Multiform Confusion

[Tywyll]

Ok, I am confused about the bit on Multiform that states forms are built on the same base points as the True Form. If a form must take disads to make up the cost, what is the point of buying a Multipower form that is stronger than yourself? For instance, in the power example sidebar, the Draconic amulet creates a 500 pt dragon form. Does that mean that the Dragon in a 100 pt Heroic game would actually be 100+400 points of Disads? And if that is the case, why have Multipower cost 1 per 5 anyway? Wouldn't that actually mean the bigger the form is, the less points you get per 1 you put in the power?

I'm building a character for a Champions game and at first I spent 100 points on multipower to get a "Hulk-like" form my weak archaeologist could transform into. But now I am beginning to think that there is no point because I'd actually only be getting 2 per 1 instead of the 5 per 1.

[Max Faraday]

The way that I have always approached multiforms is to have the most powerful form be the base form and buy Multiform for the weaker forms. As an example, my build of the Hulk would have 5 or 10 points in Multiform for Bruce Banner (Skill or Competent Normal, respectively, assuming max disads).

[Hawksmoor]

The way that I have always approached multiforms is to have the most powerful form be the base form and buy Multiform for the weaker forms. As an example, my build of the Hulk would have 5 or 10 points in Multiform for Bruce Banner (Skill or Competent Normal, respectively, assuming max disads).

This is one way to do it. Another entirely legal way is OIHID.

Just remember just because your weaker form is well weak do not short change the amount of points you can pump into skills and perks. Make your wimp a character you are proud to spend 50% of the game in and only trot out the beast when somebody needs a smackdown!

Hawksmoor
-Can you smell what the Hawk is cookin'?

[Tywyll]

Well, I actually spent a good deal of time building a 100+ point Normal Archaeologist/scholar character with contacts and wealth and other fun stuff (just no combat abilities). Then I spent the lion share of his points on Multiform.

Only now I am confused as to what Multiform actually buys. If I spend 100 points on it, and that creates a "500 point form", what is that form actually? 200+300 pts of Disads? Can't I just spend 40 points on the Multiform and then take different Disads for it anyway? Or can I not do that? I wish there were examples of it, but I can't find any in any of the books I have, champions or FH.

[Sean Waters]

Multiform isn't free points, and my understanding is that you use the same base points and the rest of the points have to be made up with disadvantages - otherwise you could just double or triple your character points with no penalty. This makes a powerful multiform expensive. I'm not sure it is the best way to build a 'Hulk' type character, but on the other hand, Hulk has plenty of pretty obvious disadvantages, so maybe it is.

[Tywyll]

But Multiform buys different things at different points, right?

I understand limiting it so that someone can't take a 200 pt character and turn it into a 1000 pt character. That makes sense. But we have the example in the book of turning into a dinosaur or a dragon, but no guidelines (as far as I can tell) on what goes into making those shapes.

You can spend 40 pts to buy a 200 pt form equivalent to your own but with different build. Can you apply Disads to this for extra points (on that form)? Do your own Disads automatically apply unless you decide otherwise?

Or, if you apply 100 pts worth of Disads (perhaps including your own) does this now become a 60 pt power?

I have a hard time imagining the Dragon having 300 pts worth of Disads.

[OddHat]

The "free" points you get from Multiform are entirely the GMs call, because it is such an easy power to abuse while at the same time being very much part of many genres.

By the book, if the campaign is a 350 point game, you can spend 70 points and end up with two characters, one at 280 points + 70 for multiform, the other at 350. Both will be built at 200 + 150 in disads. This is very powerful; you can put all your skills in form A and your powers in Form B, making you far tougher than your team mates. Every 5 points lets you double the nmber of forms you have; you could get every possible combination of powers if your GM allowed it. Your GM can also, if he decides to do so, allow you to spend more on Multiform to take the shape of characters with a higher point total than the normal campaign max (for example, a character in Fantasy Hero built on 150 points with 75 max in disads could Multiform into a 200 point Elephant). The GM can require you to take disads for the extra points, or not, as he chooses, depending on what he sees as balanced in the campaign and the genre.

Personally, I almost never allow Multiform, except to standard animals from the HSB. I think it's incredibly easy to abuse, even if the player isn't trying to be a munchkin.

[Rapier]

Remember too, XP is a 'disad.'

Multiform is also a Magnifying Glass power (IIRC) which means 'HEY GM LOOKIT ME!' It's a given that multiform is one of those juicy powers that can throw everything else out the door, as you've noticed.

I've got a multiform character that has her normal form 100 + 100 (+ 17 XP at this point) with 1 extra form that is 100 + 100 + 42 XP (its actually listed as Multiform Bonus). The additional form she wanted was a little more expensive than normal so we bumped it up a little bit.

[D?M]

The "free" points you get from Multiform are entirely the GMs call, because it is such an easy power to abuse while at the same time being very much part of many genres.

By the book, if the campaign is a 350 point game, you can spend 70 points and end up with two characters, one at 280 points + 70 for multiform, the other at 350. Both will be built at 200 + 150 in disads. This is very powerful; you can put all your skills in form A and your powers in Form B, making you far tougher than your team mates. Every 5 points lets you double the nmber of forms you have; you could get every possible combination of powers if your GM allowed it. Your GM can also, if he decides to do so, allow you to spend more on Multiform to take the shape of characters with a higher point total than the normal campaign max (for example, a character in Fantasy Hero built on 150 points with 75 max in disads could Multiform into a 200 point Elephant). The GM can require you to take disads for the extra points, or not, as he chooses, depending on what he sees as balanced in the campaign and the genre.

Personally, I almost never allow Multiform, except to standard animals from the HSB. I think it's incredibly easy to abuse, even if the player isn't trying to be a munchkin.

OddHat makes a good point.
My GM allowed characters to be standard 350 pts but at 250 + 100 disadvantages.

Created a character with a Multiform, the other form at 300 instead of 350, paid 60 points for it, added absorption and aid that fed into the Multiform.
The GM asked if I was doing the 5 pt to main form and 1 point to Multiform scheme, I said YES, he smiled, said the character would have a very powerful alternate form in a short time (xp + aid + absorption) and said NO.
He thought it was pretty ingenious but broken.