A Partial Multiform for Hero 6E?

[CrazySaga]

So, I've been fuddling around in HERO Designer again, and looked into making a character of mine who does the whole 'Magical Boy/Girl Transformation with Awesome Powers' deal-io. While I did find Multiform to be the best option to go about the 'Hero Transformation' aspect to a point, I'm not sure how I would go about doing so to where the character keeps his stat, skills, etc., while in his hero form. I do know in previous editions there was a Partial Multiform thing, but I don't have the resources to look into it too well. Is there a way to mimic that in 6E?

[mrinku]

Unless the transformation changes their form to something out of the ordinary, alters their personality or changes their Complications, it's not strictly necessary.

 

Shape Shift (usually Sight and Touch) or Transform (Body) can cover anything cosmetic, and powers and characteristics bought with "Only in Alternate ID (-¼)" can cover the rest. Magical Girls commonly stay the same aside from their powers and costume.

 

If you do use Multiform, it's just a matter of making sure both forms have the same skills, personality etc.

 

Whatever way you change, you can use modifiers to make it easier or harder (Command word, Special dance, requires a focus to swap, only when pure of heart etc)

[Lucius]

Remember that even if there are abilities only available in the "normal" identity, you can have a second list of "Only in Alternate ID" traits that are for THAT identity.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

This tagline Only in Palindromedary ID

[CrazySaga]

Ah, so it's better to just apply a bunch of factors than Multiform is what I'm getting, if I want less files to deal with. Fair enough, caused I figured Only in Alternate ID was going to be a dominant factor to some degree. I'll take a look at that. Thanks for the advice!

[Sean Waters]

So you have awesome powers and want to be able to transform into a magical boy/girl?  Gender does not really have mechanical game effects so, unless the idea is that you look completely different in boy/girl form, you can probably just do it as SFX.

 

That is not what you meant, is it?

 

We used to have this great, cheap, power called 'Instant Change', then, from nowhere, 6th edition.

 

If what you want is to look different when you raise up an attribute and assume an aspect (have you ever read Lord of Light?  If not, do so now, I will wait.  Alternatively watch the Netflix treatment when it comes out) then you can, that is just what Hero terms SFX.  Really it is little different to wearing a mask.  You don't need to pay points unless you want to play it.  Can someone work you that your superform and your normalform are the same being, assuming they work at it?  Of course they can: no matter how you build it, someone can work it out.  Do you want it to just be a thing or do you want it to have a noticeable game effect?  If the former, it just happens, gratis, if the latter then maybe a power might be in order: shapeshift, multiform, Illusions, global, cumulative mind control, whatever floats your boat..  Even then, unless your complications indicate that the hero/normal distinction matters  (you have DNPCs, for example) then I would not make you pay: it is just cool stuff, and cool stuff should be free to everyone.

 

Mind you I am ridiculously soft.

[mrinku]

Yeah, now that I've considered it, I'm with Sean here. It only costs one phase to change clothes to assume "hero identity"... if that's all your transformation really is, you shouldn't have to pay extra points for a persistent Shape Change, and SFX will cover it. Speedsters often use to take "Instant Change" because the Flash used that trick... but really those guys have spare phases to burn and you still need to do it out of sight to preserve your secret ID. Superman changes just as fast as Flash in practical terms.

 

Once you get into Captain Marvel style changes it's probably better to look at power based transformations, though. Especially for him since that lightning bolt is an actual damage causing thing (cf. Kingdom Come, but it worked that way all along.).