Pricing of Attribute Swaps in Racial Template for Shapeshifting

[Nedorus]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

The template attributes are defined as changes ("+7 DX"), not absolute numbers (DX 16). So, if you don't want the cost to change, you can simply leave it as is. It would no longer be true that "your DX becomes equal to your IQ in astral form" for all characters. Whether or not that bugs you from the game-metaphysical point of view is up to you.

The alternative is just to require players to pay for the increased form cost along with their increased IQ. (So, 90% of the extra DX point, or 20+18 = 38 points to raise IQ and also upgrade their template to DX+n to DX+n+1.)

Changing cost of the template when updating IQ would basically "re-define" the cost of IQ for characters with this ability. I think I would rather shy away from that. Not bringing an IQ change over to the astral form would encourage players to invest much more into IQ at character creation time ... I usually don't like that (I also ask my players to roleplay any training towards attribute increases so it becomes clear from a story point of view where the change comes from... like solving Sudokus, reading science books (for IQ) or going to the gym often (for ST) etc.)

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Did you consider Accessibility (Powers p99)? It's the catch-all modifier for abilities you can't use most of the time. It's priced assuming those circumstances, or at least the choice to adventure in unfavorable conditions, are largely under the player/character's control, while this statement is a little more meta. ("Usable 10% of the time if the GM feels like it".) Though my impression of the Shado.... I mean, OtherFantasyCyberpunkGame ability was that it'd be useful for pretty much general scouting, in almost any situation where you'd want to see "what's over there", coming up about as often as, say, Stealth.

At any rate, Accessibility is one touchstone for a value for "can't actually use it much". RAW for 10% of the time is -35%, so you might just discount astral forms by that value. (So, 90% of the template cost leads to either 0.9*0.65=0.585 ~= 60% of the template cost, or if you want to think of the 90% value as a -10% Limitation, then -10% + -35% = -45%, so 55% of the template cost.

Maybe the 90%/10% remark was a bit off-handed... It's not like they can't use it. It's rather like you said "let's check what's over there"... reconnonsence style astral scouting... But that would mostly be roleplaying and maybe a perception test (which would be IQ-based anyway)... But major action, where other attributes play a significant role, is rather rare. Attacking enemy spirits etc... all rather not the norm. So Accessibility is maybe not a good fit here?


Something I'm considering is basing the ability on Clairvoyance instead of creating a full "astral body form". That would make gameplay much more simple but also take away some of the flavour from Shado... this-other-game ... (~_°)

I was thinking of making Matrix and Astral rules as similar as possible, so it would be Shapeshifting for both or for neither... need to think more about this...