Cascade Abilities and Fighting Style Advanced Techniques

[guardiankrillin]

I have a player that is interested in the Psionic cascade abilities. I am trying to figure out the Experience and DP costs to purchase them but I have had difficulties locating the information. I know the psionic pdf book, Players Guide, and The Way of Kholinar books all have some details. If page #'s and books found in can be provided that would help. Also any suggestions or ideas on how to run them are appreciated.


I am also looking into the advanced maneuvers and the Special Techniques. I am looking for the same information on these abilities as well.

[Dan Gurden]

Will check the page numbers when I get home. But for Psionic Cascade skills they are in effect an additional skill that can be purchased only after the pre-requisite skill exists. XP (or DP costs) remain unchanged however.

For fighting styles. My understanding was that any practitioner could use any of a styles 'special moves', of course as these have a specific difficulty level a novice will find the advanced moves much harder to attain.

[Dan Gurden]

OK. So I promised a follow up on Psionics and Cascade abilities. This is key in the Players Guide Page 99;

Many of the abilities listed are extensions of other psionic disciplines. learning these abilities requires the student to know and have mastered other more basic powers...

... To Learn a cascade ability, the prerequisite skill must be known at Level 3 or higher, since mastery of the prerequisite is necessary before the studant can move on to more advanced disciplines.

Now this means that you need the basic skill at level 3 and then purchase additional skill levels in the required cacade ability. This is, quite rightly, rather expensive and it would likely be that a character that pushes this in character creation will have rather low skill levels elsewhere. OK lets look at an example.

You have a Betazoid Doctor, and you wwant her to have the Cascade ability Empathic Healing. Pre-reqs here need the Betazoid to have Receptive Empathy at Skill level 3. Now the standard Betazoid template allows Receptive Telepathy 2. But it is allowed gfor the player to swap around. They still want Telepathy... So Receptive Telepathy 1 and Receptive Empathy 1 it is.

This being Character creation they now need 9 more DP to generate Receptive Empathy +2 and the first level +1 in Empathic Healing. Again, you dont need to take a full Background package, you could easily write into the characters background that. However I am going to head straight for the Psionic book wot I wrote that you have mentioned (thanks for that ). I added one of the Early Life Histories thought that would kick this off;

FIPA Training; Any two Psi Skills 1 (or one Psi Skill 2), Obligation –1 (or Rival –1, or Pacifism –1)

That would set the character up with Receptive Empathy at 3. Now 3 more DP needed for the first level of cascade ability... Which would fit the Betazoid Code of Sentience -3 right down to the ground. Job done.

So at this point, our Theoretical Betazoid Doctor is going to start play with (relevant stats);

Psi 2
Focus +1

Receptive Telepathy 1
Receptive Empathy 3
Cascade; Empathic Healing 1

Pacifism -1
Code of Honour -3 (Betazoid Code of Sentience)

Now you can apply your Starfleet Academy training... Actually that wasn't too bad and you would still end up with a relatively decent technical doctor too. And for a few extra DP you can boost your Psi stat too +2 from various disadvantages... Or just a +1 and transfer over the other point from that Focus edge?

Hope that helps.

[guardiankrillin]

That is a well laid out and descriptive mechanics example. I appreciate the quick and well thought out response. Cascade abilities are now easier to understand. I am still having slight difficulties with the Fighting styles. if any additional light can be shed on them. Thank You again and no problem for the Psionic's pdf shout out.

[Dan Gurden]

Fighting styles are also in the Players Guide. Page 72. There is a Box text for detail. It covers Primitive Weaponry as well, although I note that only Unarmed combat styles are developed.

However a number of these have been written up by others, and include Unarmed and Primitive weapon styles;
http://forum.trek-rpg.net/showthread...N+Martial+Arts

So each advanced level costs an additional Specialisation slot. the Character can also opt to purchase additional specialisations of both Basic and advanced maneuvres. And each additional specialisation allows the userto add +1 die to any attack using the maeuvre. As stated there seems to be no limit to the number of additional die that can be added this way.

It seems I was wrong. The Basic Skill / Specialisation will get you only the Basic Maneuvres. But the Advanced manneuvres can be purchased as an additional specialisation each. That definately could get expensive.

So lets follow an example again. And I am going to go back to our Betazoid Doctor here. The standard Starfleet profile for a Medical Officer doesn't have Unarmed combat. but she has chosen to train in a Martial Art for a fitness exercise and mental displine. So she swaps out her Athletics skill for her Betazoid natural martial art; Unarmed Combat (Tassa Akai) 1(2). [Taken from the ICON Martial Arts 2 document]. the pre-reqs for this style require; Receptive Empathy OR Telepathy 2 or higher, which our previous example has given us ample.

I assume that Tassa Akai requires some level of reading the opponant on a Psionic Level, I had also assumed (with an old character of mine that this Martial Art uses an Akai an extending fightling pole akin to the Babylon 5 Minbari Fighting Pike. Anyway thats by the by.

So at this point we have the Betazoid Template and Early Life History to generate the Psionics.

We have added the first level of the Martial art from the Career Overlay. And based on our Betazoid the example follows...

erm. Kids bath and bedtime... Example to follow later when I get back.

[Dan Gurden]

OK. So where were we. I promised an example.

So we have our Betazoid Medic who has taken the first level of Unarmed Combat (Tassa Akai) 1(2) from the core skill package. As stated this needs Receptive Empathy at 2 or more which we had already confirmed during initial stats and Early Life.

Fitness 2
Coordination 2

Unarmed Combat (Tassa Akai) 1(2)
Receptive Empathy 3

This already sets her up with all the Basic and Universal Maneuvers from the Martial Arts Description.

Ok, now to add the Martial Arts training. Our Betazoid Doctor fins she takes to her discipline. It keeps her fir, helps meditation and concentration, and ticks some of the academy extra curricular boxes too. So alongside her Medical Doctorate she will use her additional training (8 DP to further develop). Spend +3 DP to buy the next level of Unarmed Combat (Tassa Akai) to 2(3). +2 DP to add the Specialisation Daath Azra (+1 to purchase the Advanced ability and +1 for an extra Die). She still has 4 DP. Lets give her +1 (+1 die to a stun attack Kal Azra), +2 to add a level to her coordination and +1 Vitality Edge. This leaves us at;

Fitness 2 Vitality +1
Coordination 3

Unarmed Combat (Tassa Akai) 2(3)
- Basic Maneuver; Kal Azra (+1 Dice)
- Advanced Maneuver; Dath Azra (+1 Dice)
Receptive Empathy 3

[Dan Gurden]

I might as well finish her off y'know. All she needs is a Cadet Cruise and first tour of duty and you have a starting character fresh out the blocks.
Lets give her a +1 Promotion to Lt (jg) as a result of her cadet cruise, and send her out on a Medical rescue mission, part of a task force team responding to an emergency;

Finished Character;

Dr Zuessan (Sue)
Female Betazoid
Starfleet Medical Officer

Fitness 2 Vitality +1
Coordination 3
Intellect 2
Presence 2 Empathy +1
Psi 2 Focus +1

Administration (Logistics) 1(2)
Charm (Influence) 2(3)
Computer (Research) 1(2)
Culture (Betazoid) 2(3)
Dodge 1
Energy Weapon (Phaser) 1(2)
First Aid (Wound Combat Trauma) 3(4)
History (Betazoid) 1(2) (Federation) (2)
Language Betazoid 2
Language Federation Std. 1
Law (Starfleet Regs.) 1(2)
Life Sciences (Genetics) 1(2)
Medical Sciences (Exoanatomy) 2(3) (Forensic Pathology) (3)
Personal Equipment (Medical Tricorder) 2(3)
Planetside Survival (Wilderness) 1(2)
Ships Systems (Medical Systems) 3(4)
Unarmed Combat (Tassa Akai) 2(3)
- Basic Maneuver; Kal Azra (+1 Dice)
- Advanced Maneuver; Dath Azra (+1 Dice)
Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) 1(2)
Receptive Telepathy 1
Receptive Empathy 3
- Cascade; Empathic Healing 1

Advantages / Disadvantages
Promotion +1 (Lieutenent jg.)
Pacifism -3
Code of Honour -3 (Betazoid Code of Sentience)

She is a bit basic, but not bad y'know...