area, it must include the triggering effect's owner" or whatever

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mostly because I realized that not all grenades have AoEs

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Mesmer Charges come to mind

vagrant grotto
# granite saddle not sure how necessary that is for grenades, but I haven't tested it either so m... 
Return to Sender
Trait, Reaction, 1/round
Trigger: A character targets the Hatchet with an attack with the THROWN, ARCING, or SEEKING tag or an effect with the GRENADE tag.
Effect: Roll 1d6. On a 4+, the attack or effect is negated. The Hatchet then copies the negated attack or effect, targeting the triggering character. If the attack or effect affects an area, the area must include the triggering character. These effects ignore any range restrictions upon the negated attack or effect.
granite saddle
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it's good

vagrant grotto
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wording is weird, I'm messing with it

granite saddle
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yeah

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I'd say changing range into the keyword range is weird but covers the line edge cases for the last point

vagrant grotto
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Trigger: A character targets the Hatchet with an action with the THROWN, ARCING, SEEKING, or GRENADE tag.
Effect: Roll 1d6. On a 4+, the action is negated, and the Hatchet copies the negated action, targeting the triggering character. If the action would have affected an area, the area of the copied action must include the triggering character. The copied action ignores any range restrictions upon the original.
granite saddle
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yeah, now we're good

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well done on the generalizing (is that even how you say that ? You get what I mean)

vagrant grotto
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thank you!

granite saddle
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that last "original" feels a bit strange next to all the other "triggering character"s, but other than that we're good

vagrant grotto
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yeah I was trying to avoid a dangling word

granite saddle
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if it's for layout reasons, so be it, it works it's not it is

vagrant grotto
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"original action" goes to the next line 🙃

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I have the space available but like, ugh

granite saddle
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entirely fair, as I said

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I'm not about to start arguing about layout given the way my notes look in general

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I'd lose hard

muted blaze
vagrant grotto
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nah, I don't think so

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it's a 1/round reaction with no recharge

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and like sure, I can change that, but eh?

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like, I could have it make an Agility check or save or something instead? idk

muted blaze
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It's that weird spot where it's an attack that either is really cool OR does nothing, like Ronin rebound

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but that's purely off vibes, need to see how it is in play

vagrant grotto
granite saddle
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If you want a check, that's what Reckless dive is for (sure, against evasion and it's an attack actually, but you see what I mean)

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I think the d6 approach is at least worth testing first, trying to change it

ancient solar
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I feel like if the die roll fails the reaction shouldn't be expended for the round.

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But I too can't see a better way to resist the extreme variety of grenades than with a coin flip.

granite saddle
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I don't see where the issue is, it's just the ronin's rebound but not for the same things

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Ronin's is it's core identity, and it's still 1/round not refunded on a fail

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It's even stronger when it's applicable : it's not even resistance, you just straight-up cancel the effect

placid glacier
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I know this might sound a bit like "oh but [this] does it" but I know that the Kai Rebake Rebound changes canceling to resistance but gives the failed coin flip to "boost toward the attacker"

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but that would overlap with reckless again-

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maybe consolidate those two?

vagrant grotto
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Dunno, right now nobody has given me feedback on return to sender

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“I took this but zero opportunities arose” and “I took this and the opportunity arose but it wasn’t helpful” are helpful pieces of feedback that I can’t get if nobody takes it haha

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Only difference between this and Ozymandias Protocol on Mesmerist is that I’m a lot more inspired by “hit a home run with their grenade” than “exposed and taunting as a protocol”

hollow tangle
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so ive been playing with the new overcharge rules for a good bit

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and ive been....idk if struggling is the right word

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but def running into some friction

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with how overcharge becomes more reactive than active

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(basically you dont overcharge as a decision, its a decision thrust upon you due to a roll)

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which both makes overcharge more variable and makes certain npcs (i think spite comes to mind) a bit different in texture

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how have others felt?

muted blaze
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Asking my players if they wish to playtest contested cascade rules because it looks neat and they've just reached LL3

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Final combat will have cascade window from 1-3 so I think they'll need it...

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I also added a final clause to interact with player NHPs from legionnaire:

If an NHP PC cascades, co pilots can attempt the SYSTEMS check at +1 DIFFICULTY. On a success they gain control and your mech is controlled by your co-pilot instead of you the PC. This will suffer difficulties such as not being able to use pilot talents unless you have Technophile 3.

vagrant grotto
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Ah ok

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And yeah lemme know how it goes. Goal of contested cascade is to discourage Overcharge Shutdown > Boot Up by giving better than 0% chances of controlling the mech and worse than 100% chances of a shut down working

muted blaze
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Can you overcharge if you can't control your mech?

vagrant grotto
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You can always take the Shut Down action as a pilot at least

muted blaze
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Faaaair

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I was just under the assumption you couldn't explicitly overcharge whe. You can't control your mech

vagrant grotto
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Yeah I don’t know. It’s a little grey

muted blaze
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I don't see why it doesn't allow it

vagrant grotto
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Overcharge Shut Down is a bit cheesy in my eyes, only skirting by because:

  1. It does tax the player 1 overcharge level and their actions
  2. Cascade as-written is a painful loss of action economy, and it’s good sportsmanship to be permissive about limiting that economy loss
vagrant grotto
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Starting to cook again:

Anomaly

The galaxy is littered with beings that do not conform to humanity’s interpretation of reality. While not all merit the categorization of MONIST, these anomalies challenge what we understand about the very nature of the universe.

Encountering one of these entities is often a life-changing experience in the worst of ways. God help you if you do.

Anomalies interact with the battlefield and their opponents in uncanny ways. Their influence upon reality lingers upon their targets, rewriting their victims’ very natures. Use this template to grant an NPC unconventional controller-like abilities and unsettling effects that require player adaptation to overcome.

Template Features

>//[ERROR: PATTERN NOT FOUND]
Trait

The Anomaly’s class and templates are not revealed to players until they SCAN it.

ANOMALY SYSTEMS AND TRAITS
Trait

When choosing optional systems, the Anomaly can also choose from the Anomaly Systems and Traits and Exotic Systems and Traits (Lancer, p. 327).
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Realized all along that what XENOTECH really needed to be was the reversal of what it is now

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haven't written up optionals yet but proud of the base feature lol

muted blaze
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Fuck that goes hard

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"Cool, here is ???"

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"What class and templates?"

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"IDk"

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"GM, what do you mean IDK? This is basic stuff that's in the rules of the game, it's the least we need to know"

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"Correct"

vagrant grotto
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"If you Scan it, you'll find out!"

muted blaze
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I'm going into a horror mission RN

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So depending how fast this comes out depends on how quick I can playtest 😛

vagrant grotto
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don't hold your breath

muted blaze
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Fair

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Too late

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Help I'm suffocatingg

vagrant grotto
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but I highly encourage taking that trait and replacing the Exotic and Horror traits with it

muted blaze
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I think a whole opfor of anomolies will be painful

vagrant grotto
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just as a treat, and to see if it's actually fun

muted blaze
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But the one off/boss/unique enemy with it would be cool

vagrant grotto
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Brainstorming some more weird shit

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Awakening
Full Action
The Anomaly implants nascent NHPs in a target mech. The target gains the AI tag 1/2/3 times, not counting against the maximum number of AIs it can have installed at a time. Until the NHPs can be removed, the target makes cascade checks are made with difficulty equal to then number of AIs in the mech. The implanted NHPs can be safely removed during a full repair.
muted blaze
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What the fuck

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Wait so they make Cascade checks at difficulty?!??!

vagrant grotto
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It’s very much a “long-term issue” thing

muted blaze
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So if they have 2 NHPs, do they make 2 cascade checks or just 1 with difficulty?

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GOd that's horrifyingg

vagrant grotto
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2, with 2 difficulty, though now I think it should just be flat 1 difficulty

muted blaze
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I as the GM have no clue how I'd use that

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Narratively

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In play I'll give it to the NHP clown car so they can deal even more deterministic damage

vagrant grotto
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Another one

Retroactive Vendetta
Full Action, Limited 1
Choose 1 hostile character and 1 allied character. The Anomaly rewrites history such that the allied character becomes the sworn nemesis of the hostile character. The nemesis gains the Elite template if it didn’t have it already and gains +1 Accuracy on all attacks, checks, and saves relating to their opponent.
static kernel
vagrant grotto
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It’s fine! Just don’t get structured!

muted blaze
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It's that easy

vagrant grotto
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Localized Climate
Trait
A burst 3 area surrounds the Anomaly. The area is under the effect of one Environmental effect (Lancer, p. XX). The Anomaly is immune to this effect.
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Uncanny Valleys
Quick Action
The Anomaly creates two Blast 1 areas within Range 20, then chooses one of the following:
- Swap the positions of all objects and terrain within the areas, teleporting them to the other’s spaces.
- Create Dangerous terrain in the areas (damage type chosen at random). These areas last indefinitely or until this option is chosen again.
- Create impenetrable fog in the areas. Characters at least partially within one of the areas cannot draw line of sight outside of the area, and characters outside the areas cannot draw line of sight inside. These areas last indefinitely or until this option is chosen again.
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Recast
Full Action, Limited 1
One character within Sensors must make a Grit check. On a failure, they must change their Background to a different, random Background. The sudden trauma from this causes the pilot’s mech to become Impaired and Slowed until the end of their next turn.

When the target makes any skill check that would’ve benefited from their previous background, they instead gain +1 difficulty on that check. This effect ends after the target performs a Downtime Action that would have related to their former background.
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Banish
Full Action, Recharge 6+

A character within Sensors must pass an Engineering save or become Intangible until the end of their next turn. On a success, they are instead Slowed and Shredded until the end of their next turn.
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Are any of these anything

muted blaze
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Is anomoly also being relatively cast alongside Aunic mind?

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Choose a character in sensors, that character becomes stunned and intangible until their player solves a rubix cube

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Serious note some other ideas:

Choose a mech within sensors, they make a systems save. On a success that characters mech vanishes, leaving only the pilot behind. At the end of that characters next turn their mech reforms around the pilot, automatically causing them to embark

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I had another idea but it escaped my mind

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I do like the anomoly in this way, it is bizarre but not entirely horror

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Despite being fully capable of it

vagrant grotto
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Good, glad to hear that haha

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Oh wait I remember what I wanted

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Astral Ejection
Trait, Recharge 6+

When the Anomaly inflicts forced movement upon a mech, it may force the mech’s pilot to make a Grit save. On a failure, the pilot immediately Dismounts their mech, becomes Intangible, and becomes the target of the forced movement instead. The pilot remains Intangible until they end their turn in the same space as their mech, which causes them to immediately Mount it.
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It was this or “hits with a melee attack”

muted blaze
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I mean, if something has knockback it works on the knockback of the melee attack

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It gives a cool image that a hive attacks you with the trait to move or impared/immobilised, you choose move and your SOUL gets launched out your mech

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It also gives the really funny image of someone shooting you so hard your soul is immediately launched out your mech

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God anomaly assassin with spinning kick 🤣

vagrant grotto
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Hell yeah

muted blaze
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Horror anomaly assassin, with spinning kick and the one that makes it intangible, so it marks your soul, kicks it out your body, enters the after life and kills you there

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Really giving a new definition to the Calendula core: “I inscribe thy name, I threaten thee with the second death. I kill thy name, and this I kill thee again in the afterlife.“

placid glacier
static kernel
muted blaze
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Depends on the NPC it's on

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If the PC doesn't have an AI then that's still a stunned mech

vagrant grotto
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Still mad that RAW you need to be in the damn mech in order to turn over control

muted blaze
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wut

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Stunning a mech with a ram and a recharge 6 system is quite tasty, even if it is anywhere from "stun until start of turn" or "stun until the intangible pilot keeps running after the mech that is being taken away by the elite anomaly cataphract that is runningg oh god please"

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WAIT A CATAPHRACT CAN IMPALE YOUR SOUL OUT OF YOU!!!

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I LOVE THIS TRAIT

vagrant grotto
# muted blaze wut

I mean that turning over control to an AI is a protocol that has to be taken inside the mech

muted blaze
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Yeah

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I realised

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It's stupid

vagrant grotto
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I’m big mad about it

muted blaze
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God I hate Lancer (Affectionate?)

vagrant grotto
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Why did I bring a backup pilot if they can’t be a backup pilot?!

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BT wouldn’t put up with forcible ejection 😤

muted blaze
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Me who adopted a random militia member and I have in my expanded compartment just in case my soul gets impaled out my body

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The random militia member got their soul impaled out the mech... And this is an extraction with 2 rounds left... Eh he can make his own way back

vagrant grotto
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I’ll say this: templates are dangerous for me because my 1-page limit goes out the window lol

muted blaze
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As written

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The Anomaly can just have so much good stuff though in concept

vagrant grotto
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EXACTLY

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At this point it’s gonna be a testbed for mechanics rarely anyone would think about

static kernel
muted blaze
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It makes sense to hand someone else the steering wheel

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But that person can't take control of the steering wheel if the pilot got mulched by coreworms

vagrant grotto
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Möbius
Trait
While the Anomaly is on the battlefield, if it or an allied character moves off of the edge of the battlefield, that character immediately teleports to the opposite edge of the battlefield. This cannot teleport a character into a Player Deployment Zone.

May be taking an idea from the Efreet (Suldan right?) because I think it’s neat

muted blaze
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Sunzi just saying "Hey buddy, cut it out with your bullshit"

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This would be a hell of a funny trait to just find out

vagrant grotto
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That reminds me

Spatial Rend
Trait
While the Anomaly is on the battlefield, when a hostile character teleports, that character takes 2 AP energy damage and 1 heat.

When the Anomaly inflicts involuntary movement, it may teleport the target the same number of spaces in the same direction, instead.
muted blaze
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WAIT

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NO THAT'S BAD

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Suzni uses art of war

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Teleports them across the map

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WaitNVM

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My breain read "2AP Energy damage per tile"

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Somehow

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I need sleep

vagrant grotto
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I was considering that but then realized Sunzi would likely instagib something

muted blaze
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Exactly

vagrant grotto
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So instead I considered punishing many teleports instead of one big one

muted blaze
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It's cool that it's immediately a downside to players... But can also be weaponised if they have the stuff to do so

vagrant grotto
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I can also add a “hostile character” thing too

muted blaze
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You could... OR you could keep it as is

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Either seems fun tbh

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Apart fro mthe fact it might just shot down allied mirages

vagrant grotto
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Mmm

muted blaze
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Eeeh, because of that it seems... Less good

vagrant grotto
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I’m making it hostile instead

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But now…. I can make it per tile 😈

muted blaze
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Anomoly mirage with metafold shove, throwing a PC across the map swapping places with a sniper on the other side of the map dealing 70 AP Energy

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Or anomaly assassins stay winning

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Spinning kicking you through a wall for 10 ap energy

vagrant grotto
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Woof, okay I’ll keep it flat, maybe scale with tier instead

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Sympathetic Resonance
Trait
The Anomaly deals half damage, heat, and burn on all abilities and attacks that affect a single target, but all characters allied to the target within Range 3 take the same damage.
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All these are spitballs seeing what sticks

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Mass Inversion
Trait
The Anomaly is Size 1/2. While it is on the battlefield, smaller characters are treated as larger characters and vice versa (e.g., Size 1/2 is treated as larger than Size 1, and Size 3 is treated as smaller than Size 2).
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¡@;!EXTR?UDE KNIFE
Auxiliary ???, AP, Seeking, Thrown ∞, +999
[Threat 1][1 Variable]
Effect: KNIFE: **KNIFE**
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Memory Torrent
Main Memetic, +1/+2/+3
[Cone 5][1/2/3 Heat]
On Hit: The target cannot move closer to the anomaly until the end of their next turn.

How could you leave them behind? They were your friends. *Run away, just like you did that day.*
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Bottom of the Well
Trait, Recharge 6+, Full Tech
One character in Sensors must make a Systems save. On a success, they gain Lock On and the Anomaly chooses whether they are Immobilized, Impaired, Jammed, Shredded, or Slowed. On a failure, they suffer the same effect, except the Anomaly may choose all options.
vagrant grotto
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This one’s probably a bit too much though. Probably would dial it back a lot

muted blaze
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Full tech to basically turn someone off for the game is a bit insane

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Then again you can shut down out of it

placid glacier
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oh that fits perfectly with a thematic point

inland pilot
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Inverting the dynamic from "no you just don't get information period fuck you" to "you don't get information unless you use the "give me information" button" is like. night and day.

granite saddle
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Once you make that aunic template, I'd say just add their traits to the list that ANOMALY SYSTEMS AND TRAITS gives you access to

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If you're not just gonna make this the aunic template ofc

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Gotra say though, you're just proving my point about NHPs/paracausal entities being wayy overdone
*hurriedly shoves my two planned campaigns heavily centered around the liberating of NHPs under the covers*

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I will use this, and I even already know where

warm cedar
foggy wadi
granite saddle
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Schrödinger's stat knowledge

foggy wadi
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I read out the traits but everytime I say something useful I simply speak in tongues

granite saddle
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Give them the statblock but it's all in wingdings

vagrant grotto
# muted blaze Then again you can shut down out of it

Ah, you’re right! It’s balanced, got it in one /joke

but seriously I forgot about Shut Down but that honestly works and serves as a kind of a “plug the controller into the other port” kind of solution I didn’t realize at the time

muted blaze
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Bottom of the well to me reads one of two things happens:

Someone is very happy they bought pebcac

Someone has a shit time

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
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Power word summon the sun when?

vagrant grotto
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Oh. I should keep reading shouldn’t I

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I started reading but then just transitioned riffing on my own stuff lol

granite saddle
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Worded it weird to avoid being "boxed in" by allies accidentally

vagrant grotto
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But I see your point

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(Pankrati runs into the same issue if interrupted)

muted blaze
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Open thr gate
Full action

The Anomaly creates 2 line 3 height 3 portals (or just size 1 or something) in line of sight and range 20. If a character moves through one they teleport to the other portal. Additionally line of sight and range can be drawn through the portals. These last until the end of the scene or another portal pair is made

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Requires better wording but that's an idea

vagrant grotto
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I honestly thought of that instead of Möbius but figured the wording would be too fiddly

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Maybe I’ll give it another go though, so it’s not a passive but an active

muted blaze
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My favourite part of the anomaly is when they said "it's möbing time" and möbed of the board

vagrant grotto
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Internal Metafold
Trait

Spaces adjacent to the Anomaly may be treated as an Ingress Zone for deploying Reinforcements.

Easy one

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Momentum Transfer
Quick Tech, Recharge 4+, +2/+4/+6

The Anomaly chooses a hostile and allied character within Sensors, then makes a tech attack against the hostile character. On a hit, the hostile character becomes Slowed, and the allied character may Boost as a free action 1/round, inflicting 2 Heat on the hostile character each time it does so. This effect ends for both characters if the hostile character deals damage to the allied character.

Hate the wording on this one but is this anything

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Making me think about a “spends your overcharges” feature now though

muted blaze
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"Oh no, the anomaly support is alone, well shame I'm grappling it" demolisher appears
"Oh no..."

muted blaze
muted blaze
vagrant grotto
vagrant grotto
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The worst part is that it’s too pedestrian for what I wanna do with this template

muted blaze
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It doesn't seem outlandish for an anomaly trait, I could see it on a regular witch

vagrant grotto
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Other ideas that came to me:

  • weapon that deals no damage but eats a repair
  • weapon that forces enemy to make a Burn engineering check
  • weapon that deals double current burn in damage but ends all burn after
  • weapon that causes lightning to hit allies if the target has any overshield (scales with the overshield?)
vagrant grotto
muted blaze
vagrant grotto
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Fair

muted blaze
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Id love to see them but they probably would fit better on another template

vagrant grotto
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I wanna do the Overshield one though as a clear alternative to Horror’s distuptor whip

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Like how I did Brigand’s Finishing Blow as an alternative to Splinter Rounds for Pirate

muted blaze
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Disruptor whip is boring

vagrant grotto
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Exactly, and it’s overcompensating

muted blaze
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Disrupted whip

Main melee, threat 3
4/5/6 damage

On hit, apply overshield to the target equal to the damage dealt unless the target had overshield

If the target had overshield before the attack, remove all overshield and deal double damage

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Probs a bit overtuned

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Another trait:

Immortal
Trait
After the anomaly takes damage, if the anomaly has been structured atleast once the anomaly may choose to immediately die. If the anomaly had more than 1 structure remaining they may choose to respawn in an ingress zones at the end of the round. Remaining on the same stats (hp, heat, recharge, limited systems, etc) but remove all conditions, statuses and ongoing effects that were not self inflicted

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
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Fair

vagrant grotto
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That one’s yours

muted blaze
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Apply overshield then fuck you over for having overshield I like the concept of because at first it's "ok thanks?" Then "Ow fuck!"

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But in probably taking inspiration from that eidolom layer

vagrant grotto
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It just still runs into the “this nukes the Emperor problem”

muted blaze
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Yeah...

vagrant grotto
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I’m mulling over ideas

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But yeah, goals here are to hit resources and parts of the character sheet that are usually believed to be “safe”

muted blaze
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It doesn't shut down emperors... it just turns it into a living tesla coil

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
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Fair

vagrant grotto
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The idea I had instead was “on hit: if target has Overshield, this deals damage to their allied characters in range 3 equal to their Overshield (or half, or up to a limit)”

muted blaze
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I just had an idea for an ultra grade anomaly system

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Fuck shit up
Full action, limited 1 OR recharge 6

Select a target in sensors, that target makes a save of some sort. On a failure that target takes AP energy equal to their remaining HP. After damage has been resolved, that target gains overshield equal to the damage taken

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"Oh no, the 20 hp Lancaster got immediately structured from full hp! That's bad... good news is they now have 40hp"

vagrant grotto
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lol the functional equivalent of “roll for structure damage”

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Seems fun and weird, I can dig it

muted blaze
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I could have said that but thought it would be easier to do damage for overshield calculation if it isn't just "take a structure"

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Also, it allows resistance to save you but half the OS

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Fun extra bit if you want, if this leaves a target on 0 structure, they remain alive until they run out of overshield

vagrant grotto
#

Yeah exactly, it’s just “roll on the table but keep the net hp” and the resistance/exposed angle is neat

muted blaze
#

God exposed...

#

Wait

#

Double structure the tokugawa... BUT they now have 40 OS

vagrant grotto
#

“Now I have nothing left to lose!” goes super saiyan

muted blaze
#

How many traits do you have now?

vagrant grotto
#

Just thought of a weird ability that makes a target mech intangible if they go below 0 HP instead of taking structure damage

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
#

"Prototype anomaly groups" pdf just dropped. It contains as many pages as prototype pattern groups but it's just 1 template

muted blaze
#

Make it a passive

#

When the anomaly is destroyed, it instead becomes intangible and immune to all damage. It then spawns a soul vessel atleast double the anomaly speed away from it. A soul vessel is an object with (scales with tier hits and evasion). If the soul vessel and anomaly share a space, the soul vessel shatters, the anomaly loses intangible and is set to full HP and 1 structure. If the soul vessel is destroyed before the anomaly interacts eith it, the anomaly ceases to be intangible and is immediately destroyed

vagrant grotto
#

Dammit that’s a good one

muted blaze
#

Too similar to immortal

#

Wait what if instead... as a reaction to a character dies. It instead does that to that character

#

And the soul vessel has 1 HP

vagrant grotto
#

Yeah that works too

muted blaze
#

Bonus points if whilst intangible it's on 1 HP. So if you have a fade cloak pegasus you can just kill their soul lmao

vagrant grotto
#

Alright I have an idea for my own take on the ghost thing

#

It’s similar but different enough I think

#

Gimme like 10 min

#

But basically think about the warriors in Elysium from Hades

#

But you have to destroy the wrecks instead

muted blaze
#

OOOH

#

I'm having 20 billion cool ideas for immortality

vagrant grotto
#

You and dnd4e both lol

muted blaze
# 
Rampant
Trait
when the anomaly is destroyed, select an allied character in line of sight and sensors. The anomaly sets its hp, structure, heat cap and stress to that characters current stats (this cannot go above maximum stats, such as above hitpoint maximum) and places itself in a valid tile shared with the allied character. The allied character is then immediately annihilated and removed from the scene as the anomaly horribly transforms the ally into itself
vagrant grotto
# 
Lingering Vestige
Trait
When the Anomaly is destroyed, it creates an Intangible soul 1d6+3 spaces away in a random direction. This soul has 1 HP, Evasion 8, E-Defense 8, and Speed 3. At the end of the round, it moves up to its speed towards the nearest wreckage. If it ends its movement within a wreckage, the wreckage becomes the mech it was before it was destroyed with 1 Structure, 1 Stress, and full HP, but it has the Anomaly template and this trait.
vagrant grotto
#

Forced Smithinization

muted blaze
#

I'm curious how it'd work

#

Cos, structure count remains the same

#

Like, if there's a multi activation anomaly, activation count goes down by as much as the enemy it embodies. Just not the amount of the anomaly

vagrant grotto
#

I think it’s a totally valid setup

muted blaze
#

So like, if an elite or ultra anomaly goes on a possession spree... peeps are still dying

vagrant grotto
#

Yeah no it’s akin to a necromancer sacrificing a thrall to stay alive

#

A “get down Mx. Anomaly” moment

muted blaze
#

Mx. Anomaly 😆

#

The thralls are trans inclusive TransHeart

vagrant grotto
# 
Feedback Lash
Main Melee, AP, +1/+2/+3, +1 Accuracy
[Threat 3][3/4/5 energy]
On hit: After dealing damage, if the target has any Overshield, this weapon deals AP damage equal to half that Overshield to the target and all hostile characters within Range 3 of them.
# 
[HUNGER]
Superheavy Melee, +2/+4/+6
[Threat 2][2/4/6 Kinetic]
On Hit: If the target has any Repairs, they lose one Repair. If they have no Repairs, they suffer the System Trauma result from the Structure Damage table.
#

Currently at 18 features, not guaranteed that all will make the cut

inland pilot
#

I definitely think, as a gut feeling, that is a miserable weapon for both sides lmao

#

Full Action to do 2 damage at tier 1 is exactly as it sounds, even with the On Hit being as polarizing as it is; on the flipside, directly having to sacrifice Repair cap can be extremely punishing for some particular frames especially to be absolutely crippling

#

as a GM, you're basically using this weapon to make later encounters harder, rather than pressuring players now and then (unless they already ran out of repairs, in which case, ouch)

vagrant grotto
#

To the target

inland pilot
#

thats how I would do it, aye

#

make it an opt-in thing

#

"give me your lunch money or explode" I think is a lot more compelling a decision in the moment, but also just fits a lot more for a weapon

#

(or at least, a Superheavy one)

muted blaze
vagrant grotto
# 
Stolen Cycles
System, Quick Tech, +2/+4/+6
The Anomaly makes a tech attack against a character that can Overcharge in Sensors. On a hit, the Anomaly chooses an allied character within Sensors. As a free action, the ally can force the target to Overcharge, but gain no extra action. Instead, the ally may take any Quick Action as a free action. This effect then ends on both characters.
muted blaze
#

"That one, we need to kill them!"
"Why so aggressive?"
"They took my overcharge! I want it back!"
"ON IT BOSS!"

#

Hmm

#

I think one system that would work really well on an anomaly

#

Brigands jailbreak

inland pilot
# inland pilot (or at least, a Superheavy one)

If it was a system, I could expect a similar choice where it was "Give me a repair, or suffer system trauma" where a player has to basically make the hard choice - do they want the flexibility of the repair, which can be used in scene to restore HP, and otherwise is used for fixing everything else out of it, or do they really not want to risk losing a mount or system which could impact the scene as it stands. The two choices seem like they're just the same thing, until you realise the considerations either has

but thats me just thinking and rambling about leveraging attrition as a proactive mechanic - kind of like how a certain something converts HP into Overshield. You don't lose total HP ... but you do lose HP once the scene ends, which impacts later scenes

muted blaze
#

In my most recent combat i have a ||brigand elite horror hive with jailbreak... honestly I might make it an anomaly instead and let it keep jailbreak||

#

Soon to be combat*

vagrant grotto
# 
[HUNGER]
Superheavy Melee, +2/+4/+6
[Threat 2][7/9/11 Kinetic]
On Hit: The target must choose between losing 1 repair or taking double damage from this attack.
#

A little simpler, and the damage can lead to system trauma anyway

inland pilot
#

aye

muted blaze
#

14 damage superheavy... or. Repair and 7

#

Hmmm

#

Just trying to compare the maths to other super heavy melees

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
#

From gms or players

vagrant grotto
#

Players

muted blaze
#

I feel response from players might be "Al why are you putting us against this!?!?"

vagrant grotto
#

lol

#

Lemme look up AssMaw

muted blaze
#

Assmaw 😩

#

Probs comparable

#

Probs a good capstone to be comparable to tbh

vagrant grotto
#

1 less base damage, less save or die

muted blaze
#
  • healing and auto hit allies?
vagrant grotto
#

Yeah I didn’t consider any healing yet tbf

inland pilot
#

tbh Assimilation Maw has always felt like two different things welded together honestly, so probably not the best thing to benchmark against

#

Hunger is probably fine as is

vagrant grotto
#

Noted

granite saddle
#

I have had an idea

vagrant grotto
#

I welcome ideas, but please no design

#

I wanna make the stuff myself and avoid plagiarism

granite saddle
#

Ah
Well now, it is a matter of converting that design I made back into an idea, bur with words this time

vagrant grotto
#

Ideas are fine, they can be interpreted in many ways

granite saddle
muted blaze
vagrant grotto
#

I get you, but I want my projects to mostly be reflections of my own work. I just have accreditation on my mind at the moment and worry about whether I’ve done a good enough job of it

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
vagrant grotto
#

I’m just anxious about all this as of late

muted blaze
#

Yeah it makes sense... you don't want one of us to come along and reveal we're a massive dickhead and start screaming "valks a plagiariser" and calling potentially licence bullshit.

vagrant grotto
#

Like I know y’all are chill, just want to set expectations for other folks who may be less so

#

Just looking at my past work and going “fuck, should I have been more liberal with my credits or am I ok?” Because there’s definitely moments I’ve missed appropriate credits

muted blaze
#

But if you want to put credits then I wouldn't be averse

vagrant grotto
#

Duly noted

granite saddle
#

Well then I'm putting this here, in a very "use this against me in court" kinda way :
If I send any element of design here, it's that I [wouldn't mind/would be proud of] it making it in the thing, even without changes.

The reason that I'm still probably gonna end up posting design-type shit in here, is that ideas are vague as hell and I suck at words, so a rough translation into design to be changed/iterated on is the best/only way I have to express that idea.
For example if I ever give feedback on something, and say "maybe X or Y would work/be better" it's mainly to, by seeing what I'd change and how, give you more info to accurately pinpoint the problem, rather than for that idea to actually amount to anything more.

#

Does that make sense ?

vagrant grotto
#

Got it

#

Appreciated

granite saddle
#

Anyways I'll try to stick to ideas, but the limitations of my ability to words will inevitably lead me to give an example in game terms

vagrant grotto
#

All good then

granite saddle
#

Essentially, "choose a character : they act as though the scene had ended but then they're still here in this one"

Actually, I'll still send what I wrote, but more to illustrate what I mean because even now I realize it's flawed as hell and isn't even in a state I'd enjoy :

Accelerate entropy Full action probably, 1/scene across all NPCs cause c'mon Choose a character (maybe even itself ? idk.) within [a range, for sure] : They must roll eot burn checks until they succeed, then must clear all heat, conditions, statuses (except intangible ?), and ongoing effects (even CPs; like if the scene had ended).
And then some combination of "go to 1 hp or lose a repair", or that same thing for structures/stress/system trauma, putting your overcharge counter to max, that kind of thing, to represent equipment deteriorating over time.
If you wanna be really mean, you could roll some of the forgetting triggers/talents into this for the whole "gets rapidly older" vibe. It's probably worth it for this to only go on 2+ structure NPCs and for the action to like. Instantly disintegrate them too as a downside.

granite saddle
#

But yeah you get it

vagrant grotto
vagrant grotto
#

No retroactive enforcement; if I say “you must end further away” then either I force them to always do it through the entire turn, or I punish them for breaking the rule (a la Purifying Code/FLAW_PLUS)

granite saddle
#

Fair, do it how you want in the end. As we discussed, it is your document.

granite saddle
#

But since potentially turning off a CP is very mean, it needs proper drawbacks yeah

vagrant grotto
granite saddle
#

Yeah exactly

vagrant grotto
#

I’d probably do something like Petrify for that

granite saddle
# granite saddle Yeah exactly

Hence the "the NPC taking this just dies, and must have structures to sacrifice" bit at the end, though it's kinda clunky yeah

sudden cosmos
#

Hey Valk. Unique opportunity. If you were to replace any NPCs in Kill The Noise with PPG NPCs, what would you replace?

vagrant grotto
#

Stage 1 roll burn twice
Stage 2 ???
Stage 3 end of scene effects end

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
#

It's just how it is

muted blaze
vagrant grotto
sudden cosmos
#

Oddly enough I wrote down "mesmerist and occultist"

vagrant grotto
#

Prism could be a fancy sub for Mesmerist/Goliath too, but less Jammed energy

sudden cosmos
#

Mostly because I did ctrl+f for jammed

vagrant grotto
#

Weird, I thought I liked Jammed more

sudden cosmos
#

Most references are to effects ending when the NPC gets jammed

vagrant grotto
#

Torrent can Jam with an optional and could be mechanically interesting but thematically it’s a stretch

sudden cosmos
#

Also this party's last fight was with a torrent

vagrant grotto
#

Skippable then

#

I know I generally would use Kai’s Rebakes, but I’d likely keep their old Jam features like Cataphract’s Lance shot

#

Mostly to keep on-theme

sudden cosmos
#

That's actually how I ran it last time

#

Rebake NPCs but leaving their jam optionals behind if they got removed

#

Admittedly I was thinking about swapping cata for mesmerist because they're both the melee-ers, but mesmerists are obviously a little less zippy

vagrant grotto
#

Sure, that works too. Might be a little low on DPS pressure is all

#

But control and heat pressure good

sudden cosmos
#

The party is a sunzi, pegasus, enkidu, and worldkiller. Maybe heat pressure isn't gonna be as useful thonkspin

vagrant grotto
#

Pick what feels right

vagrant grotto
# 
Process Drinker
Trait, Recharge 5+, Quick Tech, +1/+2/+3
The Anomaly make a tech attack against a character with Systems Points within Sensors. On a hit, the target loses 1d3 SP. If this would leave the target over their SP capacity, they must mark equipment with SP costs as disabled until their new SP can accommodate the combined SP of their remaining equipment. Disabled equipment cannot be Activated and their ongoing effects immediately end.

The target regains lost SP after completing a rest.
muted blaze
#

🤮

vagrant grotto
#

… that bad?

muted blaze
#

Yep

#

Keep it

vagrant grotto
#

Oh, good then

muted blaze
#

It's vile

vagrant grotto
#

I was worried that was a “oh god sincerely don’t include this” vomit emoji lol

muted blaze
#

If i have an incredibly over the top reaction it's probably because it's amazing design yet horrible to the target in a similar sense to coreworms

vagrant grotto
#

Okay cool lol. I made some edits to accommodate any equipment with SP too

#

Gandivas can’t escape

vagrant grotto
# 
Forced Obsolescence  
Trait, Quick Action, Recharge 5+
One character in Sensors must make an Engineering save. On a failure, the Anomaly chooses one of the target’s weapons. That weapon loses all tags and modifications, then gains the Inaccurate and Ordnance tags.  This effect lasts until the target finishes a rest.
muted blaze
#

Displacer user: "oh no >:)"

vagrant grotto
# 
Trait, Quick Action, Recharge 6+
The Anomaly creates a warped area within its Sensors. Weapon attacks made within the area gain the Smart tag if they lacked the tag or lose the Smart tag if they already had it. All tech attacks made in the area target Evasion instead of E-Defense. This effect lasts until the end of the Anomaly’s next turn.
vagrant grotto
#

That’s my saving grace here lol

# 
Control Swap
Trait, Quick Action, Recharge 5+

The Anomaly forces two hostile characters to make a Systems save at +1 Difficulty. If both fail, they cannot use their equipped weapons to attack, but instead must use the other characters’ weapons for attacks. This lasts on each target until the end of their next turn.
#

IMO part of the appeal of a “what’s in the box?” Template like Anomaly is having a large well of weird, different grab bag powers to pick from

granite saddle
granite saddle
#

For special attacks (reactions, eot free actions, triggered free actions), do you count as having them equiped to gain the reaction/free action to use them, or are they effectively turned off ?

#

That last one seems obvious, but still.

granite saddle
vagrant grotto
vagrant grotto
granite saddle
# vagrant grotto Within

So from within then ?
Might be a "not my native language" issue, but just "within" is ambiguous, to me at least.

vagrant grotto
vagrant grotto
granite saddle
vagrant grotto
#

Yeah sure

#

Needs refinement

muted blaze
vagrant grotto
# 
Heliocide
Trait

When the Anomaly is destroyed, its wreckage becomes an invulnerable star of the same Size. At the end of next round, the star explodes in Burst 20. All characters in the area not behind an obstruction must pass an Agility save or take 20/40/60 AP Energy damage, half on success. Each character can only be affected by this trait 1/round.
muted blaze
#

BURST

#

WHA

#

THAT IS SILLY

#

AND AMAZINGG

vagrant grotto
#

You asked about the “summon the sun” thing soooo

dusk zodiac
#

"Heliocide" is a raw as hell name

placid glacier
#

LMAO??

muted blaze
#

YEAH

placid glacier
#

oh god if this is available when I run my boss encounter I will 100% be swapping horror out for this template

muted blaze
#

The fact it's

#

expected to be "It explodes in areal powerful explosion then is gone"

#

But in reallity it's

#

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

vagrant grotto
#

Fun fact: Characters are obstructions

muted blaze
#

Oh

vagrant grotto
#

Hm it should be “of the same size or larger than themselves ”

placid glacier
#

// TID11 - Nightshade: Gestalt Fragment //
ENGINEER [K] Ultra [K] Horror PUPPETEER, Tier 2 Mech
I might use the funny sun castigate because there will be a bunch of corpses around

vagrant grotto
#

I can’t get smaller and larger right to save my life

muted blaze
#

I thought it was behind cover

minor crest
#

using another character as a shield is very funny

vagrant grotto
#

I considered “in hard cover” but I wanted more opportunities for hiding behind stuff

#

Hang on on obstruction rules

placid glacier
#

I misread- guardian shouldn't effect obstruction-

vagrant grotto
#

Goddammit

image0.jpg
placid glacier
#

corpses are hard cover obstructions iirc-

#

wait no- hard cover difficult terrain

vagrant grotto
#

Ugh Lancer please

#

Alright fine then, I’ll change it to hard cover or character or something

minor crest
#

you could just add a clause that says allied characters count as obstructions for the purposes of this ability

#

adds a bit to the word count, but covers this one hang up

placid glacier
#

wrecks too maybe?

vagrant grotto
#

I’ll hammer it out; bottom line I’m glad it’s gotten such a response lol

placid glacier
vagrant grotto
#

Hm just thought of one NOT for the Anomaly, but YES to the Brigand:

Rescind
System, Limited 1, Full Tech
The Brigand chooses a character in Sensors. The Brigand rescinds one of the target’s license ranks. While the target carries equipment tied to that license, they count as piloting an unlicensed mech (Lancer, p.74). An affected mech can drop any piece of equipment as a quick action, rendering it unusable until reattached during a rest. Otherwise, this effect lasts until the target finishes a rest or succeeds on a Systems check as a Full Action to re-validate their licenses.
signal robin
#

goes IMPOSSIBLY hard tho

vagrant grotto
#

Numbers are negotiable

#

I believe in the power of T3 characters though

placid glacier
#

for Anomaly idk if you've thought of this yet but something that shuffles damage types across player weapons?

vagrant grotto
#

I have not! Not sure if I’m compelled by it though. It feels up the Anomaly’s alley but damage typing matters so little a lot of the time

muted blaze
#

Explosive not energy

vagrant grotto
#

Damage type is negotiable too lol

muted blaze
#

Burn

placid glacier
#

more stupid and situational but- swaps range and threat on weapons

range 1 amr with threat 20

muted blaze
#

Fails engineering check at end of turn

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
vagrant grotto
#

Who will win?
The uncompromising power of the sun
OR
one horsey boi

muted blaze
#

Honse

#

Energy makes sense

placid glacier
#

attach it to a save? on failed save enemies count as resistant to that damage type until end of turn?

vagrant grotto
#

Of NucCav I mean

muted blaze
#

But I am also aware a lot of exotic things tend to deal energy it's easy to give it lots of thinggs energy so variety is nice. However energy makes best sense for sun damage

vagrant grotto
#

O wait you remember that weapon control swap I posted earlier? What if it was a full player control swap instead

#

“Next round you swap characters”

placid glacier
#

lmao that's fucking hilarious

muted blaze
#

wot

placid glacier
#

woe, freaky friday upon ye

vagrant grotto
# 
Mind Freak
Trait, Quick Action, Recharge 5+
The Anomaly chooses two characters controlled by different players. Those players exchange control those characters. This effect lasts until the two characters share a meaningful bond in any scene, as determined by the other players and the GM.
placid glacier
#

throwing shit at the wall here- temporarily force changes the encounter into an ||eidolon level||?

vagrant grotto
#

Mm, don’t wanna force GMs to require Wallflower

placid glacier
#

fair enough

vagrant grotto
#

I mean it’d be an optional tbf

#

But still

#

Also it would likely be A Lot

#

At that point just use an ||Eidolon||

placid glacier
#

fair dos

muted blaze
#

Like, this thing doesn't really do much in tactical combat

#

IN fact, it's a quick action to do effectively nothing...

#

HOWEVER

#

IT IS REALLY FUNNY

#

And will confuse the SHIT out of players

#

Use a quick action to absolutely FUCK with someone

#

Throw it on an ultra and everyone swaps characters like 4 times in a combat

vagrant grotto
#

I’m gonna add the caveat that the two players can’t communicate how each other works

muted blaze
#

😂

#

They also need to roleplay as eachother?

vagrant grotto
#

Yes

muted blaze
#

🫡

vagrant grotto
#

I’m not swapping talents or anything, that would be too much (even if it would be funny to have two pilots in different mechs) but yeah

#

Easiest thing at the table is saying “okay swap character sheets”

muted blaze
#

It's just fully swap character sheet right?

#

Yeah

placid glacier
#

DM optional: make "temp" copies of the characters where everything is the same except talents /j

vagrant grotto
#

lol yeah, if they do that they’re on their own

#

RA-speed

muted blaze
#

Horrible idea, an anomaly that forces talent change

vagrant grotto
#

I already have one that forces talent loss

muted blaze
#

Oh fair

vagrant grotto
#

Not to say there’s not more to be done

#

But I think it’s about as clean as it can get when fucking with talents

placid glacier
#

I swear there was something somewhere that was like

#

"force all ranks of one talent to be changed to another"

vagrant grotto
#

okay I have 25 Anomaly optional features written up now

muted blaze
#

1 page right?

vagrant grotto
#

Feeling the need to fill it up more though, there’s a lotta white space on the last page at the moment

placid glacier
#

3rd times the charm for seeing if something is good: an optional that like 'reverts' an encounter back by a turn? (maybe not positions because that would be a nightmare but health and statuses?)

vagrant grotto
#

Oh dear, maybe if it was a universal effect clear or something

granite saddle
#

Everyone clears all heat, statuses and conditions, and goes back to full hp sounds interesting at least yeah

placid glacier
#

"Fuck it we're resetting the encounter"

granite saddle
#

Alright, how 'bout we do this one again folks ?

inland pilot
#

I feel that would mostly be frustrating on both sides of the table for basically, in essence, collectively wasting everyone's time.

"So you know all that time and effort and action economy and everything you put in to get things as far as they are now? forget all that".

#

There is a big reason, for example, NPC healing and condition clearing is either A: heavily gated or B: heavily telegraphed - because NPCs are not beholden to long-term attrition, and as a result constantly halting forward progress just serves to entirely stall out encounters for the players

#

"turning back the clock" means, in the end, having to redo everything you've already done before. Add Repairs, Limited charges and 1/scene actions and stuff into the mix and what you get is "I'm explicitly fucking over players for committing resources". On the GM side, it is just "repeat the same dance you've been doing, but again"

muted blaze
#

If you as a player go all out on an NPC and leave them one 1hp it's annoying

#

And if you as a controller go all out on an NPC, it's even worse because you did a whole turn of control effects and they just ignore it

summer quest
#

Resetting time sounds like a cool ability until like... you have to actually do the whole thing again irl

ruby torrent
#

accelerate the clock: all characters are reduced to 1hp lol

vagrant grotto
#

I’d probably localize it to the Anomaly and give them an extra turn or something

summer quest
#

Resetting time as flavor for an ability that progresses the map state in some way I think would be cooler, or yeah isolating it

#

Maybe niche but being able to rebuild the map/ objects in the map might be cool

ashen crown
#

Maybe you could steal a bit from Black Witch’s core power if you wanna do localized time manipulation?

#

Alternatively, an idea I saw in a different RPG:

time stop where the character is unable to do anything for the turn(s) they’re time stopped, but once their turn comes back they can take all the turns that were skipped all at once

vagrant grotto
#

I don’t know, I’m not supremely compelled is the thing. But I’ll think about it. The Anomaly gets Exotic stuff too anyway, including Chronotorus

vagrant grotto
ashen crown
ashen crown
#

You could do it as for each turn their player is Time Stopped, when they activate they name one quick or full action they planned to take that turn. Then when their turn finally comes around they can do those planned actions as Protocols

#

It’s finicky, but it seems neat

vagrant grotto
#

I don’t know. If I get inspired then I’ll add something

ashen crown
#

The main idea is you’d have to limit it to act as a debuff, but give enough, well, give for it to not be “yeah you stop playing the game”

ashen crown
#

Honestly you could just wholesale take any part of the Lich license or frame and put it onto this template snd it would be right at home

#

I don’t know if you should but it’s an option

vagrant grotto
# 
Elevator
Trait
The Anomaly can instantly climb to the top of an object or piece terrain without expending any movement.
#

Weird little speedrun glitch trait

ashen crown
#

Oh that’s fun!

#

Hoiking up walls

#

I wonder if making an offensive version of this that allows you to teleport a character into any other piece of terrain and take damage if you knock them into a piece of terrain would be interesting

vagrant grotto
#

Maybe, but I like the elegance of this

ashen crown
#

Was thinking of it being a separate feature but also fair

#

Elegance is a tough but beautiful thing to implement in TTRPG design

vagrant grotto
#

So that may fit a similar niche!

#

Unrelated to all the above: I think I’m gonna add something to the Anchor’s Reality Anchor feature that lets it force allied teleportation to redirect to a space in Lodestone’s area

muted blaze
#

What if when the anomaly falls, it falls instantly and suffers no damage too

vagrant grotto
#

Maybe!

muted blaze
#

Stuck to the floor

vagrant grotto
#

Immediately thought “2D enemy”

muted blaze
#

Orchis: "i throw my shield at them with my core power knocking them into the height 10 building"
Gm: "cool they go back"
Orchis: "as the collide with the wall, I deal damage, knock them prone and they can't take reactions"
Gm: "they don't collide with any obstructions as they ascend to the top of the height 10 building"
Orchis: "what?"

granite saddle
#

"Boy I sure do love having cover and blocking line of sight !"
The kid named Infinitely tall Anomaly NPC :

granite saddle
#

Also :
speedrun strats/collision glitch/melon skip 1/round When the anomaly would try to enter the space of an obstruction (voluntarily or not), they may teleport to any valid space 3d6 spaces away from the obstruction. If they roll the same number on all three dice they [are removed from the scene (got yote out-of-bounds)/whatever the Mourning cloak gets]

#

Could also make it "moves so incredibly fast it counts as teleportation" to really lean into the bit (because this is a joke, c'mon)

muted blaze
#

Just a trait which the anomaly just ignores vertical distances full stop

#

Apart from flight

vagrant grotto
#

Yeah honestly

muted blaze
#

Having a hornet fly to height 256 as a standard movement

vagrant grotto
#

That’s what I’m leaning towards now

muted blaze
#

But at that point you can probably just be "it cannot exceed the world height"

#

Funny, using the threat 1 knife to stab someone height 10

#

Borderlands style

vagrant grotto
#

lol. Yeah no it would just be “anomaly is stuck to the ground, full stop, but instantly climbs/descends terrain without expending speed or taking fall damage”

vagrant grotto
#

Read more of the Aunic drafts; some are similar to what I’ve been brewing, some are kinda so-so or fiddly, but there’s some decent inspo in there. Interestingly enough it does have a Round Reset Button NPC feature in there, but I’m not convinced it’s worth carrying forward lol. Got a couple ideas though

# 
Entropic Corrosion
Trait, Recharge 5+, Full Action
The Anomaly forces one character in Range 10 to pass an Engineering save or lose 2d3 Armor, half on success. This can cause the target to have negative Armor (when calculating damage, the damage increases by the Armor value instead). The target can end this effect by Stabilizing and choosing to restore HP.
# 
Time Stop
Trait, 1/scene
After the end of any turn, the Anomaly may choose to stop time to take an extra turn that doesn’t count against its turns per round. During this turn, other characters cannot act, the Anomaly is Immune to all external effects, and all characters are Immune to the Anomaly’s actions and abilities.
ashen crown
#

You may wanna use the term “Activation” over/alongside “Turn” as that’s the typical Lancer term

vagrant grotto
#

Or at least is now, activations was an old draft thing

ashen crown
#

Nevermind then

vagrant grotto
# 
Black Hole Sun
Trait, Limited 1, Full Action
The Anomaly creates a Size 1 indestructible miniature black hole in an adjacent space. At the end of each of the Anomaly’s turns, the black hole moves 4 spaces in a straight line, and all characters on the battlefield are pulled a number of spaces towards the black hole equal to 4 minus the character’s Size. The black hole inflicts 100 kinetic AP to objects or terrain it collides with. Characters with which the black hole collides must pass a Hull save or lose 1 Structure, or be reduced to 1 HP on a success.

The Anomaly is Immune to the black hole’s effects. The black hole lasts until the end of the scene.
minor crest
vagrant grotto
#

Don’t worry, I have one like it

placid glacier
#

where are the aunic draft rules again?

vagrant grotto
placid glacier
#

aah ic ic

granite saddle
inland pilot
#

i will never forget the 1d6+4 attacks with the line 10 1 AP damage gun

muted blaze
vagrant grotto
muted blaze
#

I was gonna argue "Armour doesn't scale but damage does" then I came up with a counter argument to that

#

"Armour doesn't scale but damage does"

vagrant grotto
# 
Doppelgänger
Trait
The Anomaly appears to have the same class, template, and appearance as another allied mech until a character Scans it. This does not affect its actual statistics or abilities.
#

Also @muted blaze I’m finding myself drawn back to that “re-emerges from an allied character” idea, because I was a big fan of Mass Effect 2

#

I think I’ll put a spin on it if that’s alright

muted blaze
#

Go ahead

#

As I said before even if you ripped my copy 1:1 I wouldn't mind

vagrant grotto
#

Of course, just doing due diligence

muted blaze
vagrant grotto
#

You’d think I’d learn include Size != 1 as my first QA test on a lot of these lol

muted blaze
#

It says appearance is the same so I assume it takes up 3 tiles width

#

But then the stats are unchanged so it's still size 1

vagrant grotto
muted blaze
#

So is range calculated from the edge of it... or from where the character should be?

vagrant grotto
#

“Appears to be this size/occupies this area” but otherwise yeah

#

Mm, this needs more cooking

muted blaze
#

I really like the trait

#

But making everything and elite goliath breaks it

#

The grunt archer begins to charge its short cycle lance:

"Wot"

vagrant grotto
#

Other way around is worse too imo

#

“You hit the ultra ace with ushtabti. It dies instantly”

#

Sub ushtabti with bigger gun

muted blaze
#

The horror works both ways

Ultra -> grunt. You are only aware that there is an ultra when it does something ultra like. But are otherwise unaware of there being an ultra until it's done something. Then you know who it is immediately

Grunt->Ultra. You immediately know there is an ultra, just you don't know who the ultra is until they do a big ability

#

That gave me an idea

#

Idea for an optional. Unsure if its an anomaly optional, NPC or another template. Smoke bomb and illusions where it drops a smoke bomb and spawns a number of copies of itself

#

These copies are identical in appearance. But when are scanned or take any damage immediately die

#

Otherwise they don't do anything

vagrant grotto
#

Shadow clone jutsu yeah

#

I do something like that with Mirror Image on Mesmerist, consolidated to reduce action tracking

muted blaze
#

Ultra ninja ace uses action to shit out 4 other ultra ninja aces but only 1 is real

muted blaze
#

Oh ok, so mirror image is "has 1d3+1 misses worth of invisible"

#

Neat

vagrant grotto
#

Yeah, not the same thing mechanically but I think it reduces bookkeeping

muted blaze
#

Fair

#

Just depends if things are OK to have a little extra book keeping if it's a setpiece

#

An ultra ace throwing a smoke bomb and turning into 4 identical aces is much easier to manage than 3 regular mesmerists doing a similar ability

vagrant grotto
#

Yes absolutely

vagrant grotto
# 
Remote Control
Trait
At the end of any round while the Anomaly is destroyed, it may choose to re-emerge from an allied mech, transfiguring them into itself and killing any pilot inside. The allied mech is removed from play and replaced with a copy of the Anomaly with full HP, 0 Heat, 1 Structure, 1 Stress, and the same expended abilities (such as abilities with the Recharge, Limited, or 1/scene tags).
granite saddle
vagrant grotto
#

Good point

#

Sleepy, sorry

#

Will change to be end of round instead

granite saddle
#

Aight, then yeah

granite saddle
#

Actually, would it be reasonable to add a "only one Black Hole Sun per scene" ?

vagrant grotto
#

Because sure but I’d like to know why

granite saddle
#

No, more like "if for some godforsaken reason this ability was used twice in the same scene it destroys the old one to place a new one"

#

So whether it's vulture limited regain or multiple Anomalies, y'know

vagrant grotto
#

Mkay, noted

granite saddle
#

If it had any way to end, it wouldn't matter, but given it'll stick forever I feel like it could get... Too Much.
So you see what you want to do with that, just, yeah.

#

Ooo
If it didn't incentivize people to actually try to use two at a time, a "they always move towards eachoter and on collide super-mega-hyper explode" would be a fun one-off to buid an encounter around

vagrant grotto
#

I thought about that too yeah, but I’ve spent enough words on it already I think, and plus, this template isn’t a dedicated Set Piece template anyway

granite saddle
#

Yeah, it's why it's probably better off as a one-off, hombrew² thingy

ashen crown
#

If a GM employs multiple at once then that’s a problem for the table to handle

vagrant grotto
# 
Accelerationist
Trait
While the Anomaly is adjacent to an objective or within a Control Zone, each round that passes counts as two rounds for the purpose of a sitrep (e.g. rounds remaining, deployment of reinforcements). This feature is disabled while the Anomaly is affected by any condition.
#

Is this anything

granite saddle
#

It's 『Made In Heaven』is what it is (affectionate)
Tangeant, but Made in heaven is actually a killer design for like, an Anomaly Cataphract right ?

#

It might be both nothing and wayy too much; it's very limited (conditions and position), which is good, but if you just don't have the range it could mean you loose the whole sitrep in 3 rounds

#

Knowing how big some maps get, that could be a lot to ask

vagrant grotto
#

I don’t know what Made in Heaven is but noted EDIT: I looked it up, got it

#

I think the problem I have with this may also be “this could be a gotcha unless it’s telegraphed, but revealing it early and fairly l means that part of the reason for scanning it is gone”

# 
Soul Split
Trait, Recharge 5+, Quick Action
The Anomaly chooses an allied character in Range 10. The target gains the Grunt template, setting each of its HP, Structure, and Stress to 1. The Anomaly then creates a copy of the character in free spaces within Range 3 of the target (or as close as possible). The copy may act this round.
granite saddle
#

Since you know nothing, it's basically guaranteed one successful trigger until you reveal it (maybe, you're not even RAW required to say what it does when it happens), and for some teamcomps that's all that's needed to make or break the whole combat

vagrant grotto
#

Exactly

granite saddle
vagrant grotto
#

Ah wait it should be a mech then

#

Can’t gruntify a drone

granite saddle
#

No yeah mechs too, the occultist eats grunts

vagrant grotto
#

Ah, well, it’s on a recharge

granite saddle
#

And QA+FA

vagrant grotto
#

Exactly

granite saddle
#

I wasn't bringing it up as like, a problem, more like the funni

vagrant grotto
#

“Infinite if nobody touches it” is fine

#

Like how the bombard will do infinite damage given infinite rounds to shoot without disruption

granite saddle
#

Also, you are intended to be able to dupe grunts essentially "for free" ?

vagrant grotto
#

Spend a quick action for 1 grunt doesn’t seem out of line does it? Maybe I’ll add a requirement

granite saddle
#

Not that necessary tbh

#

If the solution to free enemy material is "kill two grunts" I think it's manageable

#

Everything else gets an appropriate downside, so all good to me.
Was just checking intent is all.

sudden cosmos
#

Replaced the mirage in kill the noise with an occultist. My players have said "it's rude." I have thoughts about its action economy but I need to think about it a little more and also do my taxes

sudden cosmos
#

Okay, top line main thing. I understand why Reap is a full action, but it just felt kinda bad? The only time I used it was because it was an elite and I had the opportunity to do proper setup and payoff for it

#

Given that most NPCs have a lifespan of about a turn and a half, I question if those without the second activation/structure would ever get to use it after having to take a QA to either deploy or reposition one of the flock

#

But also, it can't be a QA because that could lead to some unhealthy play patterns of bringing in a drone, then reaping it for perma overshield

vagrant grotto
#

Yeah…

vagrant grotto
#

Unrelated: Thinking more about the Anchor. Haven't heard a lot of feedback about it recently. Wondering if Lodestone's straightup "you gotta attack the Anchor with Ranged Attacks" is too hard of a sell, and if I should consider making it a Heat 1 (self) reaction instead or something

vagrant grotto
sudden cosmos
#

Ordinance+QA would probably help it a lot tbh

#

It seemed rather low-impact for a FA, though I know even conditional ranged jams tend to be associated with FAs

vagrant grotto
#

yeah, I figured since it was AoE it would merit a FA

#

previous version had a weaker QA Reap but I got feedback that again, Reap wasn't worth using compared to keeping the passive effect up (at the time it was "turn off reactions")

#

since then I both tuned the passive effect down, tuned Reap up, but then also made it a FA to compensate

#

I do want Reap to be impactful at the end of the day, as this NPC is supposed to want to sacrifice its drones 9 times out of 10. If the better value is "let them linger" most of the time, I want to tweak it instead

sudden cosmos
#

I was definitely more inclined to just let them sit and shuffle them around

#

Jealous Flock + Harvest Pyres made made me wanna have them pressure the PCs to either deal with the drones and risk a little burn or deal with the things that can capitalize on them being shredded

vagrant grotto
#

Okay so you also had Jealous Flock on, got it. That could also swing the "keep or kill" pendulum towards "keep" as well

#

When you say your player said "it's rude" is that a good thing or a bad thing

#

like if it's unduly oppressive I'd want to dial it back

sudden cosmos
#

Compliment. They seemed to enjoy it.

#

A problem I often have with playtesting/gathering feedback in Lancer is people usually only seem to note if something seems disproportionately tanky

#

Which didn't come up here, so there's that

vagrant grotto
#

that's good; I had a slight worry Occultist would have a "Hive Bulk" problem but it sounds like that didn't trip any reactions from the players

sudden cosmos
#

They had more thoughts about the torrent's durability than the occultist's tbh

#

But they faced the torrent before 3/4ths of them packed nuccav

vagrant grotto
#

Melee brute NPCs get a little durability, as a treat

vagrant grotto
#

Alright I've filled up the Anomaly pages more. Could potentially squeeze a few more features in, but I'm pretty happy with the... 32 I have now?

#

Now I just need to put all of them into the LCP pain

#

I keep wondering if I should have left more in the cutting room floor, but maybe that can wait for some playtesting

ashen crown
#

Add now cut later

#

However considering how Anomaly is an Exotic supplement/substitute and not a set piece template I fear that bodes poorly for traits like Black Hole Sun, which arguably dominate the battlefield

muted blaze
#

In the end it should be thr GMs judgement... some traits definitely I think are comparable to "this bozo teleports" or "this bozo can reroll a die as a reaction" but I won't be surprised if power creep/scope creep has played its hand

#

But I'm curious if some like the blackhole trait are designed to be specific to ultras??? Probably not

#

It's a bizarre template and by design feels like a setpiece template, it's possible to have 12 exotic enemies which all teleport or can reroll die but that's annoying and a bit if a dick move... but you can have a sungulare exotic enemy and it'd be fine but doesn't need to be the setpiece, doesn't need to be an elite veteran or anything

#

However... anomaly is much more of a setpiece in the fact you have no clue what it is until you scan it

#

That thing can have anywhere from 1hp to 6 structure and you don't know...

vagrant grotto
#

We’ll see. It’s a weird bit of kitchen sink design and will definitely void some warranties, but I’m hopeful folks can derive some value from it

vagrant grotto
#

I liked the idea of Kai’s Veteran rebake, so I have some ideas for my own NPCs that may make it into the next update:

Veteran Special Features

Anchor

TBD

Capacitor

Thunderfall
System, Limited 1, Full Tech
The Capacitor designates a Blast 2 area within Sensors known to all characters. At the end of next round, a bolt of lightning strikes the area and 10 spaces above it. Allied characters within the bolt gain Overshield 4/6/8. Hostile characters within the bolt gain Lock On and must pass an Agility save or take 8/12/16 energy, half on success.

Ghost

TBD

Hatchet

Pull the Snare
Trait
When using Cleaving Retrieval, all characters in a Line between the Hatchet and its retrieved weapon must make an Agility save or be knocked Prone.

Knight

Evergaol
System, Limited 1, Quick Action
The Knight creates a Blast 4 area that must completely contain both itself and its duel opponent. While in the area, the Knight and its duel opponent are Intangible and cannot leave the area.

The area lasts until the end of next round or until the Knight is Stunned, Jammed, overheated, or destroyed. The Knight may take 2 Heat to extend the area’s duration until the end of the next round.

Mesmerist

TBD

Napalm

Searing Gel
Trait
Targets affected by Adhesive Gel take 1 Heat each time they fail an Engineering check to clear Burn.

Occultist

Doubling Season
Trait
FLOCK Drones may deploy two drones at a time. Reap the Chaff may destroy two targets at a time.

Prism

TBD

Torrent

Primordial
Trait
The Torrent becomes Size 3 and gains Immunity to involuntary movement.

Vulture

Grapplecaster
System
The Vulture may use “Magpie” Subroutines upon wreckages, weapons, and systems in Range 5.

Zealot

TBD

granite saddle
#

Evergaol is a lot

#

Or seems like at least

#

Conversely, Searing gel seems underwhelming

vagrant grotto
#

Probably. But I’d honestly be lying if I said this wasn’t an attempt to shoehorn Evergaol onto the Knight lol

#

I figured the heat from searing gel would be Enough since a little heat seems to go a long way

granite saddle
#

Maybe just make it happen every time I'd say ?

vagrant grotto
#

Every time they attempt an engineering check?

#

Regardless of result?

granite saddle
#

For burn yeah

vagrant grotto
#

I’m also not married to it tbf

granite saddle
#

Fair

vagrant grotto
#

Simple hot/cold response is good enough for me here

ashen crown
vagrant grotto
#

That’s what I was thinking yeah

#

But yeah if something gets a cool reception I can always scrap it

#

These effects can be a little more “setpiece” than usual since I’m not anticipating multiple veterans of the same class (at least, not as often)

#

If this is overcooked though, well,

granite saddle
ashen crown
#

The Torrent’s size change, generally speaking, seems vaguely concerning- however there are always the general veteran traits, and idk enough to know if it’s a good idea or not

granite saddle
#

Also involuntary movement immunity on it means it doesn't move anymore when it fires lol

#

Probably not intended

ashen crown
#

Yeah complete involuntary movement immunity as opposed to Heavy Frame seems like the bigger concern

#

Flat immunity to stuff rarely feels good, like how Unstoppable on Rebake Ultra got changed to have a cost to it

vagrant grotto
granite saddle
#

Yeah I figured

vagrant grotto
#

But noted

granite saddle
#

Taking suggestions for Ghost ?

vagrant grotto
#

I’m still thinking about stuff

#

Not at this time

#

But keep it in your pocket

granite saddle
#

Have another one of my famous bad but fun but bad but fun ideas for it if you ever ask

vagrant grotto
#

For Evergaol, was thinking of making it a Deployable too actually

#

So an ally can break someone out

granite saddle
#

A real tanky pylon to allow friendship ? Yeah sounds good

#

It does already have the banner too, so it's got some precedent for "deployables guy"

granite saddle
#

Pull the snare seems so cool though

#

A choice between single-target damage + forced movement or mass movement impairment ? On my striker/controller ?

#

More likely than you'd think

vagrant grotto
granite saddle
#

10 opens it up to 1-hit-KOs from siege spec 1, BB charges, etc. is my worry.

vagrant grotto
#

I’m okay with it

#

At least for now

#

Quick action to cost someone a quick action

#

Could do 15/20/25 though

#

Maybe those breakpoints are better

granite saddle
granite saddle
vagrant grotto
#

Defaults

granite saddle
#

Then yeah looks good to me

#

On Thunderfall, while it's fine and good (it is), it seems kinda... bland ? maybe ? Like, we already have a fair amount of "delayed orbital-like strikes" I feel.
So, nothing wrong with the ability itself to me, just somewhat(as in "not a lot") unremarkable for a veteran trait.

vagrant grotto
#

Yeah, I get it

#

I was thinking about “zig zag weapon line” too but ugh no thank you

granite saddle
#

(all the others I haven't mentionned either look good or I don't have enough experience with them to say anything of value)

vagrant grotto
#

Hm. Maybe for Capacitor I lean into the line

#

Like make it wider

granite saddle
granite saddle
#

Either works really

vagrant grotto
#

I thought something like Drone Commander or Arc Projector yeah, but then decided that I don’t want that on an NPC of this caliber

granite saddle
#

But yeah just "line + all adjacent spaces" should be a significant enough ability to get that "wow" factor. Needs an appropriate cost though, 'cause that's a lot of coverage.

vagrant grotto
#

Was gonna make it a Full Action that takes a round to fire

#

Again, “orbital strike like” but in a line instead

#

Because I don’t think orbital strikes deserve a monopoly on telegraphed effects

granite saddle
#

You know what that's fair

#

And it gives some time for your allies to hop in, too

#

Just need to figure out what happens if you move between the setup and the effect

vagrant grotto
# 
Thunderfall
System, Arcing, Quick Tech
The Capacitor becomes Immobilized until the end of its next turn and designates a Line 15 area 3 spaces wide known to all characters. At the start of its next turn, if it hasn’t moved, it may use a Full Action to fire the Marathon Arquebus at all targets in the area. After the attack is resolved, all hostile characters in the area gain Lock On.
granite saddle
#

Oof
QA+FA+easily disruptable is rough
But that payoff though...

vagrant grotto
#

It can still shoot + charge up on the same turn at least

granite saddle
#

Yeah

#

Don't know how I feel about the ease of disruption. Guess that means I'll have to try it out then !

vagrant grotto
#

Also thinking about just having a lingering effect too

#

Shoot, leave behind an indicator, and it hits again next round in a bigger area

granite saddle
#

Ooo

#

Echo-shots yeah

#

Don't know which one I like best, but it's good

vagrant grotto
#

Actually it’s called thunderfall

#

Echo makes strong sense

#

Wording will be a pain though

granite saddle
#

"Yeah you know how like lightning bolts sometimes last really long and pulse additional times ? Yeah it's that"

granite saddle
inland pilot
vagrant grotto
#

Yeaaaaaaah lol

inland pilot
#

i've been chipping through the list as i've been running my campaign

#

its a very compelling framework in truth

vagrant grotto
#

“Finally, an excuse to add this neat but slightly too strong optional” - me, a fool

inland pilot
#

Keep was a fun one all in all, and even if i forgot to use it I liked the Martialist

#

cooked up three more for Stratus, Bloodhound, and Elemental respectively for this next mission

vagrant grotto
#

I gotta run some games this weekend

#

Or even just game

inland pilot
#

i will say at a glance, going off what info i remember

#

yeah, I like the Napalm one

vagrant grotto
#

Heat on failed burn check? Okay cool

inland pilot
#

its a small touch but it adds a lot of character and potential pressure

muted blaze
#

Prism: Actually makes copies of itself

inland pilot
#

which fits with the demi-controller stick - again, if i remember correctly

#

its admittedly been a while. i would have looked at the Prototype patterns as they are currently sooner but I've, alas, been juggling enough NPCs as is unfortunately

vagrant grotto
inland pilot
#

A: don't want to poison the well which accidental idea theft and B: yeah got a lot of them anyway lmao

vagrant grotto
#

And all good, honestly I still really appreciate your initial feedback way back last year as that 100% got this off the ground

inland pilot
#

i still remember that yeah, funny that the list has grown so long now, comparatively

vagrant grotto
inland pilot
#

augmenting standard action stuff is a good angle i found, yeah

#

for some NPCs at least

vagrant grotto
#

@granite saddle I’ll hear what your suggestion is now for Ghost, as I tentatively have this:

Maxwell’s Demon
Trait
The Ghost and any character bonded with it gain Resistance to Heat.
#

Or some sort of heat bonus, as otherwise it can’t even use Limitless safely

#

Okay edited:

Maxwell’s Demon
System, Reaction, 1/round
Trigger: The Ghost or any character bonded with it would gain any Heat.
Effect: The triggering character instead gains no Heat.
granite saddle
#

Well, mine is kinda taking this support NPC

And making it a controller/defender in a really weird way
You can just. Bond with hostiles now. If you do they are forced to activate the protocol on their turn (and thus take the heat and half damage effect, but also the benefits y'know how it goes).

Stepping away from that intitial "sounds fun is meh" idea, just in general turning the usually support-oriented effects of the ghost into debuffs for foes.

vagrant grotto
#

Hm. Okay.

#

I get what you’re going for

#

Use the Intangible as a curse

granite saddle
#

Maybe for a price make the hostile that triggered paradox state be the one to become intagible, but for longer ? At the risk of exposing the Ghost to attacks since they're both intangible now.

vagrant grotto
#

I think this is more complicated than I’d like

granite saddle
#

Fair enough

vagrant grotto
#

I don’t want Veteran Ghost to become a Leech

granite saddle
#

Oh wait, that exists

#

Yeah okay

#

Hmm

vagrant grotto
#

But thank you for sharing the idea

granite saddle
#

So, other than that, I thought of :

  • Bring back the ol' entangling curse in some way (pick a hostile and ally and they share [damage/heat/conditions ?] or just the original lock on with some more juice on top)
  • When bonded, you also treat a burst/wider area as also bonded. Spread yourself thinner, but for higher flexibility.
#

Mainly for phase shift and paradox state, but you get it

vagrant grotto
#

Yeah, I get it

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I think I’m gonna stick with Maxwell’s Demon for now

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Partially because I think it fills a need for longevity on the Veteran Ghost, and partly because I’m far too pleased with myself for that name

granite saddle
vagrant grotto
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I think that seals the deal then, since thats an excellent point. Baseline Ghost is complex and “impactful” enough

granite saddle
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Could feel kinda bad for heatgunners, but it's 1/round and doesn't stop the other control effects potentially tied to it so it's honestly fine.
Better than deathcounter on that front at least.

vagrant grotto
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Exactly

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Heat is incidental 9 times out of 10 anyway

granite saddle
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Makes superthermal blade users really sad though

vagrant grotto
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And while it’s definitely a main form of counterplay vs the Ghost, it’s only 1 form

granite saddle
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Looked it up, yeah that name's genius

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Right when I'm in the middle of studying thermodynamics too, right on time for me to understand anything about it.

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Just got done with the second law like, last week.

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(I mean, "done" as in "as done as a student can be with this")

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Hey hold on wait a second

Totally unrelated to what we were talking about but, it just occured to me :
Let's say a prism's projector is within threat of a hostile. If the prism moved, would that trigger overwatch through the projector ?

vagrant grotto
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Yes, I’m making that explicit

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Wait

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No not in this case, I don’t think

vagrant grotto
vagrant grotto
#

good news everyone: My crimes against weapon statblocks have gone unpunished:

image.png image.png
muted blaze
#

Does an 118 hit?

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The amazed yet confused metalmark
"No?"

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Wait

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Thrown infinite?

vagrant grotto
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Correct

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for one (1) quick action, ping anyone on the map

muted blaze
#

WELL WELL WELL

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LOOKS LIKE YOUR STREAK OF +6 AGI and +2 EVA HAS COME MOURNING CLOAK!

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FEEL MY WRATH!

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HUZZAH!
104 to hit

vagrant grotto
#

realizing I should've added reliable, fixing that real quick

muted blaze
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AND THEN I OVERCHARGE TO... WAit can I have that back please...

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Fun when you throw it at a gorgon and get a 101 to hit and miss

vagrant grotto
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hm, I may need to add something like "there are always more knives" instead of the quintessential "KNIFE: KNIFE"

muted blaze
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In full caps

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"Hey GM, what does that mean"

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"I don't fuckin' know buddy"

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"Anyway have one of too many fucking knives"

vagrant grotto
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a lot of people are asking questions already answered by my effect text

vagrant grotto
#

we're at the passives now sweating

vagrant grotto
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2/3rds done, all that's left are the actives + 1 reaction

vagrant grotto
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alright Anomaly's LCP-ified

vagrant grotto
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Okay, and the Veteran optionals are now added

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Thinking I'm in good shape now; Hall of Mirrors Mesmerist veteran optional has me thinking about how I might change Mesmerist in the future? but I think it's good as-is for now

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still haven't had much feedback on v1.2 yet, but it seems like it's been a slow past couple months

granite saddle
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The time of me being on break is fast approaching

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Already have my map for my next planned playtest

vagrant grotto
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I need to remember to change the wording on Anomaly Systems and Traits so that it automatically gets one by default, akin to default Exotic (which gets up to 2 but I don’t wanna encourage that tbh)

muted blaze
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No lol

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I don't want a black hole summoning immortal grunt

vagrant grotto
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You get to be weird in one (1) way, Anomaly, you’re not a lolsorandom engine

vagrant grotto
granite saddle
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Damn

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Well guess my playtest will have skipped a version. Upside : I get to playtest anomaly officially 😈

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Maybe, I'll see what fits where

sudden cosmos
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Given I'm turning a certain party of all vet pilots into PPG mechs, I may have to give some of these vet abilities a spin

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Except evergaol because that NPC is a commander and that's a bit of a nonbo

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Looking to be Knight, Hatchet, Prism, Mesmerist, and Occultist

granite saddle
#

Lastly, allied characters in line of sight may teleport to spaces in the area of LODESTONE
Is this a "always consider these spaces as a valid destination" or does it grant a way to teleport to it ? It's worded kinda weird to me.
Also, how does this square up with Interdiction field ? I guess ame question but reverse with Sunzi's safe harbor while inside the Lodestone area.

muted blaze
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😎

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Anomaly hive

minor crest
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i havent been keeping up with the development but the anomaly's stuff is great, just from a narrative pov

mild trail
muted blaze
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It really is

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I'll find where I got them from

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It was originally a Horror Brigand with jailbreak... I have cheated somewhat and unfortunately given it a brigand system as brigand didn't make too much sense, so not testing any new systems 😭

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However IMO Jailbreak works very well on Anomaly and brigand

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Discord not allowing me to copy message links for some reason

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I just had a horrible idea for another anomaly weapon

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Just a Mosin-Negant

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The anomalous part is how it's still working

sudden cosmos
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Giving a Hatchet extrude knife seems funny

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Especially a vet Hatchet with pull the snare

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Could get some very silly lines going with that

vagrant grotto
vagrant grotto
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Valid + invalid space is a good question though

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And worth asking #rules-questions since interdiction field and safe harbor exist in official materials

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But yeah treat all the new stuff as a playtest draft that’s subject to change (more so than the rest of the doc)

ashen crown
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Small note about Feedback Lash- for effects like Drone Commander 3, if the Anomaly is tier 2 or greater the Lash will deal enough damage to fully deplete the overshield and make the rider effect not trigger, making it perform worse at higher tiers in that one scenario if the target lacks resistance to the damage. Prolly not worth fixing but I thought it was worth noting

vagrant grotto
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If it’s too much anti synergy I’ll just make it 0 base damage like disruptor whip

ashen crown
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You could also be weird and make the damage not scale

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Cuz Overshield tends to scale for you

vagrant grotto
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Valid

ashen crown
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Awakening makes me have several questions about the aftermath of it happening and I’m assuming that’s a “let the table figure it out” kinda thing. Which is interesting and also terrifying

vagrant grotto
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Correct!

sudden cosmos
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How big is the area for Animate Ammunition? It just says to make an area within sensors.

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Unless it's just "within sensors"

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If it's the latter, it may need a slight rephrase for clarity imo

vagrant grotto
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It’s the entire area in its sensor range

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Noted

sudden cosmos
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Like "warps reality within its sensors" because I saw area and thought "okay but how big?" until I read it a couple more times.

ashen crown
# vagrant grotto Correct!

It does also seem to be trying very hard to make Cascade an inevitability rather than a possibility, which is… something. Idk if I like the difficulty but that’s honestly a subjective thing

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Bottom of the Well doesn’t specify when the conditions end however- or even say “for the rest of the scene” if it’s meant to be indefinite

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How does Doppelgänger interact with Data Not Found? Does it overwrite it or does the Anomaly appear like the other ally, and then hide their disguised class and template data

vagrant grotto
vagrant grotto
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Treat it like a replacement effect

ashen crown
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Gotcha

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Can Mind Freak treat the GM as a player?

vagrant grotto
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No

ashen crown
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Fair

vagrant grotto
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The GM also doesn’t have a lot of reason to do that

ashen crown
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I mean a lot of the Anomaly’s weird RP abilities are very meta and depending on how they’re played somewhat silly, so forcing a player to GM for you for once is something I can see being attempted lol

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Anyway, how does Realm Warp work with teleporting obstructions into occupied spaces? It doesn’t affect characters in any of its options so I presume you could warp some hard cover terrain between chosen spaces, which may result in the cover entering a space that’s already occupied

vagrant grotto
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Now that I’ve shipped I just realized I have another Anomaly tool

Self-Mechanization
Trait, Full Tech
The Anomaly chooses one piloted mech within Sensors. The pilot must make a contested Grit check against the better of the mech’s Systems or Engineering. On a failure, the pilot and all other occupants meld with the mech, unable to leave it by any means. If the mech is destroyed, all melded occupants die. Success or fail, the pilot and mech become Impaired until they succeed on a Grit check at the end of their turn.

Extricating the occupants from the mech requires a successful Get Creative Downtime Action.
vagrant grotto
ashen crown
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I will say some of these RP effects not being Limited 1 does make them seem a little intimidating to use. The consequences seem about as drastic for most of them as the likes of Revisionist History, even if there’s no save for that one. That’s just a read on “would I wanna use this or not as a GM?”, not their balance.

But I do think the wide swath of effects, especially weird ones, does make the template a “traumatizing and unpredictable” template since few people, not campaigns, not tables, people, will never have the chance to see all anomaly effects in play. It makes it do Exotic’s job a decent bit better

vagrant grotto
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Yeah I was spitballing on the above, it would probably benefit from a recharge or limited

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And yeah I get what you mean

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I could dial it back for sure, but frankly I’m not sure how much

ashen crown
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The Kai rebake playtesting cycles have taught me that giving balance feedback without using the thing is a bad idea for serious projects, but here it feels important to point out because the most impactful data with those traits will come from GMs employing them in long term campaigns with a focus on RP outside of combat

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So being too scary to want to employ in that case is a point of consideration as it may result in them rarely getting playtested

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It’s not that they’re bad or flawed because we don’t have any data on that yet, but your data may be more minimal for those ones because they appear to be a certain way

muted blaze
vagrant grotto
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“I’m not my mech” “you are now”