GURPS Multi Power

[smathers]

So, I'm setting something up where a character is infected with a symbiont that conveys a set of advantages/powers and additional disadvantages.

Most of the advantages/powers are such that only one can be in use at any time. (Enhanced speed, or enhanced DR, or enhanced ST as examples).

The rules on Modular Abilities seem to hit all around what I'm trying to do, but I don't see where I should adjust the cost when the abilities are limited to only one active at a time.

Can someone point me to what I need to price this appropriately for the character?

[Anders]

This seems to be the perfect place for Alternative Abilities. The rules for Alternative Attacks (p.B61) can be generalized to all advantage sets where the advantages can only be used once at a time.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Anders

This seems to be the perfect place for Alternative Abilities. The rules for Alternative Attacks (p.B61) can be generalized to all advantage sets where the advantages can only be used once at a time.

There's a small complication when you have non-attack abilities in your Alternative Abilities - it takes one second to switch between sets. This is detailed in full along with the rest of the idea in GURPS Powers, in the big box on page 11.

[smathers]

Thanks! I'll take a look. :)

[zoncxs]

Pyramid 3/24 article titled "Biomech"

It shows you how and what you need to run a character like venom or Gyver.

[T.K.]

Originally Posted by Bruno

There's a small complication when you have non-attack abilities in your Alternative Abilities - it takes one second to switch between sets. This is detailed in full along with the rest of the idea in GURPS Powers, in the big box on page 11.

Well, considering it's a symbiosis parasite of sorts, 1s to switch between them would neatly fall in line with the time that it would take to transform between "modes".

[Kuroshima]

depending on how many different abilities you want, it might still be worthwhile to use modular abilities, using one of the slotted versions. If you only have one slot, then you can only have one ability! If you go the alternate abilities route, having one of the abilities be a modular ability is always worthwhile for minor abilities, that you don't want to exhaustively stat out at character creation.

If you have access to GURPS Psionic Powers, there's the slotted cosmic modular ability (you easily can build it out of the custom modular ability rules in Powers, it's an any ability/no issues when swapping points modular ability) that might interest you.

[Anaraxes]

Modular Abilities seem to hit all around what I'm trying to do, but I don't see where I should adjust the cost when the abilities are limited to only one active at a time

That's the normal state of affairs for a Modular Ability.

Modular Abilities have a number of "slots". Buying one slot means you can only use one ability at a time, no matter how many you might have dreamed up. You can reconfigure the ability that the slot holds, but you can't put two abilities in one slot, even if they're cheap and you'd have points left over with just one ability.

Only the "Cosmic Power" version allows you to rearrange a single pool of points into however many abilities will fit.

This version sounds a lot like a Chip Slot or Super-Memorization to me -- except rather than some external physical object that you insert / study, you're communing with the symbiont (however that works) to get it to switch the currently granted ability. Maybe bump the slot cost from 3 to 4 since you don't have that inconvenience of having to locate a reference. (On the other hand, the character is also limited to a pre-defined list of abilities that can't grow whenever you consult a new reference work to suit the task at hand.)

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by smathers

So, I'm setting something up where a character is infected with a symbiont that conveys a set of advantages/powers and additional disadvantages.

Most of the advantages/powers are such that only one can be in use at any time. (Enhanced speed, or enhanced DR, or enhanced ST as examples).

The rules on Modular Abilities seem to hit all around what I'm trying to do, but I don't see where I should adjust the cost when the abilities are limited to only one active at a time.

Can someone point me to what I need to price this appropriately for the character?

That's almost exactly Modular Abilities. You have 1 slot worth up to N points of the desired ability. GURPS Powers tells you have to adjust the cost of the slot for the number of options, and the cost per point in the slot for the ease of changing.

A slot that gives you a short list costs 4 points; one that gives you a long catalog costs 5 points. If changing abilities is free, fast, and not subject to external interference, it costs 5 points per point in the slot.

Then there are modifiers for Physical or Physical Only, and for focus and trait limitations.