Use of New Gadget Traits

[zarohk]

This is a general Q&A for the use of gadget traits.

Bulky: What if the gadget is different sizes at different points in history?

Control: Would the ATMOS system have Control Major or Minor?

Disable: Could this disable any of certain thing (Guns) or of a certain type (Electromagnetic devices)

Tricky Controls: Is this really a bad trait? Yes, only one person can use it, but it's a good thing for them.

Travel: Do you have to take Flight as a separate trait if it flies, and do you take this trait each time for how it moves? (For example, a jetpack that can also work underwater.)


Also, if a gadget makes a human look alien and bizarre, (i.e. The Scorpion from Spiderman comics), should the gadget have the Alien Appearance Trait?

[misterharry]

Aug 22, 2013 15:08:57 GMT zarohk said:

This is a general Q&A for the use of gadget traits.

Control: Would the ATMOS system have Control Major or Minor?

Disable: Could this disable any of certain thing (Guns) or of a certain type (Electromagnetic devices)

Travel: Do you have to take Flight as a separate trait if it flies, and do you take this trait each time for how it moves? (For example, a jetpack that can also work underwater.)

My views:

Control - ATMOS would have the Minor version, as it's a specific type of device.

Disable - I think you could use this either way, so long as it's defined when you design the Gadget.

Travel - I'm less clear about this one, but my reading of the trait is that you'd need to buy it (at the Minor level) for each mode of transport the Gadget has: the text states "fly, or go underwater, or...". To be honest, if you bought the Major level I'd rule that this would cover mutiple modes of Transport (as an alternative to the Major level covering dimension-hopping). So you'd never pay more than 2 points, so long as it's just conventional types of travel involved - no sneaking in of time travel without buying the Special level!

[zarohk]

Thanks. Part of the confusion came from a gadget that had Flight (Major): it seemed like Travel (Minor) does the same thing for a point less.

[misterharry]

Aug 22, 2013 15:33:00 GMT zarohk said:

Thanks. Part of the confusion came from a gadget that had Flight (Major): it seemed like Travel (Minor) does the same thing for a point less.

That's a very good point. To me, the difference is that the Travel trait doesn't mention that it increases a character's Speed, whereas the Major version of Flight does.

So, if you want the Gadget just to provide the ability to fly at a "normal" speed (i.e. the character's Coordination) you either buy Travel (Minor) or Flight (Minor) - the same cost, though the latter also limits the height you can fly to.

If you want the Gadget to provide the ability to fly faster, then it's Flight (Major).

[zarohk]

Great, thanks for the clarification. I'm going to make it Flight (Minor), since it is body-powered flight (a winged suit) and therefore depends on the character's body. Good point about that.

[misterharry]

Aug 22, 2013 15:08:57 GMT zarohk said:

Bulky: What if the gadget is different sizes at different points in history?

Tricky Controls: Is this really a bad trait? Yes, only one person can use it, but it's a good thing for them.

...

Also, if a gadget makes a human look alien and bizarre, (i.e. The Scorpion from Spiderman comics), should the gadget have the Alien Appearance Trait?

Just noticed you've added these questions in, so here goes:

Bulky - If the Gadget can change sizes at will, then it isn't really a restriction and shouldn't get points for it. If you mean that the Gadget has been developed over time so that it becomes smaller with improvements, then it's a case of starting with the restriction but having to buy it off at some point.

Tricky Controls - I'm with you on this one and normally consider that Tricky Controls means the user has to make some sort of roll for the Gadget to work properly.

Alien Appearance - Yes, why not. If the effect of carrying/wearing the Gadget means that people have an adverse reaction to you, then Alien Appearance is entirely justified (or possibly Distinctive as an alternative).

[zarohk]

For Bulky I meant does a suitcase-sized cell phone from the 1960s have bulky because a cell phone from the 2010 is a small, hand-held device?

Thanks for the answer on Alien Appearance.

[misterharry]

Aug 23, 2013 22:09:18 GMT zarohk said:

For Bulky I meant does a suitcase-sized cell phone from the 1960s have bulky because a cell phone from the 2010 is a small, hand-held device?

Yes, and not just because it's larger than it needs to be (though that's how the trait is written). Carrying around something the size of a suitcase has its own problems - it's probably heavy enough to need to be put down every so often, you can't use both hands when carrying it, you'd get penalties on rolls for jumping, climbing and the like, and even if you carried it in a backpack, it would still be a problem squeezing into small spaces, swimming and so on.

[da professor]

Tricky controls stops you lending a gadget to a friend for a scene, because they can't use it - unless you spend a story point to have told them how, and even that only allows them to use the function you instructed them on.

[misterharry]

Aug 25, 2013 7:15:54 GMT da professor said:

Tricky controls stops you lending a gadget to a friend for a scene, because they can't use it - unless you spend a story point to have told them how, and even that only allows them to use the function you instructed them on.

But it is also a benefit, in that the villains also can't use the gadget if they get hold of it. Which, to me, kind of balances out whether it should be a Good or Bad trait. Adding in a roll to use the Gadget properly makes sense to me to ensure it's a restriction.