challenge: Minky Momo

[ScrewySquirrel]

Minky Momo is an old anime, made twice (in 1982 and 1992) with a sweet little girl princess from two dreamlands (the 1992 and 1982 versions were from different places and eventually met and interacted)

 

Her mission was to help people revive their hopes and dreams, to better connect her dreamland home closer to earth.

 

To do this, she transformed from her child-self to an 18-20 year old adult form, in which she would name a profession, and she would transform into that, complete with whichever skill set and outfit are appropriate for the situation at hand (nurse, police officer, etc.).

So, if she chose, say, Racer Car Driver, she'd get the equivalent of a 17- in Combat Driving, if she chose Nurse, she'd get a 17- in Paramedics, Conversation (Bedside manner), and probably at least a 15- in several science skills related to medical treatment), and so on.

 

The easiest way to model this would be a VPP that granted high levels in skills.  Except Rules As Written state you cannot put skills into a VPP.  So the challenge is: how do do this in a reasonable amount of points, and stay within Rules as Written?

[Tom Cowan]

hmm, mult form built with a VPP

or multi form with the 5 point 2x the number of forms  say 10 time (adds 50 points)

1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 1024

1024 different forms should cover it

[Gnome BODY (important!)]

True Jack of All Trades, Universal Scholar, Universal Scientist, all with OiHID, Only in Appropriate Costume, and Linked to Cosmetic Transform (of clothes) Linked to Shapeshifting. 

Then do the same for any Skills that seem likely to come up that aren't PSes, KSes, or SSes, such as Paramedics or Forensics. 

[Thumper]

On 8/15/2019 at 1:44 PM, ScrewySquirrel said:

The easiest way to model this would be a VPP that granted high levels in skills.  Except Rules As Written state you cannot put skills into a VPP.

The Rules As Written also say:

Quote

Second, just because something is explicitly forbidden doesn’t mean you can’t do it (with the GM’s permission). Even when the rules say you can’t do something, the GM can relax that restriction if he feels it would be justified to do so.

You are entirely correct, the easiest way to model this would be a VPP that granted Skills.  Without even running the point, I can see Tom and Gnome's solutions are going to be ugly, exorbitantly overpriced kludges to avoid doing it the easy and obvious way.  I think it's absurd to even try to find an alternate way when the answer is so obviously a Skill VPP.  A GM presented with a player who wants to create this Minky Momo character has essentially two options:  approve a Skills VPP or disallow the character concept entirely.  A "GM" who makes a player buy 50+ points of abilities to kludge together a character when the obvious, elegant solution is right there isn't a "Game Master," they're a "Giant Meanie."  That's just a bad, immature and obnoxious way to play the game.

 

Here's how you build that ability:

• Assume Profession:  VPP, 22 base + 11 control, Powers Can Be Changed As A Half-Phase Action (+1/2), No Skill Roll Required (+1); Only General Skills, Only at 17- (-1 1/2) Total cost: 28 points

Two General skills at 17- is 22 points.  This ability is 28 points.  That feels reasonable to me. 

 

[Tom Cowan]

6 hours ago, Thumper said:

The Rules As Written also say:

You are entirely correct, the easiest way to model this would be a VPP that granted Skills.  Without even running the point, I can see Tom and Gnome's solutions are going to be ugly, exorbitantly overpriced kludges to avoid doing it the easy and obvious way.  I think it's absurd to even try to find an alternate way when the answer is so obviously a Skill VPP.  A GM presented with a player who wants to create this Minky Momo character has essentially two options:  approve a Skills VPP or disallow the character concept entirely.  A "GM" who makes a player buy 50+ points of abilities to kludge together a character when the obvious, elegant solution is right there isn't a "Game Master," they're a "Giant Meanie."  That's just a bad, immature and obnoxious way to play the game.

 

Here's how you build that ability:

• Assume Profession:  VPP, 22 base + 11 control, Powers Can Be Changed As A Half-Phase Action (+1/2), No Skill Roll Required (+1); Only General Skills, Only at 17- (-1 1/2) Total cost: 28 points

Two General skills at 17- is 22 points.  This ability is 28 points.  That feels reasonable to me. 

 

yes, the multiform is going to be costly for the little girl form, but only the princess is paying for it...  from 6E1V

The cost for Multiform, which only the true form pays for, is 1 Character Point for every 5 Character Points the most expensive alternate form is built with (i.e., his Total Points; Matching Complications don’t reduce the alternate form’s cost). The character may pay +5 Character Points for every up to two times the number of alternate forms of equal or lesser cost (i.e., 5 Character Points for up to x2 alternate forms, 10 Character Points for up to x4 alternate forms, and so on). The cost of the true form has no affect on the cost of the alternate forms, nor does the existence of the true form affect the calculation of how many alternate forms the character buys for +5 points

[ScrewySquirrel]

the multiform build isn't too much worse:

 

Adult Professions: Multiform: 50 point character (Heroic level) x 32 forms=35 points.  push it to 75 point characters to be superlative, and it's 40 points.. 32 forms should be plenty for what was a 52 episode show, more can be bought with xp

[steriaca]

Minky Momo is not the only one who can assume multiple profesions. Cutie Honey can do that with shapchanging, and have appropriate equipment to boot. And Sailor Moon has her disguise pen, but that is more what it says on the tin as it can provide mundane equipment but not actual skill.