Neutralise all Vampire/Werewolf powers: A Thread from SOULLESS

[Michael Cule]

I've recently read a novel called SOULLESS and its first two sequels.

It depicts an alternative Victorian age in which vampires and werewolves are openly part of society (and Society too). In addition there are rate people known as Soulless who have the ability to neutralise all vampire and werewolf gifts returning the subjects to baseline human but only as long as they are touching the target!

Now, how to model that in GURPS?

The basic Neutralise power only covers psi and though it requires touch it also requires a contest of Wills and then negates the power for a period of some minutes. How do I do something which affects a whole other suite of abilities and lasts only as long as touch is maintained?

[lexington]

Changing Neutralize and Psi Static to affect different power sources costs nothing. It's not entirely clear to me why they weren't made totally generic in BS.

Making it last only as long as you hold on is a limitation in the rage of -30% I'd say.

[Flyndaran]

Big honking affliction: removal of specific advantages and disadvantages.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by lexington

Changing Neutralize and Psi Static to affect different power sources costs nothing. It's not entirely clear to me why they weren't made totally generic in BS.

Making it last only as long as you hold on is a limitation in the rage of -30% I'd say.

Exactly. It even tells you that you can change it to another power modifier.
As to the Will thing you can handle that easily as well.
Buy Reliable on it so that it helps your effective roll or put a weakness to those powers into their PM.
So All Werewolves and Vampires in the game could have a -10% PM that includes being turned off by anyone using Neutralize or Static.
Adjust the limitation based on how common Souless are.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Michael Cule

I've recently read a novel called SOULLESS and its first two sequels.

It depicts an alternative Victorian age in which vampires and werewolves are openly part of society (and Society too). In addition there are rate people known as Soulless who have the ability to neutralise all vampire and werewolf gifts returning the subjects to baseline human but only as long as they are touching the target!

Now, how to model that in GURPS?

The basic Neutralise power only covers psi and though it requires touch it also requires a contest of Wills and then negates the power for a period of some minutes. How do I do something which affects a whole other suite of abilities and lasts only as long as touch is maintained?

Powers expands the Neutralise advantage, so you would take Neutralise (X*) instead of Neutralise (psi). *Where X = (vampires and werewolves), in the Soulless universe the vampire and werewolf templates will both have power modifiers that include "can be Neutralised" -5%.

The closest you can get to not having to roll is:

Neutralize (Cosmic: No Roll +100%; Cosmic: No Rule of 16 +50%; Reliable +10, +50%) [150]

Roll your Will +10 (if you fail, count it as a success by 0) vs targets Will, to Neutralise.

You could also make Neutralising a skill if a +10 bonus to will isn't enough.

Pile on some limitations to reduce the duration to touch only.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Refplace

So All Werewolves and Vampires in the game could have a -10% PM that includes being turned off by anyone using Neutralize or Static.

Being susceptible to Neutralize is only worth -5%.

[Flyndaran]

Vampires and Werewolves would need different powers to neutralize.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Being susceptible to Neutralize is only worth -5%.

The value of the PM is undetermined as I dont know the source material. So I offered the generic -10% up but it may be more or less in the setting. Maybe they also lose powers in a Church for example.

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Vampires and Werewolves would need different powers to neutralize.

Maybe. However the setting description indicates they may be the same power modifier. Even if they are different PMs they are perhaps close enough if all Soulless can touch one and turn them off.
So buying the power twice is an option but so is saying it works on both becasue they have the same source (Evil Curse, Magic, Spirits, etc) or just taking a limitation on the powers the targets buy.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Vampires and Werewolves would need different powers to neutralize.

Why? Regular Neutralise (psi) will shut down all powers with the "Psi" source. If Vampires and Werewolves are defined as having the same power source, then you only need one type of neutralize.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Why? Regular Neutralise (psi) will shut down all powers with the "Psi" source. If Vampires and Werewolves are defined as having the same power source, then you only need one type of neutralize.

I have trouble understanding a setting in which they are that interchangeable.