Count Thalim wrote:One of my players acquired the Storm Caller perk a few sessions ago and has used it several times since. Generally to pretty impressive effect.
Do any of the other GMs/Designers out there have recommendations as to how to handle someone who has this perk along with a high Reality score. (16, so outstripping most enemies up until Host level).
The last few fights have ended with her losing a few possibilities but stripping the opponent of all theirs pretty fast and making the encounter less satisfying as they can't use their funky abilities (have to attack using Reality) and everyone else is reduced to heckling bystanders/mopping up the support.
A few thoughts off the top of my head:
1) Throw more than one Reality rated villain into fights, so that there's at least one for the other PCs to feel good about fighting.
2) Core Earth reality rated enemies (so they can't be targeted by Storm Caller.)
3) Give the occasional R-rated villain an even higher Reality skill, Favored Reality, or a helpful Eternity Shard. Once the Storming PC has lost a few (costing them a Reality add each time!) they might not view it as a go-to option.
3b) Ravagons! It would be totally fitting for them to have powers which either give bonuses in Reality Storm contests, nerf the Stormcaller, or just make them plain immune.
4) Have supporting villains (possibly R-rated) who can hit the Storm Caller's weak Interaction defenses, to (V) Stymie them while they're in the Storm. As a Reality contest is made on each participant's action, a single (V) Stymie is likely to affect more than one of the Stormcaller's contest rolls.
5) If there's any chance that the villains will have heard how dangerous the Stormcaller is they'll probably target them. Maybe even before the showdown fight. If the Stormcaller's low on Possibilities, going into the final fight, they might be less gung-ho with the storms.
5b) It's a powerful ability for the DC to be able to call upon, & better if enemies aren't anticipating it. Maybe the DC asks them to hold it back, as a "secret weapon", for when it's really needed.
6) Reality Storms are seriously destructive, & dangerous to bystanders. Have some hostages on the scene who'll likely get squibbed if they're caught in a Storm. Or set it at a site that would be bad to hit with a Storm. (A national monument (PR disaster!) a fragile hard point (PR disaster & setting back the war effort!) or a nuclear reactor (Boooom!))
6b) As with 5b above have the DC ask the PC to hold back. The game mechanics make the Perk
fairly safe & predictable but ultimately, in-canon, Reality Storms are hugely dangerous forces of chaos. I'd imagine the DC would view the casual invokation of them about the same way it would feel about the casual use of tactical nukes. (i.e. Badly- it's an option for really,
really desperate situations only.)
7) If the PCs are Beta, use the general "Bad guys" possibility pool to shore up villains who're in with a chance of winning anyway.
OTOH, the character has spent 4 Perks to get Stormcaller so, IMHO, it would be bad form to completely crap on it- they should feel good about having bought it
sometimes. It is a tricky one though, in terms of making boss fights trivial &/or leaving other PCs feeling useless, (just as the ability to invoke Storms could be in OTorg.)
I think the key might be to get to a state where it's
their choice not to use it all the time. Whether that's because they've lost a few (& lost permanent XP as a result,) or they caused collateral damage which they regret, or they start to become a target for the HLs.
If none of that's working & it's clearly spoiling other player's enjoyment sit down as a group & discuss it. Hopefully the Stormcaller's player will understand and hold back a bit out of consideration for the other players.
Hope some of those ideas are helpful.
