Two questions

[Sandman XI]

I have an idea for a character that assumes different animal totems. First, I want to know if I'm unintentionally ripping off any current characters. Second, I plan to build the power like so:

Alternate Form 30 (raven)(Flaw: Duration 3 [full round])

AP: Alternate Form 30 (bear)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (eagle)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (insect)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (leopard)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (lizard)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (monkey)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (serpent)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (shark)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (spider)

AP: Alternate Form 30 (wolf)

Wondering if that was cool with the rules.

[Heridfel]

Well, there's two parts to that question. First, there's the flaw. I don't like flawing Alternate Form or other Containers with Action, since it usually only takes one action to activate a Container. Even though UP indicates that it's allowed, I think it's an abuse of the flaw. I would call it a drawback, common, with severity based on how long it takes to activate it.

The other part is the high number of alternate forms. I would suggest toning down the number of base forms and use extra effort to change to other, less commonly used forms. Having the base alternate form and five APs should suffice to start out, and if you commonly use other forms, you can buy them later.

[Barnum]

And just so you know, the last player who went this route took nearly two months to get approved. If you limit yourself to 6 alt forms, that's six character sheets to be audited. Just be prepared for the long audit process, if that's the way you go.

[Sandman XI]

Even though UP indicates that it's allowed, I think it's an abuse of the flaw.

It was needed for the character I was thinking about. Point wise, at least.

I would call it a drawback' date=' common, with severity based on how long it takes to activate it.[/quote']Er, is that an iron clad ruling, forever hold your peace? :P

[Barnum]

I would agree with Heridfel on this one. Getting a massive discount because it takes 1 full-round to change from one of your forms to another is hardly worth it. In fact, if you look at some of the container-like powers (like Growth), they specifically say that changing the action is only a Drawback (see page 55 for an example).

[Sandman XI]

Thanks for the help guys. Back to the drawing board for me :)

[Heridfel]

I think you're really overestimating the cost of taking an alternate form. If you look at the example animal traits in Animal Mimicry (UP), only one of them requires more than 45 points. The noble whale is 55 points. That's Alternate Form 9 for all the others, and you had had Alternate Form 30, which would have given 150 pp.

[Sandman XI]

Don't you have to build your character from the ground up with the points from Alternate Form? That's why I took so many :|

[Heridfel]

Nope. The Metamorph power feat does something like that with Morph, but that's entirely different sheets. Alternate Form is a Container, which means that you add the effects that it provides to your existing character. You'll probably want a bit of Morph, either outside your alternate forms (with the descriptor "non-human animals") or a couple ranks inside each of the alternate forms.

[Sandman XI]

Is Animal Mimicry a container subject to the "no action flaw" rule?

[Heridfel]

Animal Mimicry is actually a Variable structure, and we've been limiting those in play. The general rule for when Action is appropriate as a flaw is when the action must be taken every round that the powers available are used. A Blast that takes a full round to use is significantly less useful than one that only takes a standard action. An Alternate Form that takes a full round to enter, then is active for the rest of the fight... that is a measurable difficulty in the single round, but has very little effect for the majority of the fight.