Gadget VPP question

[Crimson King]

My campaign power limit is 65 active points. A character in the group is a basic gadgeteer - with a Variable Power Pool. How do YOU handle it?

A) He can have a pool that's 100 points large if he wants to - but each individual power must be no greater than 65 active points.

B) His pool is only 65 active points - he can build a single gadget with that, or a bunch of small ones that add up to that.

C) Other

I understand the usual 'it's your campaign' argument - I'm looking for more of a what's right by the book type of answer.

Also - for a Gadget VPP - do you put the focus limitation on the control cost - or on the individual items? Make more sense to put it on the items, so that you can have more bang for your buck.

Thanks, guys.

[BobGreenwade]

The correct, by-the-book answer to your first question is, "Yes." Neither of your two proposed solutions is incorrect, though you could put a Limitation on part of the Control Cost to reflect the Active Point limit (say, -1/2 on the Control Cost above the 32 points you'd need for the 65 AP limit).

For the second question, the Focus Limitation goes on both the Control Cost and the individual gadgets. The same is done for any Limitation required for any Power bought through the VPP.

[JmOz]

Both are right by the book, in my game I would allow the character to take a larger VPP but cap the Active Limit

[Monolith]

As Bob and JmOz have stated, the answer can be either A or B. The active point limit of the game really has nothing to do with the total points of a character as far as powers though. For example, a character in a 65 AP game can still have an Elemental Control with 4 slots that each have 65 point powers. This is the same with a VPP. The character might have a 130 point VPP, but still only have two 65 point powers within it at one time.

As far as the Focus Limitation, it depends on the SFX. If you put it on the Control Cost of the VPP then every power built in the pool must have that minimum Focus Limitation. If you only put it on the slots, then some powers could be focused and some could be innate. For a gadget-type character I would put the Focus on the Control Cost. For a mage-type character I might only decide to put the Focus Limitation on some of the slots to show that some of his magic needs items, and other types of his magic do not.

[Fur Face]

Hey Crimson King,

Everyone is correct about the uses of a VPP, but there is one possible problem with taking a focus limitation on the control cost: If you lose your focus, you loose all of the VPP pool points that go with it until you get it back. So, if you loose a 2d6 RKA with a focus (30 real points), then your 65 point pool is now only 35 points until you get it back. Of course, your player could not take the limitation on the VPP pool, but you could still require him to take a focus of some sort if he uses the power, and simply say the effects are that they must be gagets because its a gadget pool, and he takes a (-1/2) limited effects as a "Gadget Pool" and "Only change powers at base". That way the player can also take any focus from an IIF (for a bug) to an OAF (gun).

Of course, if someone is going to get a cost break by purchasing items with a focus, then one should expect to loose the focus once in a while, otherwise its not a limitation. If the player wants to define the effects as a 2d6 RKA pistol, but never wants to loose it, then he shouldn't take the focus limitation (excluding things like Surpress, Drain, Dispel & such).

Come to think of it, not buying a focus limitation would be a great way to get around the old "how do I summon a pistol to my hand from my secret armory" thing. Instead of buying a firearm, then figure out a complicated way to summon it from your armory, just don't use a focus. Hmmm.

Just my 2 cents. Implore or ignore at your discretion! :D

[Catacomb]

If you have a 65 point limit then keep it at 65 points...don't let him enhance himself offensively and defensively with a VPP in order to skirt your point cap. Just my opinion.

[Mancer]

I won't get into the right way or wrong way issue since everyone has answered that one already. However, as far as the Focus lim goes, you may want to apply the focus lim to the slots only, since this will allow non-focused slots. But, if every power in the pool will have some kind of focus lim on it (which is likely considered its a gadget pool), you may want to allow your player to put a "Must have at least ** focus on it" for the appropriate pts (e.g., slot must have no less than -1/2 focus limitation -1/4 or -1/2 [i'd give the whole -1/2 for that myself]. Anyway, I'm sure you get the gist.

MANCER

[Killer Shrike]

Steve has suggested allowing a Talent or similar to increase the real cost limit of a VPP without increasing the active point limit

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2924

As far as taking the Focus lim on the Control Cost, if the character does then loosing a FOCI will lockout the REAL COST (not the Active Cost) of that item from the VPP until the item is recovered. If you dont take the FOCI on the control cost then if the FOCI is destroyed or falls into the hands of your enemies the RC is not locked out. A minor difference but one you want to consider. This is covered under VPP in FRED. Alternately, the character could just take the 'limited powers available' lim on the Control Cost for -1/4, with the limited powers being 'gadgets', which might include Foci-based powers, perhaps Restrainable, perhaps OIHID, perhaps Charges, perhaps a combination thereof.

[white peregrine]

along similar lines...

how would you set up the control costs for a character that can pick up and use any weapon?

I figure that a vvp would be the way to go but am a little unsure how it would work as I have never messed around with vvp's before...