Low Super ST Not Worth It?

[Goober4473]

I ntoice that ST with Super Effort costs 40/level, but up to +6 is always lower than spending equivalent points in ST.

For instance, level 1 is +1/+3, 2 is +2/+5, etc., so even spending FP, you have less ST than you otherwise would. Once you hit 7, the super effort ST overcomes 4x normal ST.

This seems somehow off.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Goober4473

I ntoice that ST with Super Effort costs 40/level, but up to +6 is always lower than spending equivalent points in ST.

For instance, level 1 is +1/+3, 2 is +2/+5, etc., so even spending FP, you have less ST than you otherwise would. Once you hit 7, the super effort ST overcomes 4x normal ST.

This seems somehow off.

That's exactly how it works, and yes, it's a bit strange. It's kind of an artifact of the way that the size/range table works. You don't break even until you get up to 7 or 8.

Bill Stoddard

[Goober4473]

Originally Posted by whswhs

That's exactly how it works, and yes, it's a bit strange. It's kind of an artifact of the way that the size/range table works. You don't break even until you get up to 7 or 8.

Would it be fair to rule that you get the higher of the size/range table number or your Super ST times 6? i.e., 2 Super Strength would get you +2/+12, 5 would be +5/+30, etc., but once you hit around 7 or 8, it starts to use the table again.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by whswhs

That's exactly how it works, and yes, it's a bit strange. It's kind of an artifact of the way that the size/range table works.

No, it's an artifact of bad game design. It wouldn't be that hard to fix (either trash the enhancement completely and turn it into an advantage, or change its mechanics), it's just that it was introduced in Powers and fixing it wasn't a priority for Supers.

[Maz]

Doesn't Powers also say you can only buy it if you have 8 levels of Super ST?

[edit] I was thinking of Super Effort fror Lifting ST but if I remember correctly Super ST is based on the same.

If the
GM sets a limit when using this modifier,
it should be at Lifting ST +8 or
higher.

[Flyndaran]

It almost makes sense if you think the idea of a low Super Strength character is almost an oxymoron.

If you're looking for the short term reduced price Strength, you could always slap emergencies only on no HP St.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

It almost makes sense if you think the idea of a low Super Strength character is almost an oxymoron.

The Supers genre is full of characters that have a max lift of 1-10 tons even though GURPS doesn't make it a point effective concept.

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

It almost makes sense if you think the idea of a low Super Strength character is almost an oxymoron.

If you're looking for the short term reduced price Strength, you could always slap emergencies only on no HP St.

Or costs 1 FP. That could be an especially helpful approach in a campaign where the characters are expected to grow a lot in power level the GM wants it to make sense to "trade in" levels of normal ST for super-ST later on.

[lexington]

Originally Posted by naloth

The Supers genre is full of characters that have a max lift of 1-10 tons even though GURPS doesn't make it a point effective concept.

Not using the Super-ST system, no. On the other hand they can buy up Lifting ST and increase their Lifting skill if they want to do to have that as their limit. After all there are real human beings who can bench press half a ton. Barely being able to lift one ton is more "cinematic strongman" than "superhuman strength".

ST 20 [100]
HT 10 [0]
Lighting ST 12 [36]
Lifting 15 [12]

Max lift of ~2000 pounds for 148 points rather than the 300 you'd spend on Super-ST.

By the time you reach 10 tons the Super-ST method is more efficient than anything else.

[the_matrix_walker]

The cost of ST especially in the ranges discussed here has been hotly debated.

The best way to mitigate this by RAW is to add a Pact Limitation to ST to follow the "supers" or whatever conventions it is meant for.

My group has played with a 5 point ST model for supers games with some success over a few games, but the current GM decided not to use it in the current game, not sure if it will be back...

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Or costs 1 FP. That could be an especially helpful approach in a campaign where the characters are expected to grow a lot in power level the GM wants it to make sense to "trade in" levels of normal ST for super-ST later on.

The problem there is that your normal effort ST and HP Drop if you do.