Costs Character Points - More Than One

[Christopher R. Rice]

What do you think a fair cost might be for a ability with Costs Character Points that require more than one character point to use? I already looked at Power-Ups 5: Impulse Buys, and that's not what I'm going for. Basically if Costs Character Points multiplies the total cost by 1/5 for 1 point, what would 2 points be? Or 3 or more for that matter?

Thanks for any who answer!

[sir_pudding]

Isn't this "Extra Option: Can buy any ability as a one use ability"? So it's 1 point.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Isn't this "Extra Option: Can buy any ability as a one use ability"? So it's 1 point.

Huh? I don't get this. Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough... Maybe a example:

Warp (Costs Character Points, x1/5 pts) [20] = for 1 character point you can use the Warp advantage. So how much of a discount would "Costs 2 Character Points" provide? Or Costs 3 Character Points, and so on?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Huh? I don't get this. Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough... Maybe a example:

Warp (Costs Character Points, x1/5 pts) [20] = for 1 character point you can use the Warp advantage. So how much of a discount would "Costs 2 Character Points" provide? Or Costs 3 Character Points, and so on?

Warp (One Use Only x1/5) is also 20 points. Being able to buy it whenever you want is a campaign option possibly enabled by a perk. I'm not sure if 3 points is ever a fair price for it (since it's worth 20).

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

What do you think a fair cost might be for a ability with Costs Character Points that require more than one character point to use? I already looked at Power-Ups 5: Impulse Buys, and that's not what I'm going for. Basically if Costs Character Points multiplies the total cost by 1/5 for 1 point, what would 2 points be? Or 3 or more for that matter?

Thanks for any who answer!

The divisor for 1 CP is 1/5 of point cost, so perhaps 1/7 for 2 CP, 1/10 for 3 CP, 1/12 for 4 CP, 1/15 for 5 CP, and so forth? Or if, on closer analysis, that seems too harsh, then maybe 1/10, 1/15, 1/20 and 1/25?

I can't help wondering what it looks like inside the character's head, though. How does the decision making process work? Does the character understand the opportunity cost involved in sacrificing a CP?

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Huh? I don't get this. Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough... Maybe a example:

I didn't have any problems understanding your question.

[Angle]

I just had a thread on this. Lemme look it up...

Edit: Here it is. My thread was about "Add's disadvantage", Where the ability gives you a disadvantage until you buy it off, but that's nearly the same thing, except it makes more sense for the character.

Though admittedly, I didn't get very far in my theorizing, so IDK. Perhaps reverse engineer the corruption mechanic from horror? That's a lot of math though, and a lot of other factos that get left out. So the numbers you end up with might not be very meaningful...

[PK]

I can only really answer in terms of PU5, not only because that's the official stance, but because I completely and wholeheartedly agree with it:

The GM has to set the cost on any "costs character points" abilities, using the guidelines in PU5. He can set that cost anywhere from 1 point up to 1/5 the cost of the ability itself (as in, the amount you actually paid for it).

So unmodified Warp, as a "costs character points" ability, costs 20 points. The GM is then free to set the cost for using it at anywhere from 1 to 20 points; at 20 points, the assumption is that the ability is simply removed from the character sheet, effectively paying for itself.

But in all cases, the ability costs 1/5 of its normal value. Because basically, "costs character points" isn't intended as a simple modifier or price break -- it's a campaign-level decision as to how it'll be handled.

[Agent]

I'd have to go with Peter's 'non-harsh' suggestion of 1/10, 1/15, 1/20, etc.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Warp (One Use Only x1/5) is also 20 points. Being able to buy it whenever you want is a campaign option possibly enabled by a perk. I'm not sure if 3 points is ever a fair price for it (since it's worth 20).

One use only and Costs CP should never be available on the same abilities. Their prices are in no way compatible.

If an ability can take Costs 1 CP, it shouldn't be able to take One Use Ônly.