[GURPS General] A "seesaw pool" power?

[Stelknecht]

Good day!
I'm hoping for some help with a power idea, currently just a concept, but maybe for a supers game. The character has a 'pool' of TK (or magnets, or flame, or whatever) that he can apply to various attributes.
The specific example I'm thinking of is a telekinetic, who can use small lightweight junk to armor himself, and/or increase his strength and speed. He would have a "seesaw pool", so if he put all his pool into armor, he'd have no enhanced ST/Spd, and vice versa, on a sliding scale. This would enable him to be a heavily defended tank with no offense, or a glass cannon, or a moderately defended, moderately aggressive state. The idea was inspired a little by the Great and powerful turtle (wild cards) and a bit by DC's superboy from the 90's.

How could this work? Can you build a modular power pool with only 2 or 3 options, and if so, how much discount would that offer? Modular seems like a really expensive way to build this. Alternative abilities would work, I think, but would lock the player into various specific point values, and require a lot of precalc, although I realize this is going to be precalc heavy no matter the build.

To be as concrete as possible: He could have +6 ST and +3 Basic move (Psionic, linked) for, what, around 105 points. Or, +2 ST and +1 Basic move, and 12 DR, around the same value. Or 21 DR and no ST and no MV. I'm not working this, just doing it in my head, but it's a ballpark.

I'd like to include a few specifics that may be beyond the scope of this; maybe if he puts all of it into move, he can do telekinetic flight, or all into ST he can do super-effort. I'd also like to require extra time to 'build' his defenses up, as he gathered junk, but enable him to drop them instantly as he moved his pool towards ST/Spd.

The last thought is that the character would have cowardice, and would have to often balance protecting himself vs. helping the team.

[ericthered]

This is a classic case of alternate abilities. Don't use modular until you have 5 or more options to put points in.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by ericthered

This is a classic case of alternate abilities. Don't use modular until you have 5 or more options to put points in.

This is not a case of alternate abilities. If you have DR as an alternate ability of TK, you can have EITHER all your TK, OR all your DR. Not partial bits of both. Much like an Alternate Form is all-or-nothing - with Alternate Form: Wolf you're either a wolf or a human. If you want Alternate Form: Wolf-Human, that's a second form. If you want a half-TK half-DR setting, that's a a third Ability in the Alternate Ability. If you want a 25% TK 75% DR, thats a fourth. If you wat a 75% TK 25% DR, that's a fifth. and so on.

The OP wants partial bits of both. Which sounds like a highly limited cosmic modular ability, and is likely well over the minimum 5 abilities to be point efficient.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Bruno

This is not a case of alternate abilities. If you have DR as an alternate ability of TK, you can have EITHER all your TK, OR all your DR. Not partial bits of both.

True. But you can build several sets:

100% DR, 0% TK
75% DR, 25% TK
50% DR, 50% TK
25% DR, 75% TK
0% DR, 100% TK

and make those sets elements of the AA.

Lots of granularity and completely free choice, and the Modular Ability will be cheaper. But if you can live with just a few possible reconfigurations, AA will still work out.

[ericthered]

You take each level of DR separately but stacking, and each level of TK separately but stacking. Or break it up as you see fit -- four pieces is probably sufficient.

Though I will admit I traditionally house rule that alternate abilities can be arranged into any configuration in one sitting, as long as the math comes out all right.

here I was encouraged in this sort of mentality

[Stelknecht]

Originally Posted by ericthered

You take each level of DR separately but stacking, and each level of TK separately but stacking. Or break it up as you see fit -- four pieces is probably sufficient.

Though I will admit I traditionally house rule that alternate abilities can be arranged into any configuration in one sitting, as long as the math comes out all right.

here I was encouraged in this sort of mentality

So you'd build it like:

20 DR, 0 ST/Spd for the main.
Then a 10 point Alt of 15 DR, +1 ST, +1 Spd
Then a 10 point Alt of 10 DR, +2 ST, +2 Spd, etc?

Just to see if I understand what you're saying.

I'm starting to think a '5 item limit' on a Modular might actually work better; then he could put it into flight, SPD, ST, or DR .. and maybe something else.. um.. a knockback, maybe.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Stelknecht

So you'd build it like:

20 DR, 0 ST/Spd for the main.
Then a 10 point Alt of 15 DR, +1 ST, +1 Spd
Then a 10 point Alt of 10 DR, +2 ST, +2 Spd, etc?

Just to see if I understand what you're saying.

I'm starting to think a '5 item limit' on a Modular might actually work better; then he could put it into flight, SPD, ST, or DR .. and maybe something else.. um.. a knockback, maybe.

No, I'd buy:
4 DR [20] five different times
+2 ST [20/5=4] five different times as alternates to the 5 DR packages
+1 Spd [20/5=4] five different times as alternates to the 5 DR package

I pay 140 for the whole thing, and can get any configuration I want. stickler GM's will object that it takes 5 readies to get any configuration by strict strict RAW. I wouldn't. And yes, I normally GM and would recommend this to my players.

[GodBeastX]

Call me a stickler, but I would make this Modular Abilities. =)

[Walrus]

What about Wildcard Powers from Supers?
It's somewhat hard to restrict the usefulness of TK, however. But it can be easier.