This is similar to my earlier post in the Ascension forum about examples of Parlor Tricks, but it's a lot broader and focused on a wider ranger of splats.
A lot of people have a tendency to focus on the higher level powers in a game, or combat-effective abilities (or both). But most supernaturals aren't going to reach those vaunted levels of power in a real world scenario, and though it will vary depending on your splat, if you are a supernatural being you aren't necessarily going to see fighting every day and night - you will have a life to live of some sort or another. And what you will have are some lesser powers, things that are easy to learn and utilize (i.e. the dots and effects you get from just adding a template to your PC, maybe after a bit of basic training). And some of those are going to be real helpful as you live (or try to live) your life outside the shadows.
For this "game," I'm curious to know what powers you'd find useful or fun in real life, but from a practical sense. This isn't the "what would be the powers you'd use to beat up the asshole in accounting" game (as Dark Ages: Mage pointed out, we have names for the people who think about going around and beating up/killing people and looting their bodies...). This also isn't about the big, high power magics and abilities that can clearly shape the world around you for the better. This is about the lower-level effects that just make life easier or more exciting without harming anyone around you.
For definitions/rules:
-assume no powers that would be higher than a two-dot effect (i.e. first and second level gifts and rites, first two dots of disciplines, level one or two rotes, etc; this includes innate effects from Arcanoi, Kith birthrights and, in the MET, any supernatural effects that come from belong to a specific faction, like Mages sometimes had for Traditions) or a three-dot merit (giving a little extra leeway there) or a Basic level effect in MET;
-no powers directly mess with or harm someone else (a power that makes it so that people are generally more agreeable is one thing; Dominate to make people do what you want is quite different);
-no mage spheres; individual rotes are cool, as are backgrounds and merits, but spheres are just really powerful. Same for C20 Unleashing.
-For bonus points, things that don't directly "buff" yourself or straight up make yourself better.
-Generally try to stick with published material; homebrew stuff is sometimes fun but often also sometimes full of broken powers that just don't work.
-Published material from any edition is fair game, as long as it's WoD (I'll be doing other threads for Scion and CoD and maybe Exalted later). That includes any of the official LARP systems - some of those powers work a bit differently, especially in the pre-revised era, from their tabletop counterparts.
EDITS: Couple of other suggestions: Backgrounds are cool to use, but should represent backgrounds that are mystical abilities of some sort - Arcane, Dream, Ancestors, and two-dot wonders/fetishes/etc are cool, but not Influence (especially MET style influence). Same goes for Abilities - if the Ability itself is indicative of something that is a supernatural talent, such as Kenning, Do (though that's more for combat in most cases), and so on, it's fair game. Powers should work on their own or with just the native effects of the template that grants them; no "Well, this is a useless thing UNLESS you mix it with something else and then it's awesome." And for Wraith Arcanoi, assume that either: a) you are, in fact, a Wraith and either in the Shadowlands or Risen [if it works for Risen]; or b) are able to project into or physically enter the Dark Umbra/Shadowlands/Underworld and gain access while there; or c) are a living sorcerer emulating the arcanoi in this world (but only if they would be usable by the Risen).
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For me, I think one of the straight-up most useful is the example of a one-dot Blessing from Guide to the Traditions. Blessings are basically Wonders but cast on the person. They can be built as Wonders, but also can represent generally beneficial turns of fate from a powerful benefactor. The one-dot example of the latter says that there's always a spot open for you right in front of your destination (or as close as possible), and if applicable, there's time left on the meter when you get there. Something small and flavorful in most games (unless you're racing against time to get somewhere), but also really handy in real life situations.
Also, Aura Perception in its many forms. As someone who's on the spectrum, I can't always read people accurately, if at all... the ability to get a sense of their emotions by looking at something else would just help a lot. It doesn't interfere with them as a person or their free-will, but lets me know more about them in that moment (and, if using some of the older Laws of the Night versions, also gives me a sense of their Nature as well).
Just two examples for now, but I have plenty more. What are yours?
A lot of people have a tendency to focus on the higher level powers in a game, or combat-effective abilities (or both). But most supernaturals aren't going to reach those vaunted levels of power in a real world scenario, and though it will vary depending on your splat, if you are a supernatural being you aren't necessarily going to see fighting every day and night - you will have a life to live of some sort or another. And what you will have are some lesser powers, things that are easy to learn and utilize (i.e. the dots and effects you get from just adding a template to your PC, maybe after a bit of basic training). And some of those are going to be real helpful as you live (or try to live) your life outside the shadows.
For this "game," I'm curious to know what powers you'd find useful or fun in real life, but from a practical sense. This isn't the "what would be the powers you'd use to beat up the asshole in accounting" game (as Dark Ages: Mage pointed out, we have names for the people who think about going around and beating up/killing people and looting their bodies...). This also isn't about the big, high power magics and abilities that can clearly shape the world around you for the better. This is about the lower-level effects that just make life easier or more exciting without harming anyone around you.
For definitions/rules:
-assume no powers that would be higher than a two-dot effect (i.e. first and second level gifts and rites, first two dots of disciplines, level one or two rotes, etc; this includes innate effects from Arcanoi, Kith birthrights and, in the MET, any supernatural effects that come from belong to a specific faction, like Mages sometimes had for Traditions) or a three-dot merit (giving a little extra leeway there) or a Basic level effect in MET;
-no powers directly mess with or harm someone else (a power that makes it so that people are generally more agreeable is one thing; Dominate to make people do what you want is quite different);
-no mage spheres; individual rotes are cool, as are backgrounds and merits, but spheres are just really powerful. Same for C20 Unleashing.
-For bonus points, things that don't directly "buff" yourself or straight up make yourself better.
-Generally try to stick with published material; homebrew stuff is sometimes fun but often also sometimes full of broken powers that just don't work.
-Published material from any edition is fair game, as long as it's WoD (I'll be doing other threads for Scion and CoD and maybe Exalted later). That includes any of the official LARP systems - some of those powers work a bit differently, especially in the pre-revised era, from their tabletop counterparts.
EDITS: Couple of other suggestions: Backgrounds are cool to use, but should represent backgrounds that are mystical abilities of some sort - Arcane, Dream, Ancestors, and two-dot wonders/fetishes/etc are cool, but not Influence (especially MET style influence). Same goes for Abilities - if the Ability itself is indicative of something that is a supernatural talent, such as Kenning, Do (though that's more for combat in most cases), and so on, it's fair game. Powers should work on their own or with just the native effects of the template that grants them; no "Well, this is a useless thing UNLESS you mix it with something else and then it's awesome." And for Wraith Arcanoi, assume that either: a) you are, in fact, a Wraith and either in the Shadowlands or Risen [if it works for Risen]; or b) are able to project into or physically enter the Dark Umbra/Shadowlands/Underworld and gain access while there; or c) are a living sorcerer emulating the arcanoi in this world (but only if they would be usable by the Risen).
-
For me, I think one of the straight-up most useful is the example of a one-dot Blessing from Guide to the Traditions. Blessings are basically Wonders but cast on the person. They can be built as Wonders, but also can represent generally beneficial turns of fate from a powerful benefactor. The one-dot example of the latter says that there's always a spot open for you right in front of your destination (or as close as possible), and if applicable, there's time left on the meter when you get there. Something small and flavorful in most games (unless you're racing against time to get somewhere), but also really handy in real life situations.
Also, Aura Perception in its many forms. As someone who's on the spectrum, I can't always read people accurately, if at all... the ability to get a sense of their emotions by looking at something else would just help a lot. It doesn't interfere with them as a person or their free-will, but lets me know more about them in that moment (and, if using some of the older Laws of the Night versions, also gives me a sense of their Nature as well).
Just two examples for now, but I have plenty more. What are yours?
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