Mark Skarr Wrote:True, I did forget the +100% Reduced Time enhancement and used an Accessibility limitation instead of Trigger. Given the complexity of the power, you could still easily get it down to the maximum -80% discount, I just didn't bother thinking up additional limitations. There should probably be an Accessibility limitation of 'not while other music can be heard'. It should also have Costs Fatigue since Doug has indicated that using his power songs is magically tiring. He should probably also have a variant of the Uncontrolled limitation to indicate that being exposed to the appropriate Trigger automatically activates a power song.Quote:Shepherd wrote:Actually, that wouldn't directly work either. It would cost significantly more as each one would have to have 5 levels of reduced time (to be instant; welcome to +100%). Also, it's not really an accessibility, it's more of a trigger. So, with MM, using Trigger instead of Accessibility, it comes out to 9 points (or 20 with Additive Modifiers). But, it doesn't give us the ability to reflect what happens to Doug when he hears a piece of music the first time, and it does something unexpected. Well, technically, the trigger would be Uncommon (not quite rare), as each form is tied to a specific song.
A cheaper way to model Doug's primary power is through repeated applications of the Alternate Form power. He can buy his most expensive power package at 90 percent of full price plus 3 points for the underlying Alternate Form (15 base minus 80% in modifiers: -10% magic, -40% once/day, -30% accessibility: only while power song is playing), and then buy additional Alternate Forms for a mere 3 points each. Given how cheap buying a new power song is using this method, Doug can easily crape together sufficient xp during adventures to pay the 3 points to manifest a new set of powers.
However, the best way to do the Alternate Forms idea would be to buy his most powerful form, then have a modular ability that let him "build" each alternate form, so he's only paying for one, huge alternate form, and, when he does something like sit around listening to songs, trying to find one, he doesn't have to throw countless points away as he gets bizarre reactions from his powers.
But, Ultra Power lets him get away with doing all of it. And, depending on the GM's mood, Ultra Power lets him pull stuff off that any other power wouldn't. Ultra Power is, really, a Magic-Wand of Plot Device. Plus, Ultra Power lets him do things that the GM will allow, but can't be easily built. It really is a narrative device
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Using Modular Abilities (cosmic power) to purchase the alternate Alternate Forms is an interesting idea, although it feels like cheating. As a general rule, if it feels like cheating, it probably is cheating. After all, every time Doug learns a new power song, he theoretically becomes more powerful because he now has new character options. Using your method, he simply adds his newest power song to his list of known songs without spending a single point. There is literally no difference in point cost between a Doug with a dozen power songs and a Doug with a thousand power songs.
By combining a primary Alternate Form (his most expensive one) with a variant of Ultra Power used to learn new songs (see my previous post) and a bunch of 3 point alternate Alternate Forms, each new power song costs character points which add to his point total in a way that demonstrates that he really is becoming stronger as a character. Perhaps his Ultra Power has a unique limitation requiring him to spend character points on any power song which he successfully learns with Ultra Power. This could explain why he doesn't simply sit around all day listening to music and trying to stockpile a never ending list of power sets, he wants to be able to use his xp for other purposes.
Also, to use your own argument for Ultra Power as an argument against the way you're trying to use it, it truly is "a Magic-Wand of Plot Device." If an effect is readily reproducable on a daily basis, it no longer counts as a plot device.
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