If an Alternate Form has increased SM, do you get points back for base ST?

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Technically AF only replaces your racial template, and your ST is not on your racial template, so no. I'd probably allow it in a game, though.

Even that strict constructionist interpretation of RAW isn't a barrier to creating a race that has both -3 St (-30) and +3 St (SM 1 -10%) (27) as racial traits of its own.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Technically AF only replaces your racial template, and your ST is not on your racial template, so no. I'd probably allow it in a game, though.

Eh, there are enough cases of Alternate Form clearly not working on racial templates that ignoring that stipulation should be fine. It's really more a "the GM should approve and design your AF" rule, IMO. A good RAW example of ignoring the racial template language is the Wetware Sub-Personality neuromod (BT180-181); note the example character removes her Careful, Honesty, and Squeamish (none of which are part of her racial template) as part of her (mental) Alternate Form. Elsewhere in the same book, it's even suggested that someone who wants to put Switchable on a Metatrait should just buy an Alternate Form (BT214). Plenty of Supers might do similar things (Supers and their alter-egos having different personalities is fairly common, even when there isn't any change beyond a costume swap), so I wouldn't be surprised if GURPS Supers had similar exceptions to the "racial template" rule.