04-01-2017, 04:55 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Northwest Iowa
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GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
I'm at a loss on how to build a character concept given to me by one of my players. He wants random, mutually exclusive powers to manifest for a few hours each. So, for a few hours he could walk on water, after which he could be super strong but no longer walk on water. A few hours after that, he may have no power at all, but smell like cookies.
I'm trying to contort "Alternative Attack" into accommodating his concept, but maybe (I hope) there is a better way? Thank you in advance for any helpful advice.
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04-01-2017, 05:37 PM | #2 |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
In powers there is something called "alternative abilities", which expands alternative attacks to apply to abilities. There are some differences between the two though.
Another option is alternate form. Each power set becomes a different alternate form, priced at 15 points (except for the first one). Other than the alternate forms, he only pays for the most expensive set. Then stick on unconscious only and uncontrollable. The text for those references stress, but time is probably similar enough: he doesn't have the ability to NOT exhibit the form, and he also doesn't have the power to exhibit any specific form if he wants to. Note you only place those limitations on the 15 points of alternate form, not on the core abilities.
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04-01-2017, 05:38 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
What is your difficulty with Alternative Abilities?
I would put some kind of Nuisance limitation with Uncontrollable as a starting point for the value. You could also do this with set of Alternate Forms which may very well be cheaper. I would if using that give the player a heads up on the form he is changing into which could warn them of what powers they are changing into.
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries |
04-01-2017, 05:47 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
You might also be able to start from Modular Abilities and Unconscious Only (which amounts to the GM plays your power and not you), if he really wants random powers and not a known set. Somebody would still need to make up a list of stuff that would fit in the module though for the GM to pick from, possibly randomly, at intervals.
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04-01-2017, 09:26 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Northwest Iowa
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
Part of the charm of this character is that the nature of the power is unknown to the *player*. At the player's request, I'm hiding all the the powers from him. Furthermore, his only guideline for powers was that they not change his appearance in any way, so there *will* be times when he has no clue what is currently-on power is, if any.
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04-01-2017, 10:16 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Northwest Iowa
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
Thank you everyone for your input. I didn't know about "Alternate Abilities". I think that aught to do the trick.
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04-01-2017, 10:32 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Northwest Iowa
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
Hmm, what about Skills? Can he suddenly know Kung Fu for a few hours?
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04-01-2017, 10:37 PM | #8 |
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lynn, MA
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
If you use modular abilities, skills can certainly be in the mix.
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04-01-2017, 10:47 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
Quote:
the normal limitation is for "racial" templates which may include some skills (Tracking, Brawling, Climbing, etc) but for a Supers game anything goes. The AF method would not require the player know what ability he was gaining, that was just a suggestion to help him out. MA is good for a lot of cheap ability sets. AF is only better if you have at least one expensive power set and significantly better if you have more than one.
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries |
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04-01-2017, 10:55 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Northwest Iowa
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Re: GURPS Supers: Alternative Attacks
Excellent. Thank you all.
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Tags |
alternative attack, modular abilities, modular abilities. |
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