[Basic/Powers] Low or No Signature And Visible

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by scc

Yes it is supposed to make people lust after you, and -80% sounds about right for a Disadvantage that can only be triggered by one person, either that or it's a quirk

You're ignoring the fact that the limitation makes the Affliction more useful to the person paying for it.

[scc]

With Always On it's not THAT useful, or rather it's usefulness is offset by that, I don't think it's heading towards -20% territory, but it could be

[PK]

The ability to choose who the victims lust after would be better represented as Selective Effect -- though once you've added that, I'd let you take Accessibility, Caster Only for -20%, balancing the cost. (Why -20%? Because that will pretty much always be the most useful choice.)

[scc]

Do You mean Selective Area (B108, P109) or some other rule?

[PK]

I mean Selective Effect, which was introduced in GURPS Powers (p. 105) and expanded upon in GURPS Power-Ups 4: Enhancements (p. 16).

[scc]

Wait, your saying apply both of them to Lecherousness instead of my ad-hoc Afflictor Only? Lets see, that would be Lecherousness (15) (Selective Effect, -20%; Accessibility, Caster Only,-20%) [7], right?

Making the whole thin:
Affliction(No Signature, +20%; Area Effect, +50%; Disadvantage(Lecherousness(15)(Selective Effect, +20%; Accessibility, Caster Only,-20%) [7]) +70%; Power Modifier:Magic, -10%; Onset (1 minute), -10%; Emanation, -20%; Always On, -10%) [19];

EDIT: I should probably add Cosmic: Ignores DR (Excludes Absorption, Force Field and Reflection, -20%) +40% and I'll probably add Dissipation as well to try and keep the points down

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by scc

Wait, your saying apply both of them to Lecherousness instead of my ad-hoc Afflictor Only? Lets see, that would be Lecherousness (15) (Selective Effect, -20%; Accessibility, Caster Only,-20%) [7], right?

Selective Effect (like Selective Area) is an Enhancement.

[Bruno]

I spent much of last night poking through the Basic Set and trying to categorize the advantages vis a vis "obviousness". I clearly need a hobby... oh wait!

There seems to really be four rough categories. In the discussion below, I'm making heavy use of the Basic Set distinction of Physical, Social, and Mental traits, which are capitalized because they're very important to Modular Ability, Possession, bodily transformations that leave the mind the same, impersonations, and so forth. They seem to

Traits that have permanent, obvious, constant Physical effects on the character. People looking at you can tell you have an unusual ability even if it's not "doing anything", or your ability "does something" obvious all the time. Examples: Appearance, Claws, Extra Arms. I feel unmodified Invisibility is in this category since it's "always on", although ironically it makes you invisible. If someone can find you, it's blatantly obvious you're Invisible, so it counts in my books.
Switchable hides these traits for the trade-off of not being able to access them when hidden, Low/No Signature may be difficult to justify for some (Invisibility) but for others it makes them "invisible", although the effects will still be obvious - No Signature Talons would be someone with perfectly normal looking hands who has a mystical or supernatural ability to slice things open with their bare hands. You can't really miss the fact that he's ripped someone apart, though.
I put physical sub-attributes/attribute-bits in this group, like Arm DX or Lifting ST. This also includes Fit/Very Fit. I'm willing to cede this group to the "never visible" though, on the basic GURPS principle that you can be a 4'9" battle waif with ST 20 if you want to be, as long as you pay for your ST.

Traits that have invisible effects whether they're in use or not. These are almost all Mental traits or (passive) sensory traits, but a few are the "I'm cinematic!" activator advantages, for example. This doesn't just include mental "attacks" like mind reading or mind control, but also things like Combat Reflexes, Gunslinger, and Oracle.
There are a lot in this group.

Traits that aren't used all the time. When used, they make it obvious who is using them, even though they act at a distance. The classic example here is Innate Attack. Other classics are the other Physical "attack"-like traits: Affliction, Binding, Obscure. I believe Temperature Control is in this group.

Social Traits. "Invisible" social traits is an almost incoherent concept (if nobody can ever tell you have Reputation +4, I don't think you have Reputation +4). On the other hand, Social traits aren't really visible per ce. I think it's easiest to put them in an "other" category that simply can't take Visible or Low/No signature.

What I'm pondering over sorting are traits like Altered Time Rate, Extra Attack, Metabolism Control, or Doesn't Breathe. If you're not actively using them, they're probably not visible. If you're using them, they certainly have visible effects, like TK, but they affect you and only you and I think it's pretty clear you're the originator of the effect (like with the attack advantages).

This puts them quite similar to the "attack" advantages, except that these are personal advantages; it's hard to separate the effect from the originator.
Can Altered Time Rate really take No Signature? I'm sure people can still see you running around like The Flash.
Can Duplication really take No Signature? It seems hard to hide that there's suddenly two of you, unless you take Invisibility, which is a separate trait.

Having a "tell" that you have one of these traits even when you're not using it seems like a legit limitation but Visible doesn't cover that - perhaps it's just that Distinctive Feature or Supernatural Feature is more appropriate for these.

Which perhaps means that these advantages go in the same pile as the Social traits - can't take either Low/No Signature nor Visible. The fact that you can take disads that make them extra "visible" is separate to this one; that concept is valid for the attacks too - "hands flicker with spiritual fire all the time" for someone who can chuck burning attacks is definitely A Thing.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Switchable hides these traits for the trade-off of not being able to access them when hidden, Low/No Signature may be difficult to justify for some (Invisibility)

Without special enhancements/limitations, it actually seems easy to justify for an illusory power like Invisibility - it bends minds just as Invisibility does without modified Signature.

[Wavefunction]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Without special enhancements/limitations, it actually seems easy to justify for an illusory power like Invisibility - it bends minds just as Invisibility does without modified Signature.

That makes me wonder how one would build a form of Invisibility where the character can choose who can see him. Perhaps Switchable + Selective Effect?