Mutations? (LoGaS/LoO)

[Terateuthis]

Splicing Lords of Gossamer and Shadow and Lords of Olympus into a hybrid homebrew. Keeping more of the LoGaS fluff while mining LoO for powers and concepts.

On page 6 of LoGaS, the point is made that any beneficial innate parahuman traits a character might have, such as wings, function only in the character's home dimension. I see the point of this in terms of balance, but I also think having fully functional traits of this nature should be allowed so long as the player is willing to pay for them.

To rectify this, I'm contemplating creating a category of powers to which I'll refer, for lack of a better name at present, as "mutations." These are permanent physical changes such as functional wings, gills, laser eyes, breath weapon, armored hide, what have you. They work anywhere in the multiverse, subject to common-sense limitations (e.g., you need sufficient space and some kind of gaseous medium to use your wings).

My thought is to price these as artifacts that confer a quality/power on the wielder, but at +5 cost. So wings would be 12 points (double speed, confers quality on wielder, +5), while regeneration would be 19 points (regeneration, confers power on wielder, +5).

Mutations, as body-based alterations, would be based on Strength. So in a chase between two winged foes, the stronger flier would win; a breath weapon would inflict damage equal to the user's Strength, +/- based on points expended; etc. This, in my opinion, adds a little oomph to the sometimes neglected Strength trait.

Any reason why this would be a dealbreaker?

[Jason D]

I fiddled with a minor powers system during the early ideation phase for LoG&S, but gave up on it, because ultimately it just became a system for giving players artifacts that couldn't be taken away from them, or made the taking away so onerous and potentially unfair that I didn't see it as worthwhile.

Your mileage may vary, but I just wanted to pitch in with the reasons they didn't show up there.

Now one of the things I'm currently noodling with is a setting that explicitly uses them, but not to the degree of wings, regeneration, laser eyes, etc.

[Doughdee222]

I too think this is a worthy idea that needs to be tested more. But perhaps Jason is right, maybe they are more trouble than they are worth.

In one of these Amber threads I mentioned how all of the Amber characters I've seen tend to be the offspring of an Amberite and a Human, or maybe a Chaosite. But what if an Amberite or Chaosite mated with a non-human? An elf, for example, or a Vulcan or a lizard person? What if you wanted a character who was born with infravision or ultravision or whatever? What if you wanted a character trained in the ways of the Vulcan Academy, with neck pinches, mind melds and the rest? Or a character descended from a Lensman? Why not? What are those abilities worth?

Going with mutations is just another step beyond. How much is "Telekinesis useable everywhere" worth? That sounds like a pretty nifty ability to have if you're going to run around the multiverse. Amberites and LoGaS characters are already basically super heroes, why not go the extra mile? I can see a whole lotta discussion and debate arising from these questions.

[RPGPundit]

I'd suggest this: there are rules for how technology will work, and for laws of physics and nature.  So this limits things like high-tech and magic.

But physical traits? As long as they fall within those laws of physics, there's no logical reason why they shouldn't work anywhere else.  

I get the concern people have with game balance, but there are many kinds of 'game balance'.

In my campaign, if someone told me "I want to come from a world where people have wings and can fly", I would be pissing my pants with joy. Yes, I would tell them, absolutely. I would give it to them for free.

Because the relatively small advantage that would grant compared to all the possible disadvantages: sticking out like a sore thumb, being hunted by government authorities on modern Earth, being immediately identifiable, awkward fashion problems whenever they need clothing or disguises, social mockery, not registering as a human under scans, potentially having more trouble on certain worlds with strict physical laws than normal baseline humans do, all kinds of shit!

I wouldn't stress  the fact they could fly. Any half-clever Amberite/Olympian/whatever can figure out how to fly pretty damn quick without having to spend a lifetime with feathers on their back.

You have to change your scale when you play Amber-type games.  Having wings in D&D would be HUGE.  In Amber or LoO? It would be an aesthetic choice akin to a slightly embarrassing piercing; the cost would almost certainly outweigh the value even if the player didn't need to spend a single point to get it.

RPGPundit