- Conspicuous Usage
- Device
- Difficult Activation/Deactivation
- Energy Consumption
- Environmental Limitation
- Erratic Performance
- Impairment
- Material Requirement
- Psychological Limitation
- Side Effect
- Situational Limitation
- Skill Requirement
- Slow Activation/Deactivation
- Temporal Limitation
- Usage Frequency Limitation
- Vulnerability
Explanations of Drawbacks
- Conspicuous Usage
- The use of the power draws attention due to loud or unusual noises, lights, smoke, odors, exaggerated motions (such as twirling in a circle or doing martial arts poses), etc. Whatever the details may be, the usage is unavoidably noticeable unless it is used where there are no witnesses.
- Device
- The power is made available by means of a device that may be misplaced, stolen, damaged, or destroyed.
- Difficult Activation or Deactivation
- The power requires effort to activate (or possibly to deactivate). The user must make a Situational roll with a minimum result of Good, or, if the Skill Requirement drawback is also chosen, the user must make the appropriate skill roll versus a difficulty level of Great (the option to be used is determined at the time of creation). Examples of appropriate skills include Electronics Use for gadgets, Singing for sonic powers, Piloting for flying powers, or special skills custom designed for specific powers.
- Energy Consumption
- The power requires a source of energy. This may take the form of batteries, energy cells, cables plugged into generators, solar panels, or some other form. In any event, it is something that must be monitored. Each use of a power might expend a certain number of charges from a powercell, which becomes inert when it is depleted until it can be recharged.
- Environmental Limitation
- The power cannot be used under certain conditions or it may only be used under certain conditions. For example, the power might be usable only in darkness, or only in cold temperatures, or only at high elevations, or only when it is raining. Or it might become unusable only under those conditions. Alternatively, the power can only be used in the presence (or absence) of a certain kind of matter or energy, e.g. water, or soil, or metal, or fire, or plantlife.
- Erratic Performance
- The power does not perform consistently. Each time it is used, a Situational roll must be made. Mediocre or Poor results mean the power fails to function. Terrible or worse results might mean the power backfires. Fair, Good, and Great results yield normal functionality, whereas Superb or better results will grant a bonus or improved performance.
- Impairment
- The use of the power impairs in some way. Perhaps it dulls or eliminates certain senses, clouds one's judgment, restricts freedom of movement, deprives one of the use of certain limbs, or makes one dependent on something.
- Material Requirement
- The power can only be used if a special material is applied, consumed, or otherwise expended. Examples include potions, ointments, serums, etc.
- Psychological Limitation
- The power can only be used when one is in a certain psychological state or mood, e.g. when one is serene and meditative, or enraged, or extremely happy, or when a certain type of person or thing is threatened.
- Side Effect
- The use of the power has certain negative or at least very inconvenient side effects.
- Situational Limitation
- The power can only be used under certain specific conditions, e.g. during a full moon, or when there are no witnesses, or in crowds, or when certain kinds of trouble occur. Or certain conditions render the power useless.
- Skill Requirement
- The power can only be used in conjunction with a special skill (typically Very Hard) that enables one to control or direct the power. The skill must be purchased separately.
- Slow Activation/Deactivation
- The power takes a long time to activate or deactivate.
- Temporal Limitation
- The power is only effective for a limited time, i.e. an effect that might otherwise be permanent or last until deactivation has only a limited duration. For example, a power of Invulnerability that only lasts for ten minutes each time it is activated, or a power of Flight that can only function for an hour before it must "rest" for an hour.
- Usage Frequency Limitation
- The power may only be used a certain number of times per day or per hour, depending on its potency, or it might be usable only with the expenditure of Fudge Points.
- Vulnerability
- The power can be nullified or countered by a certain power or element, e.g. fire versus water, electrons versus protons, green versus yellow, etc.
Copyright © 2007 by Gordon A. Cooper. All rights reserved.
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