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Old 12-14-2018, 11:23 PM   #1
Anthony
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
Default Variant Shapeshifting

I'm not a big fan of the way Shapeshifting works in GURPS 4th, because it's tied to racial packages, which means its balance is heavily affected by what racial packages the GM lets into the game, and it has a bunch of special rules. Here's a variant I'm thinking about:

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. At its base level, shapeshifting is purely cosmetic, and will fool vision, hearing, and touch, but enhancements will allow it to change more things. Shapeshifting is a switchable advantage, and follows normal rules for switchable advantages, but it has a number of special modifiers:
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.
Modified Traits (Neutral): when shapeshifted, you gain or lose some combination of abilities, advantages, and disadvantages, with a net point value of zero. Enhancement is 1% per point (absolute value) of abilities gained; thus, ST +2, DX -1, is +40%, as you gained 20 points of ST and lost 20 points of DX. Alternately, compute this as 2% per point of either positive or negative traits gained (so +40% for +20 points in ST, or +40% for -20 points in DX).
Modified Traits (Beneficial): when shapeshifted, you gain or lose some combination of abilities, advantages, and disadvantages, with a net point value that is positive. Enhancement is 10% x net point value + 2% per point of new negative traits on the template; thus, ST +3, DX -1, is +140%, as your point value increases by 10 and you lost 20 points of DX.
Modified Traits (Detrimental): when shapeshifted, you gain or lose some combination of abilities, advantages, and disadvantages, with a net point value that is negative. Enhancement is 1% x net point value +2% per point of new positive traits on the template, with a minimum of 0%; thus, ST +1, DX -1, is +10%, as net point value is -10 and you gained 10 points of ST.
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.
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.


The pricing is designed to be consistent with alternate abilities: since replacing one 5 point advantage with a different 5 point advantage costs 1 point, this suggests a general rule of 1 point to move 5 points in abilities, which is what the 2% rule amounts to.

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%.
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Old 12-14-2018, 11:35 PM   #2
naloth
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

While I like the premise, the costs feel off. Elastic Skin (which seems close to what you're trying to do as a base, since it allows you to cosmetically shift your appearance), does less for twice the base cost.
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Old 12-15-2018, 12:10 AM   #3
Rupert
 
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Location: Wellington, NZ
Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

My main gripe with the current rules unfortunately applies to yours, too - they are complicated and fiddly.

A character in my campaign picked up a case of lycanthropy, and building the werewolf version of her was a pain. You'd think that it would just be a matter of adding the wolf-form template, but it's not. Wolves have No Fine Manipulators, and that means you have to strip off the character's ST and DX, and then buy them (and the wolf template's) back with the modifier applied.

OTOH, your version does mean that turning into bigger, stronger animals probably actually cost more points, unlike the RAW, where most animals are worth negative points, and thus all cost the same.
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Old 12-15-2018, 12:31 AM   #4
Refplace
 
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Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

One counterpoint. The racial template thing is a bit misleading since the GM can determine what racial templates exist. And Maddness Dossier and Monster Hunters 6 Holy Warriors both allow totems that include skills and such.
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Old 12-15-2018, 01:43 AM   #5
Anthony
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

Quote:
Originally Posted by naloth View Post
While I like the premise, the costs feel off. Elastic Skin (which seems close to what you're trying to do as a base, since it allows you to cosmetically shift your appearance), does less for twice the base cost.
Elastic skin is any set of features; this is one specific set.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Refplace View Post
One counterpoint. The racial template thing is a bit misleading since the GM can determine what racial templates exist.
My point is that its balance is heavily affected by which templates exist, not that it is specifically over or under powered (it can be either).
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Old 12-15-2018, 04:55 AM   #6
SilvercatMoonpaw
 
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Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony View Post
My point is that its balance is heavily affected by which templates exist, not that it is specifically over or under powered (it can be either).
Couldn't you just insert a clause saying you'll allow the player to design new templates when one they want doesn't exist?
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Old 12-15-2018, 11:33 AM   #7
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

Quote:
Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw View Post
Couldn't you just insert a clause saying you'll allow the player to design new templates when one they want doesn't exist?
That generally causes shapeshifting to be overpowered.
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Old 12-15-2018, 12:02 PM   #8
Not another shrubbery
 
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Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

One simplification for Morph that comes to me is to make the base advantage Cosmetic, and require the ads and atts be bought (with the "only in X form" limiter) if any changes in stats were desired.
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Old 12-15-2018, 12:05 PM   #9
SilvercatMoonpaw
 
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Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony View Post
That generally causes shapeshifting to be overpowered.
So are you saying you want a non-GM-fiat way of doing this?
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Old 12-15-2018, 12:10 PM   #10
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Variant Shapeshifting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery View Post
One simplification for Morph that comes to me is to make the base advantage Cosmetic, and require the ads and atts be bought (with the "only in X form" limiter) if any changes in stats were desired.
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).
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