02-23-2021, 07:41 AM | #21 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
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*Arguably, it's not quite a Feature if your Insubstantiality has Conscious Only -5% on it - reverting to physical if you're knocked unconscious leaves you more vulnerable than the other way around. However, it also means it's easier for your allies to render aid and/or carry your unconscious body to safety. I'd say it's overall still a Feature, although I could see treating Conscious Only on Insubstantial as also being +0% rather than a Limitation (while there are disadvantages to reverting to one form upon losing consciousness, there are also advantages).
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02-23-2021, 08:21 AM | #22 |
Join Date: Nov 2015
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
It's what the book says: Your "natural" form (physical or insubstantial) is considered a special effect. You must take this advantage if you can change between a physical and insubstantial form.
To me that means that you can write Feature: Insubstantial [0] and simply be insubstantial all the time, with all that comes with it, including the inability to affect the substantial world except with magic or psionics, which are at -3. The only reason to pay for the advantage with the Always On limitation would be to negate that -3, which is still a hefty 40 points, but probably well worth it in the long run (with several affected abilities) Otherwise, unless you start throwing around different types of Insubstantial, I really don't feel it's worth the cost from a purely combat point of view. Infiltration abilities, possibly along with invisibility, are unmatched. |
02-23-2021, 09:17 AM | #23 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
I often think that adding Projection as an allowable enhancements for Jumper (Spirit) would be a better solution.
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02-23-2021, 09:32 AM | #24 |
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
I'd say the book is wrong, then, or at least poorly-worded. The very existence of Always On makes this clear. As I noted, a character with Always On Insubstantiality is incredibly useful in a non-combat role. Additionally, there's also the possibility of being an insubstantial combatant - the Insubstantial character can engage others of his ilk, and depending on the setting there may either be insubstantial weapons with Affects Substantial on them, or substantial weapons with Affects Insubstantial may be possible for insubstantial beings to wield (if it works both ways).
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02-23-2021, 10:35 AM | #25 | |
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
I just checked Compendium I, page 59 for the 3e reference. According to the Compendium, Insubstantiality first appeared in GURPS Supers for Third Edition, on page 42.
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Given that it appeared in Supers, Insubstantiality was probably not designed with the idea of worlds where naturally Insubstantial beings regularly interact with those who are Substantial. Still, seeing the bit about your appearance while Insubstantial in the same paragraph as the one about your default state (Insubstantial or Substantial) being a Special Effect, I think makes it clear. These sentences are only applicable if you've already paid for Insubstantiality. You can't just jot down Insubstantiality [0] on your character sheet... but you should note somewhere whether your character is Substantial or Insubstantial by default. For when your character is knocked out, or your Insubstantial Advantage is negated, etc. Maybe I am just re-reading too quickly, but I did not see the bit about naturally Insubstantial beings who can become Substantial having this Advantage in Basic: Characters. Well, at least on page 62-63. The line about your default state may not apply in that case, or perhaps it is in the case of anyone with the "Always On" Limitation. So that Power Negation doesn't become a potential work-around.
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My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :) |
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02-23-2021, 03:09 PM | #26 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
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This does raise an interesting question about how you can protect other people when you're turned insubstantial though, since your HP/DR normally doesn't interact with basic damage to provide cover DR, one would assume. A couple ways I can see doing that: 1) use Innate Attack w/ Wall to create HP/DR separate from yourself: you probably need "Affects Substantial" enhancement on it as by default I think it'd only impede fellow insubstantial characters (or their attacks) though I think if an attack from a substantial char had "affects insubstantial" then your wall could impede it to protect substantial chars 2) maybe do something like allow buying "Affects Substantial" on your DR? DR w/ Force Field and Affects Others is meant to be "I'm protecting us all" but that might not work if you're insubstantial for guarding substantial chars. By enhancing it to interact with substantial stuff (even though I think that's more meant for attacks?) you could then shield substantial allies but the downside being substantial attacks can now actually Ablate your DR, even though if it gets passed it can't actually hit you or your HP |
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02-23-2021, 04:05 PM | #27 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
A possibility would be an Affliction with Permiable Wall that causes temporary Insubstantiality. Hypothetically, anything that goes through the wall would 'suffer' Insubstantiality, meaning that they would not attack the intended target (though they might really mess up some insubstantial beings). For example, a hydrogen bomb that fell through such a wall would probably keep falling and detonate on the insubstantial plane rather than the material plane.
Affliction (HT; Accuracy, +10, +50%; Advantage, Insubstantiality, Always On, -50%, +400%; Area Effect, 8192 yards, +650%; Cosmic, Irresistible Attack, +300%; Increased Range 10,000x, +120%; Persistent, +40%; Wall, Permeable, +60%; Selectivity, +10%; Selective Area, +20%) [175]. You create a wall the cause anything that passes through it to become insubstantial (their gear remains though). You can also apply it to anything within an area if you wish. |
02-23-2021, 04:35 PM | #28 |
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
Temporarily flashing Insubstantial to evade an attack would indeed be more of a Shadow Cat thing... but that isn't what people were discussing. At least, I didn't think so; maybe I'm wrong? XP It might help to know that Invulnerability was an Advantage you could take in 3rd Edition. Invulnerability to any kinetic damage was 300 CP if the GM allowed it.
Oh, and that I kept accidentally referring to it as "Invincibility" instead of "Invulnerability" in my posts. XP
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My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :) Last edited by Otaku; 02-23-2021 at 06:37 PM. Reason: Edited because I shouldn't make assumptions I'm right |
02-23-2021, 07:17 PM | #29 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
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02-23-2021, 08:56 PM | #30 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Insubstantiality
'12' is the universal for objects unless otherwise stated.
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