is there a way to make a power mimic

[mehrkat]

Hi I see several powers for Neutralize and Leech and ways to borrow powers.

I'm looking for a way that someone can "mimic" anothers power temporarily after he leaves them.

Neutralize - Power Theft seems closest but I don't want to take the power from the target.

It will be severely limited -- only usable when leaving a possessed body and can only take one at a time seems like a natural limit not even different points so I'm not worried about it being severely abused.

How would?
Neutralize Power Theft +200% only copies doesn't take -???% sound.

Is there a better way to do it?

[Anaraxes]

How about Modular Ability? One slot, plus a limitation for "Only Reconfigurable When Leaving Possessed Victim To Ability Victim Has". (Which isn't actually all that rare, as it's a condition under control the player.)

[mehrkat]

The problem I have with that is that since it will cost more it will automatically make the character unable to mimic any of the supers as powerful as he is in the setting.

Since I could build the mimic with neutralize and have the side effect of neutralizing the enemy.

So buying a neutralize ability for say a 300 point super power. (FYI I use multiplicative somewhat standard for supers)

50 points + 200% power theft + 300% cosmic = 300 points. -20% doesn't neutralize, -20% preparation required, -20% must be possessing = final cost 120

Building it with modular powers
(5 points (for one slot) + (300 x 3)) + 100% (physical and mental abilities) = 1810 points base -40% limited use can only use each power once, -20% seems fair for has to be possessing someone to mimic, add extra time -20% (as he must possess them for at least one minute) = 362

Not arguing that the power could be worth the higher cost just seeing if there is a better way to do it.

thanks for the reply by the way

[PK]

"Doesn't neutralize" is not a limitation. If anything, it's a +300% Cosmic enhancement. The ability to borrow someone else's powers without any cost to them is far more useful than Power Theft, because you can do it to your teammates willingly and be far more versatile than otherwise possible.

[Phantasm]

Indeed, Mimic of the X-Men (who once used the combined powers of Prof X, Angel, Beast, Iceman, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and Banshee at the same time, and that wasn't even his full potential) is the one character that's giving me a horrible time statting in my reboot, for just this reason. Thing is, PK, I've been told that Neutralize (Power Theft; Cosmic: Does Not Neutralize Target) is not RAW-legal. Is that position being slowly reversed?

[the_matrix_walker]

See This Post

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by mehrkat

The problem I have with that is that since it will cost more it will automatically make the character unable to mimic any of the supers as powerful as he is in the setting.

I'm not sure that should be possible for a PC in a campaign with the assumption "everybody starts out equally powerful" (i.e., built on equal points). An n-point character with a single set of fixed abilities is worth n points. Somebody who can emulate any such character has significant extra flexibility, and even if he can only pull off the emulation for a brief period, is quite evidently worth much, much more than n points. This is one of the major disconnects between superhero comics and superhero RPGs . . . comics don't actually have the premise "everybody starts out equally powerful," and also lack players with egos to bruise when their hero isn't as powerful as somebody else's. Mimic-style heroes are best put off-limits as NPCs and probably not built on points at all.

[jeff_wilson]

Affliction: Duplication 2 w/Construct + Extradimensional Payload + Power Theft = Subject's "template" is duplicated, stored internally, and reamplified as necessary to provide a continuing subject for Power Theft.

[Otaku]

Hmmm... so even using Modular Power, it wouldn't be that great of a Limitation then?

Completely on its own (e.g. for a character that is otherwise a normal human), it would seem simultaneously weak and yet fantastically powerful; with no one to copy, he's terrible. With a variety, he's amazing!

[Leynok]

Originally Posted by mehrkat

The problem I have with that is that since it will cost more it will automatically make the character unable to mimic any of the supers as powerful as he is in the setting.

If you do want to build a mimic power, I suggest making him only able to mimic bits of heroes. If you can perfectly copy the other PCs powers, then they will feel very overshadowed, after all you can just take any of their abilities as what fits the moment, or even enemies, and they are stuck being them. If you can only mimic a small bit at a time, your flexibility is less likely to step on other PCs shoes, and you are also more likely to all be of equal point builds.

Though I will reluctantly agree with Kromm, as much as I love copy abilities, they are best suited to NPCs, not players.