[Gear] with alternate prerequisites

[Desthro]

I accidentally pressed enter when altering my post..
GEAR with alternate prereqs
I was wondering if anyone had given this some serious thought, about weapons with say.. min IQ instead of min ST, and things of that nature. Or even mundane gear with esoteric requirements like, needs Enhanced Time Sense as a prereq for its special abilities to function.

I know the limiting enchantment from GURPS magic can do this, but its inspecific and I am wondering if there is any way that this can be done?

[Celjabba]

If the gear is store-gear, just stat it the way you want.

If the gear is gadget-based, it would be an accessibility limitations.(basic p110).
Or, possibly, a power modifier.

Obvious example would be gear that only work on people with magery or psionic talent, smart weapons that only answer to sapient (iq6+) characters, and so on.

But mostly, it is a special effect decided by the GM, there is no specific rules, i think.

Celjabba

[The Benj]

I see no reason that you couldn't have items with these kind of requirements. Like in a game with psionics you could make them mostly machine-enabled by having items that only work for someone with Empathy, Danger Sense, Intuition or the like. And/or have a minWill stat.

Or, returning to your ETS requirement idea, a neural interface could require you to be able to process information at superhuman speeds in order to use it properly.

Mechanically, if it's for equipment you'd just add these requirements on as appropriate to your setting. If it's for Gadget-based Advantages, you can just fix prerequisites for stuff (again, as appropriate to your setting).

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Celjabba

If the gear is store-gear, just stat it the way you want.

If the gear is gadget-based, it would be an accessibility limitations.(basic p110). Or, possibly, a power modifier.

I wouldn't permit that. Presumably you'd only buy the gadget if you had the required prerequisite, so it's a not a restriction that limits you.

But mostly, it is a special effect decided by the GM, there is no specific rules, i think.

Mostly. I'm not altogether sure what sort of rules you could postulate anyway. OK, leg armor is useless if you have No Legs. What exactly could you specify beyond that? I would point out though, that for there to be much gear that expects a particular trait, the trait probably has to be relatively common. Designing, let alone inventing, equipment is hard work, if the market isn't very big, not much of it is going to get done.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Celjabba

If the gear is gadget-based, it would be an accessibility limitations.(basic p110).
Or, possibly, a power modifier.

If it's gadget-based, just have in the flavor text "Character must also have X" and possibly reduce the value of "Can be stolen" to something like 2/3 or so ("Will not work unless thief has X" better than "Will work for thief" and worse than "Will not work for thief").

Of course, if X is so common/rare that it works out to "almost everyone" or "almost no one" than it is treated as such. Super-tech goggles that grant Penetrating Vision to everyone who isn't blind is straight up "Can be stolen", while an artifact that only works for one of the half-dozen or so alien/human hybrids on the planet is "Can be stolen, doesn't work for thief".

If X has a power modifier, give the same to the gadget, since anything that neutralizes the power probably neutralizes the ability to use the gadget.

[Celjabba]

Originally Posted by malloyd

I wouldn't permit that. Presumably you'd only buy the gadget if you had the required prerequisite, so it's a not a restriction that limits you.

I agree, and i was unsure about suggesting it.

However, there are GM who insist on stating everything, and if a NPC have a gadget that can be stolen and used by player, putting an accessibility on it is an option.

But i like RyanW idea of limiting 'can be stolen, usable by thief' more.
harder to stat, but much more elegant.

Celjabba

[MagiMaster]

Actually, Powers states that prerequisites are not worth points (though I'd agree with modifying "will work for thief"), so even if the GM stats everything, it'd be a bunch of +0% features.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Desthro

I accidentally pressed enter when altering my post..
GEAR with alternate prereqs
I was wondering if anyone had given this some serious thought, about weapons with say.. min IQ instead of min ST, and things of that nature. Or even mundane gear with esoteric requirements like, needs Enhanced Time Sense as a prereq for its special abilities to function.

I know the limiting enchantment from GURPS magic can do this, but its inspecific and I am wondering if there is any way that this can be done?

Sure. It can be done arbitrarily. A computer that operates by direct mind to machine interface but you need a minimum intelligence or it'll kill you. I saw that on Doctor Who last night.

[Desthro]

I suppose I never really thought of statting the gear as a gadget, this is more of a personal exercise than it is a GM issue. As a GM I would have no trouble at all giving items and such different requirements. Mostly beause I'd just hand-waive the issue and call it done.

Thanks for the suggestions! It helps a lot!