Normal Identity and Device

[angrydurf]

Can you have both?

Heres my thought a power ring allows the transformation to Captain Awesome. Its a device, hard to lose, with all the Captain Awesome powers in it. But it requires activation (say full round action, Speak the word of Power to activate the ring) to turn our plucky hero James Jones into Captain Awesome.

So would it be valid to build the ring as a device(with the 5 device pp for 4 points trade off) and then get points for the 4 point drawback (full round change)?

Its kinda murky one of the options for normal Identity is it requires a power object but if the Normal Identity is built as the limitation that can prevent activation is must be able to speak can you still build the ring as a device (IE seperate from the Normal Identity restriction you need access to a hard to steal device?) If the powers were in the device of course the device could be taken after transformation and then render the hero back to his normal form.

Or would it be better just to take a device (it is points wise) that is worth the bulk of your points and use the "Change" as a special effect and not bother with the Normal Identity drawback?

[Dr Archeville]

The archetype Battlesuit has Device + Normal ID, to represent the time required to 'power up.'

[angrydurf]

Ok cool thats kinda how I thought it worked just wanted to confirm.

[Ecalsneerg]

I'll disagree with Doc here.

You have two identities: a super-powered one and a normal one. This is not

the same as having a secret identity (although you may have that, too). The

difference is your normal identity has none of the powers or extraordinary

abilities of your superhuman self. So in your normal identity you might be an

average teenager, businessman, or other everyday person. Characters with

Devices may have this drawback, but not necessarily. For example, a hero

who wears a suit of powered armor might have a Normal Identity while he’s

out of the armor, but a hero who wields a magic ring doesn’t have a Normal

Identity unless he can’t wear or have the ring with him for some reason.

Rings explicitly don't qualify for Normal Identity, because they are so easy to carry around. A battlesuit is not comparable to a ring in that regard.

[Dr Archeville]

Ah, quite right, I'd skimmed the original post and missed that it was a ring being considered.

That said, I'd think it could apply in some cases. If the ring doesn't always grant powers/the powers don't automatically activate when put on, if it takes some effort to activate its mojo, I could see Normal ID being used.

On the other tentacle, if you never take the ring off, and even go so far as to hide it under gloves or something, then it shouldn't even get the Device discount (and at best have the Power Loss drawback, if not just treated as a Complication), since no one would know that it could be removed.

[angrydurf]

The idea would be that the ring (or amulet) would be worn most times but certainly not hidden (and give a knowledge arcane check to recognize it as magic even from casual examination possibly). In addition to the device element of it being possibly stolen etc it would be need to be activated as a full round action verbally so no activation if silenced with anything from a gag to obfuscate sound powers or chokehold.

So it woudl have the drawbacks and limitations of both elements. I mean normal Identity can be used to represent the captain Marvel all you have to do is say the word. Its not just wearing the ring that gives the powers but activating it along the same lines. I mean if the normal guy gets mugged and the ring is stolen thats the device causeing trouble, if he's bound and gaged unable to activate it thats the normal Identity drawback.

as for not counting for device even I guess I can see that if its beign used cheesily and hidden but on of the prime examples of device from the books is the power ring ala green lantern.

Woudl it work better as a limitation on the device? How much would a limitation that didn't allow the device to function until the words of power were spoken be worth?