How to Build Some Unusual Supers

[lugaid]

I have a couple of superbeing concepts that I want to try to write up in GURPS, but I am not sure how to go about them.

First, a super who has two forms. Each time the super goes to sleep, they may change form, with a 50/50 chance of being either one when they wake up. The super has no control over which form they wake up in.

The second is a little more complex. In addition to some basic powers, they have a set of X uses per day. Each use can be either of a somewhat generic attack blast power or a specialty power. The specialty power available is chosen from among a list of powers, but the catch is that only one of the powers is available at a time. The next one used is specified randomly after each use of a specialty power (or the super can simply give up a use to get a new randomly rolled specialty from the list). For example, the super might have 1) a flight power, 2) a force dome power, 3) a healing power, 4) an area blast attack, 5) an entangling attack, and 6) a mind control power. At the start of the session, the player rolls 3, making the next power use a healing power. The character gets 5 power uses per day, and uses the first for a generic blast. The second must still be a healing power, which the character uses to good effect. After that use, the player rolls again and gets 5, making the next power use an entangling attack. And so on, with each power use being the blast or a specialty power, and the specialty power changing (or, if the roll is the same power, staying the same) after each use of a specialty power.

Basically, I want to experiment with giving the player (myself, actually) some randomized limitations that introduce potential tactical wrinkles. So, how would that be best modeled in GURPS?

[Phantasm]

For the first, you're looking at Alternate Form with the Once On Stays On enhancement, the Unreliable limitation with activation roll 11 (you can change that to a 10 without changing price without breaking anything, if you so wish; the median for 3d6 is 10.5, after all), and either the Trigger: Sleep or Preparation Required: "8 hours sleep" limitations.

For the other one... no clue.

[lugaid]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

For the first, you're looking at Alternate Form with the Once On Stays On enhancement, the Unreliable limitation with activation roll 11 (you can change that to a 10 without changing price without breaking anything, if you so wish; the median for 3d6 is 10.5, after all), and either the Trigger: Sleep or Preparation Required: "8 hours sleep" limitations.

That's exactly what I'm looking for, thanks!

For the other one... no clue.

*sadface*

Hm, maybe a set of Alternate Forms? But then how to randomize the next one, which leaves us in the same situation we started. Probably a custom limitation, but I have no idea, not even a ballpark, of what it should be worth.

[Refplace]

Seems simple enough.
Off the top of my head build your IA or Attack power.
Create a list of Specialties powers as Alternates to it for 1/5 cost.
Add Limited Uses to all the powers.
Finally an Accessibility limitation to the Alternate Powers so you have to roll each.
GM call on that but since you have an IA as reliable I ballpark it at 20% minimum but it depends on the GM and suite of powers.
I could see up to 80% and figure 50% a nice round number to compromise.

[lugaid]

What factors do you think would affect the Accessibility? Do you think that it would be appropriate to just say 50%?

edit to add: Derp. That is what you just said there. Still, I'd be interested to know what factors you think would affect the limitation otherwise.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by lugaid

What factors do you think would affect the Accessibility? Do you think that it would be appropriate to just say 50%?

edit to add: Derp. That is what you just said there. Still, I'd be interested to know what factors you think would affect the limitation otherwise.

Accessability is always a judgement call.
In this case it depends on the mix of powers and how likely the random one is to be useful at anyone time.

[Nereidalbel]

For the random selection of powers, add Uncontrollable to the AA set.

[Anaraxes]

The second power is a set of AAs, of course. Randomizing it isn't worth anywhere near -50%, though. All the powers are beneficial, and useful in some way (in combat, even). There's only a slight disadvantage in not being able to choose the one you'd most want. This is a lot more on the scale of Nuisance Effect than a -50% limitation, maybe around -10%.

(Per RAW, Accessibility only goes to -40%, and that for a power that's unavailable -- completely -- in about 95% of useful circumstances. And yes, that's harsh compared to other examples in RAW, with "Granted by Familiar" standing out.)