[Powers] New Modifier for Morph: Improvised Forms ONLY (-??%)

[vicky_molokh]

Greetings, all!

In the last six months, three of our party's players created Morph characters with the following combo: Improvised Forms +100%, Cannot Memorize Forms -50%, Needs Sample (Eats whole) -50%. At some point me and another GM started a discussion of a new modifier for Morph, which would include Improvised Forms. Here's the write-up:

Improvised Forms Only. Your Morph does not grant you the ability to take on the forms (appearance, voice and/or Template) of other characters. You can never duplicate another Template, and thus may never gain Mental Traits through Morph (unless you have Cosmic, that is). However, you can Improvise Physical/Mundane and Physical/Exotic traits (including physical attribute modifiers) as per Improvised Forms. You may not buy Supernatural traits either, unless Cosmic. Traits marked Mental but capable of being made through a purely physical adaptation (e.g. Parasitic Possession) might be available at the GM's discretion. You still cannot change composition etc., as with normal Improvised Forms.

Limitation value == ?? (probably -10% to -20%).

Opinions?

Thanks in advance!

[Fnordianslip]

Having it as a -20% seems reasonable to me. I figure roughly half of the usefulness of Morph is in being able to specifically mimic people. So, that would pretty much be in line with other accessibility limitations.

[GnomesofZurich]

I would contend this does not represent a limitation per se, but is more in the range of +0% modifier from Morph (different, but not necessarily more or less powerful). After all, it is a +100% modifier on Morph, which equals 100 points.

This ability sounds an awful lot like Cosmic Modular Abilities (Physical abilities +50%, advantages only -10%, takes extra time 3 -30%), priced at about 11 points per point you can re-assign.

As a +0% modifier on Morph, Improvised Forms only would have a base cost of 100, plus you would set aside a number of points from which you can assign physical abilities. It becomes apparent quickly that this is much more point efficient than the Cosmic Modular Abilities outlined above, which also leads me to wonder whether this is even suitable as a +0% modifier.

Consider:
To have 10 points in Modular ablities, it will cost you 110 points, with the options outlined above.

To have a 10 point pool for your Improvised Forms will require a base cost of 100 plus 10 points for the pool, totaling to 110 points.

Looking at the situation for a 15 point pool, MA costs 165, the Improvised Forms costs 115 points. The difference quickly escalates from there. Plus, the Improvised Forms user has the option of taking on physical disadvantages temporarily to enlarge the available pool.

Based on this discrepancy in costs, I would say this new form of Morph should be used with caution, and is perhaps more suitable as an enhancement on Morph, albeit with a lower modifier than full on Improvised Forms, something on the order of +25%.

[vicky_molokh]

GnomesofZurich: Please not that the new modifier I 'invented' is inferior to the previous combo: Improvised Forms +100%, Cannot Memorize -50% and Needs Sample (Eat whole) -50% costs a total of +0%. Not being able to steal enemy forms seems more, not less limiting than needing to eat the target before each form-stealing. It also prevents one from adding Mental traits.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Molokh

Not being able to steal enemy forms seems more, not less limiting than needing to eat the target before each form-stealing.

I don't understand why you would think so. Being able to improvise templates on the spot without the need to copy someone else's seems at least as valuable as CMF+NS to me.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

I don't understand why you would think so. Being able to improvise templates on the spot without the need to copy someone else's seems at least as valuable as CMF+NS to me.

Okay, watch this:

Classical Combo (0%):
Cannot Memorize Forms -50%: Has to take sample whenever wanting to take someone's Template (including outward appearance).
Needs Sample (Eats Whole) -50%: Can only take a sample once, and only in a slow, messy way.
Improvised Forms +100%: But can add Physical traits to one's own (or another's stolen) Template at will.

Improvisation Only (-??%):
Can never steal another's Template, even by eating the target whole.
But can add Physical traits to one's own (but not another's stolen) Template at will.

So why is the latter not more limiting than the former?

[GnomesofZurich]

Ah, I misunderstood your intention. I thought you were simply making an Improvised Forms advantage. Having Cannot Memorize Forms and Needs Sample (Eat Whole) does represent a significant limitation. Your suggested value of -20% is probably appropriate in this case.

Why do some many people in your group want this particular advantage, out of curiosity? I must say needing to eat people whole to gain the advantages does sound rather time consuming and messy, and unless it really fit a particular campaign concept/restriction I probably would try to avoid that particular limitation.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Molokh

Needs Sample (Eats Whole) -50%: Can only take a sample once, and only in a slow, messy way.
Improvised Forms +100%: But can add Physical traits to one's own (or another's stolen) Template at will.

This looks like the problem. I believe the intent of Needs Sample is that you can't do anything without sampling what you're changing into.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich

Ah, I misunderstood your intention. I thought you were simply making an Improvised Forms advantage. Having Cannot Memorize Forms and Needs Sample (Eat Whole) does represent a significant limitation. Your suggested value of -20% is probably appropriate in this case.

Why do some many people in your group want this particular advantage, out of curiosity? I must say needing to eat people whole to gain the advantages does sound rather time consuming and messy, and unless it really fit a particular campaign concept/restriction I probably would try to avoid that particular limitation.

One actually ate two NPCs during a covert operation. Another decided that he just wants to Improvise, but might be willing to use the sample ability. In my case, it's a special blessing that allows my PC to add traits to her native form, but cannot (by concept, not by rules) sample forms. Since we do allow correcting PC designs if a better solution appears (e.g. after our party got MA), I'm planning to take IO once the value is agreed upon.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

This looks like the problem. I believe the intent of Needs Sample is that you can't do anything without sampling what you're changing into.

By that logic, you can't Improvise anything without seeing or touching a character with the trait you want.