Aberrant RPG - That Molecular Manipulation voodoo you do so well.

[El'Jinn Uu]

Hi.

Sorry to bother you all.... Again!

Under the power Molecular Alteration (a Molecular Manipulation Technique) No weight restriction is given. It's obviously FAR greater, based on the description which describes 5 successess as turning a "Tree into a car", than that of the more permanent Shape Alteration Technique' (Which makes sence as the former is only temporary without a perm sacrifice of Will)?

So given this, I was woundering what the official ruling is for the boards (As this would be the rule I'll use in leu of the N-Prime board being all that's left of Aberrant Law).

A Second point of note is the Stated ability of transmutation under this same Technique', in which Living Matter may be temporarily altered in the same matter as non-living matter.

This flys in the face of the powers main description ("While [THE NOVA] cannotchange or affect living things in any way, this power is still quite impressive.") It is never the less written.

My second question is how you all deal with this?

[Rorx]

Either you don't worry about any mass limits until someone tries something obviously stupid, or you use the ones listed for Matter Creation.

[Rorx]

Either you don't worry about any mass limits until someone tries something obviously stupid, or you use the ones listed for Matter Creation.

[Courier]

RE: Second Point

I'd suggest using this only for "living" things like trees, i.e. not people, much less novas. If someone wants to reshape a nova into a pool of slime they really should be buying Disin.

[Courier]

RE: Second Point

I'd suggest using this only for "living" things like trees, i.e. not people, much less novas. If someone wants to reshape a nova into a pool of slime they really should be buying Disin.

[Rorx]

Having closely examined the descritpion for all the Techniques under this power again, I can fid nothing that says it can effect living material, except the example of turning a tree into a car. In this case I could see a case for assuming that they were refering to a fallen i.e. a dead tree, rather than a living one, which would keep within the powers concept.

[Rorx]

Having closely examined the descritpion for all the Techniques under this power again, I can fid nothing that says it can effect living material, except the example of turning a tree into a car. In this case I could see a case for assuming that they were refering to a fallen i.e. a dead tree, rather than a living one, which would keep within the powers concept.

[El'Jinn Uu]

I have, as well, been using "Matter Creation" for weight up till now, but I was Just curious what (if any) rule had been made on this. As to the tree being dead, that ones iffy. I'd already considered this as a possability, but felt the power may simply/ (the powers Writer felt) work on unintelligent, non-sentient life after all.

The other option is, that since this power is Not permanent, It May effect life temporarily. Although, this option isn't one I like as, I ALREADY bought an extra: (Effect Life) that allows for such a thing, and thus I would end up having waste alotta EP for nothing.

So thank you for you reply "Rorx". I can see we both are thinking on the same wave.

[El'Jinn Uu]

I have, as well, been using "Matter Creation" for weight up till now, but I was Just curious what (if any) rule had been made on this. As to the tree being dead, that ones iffy. I'd already considered this as a possability, but felt the power may simply/ (the powers Writer felt) work on unintelligent, non-sentient life after all.

The other option is, that since this power is Not permanent, It May effect life temporarily. Although, this option isn't one I like as, I ALREADY bought an extra: (Effect Life) that allows for such a thing, and thus I would end up having waste alotta EP for nothing.

So thank you for you reply "Rorx". I can see we both are thinking on the same wave.

[SciGeek]

I was beginning a series today and made a Nova Chef (never seen that before) with Molecular Manipulation 3 and Molecular Alteration.

We were on the 2nd scene when I was employed by Utopia to make 250 thousand doses of Soma for them (creating moral dilemmas and casting Utopia as morally gray in our series). This was supposed to be difficult, but after checking on the book, I found that I could do it with one success, basically breaking the story. Of course I had to sacrifice a Willpower point for that, but I had just created a swimming pool worth of Soma (though technically I could create any quantity) from simple water.

Had any of you considered that a possibility before? Even if that wasn't the purpose of the adventure, I could just create a near infinite supply of probably the most powerful drug in the Aberrant universe. I could even transmute water to Soma non-permanently and kill baselines or use it for my profit, since it'd last 3 hours instead of 4...

Any thoughts about that? Do you know of any restriction that could be found in other books to avoid that?

[Dave ST]

Yes, I've seen a nova chef before.

Keep in mind that Soma requires unique ingredients as well as a chemical composition that your average chef probably wouldn't know.

The power specifically states that in certain cases the character must have some sort background in the chemical or object... for example, your chef shouldn't be able to create, repair, or modify a machine without proper ranks in Engineering.

In the instance you've provided I would not have permitted the 'chef' to pull it off without at least three dots in Science with a specialty in chemistry.

Now if they asked him to create 250 steaks, that's one thing, but 250,000 doses of Soma was just ignorant, slap your GM.

[SciGeek]

Hmmmm...Didn't think of that part. I was actually trying to help the GM find a solution to the problem, since it kind of broke the session.

I did argue that my power was more attuned to cooking than other things (though I did buy Science, with only 2 dots). However, having mega-perception with analytic taste and the basic power of molecular manipulation, I did have a pretty good understanding of the composition of Soma just by standing there (at least as the power is described).

To some degree this task feels like asking a fire-based nova to fire a watery quantum bolt. It can be done, but it doesn't mean the nova understands he can do that... Actually this part of the quantum powers feels a lot like Mage Spheres to me.

I agree, though, that altering water to Soma would require some ability. I would even require much higher levels of Science, maybe 5 dots, and put it as difficult to create as the most complex supercomputers. That would be the only logical explanation for Soma not being as common as Aspirin, since all you need is one Nova to copy it at his heart's content (at least in the temporary form).

p.s.: Glad to see there are other Nova Chefs around! I was a bit saddened when the GM argued it was almost unplayable...

[Dave ST]

Why 5 dots? It doesn't take Albert Einstein to determine the chemical composition of something. Dots in a skill represent the characters aptitude with that skill. 5 dots is unparalleled mastery of the subject. It doesn't take a master to figure out what's in there, but it might take a skilled chemist (3 dots, plus specialty in chemistry)

I think you, as a player, simply should have said "Sorry, it's outside my character's ability. He just can't make it, and I don't really need a reason why." Especially if you didn't agree that it was possible for him to do it.

[El'Jinn Uu]

Agreed, 5 dots is too high, considering that the power automatically comes with a diagnostic ability for free...

Just give you GM that "Moral delema" tell. Besides, Soma is generally made form Novas/Novus, stand to reason (could be argued) that they produce a chemical with Very unnatural properties, incuring a higher difficulty.

As to doing this myself, after the first time my PC made something permanent and realized that it came at permanent cost to himself, he said "never again without very good reason". Buying back WP at low levels may not be Too costly, but it gets there at higher dots of WP, and he/I would rather use that EP fer something better.

those 6EP lost to make soma coulda bought me a New mega at or enhancement or power that fit inline with my power usage...

So, unless your ST gives out EP like an EM gives out morphine to the dying, your Not gonna wanna do that too often.

I did one final perm to make money and save the environment in an early Aberrant Inthe Begining campain... I created a butt load of Palladium so as to help make 10's of thousands of patterson cells and other "green energy" techs. Made alotta molla ta boot. But I make More by using a newer minor variant Technique (of Shape Alteration) "Molecular Restructuring", it's the exact same power as Shape Alteration but instead of making gross physical changes, it Just alters molecules (no tansmutation of the atomic structure in any way) and its just as perm.

I make lotsa silly putty and glow sticks for the raver kids.