Feature or Advantage?

[Christopher R. Rice]

So, toying around with some setting assumptions for a psi-game I'm working on I decided that ALL teleporters in the setting use Will x Will = Teleportation BL, vs. the standard ST x ST = BL. This is basically the Mental Carrying Capacity, +20% modifier from GURPS Supers. I'm wondering since EVERYONE in the setting is effected by this if its a feature or should all Teleportation abilities cost 20 points more?

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Ghostdancer

[Bruno]

Will is still cheaper to buy up than full ST, still likely to be higher for someone using an IQ based power like Warp, and less exotic to buy up than Lifting ST. I would say for those reasons it's still worth the price of the enhancement.

[gjc8]

Unless everyone in the setting (or at least every PC) is a teleporter, then yes, you should still charge for the enhancement. It's not just balance between teleporters, but balance between non-teleporters and teleporters.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Will is still cheaper to buy up than full ST, still likely to be higher for someone using an IQ based power like Warp, and less exotic to buy up than Lifting ST. I would say for those reasons it's still worth the price of the enhancement.

In principle, the Mental Carrying Capacity mod is working kind of like a Based On (Different Attribute) one. I am not too keen on the mechanic, as it is changing a basic assumption of the game (how things are carried or lifted) and charging the premium for this to the ability that is gaining, rather than to the attribute (Will) that is actually being modified. I think I'd rather allow a character to just buy extra Lifting ST for this purpose. But, given that it is being used in a game, I agree that it is probably fair to charge for it instead of giving it away as a Feature.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

In principle, the Mental Carrying Capacity mod is working kind of like a Based On (Different Attribute) one. I am not too keen on the mechanic, as it is changing a basic assumption of the game (how things are carried or lifted) and charging the premium for this to the ability that is gaining, rather than to the attribute (Will) that is actually being modified. I think I'd rather allow a character to just buy extra Lifting ST for this purpose. But, given that it is being used in a game, I agree that it is probably fair to charge for it instead of giving it away as a Feature.

Although it might as well just be part of the cost of Teleportation in the game rather than written as an enhancement.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Although it might as well just be part of the cost of Teleportation in the game rather than written as an enhancement.

This is why actually writing up the abilities in a power is a good idea:
Foobar [66]
This ability when activated does something awesome. It does it like this. Example: Awesome stuff.

Build: Bar (Foo1 +x, Foo2 +y, Foo3-z) [66]

In the case of modifying abilities from Psionic Powers you can just simply copy/paste the original write up and then make the changes.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Will is still cheaper to buy up than full ST, still likely to be higher for someone using an IQ based power like Warp, and less exotic to buy up than Lifting ST. I would say for those reasons it's still worth the price of the enhancement.

Hmm...good point.

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

In principle, the Mental Carrying Capacity mod is working kind of like a Based On (Different Attribute) one. I am not too keen on the mechanic, as it is changing a basic assumption of the game (how things are carried or lifted) and charging the premium for this to the ability that is gaining, rather than to the attribute (Will) that is actually being modified. I think I'd rather allow a character to just buy extra Lifting ST for this purpose. But, given that it is being used in a game, I agree that it is probably fair to charge for it instead of giving it away as a Feature.

I've tried this model before and it can work, but I plan on using the Super-Effort mod on Will for the 'really' big loads that the uber-psis can lift.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Although it might as well just be part of the cost of Teleportation in the game rather than written as an enhancement.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

This is why actually writing up the abilities in a power is a good idea:
Foobar [66]
This ability when activated does something awesome. It does it like this. Example: Awesome stuff.

Build: Bar (Foo1 +x, Foo2 +y, Foo3-z) [66]

In the case of modifying abilities from Psionic Powers you can just simply copy/paste the original write up and then make the changes.

Yeah I tend to make a 'setting bible' for my players that way they can look at what I've modded.

Looks like the consensus is pretty much my initial reaction: charge points and be done with it.

Well thanks everyone who spoke up, it is appreciated! ^_^

Ghostdancer

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

In principle, the Mental Carrying Capacity mod is working kind of like a Based On (Different Attribute) one. I am not too keen on the mechanic, as it is changing a basic assumption of the game (how things are carried or lifted) and charging the premium for this to the ability that is gaining, rather than to the attribute (Will) that is actually being modified.

I understand the discomfort, but the price for Lifting ST I'm pretty sure doesn't include a hidden tax for "Can also increase carrying capacity for Warp" - and a character with Warp doesn't have to put an enhancement on his ST and Lifting ST for the new utility he gains from the stats.

So making the character put an enhancement on his IQ and Will instead makes me feel a little awkward too. It's kind of messy either way.

A Third Way is creating a new statistic to control "Warp BL" that every Warping character needs to pay points buy up from 0, and making campaign rules that the statistic needs to match ST based BL (or Will based BL) in your campaign. I think you can actually basically do that with the new enhancements/limitations from Powers and Psionic powers.

Then you have to decide what enhancements/limitations on Warp need to be applied to the cost of this new statistic, and which are verboten.

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

I think I'd rather allow a character to just buy extra Lifting ST for this purpose. But, given that it is being used in a game, I agree that it is probably fair to charge for it instead of giving it away as a Feature.

Lifting ST (Warp Lift Only, -20%) on the assumption that a Warper can probably put it to good use on a regular basis, sort of thing?

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Lifting ST (Warp Lift Only, -20%) on the assumption that a Warper can probably put it to good use on a regular basis, sort of thing?

Yeah, although I'd have to think about the limitation value... -20% looks like a reasonable ballpark figure.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I understand the discomfort, but the price for Lifting ST I'm pretty sure doesn't include a hidden tax for "Can also increase carrying capacity for Warp" - and a character with Warp doesn't have to put an enhancement on his ST and Lifting ST for the new utility he gains from the stats.

So making the character put an enhancement on his IQ and Will instead makes me feel a little awkward too. It's kind of messy either way.

A Third Way is creating a new statistic to control "Warp BL" that every Warping character needs to pay points buy up from 0, and making campaign rules that the statistic needs to match ST based BL (or Will based BL) in your campaign. I think you can actually basically do that with the new enhancements/limitations from Powers and Psionic powers.

Then you have to decide what enhancements/limitations on Warp need to be applied to the cost of this new statistic, and which are verboten.



Lifting ST (Warp Lift Only, -20%) on the assumption that a Warper can probably put it to good use on a regular basis, sort of thing?

Neat idea. ^_^ I would think you could go to -30% or even -40% since you can't use it for grapples either, which is kind of useful.

Ghostdancer