Powerset Ideas

[alloygray25]

Just have a handful of Powerset ideas to share, not greatly fleshed out, but that I would love to see possibly added!

P.S. I didn't add any recharge rates, since they'd be in-line with all other equivalent powers.

 

Sonic Armour/Aura
 

Spoiler

With Sonic Attacks and now Sonic Manipulation, I think it would be superb to get a Sonic Armour/Aura set to compliment the fantasy.

Defenses would be primarily focused on protection against energy-type damages, while being weaker against physical, and weakest against toxic attacks.

 

Molecular Vibration - T1 Permanent power; Grants light Smashing, Lethal and Energy protection, along with a minor resistance to Hold and Immobilize.

"Your body constantly vibrates at a frequency that makes you harder to strike or snare."

 

Echolocation - T1/T2 Permanent power; Grants a strong permanent bonus to Accuracy.

"You can detect residual sound-waves which paint a clearer picture of your surroundings, enabling you to pick out your targets with greater precision."

 

Sonic Weave - T3 Toggle power; Grants moderate resistance to Fire, Cold, Energy and Negative Energy damage.

"You create a sonic barrier around your body that redirects energy-based attacks."

 

Molecular Stabilization - T4 Self Heal power; You vibrate your molecules in such a way as to promote rapid cellular repair. For a few moments afterwards, the molecular bonds in your cells are also hardened, granting moderate Knockback resistance.

 

Sonic Dissonance - T5 AOE Toggle Debuff; Creates a field of disruptive, low-level sound that makes it difficult for enemies to concentrate when they stand near you, reducing their To Hit chance and resistance to Disorient, Fear and Confusion.

 

Molecular Disparity - T6 Stealth Toggle; Grants minor stealth and a small boost to Endurance Recovery while active.

"You vibrate your molecules much more quickly, making your physical form blur before the naked eye, with the side effect of a slightly enhanced metabolic rate."

 

Sonic Rebound - T7 Toggle power; Grants good protection against Psionic damage, along with resistance to Sleep, Disorient and Fear.

"You set up an extremely high-pitched hum in your brain, which makes external attempts to affect your mind far more difficult."

 

Sonic Cocoon/Echo Chamber - T8 Self Hold power; Place yourself into a sonic bubble that renders you invulnerable for a very short time, allowing rapid recuperation of your health and endurance.

"You become wrapped in impenetrable layers of sound, while buffeting yourself with echoing blasts of restorative vibrations, which knit together wounds and relax weary muscles."

 

Molecularity Shift - T9 Self buff power; grants superior protection against all damage types except Toxic for a very brief period; After a moment of concentration, you phase almost entirely out of sync with the physical world, becoming nearly untouchable. The effort is extremely taxing however, lasting only a short time, and leaving you drained of nearly all your health and endurance when you return to solidity.

 

Sidearm Training: Power Pool Set

 

Spoiler

 

A small idea for a low cost, auxiliary attack set, for those who prefer guns over fists.

 

Crackshot - T1 Ranged attack; Deals minor Lethal damage, with a small bonus to Accuracy.

 

Pistol Whip - T1/T2 Melee attack; Deals moderate Smashing damage with a good chance to disorient your enemy.

 

*EDIT* - Added power

 Flare - T3 Debuff power; Deals minor energy damage and places a To Hit debuff on the main target. Has a chance to disorient nearby foes.

 

*EDIT* - Added power

Hollow-Point Rounds - T4 Toggle power; While active, grants a moderate Lethal damage boost to all ranged attacks.

 

High Noon/Quick Draw - T5 Self Buff power; Grants a brief but strong boost to ranged Accuracy and Power Recharge Rate.

"Like the cowboys of the old wild west, your mind and body become one for a brief moment, enabling you to attack from range with blistering speed and pinpoint accuracy!"

 

 

Arcane Blast

 

Spoiler

 

I can't believe City of Heroes never had any real arcane powersets, even with MAGIC being one of the origins. I mean, various Marvel and DC heroes and villains are either mutants or aliens with natural magical powers, so there's no good argument against the other origins making use of the mystic arts. Hence: Arcane Blast and Mystical Aura!

 

The primary weakness of Arcane Blast is the short range of it's abilities, these being spells rather than long-range capable attacks like in other Blast powersets.

 

Arcane Blast's special side effect could be "Elemental Overload"; Using certain Arcane Blast powers will build a stack of Overload. Upon reaching 3 stacks, if you cast a detonation power, you will create an explosion of either Fire, Ice or Energy damage that hits all enemies in a small AOE, causing either minor damage over time, a minor slow, or a chance of a very brief stun.

 

Mage Bolt - T1 Ranged attack; Deals minor Energy damage. Builds Overload stacks.

"You cast a small, rudimentary bolt of neutral magic at an enemy, causing some injury."

 

Runic Blast - T1/T2 Ranged attack; Deals moderate Energy and Cold damage, with a minor chance to slow enemy movement and attack speed. Builds Overload stacks.

"Summoning the winds of the North, you pelt an enemy with shards of magical ice that hinders movement, and causes severe harm."

 

Arcane Sphere - T3 Ranged Targeted AOE; Deals moderate Energy damage in a small area around the primary target, while potentially knocking down any enemy struck. Detonates Overload stacks.

"With a wave of your hands and a whispered word, you pull together an orb of raw power and hurl it at an enemy, causing it to forcefully erupt, knocking your hapless foe and those close by to the ground."

 

Eldritch Rain - T4 Ranged Location AOE; Deals high Energy damage in a large area around you, and applies a minor Toxic damage-over-time effect to enemies hit. Builds Overload stacks.

"Raising your hands to the sky, you bellow an arcane curse at the clouds, forcing them to suddenly and violently pour down venomous rain on all those nearby."

 

Mind Tear - T5 Ranged attack/Self Buff power; Deals minimal Psionic damage to an enemy, and steals a portion of their intelligence, increasing your damage for a short time.

"Reaching into your foe's mind, you rip out a fragment of their intellect, no matter how minuscule, and add it to your own temporarily."

 

Rippling Chaos - T6 Ranged Cone Knockback; Deals moderate Energy and Fire damage in a wide cone, with a high chance of knocking back enemies hit. Detonates Overload stacks.

"Conjuring forth the chaotic powers of Hell itself, you unleash an undulating wave of magical flame towards your helpless adversaries, casting them away."

 

Arcane Shackles - T7 Ranged Immobilize power; Ensnares an enemy in a magical trap, dealing moderate Energy damage for the duration of the Immobilize effect.

"With a quick gesture and a snap of your fingers, you imprison an enemy within an arcane circle that binds their feet, and shocks them into submission."

 

Necrotic Volley - T8 Ranged attack; Deals superior Energy and Negative Energy damage. Detonates Overload stacks.

"Calling to the Netherworld, you release an incredibly strong blast of dark magic that strikes an enemy with the force of the void itself."

 

Cataclysm - T9 Point Blank AOE; Deals extreme Fire, Cold and Energy damage to all nearby enemies. Those that survive take minor damage over time, will move slower, and may be stunned by electrical shock briefly. This attack is so powerful that you will be left drained of endurance after casting it, and be unable to recover any for a short time.

"You gather every ounce of magical potential in and around yourself, and after but a moment, explode with an Earth-shattering display of elemental power."

 

 

Mystical Aura
 

Spoiler

 

A perfect complement to round out the Magic fantasy, with Arcane Blast and the Sorcery Power pool set!

 

Residual Magic - T1 Permanent power; Grants a passive minor boost to defense against Fire, Cold, Energy and Negative Energy damage.

"As a practitioner of the arcane arts, you learned early on how to draw protection from the inherent magic in the environment, granting you increased resistance to the elements."

 

Arcane Barrier - T1/T2 Toggle power; While active, grants a protective barrier that moderately reduces Smashing and Lethal damage.

"A simple wave of your hand creates an oscillating field of magical energy, capable of deflecting bullet and blade alike."

 

Mystic Surge - T3 Self Buff power; Briefly increases all damage dealt, and Endurance Recovery.

"Focusing inward, you breathe deep of the arcane knowledge stored within your soul, increasing your power exponentially - albeit briefly."

 

Elementally Attuned - T4 Toggle Power; While toggled on, you gain significant protection against Fire, Cold and Energy damage.

"The elements bend to your every whim, going so far as to avoid injuring you as severely as others."

 

Wellspring - T5 Self Heal power; Allows you to regain a degree of health.

"Drawing from the magical wellspring of life energy within the Earth itself, you close cuts and fuse broken bone."

 

Mystic Ingenuity - T6 Toggle power; While active, you gain a high degree of resistance against Sleep, Hold, Disorient.

"One does not become a master of the mystical with a weak and foolish mind."

 

Mystic Mirror - T6 Permanent power; Grants you passive moderate protection from Psionic damage, along with minor resistance to Fear.

"Using an ancient and forgotten sorcery, you erect a permanent reflective barrier around your mind, protecting your thoughts from forceful intrusion."

 

Cursed Aura - T7 Toggle AOE Debuff; While active, creates an AOE effect which reduces enemy resistances, and has both a chance to slow movement and reduce To Hit chance.

"A cursed word of power causes a whirlwind of corruption to surround you, making armor and weapons brittle, and causing muscles to atrophy."

 

*EDIT* - Added effect (Bloodthirsty Effect)

Blood Pact - T9 Self-Rez power; Allows you to revive yourself with full health and endurance, however there is a cost; Until you defeat an enemy, your borrowed vitality will slowly drain away. However, you cannot die from this health drain effect, and you gain the Bloodthirsty effect, increasing Endurance Recovery and Power Recharge rate, while reducing accuracy as long as the buff remains active.

"At the edge of the Abyss, you cast dire blood magic that draws life essence from all nearby foes, reviving you at full strength. And yet, this powerful ritual requires a sacrifice to seal your soul back into your body."

 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by alloygray25

[Greycat]

First thing, need a fifth power for your pistol pool, but it's been something that has been asked for in the past. While people will probably discuss the powers, I don't think anyone would argue with *having* it.

 

Only other thing is a question of ... flavor, I guess -

 

"I can't believe City of Heroes never had any real arcane powersets, even with MAGIC being one of the origins. I mean, various Marvel and DC heroes and villains are either mutants or aliens with natural magical powers, so there's no good argument against the other origins making use of the mystic arts. Hence: Arcane Blast and Mystical Aura! "

 

For the most part, COH keeps the powers... fairly neutral, letting the players decide where the abilities come from. (Even "obvious" ones like blades and rifles/guns I've seen explained in other ways - like "spellguns," which explained why the bullets in DP are curving all over the place, for instance.) So while on the one hand, yes, they didn't have any arcane powersets, on the other hand, they all were. 🙂  I also see you copied the old T9 nuke text about being drained of endurance for a while. While I, frankly, still like those - and this sounds like one that you should have that option, with a power boost to the nuke in return, most T9 nukes don't do that now.  (And, honestly, I kind of like the idea of blood pact. If you're giving a cost like that, though, there should probably be something else with it - "the pact puts you into a state of frenzy. Your accuracy may suffer, but your attacks come faster as you try for that kill..." or something.

[alloygray25]

14 minutes ago, Greycat said:

First thing, need a fifth power for your pistol pool, but it's been something that has been asked for in the past. While people will probably discuss the powers, I don't think anyone would argue with *having* it.

 

Only other thing is a question of ... flavor, I guess -

 

"I can't believe City of Heroes never had any real arcane powersets, even with MAGIC being one of the origins. I mean, various Marvel and DC heroes and villains are either mutants or aliens with natural magical powers, so there's no good argument against the other origins making use of the mystic arts. Hence: Arcane Blast and Mystical Aura! "

 

For the most part, COH keeps the powers... fairly neutral, letting the players decide where the abilities come from. (Even "obvious" ones like blades and rifles/guns I've seen explained in other ways - like "spellguns," which explained why the bullets in DP are curving all over the place, for instance.) So while on the one hand, yes, they didn't have any arcane powersets, on the other hand, they all were. 🙂  I also see you copied the old T9 nuke text about being drained of endurance for a while. While I, frankly, still like those - and this sounds like one that you should have that option, with a power boost to the nuke in return, most T9 nukes don't do that now.  (And, honestly, I kind of like the idea of blood pact. If you're giving a cost like that, though, there should probably be something else with it - "the pact puts you into a state of frenzy. Your accuracy may suffer, but your attacks come faster as you try for that kill..." or something.

For my Sidearm idea, I was following the Fighting pool set, which only has 4 abilities; 2 attacks and 2 buffs.

 

And yeah, I can see that idea of pretty much any power being possible from any origin, like claws that were magically attached to the body, or fire powers based on technology, etc.

 

Also, that makes a lot of sense for Blood Pact to enable a short-lived "Bloodthirsty" effect, maybe decreasing endurance costs, and increasing power recharge speeds, basically allowing you to spam spells quickly for that desperate kill.

Edited September 28, 2020 by alloygray25

[Greycat]

12 minutes ago, alloygray25 said:

For my Sidearm idea, I was following the Fighting pool set, which only has 4 abilities; 2 attacks and 2 buffs.

 

... ?

 

Fighting has three. Punch, Kick and Cross Punch, as well as Tough and Weave. (And, honestly, has synergy between them that makes each attack more potent as you pick up the others. Which may be an idea to fit into the pistol set. Not sure just what *kind* of buff there... )

Edited September 28, 2020 by Greycat

[alloygray25]

1 minute ago, Greycat said:

... ?

 

Fighting has three. Punch, Kick and Cross Punch, as well as Tough and Weave. (And, honestly, has synergy between them that makes each attack more potent as you pick up the others.)

Oh, I was looking at the COH Wiki power pools page for reference on naming and wording. It doesn't list Cross Punch. -_-

[Greycat]

Ahh. Which wiki? The paragonwiki archive shows it, and that's "archive from end of live. I know if you search on COH stuff (google, bing, etc,) though, the old... not always trusted Wikia site  seems to show up on top, as well. Make sure you're not looking there. 🙂  Easiest thing to do is just snag the wiki links from the top of the forum.

 

Edit: Yep. When I look at the WIkia site, it's got the out of date FIghting pool with only four items, as well as an ... interesting... mix of things. (Like minimum levels for Fitness.)  Make sure you're using Paragonwiki and you'll be good to go. *nods*

Edited September 28, 2020 by Greycat

[alloygray25]

11 minutes ago, Greycat said:

Ahh. Which wiki? The paragonwiki archive shows it, and that's "archive from end of live. I know if you search on COH stuff (google, bing, etc,) though, the old... not always trusted Wikia site  seems to show up on top, as well. Make sure you're not looking there. 🙂  Easiest thing to do is just snag the wiki links from the top of the forum.

 

Edit: Yep. When I look at the WIkia site, it's got the out of date FIghting pool with only four items, as well as an ... interesting... mix of things. (Like minimum levels for Fitness.)  Make sure you're using Paragonwiki and you'll be good to go. *nods*

Yup, been looking at the outdated wikipage this entire time.

 

And I've made a couple of changes...

[Greycat]

Nice.

 

Now for the numbers people to come in... 🙂

[alloygray25]

1 minute ago, Greycat said:

Nice.

 

Now for the numbers people to come in... 🙂

Haha yeah, I'm a concepts and design guy, numbers are... not in my *powerset* 😁

[Alchemystic]

10 minutes ago, alloygray25 said:

Haha yeah, I'm a concepts and design guy, numbers are... not in my *powerset* 😁

I've avoided numbers thus far and it's worked out okay for me!

[MTeague]

My only quibble is I don't like powersets to virtually REQUIRE a particular origin. I like Energy Blast, because the source of the energy is indeterminate. It can be magical. Or a mutant power. Or powers you gained by science, from a tech suit, or maybe you're an inhuman and it's natural for your species.  Ditto with Energy Aura.  

 

By contrast, "Arcane Blast" with "Mage Bolt" or "Mystical Aura" with "Residual Magic" feel much too baked into Magic Origin.  I'd just rather the powerset / power names be kept more fungible.  Even if the combat effects would be exactly as you propose, I'd like the concept/naming to plausible as something that COULD be Magic, or Tech, or Mutant, etc.

 

Yes, there is the Sorcery pool, but that's even labeled an Origin pool, and it's neither a primary nor secondary.

 

 

[alloygray25]

10 hours ago, MTeague said:

My only quibble is I don't like powersets to virtually REQUIRE a particular origin. I like Energy Blast, because the source of the energy is indeterminate. It can be magical. Or a mutant power. Or powers you gained by science, from a tech suit, or maybe you're an inhuman and it's natural for your species.  Ditto with Energy Aura.  

 

By contrast, "Arcane Blast" with "Mage Bolt" or "Mystical Aura" with "Residual Magic" feel much too baked into Magic Origin.  I'd just rather the powerset / power names be kept more fungible.  Even if the combat effects would be exactly as you propose, I'd like the concept/naming to plausible as something that COULD be Magic, or Tech, or Mutant, etc.

 

Yes, there is the Sorcery pool, but that's even labeled an Origin pool, and it's neither a primary nor secondary.

 

 

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. And its probably why this'll never get made. Though, think about some of the characters whose origins are actually other than straight magic.

 

- Doctor Doom, highly technologically advanced, also knows sorcery and has made pacts with Mephisto

- Magik/Illiana Rasputin, a mutant with the ability to draw power from a dimension filled with magical energy

- Doctor Fate, a scientist who wears a magical helmet that imbues him with mystic powers

- Gwen Tennyson, a natural-born alien/human hybrid with magical abilities on a level that was never fully explored

- And for good measure, Shazam, a kid who learned a simple of word of power, and can effectively transform into a magical god.

 

Also, while I agree with you to a point, I think Energy Blast is a bad example personally, as honestly, it looks nothing like magic. It looks like something created by tech or science, or *maybe* by an alien energy being.

 

Fire would be the best universal elemental power for any origin. Human Torch = Science, Pyro = Mutant, Scorcher = Tech, Ghost Rider = Magic, Surtur = Natural (Fire Demon)

 

One other thing to consider, there are a few powersets that feel shoehorned into specific origins.

 

- Traps, not a single one of those powers could pass as magical or mutant. They're chunks of metal and chemistry that explode in various ways.

- Assault Rifle, maybe some people say "oh but you could have a magical gun", fine, but thematically an assault rifle is just a simple, mechanical piece of equipment. No magic, no mutations, unlikely to be scientific.

- Sonic Attacks? When has "sound magic" ever been a thing? XD I can believe any other origin, but never magical-based sound powers.

- Robotics, does this one even need explanation? Magic robots?

 

So my point is, while maybe renaming some of the powers to sound less magical could work, you can get away with things in another origin. Using science to open a gateway into a magical dimension, a magical mutation, a natural alien born with magical potential, using technology to "capture" magic energy in something like a pair of gauntlets or a mask?

Edited September 29, 2020 by alloygray25

[MTeague]

2 hours ago, alloygray25 said:

- Sonic Attacks? When has "sound magic" ever been a thing? XD I can believe any other origin, but never magical-based sound powers.

Magical Sonic attacks are a thing in tabletop dungeons and dragons gaming. But it is rare that it gets used.

Rare enough to earn this honorable mention:  https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0345.html

 

I do agree 100% on Traps and Assault Rifle / Beam Rifle / Dual Pistols. 

 

I've seen suggestions on toher threads to make use of rifles and pistols just one more "weapon" choice, and instead also allow wands or staves or casting animations, or allow wrist mounted beam emanation points for a more technological hardsuit look if you wanted, etc. I have zero expectations of that.  But I really do with the original devs had put in more animation / looks to allow even THOSE sets to have passable analoges for each Origin.

[CloudMouse]

"I can't believe City of Heroes never had any real arcane powersets, even with MAGIC being one of the origins. I mean, various Marvel and DC heroes and villains are either mutants or aliens with natural magical powers, so there's no good argument against the other origins making use of the mystic arts. Hence: Arcane Blast and Mystical Aura!"

 

Agreed. When the Dev team did the player community event in palo alto years and years ago I asked one of the powers team devs about this and they said that origin + powers = arcane which...I understand the low hanging fruit there, but did not agree, and didn't want to be rude about it...but I agreed with you. 

 

Been dreaming up my own arcane sets for years and love what you've come up with. All I ask....arcane snipe = magic missle (for the culture). 

 

❤️

[alloygray25]

3 hours ago, CloudMouse said:

"I can't believe City of Heroes never had any real arcane powersets, even with MAGIC being one of the origins. I mean, various Marvel and DC heroes and villains are either mutants or aliens with natural magical powers, so there's no good argument against the other origins making use of the mystic arts. Hence: Arcane Blast and Mystical Aura!"

 

Agreed. When the Dev team did the player community event in palo alto years and years ago I asked one of the powers team devs about this and they said that origin + powers = arcane which...I understand the low hanging fruit there, but did not agree, and didn't want to be rude about it...but I agreed with you. 

 

Been dreaming up my own arcane sets for years and love what you've come up with. All I ask....arcane snipe = magic missle (for the culture). 

 

❤️

Thanks! I LOVE coming with this kind of material, it's fun and inspirational.

 

And, this is just me, but when I sat down and typed this all out, I was thinking along the lines of the Sentinel's Blast type, because I like Sents better than paper-like Blasters, haha!

 

But sure, you could easily substitute Arcane Shackles or Necrotic Volley with a Magic Missile, or potentially an Arcane Beam snipe attack.

 

"You draw in mass amounts of residual magic energy, forming a roiling ball of destruction within your hands, and in an instant, cast it towards your distant foes."

 

- Or -

 

"You draw in mass amounts of residual magic energy, causing your hands to glow with an arcane heat, and in an instant, fire a beam of undiluted power directly at your distant foes."

Edited September 29, 2020 by alloygray25

[CursedSorcerer]

I feel the same way about Powersets being tied to a player's Origin, so I have an alternative idea for a Powerset: Staff Blast.

 

"You use a staff to bombard enemies with various elemental attacks." Even better idea borrowed from the Dual Pistols Powerset: Have a Power similar to Swap Ammo to choose which type of Element you use. Possible options would include:

 

• Fire (does Fire damage with minor DoT)
• Ice (does Cold damage with -Recharge and Slow)
• Energy (Does Energy and Smashing damage with Knockback)
• Darkness (Does Negative Energy damage with -Accuracy)
• Psychic (Does Psionic damage with -Recharge)
• Electricity (Does Energy damage with -Endurance and -Recovery)

Also, Weapon customization would allow for selecting Magic staves, Technology Staves, etc.

[alloygray25]

5 hours ago, CursedSorcerer said:

I feel the same way about Powersets being tied to a player's Origin, so I have an alternative idea for a Powerset: Staff Blast.

 

"You use a staff to bombard enemies with various elemental attacks." Even better idea borrowed from the Dual Pistols Powerset: Have a Power similar to Swap Ammo to choose which type of Element you use. Possible options would include:

 

• Fire (does Fire damage with minor DoT)
• Ice (does Cold damage with -Recharge and Slow)
• Energy (Does Energy and Smashing damage with Knockback)
• Darkness (Does Negative Energy damage with -Accuracy)
• Psychic (Does Psionic damage with -Recharge)
• Electricity (Does Energy damage with -Endurance and -Recovery)

Also, Weapon customization would allow for selecting Magic staves, Technology Staves, etc.

I seriously like this idea, though the animations *might* be a bit limited for a staff, aside from the one used to cast the bonus "wand" powers from the P2W vendor.

 

Personally though? I prefer proper spells, so maybe renaming some of my powers with more generic terms would leave it more origin-ambiguous

[CursedSorcerer]

2 hours ago, alloygray25 said:

I seriously like this idea, though the animations *might* be a bit limited for a staff, aside from the one used to cast the bonus "wand" powers from the P2W vendor.

 

Personally though? I prefer proper spells, so maybe renaming some of my powers with more generic terms would leave it more origin-ambiguous

I tried to make the wording as Origin-Ambiguous as I could.

[Player2]

I think what we need for a "magic" set is a combining a few existing sets with elemental and energy type effects.

 

Add blast powers from Dark Blast, Electrical Blast, Fire Blast, Ice Blast, and Water Blast for Blaster / Corruptor Primary and Defender Secondary.  Call it "Arcane Blast," but players can still decide whether it's actual magic or a mutant ability or even a tech-based effect for their characters.

 

Avoid heals and pull some effects from Force Field, Dark Miasma, Kinetics, Time Manipulation, Thermal Radiation, and Cold Domination for a buff and debuff Primary for Defenders and secondary for Controllers and Masterminds.  Call it "Arcane Manipulation."

 

For a control set...  well, you see where I'm going with all this, right?

[alloygray25]

12 hours ago, Player2 said:

I think what we need for a "magic" set is a combining a few existing sets with elemental and energy type effects.

 

Add blast powers from Dark Blast, Electrical Blast, Fire Blast, Ice Blast, and Water Blast for Blaster / Corruptor Primary and Defender Secondary.  Call it "Arcane Blast," but players can still decide whether it's actual magic or a mutant ability or even a tech-based effect for their characters.

 

Avoid heals and pull some effects from Force Field, Dark Miasma, Kinetics, Time Manipulation, Thermal Radiation, and Cold Domination for a buff and debuff Primary for Defenders and secondary for Controllers and Masterminds.  Call it "Arcane Manipulation."

 

For a control set...  well, you see where I'm going with all this, right?

Problem with this? This isn't arcane.

 

You just described "Elemental Blast", essentially a powerset that gives a character an array of elemental abilities that have no crossover and no uniqueness.

 

To create a proper Arcane set, it would need a uniform collection of VFX with a clear, or somewhat magical theme, and to make it unique from all the single elemental powers, mixing energy with another damage type creates the illusion of a "spell" effect. So example, to make it generic *and* arcane, maybe;

 

T1 - Arcane Bolt: You draw from an unknown source, firing a quick bolt of power that deals minor energy and smashing damage.

T2 - Arcane Blast: Pulling from somewhere beyond, you launch a burst of power that deals moderate energy and cold damage.

[Player2]

3 minutes ago, alloygray25 said:

Problem with this? This isn't arcane.

 

You just described "Elemental Blast", essentially a powerset that gives a character an array of elemental abilities that have no crossover and no uniqueness.

 

To create a proper Arcane set, it would need a uniform collection of VFX with a clear, or somewhat magical theme, and to make it unique from all the single elemental powers, mixing energy with another damage type creates the illusion of a "spell" effect. So example, to make it generic *and* arcane, maybe;

 

T1 - Arcane Bolt: You draw from an unknown source, firing a quick bolt of power that deals minor energy and smashing damage.

T2 - Arcane Blast: Pulling from somewhere beyond, you launch a burst of power that deals moderate energy and cold damage.

I don't see it as a problem.  One, I specifically tried NOT to make it "magic" specific, letting players decide what's what for their own characters... and while elemental is a heavy theme, the suggestions I made weren't entirely elemental.  But I chose to blend an assortment of things without a unified VFX theme because spellcasters typically have a greater range of abilities than non-spellcasters because magic lets them tailor their power to a situation.  A caster's powers aren't his individual spells, it's the power to cast spells.  Dr. Strange doesn't have virtually power available as his powers... his power is the ability to manipulate magical forces by drawing on all of the different spells he has access to.

[Sakura Tenshi]

On 9/28/2020 at 3:25 PM, Greycat said:

For the most part, COH keeps the powers... fairly neutral, letting the players decide where the abilities come from. (Even "obvious" ones like blades and rifles/guns I've seen explained in other ways - like "spellguns," which explained why the bullets in DP are curving all over the place, for instance.) So while on the one hand, yes, they didn't have any arcane powersets, on the other hand, they all were.

Yeah... Robotics, Beamrifle, Zombies, and Demon Summoning say 'hi'. Also, the Oni from ninjas would like to butt his ugly head in and drag an otherwise natural origin MM into the land of faeries and goblins.

[Greycat]

5 minutes ago, Sakura Tenshi said:

Yeah... Robotics, Beamrifle, Zombies, and Demon Summoning say 'hi'. Also, the Oni from ninjas would like to butt his ugly head in and drag an otherwise natural origin MM into the land of faeries and goblins.

I did say for the most part. That said, I've seen people come up with some interesting ways to make these "not the expected origin." Turning beam rifle magic's the most obvious one, alongside demons/zombies actually being tech or science constructs.

[Player2]

Robotics

Critic:  Those are obviously tech robots.

Me:  No, despite their appearance, they are living synthetic beings and are more accurately described by the Science origin.

Other Me:  My robots are mystic automatons that may look like modern appliances but are definitely Magical in origin.

 

Beam Rifle

Critic:  Well, that's definitely a tech weapon.

Me:  You mean my soul-crystal powered ray gun?  Uhh... sorry, my friend, but this is a magical Beam Rifle.

Other Me:  Well, yeah it's tech... but it's not about the tool but the person using it.  I'm all Natural origin... just like that guy who uses a sword as a tool.

 

Zombies

Critic:  Zombies...  good old magical necromancy practice.

Me:  Excuse me?  Are you demeaning the years of mad science research that went into perfecting my reanimation formula?  Dead is dead... until my Science origin hits it.

Other Me:  Yeah, I raise the dead.  But it's not magic... it's just my mutant power.

 

Demon Summoning

Critics:  Demons!  Magic!!  No excuses.

Me:  These?  Nah...  just really awesome animatronic special effects tools for monster movies that I've repurposed into walking weapons.

Other Me:  Haven't you seen Doom?  Science demons!!!  /em evil laugh

[Player2]

There are always other explanations.  Maybe not every origin reasonably fits with every power set...  but a little imagination can go a long way.