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ffuturesOne of the questions I'm sometimes asked when running Diana: Warrior Princess is what Mystic Power is about. When I wrote the rules I don't think I explained it as well as I would now like, so here's a brief expansion.
Mystic power is a trait that is tied to a specific aspect of your character - it may be an innate property such as the Mystic Power of Royalty, in the original game, or tied in with the use of specific traits like the Mystic Power of Music in Elvis: The Legendary Tours.
Innate properties are something that you get simply by being a particular type of person. The Mystic Power of Royalty is a good example - if you are Royal (by birth, or possibly by marriage) you can have Mystic Power, which can be used for various special capabilities - most notably, you probably never get dirty, and you may be able to cure some diseases simply by laying on hands. It can also be used to boost traits that a monarch uses - anything related to charisma or leadership, and healing if you combine Healing with Mystic Power. You probably can't use this trait if you are pretending not to be royal - or using it while disguised might tend to reveal your true nature. A "beggar" might be revealed to be a prince by being spotlessly clean.
Trait-related Mystic Power is a performance enhancer - it can only be used when combined with a specific trait, such as Music. This typically means that the the character must be using the trait personally, but could also be interpreted as reacting to a third party's use of the trait. For example, someone who can draw on the Mystic Power of Music might be able to combine it with Athlete and Speed to boost a gymnastics performance if someone else was playing music during their display, or get a bonus on Martial Arts if they're fighting while music is playing - a good example for this one is the fight scene in The Fifth Element.
I hope that this makes things a little clearer.
Mystic power is a trait that is tied to a specific aspect of your character - it may be an innate property such as the Mystic Power of Royalty, in the original game, or tied in with the use of specific traits like the Mystic Power of Music in Elvis: The Legendary Tours.
Innate properties are something that you get simply by being a particular type of person. The Mystic Power of Royalty is a good example - if you are Royal (by birth, or possibly by marriage) you can have Mystic Power, which can be used for various special capabilities - most notably, you probably never get dirty, and you may be able to cure some diseases simply by laying on hands. It can also be used to boost traits that a monarch uses - anything related to charisma or leadership, and healing if you combine Healing with Mystic Power. You probably can't use this trait if you are pretending not to be royal - or using it while disguised might tend to reveal your true nature. A "beggar" might be revealed to be a prince by being spotlessly clean.
Trait-related Mystic Power is a performance enhancer - it can only be used when combined with a specific trait, such as Music. This typically means that the the character must be using the trait personally, but could also be interpreted as reacting to a third party's use of the trait. For example, someone who can draw on the Mystic Power of Music might be able to combine it with Athlete and Speed to boost a gymnastics performance if someone else was playing music during their display, or get a bonus on Martial Arts if they're fighting while music is playing - a good example for this one is the fight scene in The Fifth Element.
I hope that this makes things a little clearer.
