marediv Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 I am trying to work on making a character for a game I will be playing soon. I am not sure if this has been addressed before, but which way would be easier to make a beast boy type character? Using multiform or a variable power pool? Any help would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Multiform Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 yes a muliform changeling if you pardon the use of his alternate code name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 A strange but workable option is a VVP usable only to buy Multiform. Why? Because BB has so many formes, from mouse to elephant to whale to fly, any everything in between. It would be imposable to simulate him any other way. iamlibertarian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grailknight Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 There are valid builds using Multiform, Multipower and VPP. Multiform would probably be most accurate but it can be a pain to build all your variations. Multi-power works well if you're comfortable with variable slots. VPP is just Multi-power with the math moved around. And none of them require Shape-shift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelCold Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Of course since Shape Shift only gives you the appearance of the animal, not its abilities. Check out the character Menagerie from the Champions Solo Villains book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 There are valid builds using Multiform, Multipower and VPP. Multiform would probably be most accurate but it can be a pain to build all your variations. Multi-power works well if you're comfortable with variable slots. VPP is just Multi-power with the math moved around. And none of them require Shape-shift Personalyl I would go the Multipower wroute. Growth Shrinking Density Increase Those take care of the Big/Small/Heavy parts Strenght and other Characteristics takes care of "strong like a elephant" part. Stretching takes care of stuff like a Elephants trunk. Maybe throw in some animal sense too, but that requires GM allowance. Improoved movement like Flight, Tunneling, Swimming, jumping The speicific animal form he takes is just the special effect of wich slots he uses. He aquires usefull Characteristics/Powers (game effect) by transforming into animals that have those (special effect). Also note that shape shift only allows you to look different to other peoples senses. The classical beast boy stayed green regardless wich animal he choose (wich means it does not cover sight). If he wants to be hard to spot, he shrinks (to small mamal or fly size). Hotspur 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 But then you run into the problem of the rules where if a figure is large then they shouldn't have Growth, but have all the factors built in for size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Beast Boy, like Rouge, is an expenses build to do. The Doom Patrol/Teen Titans member has a power which works well for comic books, but hard to write up for roleplaying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Having a bestriary book does save time in building animal forms. iamlibertarian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grailknight Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 But then you run into the problem of the rules where if a figure is large then they shouldn't have Growth, but have all the factors built in for size. Not really, Beast boy is pretty much the poster boy for the size change powers, He is capable of them all but doesn't have any of them all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
massey Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 I'd do it with a series of multipowers, not multiform. If Beast Boy gets shot while he's a badger, changing into a dog doesn't heal him. The change of Body/Stun/End that takes place between multiform swaps doesn't accurately depict Beast Boy. 75 pt Size Multipower -- no growth momentum (-1/4?) 12 lvls Growth, costs end only to activate 6 lvls Shrinking, costs end only to activate 41 pt Movement Multipower -- linked to Growth or Shrinking 18" Flight x4 noncom (really fast bird) +10" Running (at Spd 5, that's a 60 mph noncom, or about equal to a cheetah) 10" Swinging (comic book monkeys) +10" Swimming +6" Leaping (Kangaroos and such) 35 pt Attacks Multipower -- linked to Growth or Shrinking 2D6+1 HKA (up to 5D6-1 w/ Str -- Great White Shark bite, etc) 2" Stretching and +25 Str (Elephant) 2D6+1 RKA (Electric Eel) Darkness (Octopus ink) etc You can also give him some enhanced senses and things, with the limitation that he must take the appropriate form. I'd make sure he could transform into the creatures you want to use the most, and duplicate their abilities well. A general limitation or disadvantage of "only up to what a comic book version of this animal can do" would be fine as well. Hotspur 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassandra Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Shape Shift with a number of powers like Growth, Flight, Density Increase linked. HeroGM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Not really, Beast boy is pretty much the poster boy for the size change powers, He is capable of them all but doesn't have any of them all the time. He's the poster boy for multiple forms. None of his forms change size. They are the size that the animal would be. Shape Shift with a number of powers like Growth, Flight, Density Increase linked. As the multiform poster girl, I figured you'd be all over this. Shape Shift with linked powers would be extremely clunky. You'd end up with Gar being a flying elephant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Baker Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 I'd do it with a series of multipowers, not multiform. If Beast Boy gets shot while he's a badger, changing into a dog doesn't heal him. The change of Body/Stun/End that takes place between multiform swaps doesn't accurately depict Beast Boy. I don't see this at all. The base rule is that the use carries over directly (which may be what you are referring to if he would change to a form with more Body, etc.) The optional rule is to figure the percentage, which I think negates your argument. If you're at 50% of body in form 1, then form 2 will be equally hurt at 50% of that form's body. And a third option would just be to have all the forms buy the same body, stun, and end. Then there is no "healing." I'm not saying don't use the MP route, just that I believe the rules already cover your particular concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grailknight Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 He's the poster boy for multiple forms. None of his forms change size. They are the size that the animal would be. The multipower build has him using growth, shrinking and other powers as appropriate as his form shift. The types of animal he becomes are the special effect for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 And overly complicated compared to just changing character sheets to the new form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Isn't another question is skills? Iirc you can't have skill in a VPP without GM permission. So if you go that route, you should have that cleared. Also if you can track down a copy-the Ultimate Metamorpgh would be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 be thankful mardiv did not have the WONDERTWINS in mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix240 Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 For a "Beast Boy" type character in our games we used Growth, Shrinking and Shapeshifting to animal forms with a VPP ror animal abilities. It worked out pretty well especially since the character's changes weren't "realiistic". He didn't get all the physical based Disads of her new form or could just change quickly enough to negate them. HeroGM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamlibertarian Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 All of the "this doesn't work well," and GM Permission comments above just make it seem to me like VPP Multiform-Only is the only way to go. Build the VPP itself to cover the most powerful critter and POOF, any critter you already have a sheet for (like out of HSB) your character can become, no muss, no fuss, no figuring out how to get your GM to approve skills in a Framework, no complicated math (over and over) on each creature you want to emulate, yada yada. To me, simplicity is key. You have enough AP and RP in your VPP to be an Elephant, you open HSB to the Elephant page - Poof, done. You can even reduce the control cost of the VPP by limiting all Forms to "real animals only." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeroGM Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 On 7/25/2014 at 2:32 PM, Cassandra said: Shape Shift with a number of powers like Growth, Flight, Density Increase linked. I second that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 Almost 7 years of thread necromancy...at least it's for a topic that comes up on occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Bushido Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 Thanks, Hugh. I have been fighting the urge to post he published Changeling build. Again. Mostly because I don't want to drag out that particular discussion. Again. massey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 Practically: - you can build a multiform with massive doub;lings of forms, or a VPP of Multiforms, and have a sheet for each form, adding new ones at your discretion. - you can have a Multipower and put a configuration of multipower slots together for various standard forms, adding new ones at your discretion. - you could even have a VPP of animal powers and put a configuration of multipower slots together for various standard forms, adding new powers and new configurations at your discretion (wait - I need an NND vs Smell Flash Defense for my skunk). All three require advance preparation to avoid slowing down the game. iamlibertarian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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