Power Modifications
If you want to take a variant of an existing power, ask your GM to give you a new cost for it. The following section contains some guidelines for the GM to use when adjusting CP costs. The final CP cost of a power may not be reduced below 1. Limitations on powers may sometimes be "bought off" by expending the proper amount of CPs later. The GM will rule on a case-by-case basis as to whether a limitation can be bought off, or if you're stuck with it for good.
Bonus Abilities
If you want to add a new special ability to one of the standard powers, apply an additional CP cost based on the usefulness of that new ability. As a general guideline, 5 CPs represents a trivial ability, 10 CPs represents a minor ability, 15 CPs for an ability that's equal in usefulness to a regular Power, 20 CPs for an ability that's more useful than a typical Power, etc. You can also reduce the CP cost of a Power by removing special abilities it normally has.
Power Requirement
Add 1 CP to the cost of a Power per -1 to its PR per use. PR per use may not be reduced to zero. Subtract 1 CP from the cost of a Power per +1 to its PR per use. If a Power has a PR cost 'per hour' or 'to activate', add 1 CP to its cost per -5 PR, and subtract 1 CP from its cost per +5 PR. If a Power has a PR cost 'per turn', add 1 to its CP cost per -1 PR, and subtract 1 from its CP cost per +1 PR.
I would allow reduction to PR of 0 for +3 CPs, but only with GM permission. Usually, this is reserved for Devices, Items, and those "powers" which are really conceived as "Super-Skills" (e.g., Invisibility which is really an uncanny knack for camouflage). -B.
Range
Ranges for Powers are calculated from Basic Characteristic scores. For each additional Characteristic score worth of range, add 1 CP to the cost of the Power. For each Characteristic score *less*, subtract 1 CP from the Power's cost. For example, the range of a Power Blast equals (S+E)/2", or an average of 1 Characteristic in range. Making a Power Blast's range equal S+E costs an extra 1 CP, while reducing a Power Blast's range to 0" reduces the CP cost of the Power Blast by 1.
Damage
The CP value of any damage roll equals its average damage, rounded up. So, for example, a Power Blast's 1d20 damage roll has a CP value of 11, while a Flame Power attack's 1d12 damage roll has a CP value of 7. Consequently, reducing a Power Blast's damage roll to 1d12 subtracts 4 from the CP cost of the Power Blast, while increasing a Flame Power attack's damage to 1d20 would add 4 CPs to the cost of the Flame Power. As a general rule, the GM should not allow any damage roll to be increased by more than 6 CPs. The CP value of a Disintegration Ray is 1-1/2 times its average value; the CP value of a Damage Field roll equals twice its average damage.
In my campaigns, Devitilization damage (i.e., Power only) is worth 1/2 its average value. So the continuum goes:
- Devitalization (Power-only) Damage = 0.5 CPs
- Single-Type (Normal) Damage = 1 CP
- Devitalization Field Damage = 1 CP
- Disintegration (Typeless) Damage = 1.5 CPs
- Single-Type Damage Field Damage = 2 CPs
- Disintegration Field Damage = 3CPs
-B.
Special Requirement
Some examples:
- Can't use power if gagged: -1 CP per power.
- Can't use power if restrained: -1 CP per power.
- Takes extra time/effort: -1 CP per extra Full Move, -2 CPs per extra Action, per power.
- Requires Roll to activate: This can be some GM-defined roll (for those unreliable powers beyond the character's control) or a Skill Roll against either an existing skill (usually a Unique one) or a special ability-associated skill (usually INT-based and Common for the character). -2 CPs per power.
- Requires concentration throughout (INT save or Skill Roll if "disturbed"--GM's definition; failure means power stops): -1 CP per power (perhaps more if being "disturbed" is particularly easy and/or there are negative modifiers to the roll).
- Power not always available (power doesn't work at all under certain conditions): -1 to -5 CPs per power, depending on how often the power is likely to be disabled (figure -3 CPs for "about half the time").
- Breakable: For each Hit Point of damage taken by the character, there is a 1% chance that the power will cease to function until repaired or until medical attention is received. Roll in addition to Unconsciousness chance. -2 CPs per power.
Note that if a character takes the same limitation(s) for a large proportion of his/her powers, the GM may rule that it falls more under the more general Special Requirement Weakness, and use the CP guidelines for that instead. For example, a character with six powers who limits them all to "only usable at night" would get 18 CPs back here, but "powers only work at night" is worth but -12 CPs as a Weakness; we would use the latter.
These are largely my own concoctions; I reduced the gagged/restrained bonus to 1 CP each, to keep it more consistent with Transformation A. -B.
Cumulative Powers
Powers which simply endow a character with basic ability bonuses (Natural
Weaponry, Heightened Defense, Heightened Characteristics, Speed Bonus, etc.)
are cumulative if purchased multiple times. The maximum legal Characteristic
score is 78.
Except in my campaigns. See the Heightened Characteristic descriptions for details on the thresholds. -B.
Affects Non-Corporeal
For +2 CPs, a power that normally does not affect a Non-Corporeal target, will (in addition to any targets it currently affects). Similar options exist for Astral targets and those protected by Rigid Force Fields.
My own extrapolation. -B.
Damage Fields
You can turn a power into a Damage Field. Such a power costs a number of CPs equal to its average damage times two. (See Damage, above.)
Carrier Attacks
You may "link" powers to activate together by defining one as a carrier attack and another the payload attack. There is no CP cost or break, since the limitation of only being able to use the payload in conjunction with the carrier is balanced by the ability to fire off two attacks at once.
Power Modes
If you wish a power to operate in more than one "mode"--for instance, a radiation Damage Field that can also be used as a Power Blast and/or as a payload attack on your Ice Blast--you must purchase each mode as a completely separate power.
