Viewpoint Favorite and least favorite powers?

[baggysack]

All the best powers are broken. Manipulating bugs, manipulating sand (if it includes silicon), biokinesis-- I love creepy body-manipulating powers especially. I remember when I was Even Younger Baby, I used to really hate empathic powers, powers that influenced a character's emotions like "fear manipulation." I got the impression from how other players would describe it was forcing characters to achieve a dynamic with them, or whatever. I've never actually roleplayed it.

My most honest answer to "best/worst superpowers in rp" is that superpowers are either always good are always terrible. Legit: I have awoken to the reality that freeform roleplay will always feel like characters pulling surprises out from under their fuku mini-skirts: when you theoretically can have anything happen in a fight, but are still limited to acting in turns because of the medium, and have no way to quantify how much damage your attack will do, or how much range you will have, or how your powers interact with the other person's powers... "creativity" stops being the saving grace. To me, it's like an improv group where they never change the topic, you're just stuck in the same joke for the whole show. It's not like writing a story where you have control of what your character's superpower will result in at any given time: you just have to throw caveats and abilities at your character in the sign-up stage and hope that they become relevant. From a GM perspective, you're also subconsciously encouraging your players to one-up you to have any semblance of predictability.

And, of course, if you have a system, none of this matters and every superpower within the limits kicks ass and works.

Sorry, I don't know if any of that makes sense. I just got back from the penitentiary, aka ProBoards. It changed me...

 

[Laix_Lake]

All the best powers are broken. Manipulating bugs, manipulating sand (if it includes silicon), biokinesis-- I love creepy body-manipulating powers especially. I remember when I was Even Younger Baby, I used to really hate empathic powers, powers that influenced a character's emotions like "fear manipulation." I got the impression from how other players would describe it was forcing characters to achieve a dynamic with them, or whatever. I've never actually roleplayed it.

My most honest answer to "best/worst superpowers in rp" is that superpowers are either always good are always terrible. Legit: I have awoken to the reality that freeform roleplay will always feel like characters pulling surprises out from under their fuku mini-skirts: when you theoretically can have anything happen in a fight, but are still limited to acting in turns because of the medium, and have no way to quantify how much damage your attack will do, or how much range you will have, or how your powers interact with the other person's powers... "creativity" stops being the saving grace. To me, it's like an improv group where they never change the topic, you're just stuck in the same joke for the whole show. It's not like writing a story where you have control of what your character's superpower will result in at any given time: you just have to throw caveats and abilities at your character in the sign-up stage and hope that they become relevant. From a GM perspective, you're also subconsciously encouraging your players to one-up you to have any semblance of predictability.

And, of course, if you have a system, none of this matters and every superpower within the limits kicks ass and works.

Sorry, I don't know if any of that makes sense. I just got back from the penitentiary, aka ProBoards. It changed me...

You could definitely see it as improv, but at the same time...what kind of groups have you been playing with were that kind of stuff is too common? Because it sounds like you have been dealing with people who are just that stubborn to exploit even the smallest stuff.

 

[Sara Sidereal]

pvp in freeform was a mistake

 

[Laix_Lake]

pvp in freeform was a mistake

So maybe it's just me then who thinks this is odd? Your talking about freeform rp's in general or just those who put pvp as some sort of major focus?

 

[SP3CT3R]

All the best powers are broken. Manipulating bugs, manipulating sand (if it includes silicon), biokinesis-- I love creepy body-manipulating powers especially. I remember when I was Even Younger Baby, I used to really hate empathic powers, powers that influenced a character's emotions like "fear manipulation." I got the impression from how other players would describe it was forcing characters to achieve a dynamic with them, or whatever. I've never actually roleplayed it.

My most honest answer to "best/worst superpowers in rp" is that superpowers are either always good are always terrible. Legit: I have awoken to the reality that freeform roleplay will always feel like characters pulling surprises out from under their fuku mini-skirts: when you theoretically can have anything happen in a fight, but are still limited to acting in turns because of the medium, and have no way to quantify how much damage your attack will do, or how much range you will have, or how your powers interact with the other person's powers... "creativity" stops being the saving grace. To me, it's like an improv group where they never change the topic, you're just stuck in the same joke for the whole show. It's not like writing a story where you have control of what your character's superpower will result in at any given time: you just have to throw caveats and abilities at your character in the sign-up stage and hope that they become relevant. From a GM perspective, you're also subconsciously encouraging your players to one-up you to have any semblance of predictability.

And, of course, if you have a system, none of this matters and every superpower within the limits kicks ass and works.

Sorry, I don't know if any of that makes sense. I just got back from the penitentiary, aka ProBoards. It changed me...

Okay, first of all, have you heard of Worm? Bugs are the main character's thing, and there are all sorts of body horror shows in it.

But yeah, I definitely get what you're saying. Basically, in freeform roleplays, the details of a character's power don't matter if one can justify all sorts of weird shit with a little mental gymnastics.

 

[baggysack]

You could definitely see it as improv, but at the same time...what kind of groups have you been playing with were that kind of stuff is too common? Because it sounds like you have been dealing with people who are just that stubborn to exploit even the smallest stuff.

I don't want to blame the players for "exploiting" things, just that it's difficult to anticipate what direction a player might take their power in when they can theoretically do "anything" with it except "not be OP" and not be able to randomly kill other player-characters. I'm just of the opinion that a GM should be reasonably capable of anticipating what players do: surprising the GM is only dope when it isn't constantly happening.

(Honestly the environment I just came from, people were writing their character's powers out, then spending every week roleplaying their characters' sexting rituals with their soUlmAtes and maybe "training.")

Okay, first of all, have you heard of Worm? Bugs are the main character's thing, and there are all sorts of body horror shows in it.

I was trying not to sound like a Worm-head in my response... you outed me. Worm is what convinced me those powers were absurd. Being able to detonate any silicon-based objects even within a range?? That's so dope...

 

[SP3CT3R]

I was trying not to sound like a Worm-head in my response... you outed me. Worm is what convinced me those powers were absurd. Being able to detonate any silicon-based objects even within a range?? That's so dope...

Totally forgot about her I know. There are so many cool powers in the story, it's insane. I wish people made more characters with Worm-like abiities.

 

[baggysack]

SP3CT3R - Last one to avoid going off-topic? I've always thought a Worm rp would kick ass. I dunno how niche it is but it'd coax me, at least, into jumping straight into a freeform rp at the moment

 

[Kaihaku]

Personally, I enjoy played Healers so restorative powers of any sort are fun. I enjoy most of the flavors - vanilla healing magic, telekinesis to resemble cells, rewinding their personal time, nanites, magically enhanced healing herbs, elemental healing, and so on.

My least favorite to see in an RP is Vancian Casting. This is the old style Dungeons & Dragons prepared casting. It just feels clunky and out of place, like why are you bringing that overly complicated mess into an RP that's freeform or using another system. But it still happens...quite often.

 

[SP3CT3R]

My least favorite to see in an RP is Vancian Casting. This is the old style Dungeons & Dragons prepared casting. It just feels clunky and out of place, like why are you bringing that overly complicated mess into an RP that's freeform or using another system. But it still happens...quite often.

If it's a modern superhero setting, then yeah, those are bullshit, but, IMO, nothing quite kills a high fantasy roleplay than not being able to play a Wizard Classic.

 

[Kaihaku]

If it's a modern superhero setting, then yeah, those are bullshit, but, IMO, nothing quite kills a high fantasy roleplay than not being able to play a Wizard Classic.

When I think classic Wizard I think Gandalf...but fair point. Raistlin is definitely an archetypical character.

Some of my dislike comes from the fact that Vancian casting outside of its original system usually devolves to "of course I had that prepared" and, even worse, "the entire Dungeons and Dragons spell list in is my spellbook."

Also, most high fantasy comes with its own magic system so why import one from elsewhere when you could be true to the setting? Multiverse roleplays bypass this last complaint.

 

[Sara Sidereal]

When I think classic Wizard I think Gandalf...but fair point. Raistlin is definitely an archetypical character.

Some of my dislike comes from the fact that Vancian casting outside of its original system usually devolves to "of course I had that prepared" and, even worse, "the entire Dungeons and Dragons spell list in is my spellbook."

Also, most high fantasy comes with its own magic system so why import one from elsewhere when you could be true to the setting? Multiverse roleplays bypass this last complaint.

If they don't have their spells prepared on their character application, don't accept their application.

 

[Kaihaku]

If they don't have their spells prepared on their character application, don't accept their application.

I generally wouldn't accept a caster who used a magic system imported from outside of the setting...period. Multiversal settings being the exception since nothing is really outside of the setting. That's not to say that players can't bring over a favorite spell or two, but Vancian casting comes with significant assumptions about how magic works.

I'm also not always the GM and not all roleplaying set-ups have applications that are that detailed.

Anyway - it's just my least favorite, that doesn't mean it's bad wrong fun. Just means that I personally dislike it.

 

[Sara Sidereal]

I generally wouldn't accept a caster who used a magic system imported from outside of the setting...period. Multiversal settings being the exception since nothing is really outside of the setting. That's not to say that players can't bring over a favorite spell or two, but Vancian casting comes with significant assumptions about how magic works.

I'm also not always the GM and not all roleplaying set-ups have applications that are that detailed.

Anyway - it's just my least favorite, that doesn't mean it's bad wrong fun. Just means that I personally dislike it.

also I hate vancian casting

 

[kibou]

I'm one of those people that likes "creative," weird, or slightly under-powered characters. I haven't done a lot of superpower roleplays, and sadly haven't gotten the chance to explore the couple of super-powered characters I do have because rps die out too quickly. Energy transfer for mild compounding stat boosts with the caveat you have to bite someone to activate it, super smell (downside: farts) and fire-breathing with regular human lungs/throat/mouth are ones I've given characters.

One of my favorite manga, Mahou: Juvenile Remix, has a main character going up against a cult-like vigilante group with other supers in their midst, and his only ability is to make someone say out loud a few short words that he's thinking, like a ventriloquist. I haven't read it in forever but there's some scenes that still stick out in my mind. His brother helps out towards the end and has limited chance/prediction based powers. It's probably what got me liking the superpowered underdogs in the first place. Maybe the creativity and puzzle aspect of figuring out how to get out of a given situation works better outside of roleplay depending on the power, but it's still fun to see unique things.

I don't think I have a least favorite power. It's probably reliant on the person playing it tbh. I wouldn't mind playing with a mind-controller if the player was a friend I've roleplayed with before and trust in a 1x1 or small group of familiar players, or if a player in a normal group was willing to do some heavy collaboration. Elemental manipulation and other generic stuff can be cool, it depends on the specific instance's limits and uses.