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Need some help balancing Mist Form on a PC

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Ympulse

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« on: <08-21-12/0401:44> »
As title states. I'm currently playing a Banshee Magician, and after our most recent session the GM and I had a talk regarding my liberal use of Mist Form to avoid most forms of  "Geek the Mage!". His point, which I agree with, is that in order to challenge my character effectively, he risks a TPK via multiple spirits/Overcasting mage NPCs/Hermetically sealed deathchambers of doom.

We talked through the options, and decided that Mist form should be more of a tactical decision than it is currently for my character. In order to facilitate this, we've come up with the following effects to be in place;

Explosions do full damage regardless of effective hardened armor.
All Spellcasting checks suffer a blanket -2 Dice Pool penalty, to include drain resistance.
Any foci are unusable (to include sustained foci losing their effect upon use of Mist Form).
While in Mist form I am effectively Dual-Natured.

Since there are more experienced GMs on this board, I'd like to request some input/advice/etc on this, and other possible options for helping balance out Mist Form for my character.

Orvich

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« Reply #1 on: <08-21-12/0448:24> »
I guess I'd go hardline. The big balancing factor in the RAW for Mist Form is that the presence of any allergen snaps the Mist Form-ee back into their normal form.

HMHVV is a world-known threat, and many of the HMHVV species are both very strong and dangerous, it stands to reason that the big-boys have methods tailored to take them down, some of which would trickle down, and are quite cheap.


I'd just declare that sufficiently advanced sunlamps create sunlight, and all that entails. Fighting a group of intruders, and one of them (who appears to be casting high force spells, a mage) puffs into smoke, turn on your sunlamp flashlight/flood light! Especially if there is news going around of similar occurrences, it makes sense that most prepared enemies would be prepared with sunlamps. That would make use of Mist Form at least require premeditation and planning to create appropriate blackouts or take out key features of an emplacement, probably with help from the other team. Instead of dropping into the fight directly with stunbolts and quick death, it might be advantageous to start blasting lights with physical spells.


lord_shadow_666

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« Reply #2 on: <08-21-12/0633:11> »
Also I would add any high explosives should cause a sufficient "gust" of wind to either destabilize your mist form if not cause extreme disorientation.

Reaver

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« Reply #3 on: <08-21-12/1102:07> »
Couple other things to consider:

Must form ONLY affects the vampire, not what he is wearing! So if you got misty, all clothing, armor, foci, weapons end up in a puddle on the floor.

Even in mist form, on the astral plan it is obvious that you are a living (well, a magic) entity and thus could still be targeted and affected by mana based spells. (powerbolt, manabolt, stunbolt).

Even in mist form, you are not invulnerable, many HVAC systems in large buildings include an air purification system that consists of nothing more than passing the air through.... Hi intensity UV light! (guess what happens to your misty vampire then!)

Where am I going? And why am I in a hand basket ???

Remember: You can't fix Stupid. But you can beat on it with a 2x4 until it smartens up! Or dies.