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Old 09-11-2013, 12:42 PM   #1
JCurwen3
 
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Default Distractions (like pain) and CMs

If a character has one or more Compartmentalized Minds (CMs), how immune are all of those CMs by default from distractions (again, like pain)?

Assuming that, yes, they all are affected by distractions and physical pain, what would it take to make a CM ignore those distractions? Both for a character with an standard out-of-the-box CM (something like a Will roll or a technique or something), and for a character that wanted to pay points for CMs that could simply ignore things like pain that the main mind is forced to deal with?
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Old 09-11-2013, 12:50 PM   #2
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

The description strongly suggests that the "compartments" wouldn't be immune to physical effects (pain, sneezing, etc.) at all. They're compartmentalized from one another, not from the body which contains them. To have a compartmentalized mind which wasn't affected by distractions, you'd have to buy appropriate resistances and immunities. I imagine they'd come with a limitation (Only For This CM), but I don't have a value I'd suggest for that.
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Old 09-11-2013, 02:25 PM   #3
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

This doesn't keep with GURPS standards, but I'd say you'd want to buy the appropriate attributes (Unfazeable, High Pain Tolerance, etc) at their normal price, then modify this based on how many minds don't get the ability. So, if you have 2 minds (CM1) and only 1 gets HPT, HPT is at half cost. If you had 3 minds (CM2) and 2 get HPT, cost is 2/3 (if only one had it, cost is 1/3).
This only works when applying to minds other than your primary, assuming there is a distinction. If you want a trait that only applies to your primary mind (or only doesn't apply to one of your others), cost should be a bit more, as the only way for there to be a distinction is if the secondary minds have Limitations on them. I don't know how to price that, although half again the cost of applying it to a compartment might work.

Example - We have a mage who has CM3 (Spells Only). To apply HPT to all his minds (purchasing it outright) costs [10]. To apply it to some of his Spells Only minds costs [2.5]/mind. To apply it only to his primary mind costs [3.75]. He can mix and match as necessary - buying it for his primary mind and 2 of his CM's would cost (3.75+2.5+2.5)=[8.75] (at which point he may as well spend a little more to apply it to everything).
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Old 09-11-2013, 02:42 PM   #4
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

Varyon has an interesting idea there, but I'd price it based on the Accessibility table in Powers (pg 99), with the percentages weighted based on the relative utility of the minds in question. So if you've got 3 minds that are all equally capable, and two of them are immune to physical distractions, that's a -15% limitation on the relevant advantages. If those two extra minds are already limited to Spell Casting Only, then the Accessibility is a little worse (-20% or so), since the primary mind will be seeing relatively more use than the compartments.

I don't think the same can be applied to advantages besides mental "defenses" or resistances. Having only one of your three brains possess Intuitive Mathematician or Absolute Timing is not a significant limitation.
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Old 09-11-2013, 03:00 PM   #5
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

My first instinct, like the other commentators here, is that you should get a discount if things like HPT only applie to come of your compartments. However, the pricing gets even more complicated than I think people have suggested. First, I'd say that the ability to have any compartment that's immune to pain/distraction is a significant part of the cost - one mind out of four that's immune isn't worth 1/4 of "everything immune," it's worth way more. Second, the interplay between this (which is a standard feature of GURPS pricing for various other advantages) and the fact that the "aftermarket" comparments may be special-purpose in some way is not clear to me.

For instance: In a character with two minds, all of which share in the tasks of the character equally (that is, the character has CM on his sheet with no modifiers), having HPT on only one compartment isn't much of a limitation. Said character certainly shouldn't be getting HPT at half cost - if anything it ought to be a minor limitation on CM, maybe a -5% nuisance.

On the other hand, a character with CM (Spells Only) who's only got HPT on his 'alternate' mind is losing a substantial part of the utility of HPT - the ability to cast spells without taking pain modifiers is one small part of what you're paying for in a standard mind. So in this case, the utility of the advantage is limited by the restricted abilities of the compartment that has it. I can't think of many other places in GURPS where this sort of thing could come up - and I'm not sure what implications it has, if any, on pricing the limitations.

HPT (or similar) should probably always be at listed cost.
CM with the same mental advantages as the 'main' compartment is at listed cost.
CM without an advantage the 'main' compartment has is a nuisance, at -5%

But this raises a related question: how would you price compartments that had more substantial differences from the 'main' mind, but couldn't be covered by the existing Limited limitations? What if your CMs all have -2 IQ compared to your 'main' mind?
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Old 09-11-2013, 03:29 PM   #6
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

Okay, perhaps I should clarify a bit more.

Although I think it'd be useful to clarify the cost of a CM that always was immune to shock and pain and other distractions, I'm thinking specifically of a CM that was devoted purely to background tasks, nothing directly related to combat. Basically, the CM would be thinking, analyzing, observing, strategizing, but not actively contributing to combat (making Concentrate maneuvers to activate powers and what not).
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Old 09-11-2013, 06:41 PM   #7
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

Quote:
Originally Posted by JCurwen3 View Post
I'm thinking specifically of a CM that was devoted purely to background tasks, nothing directly related to combat. Basically, the CM would be thinking, analyzing, observing, strategizing, but not actively contributing to combat (making Concentrate maneuvers to activate powers and what not).
I wouldn't regard making Concentrate maneuvers which will result in active powers, cast spells, etc. as a background task. Indeed, I'd regard that as the major benefit of CM.
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Old 09-11-2013, 07:00 PM   #8
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

I'm skeptical about giving a discount for advantages not working with all compartments. HPT normally only protects one compartment. That it synergistically protects more when a character has CM is cool, but it should never cost less for being only somewhat better than its normal use.
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Old 09-11-2013, 07:07 PM   #9
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Balor Patch View Post
I'm skeptical about giving a discount for advantages not working with all compartments. HPT normally only protects one compartment. That it synergistically protects more when a character has CM is cool, but it should never cost less for being only somewhat better than its normal use.
Any point savings should be no higher than that for Compartmentalized Mind (Temporary Disadvantage: No High Pain Threshold).
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Old 09-11-2013, 07:13 PM   #10
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Default Re: Distractions (like pain) and CMs

wouldn't this instead be:
Compartmentalized mind (temporary disadvantage: Numb).

The compartment literally can't feel the pain, or react to it.
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