Aberrant RPG - Bodymorph w/Mega Attributes

[Blue Thunder]

Why doesn't Bodymorph allow you to translate dots into Mega-Attributes? You can gain enhancements, but not dots in a Mega-Attribute, when you usea Bodymorph.

You could take the Boost power to raise Mega-Attributes with a Bodymorph. I guess that works, but the number you gain from Boost isn't the same every time. What if I want a character with the same Mega-Strength dots every time he Bodymorphs? With Boost, his Mega-Strength could fluxuate greatly every time he Bodymorphs. And if he's unlucky, the Boost may come up with no successes.

The only other way I see is with Density Increase, which enhances Strength. But what if I want a Bodymorph that gives Mega-Dexterity? Or Mega-Stamina? Or even Mega-Appearance?

Is Boost the only option?

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

It's done that way to prevent you from buying 3 dots of Mega-Stat normally and another 2 inside of Bodymorph.

For nova points this would let you sidestep the Q-min rules. For exp it's much cheaper.

Outside of Boost; Growth increases Str & Stam, Density Increase increases Str, and that's pretty much it until you get to Q6.

[Gregory]

Also, I think you can get certain powers with fixed result. I know FR can be taken with FF and Density Increase, but it might also work with Boost. As to whether FR is an option under Bodymorph, that is something for the ST.

[Blue Thunder]

I would like to see a fixed result Boost. It would help a lot. Boost itself benefits characters with high Quantum; it could be set up like a fixed result Force Field where you get the same boost every time you use the power, plus extra if you spend more quantum points. It sounds better than gambling away with a roll where you might get only one success (or none!).

[Zac]

If you want a "fixed result Boost" buy the Mega Attribute with a weakness.

[Erin 'Stellar' Donovan]

You cannot use Strengths and Weakness on M-Atts. Only powers.

[Fae Dreamweaver]

But having success or failure depend on a die roll that may come up blank is half the fun!

[Blue Thunder]

Not for me. If you paid the cost of the power, and you didn't botch, you should still get something. Anything. Even one point. I could understand if it was a combat power, but this isn't an attack.

[Zac]

Boost doesn't cost quantum?

[Warren Verona]

Quote:

Originally posted by Blue Thunder:
Not for me. If you paid the cost of the power, and you didn't botch, you should still get something. Anything. Even one point. I could understand if it was a combat power, but this isn't an attack.

Not to kick you in the nuts here guy, but failure is failure.

A roll with no successes is a failure. A failure means just that, the power failed to operate, you lose a few QPs and soak it up as a bad day at the office.

[Blue Thunder]

I understand that...if it was a combat power.

I don't have the book in front of me, but I assume powers like Claws and Bodymorph don't fail. They are powers that affect your own body, not another's (directly) so a roll simply determines how long the power is up, or how much more powerful it is, or something else. Boost affects your own body. Why should there be no boost to the Attributes after you spend Quantum? I could understand if it was a botch.

I like the idea of a fixed result version, like proposed for Density Control and Force Field in the Player's Guide. It gets rid of headaches. And it makes Boost a better option for low-Quantum characters.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

So Boost should grant... (Dots in Boost) dots to a Mega-Att?

[Blue Thunder]

That doesn't seem right, because then you may as well buy the Mega-Attribute itself. They would cost the same experience and nova points, but Boost would only be temporary.

I'm thinking the Boost rating in dots automatically, then an extra point for every 2 Quantum spent, to the max of 5 (or 6, if I interpretted the Players Guide correctly...).

Or maybe the dots in Boost determine how many rounds the power is on...maybe multiplied by 2? Then the Attribute is raised by Quantum in dots, plus more dots by spending more quantum?

I'm sure that's broken as well though. Ack, what a headache. Someone proposed a level 1 version of Boost once. Maybe not such a bad idea now that I think about it...

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

...because then you may as well buy the Mega-Attribute itself. They would cost the same experience and nova points, but Boost would only be temporary.

Issue #1: Exp Cost

Boost 2 and Mega-Stat 3 together cost 11 + 21 (total of 32) experience and has a Q-min of 2.

Mega-Stat 5 costs 56 experience AND also has a Q-min of 4.

Issue #2: Extra Attribute.

Boost 2 (extra attribute) and 2 Mega-Stats at 3 cost 16 + 21 + 21 (total of 58) experience and has a Q-min of 2.

2 Mega-Stats at 5 cost 112 exp AND also has a Q-min of 4.

Issue #3: Q6

At Q6 you get the ability to have multiple extras on level 2 powers, and you also get to have level 4 powers. Even in the worst case synario, you'd be able to have that "Extra Attribute" extra 3 times, so it could effect 4 attributes.

[Wargear]

Personal houserule, nowhere supported (that I know of) in the official rules: As an ST, I allow Bodymorph and/or Shapeshift to directly grant physical Mega-Attributes and sometimes others, most often Mega-Perception or Mega-Appearance (though you'd better give me a really, really clever explanation of how your shapechange is going to give you Mega-Intelligence or Mega-Wits). I do this first, because I think making the player buy Boost explicity for that purpose and then roll for it is clunky and annoying, and second because I just think it makes sense that altering your physical form could make you predictably faster, stronger or tougher. I generally don't worry about the Quantum minimums, since Bodymorph is Q3 and Shapeshift Q4, so at best using Bodymorph you save on one point of Quantum. Not exactly earthshaking, in my book. As a counter-point, I don't allow players to buy Boost with either power; I didn't cut out the extra die roll just so people could drop it back in to try for stacking on more Mega-Att with a lucky roll.

It does offer a tempting way to save on XP, but then, so does buying Density Decrease 5 instead of spending anything on soak. That doesn't fit everyone's theme, and having to pay the quantum for your Bodymorph or Shapeshift every few rounds can start making you wish you'd payed up front in XP for the Mega Att pretty quickly. The XP costs for powers in Aberrant don't have a lot to do with their effectiveness, so I generally accept that as a reality of the system and move on.