Re: [BNW] Crescent City Comments and Questions (MATT)

[whytcrow@io.com]

>(First time posting on this listserv, say hello to the new guy!)
>
>I just picked up Crescent City and I must say this book is perhaps the
>best one so far. We get to know who owns Evil Inc (I made a double take
>when I read that one), get a good idea of what the city is like (GREAT
>descriptions! We even get to know what good restaurants to dine in!) and
>the power packages are great. A couple of questions, though:

Tis very nifty.  I only wish it were bigger. ;)

However, I think that the Timetripper is a stupid power package.  It 
is a logistical nightmare.  3 times a session (unless he's Lucky, 
then he gets another one), can turn back time.  That isn't quite a 
problem out of combat, although still can be pesky, but in 
combat....sheesh.  And you can't tell me that "good notes" will fix 
it.  It won't.  I really don't like the idea of any ability in the 
hands of a PC can stop all the action for everyone else.  Which is 
what it will do -- they have to do what they are doing.  I, as the 
GM, have to remember what all my NPCs did, and make adjustments where 
necessary for the intervention of the time tripper.

Sheesh.

However, the Ratmaster is pretty nifty and the Stretch is just great. 
It's nice to have the Aquarians well defined, and the Lazarus (while 
still not really a PC type of char, IMO), is well done.  I think that 
would be a sucky power to have, if I had my choice.  "Yeah, I can 
come back from the dead, but, dying is such a messy thing, know what 
I mean?"  ;)  Of course, it's better than ending up a Translator... ;)

>-Does a Lazarus absolutely *need* to die in order to use his
>regeneration ability (1 wound each 12 hours)?

Yep.  Sucks, doesn't it?

>-In the Paralyzer's package, it's written that the "Look" skill
>"basically keeps the hero from instantly attacking everyone she looks
>at". Does this mean that a Paralyzer _without_ this skill (example: a
>newly awakenned Paralyzer) would paralyze everyone he/she looks at? (If
>so, this gives me a truckload of ideas for a probable scenario I could
>give my players)

And noting Matt's "That's certainly the implication. ; )"...

I don't quite understand.  Does that mean the power is "always on" 
and thus must be practiced to prevent it from happening?  Why isn't 
this true of other powers?  Not all of them would have this problem, 
but due to the fact that many of them have activation rolls, I would 
think it would require effort to turn them on, not to turn them off.

Since the Look skill adds to the "catch the person's eye" aspect of 
the power (IIRC, serf's parma and all that--I don't have my book at 
work), how can having a lack of that skill give the power a greater 
range?  (I can paralyze people without effort).

I have no problems with delta powers being uncontrolled when first 
starting.  Just wondering why this one is so specifically a problem.

I do think the power is neat.

As to the rest of the book, it's pretty well done.  Lots of NPCs. 
There's some I wish was explained more (some of which I know has its 
own book coming), and some things that weren't expanded upon in the 
GMs section that I thought would have been, but overall it is exactly 
what I wanted.  Plenty of stuff to abuse my players with.  What more 
could you need?  :)

Jennifer

The White Crow
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