New Advantage: Fusion

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Split HP/FP losses evenly between the fused characters. And if we're matching the show, it's levels of Compartmentalized Mind based on the number of characters fused, and the controls only become an issue when inter-personal (or just plot) issues make it a problem.

I'd require Compartmentalized Mind 1 to be part of the cost of Fusion, unless all the characters merge to form a collective mind with a single IQ, Per, and Will score. Add the -40% Accessibility limitation, "Only in fused form"

Assuming mass is conserved, use the best attribute level in the group to determine the fusion's ST, DX, IQ, HT and secondary traits. If you can add character points, buy additional levels of attributes and traits with the same limitation as above.

If it matters, treat control of the fused entity's action as a Quick Contest of Wills or Will-based skills, rolling against the highest Will + Skill of each party in the contest, and with a +2 bonus per "allied" mind. Roll once per turn for ongoing power struggles, assuming that those unhappy with the fusion's actions don't just leave.

Things get more interesting if you allow involuntary fusions. Treat that as Affliction (Bestows Fusion advantage) or Dominance. Add the enhancement "Involuntary Fusion" to the dominant member's Fusion advantage.

Finally, possibly:

Proportional Damage Distribution (+10%): Rather than splitting HP damage that the fusion suffers evenly between characters when they split up, it is split proportionately based on the number of HP the fused characters had when they entered the fusion. This keeps smaller or weaker characters from being as seriously damaged or killed when they leave a damaged fusion.

Injury Effects Rerolled (+10%): If an injured character who is suffering temporary afflictions or damage effects enters a fusion, roll against the fusion's HT score (or other trait as appropriate) to see if the fusion retains that character's injury. Success means that the fusion can ignore the damage that character suffered. and, when the fusion ends, the injured character retains the benefits of the successful roll.

Injury Effects Retained (-20%): Injured characters carry special effects their damage into the fusion. For example, a character with the One Leg disadvantage, or who has taken enough damage to his leg for it to be temporary or permanently crippled, gives the fusion the equivalent of the One Leg disadvantage.

[AlexanderHowl]

Interesting suggests, thank you. With mass conservation, the severity of diseases and toxins would probably be reduced, as they have to impact a larger organism. When fusion occurs, I would allow a roll at HT+2 of the fusion to neutralize the disease or toxins. Of course, when fusion ended, the participating characters would be impacted by the diseases or toxins that afflicted the fusion.

I am thinking of adding the enhancement of Totemic Fusion (+20%). The character is capable of fusing with the any one member of a specific nonsapient species that lacks Fusion instead of other consenting characters of their species that possess Fusion. Characters may take Totemic Fusion multiple times, allowing them to fuse with a greater variety of nonsapient species. The cost of the Increased Character Fusion enhancement would be reduced to +20% and they could take it up to five times, allowing them to fuse with up to five consenting members if their Totemic species. They could not take the limitations of Allies Only, No Other Fusion Character, or Sexual Fusion.

As for mass numbers of organisms combining, I think that Swarm Fusion (+100%) would be a suitable enhancement that would effectively function as the special version of the enhancement of Totemic Fusion with a single nonsapient species that swarms. With Swarm Fusion, the resulting template would have points equal to the highest value character plus (half of the average point cost of the lower value characters) plus ([10 + {species average SM}] × square root of the number of lower value characters). Characters may take Swarm Fusion multiple times, allowing them to fuse with multiple species that swarm. Fusion templates with Swarm Fusion cannot possess Compartmentalized Mind.

For example, a character with Swarm Fusion (Brown Rat) would be capable of fusing with unlimited numbers of rats. Since rats have an average of -100 CP and SM-5, they would start with a -50 CP Fusion Template and would have to absorb 100 rats to get to a 0 CP Fusion Template. At 400 rats though, they would have a 50 CP Fusion Template and would gain average of +300 lbs. At 2500 rats, they would have a 200 CP Fusion Template and would gain an average of +1500 lbs.

With Totemic Fusion and Swarm Fusion, characters are capable of becoming any number of mythological creatures. A character with Totemic Fusion (Horse) could become a centaur while a character with Totemic Fusion (Bat), Totemic Fusion (Lion), Totemic Fusion (Scorpion), and Increased Character Fusion×2 could become a Manticore. The only limitation that they face is finding members of the species that they wish to fuse with.

[Culture20]

A useful advantage for Dragonball Z and Marvel supers too.
Indecisive would be a possible common temporary disad for the merged form if the minds merge but were originally antagonistic to each other; Avenger-Prime defeated Deathwalker-Prime mostly because the latter didn’t have unity of purpose and couldn’t decide on actions in the middle of combat.

And then, of course, we have Nina and Alexander from Full Metal Alchemist. Fusion as Affliction.

[AlexanderHowl]

Fusion as an Affliction could be very powerful, especially if you fused two superheroes together, though fusing a human to an elephant might also be quite powerful (the elephant would actually be the higher value character in the fusion).

[Raekai]

What about non-consensual fusion? If you're looking at Steven Universe, there's been at least one case of that. You could make it work like possession or add an enhancement to give it such capabilities.

[AlexanderHowl]

Well, involuntary fusion could be an Affliction (probably with Malediction and Melee) instead of an enhancement. Or it could represent an Uncontrollable Fusion ability because of a lack of practice. Or it could be another +100% enhancement (though Totemic Fusion and Swarm Fusion already do not need consent).

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

I am thinking of adding the enhancement of Totemic Fusion (+20%). The character is capable of fusing with the any one member of a specific nonsapient species that lacks Fusion instead of other consenting characters of their species that possess Fusion.

This is a fun character idea, but it seems a lot like Alternate Form with accessibility (must touch totem animal in order to transform). The only real difference is that you absorb the body of whatever critter you're fused with. Of course, it might be a bit more meaningful if there's significant variation within the type of creature you can fuse with. For example, Dogboy is going to have different powers depending on whether he's fused with a chihuahua, a bloodhound, or a husky.

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

As for mass numbers of organisms combining, I think that Swarm Fusion (+100%) would be a suitable enhancement that would effectively function as the special version of the enhancement of Totemic Fusion with a single nonsapient species that swarms.

Again, this seems like a variant of Shapeshifting (Morph) with the appropriate enhancements and limitations, but it might be a good way to model "blob" characters which grow and learn by engulfing their victims.

Clearly, there's going to be a lot of overlap between Fusion, Shapeshifting, and similar advantages. You'll need to do more work on how they all play together to create an advantage which will stand up to playtesting.

What makes Fusion novel is that you don't need to come up with a lot of alternate form templates like you would with Shapeshifting and you're not limited to a maximum number of character points like you are with Morph. You can fuse with anyone who has the fusion advantage, regardless of combined point values.

Unless I'm missing something, Totemic Shapeshifting and Swarm Shapeshifting seem like they're duplicating an existing advantage.

[AlexanderHowl]

Are they? Alternate Form gives a set template while Morph allows a character access to a range of templates. Fusion gives a specific template per fusion of characters, which improves as the characters improve. Generic templates can be used for Totemic or the base Swarm Fusion, but they are half the value of the value of the secondary characters (plus the modifier for the number of individuals in the swarm).

[TGLS]

You can use improvised forms to remove the template limitation on Morph.

[AlexanderHowl]

Yes, but it does not combine the power of two characters. At best, it is a limitation on the potential on the power of the character with Morph.