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Old 04-06-2011, 10:53 AM   #1
JCurwen3
 
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Default Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

I'd like to be able to build a character that can never control his changes. - he's not even in control of the Alternate Form after he changes. He also has no powers and receives no benefits from having this cursed lycanthropy when he's human. When he's in his Alternate animal Form, he's just a plain old ordinary wolf, with no special abilities besides those that mundane wolves possess, and additionally the wolf will act in an overall highly disadvantageous manner - it will act with Bloodlust, Sadist, and Berserk, for instance, potentially only attacking friends and innocents, and otherwise attacking in self-defense.

The net value of all of this will be a positive point cost, as far as I can see. Maybe some pretty nasty social disadvantages or a Secret could be attached to bring the point cost to negative. But it just feels wrong to me that the base Alternate Form, with the racial template having a net negative cost, with Unconscious Only (-20%) and Uncontrollable (-30% since you could attack your friends), will still be worth 8 points. It feels instead like a disadvantage.

I know it's not RAW, but wouldn't Split Personality work better? You'd need to allow for the Split Personality to involve physical traits as well, and if you wanted it with no self-control number you could apply the 2.5 multiplier to it as suggested on p. P106 under Temporary Disadvantage.

Am I missing some "benefit" that the above highly disadvantageous Alternate Form would give that means it should still cost points?
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Old 04-06-2011, 11:02 AM   #2
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

It's harder to identify you after your alternate form commits horrible crimes than it would be if you just had an evil split personality.
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Old 04-06-2011, 11:42 AM   #3
JCurwen3
 
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Default Re: Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

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Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
It's harder to identify you after your alternate form commits horrible crimes than it would be if you just had an evil split personality.
True, but that just means it should be a disadvantage worth less (lower absolute value) than -15 points, not that it's still not a disadvantage. Especially if your change can come at any time during stress, in which case people might see you change, and quickly put the pieces together that you're responsible for the recent "animal attacks" (and even if they don't, many people don't like shapechanging "monsters", especially when those creatures attack them first chance they get).
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Old 04-06-2011, 11:50 AM   #4
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

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Originally Posted by JCurwen3 View Post
True, but that just means it should be a disadvantage worth less (lower absolute value) than -15 points, not that it's still not a disadvantage. Especially if your change can come at any time during stress, in which case people might see you change, and quickly put the pieces together that you're responsible for the recent "animal attacks" (and even if they don't, many people don't like shapechanging "monsters", especially when those creatures attack them first chance they get).
If your change can come during any stressful moment, then you won't be lasting for very long as a PC anyway, so what does your point total matter?
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Old 04-06-2011, 11:59 AM   #5
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Default Re: Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

If it's uncontrollable then you aren't really a PC. If you're an NPC then it being uncontrollable isn't much of a drawback.
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Old 04-06-2011, 12:00 PM   #6
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Default Re: Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

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If your change can come during any stressful moment, then you won't be lasting for very long as a PC anyway, so what does your point total matter?
Same argument applies for Terminally Ill and yet there it is in the books.

There is a disadvantageous Alternate Form ... somewhere. I'm not finding it right now.
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Old 04-06-2011, 12:00 PM   #7
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Default Re: Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

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If it's uncontrollable then you aren't really a PC. If you're an NPC then it being uncontrollable isn't much of a drawback.
That doesn't follow: why wouldn't you be a PC just because you have something uncontrollable?
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Old 04-06-2011, 12:02 PM   #8
David Johnston2
 
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Same argument applies for Terminally Ill and yet there it is in the books.
A year or two is enough for a complete campaign arc or two. You could even do one in a month of nonstop action. "I will turn into a monster and be killed at any moment" Lad will be doing well to last a few days.
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Old 04-06-2011, 12:05 PM   #9
Not another shrubbery
 
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Default Re: Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
There is a disadvantageous Alternate Form ... somewhere. I'm not finding it right now.
It's in the Designer's Notes for Powers, here.
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Old 04-06-2011, 12:58 PM   #10
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Default Re: Creating a Cursed Were-Creature?

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A year or two is enough for a complete campaign arc or two. You could even do one in a month of nonstop action. "I will turn into a monster and be killed at any moment" Lad will be doing well to last a few days.
Are you saying that Oz from BTVS wouldn't be a valid PC?

I beg to differ. "I have to be locked up on the nights of the full moon when I'm a dangerous beast" is a valid and interesting disadvantage that in no way makes the character unplayable. Nor does it make sense to charge points for a transformation that's meant to be a drawback.

I think (if I remember the playtest correctly) this question may be addressed in Horror. Until then, the designer notes posted in the last post seem like a workable way to approach it. I think I'll adopt them as house rules.
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