Partial shapeshifting with modular abilities

thirqual · 07-10-2012, 05:51 PM

I am trying to design and price a power for a character : he can change some of his bodyparts to those of animals he is familiar with. I do not usually do things with this level of intricacy, so I would like some comments/remarks from the people hanging on these forums/fora.

The best fit, from what I read in the basic set and powers, would be some sort of Modular Ability (Cosmic, 10pt/pt) and the Physical Only (+50%) enhancement. Limitations would be body parts only (-20%, maybe more to reflect the limited pool), psionic (-10%, the source of her powers), maximum duration 10 minutes (-50%), repulsive (-15%, the player envisions bodyparts exchange as something horrific for the onlookers, think Akira or Spiral levels of horrific). She also wants a will roll to be necessary to activate it, nut I can't find the correct modifier right now.

Sunrunners_Fire · 07-10-2012, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirqual

I am trying to design and price a power for a character : he can change some of his bodyparts to those of animals he is familiar with. I do not usually do things with this level of intricacy, so I would like some comments/remarks from the people hanging on these forums/fora.

The best fit, from what I read in the basic set and powers, would be some sort of Modular Ability (Cosmic, 10pt/pt) and the Physical Only (+50%) enhancement. Limitations would be body parts only (-20%, maybe more to reflect the limited pool), psionic (-10%, the source of her powers), maximum duration 10 minutes (-50%), repulsive (-15%, the player envisions bodyparts exchange as something horrific for the onlookers, think Akira or Spiral levels of horrific). She also wants a will roll to be necessary to activate it, nut I can't find the correct modifier right now.

So ...

Modular Ability (Cosmic Power) (Physical Only, +50%; Maximum Duration (10 minutes), -50%; Nuisance Effect (-3 Reaction Penalty), -15%; Power Modifier, -10%; Requires Will Roll, -5%; Trait Limited (Broad Class of Advantages or Skills), -20%) [5 per point]? 10 * (1 + .5 - .5 - .15 - .1 - .05 - .2) = 5

Requires Will is on GURPS Powers, pg 112; listed as Requires (Attribute) Roll.

~~smurf~~ · 07-11-2012, 01:39 AM

Don't you have to pay for the actual abilities too?

Say tentacles = no digits etc and constriction attack.

Claws

Quadrapede = may confer movement bonus

wing = areal movement

flippers = swimming movement

Sounds like 'manimal'.

Gef · 07-11-2012, 02:21 AM

SF's write-up is on target, but it assumes the transformation takes only a turn.

Don't forget Temporary Disadvantages on the animal traits for the human traits you lose; frex Flight, Winged (-25%), also comes with No Fine Manipulators (-30% temp disad) when the character's fingers turn into feathers. This ability needs an 18pt module.

Gef

mehrkat · 07-11-2012, 11:46 AM

for ease of gameplay I recommend requiring the player to accept "by the seat of the pants" sort of blunt nontwiddled efffects or they must stat stuff pregame.

Example: He can buy flight (wings) but he can't buy flight winged, extra speed, fatigue cost, no fine manipulators to cheapen the cost. unless he stats his favorites ahead of time and shows them to you.

Otherwise you will spend half the game stating stuff.

thirqual · 07-12-2012, 09:34 AM

Thank you for your answers (and sorry for not coming back to the thread earlier). Glad to learn that I was not far of.

To answer to mehrkat, I certainly do not want the player to stat things during the game, and she has agreed that everything must either be stated before-hand or consist of a single advantage with no modification. I'm waiting for the other players to tell me what they have in mind for their characters, but they tend not to be very original in their choices (good for me, dealing with the system's customability with one player will be enough for now).

I'll post here the complete ability and the pre-stated abilities the player comes up with. The character grew up in a warm and humid climate - like Florida, in a culture with TL3+ (TL4 for canals and waterways), high-fantasy with normal-to-low mana setting.

PS : I GMed GURPS a couple of times already, with more run-of-the-mill characters. Coming from Rolemaster, the gameplay is certainly very different.

07-10-2012, 05:51 PM	#1
thirqual Join Date: Nov 2011	Partial shapeshifting with modular abilities I am trying to design and price a power for a character : he can change some of his bodyparts to those of animals he is familiar with. I do not usually do things with this level of intricacy, so I would like some comments/remarks from the people hanging on these forums/fora. The best fit, from what I read in the basic set and powers, would be some sort of Modular Ability (Cosmic, 10pt/pt) and the Physical Only (+50%) enhancement. Limitations would be body parts only (-20%, maybe more to reflect the limited pool), psionic (-10%, the source of her powers), maximum duration 10 minutes (-50%), repulsive (-15%, the player envisions bodyparts exchange as something horrific for the onlookers, think Akira or Spiral levels of horrific). She also wants a will roll to be necessary to activate it, nut I can't find the correct modifier right now.

07-11-2012, 01:39 AM	#3
~~smurf~~ Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bristol	Re: Partial shapeshifting with modular abilities Don't you have to pay for the actual abilities too? Say tentacles = no digits etc and constriction attack. Claws Quadrapede = may confer movement bonus wing = areal movement flippers = swimming movement Sounds like 'manimal'.

07-11-2012, 02:21 AM	#4
Gef Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Yucca Valley, CA	Re: Partial shapeshifting with modular abilities SF's write-up is on target, but it assumes the transformation takes only a turn. Don't forget Temporary Disadvantages on the animal traits for the human traits you lose; frex Flight, Winged (-25%), also comes with No Fine Manipulators (-30% temp disad) when the character's fingers turn into feathers. This ability needs an 18pt module. Gef

07-11-2012, 11:46 AM	#5
mehrkat Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Austin Texas	Re: Partial shapeshifting with modular abilities for ease of gameplay I recommend requiring the player to accept "by the seat of the pants" sort of blunt nontwiddled efffects or they must stat stuff pregame. Example: He can buy flight (wings) but he can't buy flight winged, extra speed, fatigue cost, no fine manipulators to cheapen the cost. unless he stats his favorites ahead of time and shows them to you. Otherwise you will spend half the game stating stuff. __________________ He stared out in the distance to see the awesome might of the Meerkat war party.

07-12-2012, 09:34 AM	#6
thirqual Join Date: Nov 2011	Re: Partial shapeshifting with modular abilities Thank you for your answers (and sorry for not coming back to the thread earlier). Glad to learn that I was not far of. To answer to mehrkat, I certainly do not want the player to stat things during the game, and she has agreed that everything must either be stated before-hand or consist of a single advantage with no modification. I'm waiting for the other players to tell me what they have in mind for their characters, but they tend not to be very original in their choices (good for me, dealing with the system's customability with one player will be enough for now). I'll post here the complete ability and the pre-stated abilities the player comes up with. The character grew up in a warm and humid climate - like Florida, in a culture with TL3+ (TL4 for canals and waterways), high-fantasy with normal-to-low mana setting. PS : I GMed GURPS a couple of times already, with more run-of-the-mill characters. Coming from Rolemaster, the gameplay is certainly very different.