Powers not even your players know their characters have

[Nightmask]

I'm curious since we occasionally see heroes displaying powers they never realized they had in comics (such as being resistant to temporal manipulation, allowing them to either be totally unaffected or at least have some idea something's wrong) whether or not anyone's ever had it where they've assigned one or more character in a game a power that the player has no idea it has, either for flavor, future plot development, or some other reason?

[gaby]

Well I think of Powers that are subtle,that people do not consider it a superpower,include mundane talents like never getting sick,Better then normal Healing,Better then normal Health and so on.

You Known Maybe People can show ther ideas for these Minor minor Powers?

[Genhuman]

I have done this before as a player, and toyed with it as a GM, assigning a secret minor power to each PC, an have them discover it through play.

As a player, I have rolled my number of powers before, taken one power, and left the rest of the slots open to signify powers they he may not even know he has. Then, I let the GM assign me powers for the slots as he wants to grant them to me. Sometimes, I have recieved them as a way to survive a situation (for instance, energy resistance when hit with an energy blast that would have killed me) and sometimes, I have received them as a new way to come at a problem. (Example, instead of picking a lock, suddenly developing doorway power..or the like)

I think this was the intent of the increase in power with experience aspect of the mutant catagory. To mirror how the comics show them gaining new unexpected powers as time goes by.

[csyphrett]

Not a big fan of secret powers for characters, nightmask.
CES

[Nightmask]

Not a big fan of secret powers for characters, nightmask.
CES

Why is that?

[csyphrett]

because every time I have tried to play this in game, the game sucked.
CES

[Stone Gargoyle]

I did that once, but it was hard getting the player to know what his character's powers were to begin with. Slowly adding more was problematic.

[Iczer]

I have a done quite a few 'discovery'style games in the past with Palladium, and every time i feel the players have come away entertained and intrigued. The biggest benefit is usually that players make people as characters rather than as a rack to throw powers on top of. In may of these games the powers are 'secret' in as far as sometimes you don't quite know the breadth or depth of their abilities.

Palladium make sit hard to have 'secret'abilities. even minor powers are fairly self evident, and once an on/off switch is known then it becomes pretty routine (after all if a power was barely noticeable, then how would it qualify as a 'power'?)

Still IIRC, there is a list of sub-par super abilities somewhere on the forums. Very entertaining, and probably something you want to look at.

Batts

[Tor]

I don't think all powers should be undiscovered, but having a power or 2 being undiscovered (one would assume these are passive abilities like Invulnerability or whatever) would be okay.

[Sir Dellis]

I'd chalk it up to character growth. As the character becomes more familiar with themselves, their powers, it's logical for powers to grow and expand and new ones to appear.

[Tor]

That's covered under the Mutant options of 'grows with power and experience' or the 1 'unstable powers' option. Kinda different from having a power all along and being unaware of it though.

Someone with Karmia Power might not even know that's a super ability, I could see. Someone Immortal may also just not realize it, figuring themselves to be a weird Johnny Depp Crispin Glover-like entity who doesn't seem to age.

[Nightmask]

That's covered under the Mutant options of 'grows with power and experience' or the 1 'unstable powers' option. Kinda different from having a power all along and being unaware of it though.

Someone with Karmia Power might not even know that's a super ability, I could see. Someone Immortal may also just not realize it, figuring themselves to be a weird Johnny Depp Crispin Glover-like entity who doesn't seem to age.

If you look at Gramercy Island there's a prisoner in the 'normal' section who is explicitly stated to be Immortal and doesn't know it (complete with exclamation point). That kind of thing and rereading things like TVTropes regarding 'powers as the plot demands' left me thinking how you never seem to see this in games (mostly because of 'Oh no that's not in the rules!' or 'hey he shouldn't get free powers if he does we all should!' whining). It seems like something that could add an interesting element to a game, at least if handled well and with players who don't squabble and spend more time worrying about what everyone else has rather than worrying about themselves and how well they're helping things out.

[eliakon]

I have run several games where the players had secret powers. I made a deal, if you left a slot or slots open, you got more abilites later to compensate (rule of thumb was 50% more abilites round up) these would of course not be known untill some trigger.....you might be impervious to high speed kinetic attacks...of have the ability to fly or what have you but you dont KNOW IT.

[Nightmask]

I have run several games where the players had secret powers. I made a deal, if you left a slot or slots open, you got more abilites later to compensate (rule of thumb was 50% more abilites round up) these would of course not be known untill some trigger.....you might be impervious to high speed kinetic attacks...of have the ability to fly or what have you but you dont KNOW IT.

Nice. So how well did the games go? Did everyone enjoy them or were there any problems playing it out like that?

[Tor]

I have run several games where the players had secret powers. I made a deal, if you left a slot or slots open, you got more abilites later to compensate (rule of thumb was 50% more abilites round up) these would of course not be known untill some trigger.....you might be impervious to high speed kinetic attacks...of have the ability to fly or what have you but you dont KNOW IT.

During PC creation the GM could have the player roll, or roll for them, and keep discovery of powers gradual as needed.

[Ranger]

Actually, all players have the the secret super power of center of attention. Any criminal act will happen with in eye/ear shot of the PC so they can do something about it. Always in effect.

[eliakon]

I have run several games where the players had secret powers. I made a deal, if you left a slot or slots open, you got more abilites later to compensate (rule of thumb was 50% more abilites round up) these would of course not be known untill some trigger.....you might be impervious to high speed kinetic attacks...of have the ability to fly or what have you but you dont KNOW IT.

Nice. So how well did the games go? Did everyone enjoy them or were there any problems playing it out like that?

Most of them worked well actually, I kept track of the way the player was PLAYING and tried to theme powers in. It also helped a few times for the cinimatic "Ha nobody could have survived that, wait WHAT?" (the movie Sky High is a great examle if a terrible movie)

[Nightmask]

I have run several games where the players had secret powers. I made a deal, if you left a slot or slots open, you got more abilites later to compensate (rule of thumb was 50% more abilites round up) these would of course not be known untill some trigger.....you might be impervious to high speed kinetic attacks...of have the ability to fly or what have you but you dont KNOW IT.

Nice. So how well did the games go? Did everyone enjoy them or were there any problems playing it out like that?

Most of them worked well actually, I kept track of the way the player was PLAYING and tried to theme powers in. It also helped a few times for the cinimatic "Ha nobody could have survived that, wait WHAT?" (the movie Sky High is a great examle if a terrible movie)

I didn't mind Sky High myself, it was more average since it's on the campy end. Plus from the start the kid had powers even if he didn't realize it, since as noted on the TVTropes page if he hadn't had powers he'd have had his chest crushed when his father tossed that weight on his chest but other than the bed being broken the kid was fine so he had enhanced durability starting out that he just didn't realize.

[eliakon]

I have run several games where the players had secret powers. I made a deal, if you left a slot or slots open, you got more abilites later to compensate (rule of thumb was 50% more abilites round up) these would of course not be known untill some trigger.....you might be impervious to high speed kinetic attacks...of have the ability to fly or what have you but you dont KNOW IT.

Nice. So how well did the games go? Did everyone enjoy them or were there any problems playing it out like that?

Most of them worked well actually, I kept track of the way the player was PLAYING and tried to theme powers in. It also helped a few times for the cinimatic "Ha nobody could have survived that, wait WHAT?" (the movie Sky High is a great examle if a terrible movie)

I didn't mind Sky High myself, it was more average since it's on the campy end. Plus from the start the kid had powers even if he didn't realize it, since as noted on the TVTropes page if he hadn't had powers he'd have had his chest crushed when his father tossed that weight on his chest but other than the bed being broken the kid was fine so he had enhanced durability starting out that he just didn't realize.

let me use him as a PC example then :
okay, I start with EX PE, MA, and Healing factor, but trade one to the GM
later I learn I have Superhuman PS
and then at the end I learn "What? I have wingless flight?"
I rolled 4 minor, end up with 6
1 matched my char concept (normal....only better)
and one was a 'get out of death free' card

[Nightmask]

I have run several games where the players had secret powers. I made a deal, if you left a slot or slots open, you got more abilites later to compensate (rule of thumb was 50% more abilites round up) these would of course not be known untill some trigger.....you might be impervious to high speed kinetic attacks...of have the ability to fly or what have you but you dont KNOW IT.

Nice. So how well did the games go? Did everyone enjoy them or were there any problems playing it out like that?

Most of them worked well actually, I kept track of the way the player was PLAYING and tried to theme powers in. It also helped a few times for the cinimatic "Ha nobody could have survived that, wait WHAT?" (the movie Sky High is a great examle if a terrible movie)

I didn't mind Sky High myself, it was more average since it's on the campy end. Plus from the start the kid had powers even if he didn't realize it, since as noted on the TVTropes page if he hadn't had powers he'd have had his chest crushed when his father tossed that weight on his chest but other than the bed being broken the kid was fine so he had enhanced durability starting out that he just didn't realize.

let me use him as a PC example then :
okay, I start with EX PE, MA, and Healing factor, but trade one to the GM
later I learn I have Superhuman PS
and then at the end I learn "What? I have wingless flight?"
I rolled 4 minor, end up with 6
1 matched my char concept (normal....only better)
and one was a 'get out of death free' card

Always got to enjoy those 'Get out of death free' cards, the only one better is the one Slick got in Sinfest since it was a 'Get out of Hell free' card. Having helpful powers pop up like that is nice, makes a game more entertaining and interesting since it's part of a common comic book super-hero experience. Unfortunately I've seen some GM (and players) who react REALLY negatively to the idea of anyone having anything come their way for free or even reduced cost. To date I've never had the chance to enjoy a game where the option of such random events is possible.

[Tor]

I didn't mind Sky High myself, it was more average since it's on the campy end. Plus from the start the kid had powers even if he didn't realize it

Kinda reminds me of the protagonists of the animes 'Alice Gakuen' and 'Zero no Tsukaima'. They each have negation-based powers which aren't apparent to them, they each view themselves as failures and don't understand why they've been accepted to schools until discovering rare abilities which end up turning out very important.

[Nightmask]

I didn't mind Sky High myself, it was more average since it's on the campy end. Plus from the start the kid had powers even if he didn't realize it

Kinda reminds me of the protagonists of the animes 'Alice Gakuen' and 'Zero no Tsukaima'. They each have negation-based powers which aren't apparent to them, they each view themselves as failures and don't understand why they've been accepted to schools until discovering rare abilities which end up turning out very important.

The original protagonist for the Xanth novels, Bink, was like that. In a world where everyone has a unique (if not often useless) magical talent he appeared to be without one, as a result he was often abused and ridiculed. It was some time before he discovered he had one of the most potent magical talents around as it rendered him immune to harm from all magic, to the point it wouldn't let itself be the cause of harm to him hence why it manipulated events around him so that it always seemed like some accident for why a particular magical attack failed to strike him because if people knew he negated magic then they'd just club him to death or strangle him making his magic indirectly at fault which violated its 'protect from magical effects' premise.

[Tor]

Oh god, Xanth... it's like I want to read it, but it's so massive, and libraries only seem to have "book 13, 20 and 48" or stuff like that. Even with individual tales I feel obligated to read them in order.

if people knew he negated magic then they'd just club him to death or strangle him making his magic indirectly at fault

Eh that's a bit confusing, if his magic saved him from magic to begin with then I don't think people figuring it out and resorting to alternatives is necessarily magic doing it...

It's like, if I have magic that makes me immune to shark attacks, if someone figures out I'm immune to shark attacks and feeds me to a bear, I wasn't killed as the result of a shark.

[csyphrett]

His magic protected him from the environment and from exposing itself as a gift. Bink did lose a finger at one point and couldn't get it healed back like others. That should have been a big clue but people forgot about it as a function of his gift
CES

[Nightmask]

His magic protected him from the environment and from exposing itself as a gift. Bink did lose a finger at one point and couldn't get it healed back like others. That should have been a big clue but people forgot about it as a function of his gift
CES

Hmmm, so far as I remember his magic has no problems allowing for beneficial effects (he used a healing water spring's water without trouble, after which the sentient spring was annoyed that it couldn't rescind the healing afterwards ), only things that would harm him in some fashion did it prevent.

[csyphrett]

Apparently a finger isn't life threatening enough.
CES

[Tor]

His magic protected him from the environment and from exposing itself as a gift. Bink did lose a finger at one point and couldn't get it healed back like others. That should have been a big clue but people forgot about it as a function of his gift

If his gift works to avoid allowing itself to be exposed, why wouldn't the gift prevent him from losing the finger? Or create an illusionary finger so people wouldn't know it was gone?

[Nightmask]

His magic protected him from the environment and from exposing itself as a gift. Bink did lose a finger at one point and couldn't get it healed back like others. That should have been a big clue but people forgot about it as a function of his gift

If his gift works to avoid allowing itself to be exposed, why wouldn't the gift prevent him from losing the finger? Or create an illusionary finger so people wouldn't know it was gone?

I don't remember him ever losing a finger, unless it was when he was young enough his magical talent wasn't mature and potent enough to prevent it. There were examples of people with talents that were more limited initially but grew in ability and range with proper practice and experience.

[csyphrett]

His magic protected him from the environment and from exposing itself as a gift. Bink did lose a finger at one point and couldn't get it healed back like others. That should have been a big clue but people forgot about it as a function of his gift

If his gift works to avoid allowing itself to be exposed, why wouldn't the gift prevent him from losing the finger? Or create an illusionary finger so people wouldn't know it was gone?

Because it only works on magic, but not animals. I can't remember what kind of animal that bit it off
CES

[Gazirra]

His magic protected him from the environment and from exposing itself as a gift. Bink did lose a finger at one point and couldn't get it healed back like others. That should have been a big clue but people forgot about it as a function of his gift

If his gift works to avoid allowing itself to be exposed, why wouldn't the gift prevent him from losing the finger? Or create an illusionary finger so people wouldn't know it was gone?

Because it only works on magic, but not animals. I can't remember what kind of animal that bit it off
CES

No. He lost his finger when he was a kid, pretending that he was a warrior fighting a dragon, using his mom's (non-magical) kitchen knife to cut at a plant that resembled a coiling up dragon's tail

[Looonatic]

One subtle power that most of my players characters have that they rarely realize is their ability to 'hold it'. Their characters go incredibly long periods of time without going to the bathroom. I don't think they realize how truly blessed they are.

[Nightmask]

One subtle power that most of my players characters have that they rarely realize is their ability to 'hold it'. Their characters go incredibly long periods of time without going to the bathroom. I don't think they realize how truly blessed they are.

*laughs* That's probably the real 'most common super-power', trumping even what's considered the most common super-power. I'm not sure but I know the first time I ever noticed a character in Marvel comics ever having to go it was the Beyonder as Spider-man had to explain to him about bodily functions.