Morph as a function of regeneration?

[Waldschatten]

I've been trying to figure out how to create a character that uses their regeneration to fuel morphing ability.

The character has the ability to change cosmetic appearance as well as take on other nonhuman qualities such as fangs, claws, fur, a tail, thickened skin (low levels of DR like running on rocks without damaging bare feet), and the like.

Morph, on its own, doesn't seem right for them though.

The ability takes hours, or even days for large changes, of slowly altering their form to accomplish. Definitely not a combat advantage, they aren't going to be growing claws for combat and then removing them once the fight is over.

Changing minor cosmetic features to evade facial recognition would be accomplished in a relatively short period of time, larger survivability advantages would take more time to accomplish.

In typical play this would be primarily a disguise advantage, though in wilderness settings it could have more valuable benefits.

Thanks for any insight you can provide as to how this would be written into a character.

[Anthony]

Morph with limitations that cause it to be slow. The regeneration is a description and maybe a power source limitation.

[Waldschatten]

What is extra time on that scale though?

The "Takes Extra Time" limitation is obviously for combat abilities, raising the time from ten seconds to ten hours doesn't really fit with that.

Are there other limitations that reflect such a large increase in activation time better?

I'm sure someone has to have asked this already, but I'm not finding anything with a forum search, and I'm not seeing anything in the Basic Set (and I've been digging through Powers as well) that suggests how something would be increased from ten seconds to ten hours.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Waldschatten

Are there other limitations that reflect such a large increase in activation time better?

Not really, though some variant on Preparation Required might give reasonable limitation values.

[Anaraxes]

Prep Required, or Immediate Prep Required.

You might also use Trigger. If the fluff is that parts can regenerate into an alternate form, then you might have to intentionally damage them (or sever them) to start that process. That's kind of grim, of course.

You'll probably want Improvised Forms on the Morph, to cover taking bits and pieces from different racial templates, rather than assuming a single complete one. Active Change also seems like it might be a good fit. (If you extend the Morph time to cover the "regeneration" of the new part, that is; you can still act with the old stats until that is complete. If you use the Prep Limitations to represent that, then the actual Morphing is quick, and so may not be worthwhile.)

[starslayer]

Immediate preparation required is a thing, listed in psionic powers.

Couple that with 'accessibility; only for damaging sources that regeneration is restoring'

Your looking at a morph that will have a base cost of 20, pretty much no matter what positive modifiers you put on it; so it will come down to your morph pool.

[aesir23]

I'd actually build this with Modular Abilities instead. Maybe as an alternate ability to Regeneration.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by aesir23

I'd actually build this with Modular Abilities instead. Maybe as an alternate ability to Regeneration.

That would mean you couldn't regenerate while morphed, which probably isn't the intent.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Anthony

That would mean you couldn't regenerate while morphed, which probably isn't the intent.

That's just the impact of making it an Alternate Ability. Whether it's Morph or Modular Abilities would have the same effect as an Alternate Ability.

Mechanically, if the only effect is adaptative changes or partial shapeshifting rather than full body things allowing disguise, Modular Abilities is probably simpler. If disguise is part of it, Morph has that "out of the box" where Modular Abilities does not.

(I'm really interested in this idea. I've played around with something like it and never pinned it down to my satisfaction)

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Anthony

That would mean you couldn't regenerate while morphed, which probably isn't the intent.

Would it? Or would it only mean losing Regeneration while allocating points? Things get confusing around this issue.

But now that I look at the OP again and see that cosmetic changes/disguise is a part of the intent, I agree with Bruno that Morph is the larger fit.

One question, if the ability is "powered by regeneration" does this mean he has to take damage to morph? Or even cause damage to himself.

I'm suddenly imagining a version of this for a horror game, wherein the character changes his appearance by cutting, twisting, stitching, and healing perfectly without a scar. For this sort of thing, I'd add Costs HP and Requires Will Roll.