03-22-2006, 08:47 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Guangzhou, China
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Cosmetic Question
I have a couple of questions about the Cosmetic limitation for Alternate Form (though it is also applicable to Morph). The exact wording of the limitation is: “You can assume a second distinct appearance with no change in abilities or racial template.”
This initially seems pretty clear, but it runs into some problems when pushed on specific cases. Let’s say I make a human with an alternate form of a satyr. He obviously does not gain the benefits of his horns {Crushing Striker (Cannot Parry -40%, Limited Arc-Straight Ahead -40%) [1]}, hooves {Claws (Hooves) [3]}, or Fur [1] on his lower half. The question gets muddier when you reverse the situation. What happens when you have a satyr who has an alternate form of a human?
The problem gets even worse with animal forms. Can a human with a cosmetic alternate cat form still manipulate objects with opposable digits? Is a human with a cosmetic bird form automatically earthbound? Most importantly, am I missing something obvious that will make me smack myself on the forehead when it is pointed out to me?
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03-22-2006, 08:54 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Sammamish, WA
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Re: Cosmetic Question
I would say that you change your appearance, but not your race. A human can't have a cosmetic change into a satyr, he can can only change skin and hair color, hair length, maybe gender.
at best, horns might appear but be useless, they might be bundles of hair. the other way round, the satyr can't loose his hornes. maybe, if the GM is generous, hair grows over them, or they have a pompadour type do, but they are still there
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03-22-2006, 09:30 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Cosmetic Question
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03-22-2006, 09:45 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Re: Cosmetic Question
“You can assume a second distinct appearance with no change in abilities or racial template.”
says "no change in ... racial template". So IMO you cannot change your racial template and therefore have to remain a human or satyr. You can change into a different looking member of your race, but that´s it. |
03-22-2006, 09:55 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Cosmetic Question
No, you can *look* like a member of a different race, your template just doesn't change.
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03-22-2006, 11:29 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: North Hollywood, CA
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Re: Cosmetic Question
But... Your example- most depictions of satyrs I've seen have different bone structure then humans. That sounds like a racial template change to me, regardless of whether or not the rest is purely cosmetic.
So, yeah, I'd really have to agree with Pomphis- or at the very least, assess some more points to allow a purely cosmetic Satyr form. Of course, this line starts to get fuzzy when you talk about the Ever-Living Ones...
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03-22-2006, 11:32 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
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Re: Cosmetic Question
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03-22-2006, 11:54 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dobbstown Sane Asylum
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Re: Cosmetic Question
If you change your race, you're changing your racial template. If you can't change your racial template, you can't change your race.
A dragon cannot use AF (Cosmetic) to turn into a human or vice-versa. The racial template (hell, the SM alone) must change in such a case, so the Cosmetic limitation is not appropriate.
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03-22-2006, 12:00 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: North Hollywood, CA
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Re: Cosmetic Question
... About the only counter-example I can think of for that, Rev, is the abovementioned Elf example. They're about the same SM as a human, and except for a few cosmetic features, look a lot like a human, too.
At the same time, the racial templates are very different, and a human that looks like an Elf... Would probably be caught out... With all the nastiness that may imply... Hm.
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03-22-2006, 12:06 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Cosmetic Question
I believe the official ruling for Cosmetic is still that it is only for disguises. Check Kromm's and Ellie's responses in the Cosmetic Shapeshifting Questions thread. I'd add that Cosmetic doesn't make much sense for AF in light of the official rulings.
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