Homebrew Exalt - Speedster

[username]

Speedster



A buzzing in the ears, a vibration in the water. There is a flash of movement in the corner of the eye, a blur of motion that can't quite be made out. Then they're everywhere, a flickering visage of a humanoid filling the area. Foes may hide, but they can't run. Not from a Speedster.

No one is certain what exactly it is that drives the Speedster to travel at such speeds, or how. Some say that it is due to constantly pushing themselves to do better, to strive beyond what they would normally be capable of when it comes to speed: To break past their personal Speed Limiter, allowing them to increase their speed infinitely. Others say that they have tapped into a strange layer of reality, much like the Warp but instead of emotions and madness it is made up the energy of speed itself, known as the Go Fast Force. The answer is uncertain even to this day, and the Speedsters themselves rarely devote much time to finding out.

Speedsters live up to their name in a way that is obvious. They aren't the smartest, or the strongest or the most beautiful. But they're the fastest, and their every action teaches others the meaning of Speed. These men don't do it for money, or power or fame: They do it because some Men just gotta go fast.

STATIC POWERS

Bullet Time: Bullets seem to move in slow motion to the typical Speedster. A Speedster may use the Parry action against ranged attacks.

Moving Target: As a Speedster spends Momentum, their features begin to blur and afterimages appear where they once were. By the time something should hit them, the Speedster is already gone. A Speedster's Static Defense is increased by the amount of Momentum they have spent in that scene, to a maximum of half their speed (before Top Speed modification)

Boundless Energy: A Speedster just keeps going and going and going. Speedsters are immune to fatigue, immobilization and miscellaneous deleterious effects of going fast. They also gain the Fleet of Foot feat.

Slow: Speedsters aren't necessarily dumb, but they rarely have the attention span to devote to the more subtle arts. Take -2k1 to all tests using mental characteristics.

Tell: As a Speedster spends Momentum, their features and actions seem to blur and their body vibrates, unable to remain still. At higher amounts spent, after-images of the Speedster can be seen as they move. Eventually an entire area can be filled with these fluttering after-images, as their position becomes increasingly uncertain.

Power Stat: Velocity: Speed is all fine and good, but it is worthless without a purpose. A direction. As the Speedster's Velocity increases they learn to better hone, shape and control their power over speed itself, but they find themselves increasingly unable to rest or be still, their energy driving them to constantly push themselves.

Resource Stat: Momentum: The Speedster gains momentum by doing what they do best: Moving. A Speedster gains Momentum equal to their Velocity at the start of each session. During structured time, each round the Speedster takes an action with the Movement keyword, they gain 1 Momentum. A Speedster may have maximum momentum equal to their Velocity + Speed (before Top Speed modification).



POWERS

* Top Speed: Better speed up! The Speedster can spend Momentum to multiply his Speed, for the purpose of determining distance that can be moved, by an amount equal to the amount of Momentum spent + 1. This speed boost lasts for a scene. While using this ability you may treat all surfaces that you could not normally move across (Walls, Ceilings, Water, Lava) as difficult terrain but if you don't take an action with the Movement keyword each round you are on such a surface, you fall as normal.

** Reactionary: The world moves in slow motion, giving a Speedster plenty of time to react. A Speedster gains extra reaction actions each round equal to their Velocity/2, rounded down.

*** Celerity: The Speedster may spend 1 momentum to gain an extra Half Action.

****: Agility: The Speedster may spend 1 momentum to gain +1 Dexterity until the end of the scene. This boost stacks with itself, to a maximum of Velocity/2 rounded up.

***** Infinite Speed: A Speedster has attained true oneness with the idea of going fast. Once per round the Speedster may use Teleport, as per the spell, by spending a Momentum and using Velocity + Dexterity instead of the normal Focus Power Test. This is not actually magic and cannot be Dispelled, but can still cause Psychic Phenomena.

Acceleration Assets

Quick Wit: It's not that your attention span is short, it's just that everything takes too long. Remove the normal effects of Slow. Instead of a -2k1 to all tests with mental characteristics, you instead take a -2k1 to any test that takes longer than 1 normal combat round (roughly 5 seconds), -3k1 to any test that takes a minute or more and -4k2 to any test that takes an hour or more. This Asset may be purchased in addition to purchasing a second Speedster Acceleration Asset, except for the Speed of Thought asset.

Speed of Thought: Speedsters may claim to be faster than the speed of light, but they're still not very bright. You can at least use your quick thinking to overcome that however. You may spend 1 Momentum to gain +Xk1 to any single test involving a Mental Characteristic, where X is equal to your Velocity.

Uncertainty Principle: When a Speedster gets going, it is like they're not fully there at all. You may may spend 1 momentum as a half action to become Incorporeal as per the Phasing trait for rounds equal to your Velocity. You may spend 1 momentum as a half action while Incorporeal in this way to become corporeal at an earlier time.

Jet Speed: A Speedster's power is defined by how they find their direction. For you, that direction is not in your typical 2D plane. So long as you are moving, you gain the Flyer trait, with a speed equal to your movement speed. However, you can not "Hover" and if you do not make a movement action in a round, you lose the Flyer trait until you next make a movement.

Beat Feet: You move at your own tempo, moving with grace that others miss and smooth moves that leave blood on the dance floor. Gain a rank in the Infinite Choir Sword School, and you may advance it as through it were part of your class progression. Also, you are never Confused.

Speed Racer: The first rule of driving: Objects in the mirror are losing. Speed Limits are just a suggestion to you, and it shows. Increase the Speed of any vehicle you operate by your Velocity and you may spend Momentum to directly increase your vehicle's Momentum by an equal amount. You may also absorb the Momentum of your vehicle, reducing it at a 1 to 1 ratio to restore Momentum resource up to your level.

[GuardianTempest]

Suggestion:

...This is not actually magic however, it does not cause Psychic Phenomena and cannot be Dispelled.

[username]

Smart! I changed the wording some.
But I actually intentionally left in the implication that it causes psychic phenomena. Seems fitting for tearing space-time a new one just by going so quickly will cause bad things to happen. Plus, it helps balance it slightly. I might make it not a Free Action, which I admit is a bit overkill. A half action might be more fitting, and they can still sneak it in via Celerity. What do you think?

[GuardianTempest]

You could, although it would then be cheaper to just say "Once per turn, the Speedster may spend 1 Momentum as a Free Action to..."

Although did you mean once per round? Because once per turn could mean the speedster could do this on everyone's turns (unless there's 6 or more folks on the field).

[username]

Good call. I had been thinking about older 2e DnD terminology I believe, where Turns and rounds had different meanings. I'm thinking I might remove the free action part anyway. You can use resource for Celerity if you want to do other things.

[Flounders]

Is it intentional that a speedster can infinitely increase speed by activating top speed every round then regaining the spend momentum my taking a move action?

[Traskus]

Bonuses from the same source do not stack.

-Book 1, pg. 385

Unless they specifically say they do.

-Corollary

[Amanojyaku]

When I tested this, it was stated outright that using it multiple times during a scene only reset the value. May have been lost in the move.

[ScrapyardDragon]

so I realized something.
Infinite speed is kind of bad.
Not because teleport is bad, the ability to go anywhere is neat.
Its bad because teleport requires a perception+wisdom test to go most places, and speedsters are terrible at that, because slow.

[GuardianTempest]

Jan 24, 2022 15:32:52 GMT -6 ScrapyardDragon said:

so I realized something.
Infinite speed is kind of bad.
Not because teleport is bad, the ability to go anywhere is neat.
Its bad because teleport requires a perception+wisdom test to go most places, and speedsters are terrible at that, because slow.

At that point you should have 5 Wis, although you raise a good point. Thankfully there's Quick Wit.

Also the perception test is only needed for unfamiliar destinations. You home city doesn't need it. Plus the penalty could represent the inherent instability of the speed force.

[Amanojyaku]

Perception 5 + Wisdom 5 = 99% chance to succeed against TN 25
Subtract 2k1 = 91% chance to succeed against TN 25

[username]

Jan 24, 2022 15:32:52 GMT -6 ScrapyardDragon said:

so I realized something.
Infinite speed is kind of bad.
Not because teleport is bad, the ability to go anywhere is neat.
Its bad because teleport requires a perception+wisdom test to go most places, and speedsters are terrible at that, because slow.

You're right and that was intentional. I had mentioned it on the previous forums and in messages but not brought it up in a post on this one. You do indeed absolutely take the Slow -2k1 penalty to Teleport's Perception test since it is Perception+Wisdom. That is for any location with which you have seen but are not "extremely" familiar and places with which you are even less familiar could have even higher TN's.

Part of this was due to the ability originally being stronger. It didn't have a Momentum cost and was initially even a Free Action meaning you could do it once every round at not real cost other than the perception test risk! Terrifyingly potent stuff that I have slowly pulled back on, but perhaps I went too far? I could adjust it to be a Half Action rather than Full Action to meet it somewhere in the middle for example and allow for additional Celerity shenanigans.

The 5th Dot of Power stat costs the same 800xp as going through levels 1 - 4 of Conjuration to just buy Teleport, so the actual ability might not be worth it on its own though you do get the other benefits of a higher PowerStat. As it is the costing and placement is also modeled somewhat on book 1 and 2 with Vampire PS 5 Dominate and Dragonblooded's PS 5 Dragon Form. Vampire is just the level 3 spell usable whenever, Dragonblooded is the level 5 spell usable once per session but autosuccess. I think Teleport is likely better than those and is level 4 so I tried to balance it out with normal usage timing and a Resource cost but not limit the number of times it can be used beyond that.

I had at a point considered whether I should nix it altogether and instead slot in the ability to spend 1 Momentum to take a Full Action as a Half Action, a la Mithril Promethean Asset, as the Power Stat 5 Ability.

Alacrity: The Speedster may spend 1 Momentum to take a full action as a half action.

It is elegant and simple but combined with Celerity the possibilities for shenanigans horrify me.  If people think that the current Infinite Speed is too bad and needs to be improved or replaced, or if they think it is fine or just have other observations as always please let me know your thoughts!

[GuardianTempest]

You could just add a hotfix and say "This half action cannot be used with Celerity" or "Your second half action must still be a regular half action". I have no strong opinions on Infinite Speed/Alacrity apart from that.

[Amanojyaku]

Or, y'know, "once per round"?

Don't think it's necessary, though; current one is, as pointed out, the equivalent of spiking Conjuration for it with the added benefit of a protected casting.

[Lestat]

You want wisdom for your max static defense build unless you're a halfling or homebrew that can replace your SD calculation, and you can still teleport anywhere you can see. Running to an unknown place fast being difficult is a common trope, and a regular caster may not have good Wisdom anyway given the spell is normally Willpower. And having extra actions is the best way to abuse stuff like teleport: walking up, grabbing something, teleporting away all in one turn. And a typical speedster would probably need to take a class level to access it meaning likely 2 dots in two unwanted skills, and probably 400 XP in unwanted feats.

You could also cut the focus power because its hardly a spell outside phenomena and instead make it "teleport as per the spell, but with vel + dex for the perception test".