Inventing Points

Inventing Points go a long way in the Ravensgate Campaign Setting. Don’t squander them. With sincere thanks to Tim Hartin and the WebRPG Town Hall V&V Forum, here are the possible uses of IP’s:

Change any Automatic Fumble roll into a success. Roll a 20 at the worst possible moment? You can ignore it, but it’ll cost you.
Add a +4 Bonus Modifier to any single die roll (attack, damage, skill, etc) during a pivotal dramatic moment. Bear in mind that the bad guys can do this, too.
Attempt a significant breakthrough in a chosen mundane profession, as per the standard V&V inventing rules. This could be a first novel for a freelance writer, a big Vegas weekend for a professional gambler, or a major published work for an academic.
Attempt to gain a clue or hint from the GM. The character’s Inventing Percentage will then substitute for his or her Intelligence.
Create inventions, as per the standard V&V rules. Think outside the box with this category. Metamorphic energy projectors can’t carry utility belts, for example, but they can develop new power stunts.
Develop a highly useful contact, as per standard V&V inventing rules. Personal relationships take time to cultivate, and prime examples include Commissioner Gordon from Batman/Detective.
Escape death. Regardless of how far past the negative of your Basic Hits, your character somehow miraculously escapes death but is reduced to 0 Hit Points and 1d6+3 Power.
Show some chutzpah! You can do one of two things with chutzpah, each of which demonstrates unusual strength of character: You can either double your Charisma Modifier for a turn, or you can do what you must. You know how Bruce Willis gets pounded and then seems to have sufficiently recovered in the next scene? Well, spend an inventing point and roll; that’s how you do what you must. Your roll result, if successful, is then subtracted from 100; the new result is the percentage of PR and HP recovered.

Just because your character has Inventing Points on his or her character sheet, does not make the character Reed Richards. It all comes down to what the rules themselves say--that inventions should be in line with character concept:...And, finally, the GM should discourage inventions which conflict with the inventor's motif by labeling inconsistent inventions impossible as well. Tiger Man should invent things to augment his tiger powers, not a laser rifle. (Section 6.3, Paragraph 12, "Predestined Failure")

In short, the “invention” has to fit within the character’s concept, motif and origin: a trick shot for an Energy Projector or Weapon Master, a perfected maneuver or mystical trick for a Martial Artist, an investigative breakthrough or a valued contact for a Detective, a new fashion accessory for a Powered Armor Suit or a Cyborg. Also, the invention should be less than a standard power.