AVATAR SKILLS

[SigmaCaine]

D's explanation seems much more consistent with what I've actually observed - from what I understand, D, you're saying a Fleming always has the ability to use Disguise 1 and appear as any House (thus explaining all the Marcus/Janice Gabriels, and people with a cover identity in many Houses, who were definately around *after* the Fleming rules rewrite). But once they hit level 5, they can no longer attempt to fake the House skills, though they can still pretend to be someone else (using their own Fleming CC).

Vinny, it seems like you're saying once a Fleming hits level 5 they are either their original self or their Disguise 2 persona (until Disguise 3), and can never be anything but those.

[Salvius]

Vinny, it seems like you're saying once a Fleming hits level 5 they are either their original self or their Disguise 2 persona (until Disguise 3), and can never be anything but those.

The rules clearly state that using any house other than the one which is represented on your Disguise 2 fake card constitutes a blown cover, and would reset you to Tier 1 in that House. Once you make your Disguise 2 fake card, you are NO LONGER ABLE TO USE DISGUISE 1 without giving up your achived Tier in your cover character.

>>>Vinny

[SigmaCaine]

So at that point, what becomes the point of being a Fleming as a House? If you can't ever pretend of be someone else unless you're impersonating someone specific, why not just be the House of your Disguise 2 persona from the beginning and never worry about blown cover?

It just seems like spies and masters of Disguise should never be locked into one identity (although I'm in agreement with the "you can't try to fake other House skills" part). It also seems to directly go against the "ways to play a Fleming" part of the rulebook, where the first way described is to switch Houses all the time and just cause confusion and chaos.

If you never pick a Disguise 2 persona, can you continue to use Disguise 1 and House-jump all the time?

[Salvius]

So at that point, what becomes the point of being a Fleming as a House? If you can't ever pretend of be someone else unless you're impersonating someone specific, why not just be the House of your Disguise 2 persona from the beginning and never worry about blown cover?

It just seems like spies and masters of Disguise should never be locked into one identity (although I'm in agreement with the "you can't try to fake other House skills" part). It also seems to directly go against the "ways to play a Fleming" part of the rulebook, where the first way described is to switch Houses all the time and just cause confusion and chaos.

If you never pick a Disguise 2 persona, can you continue to use Disguise 1 and House-jump all the time?

Yes, you can continue to Disguise 1 house-jump until you invoke Disguise 2. Also, if you blow your cover, you can continue to house jump as much as you want. In fact, until you make a new level, you are allowed to do whatever you want and not take any further penalty.

Once a Fleming gets Disguise 3, he gets a whole set of Skills which are quite unique.

>>>Vinny

[Alf Cunha]

Yes, you can continue to Disguise 1 house-jump until you invoke Disguise 2. Also, if you blow your cover, you can continue to house jump as much as you want. In fact, until you make a new level, you are allowed to do whatever you want and not take any further penalty.


**  So to sum up:

     Disguise 1 allows you to jump from house to house, and use any house's Tier 1 and 2 skills so long as you make the (11-Level) card draw.

     Once you have Disguise 2 active, you cannot employ Disguise 1 without breaking cover


**  Is this correct?


Alf

[Avie]

A couple of Flemings raised the worry that a flat yes to that last query would result in an unmasking of MG.

Here's the convo I just had with Vinny:

I said "Ok. if each Fleming has a Marcus/Janice Gabriel costume hanging in his/her closet, and they get a call saying "You need to be at a council meeting NOW." they can show up and be a believable Gabriel."

"Yes. Fleming is the only house other than their cover which can appear once they've committed to their cover house."   

So, one can be Fleming, but one cannot be something non-Fleming, non-Cover.

--Av

[Hollywood]

**  So to sum up:

     Disguise 1 allows you to jump from house to house, and use any house's Tier 1 and 2 skills so long as you make the (11-Level) card draw.

     Once you have Disguise 2 active, you cannot employ Disguise 1 without breaking cover

**  Is this correct?

If Alf's interpretation is correct, what if one blows their cover and reverts to tier 1, can they still attempt to fake a tier 2 power by making the (11-level) card draw?

[SigmaCaine]

*head explodes*

[Salvius]

Yes, you can continue to Disguise 1 house-jump until you invoke Disguise 2. Also, if you blow your cover, you can continue to house jump as much as you want. In fact, until you make a new level, you are allowed to do whatever you want and not take any further penalty.


**  So to sum up:

     Disguise 1 allows you to jump from house to house, and use any house's Tier 1 and 2 skills so long as you make the (11-Level) card draw.

     Once you have Disguise 2 active, you cannot employ Disguise 1 without breaking cover


**  Is this correct?


Alf

Yes.

>>>Vinny

[Salvius]

If Alf's interpretation is correct, what if one blows their cover and reverts to tier 1, can they still attempt to fake a tier 2 power by making the (11-level) card draw?

Yes.

>>>Vinny

[Salvius]

*head explodes*

Yes.

>>>Vinny

[Valeria Kane]

::while placing Cassie's head-explody-bits in a bucket::


**  Cool, clarification made on Fleming Tier 2 (and 1, and yeah, you know what I mean )

     Next phase - is there going to be any discussion over Dodging bonuses or will it basically be announced when a decision is made?


Alf

[Salvius]

::while placing Cassie's head-explody-bits in a bucket::

     Next phase - is there going to be any discussion over Dodging bonuses or will it basically be announced when a decision is made?


Alf

Haven't gotten to that yet

>>>Vinny

[Dr. Steed]

"Yes. Fleming is the only house other than their cover which can appear once they've committed to their cover house."   

And the party of the first part... ::contains brain-explosion::

Lemme see if I got this right...

Let's say I'm playing a Fleming - we'll call him Mr. Y (Y? Because I want to! :-D). Mr. Y is a deep-cover operative in Galahad - he used Disguise I to fake being a Galahad until he got access to Disguise II. At that time, he made up a cover-House CC that said "Mr. Y - Galahad", all nice and official. Then, at a Gathering, Mr. Y's Secret Fleming Cell-Phone(TM) rings. Mr. Y has to sit in as Marcus Gabriel at a Council Meeting.

Given this scenario, would I be correct in believing that:

1. Mr. Y can put on the Fleming Badge - effectively switching identities - without losing his Disguise-II status (his official disguise as a Galahad is considered "on hold")?
2. That he appears to be "just another one of the Gabriels" to all observers?
3. That, when it's all over, Mr. Y can go back to his cover of "Mr. Y of Galahad" with no penalties?
4. The only reason this works this way is because "putting on the Fleming badge" in general is a special case?

[Alf Cunha]

**  More Alfishness:


**  Page 25 (Repair Item):  As a general note ... do we realize that once you get Item Creation 4, it's easier to build a new item than to fix an old one?


**  Page 25 (Tweak Item):  the other item skills have been changed to the much simpler "X IU per week", while Tweak retains the old and cumbersome "1 week + 1 week per X points".  Can we put Tweak in line with the Item creation skills?

   
**  Page 25 (Coercion and Hypnosis):  I believe it was Dave G who broguth up the question, and I'll restate it - are these two skills different enough to warrant separate categories.  Aside from an extra 5 minutes and potenially more than one command I don't see how they're different enough to separate into two different skills (especially now that they're tiered).


**  Page 25 (Marksmanship and Throwing):  have these two skills been left weakened on purpose?  Martial Arts grants you defense against LR at level 4, Combat Flexibility at 5, and Shield Parry at 3.  Marksmanship cannot compete with these skills as written and don't even have the benefit of a supplemental skill like Focus Attack.  Marksmanship and Throwing need to have better numbers, like every other combat skill.