Working with Multiform

[Michael Hopcroft]

I'm in the middle of working on a Hero conversion of a setting in which nearly everyone important to the campaign has a non-powered identity and a powered, costumed identity. In some cases incantations are used to switch form, but in other cases it is completely involuntary (the "other self" appears when it is needed and only when it is needed -- the character in question is going to be an NPC). The problem is that I've never mastered how Multiform works in character generation, although I know the game effect I'm looking for.

 

Balancing points for NPCs is not that significant, but the project will feature several playable characters and balancing them out looks like it'll take some work.

 

Suggestions?

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

Are the normal and powered forms separate personalities?

 

If not then OIHID is a far simplier option.

 

Also, will the NPC be gaining experience? If yes, then note that XP increases to any extra forms gets "taxed" on the base form.

[Istaran]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

Suggestion 1: Ignore the standard rules.

Give each person two character sheets, one for normal mode and one for super mode, each with a different point total. The switching is pretty much just a bit of plot-devicium. In this way, both versions will be well balanced for their contexts. Maybe give much slower XP growth to the normal version than the super version and require anything on the normal version to be on the super version as well. The price for multiform is built around the assumption that not everyone has multiform; it's designed to compare against Summon and Duplication (other powers that introduce extra character sheets) and Multipower and Variable Power Pools (other ways to swap between various sets of capabilities) as well as against the other things a character could chose to have. If every PC has it at the same power level, there's no need to price it out.

 

Suggestion 2: OIHID.

Liberally slather OIHID limitations on the characters. In this case, the point savings on OIHID will allow those who make the most use of it to have more powerful characters in their super ID and those that use it less will be more capable in their normal ID. (Though it's only a -1/4 so it's likely to favor those who use it scarcely in their mundane ID more than it favors those who use it liberally.) Presumably you'll make anything super-human in nature require OIHID.

 

Suggestion 3: Multiform.

If you do use the multiform idea, set a cap on the alternate form points and raise that cap as you would give out XP for the supers version of the game, while also giving out XP for the normal characters. Characters will pay for multiform at different rates based on the limitations they take (does it cost END to change? you mentioned incantations.) assuming they can take differing amounts, as well as possibly some will take instant change or multiple alternate forms if you allow. The difference in total points and point expenditure rates will allow those that hamper their own changing to invest more in skills for their mundane version. So if Speedy has instant change and no limits on his multiform, his mundane version will be kinda mediocre compared to Thinker who has Costs END to change and Extra time(full phase, only to activate), and Gestures and Incantations on his multiform and invested instead in INT and skills. But Speedy will have a full extra phase to act every time its time to change, and won't get stuck in mundane form when the badguy entangles him or puts a Silence (Darkness vs Hearing) field on him.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

Multiform in and of itself is not that difficult to use. I personally tend to avoid it unless its the only option possible because of the extra administrative cost of upkeeping multiple character sheets, the confusion it causes in players, and the common perception of many other players that its unbalanced and the character with it is unfairly advantaged.

 

You can actually do a lot with OIHID and analogues thereof, and I recommend it for only two forms even if the two forms are different. I've made several characters with OIHID on some abilities and OISID (only in secret id, -1/4) on others, for instance.

 

 

 

As it happens, this character started off as OIHID and switched over to Multiform later:

War Man

 

This character is pure OIHID:

Chitin

 

This character is OIHID w/ two separate personalities:

Answerman

 

I built this character specifically to push the limits of OIHID...without actually using OIHID (I consider -1/4 situational modifiers like Only During Day / Only At Night, lesser forms of Linked to a single activated (on / off) power (like all powers linked to DI) to be OIHID analogues, etc):

Bipolar

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

Multiform can be confusing, but there are instances where it's warranted. For example, Beast Boy from Teen Titans is a pure multiformer, while someone like Iron Man is often built as an OIHID (Only In Heroic ID) type. My personal rule of thumb is: If you've got one big trick up your sleeve (a personal power armor, all that kind of thing) you should go OIHID. If you're looking at someone who can turn into many things (my PC, Karas, has four slots although he's only using one currently) that's more an argument for Multiform.

 

Multiform, Vehicles, Summons, etc. all follow the same 5:1 rulesset, the idea being that these things are of comparatively limited utility. For example, Karas spends large chunks of his fights in his "human" form -- I took NCC intentionally to keep him from being a super-broken BS machine, because the points I get for Multiform can be viewed as highly advantageous against someone who built their character straight. But you know, it's paid for. So it's a question of what all you intend to do with it.

 

For me, because I have (theoretically) 3 forms outside of my human form, it's multiform. For Iron Man, for Colussus, for Sailor Moon and heaven knows who else, it's OIHID. But as always, that's my rule of thumb, and YMMV.

[Wolfgar]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

To me, Multiform seemed best used when the character's normal and superheroic identities are extremely different. Bruce Banner and the Hulk would be what I use Multiform for, for instance.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

To me' date=' Multiform seemed best used when the character's normal and superheroic identities are extremely different. Bruce Banner and the Hulk would be what I use Multiform for, for instance.[/quote']

 

Or Billy Batson and the original Captain Marvel (aka "The Big Red Cheese").

 

One of the concepts I'm working with is a powered consciousness sharing a body with a non-powered ordinary person, emerging to take control in emergencies.

[Kenn]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

Or Billy Batson and the original Captain Marvel (aka "The Big Red Cheese").

 

One of the concepts I'm working with is a powered consciousness sharing a body with a non-powered ordinary person, emerging to take control in emergencies.

 

I've built and played a Captain Marvel pastiche using OHID.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

I've built and played a Captain Marvel pastiche using OHID.

 

The current comic incarnation of the character (say that 5 times fast) is essentially the same mind as well so this makes more sense imo.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

I just had to share this...

 

Every time I see this thread's title I think of Messin with Sasquatch.

[Wolfgar]

Re: Working with Multiform

 

Or Billy Batson and the original Captain Marvel (aka "The Big Red Cheese").

 

One of the concepts I'm working with is a powered consciousness sharing a body with a non-powered ordinary person, emerging to take control in emergencies.

 

I do love playing characters that have extreme differences between their heroic and non-heroic identities.