Manifested Power: OBJECTION!

[Brewmaster]

So, I've been looking through the miniatures books finding good things to use when combat pokes its head, and I got intrigued by making the Guild Lawyer "work" or "If I was a player and I wanted to head that direction, how do I sell my FM on being like this?". So, here's my thoughts on a Manifested Power inspired by the Guild Lawyer.

 

(1)Tactical Action: Convince+Cunning (TN 10 Masks) Resisted by Willpower, Range 5 yards

 

With either a flurry of legalise, or simply some well timed jargon, you distract the target from completing the tasks at hand. The target gains the following condition: "Red Tape: the AP cost of actions taken by the target is increased by 1". The target may spend 1 AP to remove this condition.

[Mason]

Hmm...I think that the 1 AP to remove the Condition will almost always be the first thing that the target does, as it's either spend 1 Ap to remove the condition and then a 1 AP action, or a 2 AP action.  There's really no reason not to remove the Condition ASAP. 

 

I think I would make it 2 AP to remove, giving the target a choice between spending their turn for a 2 AP action like moving or shooting or casting a spell that might be needed in the fight or spending their entire turn removing the condition so that they're good for future turns (assuming the character doesn't lock them down again).  

 

Maybe a note that outside of Dramatic Time, it instead gives the target a  to resist any Bureaucracy, Convince, or Intimidate flip that the character attempts against the target in the following round?  Sort of a "frazzle them with legal talk, then try to use that to convince/intimidate them into believing the law is on your side" thing. 

[Brewmaster]

Fair play. I do like the "non-dramatic/ dramatic" effects for the spell so it doesn't feel too "must be combatty!"

[Kadeton]

I played a lawyer character for a few sessions during the playtest - my version of "Objection!" was a Cunning + Bureaucracy attack that caused Paralysed. I think it was built using the standard Manifested Power rules, starting from Elemental Engulf with Ice Immuto. It wasn't terribly thematic, but it did the job.

 

I wish there was a spell in the magic section that reduced the target's resistances (applying a on a particular kind of duel, for example). There are so many fun abilities you could build with that.