[Powers] [Weird] New ability / power / style ideas and builds

[vicky_molokh]

Greetings, all!

GURPS Powers: The Weird is out, and I think that's as good a reason as any to kickstart a thread of unofficial weird powers, styles etc. Surely these can vary in presentation - from rough ideas combined with questions how to build them, all the way to elaborate write-ups with both fluff and crunch fully complete.

Unless someone has a better idea, I propose to try out the following format:
Name: the name of the ability, power or style, if any.
Effect: the plain-English description of what happens when the weirdness is used.
Background info: things like history of invention, metaphysical justifications, and other fluff.
Statistics/Build/System: either a full write-up of the trait, an overall build guideline, or a question or several that would be of use for others to come up with building the trait (up to and including "how do I even start?").

I have a few ideas of my own that I'll try to put into words later.

Let's get started!

[Eukie]

Extended 4D Combat
This will be an incomplete treatment of combat in 4D Space, supplementing and/or replacing the ones in Powers: the Weird, with a special focus on combat between two or more combatants who are both capable of 4D movement. First of, while the real world is 3-dimensional, combat in GURPS is generally restrained to two dimensions, as most combatants cannot fly. By extension, one could imagine that 4D combat may be generally restrained to three dimensions. It would therefore be useful to review the rules on flying combat in Campaigns (p. 398), as they can easily substitute.

Terminology
In three dimensions, position can be described in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude, with movement in the east/west, north/south and up/down directions. In 4D-space, we further have spissitude and ana/kata. Measures are made, respectively, in width, depth, height, and amplitude. In 4-spherical coordinates, there is distance and vertical, [i]horizontal[i], and profound. Many shapes have higher-dimensional equivalents; just as a sphere can be thought of as a 3D-circle, there exists 4D-spheres. To make such relationships clear, these will be called X-shapes, where X is the number of dimensions, and shape is the type of shape. For example, a 3-circle is a sphere, and a 4-cube is a tesseract.

What does a 3D object look like in 4D actually?
Mathematically translating a 3D object to 4D is trivial; it has all its usual properties and no extension in spissitude. However, this is generally unworkable for practical purposes; we cannot really envision what 2D is like in 3D either. We might instead try to picture a thin sheet of paper, which is flat, but still has a third dimension. Equivalently, this model assumes that 3D-objects in 4D-space have a thin, membrane-like thickness in the fourth dimension.

Movement
Movement in any latitude and/or longitude has the usual cost of 1 Basic Speed/yard. Movement that additionally adds altitude or spissitude costs 1.5 Basic Speed/yard. Movement that adds both altitude and spissitude costs 2 Basic Speed/yard. (For greater accuracy, the costs a 1, 1.4, and 1.7 respectively.) When using a Step to retreat in 4D combat, a combatant capable of spissitudinal movement may specify that they're doing so spissitudinally. In general, assume that if a rule in Characters or Campaigns says "height", it applies equally for "amplitude"; see among other things "Attack from Above" and "Combat at Different Levels" on p. 402.

Ranged Combat
Ranges measured directly remain the same in 4D, but certain rules apply. For the purposes of determining range penalties on ranged weapons, multiply all penalties by 1.5; this represents the additional difficulty of not just having to aim in vertically and horizontally, but also with profoundity.

Cover
Standard 3D cover is basically useless in 4D; by analogy, it has the same effect as prison bars have in 3D. Therefore, it is unlikely to provide any mechanical benefit.

Spraying Fire, Cone Attacks
In 3D, Spraying Fire and Cone Attacks are aimed horizontally and vertically, then generally hit within a sector or cone-shaped area. In 4D, there are several options:

2 and 3-Cone, plane battlefield: If the attacker can fire in a 2 or 3-dimensional cone area (defined by its horizontal and vertical span), and they're attacking against a 2D plane, they can choose to define the attacks span in profoundity to limit its range; ana gives the maximum range of the attack, and kata that minimum range. The shooter can alternatively choose to fire fully into the spissitudinal; this turns 3-cones into 2-cones, and 2-cones into beams. Note that turning a 3-cone into a 2-cone does not mean that it's a wide attack; it could equally well have a very narrow width, but spread in the vertical direction.

2 and 3-cone, 3D battlefield: 2-cones in 3D battlefields are basically beam attacks unless enemies are conveniently clustered. However, they can be given a maximum and minimum range by applying profoundity. 3-cones can have their span limited in profoundity to give maximum and minimum range; otherwise they function normally, or can be limited to a 2-cone by firing into the spissitudinal, making the 3-cone into a beam attack.

2 and 3-cone, 4D battlefield: In a fully 4D battlefield, treat 2-cone and 3-cone attacks as beams. If enemies are clustered in at least one dimension, a 3-cone can hit them all. If enemies are clustered in at least two dimensions, a 2-cone can hit them all.

4-cone, plane and 3D battlefield: The 4-cone project into 3D space as either a 3-cone, or a 3-ellipsoid (an oblong and/or flat sphere) of any size (up to the 3-cone's size); hence it can be turned into a Cone or Area-Effect attack at will.

4-cone, 4D battlefield: Uses the rules for regular Cone attacks, but applied to 4 dimensions. Hence, it draws out a line, and anything within the cone's width in the dimensions perpendicular to the line are hit by the attack.

Area Effect Attacks
Area effect attacks in 3D are generally circles or 3-spheres. As with cone attacks, these can be transformed by applying the spissitudinal dimension.

Circle, plane battlefield: By tilting the circle into the spissitudinal dimension, it can be turned into an ellipsoid. When fully tilted, the circle becomes a line segment; a beam with a maximum and minimum range.

3-Sphere, plane battlefield: By tilting the sphere into the spissitudinal dimension, it can be compressed in any direction, until it becomes a circle.

Circle, 3D battlefield: Already essentially a beam with a maximum and minimum range (the span is equal to the circle's diameter), the circle in the 3D battlefield can be turned into an actual beam with a maximum and minimum range - useful for avoiding clustered opponents.

3-Sphere, 3D battlefield: The sphere can, as before, be compressed, and eventually turned into a circle. When a circle, it can be treated as a beam with a maximum and minimum range.

Circle & 3-Sphere, 4D battlefield: In 4D, circles and 3-spheres are essentially beams with a maximum and minimum range. 3-spheres can hit opponents grouped in at least one dimension. Circles can hit opponents grouped in at least two dimensions.

4-Sphere, plane & 3D: The 4-sphere projects a sphere of any size (up to the diameter of the 4-sphere) onto 3D-space. Therefore, a 4-sphere can be used to create a spherical Area Effect attack of variable size in lower dimensions.

4-Sphere, 4D battlefield: Uses the rules for regular Area Effect Attacks, but has span in all four dimensions. For explosions, divide damage by 4*range instead of 3*range. (see B414).

Phantom Attack
This can be trained with ranged weapons too.

Melee Combat:

Grapples
Grapples are ineffective against 4D-capable combatants, because regular knots cannot exist in 4D space. If the combat is occurring in the full four dimensions, grapples cannot be made, except as Feints or Deceptive Attacks. If combat is mostly restricted to 3D, but one of the combatants is capable of 4D-movement, said combatant can break free with a Concentrate maneouvre and a Step (or maybe a Quick Contest of IQ+Talent, with Mathematics (Pure) as a supplementary skill). A 4D combatant can grapple a 3D-combatant anywhere; grappling someone's Vitals or Eye is perfectly legal, as is grappling their brain or any part of their skeleton.

Blocking
Against a 4D-dimensional opponent, shields and cloaks become like thin edges. Don't add the shield or cloak's Defence Bonus to the defences; treat it like any other weapon used for defence. In a fight between two 4D-capable combatants, a shield or cloak just becomes another off-hand weapon.

A 4D-dimensional shield will give the usual benefits of fighting with a shield.

Skilled 4D Combatants
If both the attacker and the defender are familiar with 4D combat and have Hypervision, many of the attacks that take advantage of 4D possibilities become less potent; at whatever level the GM feels appropriate, the Attack and Parry bonuses disappear (but note that Retreats that move into the spissitudinal still get +1 for using another dimension). Disorient provides no benefit against the well-versed in the hyperspatial.

[whswhs]

It seems to me that it would make better sense to treat the added fourth spatial dimension as "horizontal" rather than "vertical." That gives you actual increased freedom of movement in an easy way.

[vicky_molokh]

When I read the Powers chapter, I was most hopeful regarding some interesting things in the Logos branch. Alas, I found the branch one of the less impressive ones of the lot. So here are some things I consider nice to have in a Logos repertoire.

Transcendent Literacy
Effect: Properly-written glyphs and sentences can be as captivating as the song of the finest nightingale or the voice of the most august of orators. The character's written communication evokes just as much awe as a more direct communication can. The effect only applies to texts produced using the Written form of language, not Spoken, but is not restricted to handwriting.
Background info: idea ported over from a system which treated fine calligraphy in pretty much the same way as Appearance for face-to-face communication.
System: this probably warrants a new leveled advantage, priced at perhaps 4-5 points per level. My reasoning is that it's functionally similar to an always-applicable positive Reputation, but only works for written communication. I suppose it could also be built as Charisma with a Cosmic to allow the most indirect of communication with no feedback, but a limitation to prohibit the use of the audial or signed media and only retain written. But pricing it above 5 points feels like too much.
Note that the intent of not just giving a Talent/Racial Skill Bonus is because it's meant to interact with Reaction Rolls.

Refutation-Demanding Argument
Effect: Sometimes the words of illustrious poets just cannot be ignored, even when they can be disagreed with. Such words are inherently no more convincing than normal (barring use of other powers), but the only way of not being convinced is to reply with a counterargument.
System: An Influence attempt modified by this ability gains no numeric bonuses. However, instead of making a Will-based resistance roll, the target must make a counterargument using Philosophy (for an ethical counter), Public Speaking (for a rhetorical one), Diplomacy (for offering an alternative solution), Fast-Talk or the like. The latter roll otherwise functions like a normal resistance roll. Note that if (and only if) the target of the influence is in hiding, the reply need be spoken out loud (this is to prevent use of this ability to expose a person in Stealth).
Build: no idea; how do I make it without defeating the purpose of the ability? It's essentially a very flavoured version of Resistance Based On Other Attribute applied to Influence Skills.

[vicky_molokh]

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword
Effect: A true wordsmith can use a finely-crafted haiku to parry a sword blow.
System: A weird case of Skill Adaptation, I guess? It probably requires also buying a Striker with No Signature to represent being able to parry weapons with no risk of injury. If not, this might warrant some extra rules about crippling the poet's creativity instead of an arm or something.

Tongue of Blind Silver
Effect: A gift from a god of deception allows the speaker to make it so that people hear exactly what they want to hear. This ability, however, has two problems. One is that the speaker has no idea what others hear. The other is that delivery still matters.
System: This ability should modify Influence attempts. The target is treated as if hearing the text that is most appropriate for getting whatever it is that the speaker wants to get. This should count as a +3 Manipulation bonus (and is incompatible with other such bonuses), and removes any risks of accidentally saying anything that the subject would consider offensive. I have no idea how to build that properly without making it overly complicated; it feels like three levels of Racial Skill Bonus (chosen Influence skill), plus a 1- or 2-point discount for its drawbacks.

[vicky_molokh]

Meanings Fall Apart
Effect: Sometimes a spymaster needs to write a document with total deniability - something that can only be read a limited number of times and cannot be meaningfully copied. This ability makes it so that while the letters and words and sentences committed to paper (or tape, or discs . . .) remain the same, their meaning that can be extracted from them by sapient persons, or put into new instances of the same text, changes over time.
Thus, the ability can, for instance, produce a sentence "The eagle has landed on the sea of dust", and anyone reading it in the nearest future would clearly understand that the sentence talks about the first manned spacecraft successfully touching the Mars. But a day passes, and nobody reading that sentence (or listening to its audio recording, or reading the same sentence written by someone who comprehended the original meaning) would think that it talks about a spacecraft; the original meaning is gone from it. The spymaster can adjust the time and/or number of readings after which the meaning of a message will decay; once set, the timer and triggers will not change even if the spymaster is long dead, changes her mind etc.
System: once again, I have no idea how to build it. (Trying to make it using Telesend seem to be missing the point.)

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Tongue of Blind Silver
Effect: A gift from a god of deception allows the speaker to make it so that people hear exactly what they want to hear. This ability, however, has two problems. One is that the speaker has no idea what others hear. The other is that delivery still matters.
System: This ability should modify Influence attempts. The target is treated as if hearing the text that is most appropriate for getting whatever it is that the speaker wants to get. This should count as a +3 Manipulation bonus (and is incompatible with other such bonuses), and removes any risks of accidentally saying anything that the subject would consider offensive. I have no idea how to build that properly without making it overly complicated; it feels like three levels of Racial Skill Bonus (chosen Influence skill), plus a 1- or 2-point discount for its drawbacks.

My inclination is to base it on Serendipity with an aspect (I say the right thing), or on Common Sense (The GM pokes me to say the right thing - or at least not the stupid thing) with the limitation that you have no idea what that was.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Bruno

My inclination is to base it on Serendipity with an aspect (I say the right thing), or on Common Sense (The GM pokes me to say the right thing - or at least not the stupid thing) with the limitation that you have no idea what that was.

Serendipity is not fitting because it is limited to a number of uses per session.
Common Sense seems closer, though has issues that (a) it now has to 'provide' information that often the character has no way of knowing and (b) that it is quite expensive for the benefit that the described ability provides.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Serendipity is not fitting because it is limited to a number of uses per session.
Common Sense seems closer, though has issues that (a) it now has to 'provide' information that often the character has no way of knowing and (b) that it is quite expensive for the benefit that the described ability provides.

Try Affliction (Intuition (Aspected)).

[whswhs]

A power I would have liked to include might be called Inanimacy: The ability, for example, to possess a bunch of inanimate matter and turn it into a functional body. Basically it would be rulebreaking in that it would let you deal with mechanisms as if they were lifeforms.