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Old 07-08-2020, 11:42 AM   #1
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

I was curious if a character could use Leech against themselves? For example, a character possesses the following ability: Leech (Accelerated Healing, +25%; Blood Agent, -40%; No Signature, +20%; Steals FP, -25%) [20]. Could the character use Leech on themselves to transform their FP into HP at an exchange rate of 1 FP for 1 HP?
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Old 07-08-2020, 12:14 PM   #2
TGLS
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Default Re: Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

I'd have to say no, without some special enhancement. Leech would be unfairly priced relative to Regeneration (Costs FP -5%). Everything less than Regeneration (Fast) would be meaningless with a fatigue cost. Fast is about twice as expensive as the Leech build and much slower, even being generous and assuming the HP is given at the beginning over the end. The faster speeds are probably a better deal (though much more expensive). Perhaps FP->HP pricing is wrong to begin with.
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Old 07-08-2020, 12:22 PM   #3
Varyon
 
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Default Re: Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

Some ability to transform one's own FP into HP makes sense, but I don't think this ability should natively have it. Consider, this essentially gives the character something between Regular Regeneration [25] and Fast Regeneration [50], healing 1 HP every 10 minutes, but requiring the character to rest while it works (burn 1 FP, rest 10 minutes, burn 1 FP, rest 10 minutes, and so forth). "Requires Rest" is a bit worse than All Out Concentration (which allows for 1 yard/second of movement); the latter is -25%, so somewhere around -30% seems appropriate, putting this at between [17.5] and [35] (averaging a bit north of [25]). Paying [20] to get a more-malleable version of this (you can frontload the cost, rather than it only working at a rate of 1 HP per 10 minutes, and can even use it in combat safely) as well as being able to Leech from others is clearly too low of a price. I'd be willing to even let the malleable version be only [25] (arguably, [30] is more appropriate), with your Leech build as an Alternate Ability (a fluff-wise, these are the same ability, with the Regeneration simply being you applying the Leech effect to yourself).
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Old 07-08-2020, 01:37 PM   #4
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

By RAW, I do believe that it is a legal application, as you can always target yourself with an attack unless it possesses Aura (the attack surrounds you in such a way that touching your own body does not result in injury) or some form of Accessibility that excludes you. The comparison of the price of Regeneration is valid though, possibly suggesting that the Steals FP modifier for Leech is too cheap or Regeneration is too expensive, though I will explain why I do not think that is necessarily true.

An interesting comparison of healing utility would be Leech (Accelerated Healing, +25%; Blood Agent, -40%; No Signature, +20%; Steals FP, -25%) [20] with Regeneration (Fast: Fatigue Only, +0%) [50]. The character would recover 1 FP/minute, and, by concentrating for a turn, they could shift it to HP. Of course, it would not be quite as cheap or as effective for healing as Regeneration (Fast; Fatigue Only, +0%) [50] and Regeneration (Alternative Ability; Fast) [10], though the cost and effectiveness is balanced out by its modest offensive capabilities.
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Old 07-08-2020, 01:52 PM   #5
Anders
 
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Default Re: Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

However, the RAW admits that it allows unbalanced builds, and that's why we have GMs.
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Old 07-08-2020, 02:02 PM   #6
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

How would Leech (Accelerated Healing, +25%; Blood Agent, -40%; No Signature, +20%; Steals FP, -25%) [20] with Regeneration (Fast: Fatigue Only, +0%) [50] be unbalanced compared to Regeneration (Fast; Fatigue Only, +0%) [50] with Regeneration (Alternative Ability; Fast) [10]?
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Old 07-08-2020, 02:36 PM   #7
Refplace
 
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Default Re: Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

IMHO it shouldnt be cheaper than Healing, self only.
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Old 07-08-2020, 03:29 PM   #8
Varyon
 
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Default Re: Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
How would Leech (Accelerated Healing, +25%; Blood Agent, -40%; No Signature, +20%; Steals FP, -25%) [20] with Regeneration (Fast: Fatigue Only, +0%) [50] be unbalanced compared to Regeneration (Fast; Fatigue Only, +0%) [50] with Regeneration (Alternative Ability; Fast) [10]?
The former allows you to damage a grappled target (or a prisoner, or a willing "battery") at a rate of 1 FP per second while healing yourself at a rate of 1 HP per second, comparable to Regeneration (Very Fast), in addition to having the ability to heal yourself for HP equal to your FP if desired (again, at a rate of 1 HP per second). The latter lacks either of those functions, and said functions strike me as being worth more than the [10] difference between the builds. [34] ([30] for the regeneration, [4] for the Leech as an Alternate Ability) is probably a more appropriate cost for that Leech if you can use it on yourself (making the comparison [84] vs [60] rather than [70] vs [60]; the former seems more fair for what you're getting). Optionally, round that up to [35], because GURPS.
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Old 07-08-2020, 03:33 PM   #9
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Using Leech against yourself [Powers]

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
I was curious if a character could use Leech against themselves? For example, a character possesses the following ability: Leech (Accelerated Healing, +25%; Blood Agent, -40%; No Signature, +20%; Steals FP, -25%) [20]. Could the character use Leech on themselves to transform their FP into HP at an exchange rate of 1 FP for 1 HP?
Yeah they probably could. Would I allow that particular build? Hell no. The Accelerated Healing is a deal breaker for me. That's intended for hit points, not fatigue.
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