Basic Action Super Heroes!

How would you model a power like Mystiques ability to impersonate people? My first thought was Mimic, but it specifically says it only applies to inanimate objects. Shapeshift doesn't sound like it either.

I use "Illusion 3 [Limitation: Self-Only] 2pts" It makes it so you can look, smell, and sound just like anybody.

However, I think Awesome Power will be having a "Chameleon" type power that is for physically changing, since it really isn't a mental illusion but a physical change.

Here was my take on it. Like Bashman's concept, I based it on Illusion with a limitation, but added an additional rank to represent Touch, making it the equivalent of "real" instead of just an illusion.

Imitator
2-3 pts; Maintained, Personal
You are able to physically alter your body into another humanoid form of approximately the same size, including altering your cosmetic appearance (hair, eyes, skin, etc.). For 2 points, the effect includes your physical appearance and voice. For 3 points, the change is complete enough to include altering your smell and fine details like your fingerprints and retina patterns. If you attempt to imitate a specific person, and are trying to fool people who know the subject, it would still require an opposed Deception check but you bypass the need for a mundane disguise and have a +2 Dice Bonus to your check. To imitate a specific person's fingerprints or retina pattern, you would need some way to know what to duplicate, either by having access to those biometrics or by taking an enhancement to make it automatic. By default, the power also affects your clothing (and limited carried items; a purse but not a shopping bag, etc.), but you can take a limitation if it cannot affect your clothing.

Am I right in thinking that the Shapeshift power includes the disguise aspects of shapeshifting along with everything else? Because it doesn't say...

Lindharin wrote:Here was my take on it. Like Bashman's concept, I based it on Illusion with a limitation, but added an additional rank to represent Touch, making it the equivalent of "real" instead of just an illusion.

Imitator
2-3 pts; Maintained, Personal
You are able to physically alter your body into another humanoid form of approximately the same size, including altering your cosmetic appearance (hair, eyes, skin, etc.). For 2 points, the effect includes your physical appearance and voice. For 3 points, the change is complete enough to include altering your smell and fine details like your fingerprints and retina patterns. If you attempt to imitate a specific person, and are trying to fool people who know the subject, it would still require an opposed Deception check but you bypass the need for a mundane disguise and have a +2 Dice Bonus to your check. To imitate a specific person's fingerprints or retina pattern, you would need some way to know what to duplicate, either by having access to those biometrics or by taking an enhancement to make it automatic. By default, the power also affects your clothing (and limited carried items; a purse but not a shopping bag, etc.), but you can take a limitation if it cannot affect your clothing.

Awesome! Thanks, I really like this.

BillionSix wrote:Am I right in thinking that the Shapeshift power includes the disguise aspects of shapeshifting along with everything else? Because it doesn't say...

Shapeshift lets you turn into a generic thing. So you can turn into a dog, a human, a pterodactyl, etc- but you can't turn into Sally Smith or Fido. It's something generic not specific.

I think I may just add an enhancement to Mimic that lets you impersonate people as well. Not really sure why it is limited to inanimate objects.

Question: In Mimic it states that you can turn hands into swords, etc at higher levels. How would damage be figured for that? Would the Mimic rank work as a multiplier?

I don't know the official answer to that. But my first thought would be that they count as mundane items / equipment. So formed into one-handed swords, they would do x2 damage + 5*Brawn (max +15). If I wanted to go beyond that, I'd expect to pay points for buying Special Attack. But that is just my guess...

Linharin you seem to have an uncanny ability to understand these things. Yes, they would be ordinary swords, which you can find in the weapons section of chapter 2.

You could also instead of special attack take "Weapon Technique" for those swords instead!

Thanks, Bashman!

So what are your thoughts on this houserule/ modification?

Mimic
1-4; Maintained
This power lets your hero drastically alter his shape to resemble other objects or beings.
1 point can shift into a generic person/ object
2 points can shift into a specific person/ object

Enhancement : Alter mass: :the object can be up to one Size larger than you , or two sizes smaller than you.

Enhancement: Natural Weapons: can choose to transform only part of your body, turning your hands into swords for example. x2DMG

The points and higher level advantages work out the same, it just gives an option to have weapons and not alter mass /vice versa or both. And the 1-2 point cost for the lower levels impersonation is the same as the Illusion cost above.

First, let me say that you're suggesting a house rule, so whatever you like goes for your campaign! I'm not challenging that...

I do think this house rule is giving a bonus, since you are adding in a new feature (specific person/object) basically for free. The book version's max cost is 4, and your version's max cost is 4, but your version has a pretty significant extra feature.

By my "game math", I'd think that Mimic (RAW) costs 2 points for the basic shift to a generic person / object, +1 point for altering mass, +1 point for part of body. Adding in the additional feature of shifting to a specific person/object should then be another +1 on top of that. That seems fairer to me because:

The basic Mimic functionality and cost (without the ability to shift to specific forms) are identical to the official version; you wouldn't be lowering the cost of the power as written. Someone who wanted generic forms, altering mass and partial shifts would still pay 4 points, just like the book says, instead of the 3 points your house rule would cost.

The cost of adding in shift to a specific person / object would be an additional +1, which actually is the same cost you'd pay to put this in a multipower with Bashman's forthcoming Chameleon (or my Impersonate) power. So it is inherently balanced to combine them, since you could already legally buy them separately for the same cost. Well, sort of; it depends on whether Bashman's chameleon power lets you become a specific object too, or just a specific person. But conceptually, it's close enough IMO.

And you are also giving a little bit of flexibility by letting people mix-and-match the features they want, but that seems fine to me.

So in my campaign if a player wanted to do this, I'd be happy to have a modified mimic power with a cost of 2-5, with the basic shift to generic forms costing 2, +1 for each of the three possible enhancements: add mass, partial shift, and/or imitate specific people/objects.

This is just the sort of feed back I was hoping for. I think you are correct that it should be 2-5 pt. cost.

This became an issue for me while trying to convert an old M&M character. He is basically composed of "liquid metal" nanites. Think T-2, or Clayface (Batman Animated Series) in capabilities...disguise, weapons, limited alternate forms, etc.

I just didn't see the need for 2-3 powers for something that could be lumped into one.

This is in no way criticizing the rules as is. I think they work great from what I have read so far ( have yet to actually play them ) but I also like that they are lite enough that I can modify them to my liking without worrying about "breaking" the game

There is a villain in the Original BASH! (also in Megapolis) called "Mr. Mercury" who sounds sort of like that.

You could always just take "Natural Weapons: Special Attack 1 (+1DM)" as a power too, for 1 point. It may even be more effective based on your build.

Mimic normally isn't for turning into beings- it's just for turning into objects. What You can do is a multi-power with Mimic, Shape-Shift, and "Chameleon" which is what I call a "Bio-Manipulation" version of Illusion 3 [Limit: Self Only] like Mystique has. This would let you turn into any object, any person, or any creature you wanted to, for about 6 points.