[Question] Locking Advantages

[Sin'Aria]

You see a Wight Dwarf heading towards you...
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-From our Bazaar of the Bizarre campaign-

Another problem child of mine came to me with a locked lycanthrope[ish] character idea.

Right now the situation is:

[BF] Base Form [Human]
[AF-A] Alternate Form A [Wolf-Man]
[AF-Z] Alternate From Z [Wolf]

To get from [BF] to [AF-Z] you must pass through [AF-A], the reverse is also true - to get from [AF-Z] to [BF] you must pass through [AF-A].

[BF]<---------->[AF-A]<---------->[AF-Z]

That part is simple - I just told him to slapp [Required Intermediate Form, -10%] from GURPS Fantasy onto [AF-Z].

I need help figuring out the [Limitation] to use to show that the other forms are inaccessible until the [Limitation] is bought off.

Basically [AF-Z] has temporarily become the only available form, at least until the penalty is paid off, or the group works around the problem and restores the character's ability to shift back.

So there is a lock/block between [AF-Z] and [AF-A] and one between [AF-A] and [BF].

[AF-Z]<-----|X|----->[AF-A]<-----|X|----->[BF]

They'll have to unlock/unblock [AF-A] before unlocking [BF].


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Werewolf, Werewolf..... There Wolf, There Wolf!!!

[GodBeastX]

Sounds like World of Darkness Werewolves.

I would probably make this a -5% accessibility modifier on the form.

-10% modifier for extra time doubles the transformation time, from 10 seconds to 20 seconds, which is kind of what you're doing but not always. Because if you are already in form A to can just swap to Z in 10 seconds.

So this is probably just a -5% for a minor problem.

[Sin'Aria]

Just so I'm clear on what you're suggesting:

[Accessibility:Locked, -5%]

applied to [AF-A] and [BF] to show that they are completely unavailable until either the character invests more CP to buy off this limitation, or the the group utilizes some in-game scenario and unlocks the other forms that way.

[Wavefunction]

It depends on how you want to handle it, if you're feeling really mean you could say he's essentially just lost two Alternate Forms, and needs to earn enough points to buy them back before he can use them again.

I wouldn't do that. I'd just say he has to do something in game, or wait a set period of time, before he gets his abilities back. I wouldn't involve Character Points at all.

If you feel restoring his powers should cost something, then the value is up to you to determine, but I personally wouldn't put it too high.

[Varyon]

If I'm getting this right, you have a person who is currently stuck in the form of a wolf. He used to have the ability to transform from this into a wolf-man, and from that into a man, but he's lost these. He needs to find a way to "unlock" his abilities to regain them.

There is no real Limitation value for that. Instead, what you're looking at is a character who is built as a wolf, and who probably has some points set aside to eventually purchase the Alternate Forms he wants. If the character used to have the Alternate Forms in-game, but has lost them, this is essentially a case of him having lost character points. How many points he has lost is up to you - it may be a single point (allowing him to regain his ability as soon as he coughs one up), or it may be every point he had invested in the old ability. Whatever the case, it's up to you, as the GM, to decide what is necessary for the character to regain his ability to shift. Will it simply be investing some character points? Will it be a quest? Will he regain his abilities upon discovering the Power of Friendship?

[Sin'Aria]

Thanks all -

If I'm reading this correctly:

This allows an "unknown" ability worth twice the points you have set aside...
so... pay 5 points to have an ability worth 10 when you invest the other 5 points?

Originally Posted by GURPS Basic Set - Characters - [Schrödinger’s Advantage] [B.33]

You can specify that at some critical juncture
in an adventure, just when all seems lost, you will suddenly discover a new
ability – worth twice the points you have set aside – that will help you out
of trouble. You must immediately pay the remaining points to use your
new ability. This is a powerful option. To keep things fair, points set aside
this way provide no benefit until you discover your hidden talent.

If that's right.... then I'll just use the below.

New Limitation
[Schrödinger’s Collapsing Cat Limitation] You have an advantage that is unusable until you finish paying it off. Pay half upfront. [1/2 Cost]

Effectively "lock" an ability until you remove the limitation later.

Now I just need to figure out how to do something like that in CGA.

[GodBeastX]

Sorry, my modifier was on the ability itself. Meaning you shouldn't pay full price for a change that you can't just do any time.

If you meant that the person didn't know the ability to begin with then it should be a hidden advantage. Which is what you just read.

[Flyndaran]

You should just be allowed to set aside however many darn points you want. If they can't be used until spent, why care?
The lower the point total the player accepts now, the faster he'll be able to afford the power-up.

[Zeta Blaze]

I agree with Flyndaran though i will emphasize the canonical minimum is 50% of the ability. Though as a GM i would be flexible in this case.