Alternate Abilities: two nickels for a dime

ericthered · 04-01-2014, 12:09 PM

I'm building a character with a lot of alternate abilities, and I'm using the house rule where they can be used as a set: you can have as many alternates on at a time as you paid for: if you paid full price for the most expensive 3 items and 1/5 for the other 4, you can use up to 3 of them at a time.

Now sometimes you have massive differences in point costs between alternates. Is allowing two abilities that sum to less than the first alternate at the same time valid?

For example, Light Lord the superhero has the following as alternate Abilities: Control Visible Light 15 [300], invisibility [40/5=8] Elastic Skin (visual only) [16/5=4] Lazer beam 8d6(2) [60/5=12], and Illusion (massive area effect) [200/5=40]. Would you allow the character to walk around invisible shooting lazer beams on the grounds that they sum to less than 300 and they are both alternates?

what would you require to let him use as many CP as he has left over to still use some of the Control Visible light?

Christopher R. Rice · 04-01-2014, 12:13 PM

PK covered this pretty well in Simultaneous Spells box (p. 5) in his Sorcery article. Basically, you're right though, as long as you pay for the most expensive (or next expensive) ability you're good to go.

ericthered · 04-01-2014, 12:27 PM

Thanks for the confirmation. I'll get my hands on that article some day, but I don't have it yet...

Christopher R. Rice · 04-01-2014, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericthered

Thanks for the confirmation. I'll get my hands on that article some day, but I don't have it yet...

It's worth it for more than the new magical system (which IS cool). Also, it has one of my articles in it. ;-)

04-01-2014, 12:09 PM	#1
ericthered Hero of Democracy Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: far from the ocean	Alternate Abilities: two nickels for a dime I'm building a character with a lot of alternate abilities, and I'm using the house rule where they can be used as a set: you can have as many alternates on at a time as you paid for: if you paid full price for the most expensive 3 items and 1/5 for the other 4, you can use up to 3 of them at a time. Now sometimes you have massive differences in point costs between alternates. Is allowing two abilities that sum to less than the first alternate at the same time valid? For example, Light Lord the superhero has the following as alternate Abilities: Control Visible Light 15 [300], invisibility [40/5=8] Elastic Skin (visual only) [16/5=4] Lazer beam 8d6(2) [60/5=12], and Illusion (massive area effect) [200/5=40]. Would you allow the character to walk around invisible shooting lazer beams on the grounds that they sum to less than 300 and they are both alternates? what would you require to let him use as many CP as he has left over to still use some of the Control Visible light? __________________ Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one!

04-01-2014, 12:13 PM	#2
Christopher R. Rice Raven and a Writing Desk Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA	Re: Alternate Abilities: two nickels for a dime PK covered this pretty well in Simultaneous Spells box (p. 5) in his Sorcery article. Basically, you're right though, as long as you pay for the most expensive (or next expensive) ability you're good to go. __________________ My Twitter My w23 Stuff My Blog Latest GURPS Book: Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Thieves Latest TFT Book: The Sunken Library Become a Patron!

04-01-2014, 12:27 PM	#3
ericthered Hero of Democracy Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: far from the ocean	Re: Alternate Abilities: two nickels for a dime Thanks for the confirmation. I'll get my hands on that article some day, but I don't have it yet... __________________ Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one!