Core Abilities as Feats

[Kendermage]

Is it possible for a character to have more than one core ability? Could feats be used to purchase other core abilities? The reason I ask is that there are some feats which allow you to spend Conviction points to achieve an affect, so why not allow Core Abilities to be bought with feats?

[ValhallaGH]

Is it possible for a character to have more than one core ability? Could feats be used to purchase other core abilities? The reason I ask is that there are some feats which allow you to spend Conviction points to achieve an affect, so why not allow Core Abilities to be bought with feats?

There is not such an ability in any of the existing sources.
It would be over-powered. Core abilities are simply better than any single feat. Worse, you open up the "Heroic Feat / Use the new Core ability" combo that lets a character do something that just doesn't make any sense at all for them, no matter how heroic they may be.

Your games, your bullet. You can bite it if you want to. But be informed when you do so.

[cthughua]

Well there is a limiting factor which is that you have a finite amount of Conviction. I would probably allow it but with some limitations. First, I'd allow it only for multi-role heroes, allowing you to take the Core Ability that you otherwise would not have from your new role(s). Second, I would rule that you can only use one Core Ability per round.

[Masada]

The starting Core ability of a character is the only thing that sets each role apart. Standard use of Conviction comes pretty close. I guess with a whole book full of options, I find it unlikely that a character would *need* to have access to multiple Core Abilities. I wouldn't use such an option.

[ValhallaGH]

Well there is a limiting factor which is that you have a finite amount of Conviction.

Depends upon the generosity of your Narrator. Some hand out a lot of Conviction, some are so stingy that characters get themselves locked in jail trying to follow their vice *cough*Chick*cough*.

I would probably allow it but with some limitations. First, I'd allow it only for multi-role heroes, allowing you to take the Core Ability that you otherwise would not have from your new role(s).

Not a bad limitation.

Second, I would rule that you can only use one Core Ability per round.

This one is already in the rules. Only one of each use of Conviction per round. Activating a Core ability is a use of Conviction. So you've already got this one.

And I still say that it's broken.

[cthughua]

Second, I would rule that you can only use one Core Ability per round.

This one is already in the rules. Only one of each use of Conviction per round. Activating a Core ability is a use of Conviction. So you've already got this one.

And I still say that it's broken.

This is true, but some people (myself included) allow multiple instances of Conviction use for certain things so I thought I'd make a point of making the statement.

[Kendermage]

There is not such an ability in any of the existing sources.

Actually you are mistaken. True Faith in the Caliphate Nights section of True20 Adventure Roleplaying, pg 154 allows you to spend a Conviction point to call upon your faith to automatically succeed at a saving throw vs blasphemous magic (no clue what would be considered blasphemous though), repel djinnis, demons, or undead for one scene, identify holy people (assumingly by aura), or to have someone recognize you as a person of true faith.

That said you get a lot of mileage from this one feat, and I'll agree with you it may be over-powered. However, the presence of this feat does set a precedent for constructing other feats such as True Faith. I Think allowing core abilities to be purchased with feats is actually less over-powered than True Faith. At least most of the Core Abilities allow for only a single effect; True Faith gives you four.

Worse, you open up the "Heroic Feat / Use the new Core ability" combo that lets a character do something that just doesn't make any sense at all for them, no matter how heroic they may be.

Just as there are certain feats a character is incapable to using Conviction to gain, so to could the Core Abilities be limited. In other words, you could not use a Conviction point to gain a use of a Core Ability you do not possess.

[ValhallaGH]

Silly, silly Caliphate Nights. Trying to utterly destroy any semblance of rules balance before the rules were even finalized. Sigh.
You're correct Kendermage, I had totally forgotten about the True Faith feat, which grants a Core Ability -like group of abilities to represent the importance and power of faith in that setting. Essentially, it's a small number of supernatural powers that come from the purest of faiths, representative of the powers attributed to the most devout followers of Muhammad's teachings.

I'm unsure if or how it changed when they published the actual setting book, since I don't own that book. (The setting didn't really do much for me, especially at the price they were asking for that book.)

Just as there are certain feats a character is incapable to using Conviction to gain, so to could the Core Abilities be limited. In other words, you could not use a Conviction point to gain a use of a Core Ability you do not possess.

But if I have the feat that grants me the core ability then I possess the core ability don't I? Otherwise, why do I have the feat?
So I use Conviction to Heroic Feat another Core ability for 1 round. Then I use Conviction to activate that core ability.

You'd be much safer lumping these feats into a brand new category, namely feats that cannot be gained via the Heroic Feat mechanic. Since powers are not really feats, they don't fall under the Heroic Feat mechanic; no actual feats are restricted from being acquired as long as the character meets the prerequisites for the feat(s).
Characters are already restricted from spending Conviction to activate core abilities they do not possess.

If anyone decides to include feats that grant core abilities then those feats should be ineligible for Heroic Feat purposes.
If anyone decides to do this, I would advise going one of two directions with it. Either, as cthughua suggests, use it to allow multi-role heroes to acquire the core ability of their new role (I feel that removes the whole point of core abilities but the narrator has probably thought of that already). Or use it, much like Caliphate Nights, to grant a group of brand new core abilities related to major role play developments. Doing both at once will probably lead to great imbalance.