Modular Abilities (Physical), Chameleon, and Elastic Skin

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

My search-fu is not strong. I am trying to write up an advantage that represents being able to change physical appearance to anything at all that would fit within Retains Shape and the conservation of mass.

If a character has Modular Abilities (Cosmic Power, Physical Only) that includes the ability to change cosmetic features, coloring, and clothing, how should that be written up? As an enhancement of Modular Abilities?

And would that automatically include the effects of Chameleon and Elastic Skin, or would they need to be purchased separately?

[Anubis]

you talking about some thing like odo from deepspace nine

[Bruno]

Modular Abilities (Physical) could be used to pick up Elastic Skin or Morph (Cosmetic), but that's expensive and would preclude shifting into other abilities. Most likely, from your description, is that the character would have Elastic Skin or Morph (Cosmetic) AND have Modular Abilities (Physical).

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

Originally Posted by Anubis

you talking about some thing like odo from deepspace nine

Yeah, basically... except with more skill than Odo, and with the ability to change color, clothes, HT, ST, DX, Basic Speed, etc., and to pick up Silence or Resistant or Acute senses or whatever.



I wanted to apply Retains Shape and Mass Conservation as limitations to Modular Abilities (Cosmic Power, Physical Only). Basically, no SM or weight or density changes, no extra limbs or heads or tails, no Long Strikers, etc.

My impression is that Elastic Skin is limited to only imitating your own species, while Morph (Cosmetic, Retains Shape) includes everything that Chameleon and Elastic Skin can do, plus some. However, Morph is only for racial templates, not for imitating individuals or just making up a new face every day.


Presently I have this, which I know is not RAW:

Modular Abilities (Cosmic Power, Physical and Clothing/Cosmetic Only +50%, Retains Shape -20%, Mass Conservation -20%)

Which it seems I should change to

Modular Abilities (Cosmic Power, Physical Only +50%, Retains Shape -20%, Mass Conservation -20%)
Morph (Cosmetic -50%, Retains Shape -20%)

Would that eliminate the need to put Elastic Skin and Chameleon separately? This still doesn't seem to cover "I can make cosmetic clothing appear and change at will."

[Keeh]

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

However, Morph is only for racial templates, not for imitating individuals or just making up a new face every day.

Shapeshifting (Morph) actually includes these abilities (read the last paragraph before the "Shapeshifting Races" part).

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

Originally Posted by Keeh

Shapeshifting (Morph) actually includes these abilities (read the last paragraph before the "Shapeshifting Races" part).

Oops, my mistake. It looks like Morph (Cosmetic) would indeed cover everything Elastic Skin and Chameleon can do, then. And Modular Abilities (Cosmic Power, Physical Only) should include the ability to pick Appearance advantages and disadvantages.

Thanks!

Changing clothing at will, though... that's more than a Perk. It is not like Fashion Sense, though. Should it be a Limited form of Gizmos? It doesn't have to be an outfit you could have been carrying, but it can have only social effects and reasonable pockets, i.e. no DR, hazmat effects, huge payload, terrain bonuses, rocket boots, etc. But Gizmos doesn't allow an unlimited selection of Gizmos. For an unlimited Cosmetic wardrobe ... I don't know. On the other hand it could just be put down to really bizarre body integument and included in Morph (Cosmetic), but that's weird.

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

Oops, my mistake. It looks like Morph (Cosmetic) would indeed cover everything Elastic Skin and Chameleon can do, then. And Modular Abilities (Cosmic Power, Physical Only) should include the ability to pick Appearance advantages and disadvantages.

Thanks!

Changing clothing at will, though... that's more than a Perk. It is not like Fashion Sense, though. Should it be a Limited form of Gizmos? It doesn't have to be an outfit you could have been carrying, but it can have only social effects and reasonable pockets, i.e. no DR, hazmat effects, huge payload, terrain bonuses, rocket boots, etc. But Gizmos doesn't allow an unlimited selection of Gizmos. For an unlimited Cosmetic wardrobe ... I don't know. On the other hand it could just be put down to really bizarre body integument and included in Morph (Cosmetic), but that's weird.

Look under Absorptive Change. Also, I may be alone in this, but if you can duplicate somebody's appearance perfectly, to me that means you do get their Appearance advantages or disadvantages; whether you need a Morph pool to pay for Appearance better than your own is not clear to me, though.

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Look under Absorptive Change. Also, I may be alone in this, but if you can duplicate somebody's appearance perfectly, to me that means you do get their Appearance advantages or disadvantages; whether you need a Morph pool to pay for Appearance better than your own is not clear to me, though.

I suppose I could give them a Morph pool for it in addition to having a Modular Abilities pool for it, but that would cost more than necessary.

Absorptive Change I'm not seeing in the Basic Set.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

Absorptive Change I'm not seeing in the Basic Set.

It's new in Powers page 75. It's based on encumbrance, for just light clothing I'd stick with "None Encumbrance Only, +5%", which lets you absorb up to your BL into your change, and your surface can include "clothing" which can't be taken off.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Bruno

It's new in Powers page 75. It's based on encumbrance, for just light clothing I'd stick with "None Encumbrance Only, +5%", which lets you absorb up to your BL into your change, and your surface can include "clothing" which can't be taken off.

Mind that's for Alternate Forms, not for Morph, though I don't see any reason not to extend it to Morph.

One of the tropes of shapeshifting is being able to turn into an exact copy of your target, and if that includes taking off your hat and coat, then so be it, though the items taken off turn back into ectoplasm and return to the ether once the shifter takes on a new form, unless he's taken a Nuisance Effect Limitation where the ectoplasm stays when the form goes away, leaving a gooey mess behind.