Why are Elder Powers so... awful?

[blailton]

Bar Animalism they're actually pretty great.

Animalism: Shared soul sucks but the other two 6's are great. Everything else isn't worth it.

Eye of the Szlachta is a worse version of Dominate 5. If you have infinite xp, by all means, buy it, ortherwise I feel its a waste.

Auspex: Everything is fantastic. Also upping Auspex in general offers benefits (Heigtened senses, premonitions, detecting people during the day, seeing the unseen)

My problem with the advanced levels of Auspex is that sometimes it's better to use technology instead of using auspex. If the chronicle is taking place in the dark ages or using technology is not possible, OK, otherwise I think a bit of a waste. You won't find vampires with Obfuscate or Chimestry 6+ all that often, and the passive effects of auspex are sometimes kind of overlooked by ST. Anyway, "Prediction" (Auspex 6) is pretty bad, unless your character's whole point is trolling others with "Hnmm, actually" arguments.
"Telepathic Communication" (auspex 6) isn't bad, but what's to stop characters from buying a linguistics point instead to make phone calls and converse in the other language, or even converse using sign language? They can even use points in the ear instead. There is even a Sabbat ritual that allows characters to speak, and only members of the Coterie can hear.

"The Heart's Desire" (Auspex 6) re-enters the price issue. Is it worth spending 35 xp points to buy this instead of spending 31 to buy three levels of Presence (outside the clan)? (10 + 7 + 14)

"Soul Bond" can be good, but wouldn't it be better to install an internal circuit in your refuge, and access the camera's content through your cell phone? If you put a delay of 1 second, you get a bonus to break obfuscation. You can just put a GPS on someone's tooth. But anyway.

I just realized that there are many elder disciplines and I was too lazy to analyze them all, but one that I can't forget is "Psychic Assault" (auspex 8). Initially it seems strong, but only if the power user has a very large dice pool. Otherwise, it's pretty weak, mainly because the Interrogation maneuver has the same effect (draining willpower points), and the effect of removing permanent willpower only happens by getting a lot of successes.

Obfuscate: Everything is fantastic. Also like Auspex you benefit from taking your obfuscate level up in general. Truly, (Dominate) Malkavians are the god-tier clan.

I remember a power whose only practical use is to regain willpower points. It pays more to spend precious xp upgrading the meditation skill.

[11twiggins]

I've always run Fortitude as granting bonus Wounded health levels. RAW a Vampire with Stamina 5 and Fortitude 5 can, it's very unlikely, but can, wind up just as hurt by a machine gun as a regular vampire.

Celerity guarantees bonus actions with expenditure.
Potence guarantees you can perform greater feats of strength; a mid-to-high exp Brujah, Lasombra and Nosferatu can get through walls without checks.
Fortitude in V20 doesn't guarantee anything at all, and I'm not a big fan of the 'fix' in DAV20.

[Aahz]

Bar Animalism they're actually pretty great.

Animalism: Shared soul sucks but the other two 6's are great. Everything else isn't worth it.
Auspex: Everything is fantastic. Also upping Auspex in general offers benefits (Heigtened senses, premonitions, detecting people during the day, seeing the unseen)
Dominate: Everything is between good and fantastic.
Obfuscate: Everything is fantastic. Also like Auspex you benefit from taking your obfuscate level up in general. Truly, (Dominate) Malkavians are the god-tier clan.
Presence: Everything's fantastic.

Are you talking just about V20?

[MyWifeIsScary]

Are you talking just about V20?

The core... yes.
Supplements often scrape the bottom of the barrel

[Aahz]

The core... yes.

Ah OK, looking over them only the Level 9 ones seem not that use full for players, but players are anyway not likely to get to them...

The 7th level power for Presence (Cooperation) seems also pretty situational to me...

[Aahz]

A short Question to the Auspex Power Mirror Reflex, to me (who is not native speaker) is the wording not really clear, do you get the bonus die to every action on the next turn, or do you get a pool of dice that you can distribute as bonus dice between the actions you take on the next turn?

Btw. the DC of "Manipulation + combat skill" could make this power also pretty useless against any opponent that is remotely challanging to a character with such a low gen.

[monteparnas]

IRL armour is usually all or nothing for the occupant.

IRL a wound can kill you days later of complications and being directly hit with a weapon usually doesn't just "cause X damage" and a generic penalty.

Hit Points aren't a realistic mechanic, neither is damage, and WoD's take on it doesn't make more sense, just reinforces other themes for the story and strategies for the game.

This is a game, and the health rules are a take on a game design problem. I think it is in general a horrible rule precisely because it tries more to be a simulation than to deliver either a good game experience or improve on the themes and mood of the game, and it sucks at being a simulation.

[pang4]

Can't speak to the individual powers, but here's my two cents on why Elder powers are often situational as all hell:

Because they were created by Elders. People who experimented with their blood powers, tried to bend them in new ways as best they could, and had very specific needs. That weird Vicissitude power that insta-impales someone on their own spine seems useless, until you realize it was made by a Tzimisce who really wanted a fence of bodies around his creepy castle. It wasn't made for you, it was made for him, by him.

The way I've always run elder powers is that you can't buy specific powers. They are there as examples, or things that a specific elder can teach you. Otherwise, you develop your own. At that level of blood potency, you bend its powers to your will. Develop an elder power with your ST to call your very own, and reflects your own character's specific needs.