Multiforms and Experience

[Vanguard00]

How do y'all handle this?

 

If someone is playing a multiform, it seems reasonable to divide any experience between the two forms appropriately. If the "base" form is predominant in a particular scenario, that's where the xp goes. If the "alternate" form is predominant, the xp goes there. If it's back and forth, split appropriately.

 

But is that reasonable? Should the "base" form receive all the xp, buying up the "alternate" form? If so, how does on justify the increase in power for the alternate form?

 

Thoughts? Ideas? Help?

[TheEmerged]

Re: Multiforms and Experience

 

Generally my rule is that all experience goes to the base form, which in turn pays the points to give the other forms more points. "Experience is paid to the player, not the forms" might be a good sound bite.

 

Of course, that comes with the caveat that my local multiform player didn't try to stretch the "cap"; her forms all have the same number of points as the base form. I'm not sure if I would allow a "form" with many more points than the base; in fact this is one of the elements I borrowed from Aberrant. In these cases the weaker form is bought with multiform and it's described as "going Dormant", and is an advantage because it allows them to hide from nova/power detection (AKA "Hound powers").

[Haerandir]

Re: Multiforms and Experience

 

I had never even considered awarding experience separately to different forms of a Multiform character. And having considered it, I don't think it's appropriate to do so. Regardless of special effects, mechanically the multiple forms are not separate characters, they are a single character with a Power. As a GM, you shouldn't dictate to the player how his experience will be spent on a Multiform character any more than you would to, say, an energy blaster character. Unless you're in the habit of giving directed awards to everyone, you shouldn't single out the Multiform player for this treatment.

 

Even if you and your players are happy with you telling them how to spend their experience, mechanically you still should be awarding the points to the base form to be spent on the Multiform Power. Remember, if the secondary form exceeds the cost of the base form, he loses the 1 pt. = 5 pts. cost break, so at that point it's mathematically pretty much the same as awarding the points to the secondary form, anyway. And if the secondary form is less expensive than the base form, then awarding the points to the secondary form directly amounts to diddling the player out of 80% of his experience award.

 

Generally, you should simply award the points to the base form and allow the player to spend them on the Multiform Power or the base form's other Powers, just like anyone else.

[zornwil]

Re: Multiforms and Experience

 

Generally my rule is that all experience goes to the base form, which in turn pays the points to give the other forms more points. "Experience is paid to the player, not the forms" might be a good sound bite.

 

Of course, that comes with the caveat that my local multiform player didn't try to stretch the "cap"; her forms all have the same number of points as the base form. I'm not sure if I would allow a "form" with many more points than the base; in fact this is one of the elements I borrowed from Aberrant. In these cases the weaker form is bought with multiform and it's described as "going Dormant", and is an advantage because it allows them to hide from nova/power detection (AKA "Hound powers").

I do the same, for the record, except that I am open to allowing a non-base higher points form.