'Godlike' using GURPS?

[mearrin69]

So. Shapeshifting. I'm working on an SS trooper that has the ability to assume the form of a panther (somewhat augmented from the natural variety). I've read the Alternate Form entry a few times...it took a while for me to grok it and I am still a little confused.

I think I get pricing: if the panther form 'racial template' is 100 points then the advantage costs 105 points (15 pts + 90% * 100 pts).

I'm sort of clear on building the template, though not sure what all I need to model a panther (No Fine Manipulators and such). I can work that out, however. It'll also have some Enhanced Move, Damage Reduction, Acute Senses, and other things to make it into this super-panther they describe...

I'm less clear on how the final Alternate Form gets statted. If the panther racial template has DX 12 but my human has taken personal DX 9, is the final DX of the AF 11?

And then power-related: Should I apply my -10% Power Modifier to the AF as a whole once everything's calculated? Would the Talent then apply to any dice action the character undertakes while in his panther AF?

Thanks in advance for your advice!
M

[The Benj]

Yes, you construct the template by working out the changes from the human norm. The "racial" part is actually a little obfuscating, because you could really do it with any type of change; you could have someone who changes from a guy into ... a different guy and it would work the same way: your template is just the stuff that changes.

If a panther has DX 12, then the template has DX +2, so if the base guy has DX 9, yes, he'll end up with DX 11. That said, if you want it to be more of an "I turn into A panther", rather than "I turn into a panther version of me", you could make the template +3 DX so that he turned into an averagely-dextrous panther, rather than carrying over his own clumsiness.
Or even make him a super-panther, if that's what you want.

You apply the Power Modifier to the base 15 points of Alternate Form, but not the template cost. Talent only gives a bonus to resisting efforts to force you to change back, it certainly doesn't give you a bonus to every roll you make while you're a panther.

I'd strongly advise giving him some Reduced Time on the Alternate Form, because 10 seconds is a really long time in combat. And at only 3 points a level, it's really affordable.

[mearrin69]

Thanks for that. Oddly, I hadn't read the Shapeshifting entry in Powers where it notes that it only applies to the 15 points of the basic advantage when I posted...so I appreciate you pointing it out.

So, if I make his template a natural animal panther can I give him DR, Enhanced Move and other things with a power modifier (and some sort of Alternate Form-only accessibility limitation) or do those need to be part of the "improved super panther" template I create?

I don't really care how much this guy's powered abilities cost because he's a one-time enemy; I'm mainly asking in case the player wants to do something similar so that we price it appropriately for her character.

Thanks!
M

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by mearrin69

So, if I make his template a natural animal panther can I give him DR, Enhanced Move and other things with a power modifier (and some sort of Alternate Form-only accessibility limitation) or do those need to be part of the "improved super panther" template I create?

Alternate Form allows you to create the template, with GM approval. The template does not necessarily have to exist already in the setting.

[The Benj]

Just so. Add them to the template, it's the neatest solution. Just remember they don't separately get the Power Modifier.

[mearrin69]

FYI, we played our first session of this campaign on Sunday. The player has two characters ready: 1) a "magnetic" character who has a little DR (force field, front-only, metals only), TK (level 8, metals only), and innate attack (about like a 9mm pistol but shorter range), and 2) a "lightning" character with a little bit of DR and an innate attack (guided) with an alternate (melee, variable) attack. Both are trained as commandos by the Talent Operations Command.

We're playing out the events of Operation Torch and they're part of the Western Task Force under Patton...specifically the 9th ID, landing in the vicinity of Safi (Operation Blackstone). Since there are no Germans expected and the French are not known to have any "Talents", the character's TOG (a squad-sized unit of "Talents") has been broken up into two-soldier teams attached to regular units and tasked with dealing with conventional threats to the landing as they arise.

There was no initial bombardment of the French positions before the landing, as there was still hope that an attempted coup the night before had succeeded and that the Vichy would just lay down arms and give up. As the landing craft made their way in, however, the coastal batteries opened up and the American warships returned fire. There were a couple of close calls (and several other craft were destroyed) but their LCI (L) made it to the beach at a little after 0500. [wouldn't have been a great game if I had destroyed their boat with a shell before they even got into action, would it? I mostly rolled to see if anything got near them but didn't meet my target numbers.]

All of the soldiers managed to avoid getting killed as they jumped into the surf and headed to the beach...though an unnamed soldier in the landing craft took a stray bullet in the arm. [the vision and range penalties made it very unlikely any of the French troops in the trench up the beach were going to hit] Taking cover behind a seawall, the character's squad took a look around and noted that they were facing a few French in a trench a few tens of yards away, and that there was a trench from that position leading to another a hundred or so yards away up the slope. Up there they noticed a French mortar position, homing in on the larger grouping of troops to their northwest. [BTW, the squads containing "Talents" were landed in smaller groups, in the hopes that the enemies would naturally focus mortars, etc. away from them, avoiding untimely death among the important super-soldiers.]

They sent a runner to check with the platoon leader, up the beach, and got the go-ahead to move up against the French trench position. They broke into three groups, and headed towards some low buildings, using fire-team movement. It all went pretty well but dawn was coming [and darkness penalties were easing], and a French sniper further up the hill finally managed to get a shot off...winging one of their squadmates pretty good. [I rolled randomly for target, since nobody was showing their fancy abilities or giving away leadership roles. Hit a PFC in the right arm, crippling it.] One of the player's characters was on hand to stop the bleeding [with a low-powered jolt from his lightning melee attack and a First Aid roll...could have just done FA but I liked her idea of cauterizing the wound].

While the BAR team kept the Frenchies' heads down, the another team advanced on their position, coming up on the more or less open end of their cover trench. The other "Talent" softened them up with a grenade toss [the range was too far but he used his TK to throw the grenade from the edge of his TK "reach" and made it with a nice Throwing roll] as they got closer. The squad leader was impressed [failed to notice that this was a use of "Talent" powers] and they pressed on. Another grenade toss from closer range pretty much had the French ready to run away and the group overran their position easily [the squad leader made a nice shot, the "Talent" used his SMG, and most everyone else missed].

So, now they're in the trench facing another French position further up the hill (with a squad of riflemen and a couple of soldiers with a mortar) and a ridge-top bunker that they've just noticed...containing an LMG and (though they don't know it yet) a spotter directing artillery fire toward the landing ships and American battleships, which are still coming in. What's more, the mortarmen have finally taken notice of the Americans now advancing on their position and will soon be turning their attention away from the less threatening troops they've had pinned down on the beach for the last few tens of minutes. And...there's still that sniper to deal with. [Maybe more than one; French snipers had the troops pinned down for quite a while early in the real assault.]

Later on, we'll do another scenario with a couple of her more "strategic" characters [a flier and an invisible guy] to stop a resupply convoy heading to the French positions at Safi [these were taken out by carrier-based american aircraft in the real battle].

Will try to post more if anybody's interested.
M

Edit: BTW, the player's characters have come to know their squadmates over the past couple of weeks and the soldiers know that the two characters are "Talents" but don't know anything about their abilities. They've kept quiet, after all "Loose Lips Sink Ships". There might have been a parlour trick or two, and certainly the boys would have been pleading for such...but we're not sure about whether there's been any unauthorized showing off.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by mearrin69

... they were facing a few French in a trench a few tens of yards away, and that there was a trench from that position leading to another a hundred or so yards away up the slope. Up there they noticed a French mortar position, homing in on the larger grouping of troops to their northwest. ...

So, now they're in the trench facing another French position further up the hill (with a squad of riflemen and a couple of soldiers with a mortar) and a ridge-top bunker that they've just noticed ...

Will try to post more if anybody's interested.

Yes, please.

So, they have two routes now: up the trench linking their position to the mortar position, which has cover, but will be anticipated by the French, or on the ground, where they're pretty obvious.

The trick seems to be to use their Talents to exceed the tactical limits of ordinary troops. They don't seem to have a way to conceal themselves, but can the character with TK use it to interfere with guns being pointed at the exit from the connecting trench into the mortar position? Obviously, they don't need this until they get close, but the targeting of the TK is going to be important.

[mearrin69]

Thanks.

You're right about the avenues of approach. They've got some cover right now, if they get against the upward slope and go prone (it was banked against the seaward approach but wasn't designed to be used the other direction). Up the hill, The LMG's in the bunker to their right and the other French riflemen are in the trench to their left. That means the trench running up the hill is in the crossfire of those two groups so they'll only be able to get cover in that trench from one of the groups...and they've got to cross some open ground to get to it.

I'll see if I can post a scan of my map somewhere and link it here at some point.

I'm not sure the TK will be much use in the way you've described because of range. Forget how it works but he has level 8. I think the range is only 2x that, so 16 yards (sorry, don't have books handy)?

The lightning guy can maybe take out the LMG in the bunker (if he can get within 100 yards, think they're a bit short of that still)...as it's a guided attack and the player bought up the 1/2D to 100, which means it gets there in one second. He'd probably zap the gunner, though someone else might take his place unless he destroyed the gun itself. BUT, if he does that, he'll definitely attract attention to his powers and draw all fire within range...sniper, riflemen, and mortar.

They have clear orders not to use their powers visibly unless absolutely necessary as it risks their lives and those of their normal squadmates. It might be required in this case, however.
M

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by mearrin69

They have clear orders not to use their powers visibly unless absolutely necessary as it risks their lives and those of their normal squadmates. It might be required in this case, however.

I'm a bit surprised about their concentration on offensive powers. In a WWII context, powerful weapons are readily available, and matching their power costs quite a lot of points. Spending those on concealment, information or movement abilities looks as if it would be more effective.

[mearrin69]

This is true. She's going to be creating several more "Talent" characters. The two others I'm pretty sure about have invisibility and flight. I think these two are sort of an anomaly for her.

BUT the abilities in this setting seem to be truly random. Some are heavily offensive or defensive...some just seem pretty useless, though a creative player could, no doubt, find an interesting use for even those (like the squad leader who can *inhale* things and hold them inside himself!).
M