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Old 05-06-2021, 02:30 PM   #1
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Metabolism Control

Metabolism Control [5/level] is an exotic physical advantage. You have conscious control over your metabolism (and must be biological, rather than a machine), which has several useful effects, including the ability to hibernate or estivate. This advantage was added in GURPS Aliens for 3e.

Each level of this advantage gives you +1 to any HT rolls that can benefit from control over your metabolism. Examples include bleeding rolls and rolls to recover from diseases and poisons, but not to initially resist them. The GM rules on unclear cases.

You can also enter a trance, during which you appear to be dead. Anyone who isn’t familiar with your species needs to win a contest of Diagnosis against your HT+Metabolism Control to realise you are still alive. In this state, you need 10% less oxygen (or appropriate gas for your species) per level of this advantage (and hence don’t breathe at all with 10 or more levels), and double the length or time you can go without food or drink. You have no awareness of your surroundings in this trance, but wake up automatically if injured. You can also set a mental alarm clock to wake you up after a specified period.

There’s a special limitation, Hibernator (-60%), which only gives the trance ability, and no HT bonus. You will automatically go into the trance when exposed to certain conditions, such as prolonged cold: work out the details with the GM. You can also go into it voluntarily. You need to make a Will‑4 roll to accomplish this, but you can re-roll every hour. You can set an alarm clock if you do this, but it is not precise, and a formula for variations is in the advantage description. If you want to avoid going into a trance when you would naturally, you can resist with a Will roll, but there’s no indication of how often you need to roll. Every day would seem plausible.

The Basic Set doesn’t give any of the hibernating animals it lists this disadvantage, although GURPS Anamalia does. Banestorm dragons have this advantage, at levels increasing with age, but DF ones, in a less rationalised world, lack it. Bio-Tech provides the Mastery, +40% enhancement, which makes the HT bonus apply to all HT rolls, while Furries uses the basic advantage for Frog Princes and Princesses. Horror has hibernating vampires, and Magic: Plant Spells shows us how to adopt a tree’s pace of life. This advantage helps resist choking in Technical Grappling, and Powers makes it a way to feign various physical conditions, including death.

I’ve never seen this advantage in use, as player or GM, but I think that’s a limitation of what I’ve played, rather than it being pointless. How has it played in your games?
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