Modular Ability Questions

[Mailanka]

First question: If you have a modular ability that you "lose" after using it, is that "One use" (1/5) or Limited Use (1) for -40%? And for the later, does the "recharge time" matter?

As I understand limited use, it impacts the modular ability itself. That is, if you memorize a GURPS spell and then always forget it after casting it, then the modular ability advantage itself has limited use, correct? But how does this interact with abilities that are themselves single-shot? For example, if you have a catalog of abilities (say, 10) that you can choose to slot into your modular ability slots, like having a set of 10 chip slots, and nine of them you can just use over and over again ("I slot brawl. I punch someone. I punch someone. I punch someone.") but one of them, if you use it, it's gone until you get another chip to slot in ("I slot emp burst. I use emp burst. emp burst is gone."). Is that ability "limited use (1)" or "single use?"

Also, on page 63 of Powers, it states:

The GM may invent other forms.
Set the per-slot cost to reflect the
scope of available traits: 4 points for a
short list, 5 points for a lengthy catalog,
6 points for nearly anything, and 7
points for anything.

If this is so, what's the point of the Limited modifier (such as "spells only?") I had the impression that super-memorization, for example, was about memorizing any skill but if you limited it to just spells, it would be -20% (paired with instantly forgetting gives you a total of -60%, or 14 points for a single, 10-point slot). But if the per-slot cost reflects a limited list, and if you said "this only applies to these 10 specific spells," then wouldn't you just charge 4 points per slot? That would mean that the per-point cost wouldn't drop. And this per-slot cost doesn't seem reflected in Computer Brain or Cosmic, which doesn't seem to follow these rules at all.

So if I were to create a D&D-ish style "Fire and forget" set of abilities, how does it get priced?

[Peter Knutsen]

Doesn't the 1/5 cost modifier mean one use ever, whereas the -40% Limited Use Limitation mean one use per day?

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Doesn't the 1/5 cost modifier mean one use ever, whereas the -40% Limited Use Limitation mean one use per day?

Yes. But how does that work for, say, a chip that burns out, but you can go and buy another? Is that one per day (assuming it typically takes a day to replace)? Or is that once "ever" because that chip is gone?

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Yes. But how does that work for, say, a chip that burns out, but you can go and buy another? Is that one per day (assuming it typically takes a day to replace)? Or is that once "ever" because that chip is gone?

I'd ruleit as the "per day" with maybe a recharge limiter or something to represent difficulty of just "buying a new one" if buying the new one isn't particularly easy (say for black-market chips/spells).

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

I'd ruleit as the "per day" with maybe a recharge limiter or something to represent difficulty of just "buying a new one" if buying the new one isn't particularly easy (say for black-market chips/spells).

That would match how reloads work for innate attacks that have bullets, I think

Nobody has thoughts on the latter? I'm not sure I know what the "cost per slot" is supposed to represent

[whswhs]

The way I take it, if you have an MA that does only spells, you can have one that can switch only among the handful of spells in a particular grimoire; or one that can switch among a much longer list of spells; or one that can do any spell whatever, including entirely new spells made up from some spell construction system. It's "how much scope does it have within the defined category?" You can see the same thing with an MA that gives you languages: Do you have a handful of chips for specific languages, or do you instantly understand any human language, or perhaps any language whatsoever?

[Anaraxes]

For abilities with a recharge time, I'd freeze the MA points allocated to that ability after use until the recharge is complete. Set up a 10-point once-per-day ability, use it, and you can't configure those 10 points for anything else for 24 hours.

If I allowed the One Use Only modifier on an MA -- which I'm disinclined to do at all as just not making sense -- I'd subtract the CP cost from the MA. (This is not quite the same thing as the MA points it took to configure the ability, since MA pool points usually have a multiplier to reach a CP cost.) It would permanently reduce your MA pool.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Yes. But how does that work for, say, a chip that burns out, but you can go and buy another? Is that one per day (assuming it typically takes a day to replace)? Or is that once "ever" because that chip is gone?

It seems obvious to me that it's once per day, because it's only the chip that disappears, not the ability to slot in chips. It's my understanding that you use the 1/5 cost divisor if the ability disappears after one single use; you can go and buy a new chip for mere $$$$, whereas replacing the disappeared ability is paid for in a much dearer currency: points.

[MechaMage]

If emulating D&D spells, why modify the base advantage at all? Instead of making Modular Ability once per day or whatever is desired, just use it to purchase abilities with the 1/5 one use modifier, and then set limitations to the way the modular ability can be recharged (e.g. after 8 hours rest).

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

That would match how reloads work for innate attacks that have bullets, I think

Nobody has thoughts on the latter? I'm not sure I know what the "cost per slot" is supposed to represent

Apart from the 10-points-per-point "cosmic" version, which is ultra-flexible, all other Modular Abilities are charactized by 2 things: How many slots you have, and how many points you can put into each slot (each slot has its own size).

A character with one single 8-point slot is different from a character with four 2-point slots, who again is different from a character who has one 4-point slot and four 1-point slots.