Changelog question re v8.
I notice the Lurk’s “Ghost Veil” ability no longer lists “you may pass through solid objects” as a thing you can do for extra stress. Was this an intentional nerf of the ability, or just an accident? My Tier 0 crew just assassinated a bluecoat watch commander by having the Lurk walk through a wall. It was nuts, and they’re totally getting away with it. My brother (who plays the Lurk) really likes the idea of his character slowly learning to do new cool things with this ability. I’m thinking I should let him do long term projects to learn new applications of Ghost Veil, then just assign a stress cost depending on how bonkers the effect is. Has anyone else done something like this?
In my game, I’d rule that that’s covered by the insubstantiality you get built-in when activating Ghost Veil – “… becoming shadowy and insubstantial…”
That’s kind of how I feel about it, Calum Grace. I want my players to become insubstantial only for a few moments, because becoming substantial in a wall is a fantastic consequence.
Yeah…I was trying to figure out how that should work. If your Lurk player wants to walk through a wall, how do you play that? Does he just take 2 stress and it works? 3 stress and it work? Does he take 2 stress and roll Attune? Then if the roll fails the consequence is getting splinched, and he has to resist that to pop back out (on a 1-3) or finish going through (on a 4/5) the wall? What if he wants to sneak through a wall? Is that an Attune roll for the wall, and a separate Prowl roll for the sneaking? A self setup action? Should I have him do a long-term project to train himself before he can have any hope of surviving an attempt at walking through a solid wall? My brother really likes this power, so I have to have these questions figured out or they bring the game grinding to a halt. I want him to enjoy the ability as much as possible without it becoming ridiculous and him overshadowing other characters.
Separate question: how would you handle using Ghost Veil to reduce or avoid harm from getting shot or stabbed?
Thanks for your responses so far.
Kyle: Ewing as resisting is an uncertain stress cost and ghost veil is a two stress cost (fairly substantial), I don’t see much reason to restrict its use in combat. Now, if enemies of the crew begin to notice this habit they might start carrying spirit bane charms or wielding goat catchers.
I think this comes back to the basics of fictional positioning: what’s his intent for going through the wall (to get away from someone quickly? to get /to/ something quickly)?, what’s the obstacle he’s going against (that guard who’s coming after him, the construction of the building itself)? That’d determine the Action he’s using, you can ballpark an effect level, etc.
Also, remember that he’d get the usual benefit of pushing himself at the same time, so he can increase the effect, give himself an extra die, etc. [EDIT: not actually true, got mixed up with Devil’s Footsteps]
From the fiction, if there’s no obstacle, there’s nothing really in his way, I’d say he just pushes himself and does it straight (though Blades being Blades, that’s not likely to be the case 90% of the time – even if it’s just a wall, that’s maybe still a Controlled roll with possible splinch-related consequences). And remember, this is a matter of tone control too: it’s up to the table what “shadowy and insubstantial” means, how long “only a moment” might last.
Calum Grace: Ghost Veil is distinct from The Devil’s Footsteps, so there’s no benefit during Ghost Veil (inherently) from pushing.
Parker Emerson ah, yeah, good catch. I’d somehow conflated the two in my head
Wow! Two of my Lurk’s abilities are changed! Daredevil (cool, but more dangerous!) and Ghost Veil. Last session my Lurk got almost caught in a wall exiting Mylara Klev’s bedroom, but I resisted it and only got minor harm.
I’ll guess I’ll start a long term project to reaquire the ability or just enjoy having Devil’s footsteps. (That’ve also been changed!) Hehe, it seems I have an eye for good abilities… :$
We cut the bit about passing through solid objects because we felt that was covered by “insubatntial.” So your Lurk can still walk through walls. 🙂
I still feel adding 1 stress for the ability to pass through walls was correct, though.
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(It’s not like it isn’t the coolest ability ever. Our new player’s lurk has the same ability … and as a curious incident is the adoptive son of Roslyn Kelis, my lurk’s mistress. The table just laughed as they heard and anticipated the session with both characters.)
Incidently, I made The Wraiths a crew of specialized cat burglars with supernatural abilities like shadow form and the like.
Michael Esperum​ Note that the base cost for the ability has gone from 1 stress to 2. So the cost to pass through objects is the same as before.