Appearance better than transcendent

[Alonsua]

So Horrific gives -6 to reaction rolls while Transcendent gives an average of +5 to reaction rolls. In addition, a simple nymph has transcendent appearance (Dungeon Fantasy 3, page 9). How are we supposed to be able to differentiate a mythological creature from a deity?

Therefore, let´s create a new level of superior appearance averaging +6 for the goddess Aphrodite:
How could it be called?
What would be an appropriate description?

I advocate for:
Aphrodisiac/Apollonian: Both gods and mortals can not get enough of your devastating beauty/handsomeness and irresistible sensual charms. Your unbearable beauty/handsomeness can even inspire divine awe.

Rules:
1. Awe and Terror have already been accounted for.

Alternative proposition:
Attractive (+1): You do not fit in beauty contests but you definitely look good.
Beautiful/handsome (+4): You could participate in beauty contests.
Very beautiful/handsome (+6): You could win beauty contests. In addition, talent hunters, friends, loaders and slave traders are prone to get you in trouble.
Transcendentally beautiful/handsome (+8): You have the ideal appearance, being the focus of all kinds of attention by the opposite sex and the winner of most beauty contests.
Devastatingly beautiful/handsome (+10): Those who see you never have enough of your devastating beauty. You look like what is depicted as an angel in works of art and your unbearable beauty can even inspire divine awe.

Originally Posted by ericthered

A few thoughts:

There are things that people physically recoil from. Often invertebrates. I'm better than a lot of people I know about this, and I love invertebrate taxonomy but I still feel shivers when I see certain creatures. Our bodies are hard-wired for much stronger responses to the disgusting than the beautiful.
Now, I can see an argument for making the appearance spectrum symmetric, especially for a given setting, but that lack of symmetry is hardly something that needs to be overthrown in every campaign.

Accepted.

[Refplace]

How about just add the Awe power?
Terror with the Awe table instead of fear

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by Refplace

How about just add the Awe power?
Terror with the Awe table instead of fear

Sure, you are supposed to add Awe too, but the reaction bonus would still average +5 unless you make a higher appearance level.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

Sure, you are supposed to add Awe too, but the reaction bonus would still average +5 unless you make a higher appearance level.

Or you can add Charisma and/or Voice for similar (though not identical) effect.

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by Rupert

Or you can add Charisma and/or Voice for similar (though not identical) effect.

Yes, I could, but even if it would the same effect, it is a completely different trait.

[Not another shrubbery]

I note that, as per its description, Transcendent is already supposed to represent the appearance of angels and deities, so creating a level above something which is itself above the range of human experience seems unnecessary. The idea in the RAW appears to be that there is an actual limit on perceivable appearance modifiers, beyond which you need to use other traits to indicate worse or better reaction mods. If I were going to symmetrize the Appearance levels, I'd rather get rid of Horrific.

For words which might be used to name a hypothetical appearance level above Transcendent, you might use Singular, or Unearthly.

[Andreas]

There are examples in fiction of characters having appearance which has far greater effect on those around them than Trancendant would. I see little reason to not make appearance open ended just like charisma is and let the limit be dictated by the setting of a particular game rather than the general rules.

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

I note that, as per its description, Transcendent is already supposed to represent the appearance of angels and deities, so creating a level above something which is itself above the range of human experience seems unnecessary.

Why would only a single level above "human experience" be useful? Depending on the setting, the range of appearance availiable to beutiful deities might be far broader than that of mortals.

[Plane]

Could we possibly apply a limitation to Charisma like "must be seen" ?

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

Awe doesn't have the same game effects as reaction modifiers. It inflicts things like mental stun, ecstasy, and Slave Mentality.

Originally Posted by Andreas

Why would only a single level above "human experience" be useful? Depending on the setting, the range of appearance availiable to beutiful deities might be far broader than that of mortals.

This is the case in the Middle-earth setting, for example. Elves are described as being more beautiful than a human is capable of being. In GURPS terms, taking Tolkien at his word, every single Elf is Transcendant. That doesn't leave room either for variation among Elves, or for the "divine" Valar and Maiar who are even more gorgeous than Elves, let alone for variation among the Valar. (And the good Valar would avoid using Awe because it's kind of mind-blasting and mind-controlly.)

My solution for this particular setting is to give Elves some variety by making their Appearance range from Handsome/Beautiful to Transcendant. I'm also working on interpolated Appearance levels between the RAW levels, and added levels above Transcendant. Like so:

Divine plus Awe: used for more-than-Divine Appearance
Divine: +9 attracted to your sex, +5 otherwise; average +7 [32]
Unearthly/Semidivine: +9 attracted to your sex, +3 otherwise; average +6 [24]
Transcendant: +8 attracted to your sex, +2 otherwise; average +5 [20]
Exceedingly Handsome/Beautiful: +7 attracted to your sex, +2 otherwise [18]
Very Handsome/Beautiful: +6 attracted to your sex, +2 otherwise; average +4 [16]
Quite Handsome/Beautiful: +5 attracted to your sex, +2 otherwise [14]
Handsome/Beautiful: +4 attracted to your sex, +2 otherwise; average +3 [12]
Quite Pretty: +3 attracted to your sex, +2 otherwise [10]
Pretty: +2 [8]
Attractive: +1 [4]
Average: +0 [0]
Unattractive: -1 [-4]
Ugly: -2 [-8]
Very Ugly: -3 [-12]
Hideous: -4 [-16]
Monstrous: -5 [-20]
Horrific: -6 [-24]

The interpolated Quite Pretty, Quite Handsome, and Exceedingly Handsome can't be used with Androgynous or Impressive, but otherwise I'm hopeful this makes sense.

[Flyndaran]

If you really want a total "tilt" for humanoid perceptions of beauty, maybe there should be a GM fiat advantage. Any mere mortal viewing the god will automatically have an excellent reaction regardless.