Negative Triggers?

[Ampers&nd]

So, I've picked up the 2E book (which I love) and will be kicking off the miscreants adventures again soon (they are currently stuck in some webs in a temple full or Jorogumo, and have been since May) but I'm using 2E as an opportunity to re-jig a few characters and upgrades that have been a little too effective/not effective enough. When flipping through then sheets I had an idea that I thought I'd run past people here for thoughts, negative triggers.

There are some negative triggers in the books (shoddy weapons etc).  but with ability to customise weapons, constructs, stitched etc so much it occurred that there is potentially a point when  a customisation starts becoming a liability, and could backfire (usually on a black joker). I'll give an example. 

When i was helping test into the steam I challenged Bert (also known as He Who Breaks Games) to do something stupid with the weapon creation rules, and he did it well. He took a multiple barrelled pistol, gave it extra barrels, blued it and added a couple more tweaks to give it r12 and potentially 6/7b/7b damage for one shot. he's only fired it once and it turned a large bunch of three kingdoms bully boys into jam. I immediately said it needed a bit of thinking and it has since gained the following rules when firing more than one barrel- 

Brace yourself- This attack does not benefit from the 'focus' condition. This weapon gains the following trigger which must be taken if available- Kicks like a mule!: (black Joker) (crow) the character is pushed two yards directly away from their target and gains the Prone condition.

If the weapon is fired from two hands and the attack has used the 'focus' condition the (crow) is removed from the trigger. 

 

Reading this got me thinking, what other negative triggers could make for interesting situations? I've thought of a few  

 

For when someone's melee weapon gets a bit too silly:-

Heavy metal: this weapon gains the following trigger which must be taken if available- Butterfingers: (black joker) (mask) The weapons weight overcomes it's bearer and it is dropped, place it in a random direction 2 yards from the target character. 

If the attack benefits from the 'focus' condition the (mask) is removed from the trigger. 

 

For when a built/summoned construct or stitched becomes a little too high-tech:- 

Who am I?: this construct gains the following trigger to all flips which it must take if available- Self awareness: (Black Joker)  The construct deliberately fails in the action taken, and may not be ordered to take the same action for at least an hour. it also gains the 'aware+1' condition.  If a construct's 'aware' condition ever reaches 10 then it runs away to Ampersand/the quarantine zone and may or may not be back for revenge later depending how you treated it.  

If the construct is within 2 yards of the fated that created it this trigger does not have to be chosen. 

 

If anyone has any feedback or thoughts on more triggers I'd be interested to hear them:) 

[Le gob]

We usually just have the fatemaster tell "nope" when we bring up something that is overpowered, but I like the idea of the negative triggers.
I'm certain Magic in general needs some as well.
Still to define: what is overpowered? When do you cross the line?

[Ampers&nd]

On ‎29‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 4:33 PM, Le gob said:

Still to define: what is overpowered? When do you cross the line?

good point about magic, ill include it too:) so far its just been a 'gut' thing, (generally based on 'if this item appeared in malifaux how likely would it be to cause a table flip?) but organising it sounds like a good idea. Luckily there's already a system in place I can copy (sort of) with skill triggers. 

skills gain trigger at rank 3 and 5, so I think negatives could easily be applied in the same way. 

the first two upgrades/immuto have no major negative effect, but once a third upgrade/immuto is added a single negative trigger is gained (card flip to see which one) again the fourth is fine, but the fifth add-on adds a second negative immuto (or adds a suit to the first) every upgrade after this will add another. 

 

to stop things getting too down on customisations, There should also be a way to avoid the negative triggers built in except on a bj as above (focus, two hands, defensive etc). 

 

this means for a full ruleset I'll need 4 triggers each for melee, ranged, magic, constructs and? (pneumatics or armour maybe?)

 

[Ampers&nd]

Here are my thoughts on a selection of potential negative triggers. These triggers are gained when either 5 upgrades are added to a single item, or when the fatemaster deems it to be so overcomplicated/heavy that a penalty is appropriate.

For the most part these triggers are designed to add an extra element of roleplaying to overly elaborate technology, and you’ll notice very few results will cause actual damage (and even then usually only on a black joker if handled with care) instead they may change a characters next actions or simply place them in a precarious position.

Modified Ranged Weapon

Brace yourself-  This weapon gains a trigger which must be taken if available, flip for which trigger is gained- 

(Ram) Too hot to handle: (black Joker)/ (Ram) after resolving this character may either drop the weapon or gain the condition Burning+1.

(Tome) Jammed (black Joker)/ (Tome) after resolving the weapon gains the condition Jammed: This weapon may not be fired again until a successful 1AP TN 10 test is passed on the weapons skill.  

(Mask) Kicks like a mule!: (black Joker)/ (Mask) after resolving the attack the character is pushed two yards directly away from their target and gains the Prone condition.

(Crow) Backfire: (black Joker)/ (Crow) after resolving this character suffers a weak critical effect.

If the attack benefits from the 'focus' condition the suit is removed from the trigger, only a Black joker drawn for the attack flip will count.

 

Modified Melee weapon

Heavy metal: This weapon gains a trigger which must be taken if available, flip for which trigger is gained- 

(Ram) Butterfingers: (black joker)/ (Ram) after resolving the weapon is dropped, place it 2 yards from the target character in a random direction.  

(Tome) Fragile: (black joker)/ (Tome) Damage caused by this attack is reduced by (1).

(Mask) Overbalanced: (black joker)/ (Mask) after resolving the characters DF flips are at [-] until the end of the current round.

(Crow)  Not the handle…: (black joker)/ (Crow) after damaging this character takes half the damage caused by the attack, rounding up.

If the attack benefits from the 'focus' condition the suit is removed from the trigger, only a Black joker drawn for the attack flip will count.

 

Modified Construct/Minion

Overcomplicated-  Any command action taken on this character gains a trigger which must be taken if available, flip for which trigger is gained- 

(Ram) Unclear instructions: (Black Joker) The construct is at [-] to all duels for the duration of the action associated with this command.

(Tome) When did I last change the oil?; (Black Joker) The construct counts all its aspects at -2 for the duration of the action associated with this command.

(Mask) Self awareness: (Black Joker) The construct deliberately fails in the action taken, and may not be ordered to take the same action for at least an hour. It also gains the 'aware+1' condition.  (If a construct's 'aware' condition ever reaches 10 then it runs away to Ampersand/the quarantine zone and may or may not be back for revenge later depending how you treated it.) 

(Crow)  Bad Robot!: (Black joker) The construct complies with action, but must then take a 1AP attack action against the closest friendly model in range.

If the construct is within 2 yards of the fated that created it this trigger does not have to be chosen.