Question: Only in Hero ID & Focus

[Tech]

This is the second time this has been brought up in the campaign so I'm throwing it out to you. A character has a focus that allows him/her powers. However, the character must transform into their hero ID to use their powers but it's also through the focus. So, what to do in building this?

[Greywind]

Take their focus away.

[Tech]

How would this be built? There are 2 distinct limitations here.

[Oruncrest]

From reading your OP, I gather that this fellow is like He-Man: Pulls out the Sword of Eternia, says "By The Power of Grayskull!" and transforms, keeping the sword around to use on his enemies. If that's the case, then here's my ideas:

 

1) First, build the power that transforms the PC into their HID with the Focus. Like so:

 

Quote

By The Power of Grayskull... I Have The POWER!!!: (30,30) Resistant Protection (Armor if you're not using 6th ED), Hardened; OAF (Sword of Eternia), Incantations; 112 AP 50 RP

 

Activating this power turns Adam into He-Man, deactivating it changes He-Man back into Prince Adam.

 

DO NOT put this power in any frameworks that also have OIHID. In fact I'd recommend not putting it in any frameworks at all.

 

Any powers that can be used after the PC transforms should use Restrainable instead of Focus:

 

Quote

Throwing Your Sword Always Works: 7D6 RKA; OIHID, Restrainable; 105AP, 60RP

 

This power can be put in a framework.

[Grailknight]

These two Limitations are mutually exclusive, at least in the spirit of the game.

 

OIHID is there for those  builds like Shazam or MCU Iron Man. The power is innate to the character(or effectively so) but can be prevented by circumstance. MCU Iron Man goes from Focus in the 1st 2 movies, to OIHID once the armor can be summoned and finally to no Limitation when it becomes the nanotech version in IW and Endgame.

 

The way the question is presented in the OP makes it seem that the PC/NPC needs to use a Focus to prepare the ability to change into the OIHID. To have any credibility as a Limitation this Focus needs to be Obvious, but even then what is it discounting? As presented the Powers don't come from the Focus and the extra step could be better simulated with Extra Time, Only to Activate on all the powers with using the focus item as SFX.

 

If the PC/NPC wants OIHID and then to say the new form has it powers through a Focus, then that's just double dipping to me. The transformation is just the SFX of activating the powers through the Focus. If the character is restrained in some manner, it's either OAF or IAF, if it can be stopped then OIF or IIF. Either way the Focus rules have it covered,

[Derek Hiemforth]

• If you're the GM, and you agree that OIHID and Focus are separately limiting for this character, then ignore the general rule about OIHID and Focus, and allow both. 
• If you're not the GM, see if you can persuade the GM that they're separately limiting and that both should be allowed.  If that works, see above.
• If it doesn't work, then I agree with @Oruncrest's advice above.

[LoneWolf]

They cover this in the 6th edition rules.  It specifically states that OIAID (Only in Alternate ID) cannot take the focus limitation as well.  It is suggested to use this for a focus that never seems to get taken away. So if the focus is something that does get taken away it uses the focus limitation, not OIAID.