Doctor Foom wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2009 at 6:39pm:


What is comicbook style cosmic awareness? I don't know any of the examples above except the watcher? I don't hear that term used much? Does it mean psychic? Like Destiny of the old Brotherhood and Dream Girl of the legion? Or Guinan from Star Trek? Or a crystal ball? Or omniscient? There are lots of those characters in comics. Is that cosmic awareness?

And for the record,  when reading a post from now on  just assume the post was written with the best of inflections.   Do no just assume someone is being snarky, mean or argumentative unless you are positive it is so.    You bring your own baggage with you when you read a post.  So when reading a post, and you think its is the start of something argumentative, just ask.  No harm in that.    This goes for everyone and no one in particular.

Doctor Foom wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2009 at 3:47pm:


Well then I should ask then if that line about me making a mistake was supposed to be snarky or mean? How was I supposed to know I was taking something out of context when the context was unclear? You were talking about a game term Heightened Intelligence B at the same time as cosmic awareness (which you didn't mean in game terms). I can't read minds. How was I supposed to know what you meant? 

Were you trying to be argumentative or make me look bad by saying that I made the mistake and took something out of context?

Captain Kurt wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2009 at 7:16pm:


Lets just chalk this up to a misunderstanding and move on.

Captain Kurt wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2009 at 7:26pm:


I was just trying to make a joke! 

Yeah - the internet - she is a harsh communicator at times.

Cosmic Awareness - basically a form of supernatural foreknowledge or prescience is very difficult to define much less emulate in game play. (As challenging as Green Lantern's power ring for example).

I am bit fond of John's re-write, though I have not studied it exhaustively. I think three factors ought to help the PC 'Get the right answer' from the cosmos:

1) Level of experience of Questioner
2) Int and Cha (or Will)
3) Level of threat/effect

It functions as a GM's fiat if he or she so wishes.

Quote:


In the comics Dr. Foom mentioned above, we find that they are all rather obscure NPCs - with a few notable entities - like Uatu, the Watcher.

I suspect this is more of an NPC power (like Death Touch should be) and is to be handled gently when used by true PCs.

That said, I think it easy to get frustrated on this topic - just cause of the gooeyness of the subject.

Oh no sweat. No Earth-shattering conclusions made!

I'm sure, like the Phantom Stranger, Kris Kringle has MULTIPLE possibilities of origins.

I  - like so many others - just like the logical and perfectly in character power usage for that jolly old elf!

[Ain't Theology 405 or anything!]



BTW - MERRRYYYYYY CHRISTMASSSS!

[dons Red Cap of Spiritual Insight (Cosmic Awareness device)]

"...now, has John been NAUGHTY this year...?"

Yes, good points, Chimaera (good to see you back here, btw!).

I couldn't really articulate why it was so different, but I think Chimaera has pointed out exactly what it is that is different - passive vs. active.

An additional problem - not so much a problem as it relates comparing the game version to the comics model, but one from a game-balance perspective - is how this power can be used to circumvent the GMs plots and stories.  A clever player (or group of players, working in tandem) can use this "yes/no dynamic" to establish almost anything.  Our PCs recently tracked down where the villain base was all by using 'yes'/'no' questions that established what continent, what part of the continent, etc.

Certainly other powers can be "abusive" in this regard as well (Mind Control, Telepathy, etc.), but this one especially has proven to us to be problematic as written.  I think changing it to more of a passive ability serves not only to make it more like what we see in comics; it also makes it a more balanced way to tell a story and function as a way for the GM to communicate things to the players.