[Basic] Advantage Of the Week: Appearance Levels

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by fmultimedia

That's exactlywhy I find it unrealistic: you think there's a kind of beauty that a man can have that will turn the Lecherousness of a truely straight man on (without deceiving your gender, that is)?

Err, no, I just meant that it will activate Lecherousness of anyone attracted to this sex. And now I realise that I picked a bad example
What I mean is, this is the appearance that will register as sexy for those who find the character's sex attractive, and will still register as 'kinda good' for those who don't (at the +3/+3 or +4/+4 level). Which seems to be unlike the effect of The Great and Impressive Queen / King who's pretty old but still also enjoys a +3/+3 or +4/+4 Impressive appearance.

(If this doesn't make sense, I probably should go sleep.)

[fmultimedia]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Err, no, I just meant that it will activate Lecherousness of anyone attracted to this sex. And now I realise that I picked a bad example
What I mean is, this is the appearance that will register as sexy for those who find the character's sex attractive, and will still register as 'kinda good' for those who don't (at the +3/+3 or +4/+4 level). Which seems to be unlike the effect of The Great and Impressive Queen / King who's pretty old but still also enjoys a +3/+3 or +4/+4 Impressive appearance.

(If this doesn't make sense, I probably should go sleep.)

Hahahah it doesn't for me, because I believe looks for looks should be capped at +2, unless Impressive. But I know what you mean and I can see that working for lots of people.

EDIT: in other words, if the system caps same sex attraction (let's be straight for ease of communiation =) at +2, being Androgynous should not allow you to go beyond that cap.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by fmultimedia

Hahahah it doesn't for me, because I believe looks for looks should be capped at +2, unless Impressive. But I know what you mean and I can see that working for lots of people.

EDIT: in other words, if the system caps same sex attraction (let's be straight for ease of communiation =) at +2, being Androgynous should not allow you to go beyond that cap.

But . . . that's sort of the point of Androgynous/Impressive appearance - to go over the +2 cap against same sex/non-sexually-attracted characters. Except Impressive seems like it's almost more Charisma (single-sense-based, one-way) than Appearance.

[fmultimedia]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

But . . . that's sort of the point of Androgynous/Impressive appearance - to go over the +2 cap against same sex/non-sexually-attracted characters. Except Impressive seems like it's almost more Charisma (single-sense-based, one-way) than Appearance.

Yeah I know why it's there, I just don't think it's realistic :) and I also don't think it's sound within the system because of already mentioned reasons. IMHO

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

The thing is that the Classic Features mechanic doesn't mean anything if your appearance can't be improved by a step, and there's no step above Transcendent.

One could tweak that Perk to simply bypass the Appearance scale and give a flat+1 to Reaction Rolls cumulative with whatever the character's Appearance is. For targets who are sexually oriented towards the character's gender.

That could also make it become a levelled Perk, but whether or not it's made levelled the effect has just been nerfed from +1 effective level of Appearance to +1/2 effective level of Appearance, so to balance things out the GM must assign classic preferences to his NPCs twice as generously.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by McAllister

Come to think of it, I can't imagine why Elastic Skin or Morph (even with Cosmetic Only) shouldn't let me change my appearance level. Would I then be obligated to buy improved Appearance with an Accessibility limitation?

I think the idea is that most characters who have Elastic Skin or Morph (Cosmetic Only) can't exert a very fine degree of control over their shape, and so apart from impersonating specific targets they cannot create "personas" from scratch that are Attractive or higher.

Those who have that ability, fine control, perhaps via some acquired skill, can buy a variety of traits, including above-average Appearance, as Modular Abilities or as Alternative Abilities. Because a shapechange with good detail control won't realistically be able to just achieve just one kind of effect: to make himself cute. He'll be able to achieve a variety of effects influencing the first impression that people get of him in his shapechanged "persona".

Attractive and Beautiful/Handsome both have nice prices divisible by 4, so in a Modular Ability alternative assignments could be +1, +2 or +3 bonuses to specific social skills, costed at 4, 8 or 12 CP. That way, a shapechanger character with a 12 CP Modular Ability could take Attractive for 4 CP and +2 Intimidation or +2 Streetwise for 8 CP, or he could take Handsome for 12 CP and forego the skill bonus.

Or you could handle it via an actual skill, but that wouldn't really be the GURPS way of doing things, since it'd let a high-IQ character achieve a variety of specific shapechanging effects for just a 1 or 2 CP skill purchase.

Alternative Abilities are a lot simpler to work with than Modular Abilities (although also a lot less covered by the rules, e.g. with Modular Abilities you can take and later buy off Limitations such as Takes Extra Time), but having a Skill as an AA is something that, AFAIK, requires GM permission because there is no RAW precedent for it. You could take a Talent instead, but that'd end up being overly broad (Talent (All Social Skills) 5 CP/lvl, easily reduced to 4/lvl with some Limitations)) which is contrary to the purpose of choosing between specific bonuses.

[Not another shrubbery]

In our games, Appearance has been pretty much all over the map. I don't recall anyone ever taking Transcendent, and levels below Ugly were only used for monster-type characters.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

But . . . that's sort of the point of Androgynous/Impressive appearance - to go over the +2 cap against same sex/non-sexually-attracted characters. Except Impressive seems like it's almost more Charisma (single-sense-based, one-way) than Appearance.

I think it's meant to be pass for both sexes rather than undefined or neither as some of us see androgynous people.
Most non-bisexuals can't be attracted to people of truly androgynous/undefined appearance without "issues".
I'm only attracted to women. If I can't tell they're women, then by definition I can't be attracted to them.
If I initially find someone I think is a woman attractive, then find out they're not, my attraction will evaporate with a short period of repulsion. Not being a jerk, I get over it quickly without judging them.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

In our games, Appearance has been pretty much all over the map. I don't recall anyone ever taking Transcendent, and levels below Ugly were only used for monster-type characters.

Transcendent is supernatural, so wouldn't fit most character concepts even in otherwise supernatural games.

I've read about how few gamers make female characters with average appearance. It's either noticeably pretty or unattractive for story purposes.

I may be male, but like being of average appearance. Less hassle.

[fmultimedia]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I think it's meant to be pass for both sexes rather than undefined or neither as some of us see androgynous people.
Most non-bisexuals can't be attracted to people of truly androgynous/undefined appearance without "issues".
I'm only attracted to women. If I can't tell they're women, then by definition I can't be attracted to them.
If I initially find someone I think is a woman attractive, then find out they're not, my attraction will evaporate with a short period of repulsion. Not being a jerk, I get over it quickly without judging them.

You're not being a jerk, you're illustrating flawlessly what I've been trying to say: if the cap for normal beauty for the gender you're not attracted to is +2 with normal looks, no way being androgynous (however that's implemented/fleshed out) will get you beyond that.