Author Topic: Feedback: Channeling/Sapping  (Read 1354 times)

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Offline arakish

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Feedback: Channeling/Sapping
« on: February 20, 2018, 09:18:20 AM »
Another from the RMU playtesting, but could potentially be used in any flavor RM.

CHANNELING AND SAPPING

Everyone here knows what Channeling does.  On of my players come up with this idea which we have thrown around: If you can Channel to another person, why not being able to Sap from another person?  Below are some of the details we have come up with this past Saturday and I am just now digitizing.  Text in (parenthesis, italics, and limegreen are notes from us to us).

Note: BPP = Base Power Points, PP = Power Points.

The main difference between Channeling and Sapping is the concepts of "pushing" and "pulling."  Channeling is pushing to another person, while Sapping is pulling from another person.

Excepting "evil" Power Users, no other Power User would ever use Sapping except in the most dire circumstances.

Those who do Sap Power purposefully are called Nekromansers (Marik: nekro = to kill, manser = realm; "Realm Killer").

Although called Nekromansers, they do not practice Power dealing with the Undead/Unlife since such does not exist on Onaviu.

Nekromansers simply Sap Power from the surrounding environment, creating dead zones.

Channeling and Sapping is done versus Extremely Hard (maybe greater) Difficulty Level.  Additional modifiers are determined by the GM.  This is a percentage based Absolute Maneuver.  In other words, the Percentage Maneuver table is used to determine the percentage of points Channeled/Sapped, but is treated as if an Absolute Maneuver.

Example: If wishing to Channel/Sap 40BPP, roll on Percentage yields a "60," meaning that only 24BPP were Channeled/Sapped in an Absolute Maneuver, but still costs/loses 40BPP.  In other words, if trying to Channel 40BPP to another person and the result was "60," then the person receiving actually only receives 24BPP.  If Sapping, then the person is trying to Sap 40BPP and receives only 24BPP (but the person being Sapped still loses 40BPP).

Channeling and Sapping are based ONLY on Base Power Points.

Power received through Channeling and Sapping is NOT affected by Power Modifiers.

Even if one is a "good" Power User, Sapping is still necessary to pull Power stored in Power Adders and SoulCrystals.

Sapping can be used to pull all Power (to 0BPP), causing death.  Only Nekromansers use Sapping to purposefully drain anything until it is dead.  Most "good" Power Users will only use this method of Sapping in the most dire circumstances.

Sapping is resisted on a level versus level basis, using the Em modifier.

Nekromansers Sap their environs because it is easier to detect the approach of potential enemies.

The person Channeling/Sapping is the one who roles on the Maneuver Table.

Channeling can be used to block Sapping, and vice versa.

Using Channeling/Sapping to block the other is handled like Resistance, using the number of developed ranks as the level.

For example, if one has 12 ranks of Channel and the other has 9 ranks of Sapping, then is a 12th level versus 9th level, and vice versa.

Both Power Users must make a Resistance Roll.  The one who succeeds by a larger amount is the victor.  (this may change)

Regardless of success/failure, the Channeling or Sapping is blocked.

If RR is successful, no harm is incurred except a -10 Fatigue modifier.  (For how long?).

If RR is failed, then the following modifiers are incurred: -20 BPP, -20 CH, -20 Fatigue.  (For how long?  These modifiers may change.).

(perhaps both take damage with loser taking much greater?)



Major factor with this on my world of Onaviu is that there is only ONE realm: Power.  If a Power User uses all his/her Power (to 0PP), then they die.  Sapping could be used to "suck" all a person's Power until they are dead.  This would also mean that Arms Archetypes (non-Power Users) will need to know the amount of Power they have; although, they never use it.  Basically, ALL things have Power (and it increases as one lives?).  Just that not everyone develops the skills/abilities to use it.



Changes?  Addenda?  Errata?  Deletions?

Thanks for your valuable input.

rmfr

P.S. - Just had a thought as posting.  What about when the Power User sleeps?  Is there some form of natural defense that is invulnerable to Sapping?  Only the Rapadsaïlun (Dream Walkers) can Sap Power?  Perhaps limit that to only the Belutusaïlu (Dream Realm)?

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Online Hurin

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Re: Feedback: Channeling/Sapping
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2018, 09:38:01 AM »
Seems like it might be fun. Right now, I think Channeling is not so useful; no one in any of my groups have ever used it. I liked the idea of people being able to use it to recharge items. This might be another way to make it more useful as a skill.
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Offline B Hanson

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Re: Feedback: Channeling/Sapping
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2018, 09:47:06 AM »
This is interesting. We rolled up a number of functions into Channeling. Discussed over at RMBlog:

http://www.rolemasterblog.com/rolemaster-house-rules-skill-consolidation/
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Online Hurin

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Re: Feedback: Channeling/Sapping
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2018, 11:56:12 AM »
This is interesting. We rolled up a number of functions into Channeling. Discussed over at RMBlog:

http://www.rolemasterblog.com/rolemaster-house-rules-skill-consolidation/

I must have missed that one-- I think you posted it before I started reading the blog. But I agree with pretty much everything you say there. I've never had anyone use Channeling, and never had anyone interested in Power Projection; so those are going to be dead skills for us in RMU. I think the idea of merging some of these skills would be good.

One thing I might change though would be to keep Channeling as the PP Development skill for Channelers, allowing them to Channel (transmit/receive PP) as well with the same skill. Then you could have some other skill be the PP development skill for the other realms. You could for example make Power Projection the PP Development skill for Essence users, and perhaps Mental Focus the PP Development skill for Mentalism users. Then the realms would really be quite distinct, while you've just cut down on skill bloat by eliminating the need for a separate PP Development skill (it is just folded into these existing skills).

I very much liked your idea of using some of these skills for recharging items. I think JDale noted though that if any class can relatively easily recharge items, it downgrades the usefulness of the magical crafting classes. I'm not sure that's all bad -- I don't think any of my players will be playing a crafter, so I actually would prefer the players themselves to be able to recharge items. Just some food for thought though.
'Last of all, Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed'. --J.R.R. Tolkien

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Offline jdale

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Re: Feedback: Channeling/Sapping
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2018, 03:50:10 PM »
Separate PP skills with different side uses is interesting, but how do you deal with hybrid casters?
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Online Hurin

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Re: Feedback: Channeling/Sapping
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2018, 04:32:26 PM »
Separate PP skills with different side uses is interesting, but how do you deal with hybrid casters?

Hmmm... good point. I hadn't really thought of the Hybrids.

I don't have an ideal solution yet -- I'm just brainstorming here -- but a few thoughts popped up:

--Average: You could try using an average of the skills involved: E.g. Sorcerers, being hybrids of Essence and Channeling, would use the average of their skills in Power Projection and Channeling. But that is not ideal, since it would require them to pay for two skills simultaneously.

--Primary Skill: Perhaps you could say that Hybrids choose one of the PP skills (P. Projection, Channeling, or Mental Focus) to be their main source of power? Again, it isn't entirely ideal, since we want to see a Hybrid as tapping into both power sources. But on the other hand, getting them to choose a primary power source adds a bit more flavor and distinction to different builds within the profession. Thus you could have one school of Sorcerers that leans more towards Power Projection, using it as their source of PowerPoints and enjoying the benefits of better Power Projection (possibly extending to the limited recharging of items); while another school leans more towards Channeling, using it as their power source and benefiting from that skill's added ability to recharge people rather than items?

Some races would then be better suited to one school, and others to others, depending on whether their race gets a bonus to Em, In, or Pr. High men for example might tend to rely on their own prodigious mental focus to power their spells, while a race with high Em might naturally focus more on tapping into the Essence flows.
'Last of all, Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed'. --J.R.R. Tolkien

'Every party needs at least one insane person.'  --Aspen of the Jade Isle

Online Hurin

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Re: Feedback: Channeling/Sapping
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2018, 09:42:42 AM »
Oh, I just thought of an alternative, simpler solution:

--Channeling will be the stat for Sorcerers and Healers, since its stats are R* + R* + SD, and these classes can then use both their casting stats for their PP. So the Sorcerer's stats for Channeling would be In + Em + SD, while the Healer's would be In + Pr + SD.

--Power Projection will be the stat for Mystics, since its stats are likewise R* + R* + SD, so the Mystic's stats would be Em + Pr + SD

That's the easy way to do it. You could then offer the more personalized way of doing it I outlined above as an option if you wanted further flexibility.
'Last of all, Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed'. --J.R.R. Tolkien

'Every party needs at least one insane person.'  --Aspen of the Jade Isle