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Old 02-15-2020, 01:53 PM   #11
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: Flexibility and cost of Wildcard Powers vs. Modular Abilities?

Honestly, Temporary Enhancements and Using Abilities at Default are probably better choices. For example, you could purchase ST (Cosmic, +50%; Reduced FP Cost, 1 FP, +20%; Reliable, +10, +50%; Super-ST, +300%) [52/level]. While Reliable would not add to ST rolls, it would function as a Talent for the purposes of avoiding damage, Extra Effort, Temporary Enhancements, and Using Abilities at a Default. At level 10+, it would become a potent pool for Using Abilities at a Default, similar to what we see in My Hero Academia. Deku possesses it with Backlash, Costs HP, and Uncontrollable, at least initially, which is why his life is full of pain, though it probably saves him 104 CP.
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Old 02-15-2020, 04:07 PM   #12
Raekai
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Default Re: Flexibility and cost of Wildcard Powers vs. Modular Abilities?

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Originally Posted by Varyon View Post
While there are some abilities that lend themselves better to being used to justify more additional abilities, Supers logic (which is what you'll likely be using with Wildcard Powers) mean you can justify almost anything with something else. Don't forget Superman using Flight to travel through time, Antman using Shrinking for the same (and even using it for its polar opposite, Growth), etc. Super Strength! (or even just a high-damage melee crushing Innate Attack) might look narrow, until you use it to strike someone from a distance with waves of air as Innate Attack, bounce around the battlefield with Flight (Requires Surface), damage a Diffuse target with an "air explosion" from clapping your hands together, or alter air currents enough to control the weather with a mere punch. Note all of those are used by All Might and/or Deku in My Hero Academia, despite their only power at the time basically being super strength. It's impossible to predict ahead of time what all a player might come up with to justify their ability allowing them to do, particularly as Wildcard Powers encourage you to play fast-and-loose with that sort of thing, so it's hard to say how much breadth is in play and thus what price is appropriate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
Honestly, Temporary Enhancements and Using Abilities at Default are probably better choices. For example, you could purchase ST (Cosmic, +50%; Reduced FP Cost, 1 FP, +20%; Reliable, +10, +50%; Super-ST, +300%) [52/level]. While Reliable would not add to ST rolls, it would function as a Talent for the purposes of avoiding damage, Extra Effort, Temporary Enhancements, and Using Abilities at a Default. At level 10+, it would become a potent pool for Using Abilities at a Default, similar to what we see in My Hero Academia. Deku possesses it with Backlash, Costs HP, and Uncontrollable, at least initially, which is why his life is full of pain, though it probably saves him 104 CP.
Deku is a really great example! Saitama from One-Punch Man would also work well. Buying high levels of ST might not let you blow a hole through a mountain, but ST! might. Likewise, when I was explaining this to my partner, the Superman example also came up. Those are all really excellent points, and I am always excited to talk about deconstructionist superhero anime!

Still, because I like the flexibility but want to have a better price for utility outside of the Supers genre, I might tinker with the Wildcard Power multiplier or assign an Unusual Background or something, then I'll see how it goes.
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Old 02-15-2020, 04:30 PM   #13
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: Flexibility and cost of Wildcard Powers vs. Modular Abilities?

For Saitama, if I tried to build him in GURPS*, I'd give him a Metatrait and make it into a Wildcard Power. The Metatrait would consist of a crushing Innate Attack with ridiculous damage and a large pile of DR and IT:DR (Cosmic: Round Down). As a Wildcard, it's name would naturally be "One Punch!" (ideally, stated like the first line of the anime intro). Pretty much all of his demonstrated abilities - Tunneling, Ranged Innate Attacks that level mountains, Enhanced Time Sense + Altered Time Rate, etc - would simply be aspects of that.

One thing to keep in mind - turning something into a Wildcard Power has the same cost as giving the character 11 abilities, related and equal in points to the base, and setting them all as Alternate Abilities to each other.

*I wouldn't, honestly, just as I wouldn't try to actually make Superman. The greatest, most admirable hero of One Punch Man might be interesting to stat up, however.
I speak, of course, of Mumen Rider.
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