A balanced power

[RootBeerBert]

I’m trying to think of up a balanced power for one of my Main characters, but I don’t wanna give him something too OP since actually relying on others is a turning point for him. For reference, he’s a guy with maxed out stats in a world where the top tiers all have broken abilities that are hard to fight against conventionally. Sorry if this is too vague, but any suggestions will help.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

Spinning is a good trick.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Literally anything. This one's too vague. Maybe Enhance Ability, to take advantage of maxed out stats?

 

[Rhaps]

Spinning is a good trick.

This, rotational force is pretty hype. Your MC could be someone like Gyro Zeppeli

 

[Jerynboe]

Hmm. Play into the maxed out stats but no op ability by having him be a consumable item crafter. He can make *the best* healing potions, *the best* alchemical liquid nitrogen, *the best* smoke bombs, and *the best* rapidly hardening foam solutions.
They take time and effort to make, so they are always in short supply and he needs to be careful with them. Further, he can’t make much that is truly unique, so people will probably be able to recognize the items he’s using if they are in the know. It’s flexible, and powerful, but not “special,” especially since anyone else with sufficient budget could theoretically replicate his items at 60-80% effectiveness.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

I need to know more about the setting. For example, forced dream and time Hop allows you to create and destroy universes for a handful of power points. There's a power in book of the nine swords that lets you flex your muscles and put out the sun. These are both cheap and mid level powers in d20 3.0/3.5

Power is relative.

Explain setting.

 

[RootBeerBert]

I need to know more about the setting. For example, forced dream and time Hop allows you to create and destroy universes for a handful of power points. There's a power in book of the nine swords that lets you flex your muscles and put out the sun. These are both cheap and mid level powers in d20 3.0/3.5

Power is relative.

Explain setting.

The peak of power would either be continent or planetary level with anything above it being in very specific scenarios. And a lot of the top tiers’ abilities aren’t necessarily destructive, they’re mostly complex stuff that no one in the verse can overpower head on.

 

[Kekw]

I’m trying to think of up a balanced power for one of my Main characters, but I don’t wanna give him something too OP since actually relying on others is a turning point for him. For reference, he’s a guy with maxed out stats in a world where the top tiers all have broken abilities that are hard to fight against conventionally. Sorry if this is too vague, but any suggestions will help.

I don't really think that matters too much, because all that decides if the ability is actually broken or not is the environment the main character is in

Simply put I think anything is pretty fine as long as you scale up the power of the enemies too, to make it interesting

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

The ability to drown people.

 

[Miurahh]

Maxed out support stats but no damage dealing abilities?

Kinda like shield hero I guess.

 

[Arkus86]

The ability to strike the enemy with exactly the same force they are applying against you.
It's perfectly balanced, and forces him to rely on others if he wants any other result than a stalemate.

 

[TransCatGirl]

You want the power to either have a counter/weakness, be situational or work best with other people.
Healers basically require other people.
Pyrokinesis is useless when fighting a sea monster.
What if you fall into a well. What if someone else does?
infinite hp makes tou the perfect tank but can still capture you alive, you Need a team.
Surprise attacks or traps?
teleportation might be another need a team
seer: potentially op but fundamentally support

you might want jack of all trades master of none
If the mc can solve a problem on their own then make it a part of a greater issue

 

[Keriahenta]

Give him more support oriented skill build i guess? Like heals or buffs

 

[BearlyAlive]

Healing is too easy to use the wrong way.

Just give him Debuffs or Curses that apply to both sides if you want a support power. Every Debuff his enemy gets, he gets as well. Easy, (un)balanced, totally OP ability that's as close to an instant-win-button as you can get while still keeping the illusion of fairness (if you don't look long enough, otherwise it's the most BS of all abilities one could think of since it in theory counters EVERYTHING if you give 'em enough different debuffs...)

Or just a reflection/mirror-based ability? Those tend to be reactionary in their power set while still OP enough to count as "MC-worthy"

Alternatively you just give them a joke ability like "switching genders under hot/ cold water" and write some BS while it's OP

 

[Hopper]

The ability to drown people.

Ben Drowned disliked that.

 

[2wordsperminute]

Guaranteed hit attacks that deal low damage but give debuffs.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

I thought of this on the toilet for some reason:

The ability to instantaneously change your momentum. Think of going for a full-powered overhead strike. The guy goes for the block fully knowing you're basically flying through the air and can't change directions and then boom, uppercut.

 

[Thraben]

I’m trying to think of up a balanced power for one of my Main characters, but I don’t wanna give him something too OP since actually relying on others is a turning point for him. For reference, he’s a guy with maxed out stats in a world where the top tiers all have broken abilities that are hard to fight against conventionally. Sorry if this is too vague, but any suggestions will help.

The ability to turn anything 'impossible' into something 'possible' within a certain condition. Namely, the condition that the power in no way makes it easy and the protagonist still has to do it manually.

Example: There is no possible way for a random butterknife to cut through the big bad's armor, but for the protagonist, there IS a possibility, something like a perfect angle and a temporary physics bypass, if the protag has enough skill to pull it off.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

The peak of power would either be continent or planetary level with anything above it being in very specific scenarios. And a lot of the top tiers’ abilities aren’t necessarily destructive, they’re mostly complex stuff that no one in the verse can overpower head on.

Uhhh...

That tells be nothing.
Magic? SUPERSCIENCE! Weird science? 1900s Gothic monsters? Lovecraftian horrors? DC style superheroes? Marvel style? Post modern deconstruction superheroes? European ambient otome? D&D knock off isekai? Cyberpunk? Post Apocalypse zombie horror? Trapped in a VR game? VR game bleeds into the real world? Environmental disaster awakens mutant/magic?

Seriously.

Wtf is the SETTING?

I’m trying to think of up a balanced power for one of my Main characters, but I don’t wanna give him something too OP since actually relying on others is a turning point for him. For reference, he’s a guy with maxed out stats in a world where the top tiers all have broken abilities that are hard to fight against conventionally. Sorry if this is too vague, but any suggestions will help.

If you just want generic ideas, that require teamwork, Here:

Guardian: He gets stronger the more people he has to protect. The most work he takes on and the more responsibility he has, the stronger he gets. He is only weak and vulnerable when he takes time off to have a life.

Know Happiness: His power is to know how to make anyone happy. True Happiness. Who their one true love is. However, some people are broken. Sociopaths might have brain damage so they can never be happy. Some people might be happy committing murder and killing. But he knows everyone's vices and what pushes their buttons.

Universal Danger Sense: He knows when people are in danger. Everywhere. He then knows their location and how they are in danger. This turns into Minority Report really fast.

Healer: See Wrong Way to do healing magic

Support Guy: He does Buffing magic

Immune to Pain: In a world of Augmented Reality where people watch other people play arena style combat while wearing AR helmets, the combatants are taken out by direct stimulation of the pain centers. The MC has brain damage that makes him feel euphoria when the 'kill switch' kicks in, allowing him to keep playing when others would pass out. He is destined to become a World Famous Player, but it is a team sport.

 

[shadowniy]

Does everyone have max stats, or is it just him
if it's just him, have simple skills for him or skills that he has to pay a cost to use, like life, stats, or conditional like its need to via an external influence since he needs to come to depend on friendship eventually maybe its a combo attack the combines basic skills that he has with more advance skills other has like chrono trigger and perhaps the stronger the relationship is, the better the skill becomes

Maybe he has solid skills but can't use them unless someone takes recoil damage for him, and only those who share mutual trust can be used.

Perhaps he gains skills based on the other person he builds a friendship with