Shape Shifting as an attack?

Mercer · Post by **Mercer** » Sun May 15, 2011 5:20 pm

How would you handle this as an offensive power? The way I was thinking was draining stats into powers that are apparently useless in a situation. For instance if an opponent was a strong man, and that was his whole strategy then this power might elongate his legs and convert muscle mass into a sticky like substance, maybe give him a few new limbs (Drain brawn into clinging, super jump and extra limbs, dropping brawn from a 5 to a 2).

They end up with new tools, but perhaps some they can't reconcile how to use right away. I know I would buy this power with range and affects others, but how would you reconcile the attack itself?

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Sun May 15, 2011 6:26 pm

I think I'd use Weakness as the power and just use flavor text to describe why the target is weakened. I think it achieves the effect you're after (the target is less capable of using their physical prowess).

I suppose you could link Shape-Shifting to Weakness, thus the target really does gain new abilities but will not be very good at using them. It does complicate things, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Oh and if you're asking how to resolve the attack mechanically, it would be Agility vs target's Def (if you're using Shape-Shifting to attack them)

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Mon May 16, 2011 10:05 am

As I read the description of the Shape-Shifting power, it says that "you can reduce the pool of Stats by 1 point to instead recieve 2pts of powers in this new form". I take this to mean that you can only use the power to gain 2 character points worth of super powers (1 two-point power OR 2 one-point powers OR EVEN 1 three-point power that is also limited).

I could be wrong but I beleive Rules as Written allow for a character to drop a Stat from 5 to 2 to gain 6 points worth of powers. Maybe you could commendere the Extra Effect enhancement to allow an extra Stat point loss (for 2 more character points). Alternately, you could house-rule a whole new enhancement to do this.

Mercer · Post by **Mercer** » Mon May 16, 2011 11:26 am

I read that as every 1 point you drop in a stat is 2 points worth of powers. It didn't seem to state anything limiting it to just doing it once.

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Mon May 16, 2011 4:31 pm

If you look at the pregens/monsters, it seems to indicate you can reduce your attributes as many times as you want to gain bonus powers. That's how I've always figured it works too.

For example: p 92, Vampire Lord
B3 A3, in Bat form (B1 A2, Flight 3 Shrinking 3)

p117 Megamorph gives more examples of this.

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Mon May 16, 2011 7:52 pm

Wow! I hadn't made that connection. Thanks.

This power is now 100 times more awesome! [And I thought it was an amazing deal of a power before.]

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Mon May 16, 2011 8:18 pm

Yah, Shape-Shift is the most versatile power that I've gotten to use so far. The Elemental hero I created for the other pbp game on here was awesome! It just seemed kind of weird that I had to max Brawn and Agility in his base build to really pull off the concept.

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Thu May 19, 2011 6:15 am

For all that Shape Shifting can do I think that its 4 point cost makes it the most powerful power in the book!

Post by **BASHMAN** » Thu May 19, 2011 11:04 am

Shape-Shifting definitely has the potential to be abused. The key is for the Narrator to control such things.

For instance if somebody has Boost 3: While using Shape-Shift, I would let them use that for only +3 to that given stat, and nothing else. Otherwise they would be getting 6 points of powers for 3pts. Is that mandated by the rules? No- that's me making a call as Narrator.