Slow and Sure versus Selectivity

[Taumaturgo]

Slow and Sure (Psionic Powers p. 15) is a +40% Enhancement if you must use it always, and a 80% if you can chose turning it off. But Selectivity is only +10% and is more efective, since it let you turn not only Slow and Sure off, but any other Enhancement in the Advantage. So, why don't use Slow and Sure, +40%; Selectivity, +10% instead of Slow and Sure, +80%?

[TGLS]

I suppose it's just a case where the specific trumps the general.

[weby]

It is really because slow and sure is not so much and enchantment but instead a package of enchantments and limitations. Specifically permanent duration and takes extra time.

As you cannot normally switch off limitations, you could not use switchable if it was separate traits, that is then apparently modeled with the extra cost.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Taumaturgo

Slow and Sure (Psionic Powers p. 15) is a +40% Enhancement if you must always use it, and a +80% if you can chose to turn it off. But Selectivity is only +10% and is more efective, since it let you turn off not only Slow and Sure, but any other Enhancement in the Advantage. So, why don't you use Slow and Sure, +40%; Selectivity, +10% instead of Slow and Sure, +80%?

Remember, Psionic Powers is a book of pre-built powers to fit the specific kind of psionics campaign in Psis and Psionic Campaigns.

As Weby said, Slow and Sure is a package of Enhancements and Limitations, and Selectivity only normally lets you control Enhancements. There are ways around that, but they get too complicated for a canned book of powers.

Given that Slow and Sure takes an hour, which is a serious practical limit on its usefulness, it seems reasonable that PK decided to charge more than +10% for the ability to turn it off. The specific overrides the general.

[Taumaturgo]

Originally Posted by weby

It is really because slow and sure is not so much and enchantment but instead a package of enchantments and limitations. Specifically permanent duration and takes extra time.

As you cannot normally switch off limitations, you could not use switchable if it was separate traits, that is then apparently modeled with the extra cost.

Originally Posted by johndallman

Remember, Psionic Powers is a book of pre-built powers to fit the specific kind of psionics campaign in Psis and Psionic Campaigns.

As Weby said, Slow and Sure is a package of Enhancements and Limitations, and Selectivity only normally lets you control Enhancements. There are ways around that, but they get too complicated for a canned book of powers.

Given that Slow and Sure takes an hour, which is a serious practical limit on its usefulness, it seems reasonable that PK decided to charge more than +10% for the ability to turn it off. The specific overrides the general.

Makes sense, thank you. There could be some warning about this in the book.

[Taumaturgo]

One more thing, the +80% version don't turn off the limitation in the package?

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Taumaturgo

One more thing, the +80% version don't turn off the limitation in the package?

The Limitation in this example would be the "Takes Extra Time" that's part of the "Slow and Sure" trait. Changing the 1-second Mind Control time to one hour is 11 levels of Takes Extra Time (-110%). Extended Duration (Permanent) would be +150%. So that comes out to a net +40% if we combine the two and call it "Slow and Sure".

Choosing not to do "slow and sure" would "turn off" the Takes Extra Time Limitation, but not any other Limitations that the ability might have. Selectivity doesn't turn off Limitations at all, of course, so the ability to turn off even one Limitation would cost more.

There might be another factor in building Slow and Sure that I've overlooked; perhaps PK remembers. Or it might just have been a number assigned from experience or playtesting. It's certainly close to the value you'd get by constructing that trait from others, though.

[Celti]

For comprehensiveness: Slow and Sure is quite clearly based off of Immediate Preparation Required (according to the times presented) with Extended Duration, Permanent; plus either Conditioning Only (-50%) or Conditioning (+50%).

Thus, the more expensive version of Slow and Sure isn't turning off the Conditioning enhancement — it is removing the Conditioning Only limitation, which Selectivity obviously cannot do.