GURPS Naruto: Again (assumes some familiarity with the source material)

[Illusion158]

I almost wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to use a summonable ally group for them instead. Just pay for the largest group you can summon, slap on the cost, and add increased duration if you don't want it to turn off after only 60 seconds. (There is a house rule my group has sometimes used for innate attacks where if you buy 3d for 3 fp you can do a 1d version for 1 fp. Something similar might work here to allow for summoning less than your max number of clones)

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Illusion158

I almost wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to use a summonable ally group for them instead.

Technically, by default, an Ally Group should all be substantially similar to each other. Fortunately, there's a modifier to change that, "Adjustable", which lets you summon different Allies (from within a defined category). It's in the "Super-Sorcery" article from Pyramid #3/105, "Cinematic Magic". (Disclaimer, I'm promoting my own work here. :-) )

For Naruto-style summoning, I'd actually recommend just Ally with Conjured and Adjustable, since most summons are only one at a time. There are some characters who have Ally Groups (Kakashi seems to be able to summon a whole pack of dogs or wolves, for instance), but mostly just Ally will do fine.

Originally Posted by Illusion158

Just pay for the largest group you can summon, slap on the cost, and add increased duration if you don't want it to turn off after only 60 seconds.

I'd be wary of this build, to be honest - it's too easy for it to end up costing more than the unmodified advantage, which is unlikely to be popular with players. Instead, I'd tweaking the FP cost itself to balance the initial FP cost with the lack of maintenance cost. Costing 1 FP is normally worth -5%, with an ongoing FP cost to maintain it. Changing that to, say 1d+1 FP initially, with no ongoing maintenance, sounds about right.

Originally Posted by Illusion158

There is a house rule my group has sometimes used for innate attacks where if you buy 3d for 3 fp you can do a 1d version for 1 fp.

There's actually an official rule for that, using the Variable enhancement on the attack, combined with Costs Fatigue. The math for it is in Powers.

[Kelly Pedersen]

Sorry, had a brain fart on the last post and didn't realize people were talking about the clone technique, not the summoned ally creatures.

Anyway, here's what I'd suggest for the clones. What you want, I think, is still the Construct modifier, but with limitations. To start with, I'd say that a construct that vanishes at the end of whatever duration, and needs to be "re-created" with concentration and a new FP cost, is worth about half as much as standard Construct, so only +30%. Then, if you want to reduce the FP cost to create a new construct, put the Reduced Fatigue Cost modifier on Construct. So, for example, if you think it's most reasonable for each clone to cost 5 FP to create, put Reduced Fatigue Cost 5 on the reduced Construct modifier. +30% with a +100% modifier conveniently works out to +60% again. That gives you the ability to summon 1 clone for 5 FP, which seems about reasonable for how most ninjas seem to use the clone technique.

To model Naruto's rather ridiculous number of clones, I'd add Super-Effort, +400%, from Supers. That lets him, for 1 extra FP, produce a number of duplicates found by comparing his level in Duplication with the Speed/Range table. So, if he has Duplication 5, with Super-Effort, he can summon 15 clones. Normally, that would require 5 Concentrate maneuvers to get all of them, but he can take Reduced Time 3 to take that back down to 1 second. Or, what I suspect he actually does, is use the rules for Power Stunts to spend some FP and apply that modifier on the fly. He certainly has FP to burn for this kind of thing!

[N.H.Alicia]

Originally Posted by Illusion158

I almost wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to use a summonable ally group for them instead. Just pay for the largest group you can summon, slap on the cost, and add increased duration if you don't want it to turn off after only 60 seconds. (There is a house rule my group has sometimes used for innate attacks where if you buy 3d for 3 fp you can do a 1d version for 1 fp. Something similar might work here to allow for summoning less than your max number of clones)

Yes... that makes perfect sense! I've been too focused on dupes!

[N.H.Alicia]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

Sorry, had a brain fart on the last post and didn't realize people were talking about the clone technique, not the summoned ally creatures.

Anyway, here's what I'd suggest for the clones. What you want, I think, is still the Construct modifier, but with limitations. To start with, I'd say that a construct that vanishes at the end of whatever duration, and needs to be "re-created" with concentration and a new FP cost, is worth about half as much as standard Construct, so only +30%. Then, if you want to reduce the FP cost to create a new construct, put the Reduced Fatigue Cost modifier on Construct. So, for example, if you think it's most reasonable for each clone to cost 5 FP to create, put Reduced Fatigue Cost 5 on the reduced Construct modifier. +30% with a +100% modifier conveniently works out to +60% again. That gives you the ability to summon 1 clone for 5 FP, which seems about reasonable for how most ninjas seem to use the clone technique.

To model Naruto's rather ridiculous number of clones, I'd add Super-Effort, +400%, from Supers. That lets him, for 1 extra FP, produce a number of duplicates found by comparing his level in Duplication with the Speed/Range table. So, if he has Duplication 5, with Super-Effort, he can summon 15 clones. Normally, that would require 5 Concentrate maneuvers to get all of them, but he can take Reduced Time 3 to take that back down to 1 second. Or, what I suspect he actually does, is use the rules for Power Stunts to spend some FP and apply that modifier on the fly. He certainly has FP to burn for this kind of thing!

This is a possibility as well.
This thread is doing well.

[Illusion158]

Alright so what's next on the list? Oh, has the concept of chakra elements dictating what juts you can do/do better with been brought up anywhere before?

[N.H.Alicia]

Originally Posted by Illusion158

Alright so what's next on the list? Oh, has the concept of chakra elements dictating what juts you can do/do better with been brought up anywhere before?

Nature transformations beyond your affinity are difficult and time-consuming to learn - Jonin are only expected to have mastered two or three. Kakashi has all five, as do any Rinnegan wielders.

"The ability to buy jutsu just like the ones you already have" isn't worth much, so I think the main limitation should be time spent training.

[AlexanderHowl]

Actually, based on the performance of the new shinobi in Naruto and Naruto S., I would suggest that the majority of them have DX 16+, Trained by a Master, and a mixture of cinematic skills. At a minimum, they should have Acrobatics, Climbing, Flying Leap, Jumping, Light Walk, Lizard Climb, and Stealth at 16+. In addition, I would think that they should also have Judo, Karate, Knife, Throwing (Knife), Throwing (Shuriken) at 16+. And then you have to add in the Chi Powers, which are going to be expensive.

Of course, some of the characters are much, much more powerful than other characters. When you look at Naruto, he possess nine Alternate Forms (each one representing Naruto at a variable number of tails), with the nine-tailed form probably making Naruto a 2,000 character point character. Which meant that the summoning that Naruto can do, the Allies, actually are only worth a few character points each.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by N.H.Alicia

Nature transformations beyond your affinity are difficult and time-consuming to learn - Jonin are only expected to have mastered two or three. Kakashi has all five, as do any Rinnegan wielders.

I've definitely seen Kakashi use 4 (Lightning, Water, Earth and Fire probably in that order of strength) but he had to send Naruto to Asama for Wind-style training.

[N.H.Alicia]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

When you look at Naruto, he possess nine Alternate Forms (each one representing Naruto at a variable number of tails), with the nine-tailed form probably making Naruto a 2,000 character point character. Which meant that the summoning that Naruto can do, the Allies, actually are only worth a few character points each.

Most of those are uncontrollable.