Compartmentalized Mind only to switch Alternate Abilities

[Dragondog]

How much of a limitation would "Only to switch Alternate Ability" be to Compartmentalized Mind?

[the_matrix_walker]

Compartmentalized Mind allows an additional Mental (Concentrate) Maneuver.
Switching an Alternative Ability takes a Ready Maneuver. So, limiting CM in that way really doesn't make any sense, as switching your Alternative Abilities isn't a mental action.

I have seen the suggestion that it's fair as a -80% limitation for Altered Time Rate, which would allow an extra Ready Maneuver.

PK also suggests paying 2/5 for instant switch Alternative Abilities would be fair.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Compartmentalized Mind allows an additional Mental (Concentrate) Maneuver.
Switching an Alternative Ability takes a Ready Maneuver. So, limiting CM in that way really doesn't make any sense, as switching your Alternative Abilities isn't a mental action.

I have seen the suggestion that it's fair as a -80% limitation for Altered Time Rate, which would allow an extra Ready Maneuver.

PK also suggests paying 2/5 for instant switch Alternative Abilities would be fair.

PK's suggestion is sensible to apply to this case.

If you're interested in an Extra Ready maneuver, it has come up quite a few times over the years. I've seen estimates from 10 points (which seems a bit low to me) up to 25 (same as Extra Attack). Searching on those keywords should find the pertinent threads.

[Dragondog]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Compartmentalized Mind allows an additional Mental (Concentrate) Maneuver.
Switching an Alternative Ability takes a Ready Maneuver. So, limiting CM in that way really doesn't make any sense, as switching your Alternative Abilities isn't a mental action.

I have seen the suggestion that it's fair as a -80% limitation for Altered Time Rate, which would allow an extra Ready Maneuver.

PK also suggests paying 2/5 for instant switch Alternative Abilities would be fair.

I probably should have checked the corresponded maneuvers before asking the question, instead of going with my gut feeling. At least my gut feeling -80% was spot on.

Thanks for the ATR info.

[munin]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

… PK also suggests paying 2/5 for instant switch Alternative Abilities would be fair.

I think that was before he became a line editor. In GURPS Psionic Powers he uses Reduced Time, +20% to make alternative abilities instantaneous (for example, changing Rapid Launch from -4 for a regular ability to -6 as applied to an alternative ability set).

[PK]

Originally Posted by munin

I think that was before he became a line editor. In GURPS Psionic Powers he uses Reduced Time, +20% to make alternative abilities instantaneous (for example, changing Rapid Launch from -4 for a regular ability to -6 as applied to an alternative ability set).

Which was also before I became a line editor. :)

And actually, it's worth noting that the extra -2 is in no way explicitly stated to come from Reduced Time. In my mind, it was a much fuzzier "well, by comparison to Reduced Time and to my thoughts on taking Alternative Abilities from 1/5 to 2/5, another -2 seems right."

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by PK

Which was also before I became a line editor. :)

And actually, it's worth noting that the extra -2 is in no way explicitly stated to come from Reduced Time. In my mind, it was a much fuzzier "well, by comparison to Reduced Time and to my thoughts on taking Alternative Abilities from 1/5 to 2/5, another -2 seems right."

More important than the actual timeline, do you still endorse either solution (2/5 or [20] Insta-switch).

[PK]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

More important than the actual timeline, do you still endorse either solution (2/5 or [20] Insta-switch).

Speaking solely as a GM, I'd lean toward the 2/5 solution. The "requires a second to switch" is an important limiter to noncombat AAs, and I think going to 2/5 will usually give a fair value for bypassing that. However, that said, I don't think this should be something that ever makes it past "optional rule" even within the contest of a given GM's campaign; getting around the one-second drawback is the kind of thing that should be uncommon at best. Because of that, I don't want to officially endorse any specific answer as RAW (and have not raised the issue with Kromm).

[Dark Archon]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Compartmentalized Mind allows an additional Mental (Concentrate) Maneuver.
Switching an Alternative Ability takes a Ready Maneuver. So, limiting CM in that way really doesn't make any sense, as switching your Alternative Abilities isn't a mental action.

Okay, then Accelerated Casting from Pyramid 3/82 must be invalid advantage?

Accelerated Casting
10 points
You have learned to quickly prepare your spells. It does not take you an extra second to switch to a new spell; you may jump between spells as quickly as if you were casting them repeatedly. For most spells, this means a single Concentrate (or attack-enabling) maneuver; for those with longer casting times, you always use the shorter (e.g., 10 seconds for Create Object).
Advantage: Compartmentalized Mind (Only to switch the active sorcerous spell, -60%; No Mental Separation, -20%) [10].

[the_matrix_walker]

Could that be referring to the concentrate to shift the points in a Modular Ability?

I'm not too familiar with sorcery, but my knowledge of the RAW does not include any reference to using a Concentrate in place of Ready to change an Alternative Ability. It would work just fine for a Cosmic Modular Ability shifting it's points.