1 hero + 1 villain = One NPC How to build?

[Samuraidad]

I'm wanting to create an NPC villain and hero in one and could use some help on how to do it in BASH UE rules. Villain and hero both you say? Let me explain. We are planning to introduce an NPC to the campaign soon that has a split personality. One persona is a hero named Fire Fox (who has fairly classic flame powers). But the same person has a persona that is a villain named Arctic Fox (with fairly standard ice powers). Fire Fox is well known in the campaign city (Dallas) as a solo hero. But soon a new villain will emerge on scene, Arctic Fox.

Anyhow, writing up a flame powered character and a ice powered character individually is pretty easy to do. In fact there is a flame powered archetype in the BASH rule book. But it's the typing the two together that is the difficulty. How would you guys build such a character. Would you make her have BOTH ice powers and flame powers with the appropriate limitations? And if so, how would you do it? Or would you choose to build them separately as if they were two different characters and then somehow tie them together. And if so, how would you tie them together.

I have toyed with the power "mimic" with big limitations (only to change appearance). But that doesn't seem to achieve what I'm after. I need this character to have two different power sets yet have the same essential stats (e.g. Brawn, Agility, Mind). I could, build them as entirely separate characters and just write it up as a form of GM fiat that they are just two different mental personas of the same person and give both forms a hefty disadvantage or limitation that represents her mental disorder.

Your input is appreciated

[dugfromthearth]

as an NPC I would make 2 characters and handwave the transformation

mechanics for it are not needed.

[Samuraidad]

as an NPC I would make 2 characters and handwave the transformation

mechanics for it are not needed.

That's kind of what I've been thinking. Thanks for the input!

[BASHMAN]

1. His powers have both Fire & Ice effects, but has a limtation that he can only use Fire when he is Firefox and only use Ice when he is arctic fox

He has the Alter Ego advantage.

[Boost]

Yeah, I'd go with BASHMAN's solution. A lot of the powers could be essentially the same, fire blast and an ice blast, just different effects. For powers that wouldn't cross over (maybe damage field for fire, and immobolize for ice) use them both in a multi-power with limitation on each that they are only active in the appropriate form.

Aside from Alter Ego, Involuntary Change seems appropriate.

[Samuraidad]

Thanks guys! Great advice!

[BASHMAN]

And since his Alter Ego is "not helpful" it wouldn't "cost" you an Advantage to have it. It's free.

[Samuraidad]

And since his Alter Ego is "not helpful" it wouldn't "cost" you an Advantage to have it. It's free.

Awesome!

[BASHMAN]

And since his Alter Ego is "not helpful" it wouldn't "cost" you an Advantage to have it. It's free.

Awesome!

Honestly, I'd even count it as a Disad in this case!

[Samuraidad]

Our group's narrator asked me to post something on his behalf on this subject and I'm happy to oblige:

I was surprised to get an email from Samuraidad this evening with a link to a thread where the character he had asked me to build for him was being discussed. I thought it would be courteous to let you all know that I had already built the character and no one needs to come to the rescue. Since there has been interest in the concept, I'll share what I did in case anyone would like to develop a character along these lines. Excuse me for not posting a full write up, but, after all, it is an NPC so I don't want to give away the whole show.
Like most character concept questions, there are multiple "right" answers. I saw two main options, which were those later suggested on the forum. I could either try to work all the powers into a single character sheet, or I could write two separate characters and handle the transformation through alter ego.
Given the two very similar power sets involved, I chose to do a single character that could work for both personalities. The deciding factor was visualizing her as not having ice and flame powers but cryo and pyro kinesis. She thus has a single power, the ability to alter temperatures. The quirk is that each of the parts of her personality is only able to alter it in one direction, so most of her powers change special effects to match her personality. I didn't treat this as either an enhancement or limitation, since they are set for each personality.
Once I decided on the concept, the rest was just putting together a list of powers that could be based on altering the temperature of a target or the environment. Naturally there is an attack multi-power with slots representing both temperature and manifested flame/ice attacks, plus temperature mastery, and a damage aura (flames or damaging cold). Her basic armor is outside the MP as ice or an intense, shimmering heat field (without flames to distinguish it from her damage aura). She also can see heat signatures (IR vision) as well as conjure ice or flames. The latter has extra effect for size, so she can conjure big but not expensive items. (How much do flames or ice cost anyway?) For movement, I gave her fire personality flight 2 and her ice one hover and water-walking. They all have the same limitation that several of her powers do, that they don't work in adverse environments, that is no flames without enough oxygen and no ice without enough ambient moisture. (The limits on the two 1 point ice based powers drops their total cost to 1 per the box on BASH UE page 37.) Her flight speed is not as slow as it looks since she has a level of super speed. A couple more small powers for flavor finish her off.
I'll stop here without divulging things like disadvantages. That should give anyone who is interested more than enough to design their own similar .character. Enjoy.