How much would this VPP lim be worth?

[Vestnik]

Hello all,

 

I have a build question. This is probably very simple and has been addressed elsewhere, but...

 

I'm building a character who is a shape-changing alien construct from a galactic empire that ceased to exist billions of years ago. He survived to the present day because he was in status (think Larry Niven's World of Ptaavs, from which I stole the idea).

 

One of his powers is that he can reconfigure his body into a number of programmed modifications (claws, enhanced senses, an acquatic mode and so forth). He already has a large number of programs (I bought this as a VPP with a set list of powers). The programming knowledge and technology needed to create new programs have been lost billions of years ago, so, assuming it is not recovered somehow, no new configurations can be entered.

 

I've bought this as a 30-point VPP + 15 Control Cost, Powers Can be Changed as a Half-Phase Action (+1/2), No Skill Roll Required (+1), Cellular Adjustment and Gross Body Alteration Powers Only (-1/2), Only Powers Listed Below (-1/2), Powers on List Cannot Be Added to (-1) (Total Real Cost 42 points).

 

Do you all think this looks about right? Is that final Limitation too much?

 

Big thanks!

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: How much would this VPP lim be worth?

 

I'm building a character who is a shape-changing alien construct from a galactic empire that ceased to exist billions of years ago. He survived to the present day because he was in status (think Larry Niven's World of Ptaavs, from which I stole the idea).

 

One of his powers is that he can reconfigure his body into a number of programmed modifications (claws, enhanced senses, an acquatic mode and so forth). He already has a large number of programs (I bought this as a VPP with a set list of powers). The programming knowledge and technology needed to create new programs have been lost billions of years ago, so, assuming it is not recovered somehow, no new configurations can be entered.

 

I've bought this as a 30-point VPP + 15 Control Cost, Powers Can be Changed as a Half-Phase Action (+1/2), No Skill Roll Required (+1), Cellular Adjustment and Gross Body Alteration Powers Only (-1/2), Only Powers Listed Below (-1/2), Powers on List Cannot Be Added to (-1) (Total Real Cost 42 points).

 

Do you all think this looks about right? Is that final Limitation too much?

 

As I see it, the "final limitation" is -2. "No new powers" pretty much encompasses both "only powers listed" and "only certain types of powers". With a complete inability to add new powers, and no skill roll, this seems to be a Multipower which requires 1/2 phase to change. Why not just build it as a Multipower?

 

If the answer is that your list is so extensive that a Multipower is not cost-effective, then I think the answer to your question is pretty simple - this isn't a limitation. I'd rebuild this as a Multipower and cost that out. I'd probably allow a -1/4 limitation on each slot for the fact that activating it requires a half phase.

[Zed-F]

Re: How much would this VPP lim be worth?

 

I agree that a multipower is better suited to a selection of slots that cannot be (easily) added to. I'll also agree that 'only powers listed below' and 'cannot be added to' are meta-game concepts and shouldn't be reflected in the points cost of the pool, or are at most collectively worth -1/4.

[Vestnik]

Re: How much would this VPP lim be worth?

 

Thanks everybody. Multipower it is!