Variant Shapeshifting

[naloth]

Ok, now that I have more time and can consider it:

Originally Posted by Anthony

Shapeshifting [10]
You have the ability to change shape. This gives you a single form; if you want multiple forms, buy Alternate or Modular abilities.

Presumably this takes 10 seconds? If not you're making it considerably faster than Alternate Form (which, without a different template is cosmetic as well) or Elastic Face.

Modified Size: +50% per level. Your alternate form has a different SM than your base form, by the indicated number of levels. If this would increase your point value (i.e. you get smaller and lose a cost discount on ST due to high SM) you must take Modified Traits as well.

At a base cost of 10, it makes a -/+ SM change effectively 5 points per level. That's half the price of Growth (which is arguably overpriced, but that's a separate discussion). Does negative SM also have all the disadvantages of Shrinking? If not, you've made a much cheaper way to have a bug sized assassin than taking Shrinking with enhancements to retain your full sized stats.

Modified Traits (Neutral):

ST+2, DX-1 is +40%. Abs value of both added, provided they total 0 points.

Effective point cost is 4 points per 20 points of net changes. Actually quite a discount for being able to shift your attributes around, even if you have to do it in specific quantities.

Modified Traits (Beneficial):

ST+3, DX-1 = net 10 points. 10% x 10 (net positive) = 100% plus +2% * 20 = 40% for a total of +140%.

That's quite a steep increase from above, but the actual points spent are 5 for the +100% and another 2 for the +40%. If you just bought +1 ST, it's the same point cost as ST after you buy the advantage.

Modified Traits (Detrimental):

ST+1, DX-1. Net point value is -10 points for -10%, then +20% for ST for a net +10%.

Here you are effective losing points but you can get a form that's effectively customized to your needs. Most animal templates end up negative, so you could end up with a very cheap animal form, but I'd have to price it against current templates to see if it comes out to around +50% (which match Alternate Form for a negative racial template) or if ends up more expensive.

Recognizable: you are still recognizable as yourself when shapeshifted (though you are not prevented from using disguise skill); -20% if visually recognizable, -10% for touch or hearing.

I'd just used "flawed" as it currently exists as a limitation. Really, it's best to borrow as many of the shape shifting modifiers as you can.

Multiple shapeshifting abilities may be used simultaneously as long as the templates they apply can be stacked and there isn't some other effect (such as being alternate effects of one another) preventing it. Shapeshifting does not inherently remove your race.

Ok.... though it would make for a very strange looking character.

Offhand the trait modifications seem reasonable, but aren't super easy to use. I'd rather have one simpler mod if possible, than 3 different situations that you have to keep adjusting the template for.

For comparison to existing shapeshifting, 15 points will let you have shapeshifting (slow x2, Modified Traits (Neutral, 35 points)), which is enough for most humanoids; animals will generally cost more, as you are usually adding Quadruped and Wild Animal (which is +5 in advantages, -70 in disads), so if you add 65 points in beneficial abilities, you wind up at +140%.

I don't quite understand the numbers, a few fully worked examples with a description would help.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by naloth

Presumably this takes 10 seconds?

It takes standard time for a switchable advantage. Special case rules are to be avoided where possible.

Originally Posted by naloth

At a base cost of 10, it makes a -/+ SM change effectively 5 points per level. That's half the price of Growth (which is arguably overpriced, but that's a separate discussion).

Growth is horribly overpriced. This is a compromise with regular shapeshifting, which lets you change SM arbitrarily for free (I have no idea why either growth or shrinking is priced the way it is).

Originally Posted by naloth

Effective point cost is 4 points per 20 points of net changes. Actually quite a discount for being able to shift your attributes around, even if you have to do it in specific quantities.

Same overall cost as ST +2 with alternate ability: DX +1.

Originally Posted by naloth

That's quite a steep increase from above, but the actual points spent are 5 for the +100% and another 2 for the +40%. If you just bought +1 ST, it's the same point cost as ST after you buy the advantage.

That's pretty much intended, though there's still some utility to grouping advantages like that.

Originally Posted by naloth

Offhand the trait modifications seem reasonable, but aren't super easy to use. I'd rather have one simpler mod if possible, than 3 different situations that you have to keep adjusting the template for.

Fundamentally, it's based on extrapolating alternate abilities.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Remember, morph can also remove abilities and add disads. This can be covered with temporary disadvantage, but results in horrifically complicated writeups and gets into trouble with "what happens if I take the same temporary disadvantage on two advantages?". Even if it doesn't involve removed abilities, adding a -10% limitation to a dozen advantages is an instant huge change in complexity (a problem with Power Source as well).

Dunno... It really doesn't seem that complicated to me. FTM, the RAW don't seem overly so *shrug grin* Going with Cosmetic as the base is certainly a simplification.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by Anthony

It takes standard time for a switchable advantage. Special case rules are to be avoided where possible.

I'd make the base cost higher, possibly 20 to 25 points as a base.

At 10 points it's also better than either version of Alternate Identity since you can be physically different, and it's also quite an improvement on Alternate Form as well given that it's faster and that you can take it as an AA to itself.

You'll also need to price out a more universal version to handle Morph since that's the other half of shape-shifting and it depends on racial profiles as well.

Growth is horribly overpriced. This is a compromise with regular shapeshifting, which lets you change SM arbitrarily for free (I have no idea why either growth or shrinking is priced the way it is).

Included perhaps, but hardly "free". It's not very point effective to use AF or Morph for SM change considering the base 10 second switch time and the additional enhancements (or versions of AF) for size flexibility.

As for what Growth and Shrinking should cost, I'd be willing to try a hypothetical SM advantage that gives you +1 or -1 SM per level, at 5/lvl. 11 levels (55 points) would essentially let you "dodge" like Ant-Man does in the movies. I'd probably suggest Move reduction as a Temp Disad, but everyone typically buys off the other inherent drawbacks to shrinking.

Same overall cost as ST +2 with alternate ability: DX +1.

That's pretty much intended, though there's still some utility to grouping advantages like that.

Fundamentally, it's based on extrapolating alternate abilities.

Naturally with a higher base cost, you would need to adjust the modifiers if you plan to keep it as part of the base cost.

I'd rather move it to a "pool" and assess a cost against it separately, especially if it can be written up in a simpler way. I have a few ideas how that could work (along the lines of Modular Ability slots with a base+ability tax) and be easier, but it is contrary to your original idea.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by naloth

I'd rather move it to a "pool" and assess a cost against it separately, especially if it can be written up in a simpler way.

You can write it up as "for each point, you can either add 1 point, move 5 points from one ability to another, or add +5 points in abilities and -5 points in disadvantages", but I'm not sure that's all that much clearer and you have to clarify that enhancements and limitations are only on the base cost.