Other What doesn't count as a power to you?

[Coco Adel]

So this is just something I was curious about, I know I've thought about it, but I wanted to see how other people felt about this subject as well. As we know there is a plethora of powers that exist, even some we might not have known were actually powers and some we know are powers but don't really seem them as such. So I wanted to know what you personally don't think counts as a power.

Personally I'll go ahead and say it, I don't count Enhnaced Conditon as a power, why? Because in most cases Ehnanced Conditon isn't really treated like a power but more like the norm, it's a default in most RP that everyone at least has Enhanced Conditon to point where it doesn't even needed to be stated by most that their character has Enhanced Conditon it's just a thing that is assumed that your character his stronger than the average human being, that they are faster, more durable, have better senses etc. I just don't generally see it as a power. Now I'm not saying it isn't I just don't see it at one.

 

[duegxybus]

As someone who frequents in superhero RPs of all kinds, this thread caught my eye and I have to say, you brought up a very valid point around Enhanced Condition being the norm, at least in some RPs. Enhanced Condition usually defaults to faster, stronger, more durable, and better reaction times, but sometimes people go the whole nine yards and throw in things from superhuman intelligence to full limb regeneration to even semi immortality.

So, at what point does it start being considered a power?

Well, for me, at least, I see that Enhanced Condition starts counting as a power when the attributes of the user exceed their body's limitations.

A 6'0 (1.82m), 180 lbs (81 kg) man who can bench 350 pounds has a strength rating of "elite" (according to strengthlevel.com), putting him on par with the upper class of athletes, but nowhere near even "Peak human" (according to powerlisting.wikia.com, which sets it to around 800 lbs or 362 kg). But the same feat (bench pressing 350 lbs) is considered impossible for a sleep-deprived 5 year old girl weighing in at around 35 lbs. Say the 5 year old does it. With minimal effort. She probably has a "superpower" that allows her to do it. In fact, she does. Her joints didn't snap and her muscles didn't tear, after all.

Otherwise, I go by the general guidelines of "Peak Human"
Strength: >800lbs
Speed: >30 mph
Reaction Times: <150ms
Durability: Baseball Bat

Basically, nothing very obviously a part of "super" condition (like throwing a cement truck, outrunning a sports car, or taking a grenade point-blank) usually flies with me.

Of course, there's always a debate as what counts as a power or not, not depending on the feat, but as the source of the "Enhanced Condition." You are right, in some respect, that Enhanced Condition isn't a "power" and is just beyond the human physique. But in certain roleplays, it may be considered a power because a human can't normally do those things for their physique.

Anyways, that's my little bit on Enhanced Condition. I wouldn't personally worry too much about scaling with numbers unless it's absolutely necessary. Just list feats or something. What can you lift? How fast are you? Etc. That's pretty much it.

My bit:

In general, I don't consider "[insert]-physiology" conditioning as a power if the user is of that species. Obviously a vampire is going to be much stronger, faster, and more durable than a human. (Usually I don't allow these things in my powers RPs, but if it comes up I'll just want to know the actual super-abilities.)

Other than that, anything on the powerlisting wiki can be a power. The wiki has over 9000 entries and is huge. I even consider "magic" a superpower.

I suppose "Peak Human [insert]" doesn't count as a power even though it's on the wiki, and is more of a personal attribute. Though it's very hard for every single person to reach "Peak Human" status because of biology. But, you know...it's cool being able to catch arrows and throwing a fully grown guy across a room.

Well, that's all! Hope this helped!

~JPax

 

[Coco Adel]

As someone who frequents in superhero RPs of all kinds, this thread caught my eye and I have to say, you brought up a very valid point around Enhanced Condition being the norm, at least in some RPs. Enhanced Condition usually defaults to faster, stronger, more durable, and better reaction times, but sometimes people go the whole nine yards and throw in things from superhuman intelligence to full limb regeneration to even.

So, at what point does it start being considered a power?

Well, for me, at least, I see that Enhanced Condition starts counting as a power when the attributes of the user exceed their body's limitations.

A 6'0 (1.82m), 180 lbs (81 kg) man who can bench 350 pounds has a strength rating of "elite" (according to strengthlevel.com), putting him on par with the upper class of athletes, but nowhere near even "Peak human" (according to powerlisting.wikia.com, which sets it to around 800 lbs or 362 kg). But the same feat (bench pressing 350 lbs) is considered impossible for a sleep-deprived 5 year old girl weighing in at around 35 lbs. Say the 5 year old does it. With minimal effort. She probably has a "superpower" that allows her to do it. In fact, she does. Her joints didn't snap and her muscles didn't tear, after all.

Otherwise, I go by the general guidelines of "Peak Human"
Strength: >800lbs
Speed: >30 mph
Reaction Times: <150ms
Durability: Baseball Bat

Basically, nothing very obviously a part of "super" condition (like throwing a cement truck, outrunning a sports car, or taking a grenade point-blank) usually flies with me.

Of course, there's always a debate as what counts as a power or not, not depending on the feat, but as the source of the "Enhanced Condition." You are right, in some respect, that Enhanced Condition isn't a "power" and is just beyond the human physique. But in certain roleplays, it may be considered a power because a human can't normally do those things for their physique.

Anyways, that's my little bit on Enhanced Condition. I wouldn't personally worry too much about scaling with numbers unless it's absolutely necessary. Just list feats or something. What can you lift? How fast are you? Etc. That's pretty much it.

My bit:

In general, I don't consider "[insert]-physiology" conditioning as a power if the user is of that species. Obviously a vampire is going to be much stronger, faster, and more durable than a human. (Usually I don't allow these things in my powers RPs, but if it comes up I'll just want to know the actual super-abilities.)

Other than that, anything on the powerlisting wiki can be a power. The wiki has over 9000 entries and is huge. I even consider "magic" a superpower.

I suppose "Peak Human [insert]" doesn't count as a power even though it's on the wiki, and is more of a personal attribute. Though it's very hard for every single person to reach "Peak Human" status because of biology. But, you know...it's cool being able to catch arrows and throwing a fully grown guy across a room.

Well, that's all! Hope this helped!

~JPax

Well I just feel like when it comes to Enhanced Conditon in most cases of RP I don't see it as a power because everyone can do it, now sure if there was an example of what you said with the 5 year old I might agree, then again there are lots of people who make characters that are capable of destroying entire cities as babies so even then it's debatable depending on the RP. But I feel like if everyone can do it, it's not a superpower it just is. As a great villain once said when everyone is super, no one is. I feel like if everyone and their grandmother has enhanced condition it's not a power it's just a natural state of being.

I also agree that physiology does not count as a power if you are that race, I mean it's kind of implied.

 

[duegxybus]

Well I just feel like when it comes to Enhanced Conditon in most cases of RP I don't see it as a power because everyone can do it, now sure if there was an example of what you said with the 5 year old I might agree, then again there are lots of people who make characters that are capable of destroying entire cities as babies so even then it's debatable depending on the RP. But I feel like if everyone can do it, it's not a superpower it just is. As a great villain once said when everyone is super, no one is. I feel like if everyone and their grandmother has enhanced condition it's not a power it's just a natural state of being.

I also agree that physiology does not count as a power if you are that race, I mean it's kind of implied.

Destroying whole cities as babies? God damn. Sounds like you've been through a lot on this site. Either that or you're just in a generally overpowered RP ^^

But yeah, a power or not, Enhanced Condition could still be listed in the CS somehow, even if it's not written as a power. Like, it doesn't have to be stated directly, but others shouldn't have to guess whether a character can lift a pick up truck, or throw the Statue of Liberty halfway around the world. So even if it's implied, I think most RPs like the ones you're talking about could benefit by having players have some sort of ballpark in strength, speed, durability, etc, so there's at least some variation between the characters' physical attributes, just like there is in real life athletes. But that's just my two cents though. Writing out everything does get tedious sometimes.

I used to do this often before (and don't do it anymore!), but I used ban "Enhanced Condition" as a power altogether because it was so vague and people used it to be better than everyone else.

Now I think there's something that someone on reddit introduced, and that's a focus system. I want to share that with everyone here.

Basically, anyone can have whatever enhanced condition they want, but they set up 3 focuses for the Enhanced Condition. In that way, one person can have Enhanced Condition with a focus on reflexes, speed, and dexterity (speedster), while another can have their focus in strength, durability, and endurance (typical bruiser). It also gets people to mix and match their typical "Enhanced Condition" powers. Like, what if I made someone with enhanced durability, enhanced speed, and an enhanced stride? I basically get someone who can go 5 meters in one step and run into opponents without worrying about getting hurt!

So instead of just throwing "Enhanced Condition" out there, now characters are diverse. They still have their enhanced condition, but now it's for a reason.

Thoughts on a focus system in RPs?

(Focus systems can extend out to other powers that typically have many applications, such as electricity manipulation, kinetic energy manip., and other abilities. Also allows the power to appear more "whole" in relation to the character.)

 

[Coco Adel]

Destroying whole cities as babies? God damn. Sounds like you've been through a lot on this site. Either that or you're just in a generally overpowered RP ^^

But yeah, a power or not, Enhanced Condition could still be listed in the CS somehow, even if it's not written as a power. Like, it doesn't have to be stated directly, but others shouldn't have to guess whether a character can lift a pick up truck, or throw the Statue of Liberty halfway around the world. So even if it's implied, I think most RPs like the ones you're talking about could benefit by having players have some sort of ballpark in strength, speed, durability, etc, so there's at least some variation between the characters' physical attributes, just like there is in real life athletes. But that's just my two cents though. Writing out everything does get tedious sometimes.

I used to do this often before (and don't do it anymore!), but I used ban "Enhanced Condition" as a power altogether because it was so vague and people used it to be better than everyone else.

Now I think there's something that someone on reddit introduced, and that's a focus system. I want to share that with everyone here.

Basically, anyone can have whatever enhanced condition they want, but they set up 3 focuses for the Enhanced Condition. In that way, one person can have Enhanced Condition with a focus on reflexes, speed, and dexterity (speedster), while another can have their focus in strength, durability, and endurance (typical bruiser). It also gets people to mix and match their typical "Enhanced Condition" powers. Like, what if I made someone with enhanced durability, enhanced speed, and an enhanced stride? I basically get someone who can go 5 meters in one step and run into opponents without worrying about getting hurt!

So instead of just throwing "Enhanced Condition" out there, now characters are diverse. They still have their enhanced condition, but now it's for a reason.

Thoughts on a focus system in RPs?

(Focus systems can extend out to other powers that typically have many applications, such as electricity manipulation, kinetic energy manip., and other abilities. Also allows the power to appear more "whole" in relation to the character.)

Well not just this website, I've bee through at least 4 websites including this one, it usually stems from the competitive nature of people wanting to be the strongest fighter so they go overboard likely because someone else did first and they're just trying to keep up.

 

[duegxybus]

Well not just this website, I've bee through at least 4 websites including this one, it usually stems from the competitive nature of people wanting to be the strongest fighter so they go overboard likely because someone else did first and they're just trying to keep up.

Person 1 - I can bench a truck
Person 2 - I can lift a building!
Person 3 - I CAN WARP REALITY.

Person 1 & 2 - Shit.

Person 3 - *Makes 12 other chars that can warp reality because that's the only power that works*

Person 4+ - *Reality warping is default*

 

[Coco Adel]

Person 1 - I can bench a truck
Person 2 - I can lift a building!
Person 3 - I CAN WARP REALITY.

Person 1 & 2 - Shit.

Person 3 - *Makes 12 other chars that can warp reality because that's the only power that works*

Person 4+ - *Reality warping is default*

Lol yeah it usually goes something like that and I won't say I've never been OP but my OPness usually stems from knowledge and creativity. I have a favorite power and over the years I have learned more things about that power and thought of different ways to use it, but reality warping was never a power I used, my most OP power by nature that I ever used was Gravity Manipulation and that's not even my favorite power.

 

[duegxybus]

Lol yeah it usually goes something like that and I won't say I've never been OP but my OPness usually stems from knowledge and creativity. I have a favorite power and over the years I have learned more things about that power and thought of different ways to use it, but reality warping was never a power I used, my most OP power by nature that I ever used was Gravity Manipulation and that's not even my favorite power.

Gravity manipulation is a pretty heavy power (no joke intended) and can easily be exploited, but with limits it's a very fun (and intimidating) ability to experiment with in stories. Reality warping tends to get boring if not restricted or limited right.

Overpoweredness tends to come from a combination of powerful, versatile, AND having no limits at all (or negligible limits like "gets too angry"). Basically nobody is a threat to that character. I'd say knowledge is kind of messy in RPs with inexperienced writers - example: just because a writer knows that electricity and magnetism are directly connected doesn't mean the character would know - but it usually goes away with time and practice. Creative uses for powers...hmm...yeah I guess I could see that being overpowered. But then again, just because it sounds cool in theory doesn't mean it works in practice, as most other characters aren't willing to die. It's just that when the creativity is forced onto someone else and pushed into powerplay territory, then it becomes an OP issue.

 

[Coco Adel]

Gravity manipulation is a pretty heavy power (no joke intended) and can easily be exploited, but with limits it's a very fun (and intimidating) ability to experiment with in stories. Reality warping tends to get boring if not restricted or limited right.

Overpoweredness tends to come from a combination of powerful, versatile, AND having no limits at all (or negligible limits like "gets too angry"). Basically nobody is a threat to that character. I'd say knowledge is kind of messy in RPs with inexperienced writers - example: just because a writer knows that electricity and magnetism are directly connected doesn't mean the character would know - but it usually goes away with time and practice. Creative uses for powers...hmm...yeah I guess I could see that being overpowered. But then again, just because it sounds cool in theory doesn't mean it works in practice, as most other characters aren't willing to die. It's just that when the creativity is forced onto someone else and pushed into powerplay territory, then it becomes an OP issue.

Well, I've never actually done the " Just because I know something means my character knows it to" at that point my character has gone through significant growth to where it is realistic that they'd know these things, that they have been practiced and therefore they can do them. The only time I've arguably done the "I know it so my character knows it" is when I was literally RPing as myself, there were times when I'd RP fight with my friends, we weren't playing as a character we were just using powers to see who would win, but that's literally it.

 

[Coco Adel]

Gravity manipulation is a pretty heavy power (no joke intended) and can easily be exploited, but with limits it's a very fun (and intimidating) ability to experiment with in stories. Reality warping tends to get boring if not restricted or limited right.

Overpoweredness tends to come from a combination of powerful, versatile, AND having no limits at all (or negligible limits like "gets too angry"). Basically nobody is a threat to that character. I'd say knowledge is kind of messy in RPs with inexperienced writers - example: just because a writer knows that electricity and magnetism are directly connected doesn't mean the character would know - but it usually goes away with time and practice. Creative uses for powers...hmm...yeah I guess I could see that being overpowered. But then again, just because it sounds cool in theory doesn't mean it works in practice, as most other characters aren't willing to die. It's just that when the creativity is forced onto someone else and pushed into powerplay territory, then it becomes an OP issue.

Even then it's a bit tricky because I RPd with the knowledge of my powers because I was technically me but I didn't RP with the knowledge I knew about the other person and acted as if there was no way for me to know what their weaknesses were or how their powers worked even though in reality I did...so I confused myself on that one lol

 

[Damafaud]

Hm... [x] immunity when the character's power is [x] manipulation.

It becomes expected, I think? Not everyone has done this, but you don't see a pyromancer getting burned by his own fire too often.

No, Bob, your hand is not immune to 100 degree celcius fire even if you can shoot fireball for it. You have third degrees burn on both hands now.
No, Karen, you cannot withstand absolute zero temperature even if it was you that froze the city. Karen has hypothermia. Karen fuc*king dies.

 

[Coco Adel]

Hm... [x] immunity when the character's power is [x] manipulation.

It becomes expected, I think? Not everyone has done this, but you don't see a pyromancer getting burned by his own fire too often.

No, Bob, your hand is not immune to 100 degree celcius fire even if you can shoot fireball for it. You have third degrees burn on both hands now.
No, Karen, you cannot withstand absolute zero temperature even if it was you that froze the city. Karen has hypothermia. Karen fuc*king dies.

Oh my god this made me laugh so much lol XD

But true

 

[Idea]

So I'm assuming for this question we are being asked what we count as a power in how we construct our powers, and not in how we view the topic in general.



1.Achievements of Potential
The rule basically goes like this: If it's possible to achieve for a normal person, then it's either a useless power or not a power at all. In terms of my construction, doesn't count as a power.

2.Anything the Power Requires for Basic Functionality
Damafaud already pretty much pointed this one out, some powers just don't work if you don't have some extra. Fire resistance for fire wielders, shapeshifters being able to stay sentient despite turning into objects or animals,

3.Extra Applications
So long as they are entirely composed of the power's own abilities, and nothing exterior, I consider extra applications of powers to be acceptable.

4.Knowing the Power
Sometimes you just don't want a huge sequence explaining how and why the character actually knows the full details about a power that is unique to them and no doctor ever examined it or really anyone could have come up with how it actually works IU, they just kinda know... I don't think that knowledge needs to be counted as a power of it's own, despite being kind of supernatural. And that's not even knowing how they got their expertize in wielding it, which some characters seem to just be inherently built with.

5.Pain Resistance
Can you even begin to imagine how painful, say, shapeshifting must be? Having all of your skin and bones rapidly expand of compress, altering their positions and shape, your very brain warping to the point you don't even know how it is capable of human thought anymore, etc... This kind of overlaps a bit with #2 , but I think it's significant enough to deserve it's own number, your character has to have quite the tolerance for pain just to deal with their own power. But when you get into a supers fight, it's not uncommon for huge wounds, gunshots and other very painful events to happen and despite that many have to keep fighting from what would make a normal person run away, cry in pain or pass out.

6.Singularity Magic
All powers break the laws of physics. You can't make something out of nothing is the most common example, tough just the average defying of physics like floating is also just kind of there. I feel like supers just kind of have this innate capacity to negate physics if they have a power, which ramifies beyond just being able to use their powers. For instance, a lot of supers try to catch people falling off buildings with their hands. Which if you know anything about pressure means that it would basically turn the falling peon's spinal cord into soup. Yet heros still do that, so in some sense they have to be able to ignore those laws, and I think for the sake of the rule of cool that is fair to some extent.

 

[General]

Any ability an individual possesses that a significant perecentage of humans do not possess, provided that the individual in question hasn't worked themself to the extreme, is a power in my eyes. For example, an amazing metabolism would certainly set one individual apart from others. Though such slight differences would merely be genetic or otherwise, advantages at first, it can't be denied that a pronounced phenotypal difference is itself a power despite the availability of a practical use. Small differences breed big differences and then, X-Men.

 

[Neon Valkyrie]

Power is a poor term, it suggests something has to be supernatural to count. Really, in any RP like that, you need to think of every character, even passers, as having abilities/traits/whatever, it's the scale of it that makes it a "power" . Holding your breath isn't a "power," but holding it indefinitely is. Lifting a cup of coffee isn't, but lifting a cement truck is. Thinking it would be cool to build power armour isn't, but doing it is. In this system, but Stat general characteristics like strength, agility, and intelligence, and just stretch the scale to ridiculous proportions. Then, separately, have things like magic, flight, and electrokinesis, also scaled. That way you can have heroes like Dr Strange (soft and easily poked, but magically powerful) AND wolverine (essentially a guy with knife-hands and a powerful nose, but who is virtually unkillable), AND Batman (armoured, butt-kicking, and super-resourceful.)

... Also, not everyone should be in peak condition, that's just munchkining. It goes without saying someone with super strength also needs to be durable enough to life a building, but Mind-o the mentalist is allowed to have weak upper-body strength and poor cardio.

 

[BackSet]

To me a power consists of anything a normal human could not learn or do (without technology that does not currently exist).

However, this only applies to suoerhero roleplays as fantasy roleplays have a wider variety of races that are not “unique super powered indivisuals” and just have those powers naturally.

 

[TheDarkLord]

i don't count omnipotence as a power cos its makes all the conflict pointless. i mean think about it. omnipotence is basically u can make anything happen, so like anyone who opposes him would be slain in a blink of an eye.

 

[BackSet]

i don't count omnipotence as a power cos its makes all the conflict pointless. i mean think about it. omnipotence is basically u can make anything happen, so like anyone who opposes him would be slain in a blink of an eye.

This is why anybody who gains omnipotence is either super restricted or barely has it for more than a few minutes.

 

[TheDarkLord]

This is why anybody who gains omnipotence is either super restricted or barely has it for more than a few minutes.

You can restrict omnipotence???

 

[BackSet]

You can restrict omnipotence???

Yes. Why do you think gods need heroes to do their dirty work?

 

[TheDarkLord]

Yes. Why do you think gods need heroes to do their dirty work?

Cos there wont be a plot if they just used their powers to resolve all conflict?

 

[BackSet]

Cos there wont be a plot if they just used their powers to resolve all conflict?

Exactly. In order to make the plot happen there are limits added.

 

[Umbrie]

some species have extremely specific powers built into thier species. i'd still count these powers as powers. superhuman learning ability is also a superpower.