Reduced Time on Unaging w Age Control?

[The Benj]

I just think of Age Control as the No Signature of Unaging.

[Otaku]

I debated starting a new thread, but this one does seem to be about the exact topic (how to best speed up Age Control), so I'll ask how it is going and see if any RAW examples have occurred since. I've actually got a race for a backburner project with Unaging (among other things), and that they can vary their appearance by artificially aging (or de-aging). I don't really like the base rate of the trait, where you age/de-age at 10x the amount of actual time elapsed.

After reading these, I'm now thinking about making this not just a trait they all have, or that some have, but that some come by naturally and most (all?) can learn with enough training and practice. I don't want to turn it into a "Skill", though, just make it one of the Advantages you could acquire via Improvement Through Study. I'm torn between assigning various different values to Cosmic, applying multiple levels of Reduced Time, or separating Age Control from Unaging as either its own trait or basing it on another trait like Elastic Skin or Morph. So... I guess I'm asking if anyone wants to weigh in?

Note: Forgot this thread was over five years old; apologies to the Mods if I broke any board rules. Been a while since I read them. ^^'

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Otaku

After reading these, I'm now thinking about making this not just a trait they all have, or that some have, but that some come by naturally and most (all?) can learn with enough training and practice. I don't want to turn it into a "Skill", though, just make it one of the Advantages you could acquire via Improvement Through Study. I'm torn between assigning various different values to Cosmic, applying multiple levels of Reduced Time, or separating Age Control from Unaging as either its own trait or basing it on another trait like Elastic Skin or Morph. So... I guess I'm asking if anyone wants to weigh in?

I have used Reduced Time on Unaging with Age Control. Its ok but compare Unaging with Elastic Skin. Age Control really has little practical use, except for changing appearance. So the additional benefit should probably come in around or a little under adding Elastic Skin.
As for skills, how about an IQ or HT roll with a technique?
Or use Disguise or Body Control if you want it to be more of a skill, both those have other applications and seem to fit.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Refplace

I have used Reduced Time on Unaging with Age Control. Its ok but compare Unaging with Elastic Skin. Age Control really has little practical use, except for changing appearance. So the additional benefit should probably come in around or a little under adding Elastic Skin.
As for skills, how about an IQ or HT roll with a technique?
Or use Disguise or Body Control if you want it to be more of a skill, both those have other applications and seem to fit.

You can use reverse aging to reduce your size quite a bit so there's that.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Refplace

I have used Reduced Time on Unaging with Age Control. Its ok but compare Unaging with Elastic Skin. Age Control really has little practical use, except for changing appearance. So the additional benefit should probably come in around or a little under adding Elastic Skin.
As for skills, how about an IQ or HT roll with a technique?
Or use Disguise or Body Control if you want it to be more of a skill, both those have other applications and seem to fit.

Thanks, Refplace. I should probably work out CP costs for each and maybe create a new "Age Control" Advantage as well. If I can keep them similar in function and CP costs, then if I pick the wrong one, it shouldn't be too hard to go back and switch to another, until I find the best fit.

Plus it might be nice to add to the Basic Advantage of the Week Thread for Unaging.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

You can use reverse aging to reduce your size quite a bit so there's that.

Yeah, and why I am wondering if I should start a new thread for discussion; the details in Basic on what Age Control does are kinda sparse. Unaging itself says not to worry about Aging Rolls, so I think it is safe to assume you don't have to worry about decline due to Age Control being used to age up... but what about aging back down?

If the other age-related mechanics aren't followed, can you become 5-year-old with their "adult" Attribute scores? Or do you take a risk by becoming a 5-year-old in that you're not only stuck with a 5-year-old's ST, DX, and HT but also their IQ?

So yeah, anyone feel free to share their thoughts on either the above questions, including whether I should just start a separate "Age Control" thread for discussion?

Thanks!

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Otaku

I debated starting a new thread, but this one does seem to be about the exact topic (how to best speed up Age Control), so I'll ask how it is going and see if any RAW examples have occurred since. I've actually got a race for a backburner project with Unaging (among other things), and that they can vary their appearance by artificially aging (or de-aging). I don't really like the base rate of the trait, where you age/de-age at 10x the amount of actual time elapsed.

In my own backburner setting, Harpyias, there are some rare individuals who have unlocked their psionic potential and who similarly have Unaging, but can opt to artificially age their appearance. However, they can also alter their appearance to a limited degree (they'll pretty much always look like a member of the same family), which would be a very limited form of Morph - probably at somewhere around -80% (it's a more extreme version of Retains Shape - they can't even turn into a different species of humanoid, or even another human with a radically-different appearance, while normally Retains Shape would allow for both - combined with Mass Conservation). Of course, that's a lot more expensive than the [3] of tossing on Age Control, but it accomplishes the switch in only 10 seconds (by RAW, anyway, I'd probably require longer for the psions; as I have no intentions of player characters being able to be such, however, it's not a big deal to work out the exact build), regardless of how much aging takes place. Arguably, Elastic Skin would be a closer fit (this doesn't give new abilities, just a change in appearance, including apparent age), but that is pretty much by definition only a temporary cosmetic change, while this is a real, permanent change (although I haven't decided yet if the characters alter their DNA in the process or not; I also haven't decided if they can change physical sex, or if the result would be more like an advanced form of sex reassignment surgery, although one being the case would make me more inclined to allow for the other).

Something like the above might work better for your purposes, if you're looking for something where there's just a set amount of time needed to change appearance rather than needing more time for more of a shift (which is what I'm assuming you're looking for here). Don't even bother with Age Control +20%, just give the character an appropriately-limited form of Elastic Skin or Morph.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Otaku

Thanks, Refplace. I should probably work out CP costs for each and maybe create a new "Age Control" Advantage as well. If I can keep them similar in function and CP costs, then if I pick the wrong one, it shouldn't be too hard to go back and switch to another, until I find the best fit.

Plus it might be nice to add to the Basic Advantage of the Week Thread for Unaging.



Yeah, and why I am wondering if I should start a new thread for discussion; the details in Basic on what Age Control does are kinda sparse. Unaging itself says not to worry about Aging Rolls, so I think it is safe to assume you don't have to worry about decline due to Age Control being used to age up... but what about aging back down?

If the other age-related mechanics aren't followed, can you become 5-year-old with their "adult" Attribute scores? Or do you take a risk by becoming a 5-year-old in that you're not only stuck with a 5-year-old's ST, DX, and HT but also their IQ?
!

My ruling would be that the only stat that changes is ST and only if you age yourself into a smaller size

[Eric Funk]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

I'm helping someone build a character that doesn't age & has pretty much complete & instant control of their age.

Reading the other posters I will side with the Morph team. Mark it down with limitations (such as no encumbrance) and add Perks as required as Honest Face or Foregettable Face (perks p. 4) . How many different "Age classes" will the character have?

As mentioned unless character costs change (due to size, say young or withered and old), they are 0-point templates.


Now thinking about modern or scifi, is it important if any one of these "Age classes" matches their driver's license, social security date of birth/age, etc? If so, would a "Child" or nonagenarian "Jim Smith" be Zeroed? Would they have any Social Stigma/Social Regard (B86)?

(e.g., if picked up by police/security guards, what will happen? "sonny, you have your dad(/grandson)'s wallet" )