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Old 06-17-2021, 10:52 AM   #1
johndallman
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Default [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

Modular Abilities [variable] is an exotic advantage that can be mental or physical. It creates a “pool” of character points, usually fairly small, that you can use for skills and/or advantages, and re-arrange under specified conditions. This advantage appeared at GURPS 4e, as a generalisation of abilities like Cyberpunk chip slots, and Transhuman Space AI skill software.

This ability comes in “slots”, whose cost has two elements, a base price, and a price per point of ability it can hold. Different types of Modular Abilities have different costs. For example, “Computer Brain”, downloadable computer programs for an AI to run on its host computer, costs a base [6] for the slot, plus [4] per point of ability, while “Super-Memorisation” from a book or other reference material costs [5] for each slot, and [3] for each point of ability. The type of modular abilities determines these costs (the design system is in Powers, and quite simple), the time it takes to re-arrange the abilities, and any monetary cost, such as the price of computer programs or reference books.

A point that people often miss is that you can use Modular Abilities to improve abilities you already have, such as adding points to a skill, or buying a higher level of an advantage, provided this falls within the limitations of your Modular Abilities. Another is that you can use it for Techniques, which can boost skills at low cost, and for perks, if you can do mental advantages.

Specific modifiers for Modular abilities include Physical, +50% for physical advantages only, or +100% for any mental or physical ability; Spells Only, ‑20%, usually requiring memorisation from a spell book, or Virtual, ‑50%, for abilities that only work in virtual reality, the astral plane, or some other special realm where you don’t reside. You can use Preparation Required to increase the time needed to re-arrange abilities, and Limited Use for abilities that you lose when used. Combining limitations allows you to build D&D-style spell casters who must prepare their spells, should you want to.

The Basic Set has two more forms of Modular Abilities: “Chip Slots” lets you plug cyberpunk-style skill chips into your nervous system, which cost [5/slot] and [3/point], and “Cosmic Power,” which only allows one slot, which is free, but costs [10/point] for the abilities. Since you can use Cosmic Power for anything, including multiple abilities at the same time, it’s pretty flexible, but you do need to be quite good with the character design system to get the best out of it.

Powers has more, of course. It adds a Divine Inspiration type of Modular Abilities (which isn’t how Powers: Divine Favor works), an enhancement for Social abilities, limitations by focus (e.g. “Fire”, and this is usually limited to Physical advantages), Environmental limitations that require something be present before you can use it, limitations by the kinds of traits you can add, and rules on limiting advantages you add. You can combine focus and trait limitations: the example is super-science gadgeteering, whose focus is gadgets, and whose traits are limited to “ones with Gadget limitations.”

New types of Modular Abilities in GURPS supplements include “Reading the Akashic Record”, from Banestorm, “Book-Learned Wisdom” from DF4 Sages, “Spirit Trapping” from Fantasy, “Renshaw Method” from Madness Dossier, plus “Gear Stash” and “Social Networking,” both from Monster Hunters: Power-Ups 1. Meanwhile, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements lets you put your Imbuement skills into a Modular Ability, which is cost-effective if you want a lot of them. Further types include “Epigenetics” (altering your own genetic expression) and “Runes of Power,” both from Powers: The Weird, “Slotted Cosmic Power” and “Telepathic Learning,” both from Psionic Powers, “Friend of the Week” from Social Engineering: Keeping in Contact, “Improvisational Spell Magic” from Steampunk 3, plus “Grimoire” and “Reconfigurable Mechanisms” from Supers. The cost of Thaumatology: Sorcery's Sorcerous Empowerment was set using Modular Abilities, but it should not be modified in the same way. Transhuman Space: Changing Times adds Limited Integration, ‑30%, which makes access to software skills slow enough to give penalties in combat, and Skills and Languages Only, ‑10%.

I’ve used Modular Abilities on THS LAI assistants (one had a collection of 48 languages), and seen a character in my Infinite Cabal campaign make very good use of Cosmic Power (Astral Only, ‑40%). Being able to call up three points of mental abilities from nowhere, including skills and spells that must logically exist, but you’ve never encountered, is quite effective on top of IQ 18 and Magery 4.

What have you done with Modular Abilities?

Last edited by johndallman; 06-17-2021 at 02:39 PM. Reason: Sorcerous Empowerment
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Old 06-17-2021, 12:21 PM   #2
Prince Charon
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

I haven't had a chance to run games with these, so I'm not sure how well they'd work in practice. Both are psi-based, but the concepts don't need to be (mostly just swap out the power-modifiers and alter the fluff a bit, and they fit other power sources just fine):

*Modular Abilities limited to Summonable Allies (spirits) can makes for a versatile magic system that simulates the way mages in some fiction can use a spell in one episode or issue but don't use it in another: the spirit that provides that effect isn't available. It does require a fair bit of work on the GM's part, but there are possible shortcuts, as well.

*Limiting Modular Abilities to 'Objects only' or 'traits with Gadget limitations only' is one way to create magic items or the equivalent (scroll down to 'Attunement') in a Magic As Powers setting.
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Old 06-17-2021, 01:42 PM   #3
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery uses Modular Abilities to build its base Sorcerous Empowerment advantage (p. 4, 5).

Personally I find it more point-conserving to build magic as a base Affliction which can be modified by a Modular Ability, as I did in Ensorcelment.
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Old 06-17-2021, 02:41 PM   #4
johndallman
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

Quote:
Originally Posted by munin View Post
GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery uses Modular Abilities to build its base Sorcerous Empowerment advantage (p. 4, 5).
... and the only reference to "Modular Abilities" is in the book's index, where I failed to notice it while searching PDFs.
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Old 06-18-2021, 12:58 PM   #5
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
... and the only reference to "Modular Abilities" is in the book's index, where I failed to notice it while searching PDFs.
It's mentioned in the 'Under the Hood' box on p.5.
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Old 06-18-2021, 01:01 PM   #6
johndallman
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

Quote:
Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich View Post
It's mentioned in the 'Under the Hood' box on p.5.
It say "Ability" not "Abilities", so a text search does not find it.
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Old 06-20-2021, 02:10 AM   #7
RedMattis
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

I built the following two abilities for a Quick Gadgeteer in a Sci-Fi campaign we'll start up soon. (the abilities are using Multiplicative modifiers)


Modular Arms [30 points]
Modular Abilities (Chip Slots) 20
Limited: Arm Implants [-20%]; Physical Advantages Only [+50%]; Immediate Preparation Requires (1 minute on average) [-30%]; Nuisance Effect: Bulky "Chips" [-10%]; Requires Robotics Roll [-10%]

Description
The character has replaceable and modular arms. The "chips" (actually a pile of parts) must be built beforehand (quick Gadgeteering to create new chips is fine, but takes some penalties for complexity), and take a minute to install on average. Examples of advantages that can be gained is Innate Attack, Clinging, Arm-ST, arm-mounted scanners (Scanning Sense), etc.



Robot-building [36 points]
Modular Abilities (Cosmic Power) 18
Social Only [+0%]; Requires Immediate Preparation (1 hour) [-75%]; Limited: Mechanical And Replaceable Allies with fairly simple AI [-20%]; Requires Material, [-10%]; Requires Robotics Roll [-10%]

Description
The character can assemble robots for a wider variety of purposes. This takes 1 hour and requires some amount of junk to be available, but can otherwise be built from fairly unrealistic components. Allies are always built with the [+50%] for "special abilities", this covers the fact that they are replaceable. Since the robots will always be available after being built (and new ones can be built if separated from) the ally will always have a frequency of "Constant" [x4]

The ability gives enough points to make one 75%-of-character's-value robot ally, or three 25%-of-character's-value robots. If the character makes more than 18 points of allies the previous ones will deactivate, be used for spare-parts or otherwise rendered not usable/not allies in some appropriate way.


This is all just an extension of the Quick Gadgeteer advantage (though not as Alternate Abilities, that would imply Quick Gadgeteer can't be used at the same time). The character can of course also make regular Quick Gadgeteer inventions, but those are limited by the usual Quick Gadgeteer concept/invention rules.

We haven't tested the abilities (or the 250-point character that has them) yet, so if anyone has thoughts or feedback I'd appreciate it.

Ps. Yes, I realize Robot-building has more than -80% in limitations. It obviously caps on 20% as usual though, and the ability is probably more than strong enough as written anyway
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Last edited by RedMattis; 06-20-2021 at 02:27 AM. Reason: formatting
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Old 06-20-2021, 07:49 AM   #8
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

Probably the most extensive thing I've used ModAb for was my Calvin Rankin/Mimic build for the Reboot project.

Modular Abilities (1000 Point Cosmic Power) (Accessibility: Cannot Duplicate Chi, Magical, Divine, Demonic, Spirit, or Tech-Based Powers, -10%; Accessibility: Can Only Duplicate Up To 5 Power Sets, -10%; Accessibility: Cannot Go Beyond One Mile From Power Set's Template, -10%; Accessibility: Must Be Within 100 Feet of a Person With the Power in Order to Duplicate It, -20%; Physical and Mental, +100%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Trait-Limited: Advantages Only, -10%; Super, -10%) [11,500]

Probably my most convoluted build to date.
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Old 06-20-2021, 08:26 AM   #9
RedMattis
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

Modular Abilities is a really neat power, but as far as its pricing goes it really tends to create builds which are either overpowered or incredibly point inefficient. The Gadgeteer build I had tip-toeing around overpowered while the XMen "Mimic" from Phantasm ends up paying so much he is just about doomed to a Jack-of-all-Trades situation if character points are used as the sole balancing factor.

The biggest issue is probably using something like chip-slots and then stacking limitations until you're basically not paying anything extra. Of course GMs can disallow abuse like that, but I find you can break it easily without intending to.

And on the other side of abuse is taking 1 point of Cosmic Modular Abilities for the ability to have any skill or mental perk at a cost of 10 points (before limitations).
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Old 06-20-2021, 12:14 PM   #10
Michael Cule
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Modular Abilities

I believe we used Modular Abilities to create a rather abusive "Arch-Mage" in a Banestorm game. He could come up with new spells, re-create known spells and if he could afford the points keep the knowledge of the magic he had improvised afterwards.

What made it abusive was the fact he could ignore the pre-requisites of spells.

Lemme see now: Modular Ability (Cosmic Power) 10 points (Spells Only: -20%, Can Retain Knowledge (How much was that?) Can ignore Prerequisites (I forget), Can create new Spells (Something for that too).

It was all a bit cinematic...
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