Custom divine abilities, portfolios, etc.

[Beefermatic]

Here's a variation on one I made a long time ago. I was gonna make it its own [effect} but decided to make it a "meta" effect like Quantum Effect

Merciful Effect (divine)
benefit: Any and all of your [effect] powers that do hit point damage can be made to do non-lethal damage instead of lethal.

I really like this one. Seems balanced and also useful for a blaster type character.

 

[Bootlebat]

I was thinking about requiring non-evil alignment to take it. Does that sound good or not?

 

[Beefermatic]

I was thinking about requiring non-evil alignment to take it. Does that sound good or not?

No as you can make for a super tense scene with players by making the bad guys blast them with nonlethal damage. Moreover slavers wouldn't want to kill, nor would any group that wishes to capture alive than just outright kill.

 

[Bootlebat]

Here's another one:
Secure (ability score) (cosmic)
Prerequisites: 70 in the ability score
Benefit: You become immune to ability damage/drain in the ability score you choose
Special: You can take this ability multiple times. Each time it applies to a different ability score. This ability cannot be abrogated, although cosmic nullification or better still makes it go away.

 

[Obly99]

Here's another one:
Secure (ability score) (cosmic)
Prerequisites: 70 in the ability score
Benefit: You become immune to ability damage/drain in the ability score you choose
Special: You can take this ability multiple times. Each time it applies to a different ability score. This ability cannot be abrogated, although cosmic nullification or better still makes it go away.

How come it can't be abrogated?
I would rather put this as Divine Ability and create a Transcendental that allows you to select an ability that cannot be abrogated.

 

[Beefermatic]

Here's another one:
Secure (ability score) (cosmic)
Prerequisites: 70 in the ability score
Benefit: You become immune to ability damage/drain in the ability score you choose
Special: You can take this ability multiple times. Each time it applies to a different ability score. This ability cannot be abrogated, although cosmic nullification or better still makes it go away.

No this is entirely broken.

Abrogation is a necessary thing, without it combat doesn't really function. Expecting people to have the exact nullifying ability score (which only works in certain cases) is expecting things to be way too niche, people only have so many abilities to spend so this puts an unnecessary "evolution" pressure on your PCs and any Non player character you create as what could effectively be just handled with Abrogate has to be handled in the reverse but with each ability score.

Example: someone with infinite strength has this ability, you'd need infinite strength as well to counter it as the person will definitely have associated abilities to maximize that power. Moreover infinite str equals infinite VSC meaning infinite Con as well as the higher your str the higher your Con but lower your dex. So you'll literally need another person with not just infinite str but hopefully any other associated abilities so even if they can counter they can capitalize on it. In other words in makes combat 10x more complicated than it needs to be. Just like Perfect Defense, Ultimate Weapon Specialization etc, or any other invincible power, just nullify it, and fight them on more even footing.

Making it so people can't lose their ability scores is basically the same idea as just making it so they effectively get infinite health as a cosmic ability. Coupling this power with legendary ability score, total ability score, digestio, and/or equilibrium would make any character invincible.

I think someone a few years ago made an ability similar to this. I think I had the same critique. It sounds cool on paper but actually running a battle involves both your party and the enemies they fight to have weaknesses. This is far too strong for any level of power.

Players simply need to deal with the idea that their invincible character can be made vulnerable and they're rarely going to just steamroll an enemy or situation with impunity, I mean they have to understand that if they want to have a campaign. If they're invulnerable, and there's no mitigating it, it's going to make making a storyline for them pretty difficult.

Likewise if your party can't stop an enemy no matter what, it's it's same issue but simply reversed.

 

[Bootlebat]

Would allowing it to be abrogated fix this?

 

[Beefermatic]

How come it can't be abrogated?
I would rather put this as Divine Ability and create a Transcendental that allows you to select an ability that cannot be abrogated.

I think even as a trans or omnific it's far too strong, characters and enemies truly only becom dangerous at higher levels when their powers and ability scores start compounding with other abilities.

 

[Obly99]

Would allowing it to be abrogated fix this?

If you remove the abrogate thing, i think it can be used as divine instead of cosmic.

 

[Beefermatic]

Would allowing it to be abrogated fix this?

I think immunity to ability score damage and drain would be a fine divine ability, allowing it to be abrogated is the only way it would be playable at all.