Polymorph Other

[Edges]

How do you build the ability to forcibly change someone else's racial template?

Ideally, I would like find two write-ups, one for turning someone into any animal and another for turning them into an animate or inanimate object. In both cases, the ability user can choose what the resultant form is when using the ability. In both cases, the form should be restricted to sizes ranging from say, a toad to an elephant. I can tinker with duration but being determined by margin of success is fine.

It seems like a Modular Abilities pool for Affliction would be the way to go. But I want to consult the experts before going down any wrong turns.

I see that this has been attempted in other threads but none felt conclusive or exactly what I was looking for. (And I prefer transmutation over necromancy.)

[Nereidalbel]

Affliction: Alternate Form (+xx%) Wildcard Power *4

Now you can turn somebody into an creature with a point value of whatever you payed for in the initial Alternate Form. Probably some other fancy stuff, but, your GM has to approve of the fancier stuff.

[Anthony]

Affliction (alternate form) or Affliction (morph), though it's going to be problematic because of relative costs of different races.

[Shieldbunny]

My rpm mage uses this spell for this, not sure if it's actually correct it not though. I used the alternate pricing for long duration spells.

Baleful Polymorph
Greater Transform Body 8
Duration 10 Decades 40
Weight 1000 lbs. 4
Range 10 yards 4
One Greater Effect x3
Total 168

Edit: fixed stupid auto-correct.

[Edges]

I should have said that I intend on using a Powers approach (rather than spells, etc.).

Wildcard Power is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that. But it comes out to be pretty expensive. Also, I was under the impression that Wildcard powers were meant to suit another purpose. I thought it was a way to simulate different advantages by paying for a expensive version of one. What I'm looking for is many versions of a single advantage.

Affliction (morph) could be the ticket. That was a popular method in another thread. I have a couple of questions there. Is it kosher to have the "caster" be the one controlling the advantage (i.e. choosing the form) when they afflict morph? And if so, wouldn't this give the "caster" the ability to keep changing the form many times as the duration of the affliction lasts?

As for template costs, I'm fine with restricting new forms to always be of templates that are of lesser or equal cost of the original template. That should make it easier. I suppose that limits it to bears rather than elephants on the large end. But I have no problem with that.

[Joseph Paul]

Little elephants are still elephants....

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Edges

Affliction (morph) could be the ticket. That was a popular method in another thread. I have a couple of questions there. Is it kosher to have the "caster" be the one controlling the advantage (i.e. choosing the form) when they afflict morph? And if so, wouldn't this give the "caster" the ability to keep changing the form many times as the duration of the affliction lasts?

+0% switch when buying the power to decide who chooses the form. As for changing the forms, you'd have to use the Affliction again. Of course, if you make it IQ-based instead of HT, and your first success turns somebody into something with a lower IQ...

[Edges]

So...

• Are we sure that RAW allows someone with unmodified Affliction (Morph) to choose the form?
• What is the limitation value for "Only non-sapient animal templates" on Morph?

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

+0% switch when buying the power to decide who chooses the form. As for changing the forms, you'd have to use the Affliction again.

Do you have references for either of these?

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Edges

So...

• Are we sure that RAW allows someone with unmodified Affliction (Morph) to choose the form?
• What is the limitation value for "Only non-sapient animal templates" on Morph?

Do you have references for either of these?

1. There would be an Uncontrollable limitation on Morph if it were a random form.

2. Not spending enough points on a Morph pool to buy up the IQ on a template. Remember, without any extra points spent, your maximum template value is 0!

3. Krommquote; will hunt it down again later. However, RAW officially puts one-shot effects in the Afflictor's control, and Kromm merely notes that it should be a 0 point feature to give the target control.

[Edges]

Morph allows you to change shapes as often as you want. So, in my mind, afflicting someone with morph should let them change shapes as often as they want for the duration. If shifting control is a +0% switch*, it seems to me that the switch would result in the ability user being able to change the afflicted's shape as often as they want for the duration. Why would it ever become a one-shot effect without a limitation?

Or, to put it another way, if I wanted to grant my ally the morph advantage that she controls for a few minutes, how would I build it? If the default is a one-shot effect, what enhancement removes that?

As for my question:
"What is the limitation value for 'Only non-sapient animal templates' on Morph?"

This is an actual limitation that should be worth points. It prohibits you from (for example) disguising yourself as another member of your race or a similar race. It means a human with this ability can turn into a crow or a wolf but not a his boss or an elf. That takes a lot of the utility away from the ability. How much should that limitation be worth?

* Assuming this Kromm quote can be found.