(YBA) One-shot magic items?

[Ciaran]

Having looked at the Drunken Master, I've been considering the use of one-shot magical devices in YBA. The trick, of course, will be balancing them against the Drunken Master, which is after all an epic power.

A character may only use a single one-shot item in a given round, and may use no more one-shot items in a given combat than their natural hits. A Drunken Master's alcohol counts towards this limit; the Drunken Master can't take a drink and use a one-shot item in the same round. The item names are generic (of course) and are entirely customizable; this probably means they'll be potions in most cases.

Healing Charm:
Costs 1 yen. May be used during a move to restore 1 hit.

Poison Charm:
Costs 1 yen. May be used when an attack move is declared; if the move succeeds, it inflicts an additional hit.

Essence Charm:
Costs 1 yen. The user becomes a Student of a chosen style (determined when the Charm is purchased) for the duration of combat. If the user is already a Student of the style, she becomes an Expert; if she is already an Expert, she becomes a Master.

Tricky Charm:
Costs 1 yen. May be used after the opponent has generated an attack, but before the user generates an attack, to force the entire round to be replayed.

(Edit: added Tricky Charm.)

 

[Creamsteak]

and may use no more one-shot items in a given combat than their natural hits

I don't like this part, as it makes little sense in any way. A high Hits fighter will never use all of his shots, whereas a low hit fighter has very little yen anyway, and wouldn't be able to use such items very often.

Otherwise... eh, I don't think that I would use them, but I have no problem with other people using them.

 

[Ciaran]

I don't like this part, as it makes little sense in any way. A high Hits fighter will never use all of his shots, whereas a low hit fighter has very little yen anyway, and wouldn't be able to use such items very often.

I took that part straight from the Drunken Master rules. I presume it was intended to prevent abuse by low-level characters with too many yen; a 2 hit Drunken Master with lots of alcohol could end up with 7+ hits easily, and those Fists of Fury add up, allowing low level character to defeat monsters that should be well beyond their ability to handle. It may not be necessary to apply the same standard here, but at least it's consistent.

And these items are meant as much as treasure for NPCs as they are for PC purchase. Of course, to earn them as treasure, you have to kill the NPC before it can use them all itself...

- Eric