You've got the Power

[Rodimus13]

Build-a power level is.... weird. She's a build bot, non fighter. She seems powerful because she is aware enough to sort of realize how to twist robot logic around, but doesn't really realize she's doing it.

[HGohwell]

My world has three main different types of magic and they sorta all have their own systems:

• Algeans are naturally of all about the same level potential, which is at the upper end of the all encompassing scale, and their strength simply depends on how much they've studied and practiced.
• The so called Goddesses have wildly varying powers which also depends on their power and how they use it. One is immortal, one has power over toxic gases, one can control anything defined as a weapon, one helps those in need.
• Primordial magic used by Mages. Latent magic exist throughout the system wherever the sun's light touches and sometimes just does its own thing. This one does have power levels based on just how you are. Some people are more sensitive to it than others, like some people can sing and some can't and there's only so much teaching can do.

On an overall power scale, Goddesses warp reality around them, Alegeans convert reality into something else, and Mages can only use the reality around. And then the Primordial Beings who exist mostly in a separate reality and who give everyone else their power and they're at the very top of the scale.

I always prefer my main characters at the bottom end of the scale, or to have seemingly not useful ability. They're often not able to use magic at all and spend most their time with Badass Normal status.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

I love that idea. Super awesome concept.

[ble]

Mine so far relies on spells that have different ranks (C,B,A,S).

S spells are more powerfull and require a lot of mana and other cost, so it's not something you can spam. While a rank C spell is less powerful but cost a lot less too.

Baphomet's sheep | Tapas

[Kann]

Characters in my comic have a way of knowing the power level of other characters though they don't see their exact level. They just kind of sense if someone is weaker or stronger than them.

One of my MCs is kind of overpowered, but has poor control over his powers, also if he can actually control it at the moment, he uses it for healing rather than fighting. Another MC has his power levels "just right". He's strong enough to be able to pose some threat but also weak enough to get his ass beaten by a villain without winning a fight with a ridiculous sudden power up.

[BobbyjoeX]

in my comic, its based on the overall skill of the person, sure some are born stronger than others but maybe its because the ones trying to use a certain magic is more powerful in a different type of magic

my question is if anyone else has a limit or a trade off for using certain powers

for example in my comic, using regular powers more so take the same type of energy as everyday, using magic is a workout in itself (wish it was that easy in real life). but if the user has high blood pressure, it can bring on headaches or in worst case scenarios, heart attack

every user has the power to heal but it does have the long cliched trade off as inflicting the injury on themself.

there are some things that are last resort, there are some moves/attacks so powerful and takes so much of the person's energy it can just outright kill them as a result

ROYAL | Tapas

[droidmonkey1]

I hate when in worlds there is an arbitrary system of power, like in dragonball.
over 9000, is 9000 a lot or in comparison to them. you have no scale.
so I build a system for myself, that 0 is the baseline- ordinary human.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

@BobbyjoeXforgotensb

Yes in answer to your question. My main character has an ability that gives him high strength that potentially never runs out unless the ability is deactivated. The trade off, is the more he access the ability on a scale from 1-100% the more he loses control of his mental clarity and stability.
It causes his adrenaline and testosterone to spike in order to compensate his body receiving such high levels of energy.

[ForLackOfStars]

I do this with my non-tapas novel.

The main character is completely overpowered in all senses of the word. She is supernaturally strong and fast, nigh-indestructible, and can destroy monsters with a single touch. All of these, however, come with very significant drawbacks. She had to train from a young age in order to avoid dislocating or breaking something in her body every time she punches someone. Using her powers too much results in permanent, incurable nerve damage, and she mentions at least once that because of the strain on her body, she will die at a young age.

Most importantly, none if these powers can actually solve the conflict at the heart of the story. Super strength and impossible speed can't fix trauma, or make someone happy. In my mind, that's how you make an "overpowered: character work. Throw problems at them that their powers are unable to solve.

[aqua03]

I kind of have been following a My Hero Academia or JoJo way of power balance for my WIP comic DRGN. Where everyone has a basic set of skills (E.I. One of the protagonists has powers based around sand, rocks, and sunlight) and they have to train, get over mental hurdles, and find more creative ways to use them if they want to get stronger at using their skills. Sure, they would get tokusatsu-esque power ups later in the story (DRGN is basically a fantasy version of Kamen Rider or Power Rangers.) But again, they would have to learn how to use them effectively and creatively to get stronger with them.

Also, I have one or two characters that could just solve things with a literal snap of their fingers in my story if they wanted to, but purposefully restrain themselves so as to keep things interesting.

[Myst]

I have all of my characters start from the bottom, unless there’s a good reason they already have power and there’s usually some kind of trade off for their powers. They’re not good with them right away. I make sure they struggle and learn to use it as their character development goes on.

What you saw in the Characters Cafe were my characters pretty much at the end or near the end of their development.

For example, Xander’s Mushin. A unique skill in my series where there are only a few side/support characters that have it, but Xander consistently remains as the only human character with it. The drawback of Mushin is the huge strain on the body and for him, it remains incomplete across several novels. Because he just can’t figure it out. It’s not widely known, but slowly and surely, it will eventually become a known thing that anybody can get but it would be extremely difficult in-universe.

Another example would be Ren’s Regalia. When he first shows up in-universe, his manipulation of aura is wild and unrefined. He knows how to use it to an extent and it tired him out, but better control over it doesn’t get seen until after a time skip at some point, insisting that he learned.

Not all of my protagonist-tier characters are equal in power, but they can each defeat each other in their own ways through their wit. Each one of them serves a different purpose, some more than others. When it comes to a power scale in my series, it’s clearly there, but I don’t run things by numbers or feats. I prefer to let characters grow in power overtime. There’s no fun if a character is overpowered right off the bat unless it’s satire/parody like One Punch Man or there’s some kind of inner struggle. There’ll always be a side character that’s stronger than my main cast of characters though.

[Rhonder]

I don't have defined power levels in my story, everything is just played by feel. However something that I played with during the writing and have been trying to show, is that no one is OP, everyone has their weaknesses and draw backs. The MC is purposely underpowered, but even beyond him: his two friends can't use magic, and are just average young adults, so their proficiency in combat is limited to what they can do with their weapons, both sets of guards, despite being older and with more experience, are shown casually getting out maneuvered by the theif, and even the theif (who I'm sure looks pretty OP to most readers at this point xD) has her notable drawbacks and limitations on her powers.

But basically the whole story is about figuring out how to use the amount of power you have available in creative applications to accomplish goals! The MC has a unique yet very weak ability, and it's not until partway through the story that he learns to stop stressing over pure power level~

[nathanKmcwilliams]

I'm loving all of the different styles of Power everyone has been talking about. This is a fantastic discourse.

@ProjectMyst It's been fun during the Character Café, especially since I decided to break Rip away from his own universe and have him adapt to the collected mythos we've been building. So, I've been making him grow and grow, with new rules of course. You and @aqua03 have really helped with my own ideas of how power should be used both in my universe and in a different one.

[aqua03]

Ah, neat thanks. Glad I could help. (How exactly did I help with that during the Character Cafe?)

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Just by creating the topic in the first place. I've also been reading how you do fight scenes too. It's been an overall awesome experience. Plus, I've really gotten in touch with how Rip interacts with people and situations.

[aqua03]

Neat, thanks so much for the compliments! I've been having fun with it as well, especially with the character interactions.

[SleepingPoppy]

How do you determine your character's Power Scale? Why do you write it the way you do? Is every character in your fictional world aware of the power? This topic is about one thing, Power and how you create it in your fictional world. Answer any of the questions, or pose one of your own. If I missed a question feel free to fill in the gap, as long as it pertains to: (you guessed it) Power.

My comic is supernatural, so power is divided between hell hounds, demons, and angels, plus humans that might be sensitive to magic. You can kind of think of hell hounds on the bottom half and demons the top half as far a power scale, and then angels are spread across the spectrum depending upon where they fit into the Angelic Choir. For each character it's a bit of a mix between inborn ability and the skills they've honed over time.

I like stories that aren't about brute strength or going straight at an issue only. I don't mind if it involves weaker or stronger powers at play, as long as there's more too it than power level. My stories tend to focus on romance, too, so there's usually a social dynamic that sometimes supports and sometime subverts the raw power present of certain people.

[GesuGesu]

Reading stories with power levels, I like a well-thought systems where even powerful character exceptions are still subject to the laws of the system. I would say that Hunter x Hunter's Nen system is a good one. Even Kurapika or Gon's overpowered powers are only because they used the system to their advantage, and had to pay a heavy cost in order to use their powers.

As a writer, I like to build the two ends of the power spectrum and have a basic power system outlined before I start making characters and placing them somewhere on the power scale.

[baasinsimple]

Good question. My power system has a really simple foundation, being divided into Elemental and 'pure' powers and the skill sets merely being divided into Defense, Offense and Support, The system is gamed by Chi Users to make simple powers still play in their favor, so OP people can still fall to the MC, because Chi is a relatively new system that has been introduced recently to the entire world my story has been set in, The system evolves with the story, since the first setting stars barbarians who just found this new power recently and ,for all intents and purposes, are just kinda fuckin around with the powers. So raw strength still plays a huge role in the story even though that will diminish as the story goes on. Seeing as my main characters can't evolve their raw strength too much.

[simplykit]

cool idea!

your char depends on tools and his brains to defeats foes?

awesome!

mine is secret tho