Mitigator with side-effects?

The Cardinal · 01-12-2016, 05:42 AM

Mitigator is a limitation - but it is only allowed for disadvantages. However, how would you handle a character with
(a) several disadvantages, each controlled by a daily drug treatment (Mitigator, -60%)
and
(b) side-effects from this drug treatment which reduce his IQ, DX and ST (so that these attributes all return to their usual levels without the drug treatment)?

The Cardinal · 01-12-2016, 08:03 AM

No ideas? Or questions? Or is the answer just so obvious?

Mr_Sandman · 01-12-2016, 08:37 AM

One approach to get a cost for that could be instead of having a mitigator on the disadvantages. Create an advantage that is essentially a 'negated disadvantage' with limitations of 'trigger' for the drug, and "temporary disadvantage' for the side effects.

Anaraxes · 01-12-2016, 08:47 AM

The complicated way:
Think of the Mitigator as a counteracting advantage ("No Mental Problems"), which you can switch on or off at will each day. Treat the stat reductions as a Temporary Disadvantage on that advantage. Thus, you'll get some more points back.

The simple way:
Choose the stat reductions to have the same point value as the mental disads. Choose which set applies each day. There's some value in being able to choose disads to avoid the ones that most affect your plans. I'm not sure the either-or rule quite fits, though. Change the Mitigator to Addiction. (It'll likely be minor; see the note about handwaving withdrawal effects.)

Celti · 01-13-2016, 05:08 AM

Reduce the value of the Mitigator commensurately with its drawbacks. GURPS already explicitly does this for the Mitigators for things like cybernetics, which include inherent Maintenance disadvantages.

The exact figure is the GM's call and could do with some discussion here, I think.

Christopher R. Rice · 01-13-2016, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Cardinal

(a) several disadvantages, each controlled by a daily drug treatment (Mitigator, -60%) and

So that one is just applying Mitagator to disadvantages - per usual.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Cardinal

(b) side-effects from this drug treatment which reduce his IQ, DX and ST (so that these attributes all return to their usual levels without the drug treatment)?

So this is more complicated. What I'd do here is use the rules for Limitations on Disadvantages (see p. 6 of GURPS Power-Ups 8: Limitations). So for IQ it would be something like...

+X to IQ (Accessibility, Not while taking daily drugs, -40%) [12] + -X to IQ [-20]

That seems pretty fair for the most part. I might push the Accessibility to -100% + (Absolute Value of Mitagator), but that's just me.

01-12-2016, 05:42 AM	#1
The Cardinal Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Germany	Mitigator with side-effects? Mitigator is a limitation - but it is only allowed for disadvantages. However, how would you handle a character with (a) several disadvantages, each controlled by a daily drug treatment (Mitigator, -60%) and (b) side-effects from this drug treatment which reduce his IQ, DX and ST (so that these attributes all return to their usual levels without the drug treatment)? __________________ Malmsturm: German FATE Sword&Sorcery Roleplaying Last edited by The Cardinal; 01-12-2016 at 07:58 AM.

01-12-2016, 08:03 AM	#2
The Cardinal Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Germany	Re: Mitigator with side-effects? No ideas? Or questions? Or is the answer just so obvious? __________________ Malmsturm: German FATE Sword&Sorcery Roleplaying

01-12-2016, 08:37 AM	#3
Mr_Sandman Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: L.I., NY	Re: Mitigator with side-effects? One approach to get a cost for that could be instead of having a mitigator on the disadvantages. Create an advantage that is essentially a 'negated disadvantage' with limitations of 'trigger' for the drug, and "temporary disadvantage' for the side effects.

01-12-2016, 08:47 AM	#4
Anaraxes Join Date: Sep 2007	Re: Mitigator with side-effects? The complicated way: Think of the Mitigator as a counteracting advantage ("No Mental Problems"), which you can switch on or off at will each day. Treat the stat reductions as a Temporary Disadvantage on that advantage. Thus, you'll get some more points back. The simple way: Choose the stat reductions to have the same point value as the mental disads. Choose which set applies each day. There's some value in being able to choose disads to avoid the ones that most affect your plans. I'm not sure the either-or rule quite fits, though. Change the Mitigator to Addiction. (It'll likely be minor; see the note about handwaving withdrawal effects.)

01-13-2016, 05:08 AM	#5
Celti Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA, Arizona, Mesa	Re: Mitigator with side-effects? Reduce the value of the Mitigator commensurately with its drawbacks. GURPS already explicitly does this for the Mitigators for things like cybernetics, which include inherent Maintenance disadvantages. The exact figure is the GM's call and could do with some discussion here, I think.