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. 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.