Energy Reserve (Biological) ... valid?

[Phantasm]

I've been working on a character for my Reboot project (sorry, not going to say which one... yet) who has a number of abilities with the Biological (-10%) power modifier from Powers. For reference, Biological contains a clause of "Costs 1 FP per use (-5%)" as part of the power modifier.

Now, it's also accepted that Energy Reserve can substitute for FP in such cases when it comes to magical energy (spellcasting in any form) and powering psionics that call for energy use to use.

My main question, though, is can I use Energy Reserve (Biological) to sub for FP for such things as Striking ST +8 (Kicks Only, -60%; Biological, -10%) to keep the character from wearing out as quickly during a fight (from loss of FP)? Would there be any real difference conceptually between ER (Biological) and FP?

[Dragondog]

The difference are twofold.

1. ER (Biological) could only be used to fuel Biological powers, while the same amount of FP could be used for that or anything else that uses FP, such as combat, movement, holding your breath, not sleeping, fueling other powers.

2. ER and FP are restored in different ways.

So considering how the character uses and restores his "fuel source" could likely help you with that decision. I wouldn't have a problem with using ER (Biological).

[Kelly Pedersen]

I'd definitely allow an Energy Reserve (Biological). To make it make sense, you probably have to handwave some justification as to why the various abilities are using some kind of special resource, one that can be supplied by FP, but that ER points can also satisfy, but which normal exertion doesn't use.

Alternatively, I'm fairly sure I have seen a modifier or something that allowed an Energy Reserve to apply to physical fatigue expenditures as well. I can't find a page reference right now, though. I'd probably allow, for +50% Cosmic, to have Energy Reserve (Biological) to apply to "instant" physical exertions (i.e., Extra Effort), justifying the whole thing as a sort of "biological energy drink reserve" that could boost muscles and such for a moment or two, but not compensate for things like fatigue toxins building up (hence why it couldn't cope with FP costs for long-term exertions like running or carrying heavy loads). For +100%, I'd allow the Energy Reserve to apply to all physical FP costs.

[Celti]

Honestly, I'd justify ER (Biological) not as something separate from FP, but as conditioning — he has used these powers so often that it simply takes him longer to get tired from them; the “muscles” that power them are more fit than those involved in running and other mundane physical activity. Yes, this makes more sense statted up as a lower FP cost on those abilities — but you can't have fractional FP. For verisimilitude, consider tying something like "Nuisance Effect, loses 1 FP per 10 ER" on there.

[Anders]

IIRC, having a Fatigue reserve tied to a specific power source (meaning it can only be used for abilities from that source) is a -30% limitation.

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Anders

IIRC, having a Fatigue reserve tied to a specific power source (meaning it can only be used for abilities from that source) is a -30% limitation.

No, that's not the case. Energy Reserves are source-specific by default, not with modifiers. You always have Energy Reserve (Psionic), Energy Reserve (Magic), etc. See Powers, p. 119.

You may be thinking of "One Power", which is a -50% limitation you can take if you have more than one power of a given source, which limits your Energy Reserve to only one of the powers. So if you had Fire Power and Teleportation Power, both with the Super source, you could take Energy Reserve (Super, Fire Power Only, -50%), and have the extra energy only available for your Fire abilities, not your Teleportation ones.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

No, that's not the case. Energy Reserves are source-specific by default, not with modifiers. You always have Energy Reserve (Psionic), Energy Reserve (Magic), etc. See Powers, p. 119.

He's not talking about Energy Reserve. He's talking about actual-factual Fatigue - the limitations/enhancements that were the ventual foundation of Energy Reserve come from GURPS Magic, where the idea of Fatigue that you can only spend (voluntarily) on one thing, but that you can loose in all the ways one looses FP appears.

So, this FP would be lost to starvation, hunger, heat/cold, fatigue attacks, and couldn't be spent on regular Extra Effort - only on (in the example) Magic.

I find it an awkward construct in play and prefer the separate pool for Energy Reserve.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

No, that's not the case. Energy Reserves are source-specific by default, not with modifiers. You always have Energy Reserve (Psionic), Energy Reserve (Magic), etc. See Powers, p. 119.

Though if you have Cost Fatigue on your power, making it "ER only" increased the limitation by -5% [aka you cant use your normal fatigue to power it]

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Though if you have Cost Fatigue on your power, making it "ER only" increased the limitation by -5% [aka you cant use your normal fatigue to power it]

And if you can use ER or FP?

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

And if you can use ER or FP?

That's the default.