Powers and the limits of Morph

[the_matrix_walker]

I had wondered on some of the threads I have seen before on using Morph to mimic powers, or as an alternate means of a Modular Ability so I looked into the books and reread the Powers entry and the Basic Set's.

I think that Improvised Forms needs a little clarification. It says "All traits added
must exist in your game world, unless you also have Cosmic (+50%)."

This seems to imply either that Improvised Forms removes the requirement of Morph to change into something you have seen or touched, or that the undefined Cosmic does. This also seems to remove the need for memorization.

So can a character with
Morph (Unlimited,+50%; Improvised Forms, +100%; Cosmic, +50%)
respend his "racial template pool" on any physical ability regardless of ever seeing it? by RAW? Am I reading this correctly?

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

I had wondered on some of the threads I have seen before on using Morph to mimic powers, or as an alternate means of a Modular Ability so I looked into the books and reread the Powers entry and the Basic Set's.

I think that Improvised Forms needs a little clarification. It says "All traits added
must exist in your game world, unless you also have Cosmic (+50%)."

This seems to imply either that Improvised Forms removes the requirement of Morph to change into something you have seen or touched, or that the undefined Cosmic does. This also seems to remove the need for memorization.

So can a character with
Morph (Unlimited,+50%; Improvised Forms, +100%; Cosmic, +50%)
respend his "racial template pool" on any physical ability regardless of ever seeing it? by RAW? Am I reading this correctly?

I think yes, that seems right. And not just regardless of ever seeing it, but regardless of anything in your campaign world actually even having it. Only the character's imagination, the size of the pool, and the GM's fiat limit what the character can do.

[starslayer]

Remember though- by default morph takes ten seconds to assume the new form. Also even if the trait/template does not exist in your gameworld the GM can still veto traits that CAN NOT exist (For example; if the GM decides that wild manna generator does not exist, you can't assume a template containing wild manna generator).

I have a character who has exactly this build and the rest of its points in a point pool; everything about it can change in ten seconds; but its disadvantages continue to follow it around (weaknesses to analysis, detection magic, other detection abilities, vulnerability to attacks that 'reveal' or 'expose truth').

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by starslayer

I have a character who has exactly this build and the rest of its points in a point pool; everything about it can change in ten seconds; but its disadvantages continue to follow it around (weaknesses to analysis, detection magic, other detection abilities, vulnerability to attacks that 'reveal' or 'expose truth').

You wouldn't allow "No [Disadvantage]" uses of the point pool? That seems reasonable, unless of course the character had a meta-trait that contained the disadvantage. On the other hand, would you ever allow use of the point pool to remove personal disadvantages, perhaps with an enhancement?

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by starslayer

Remember though- by default morph takes ten seconds to assume the new form. Also even if the trait/template does not exist in your gameworld the GM can still veto traits that CAN NOT exist (For example; if the GM decides that wild manna generator does not exist, you can't assume a template containing wild manna generator).

Wild Mana Generator should be unavailable, since it is mental and not physical however, Shouldn't it? I'm assuming it is since I can't find it at the moment, but Mana Enhancer and Damper are both Mental.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Wild Mana Generator should be unavailable, since it is mental and not physical however, Shouldn't it? I'm assuming it is since I can't find it at the moment, but Mana Enhancer and Damper are both Mental.

Depends on the special effect. orph could cover Mental, Supernatural, exotic or physical. Even Social advantages, though that would be rarer.

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Depends on the special effect. orph could cover Mental, Supernatural, exotic or physical. Even Social advantages, though that would be rarer.

The Improvised Forms enhancement indicates mixing and matching physical traits specifically (and in italics).

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

The Improvised Forms enhancement specifies mixing and matching physical traits specifically (and in italics).

Ah so it does.
Well Many mental traits and I can certainly see how Wild Mana Generator could be one of them might be determined to have a physical effect.

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Ah so it does.
Well Many mental traits and I can certainly see how Wild Mana Generator could be one of them might be determined to have a physical effect.

Just like you need Physical on Cosmic MA to do physical things and you can't just put "Based on IQ" to make it mental, it's not so easy to swap a Mental ability to Physical for this purpose I would think.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

I had wondered on some of the threads I have seen before on using Morph to mimic powers, or as an alternate means of a Modular Ability so I looked into the books and reread the Powers entry and the Basic Set's.

I think that Improvised Forms needs a little clarification. It says "All traits added
must exist in your game world, unless you also have Cosmic (+50%)."

This seems to imply either that Improvised Forms removes the requirement of Morph to change into something you have seen or touched, or that the undefined Cosmic does. This also seems to remove the need for memorization.

So can a character with
Morph (Unlimited,+50%; Improvised Forms, +100%; Cosmic, +50%)
respend his "racial template pool" on any physical ability regardless of ever seeing it? by RAW? Am I reading this correctly?

I think that's right. 300 points should give you a pretty useful ability. Was that the only clarification you needed, though?