How do I make absorbing man?

[togapika]

Basic question is as above. I have no experience with GURPS and it's a 400 point game. I want to be able to touch things and turn into them, maybe not as crazily as Creel (Turning into asgardia???)


Help me out, and the simpler the solution the better

[Ulzgoroth]

Sounds like Morph?

[togapika]

There is the alternate form using the elemental meta-traits, but those don't really include offensive stuff, like a lightning blast in air form and such.

[naloth]

I would use Morph with the special effect that you can morph into "Body Of" meta-traits instead of racial meta-traits.

Obviously you'll need a chunk of point in the morph pool (which aren't modified by enhancements or limitations).

Here's an example:
Morph ("Body of Meta-Traits" instead of Racial Meta-Traits 0%; Reduced Time 4 +80%; Can't Memorize -50%; Must Touch -10%; No Impersonation* -20%; Retains [a Humaniod] Shape -20%; Super -10%) [70]
+175 Morph Pool [175] = Total 245 points.

*Sounds twice as bad as Flawed.

This allows him to assume any "Body of" meta-trait of any material he's currently touching with one Ready action.

[transmetahuman]

Originally Posted by naloth

I would use Morph with the special effect that you can morph into "Body Of" meta-traits instead of racial meta-traits.

Obviously you'll need a chunk of point in the morph pool (which aren't modified by enhancements or limitations).

Here's an example:
Morph ("Body of Meta-Traits" instead of Racial Meta-Traits 0%; Reduced Time 4 +80%; Can't Memorize -50%; Must Touch -10%; No Impersonation* -20%; Retains [a Humaniod] Shape -20%; Super -10%) [70]
+175 Morph Pool [175] = Total 245 points.

*Sounds twice as bad as Flawed.

This allows him to assume any "Body of" meta-trait of any material he's currently touching with one Ready action.

Flawed essentially is "No Impersonation" - but requiring skin contact touch would be a form of Reversed Sense-Based (Touch), or even Contact Agent. IDHMBWM, but Can't Memorize is in Powers - not sure if it's -50% though. Replacing Racial templates with Body Of metatraits would seem to already cover Retains a Humanoid Shape - but is probably worth more than a -0% limitation.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by transmetahuman

Flawed essentially is "No Impersonation".

Poorly stated on my part... In the vein of the absorbing man, it should be obviously him regardless of what material he is. Flawed prevents impersonation but if you morphed from human into cat it would still be pretty difficult to tell it's the same person even if you couldn't impersonate a particular cat. It should have been worded as "Always Identifiable as You" regardless what morphing you do.

- but requiring skin contact touch would be a form of Reversed Sense-Based (Touch), or even Contact Agent.

Possibly, but those seem out of line with Requires Sample which already requires you to physically contact what you're changing into.

IDHMBWM, but Can't Memorize is in Powers - not sure if it's -50% though.

GCA says it is ;)

Replacing Racial templates with Body Of metatraits would seem to already cover Retains a Humanoid Shape - but is probably worth more than a -0% limitation.

Unliving Only (0%) is similar to doing only "Body of" traits. Offhand being able to do energy forms seems like a fair trade for being not being able to become machines.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by togapika

There is the alternate form using the elemental meta-traits, but those don't really include offensive stuff, like a lightning blast in air form and such.

I would buy a Modular Pool that's focus limited "only abilities related to my current material meta-trait -10%" and trait limited to "innate attacks -30%".

Another sample would be:
Modular Abilities (Divinely Inspired) 1 slot w/up to a 20 point ability (Base 6+80; Focus Limit "only current element" -10%; Trait Limit "Innate Attack" -30%; Supers -10%; Physical Only +50%) [86]

On my character sheet I would note a few attacks that I commonly use like:
8d cr (Jet 0%; No Wounding -50%), 4d burn (Jet 0%), 2d pi (AP/2 +50%, RoF 3 +50%), 2d fatigue.

Then you can use them at will, switching with 1 second per point of new abilities to any reasonable attack permitted by your current morph state. FREX, when you're Body of Fire you could throw Fireballs, enhance your Aura , have a Flame Jet (jet 0%), or dehydrate your opponents (Fatigue Attack) at will. The strength of Modular Points you're paying for the utility of changing up your abilities to fit your needs.

If you prefer quantity over flexibility you could buy a few attacks and make them alternates to each other.
For example:
8d burn (Fire/Lightning; Flexible Signature* +10%; Super -10%) [40]
12d jet (Air/Water Jet; Flexible Signature* +10%; No Wounding -50%; Super -10%; Alternate Ability) [30/5 = 6]
(Generic Missile; Flexible Signature* +10%; RoF 3 +50%; Super -10%) [38/5 = 8]

Total: 54 points.

[Useless Son]

Powers had a good idea with Elemental Form: Alternate Form(Elemental Meta-Trait; Absorptive Change, No Encumbrance, +5%; Active Change, +20%) [Variable]. Notes: The user can voluntarily adopt one of the elemental meta-traits on p. B262, absorbing equipment that weighs no more than Basic Lift. He can act during the transformation, but only gains the benefits of his metatrait after 10 seconds. Cost is 19 points plus 90% of the price of the meta-trait, rounded up.

So you would pick like Body of Stone, Earth, Metal, etc from Characters as the base. Next give him other advantages like additional ST, additional DR, Injury Tolerance, etc with the Limitation- Only in Meta Form.

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Useless Son

Powers had a good idea with Elemental Form: Alternate Form(Elemental Meta-Trait; Absorptive Change, No Encumbrance, +5%; Active Change, +20%) [Variable]. Notes: The user can voluntarily adopt one of the elemental meta-traits on p. B262, absorbing equipment that weighs no more than Basic Lift. He can act during the transformation, but only gains the benefits of his metatrait after 10 seconds. Cost is 19 points plus 90% of the price of the meta-trait, rounded up.

So you would pick like Body of Stone, Earth, Metal, etc from Characters as the base. Next give him other advantages like additional ST, additional DR, Injury Tolerance, etc with the Limitation- Only in Meta Form.

Yeah, except if you can turn into *anything* you touch, you need Morph rather than Alternate Form.

[Useless Son]

Yeah. I reread Shapeshifting, it is Morph. Thank you.