If you could have two "lesser" powers...? (with a minor catch)

[gooddragon1]

If you could have 2 lesser powers (as in not rewriting reality, though see my examples below for a rough idea?) what would they be? The catch is that you have to survive 1 year in an alternate reality of your choice. MLP, Avatarverse, etc...

I'd pick waterbending (Avatar the last airbender cartoon series) and telepathy.

Now, since telepathy is wide open on power level, I'd say that you have as much ability with any powers you pick as Zuko had with his firebending when he first fought Zhao. Not a novice, better than some, but not unbelievably strong. It's a loose principle, but it shows that telepathy wouldn't allow you to take over a planet. You might be able to struggle with will over one person or read thoughts.

Universe... mlp/equestria (because I'm not sure about combat ability).

Feel free to get as meta as you want with this (such as what happens when you come back to normal reality, scientific notation, etc.).

[Some Android]

My powers:

Fart Jutsu: I can make people fart whenever I feel like, and I can make the fart smell like whatever I want. Also the audible volume of the fart is whatever I want it to be.

False Friendship: I can pick on person who is non-hostile towards me. For the next 24 hours they think their my close friend - so much of a friend I can crash at their place for a night and borrow a small amount of money. This ability takes 24 hours to recharge so obviously I can only have one False Friend per day. The same person cannot be affect twice with this ability, and once it expires they forget ever knowing me. Friendship has it's limits, and if I assault them or doing something else very hostile False Friendship ends.

As for the universe I pick Bob's Burgers.

[Ibrinar]

1. Changing my own mass (and that of stuff I am wearing) to near zero or up to 10 times my normal mass without changing current speed or compromising my durability. First controlled flight with low mass should be doable with simple tools though wind might be annoying considering low inertia but I would really like being able to fly. And it has side benefits like that super low mass is useful against collisions since so little energy is required to equalize speeds like punching a leaf. Also not changing speed allows turning high speed reached at low mass into high kinetic energy. However that is not really useful without a serious durability talent. And while durability is a solid second choice it is also a bit boring so I change it to include objects I recently touched with reasonable size limitations instead.
2. Shape shifting into anything from ant to elephant or even mythical beings. Without it affecting my mind beyond giving me the ability to use the body and its senses and without the possibility of getting stuck in a form. Because shifting is awesome.

World I dunno, something with a magic system anyone can learn without needing inborn magic. Ideally not a ****ty world and one without mind control I really wouldn't want to rink becoming someones mind controlled slave or something.

[Peelee]

Strong attunement to the Force for the first power, and the ability to stay in the alternate reality as long as I wanted for the second power. And I'd be in the Star Wars universe. In a relatively peaceful time, I'd prefer.

[Lord Raziere]

My two powers:
the ability to understand and speak any form of communication
the ability to stay in the reality I occupy, becoming immune any effect to teleport or send me away from it, but being unable to travel anywhere else. I can turn this one on and off like a light

The alternate reality: Pokemon-verse.

get sent to pokemon-verse, understand all pokemon, become trainer, use second ability so that I never have to return.

[Adderbane]

Target verse: Equestria; interesting, but still safe.

Taking related powers, because Sanderson is that good.

1: Duralumin Feruchemy. The ability to store Connection. Duralumin metalminds should be easy to acquire, and in any case, Feruchemy doesn't expend material resources. This may have fascinating interactions with the setting, since it allows you to literally store and draw out friendship. It also has applications in communication. Further study is warranted.


2. Biochromatic Awakening. Third or Fourth Heightening at least (600-1000 breaths, Agelessness at 2k would be nice, but I'm sticking to a literal reading of "lesser powers"), this is a good general purpose power, and as long as you don't go around creating Lifeless, you won't run out of resources either. This also grant's perfect pitch; useful in a rather musical setting. This interplay with color may also have important interactions with the setting.

[khadgar567]

white court vampire powers plus good understanding of sorcery as my mandatory stay i will take dead or alive verse.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

So I get two superpowers forever and the "catch" is a one year expedition/vacation in any fictional universe of my own choice, while having these powers? The only downside I see is the gap on my CV.

I have half a mind to pick the game Stunts as my universe, for racing in a happily colored world with super survivable high speed crashes. But it is a little limiting, so why don't I go for Pokémon instead?

Now, Pokémon is a great universe for adventuring and exploring. I bring my kayak (or maybe I quickly find a packraft somewhere before I leave, or I just find a mon who knows surf, or...), and the first mon I try to catch/befriend is something that knows string shot unlimited rope. A good pack animal with strength and rock smash is also a goal for the slightly longer term. It's also a universe with lots of friendly people, and baddies who give up after losing that world's equivalent of a thumb war. So I figure I'm not in much danger. (Or at the very least not much personal danger. Saving us all from the universe being erased with lava for profit so all the Pokémon can be bought up and freed is a random 10 year old's job, not mine.) And that's before I get my super powers!

Let's see, healing is my first power, as in lay on hands style both myself and others, because that's just too useful to not get especially if you still have a second slot. For the second one, maybe some general elementalism? Telekinesis? The ability to talk to animals (and by extention Pokémon)? Super speed? Super jumping (and landing)? Spider climb? Shape changing? Anything works really, whatever best fits the arbitrary limits of what I can get. I already have healing powers and a full year of life changing adventure. Whatever is cool is just a nice bonus.

I can even go and say hi to Raziere while we're both there.

[NontheistCleric]

The catch is that you have to survive 1 year in an alternate reality of your choice.

What happens when the year is up? If we are transported back to the normal world, has time passed?

[Ibrinar]

And can I take stuff back from that world? And if it is magic will it still work?

[NontheistCleric]

Other good things to know would be how exactly this travel between worlds is facilitated, whether we can choose our arrival points and do we arrive naked?

[Jera]

The ability to modify probability in my favor, not by a lot, lets say by 10%, I won't be Mat Cauthon or anything.

The class abilities level 4 Pathfinder Sorcerer(maybe favored soul), which is just enough to get me a 2nd level spell, powerful yes, but probably less so than a few others that have been mentioned in this thread. 3rd might still be minor, but I'm fairly sure once you get to 4th level or higher it's no longer lesser, especially as I'd be picking utility spells.

Minor catch? Star Trek universe drop me down on earth after 2368 and I'd be happy to stay for decades.

[GrayDeath]

Assumptions for my answers:

1.: We HAVE to return from the Universe we choose, and while we keep anything we learned, we do not get to keep Items or "bring over" that Universes metaphysics in any shape.

2.: Really reading "minor" Powers as anything that, on itself, even if mastered completely, is not World Shattering/overtaking Level.

3.: Assuming we are not necessarily received "well" in the Universe we choose (not hostile or anything, just as "strange stranger guy"^^).

If any of these is wrong in the eyes of the OP, I will adjust my picks.


1st Power: Adaptive Biology. Meaning my body supernaturally adapts to the situations its in (say it gets shot, it starts regenerating faster and becomes harder to hurt, or say I need to kick in a door, it gets supernaturally strong). mainly this is my stays alive" Power. None of the adaptions ever reach Top Tier power comparable to, say Colossus in Strength/Durability, or Wolverine in Regeneration (at most half of that, and for that I need to be in constant battles). Also, at most 4 of them are active at the same time. In short, keeps one alive and able to do stuff.

2.: Biotics (Mass Effect). Good potential (great if one considers we are human), but not too skilled yet fits well. And is fun, as it allows things from telekinesis-imitation, shields and barriers to deadlier stuff like Warp/Singularity.


Universe: Gonna go with Equestria as well. Its the only one I know that is both interesting, offers chances to get to interact with literal goddesses and is NOT a terrible Death Trap. Plus my powers wont be threatening to the BigPonies, but still allow me to be useful for a strange 2legged creature from beyond ^^

[gooddragon1]

What happens when the year is up? If we are transported back to the normal world, has time passed?

Teleported back to a location of your choice in this reality via Google maps interface, no accidental teleportation problems. No time has passed.


And can I take stuff back from that world? And if it is magic will it still work?

No. Your abilities will still work and will ignore external requirements in many cases such as the weave for magic, the force for jedi, or the moon and such for waterbending.

Abilities with 'required secondary powers' count as one altogether, but please try not to "take everything but the kitchen sink" on purpose through that provision.

Also, no one wants to go really meta as to what happens when you come back :p? To be fair, I'm kind of glossing over it a lot (maybe tied with the most or the most).

I'm somewhat worried about protein in mlp... maybe I'll just assume that food there has all the nutrients required.

Lvl 2 Expert... but what if you and Raziere become rivals? Are you really willing to put in the EVs to become the very best like no one ever was :p?

[HandofShadows]

The first one would be the ability to punch people through the internet. :smallcool: Second one would be to make irrational people think rationally.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Oh, another option:

Power 1: I'm invulnerable to "dying in the real world because I died in the game"
Power 2: I'm impossible to track down.
Universe: The Matrix.


(I sure hope you can learn to use superpowers without having been freed, or that inability to be tracked is going to suck.)


Lvl 2 Expert... but what if you and Raziere become rivals? Are you really willing to put in the EVs to become the very best like no one ever was :p?

Nah, I'm just in it for the beautiful world, the nonexistent logistical problems and the slapstick injuries. Although I wouldn't mind NPC-leveling up offscreen because someone else is taking this seriously. ;)

[thorgrim29]

hmmm... As high level of regen I can get away with in the rules of the game and.... I read a few Whateley stories years ago, there was a power where you just become an idealized version of yourself, body and mind, I think Examplar? Anyway that, to the level where I'm in the top 0.1% of humanity on every affected variable.

As for the universe... The Expanse a few years before the first book or 2 years before Persepolis Rising. Spend a year enjoying the cool tech and visiting space.

As for when I get back I just get on with my life but I'm harder, better, faster, stronger, smarter, etc... as well as long lived and able to survive a lot of crap I'm not able to right now. At that point I'd probably be able to make some easy money, take a year or so off to travel the world and get used to the new me, and then who knows?

[The Patterner]

Star Trek TNG universe.

Powers:

1. An air of benign affability. People just like and trust me, not to absurd levels. They just always makes the best reasonable assumption about me and are very willing to trust me. About anything.

2. Shapeshifting.


EDIT: So while in the TNG universe I'd just focus on having a generally good time and honing my powers and skills, that's why I picked that universe. As long as I stay within federation space it will be easy just going around and enjoying life. A one-year vaccation and learning experience.

When I get back however I have three different (but not incompatible) options.

1. Law-enforcment.
2. Form a crime-syndicate.
3. Become a politician.

[Telonius]

Two powers:
Healing. Able to remove diseases, cure blindness/deafness, fix certain genetic conditions.
Shapeshifting. Not necessarily Odo-level (objects and all), but being able to shift myself into any person I want to.

Universe: MLP, definitely. Probably the least dangerous one (as far as "making it back in one piece" goes).

[JDMSJR]

I really think that "lesser powers" needs to be defined and clarified, because most of what has been mentioned here is not what I would consider "lesser."

[Celestia]

First superpower: Being attractive

Second superpower: Being likable

Universe: MLP

I'll be the first person to actually marry my waifu. :3

[Lord Raziere]

I really think that "lesser powers" needs to be defined and clarified, because most of what has been mentioned here is not what I would consider "lesser."

hey don't look at me, all I have are the abilities to understand any language (which in my case I took only to understand all pokemon so I can speak with them) and the ability to be immune to teleportation if I want to. in any other instance my powers would be pretty useless for many universes out there. in pokemon however it makes me a nigh-unbeatable expert at communicating with my pokemon and thus a very big edge over almost any pokemon trainer you could possibly name. I'd be straight up going around on a journey with the pokemon I want fighting evil teams and living the trainer life, say hello to Level 2 Expert while I just get all the pokemon I want and travel around, maybe try to win some tournaments but I wouldn't be too determined to do so, it'd just be fun for me. I'd probably be the one of the ones saving the world while Level 2 Expert chillaxes

[Peelee]

First superpower: Being attractive

Second superpower: Being likable

Those aren't superpowers so much as they are personality attributes.

[Celestia]

Those aren't superpowers so much as they are personality attributes.
I've been trying my entire life to get people to like me, yet here I am at 27 utterly and completely alone. Clearly, there's something magical at work.

[Knaight]

I might be lowballing the acceptable power a bit (waterbending and telepathy are fairly broad skills, though the early Zuko comparison cuts off most of the ridiculousness available), but :

1. Healing factor. I'm not looking for a powerful, Wolverine style one either; I mostly want just enough to counteract everyday aches and pains, prevent wear on bones, and accelerate normal healing a bit. If the healing power also covers psychological stuff (e.g. trauma scarring, depression), bonus.

2. Superiority. I'm looking for Charles Atlas superpowers-lite here, where the whole idea of a normal person who's just better at everything gets toned down dramatically to fit the lesser powers criteria. Smarter, stronger, faster, better looking, stronger willed, more skilled at everything I do.

As for fictional universes, I'm thinking that a year in the Imperial Radch should be very doable. It's an advanced society, it's not post-scarcity by any means but it's at least far less scarce than modern day, there's a solid social safety net which is potentially really useful for someone coming in from another world without the knowledge and resources of someone born there, and the day to day life of the typical citizen actually seems pretty okay. I'd just need to stay out of politics and well away from anything that could be considered a frontier.

[Dienekes]

Depending on how we define lesser powers.

1) Path to Victory. Thank you, Contessa. The non-reality warping "I win" power. I like winning. It would also be interesting to know the steps needed to create a near Utopia on Earth and whether or not I am capable of doing it. After I spend my year in alternate universe exile.

2) Teleportation. I hate commutes. I know true teleportation is one of the most reality warping abilities ever. But, I'm talking limited in a way that just means I don't have to live where I work.

My exile. My first thought was Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, simply because there's no way I could die. And maybe my time there could be used to ground me from going all monomaniacal with my new super power. But on the other hand, I may actually go insane if I only got to talk to puppets for a year.

So maybe Star Trek, the core worlds during one of the peaceful periods. Post-scarcity, I can sort get a ground level understanding of working for governments and whatnot. Even if the systems of Star Trek don't really hold up to scrutiny. It'd at least be interesting.

[Peelee]

Depending on how we define lesser powers.

1) Path to Victory. Thank you, Contessa. The non-reality warping "I win" power. I like winning. It would also be interesting to know the steps needed to create a near Utopia on Earth and whether or not I am capable of doing it. After I spend my year in alternate universe exile.

2) Teleportation. I hate commutes. I know true teleportation is one of the most reality warping abilities ever. But, I'm talking limited in a way that just means I don't have to live where I work.

My exile. My first thought was Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, simply because there's no way I could die. And maybe my time there could be used to ground me from going all monomaniacal with my new super power. But on the other hand, I may actually go insane if I only got to talk to puppets for a year.

So maybe Star Trek, the core worlds during one of the peaceful periods. Post-scarcity, I can sort get a ground level understanding of working for governments and whatnot. Even if the systems of Star Trek don't really hold up to scrutiny. It'd at least be interesting.

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was a neighborhood. He had mailmen and policemen stop by every so often. The puppets were in the Kingdom of Make Believe. You could always choose to avoid that.

[The Fury]

1. Healing factor. I'm not looking for a powerful, Wolverine style one either; I mostly want just enough to counteract everyday aches and pains, prevent wear on bones, and accelerate normal healing a bit. If the healing power also covers psychological stuff (e.g. trauma scarring, depression), bonus.


Oh yeah, this has always been the power that I've wanted. I'd say that full-on Wolverine healing factor, minus unbreakable bones isn't game-breakingly powerful though. It just makes you really, really good at surviving stuff. That would be my first choice for a power.

I've been trying to come up with my second power... the best I can think of is having really amazing hair.

For my fictional universe, I'd go with that of One Punch Man. That universe has a place for low-tier joke heroes, and that's what I'd be. At least with my healing factor, I could get messily splattered across the street and be fine the next day. I'd be a sort of Wile E. Coyote joke at best, but I might be able to earn a living doing something cool. Even though I'd still be really bad at it. At least with my new amazing hair, I'll look good while doing it.


I've been trying my entire life to get people to like me, yet here I am at 27 utterly and completely alone. Clearly, there's something magical at work.

Eh, I think you're alright.

[Knaight]

I've been trying my entire life to get people to like me, yet here I am at 27 utterly and completely alone. Clearly, there's something magical at work.
Not being abrasive isn't a superpower. It's a skill set and a habit.


Oh yeah, this has always been the power that I've wanted. I'd say that full-on Wolverine healing factor, minus unbreakable bones isn't game-breakingly powerful though. It just makes you really, really good at surviving stuff. That would be my first choice for a power.

Honestly, I'd be happy with a localized healing factor in the immediate vicinity of one particular vertebrae, one knee, two fingers, and one ankle alone right now, I just figured I might as well aim for insurance for when that list inevitably grows. The wolverine healing factor seems a bit more than lesser, at least the version where he recovers from single cells and the like, but it also seems relatively unlikely to ever come up.

[Dienekes]

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was a neighborhood. He had mailmen and policemen stop by every so often. The puppets were in the Kingdom of Make Believe. You could always choose to avoid that.

Yeah, meant the Kingdom of Make Believe. Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was sort of implied to be the real world. Since he kept getting letters from real people. Don't think it counted.

[random11]

Second one would be to make irrational people think rationally.

Reminds me of an old joke:
A man finds an old lamp on the beach.
Rubbing it, a genie comes out telling the man he can wish for whatever he wants.
After thinking for a minute, the man says "I want a woman to appear whenever I want, to serve me for as long as I want to!"
"Well", the genie replies, "that might be a problem, women have to come from somewhere, and if I make one appear, that means she disappears from somewhere else"
"Okay then, how about a bar of gold every time I clap my hand?"
"Same problem, the gold has to come from somewhere"
"Fine... Last option: I just want all the people in the world to be reasonable and rational"
"....... So, how many women and gold did you say you want?"



Anyway, for my choice of power: Telekinesis.
One of the more versatile powers that allows a wide range of abilities.

[Ibrinar]

You know since we get a mandatory teleport back the power I would want the most is teleporting into any world from any story I know. But that might be stretching lesser a bit. (libromancy (the ability to pull items from stories) or whatever the name was would maybe work as a far inferior second price) Healing and even becoming young again I can get from the right scifi world. But as much as I would like a fun power, I would need some serious survivability if I plan to travel between some of the worlds I would like to visit. Maybe regen (but fails against mental attacks), maybe emergency automatic teleports. Maybe creating copies of myself that travel for me and share my mind but whose destruction does not harm be. Not sure. Still would like shapeshifting but some fictional worlds are too damn dangerous.

[Tvtyrant]

1. Ability to emit a light under which bad art looks expensive.

2. Ability to look condescending from any angle.

Send me where you will, I am becoming that universes best art dealer/gallery runner.

[The Fury]

Honestly, I'd be happy with a localized healing factor in the immediate vicinity of one particular vertebrae, one knee, two fingers, and one ankle alone right now, I just figured I might as well aim for insurance for when that list inevitably grows. The wolverine healing factor seems a bit more than lesser, at least the version where he recovers from single cells and the like, but it also seems relatively unlikely to ever come up.

The fact that "from a single cell" isn't likely to come up is why it doesn't seem super overpowered. And even if it did come up, and the universe I picked is one of the likelier places where it would, I wouldn't say that it's not all that game-breaking then either. Unless you have some mad combat skills or something, a really great healing factor won't make you a legit threat to most stuff in a fictional universe. You can probably go toe-to-toe with some of that universe's heavy-hitters and live to tell about it. You'd probably still lose though.

[Mechalich]

So, it seems obvious to just pick the Culture universe, and then once there have my mind state copied into a new body so that I could remain there indefinitely (and even if you can't, you can stretch a year in the culture into a couple of subjective lifetimes). I'm not sure you'd even need superpowers at that point, but I suppose I'd take a 0% failure on displacement (because a one in a million chance would eventually get you otherwise), and I don't know, invulnerability to mind reading.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Healing and even becoming young again I can get from the right scifi world.

That is a pretty good idea. Pick a setting with advanced medical science and get immortality for free. Schlock Mercenary springs to mind as a good option. Their tech prevents aging, gives regenerating powers and backs up your brain into your skin just in case something really violent happens to you. (Offsite backup not included due to having to come back here. On the plus side that means you can die if you really want to.)

[Knaight]

That is a pretty good idea. Pick a setting with advanced medical science and get immortality for free. Schlock Mercenary springs to mind as a good option. Their tech prevents aging, gives regenerating powers and backs up your brain into your skin just in case something really violent happens to you. (Offsite backup not included due to having to come back here. On the plus side that means you can die if you really want to.)

I'd considered Schlock Mercenary, then I remembered that setting's WMDs and the status of basically every government in it. The Plenipotent Dominion wouldn't be too terrible to live under, but they're busy being shot at right now, and it takes a lot of superpowers to make that a safe year.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I'd considered Schlock Mercenary, then I remembered that setting's WMDs and the status of basically every government in it. The Plenipotent Dominion wouldn't be too terrible to live under, but they're busy being shot at right now, and it takes a lot of superpowers to make that a safe year.

It's a lot better if you're not in the military. It's not quite as much better if you're in a position where you'll be sure to receive immortality treatment within a year, but it'd still be a reasonable bet, measured purely in risk vs reward (and not in "but if you lose you're dead").

[TeChameleon]

Hrm. Well, this is probably pretty borderline for 'lesser' powers, but a good, solid connection to the Speed Force (or at least powers that mirror the effects of that) a la the Flash. The obvious super-speed would be all kinds of fun, and the apparently infinite stamina, accelerated healing, really, really weird time perception, lending/stealing velocity, insane relativistic tricks, and ability to pick and choose whether or not I felt like acknowledging the existence of the laws of physics would just generally be a good time, no matter where I ended up.

If Flash-level speed is beyond the pale for this particular thought excercise, then an idea from the webnovel "Playing for Keeps" might do- anything that is mine cannot be taken from me, and anyone or anything that tries is paralyzed until they stop trying. Handy for not getting robbed, of course, but also extends to the metaphysical level, i.e. 'my life', or 'my planet' (sorry Galactus, gonna have to get your meal elsewhere :smallamused:), or even 'my friends'. Helloooo, functional immortality for me and everyone I like. And there are even offensive uses as well... "You're breathing my air."

Secondly would be the ability to instantly and repeatedly spawn any musical instrument I wanted anywhere within a kilometre's radius of me- 'musical instrument' in this case being anything that is an integral part of creating the sound needed for a published or recorded piece of music. Bombarding ones' enemies with pianos would of course be the obvious (and hilarious) use for this, but with this specific definition, there are rather a lot of interesting toys one could pop into existence. For example, one could create typewriters, motorcycles, cannons, tesla coils, rocks, saws, chainsaws, most of the contents of a greengrocers, 40,000 bees, or the entirety of a Gothic cathedral.

As to where... huh. With functional immortality, I could visit just about anywhere that took my fancy without needing to worry much. Maybe the Dresden Files universe during one of Harry's quieter periods, before Changes, and just hang out with him for a bit. Could be fun :smalltongue:

[Kitten Champion]

Hmm...

Something like Aquaman's or Namor's physiology that can survive in deep oceans and move effortlessly in water with the accompanying physical strength and resistance to extreme temperatures.

Luminescence and the ability to materialize blade-like constructs that can drain life-force from living creatures -- like Marvel's Dagger.

As for the setting, Waterworld. Or really any fictional universe where the world's landmass has been flooded over with water without freezing.

I like marine life and spending a year under the sea to explore would be fun, if somewhat lonely. The addition of Tandy Bowen's power-set would give me light, obviously, and an effective tool for hunting food and defending myself from anything too dangerous .

[NontheistCleric]

My first power would be the ability to shapeshift into small birds, because I really like the idea of being able to fly, but flying as a human would create all kinds of issues if anyone saw me.

My second power would be the ability to retain my human mental faculties in bird form. I'm not sure what the implications of having my normal brain replaced with a tiny bird's would actually be, but it's not something I want to risk.

As for an 'alternate reality of my choice', I would pick one that is completely identical to the normal reality, so as to have a year to test out my new powers in an environment where they will continue to be applicable in the same way and just the general advantage of knowing what will happen a year ahead of anyone else.

[Calthropstu]

Powers: Dimension door, invisibility.

Universe: Saga of Tanya the Evil.

First, I would steal fair amounts of coin. Then, I would assist with the movement of refugees across borders. Once back, I would rob some drug dealers.

[Reddish Mage]

My first power would be the ability to shapeshift into small birds, because I really like the idea of being able to fly, but flying as a human would create all kinds of issues if anyone saw me.

My second power would be the ability to retain my human mental faculties in bird form. I'm not sure what the implications of having my normal brain replaced with a tiny bird's would actually be, but it's not something I want to risk.

As for an 'alternate reality of my choice', I would pick one that is completely identical to the normal reality, so as to have a year to test out my new powers in an environment where they will continue to be applicable in the same way and just the general advantage of knowing what will happen a year ahead of anyone else.

I'd note that the ability to turn into a bird comes with a lot of attendant problems other than losing human mental faculties, for example, you wouldn't necessarily know how to fly or capture prey without having actually developed as a bird with bird parents. Also, if you remove that bird brain, a lot of a birds natural abilities (and I mean basic faculties) would be gone.

Also, if you are thinking you have to explicate you keep your mind, think about a lot of other things that you didn't explicate...like the ability to turn back into a human would be pretty important!

Its actually amazing if you sit down with any superhero's powers and you think up of all the "secondary powers (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RequiredSecondaryPowers)" they must have so that their primary power can work the way shown.

Finally, I don't think shapeshifting counts as a minor power.


Powers: Dimension door, invisibility.

Universe: Saga of Tanya the Evil.

First, I would steal fair amounts of coin. Then, I would assist with the movement of refugees across borders. Once back, I would rob some drug dealers.

Woa...I think we need some ground rules for what counts as a "minor power." There are way too many suggestions on this thread for "minor" powers that are anything but. Someone actually chose as their power something they themselves literally amounts to "I win."

Both Dimension Door and Invisibility that actually lets you interact with objects are high level D&D spells, that already tells you that they are "not minor."

Think about it, Invisibility by itself makes you a pretty potent thief, which is why you would immediately steal with it. Add to that Dimension Door, and you can't be captured even if you screwed up royally and got caught. Marvel Superheroes with even one of these two powers are top tier.

[Peelee]

Woa...I think we need some ground rules for what counts as a "minor power." There are way too many suggestions on this thread for "minor" powers that are anything but.

True. Hell, I'll cop to being one of them, and I didn't even mean "I'd be a super strong Jedi," I just meant, "I would be strong enough in there Force to be a Jedi, don't care if I'm an average one." That's still a helluva power.

[Reddish Mage]

True. Hell, I'll cop to being one of them, and I didn't even mean "I'd be a super strong Jedi," I just meant, "I would be strong enough in there Force you be a Jedi, don't care if I'm an average one." That's still a helluva power.

Let's see average Jedi. That means you have at least some telekinesis, some telepathy, can see vaguely into the future, future-sight effectively grants super-reflexes in at least in some instances (for instance you can deflect blaster bolts), and can mind-control weak minds. Those are things that virtually every Jedi seen can do although some have shown to be killable by ordinary futuristic super-soldiers and super-droids.

I would say "the Force" isn't a minor power.

For a minor power, look at spells like Grease. There's one anime hero ("In Another World with my Smart Phone") with basically all the powers but he still uses a spell called "Slip" a lot to basically pwn everything, which shows you that even very innocuous "minor" powers can actually be extremely useful with a little ingenuity.

However, Gooddragon picked water-bending at basically Katara's level in season one, and telepathy. These are not small powers. Comparable powers would be being as strong as Luke Cage in the Netflix series, or the healing powers of Danny Rand, or "flying" like Jessica Jones supposedly can ("its more like jumping and falling slowly"). These are not small even if they are not A-tier. Its possible even minor invulnerability and incredible vitality count as "minor powers."

If that's the case, I'd take a vaguely defined "awareness" ability that lets me expand my senses and that mentioned super-health.

As far as an alternative universe goes, I would totally go for a utopian one.

The question is, which utopia?

Someone mentioned Star Trek in the Post-Dominion War era, which is a true golden age for the Federation at a time when this society that everyone seems happy in. I'm pretty sure I could top this though. Asimov's Gaia in his last foundation book, for instance, is a good example. Its definitely Asimov's idea of a utopian ideal society, but its one someone has to be born into to experience the true telepathic interconnectedness of all life. Alas, its a rather nice place.

I'm actually do not know of many utopias. There's a few takes on Heaven and Paradise here and there, there scattered treatments of Utopias that aren't actually dystopias in disguise. I think the Culture novels are probably the most well worked version of one envisioned as actually existing and robust (but its dirty tricks are not so utopian). Its hard to come up with many ideal ones that are still really well-worked out, It should be somewhere you actually think is ideal to drop into.

Plato's Republic, for instance, is probably not so great when you consider it has slavery and you would be considered a barbarian. Many of the stories by theologians sound pretty great but they are just not really fleshed-out (and again, such societies tend to be pretty exclusive). Were can I find my well-worked out Utopia guys?

Until then I'll choose my own obviously contradictory version of Utopia: its a nice great place where everyone is healthy, wealthy, has all their desires attended to, live long lives in big houses, and has plenty of servants.

[Peelee]

Let's see average Jedi. That means you have at least some telekinesis, some telepathy, can see vaguely into the future, future-sight effectively grants super-reflexes in at least in some instances (for instance you can deflect blaster bolts), and can mind-control weak minds. Those are things that virtually every Jedi seen can do although some have shown to be killable by ordinary futuristic super-soldiers and super-droids.

I would say "the Force" isn't a minor power.

...I agree?

[Calthropstu]

High level? Those are 2nd and 4th respectively. High level is wish, shapechange, time stop.

Dimension door and invisibility would be useful... Incredibly so. But it's not earth shattering. I'd be quite effective as a thief or assassin, but it has many weaknesses. On defense, it's fairly useless. I might be able to escape, but building an empire would be nigh impossible. You could only use those powers to be a successful thief, assassin, spy... You'd never be able to conquer a country with it alone.

[Ibrinar]

@Reddish Mage: Lesser not minor and lesser is relative. Since the explanation is "(as in not rewriting reality, though see my examples below for a rough idea?)" it is easy to be lesser than that though the examples are more mid level.

[BeerMug Paladin]

I've been thinking of this question for a while, and I have something of an answer.

Being able to float a couple of inches off the ground and move at about walking speed. Be able to tell people things that they (but not necessarily I) already know.

I would be able to make a decent living off of these without doing much work, while at the same time amazing scientists!

Nixing that, I would be fine with just getting any two random minor superpowers. It wouldn't matter what they were.

As for universe? Probably something like MLP or something else with a no/low chance of grievous injury or death. That would be my sole criteria for being a guest star in any given universe. Guest stars are usually the most likely to be picked off before the conclusion.

[Peelee]

Guest stars are usually the most likely to be picked off before the conclusion.

With that in mind, the Columbo universe is arguably the safest for guest stars, specially if you get whisked back after a year.

[Reddish Mage]

@Reddish Mage: Lesser not minor and lesser is relative. Since the explanation is "(as in not rewriting reality, though see my examples below for a rough idea?)" it is easy to be lesser than that though the examples are more mid level.

Agreed, but mid-level spells in D&D are actually quite extraordinary. The sort of threats a mid-level party can take on are in the mythological range.

Not rewriting reality, basically just means wish and epic level spells are out (if spells were the powers). So strength, invulnerability, speed etc are all in play. It’s just a question of how strong. Netflix level doesn’t seem that strong.


High level? Those are 2nd and 4th respectively. High level is wish, shapechange, time stop.

Dimension door and invisibility would be useful... Incredibly so. But it's not earth shattering. I'd be quite effective as a thief or assassin, but it has many weaknesses. On defense, it's fairly useless. I might be able to escape, but building an empire would be nigh impossible. You could only use those powers to be a successful thief, assassin, spy... You'd never be able to conquer a country with it alone.

You could kill the leader of the country and throw it into chaos if you wished. Invisibility in the form you want is not a 2nd level spell. What you want is Improved Invisibility which is a 4th level spell, but as a perma power which brings it up to 9th level (even extended duration would bring it up to 6th). Also, if its true invisibility (meaning you don’t automatically show yourself enough an opponent knows where to hit you) it would be even higher. D&D gimps invisibility, and for a reason.

Similarly Dimension Door is a 4th level spell, but the ability to use it continuously turns it into something else.

So yes, these powers are not earth shattering, but you are able to put a high level thief or assassin to shame. These are far more useful abilities to a ne’er do well in the real world than firebending.

[NontheistCleric]

I'd note that the ability to turn into a bird comes with a lot of attendant problems other than losing human mental faculties, for example, you wouldn't necessarily know how to fly or capture prey without having actually developed as a bird with bird parents.

I'm relatively confident I could figure it out if I retained a human intelligence.


Also, if you remove that bird brain, a lot of a birds natural abilities (and I mean basic faculties) would be gone.

No, you see, I have the bird brain with all the bird instincts. I just also have a human mind attached to it.


Also, if you are thinking you have to explicate you keep your mind, think about a lot of other things that you didn't explicate...like the ability to turn back into a human would be pretty important!

You're right about that, at least. Actually, though, I'm not sure I would care a whole lot about turning back into a human.


Finally, I don't think shapeshifting counts as a minor power.

Considering how far the definitions of 'minor power' have already been stretched in this thread, I think 'small bird shapeshifting' falls quite squarely in 'minor territory', at least relatively speaking,

[Ibrinar]

If limited to something actually minor:

An aura that keeps my immediate vicinity at a pleasant temperature. It can't cool down a fire if I put my hand in or anything but whether I go outside at 10 or 40 degree both feel pleasant for me. (Can cost energy then I will use it to regulate my weight.^^) That is above cantrip level but of similiar usefulness to endure elements.

Awesome hair I don't have to take care of it it will always be shiny and without frizz and stuff.

I can't think of much minor stuff that I really want to have.

[Elanasaurus]

If limited to something actually minor:

An aura that keeps my immediate vicinity at a pleasant temperature. It can't cool down a fire if I put my hand in or anything but whether I go outside at 10 or 40 degree both feel pleasant for me. (Can cost energy then I will use it to regulate my weight.^^) That is above cantrip level but of similiar usefulness to endure elements.

Awesome hair I don't have to take care of it it will always be shiny and without frizz and stuff.

I can't think of much minor stuff that I really want to have.Universe?
:elan:
EDIT: Oh. You want something with a magic system anyone can learn without needing inborn magic. Ideally not a ****ty world and one without mind control- you really wouldn't want to risk becoming someone's mind controlled slave or something.

I really should check before posting...

[Ibrinar]

Though with non powers like that I might hide out in some safe and comfortable world.

[Calthropstu]

Agreed, but mid-level spells in D&D are actually quite extraordinary. The sort of threats a mid-level party can take on are in the mythological range.

Not rewriting reality, basically just means wish and epic level spells are out (if spells were the powers). So strength, invulnerability, speed etc are all in play. It’s just a question of how strong. Netflix level doesn’t seem that strong.



You could kill the leader of the country and throw it into chaos if you wished. Invisibility in the form you want is not a 2nd level spell. What you want is Improved Invisibility which is a 4th level spell, but as a perma power which brings it up to 9th level (even extended duration would bring it up to 6th). Also, if its true invisibility (meaning you don’t automatically show yourself enough an opponent knows where to hit you) it would be even higher. D&D gimps invisibility, and for a reason.

Similarly Dimension Door is a 4th level spell, but the ability to use it continuously turns it into something else.

So yes, these powers are not earth shattering, but you are able to put a high level thief or assassin to shame. These are far more useful abilities to a ne’er do well in the real world than firebending.

Who said I wanted it permanent? I'd take the invisibility spell as written a few times per day. Who would want permanent invisibility? That would suck. And you would likely get hit by a car or something.

[Peelee]

Who said I wanted it permanent? I'd take the invisibility spell as written a few times per day. Who would want permanent invisibility? That would suck. And you would likely get hit by a car or something.

Yeah, I think the "a lot of these powers are not minor" complaint is valid, but there are also some uncharitable assumptions being thrown around as well. For another example, I never said my per was to be a fully trained Jedi, I said my per was seeing attunement to the Force. So I could be a Jedi, but it's by no means guaranteed, and even if I were to get the training for it, it would still be years and years of hard work and training to realize the full potential. (I'm going by Old Republic EU here, not current canon). Still very powerful, side I'm saying "I want the potential to be a full-on space wizard, " but still not the same a saying "be a space wizard."

[The Fury]

Awesome hair I don't have to take care of it it will always be shiny and without frizz and stuff.


Yep! This is clearly the best minor power of all!

Also, since it seems like we're still pinning down what can be called a "minor power" could Toon Physics be considered a minor power? It wouldn't do much to prevent injury, because injury is generally funny. But it would prevent permanent damage or death, because those generally aren't funny.

In pretty much any fictional universe you could survive. Darkseid could throw a haymaker at you and you'd fly right into a brick wall, leaving a you-shaped hole in it. Then you'd have a black eye and a few missing teeth long enough for a visual gag and you'd be fine afterward. I'd say that it's not OP though, since most people would figure out pretty quick that you can be defeated by dropping a safe or an anvil on you. Plus I'm not sure if The Dip from Roger Rabbit would work on you, but let's not try to find out.

[Dargaron]

For a rather loose definition of "power:"

1: Being reborn (memories intact) as a (Dungeons and Dragons 3.5) Wyrmling Bronze Dragon...

2:...Timeshifted to modern Baku circa 1600 B.C.

The nice thing about Bronze Dragons is that they're fully aquatic and gain Alternate Form fairly early on. Lakes Van and Urmia (and even the Caspian Sea) aren't home to any sort of predators that could pose a serious danger to even a Wyrmling dragon, and I'd be fairly safe from any hostile humans at the bottom of a lake that size. Dragons are also part of the folklore of that region, which should make integrating into human society easier once I'm large enough: by age 25, I'd be a lightning-breathing scaled creature the size of a horse, able to turn into other animals or a human 3xday. Should be reasonably easy to follow ships and rescue some wrecked sailors to provide witnesses to my status as a benevolent spirit.

There aren't any really big catastrophes "scheduled" for that part of the world until the Bronze Age Collapse, which is 400 years later.

Universe to spend time in? That's a bit difficult. Do we speak the language? If I show up in The Shire, are the Hobbits *actually* speaking something that's as unintelligible as Old English, or do we automatically understand whatever "Common" language is setting-appropriate?

Let's go with TNG-era Star Trek, the planet Risa. Only boring comedy/romance episodes happen there, so I should be pretty safe. Plus, Universal Translator deals with the above issue.

EDIT: I'm just guesstimating relative power levels. Since the examples given were Zuko fairly late in season 1. I may be misremembering, but wasn't he still capable of taking down plenty of mooks at that point? So a Wyrmling dragon shouldn't be too much out of line, and a one-time timeshift likewise (time travel is obviously not a minor power, but if you only do it once...)

[Reddish Mage]

Also, since it seems like we're still pinning down what can be called a "minor power" could Toon Physics be considered a minor power? It wouldn't do much to prevent injury, because injury is generally funny. But it would prevent permanent damage or death, because those generally aren't funny.

NO! not even a little. With Toon Physics comes immortality, agelessness, super-regeneration (it all goes away if you shift the scene), access to hammerspace, ability to ignore gravity and other laws of physics, absurd flexibility, ridiculous strength, can send people you are angry at into orbit etc, etc....

And yes injury can usually be avoided, and isn’t all that painful when it isn’t. Especially if you are anyone other than the butt.

If you actually able to intentionally invoke toon physics, you have almost Mxyzptlk levels of reality warping. Reality warping was the only ability that was expressly forbidden by the OP.

Have you not seen the Death Battle where Kirby beats Majin Buu (both examples of cartoon physics, but Kirby’s version might be a little more unhinged)? Also Popeye has roped the Sun just to change the time of day.

[The Fury]

NO! not even a little. With Toon Physics comes immortality, agelessness, super-regeneration (it all goes away if you shift the scene), access to hammerspace, ability to ignore gravity and other laws of physics, absurd flexibility, ridiculous strength, can send people you are angry at into orbit etc, etc....

And yes injury can usually be avoided, and isn’t all that painful when it isn’t. Especially if you are anyone other than the butt.

If you actually able to intentionally invoke toon physics, you have almost Mxyzptlk levels of reality warping. Reality warping was the only ability that was expressly forbidden by the OP.

Have you not seen the Death Battle where Kirby beats Majin Buu (both examples of cartoon physics, but Kirby’s version might be a little more unhinged)? Also Popeye has roped the Sun just to change the time of day.

All that said, Toon Physics have a built-in mitigating factor, that the folks at Death Battle flat out ignore-- The Rule of Funny. Paraphrasing Chuck Jones, "cartoons always follow the laws of physics, unless it's funnier for them to do otherwise."

Then there's the handcuff scene in Roger Rabbit that reinforces this idea,

"Are you telling me you could've taken your hand out of that cuff at any time?"

"No! Not at any time, only when it was funny."

Taken all together, this suggests with Toon Physics you can theoretically summon superhuman prowess, but only when the situation would make it funny.

[Reddish Mage]

All that said, Toon Physics have a built-in mitigating factor, that the folks at Death Battle flat out ignore-- The Rule of Funny. Paraphrasing Chuck Jones, "cartoons always follow the laws of physics, unless it's funnier for them to do otherwise."

Then there's the handcuff scene in Roger Rabbit that reinforces this idea,

"Are you telling me you could've taken your hand out of that cuff at any time?"

"No! Not at any time, only when it was funny."

Taken all together, this suggests with Toon Physics you can theoretically summon superhuman prowess, but only when the situation would make it funny.

You talk about this as if its a absolute rule but it isn't. Humor is subjective, is having a grenade bounce harmlessly off you with a "boing" funny because it happens at a dramatic moment, why can't it be funny if it happened at a random moment? What moments is it not funny to have bullets bound around back on your opponents while making funky noises?

Recall, in cartoons, the rule of funny applies to what is meant to be funny for the audience so moments of great seriousness can suddenly be made funny.

But more important to the rule of funny, and this is a rule Death Battle ignores by its nature, is that cartoon characters can't come to any real serious harm. You can't die. You can't age (unless you are like Mickey, then you get younger and cuter looking as time goes on). However beaten up you are, you will not become a mess of bloody pain and agony. You will always be fine for the next episode.

Also, even if the rule of funny can be adopted as limitation on the power, its one you can figure out and adapt to. Once you do (perhaps you spend a year in a gag cartoon reality or just take a free improv course at the local Y), you will have tremendous power to alter reality around you. Wow, improv really can really empower!

Rule of funny, however humor challenged you are (and that might just make the physical comedy all the better), is not a major limitation on the power. The amount of harm you come to is limited in all situations, you at least sometimes cannot be injured, and you get a host of reality warping powers if you can figure out the right comedic timing for them.

From escaping handcuffs to ignoring gravity, pulling stuff out of nowhere, and even things like temporary metamorphosis, time skip, and travel by map. You may think somehow that the limitation that these things have to be "funny" is a meaningful limitation, but the limitation cannot but shave a few points over what would other be a god-like reality warping power you picked for yourself.

[dehro]

The first one would be the ability to punch people through the internet. :smallcool: Second one would be to make irrational people think rationally.

but... if you apply the second power, you lose any motivation to punch them through the internet.. unless you just like punching people through the internet.


Omnilingualism
because being able to use every language or dialect, present or past (or future?) or even artificial, including binary and whatever new coding language has been or will be developed has infinite applications... plus it is also going to be useful in my year "abroad".. on account of how I don't speak Sindar, or Japanese, or Rivan or Vulcan and landing in any of those places and not being able to comunicate would be a bummer.

Healing
Being able to bring people and other living organisms back from the brink of death (or maybe even beyond) is going to be useful forever, and wherever, and highly sought after.

As for the Universe to spend a year in..
Middle earth because I'm a sucker for Tolkien, or Star Trek universe, or the Discworld.. There are too many places that I would love to see and experience to pick just one.

Once back, I'd use whatever material wealth I'd acquired healing people to set up a small business, maybe climb the property ladder, and, in time, get my own religion started :smallbiggrin:

[druid91]

1.) The Physiology of a Saiyan from Dragon Ball.

2.) Agelessness. (As in, don't age but also can still die or get sick or something.)

Spend my Year in the Dragonball universe. Cut off that pesky tail and then head off to go find the main cast for training. Sure, being a Saiyan is, on it's OWN not exactly an impressive power. (Mild invulnerability and increased physical strength at best.) It comes with some impressive perks if you train at it.

[Lord Bushbaby]

Witcher Universe

Immunity to Diseases, Poisons etc.

Hyper- Reflexes

BAM! Discount Witcher

[Blackhawk748]

Shapeshifting: Think Mystique except I don't require focus to keep it up. Like changing clothes.

Skill Copying: Basically Taskmaster's ability, though probably capped at like 4-6 skills kept stored, cuz otherwise I may get brain damage.

Universe: Star Wars. Preferably 130 BBY in the Legends universe, simply because nothing huge happens dring that year and i can just go be a Bounty Hunter for the year and otherwise not do anything too crazy.

[Lord Vukodlak]

The power from Next(2007) the ability to see a few minutes into the future.
And the power to alter my appearance.

That way I can continually cheat casinos by just taking on a new face. I'd know what slot machines are about to jack pot.

Universe; Pokemon why? zero risk of death or permanent injury..

[druid91]

The power from Next(2007) the ability to see a few minutes into the future.
And the power to alter my appearance.

That way I can continually cheat casinos by just taking on a new face. I'd know what slot machines are about to jack pot.

Universe; Pokemon why? zero risk of death or permanent injury..

Errr... You are aware the Pokemon universe contains examples of beheading, freezing you to death, smashing said frozen pokemon, and any number of other horrible ways to die?

Even in the show, Ash nearly dies a few times.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

The power from Next(2007) the ability to see a few minutes into the future.
And the power to alter my appearance.

That way I can continually cheat casinos by just taking on a new face. I'd know what slot machines are about to jack pot.

Universe; Pokemon why? zero risk of death or permanent injury..

But... If you can see the near future and change your face, you could do so much in a universe like James Bond or a slightly more civilized one like Ocean's many. Where's your sense of adventure?

[Lord Raziere]

Errr... You are aware the Pokemon universe contains examples of beheading, freezing you to death, smashing said frozen pokemon, and any number of other horrible ways to die?

Even in the show, Ash nearly dies a few times.

Wrrr?

beheading? the heck? beheading never happens in pokemon. monsters attack with long sharp thing on their limbs and all you get is light scratches. almost attacks on humans are played for comic effect, Ash has been set on fire, electrocuted, blasted with water, and so on. all without any lasting effects. the only time he died is when Mewtwo and Mew, the two most powerful pokemon even among legendaries at the time, both fired an attack and he got in the way, in the first movie that had a more serious tone. all other times he's been electrocuted by pikachu or flamed by charizard, its been a gag he's walked off. the worst he gets from flame is being cartoon-singed.

that and Ash is noted to be a reckless trainer and the chosen one of at least one prophecy besides. his life isn't exactly a normal trainer, despite his inability to win a League. everyone is else pretty much is never shown suffering so much pain. aside from Team Rocket. but then again, Team Rocket are near reality warpers in how they somehow keep getting new strange inventions out of nowhere yet are still poor or working in menial jobs. seriously, they get this stuff out of nowhere with only throwaway comments on how they get it most of the time. they seem to buy these things, but with what money, we're not exactly sure. and then there is the fact they survive constant blast offs pretty much every single episode, just flying into the sky and crashing somewhere, does this have any lasting effect? nope. and its not just limited to jessie and James: there are others that have gotten the blast off treatment. rarely, but they've gotten it.

humans are freaking indestructible in Pokemon. thats their superpower.

[druid91]

Wrrr?

beheading? the heck? beheading never happens in pokemon. monsters attack with long sharp thing on their limbs and all you get is light scratches. almost attacks on humans are played for comic effect, Ash has been set on fire, electrocuted, blasted with water, and so on. all without any lasting effects. the only time he died is when Mewtwo and Mew, the two most powerful pokemon even among legendaries at the time, both fired an attack and he got in the way, in the first movie that had a more serious tone. all other times he's been electrocuted by pikachu or flamed by charizard, its been a gag he's walked off. the worst he gets from flame is being cartoon-singed.

that and Ash is noted to be a reckless trainer and the chosen one of at least one prophecy besides. his life isn't exactly a normal trainer, despite his inability to win a League. everyone is else pretty much is never shown suffering so much pain. aside from Team Rocket. but then again, Team Rocket are near reality warpers in how they somehow keep getting new strange inventions out of nowhere yet are still poor or working in menial jobs. seriously, they get this stuff out of nowhere with only throwaway comments on how they get it most of the time. they seem to buy these things, but with what money, we're not exactly sure. and then there is the fact they survive constant blast offs pretty much every single episode, just flying into the sky and crashing somewhere, does this have any lasting effect? nope. and its not just limited to jessie and James: there are others that have gotten the blast off treatment. rarely, but they've gotten it.

humans are freaking indestructible in Pokemon. thats their superpower.

The Pokemon Manga is also Canon, and it's a heck of a lot darker than the TV show. Though it's also worth noting that the TV show WE get is scrubbed of more than a few things.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Yeah, the Manga has some slicing and dicing and stuff, and even the Origins anime has exactly one battle get just a tad too serious. But I'd consider all of those to be different canons, similar to how the anime and the games don't match up. And when most people think of the Pokémon universe they think of either the anime or of some sort of interpretation of the games (an interpretation because presumably it's not a world where people just stand around all day waiting for someone to walk in front of them). And the number of gruesome deaths and horrifying battle accidents in those is pretty low.

[BeerMug Paladin]

And when most people think of the Pokémon universe they think of either the anime or of some sort of interpretation of the games (an interpretation because presumably it's not a world where people just stand around all day waiting for someone to walk in front of them).
That is exactly how I picture people living in the Pokémon universe. I also find a lot of amusement in the fact that the player is exceptional simply for the fact that they didn't stop their pokemon collection at the first 1, 2 or 3 they saw.

"Oh man, you're in trouble now, for I have the perfect unbeatable team! Vulpix and Rapidash!"
*player has six of varying types, which of course includes a water, ground or rock type among them*

[Lvl 2 Expert]

That is exactly how I picture people living in the Pokémon universe. I also find a lot of amusement in the fact that the player is exceptional simply for the fact that they didn't stop their pokemon collection at the first 1, 2 or 3 they saw.

"Oh man, you're in trouble now, for I have the perfect unbeatable team! Vulpix and Rapidash!"
*player has six of varying types, which of course includes a water, ground or rock type among them*

On the other hand, if I imagine living in the Pokémon universe, I probably wouldn't want a hundred Pokémon. I only want a number I can properly care for. I'm not even sure I'd really be into battling. It might be a lot more fun to go adventuring with your creatures, and most days you'd just give them a walk between work and diner. So having somewhere between one and three small to medium Pokémon with pretty random seeming moves seems pretty reasonable. That's the part of the games I believe.

That's probably why in the anime the differences are less drastic. Ash has a lot of Pokémon because he's been doing this for a decade and caught all those Tauros' and has a professor friend who's perfectly fine looking after all of his random catches all day, but he's nowhere near "gotta catch them all and keep them stored in a computer" territory.