Cosmic Questions

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Ternas

I'm seeing this answer a lot in this thread, and this makes me curious if there would be any issues with putting Cosmic enhancements on Strikers or Natural Weapons (From the Pyramid 3-65 issue.) and still have the same basic effect as modifying ST based damage, with less calculations needed that is.

P. 146 of Powers is explicit about this: You have to put Cosmic BOTH on Claws, Spines, Strikers, or Teeth, AND on the underlying thr damage, in this case.

[Ternas]

Originally Posted by whswhs

P. 146 of Powers is explicit about this: You have to put Cosmic BOTH on Claws, Spines, Strikers, or Teeth, AND on the underlying thr damage, in this case.

Ah, thank you. I don't delve as much as I should into the Powers supplements.

[Anaraxes]

The word Cosmic actually means two different things in the rules. Originally (as on B103 and Powers p26) there was the Enhancement meant to give the feel of definition #1: a power that was "just better" than other sorts of power in the setting. The Power Cosmic might be better than mutant abilities, or divine power better than magic.

This blurs into definition #2: a general meta-game modifier that's a charge for breaking one of the normal rules. The original Enhancement for #1 are an example of #2, meant to give that better-than hierarchy by having my power ignore your anti-power. But the word took on a wider sense. An ability with some Cosmic#2 modifier isn't necessarily something powered by Cosmic#1, and might show up in a setting without that kind of hierarchy of power.

Cosmic#1 abilities often have the Cosmic#1 modifier, simply because that's one important factor that makes them feel like they're "more powerful" in conflicts. But it's not actually required (if hard to avoid while keeping the right feel).

There's also some other uses that have nothing to do with either #1 or #2. For instance, "Cosmic" is the name for a kind of Modular Ability pool that doesn't come in fixed slot sizes, but can be subdivided on a whim.

It would be nice not to have a term of art not so heavily overloaded. Something to put way down the editorial list for GURPS 5e.

[Purple Snit]

Thanks for the help, all.