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Homebrew Morph Assistance

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Tue, 2014-06-03 00:13

Kyrnterra

Homebrew Morph Assistance

Soo.... Hello! I have been playing Tabletop games for about 17 years now and I always try to figure out new and possibly [i]strange[/i] things. My most recently crazy idea is the creation of a new synthmorph, the kicker on this one is that it would be based on the Brood race from [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breath_of_Fire_III]Breath of Fire[/url] (specifically BoF3). My question is how plausible would it be to make a morph that can transform from a small dragon-like to a humanoid to a large dragon-like form? I do possess Transhuman and I have looked over rules for Shape-Adjusting and making custom morphs but my idea I think stands a little out of those lines. I'm guessing this would require some sort of modular or perhaps a hidden compartment sort of design (kinda like Transformers can fold parts of themselves into themselves).

Tue, 2014-06-03 01:06

Aldrich

Conservation of Mass

The only problem I predict you running into is the conservation of mass. EP tech is certainly advanced enough to create a morph that could shape-change from "humanoid" to "small dragon" if they're about the same mass. But the transition to "big dragon" could be a problem in that you can't magically create the extra mass, so your dragon would have to be less dense than usual, therefore weaker and less durable. Check out the rules on flexbots (also in Transhuman) to see what happens to them when they try to take on a shape that is too large for their current mass.

Tue, 2014-06-03 02:19

ShadowDragon8685 ShadowDragon8685's picture

EP tech is fantastic... But

EP tech is fantastic... But it's not literally magical, which is what Ryu's transformations were. A synthmorph transformer could maybe, maybe, give you full-on Autobots, Transform and Roll Out action, but it would be like Bayverse transformers: they absolutely, positively cannot gain or lose mass or volume.

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Tue, 2014-06-03 08:50

LatwPIAT

Given that the Liquid Steel

Given that the Liquid Steel morph can grow helicopter blades and fly away at will, there's relatively few limits on exactly what you can do with the Shape Adjusting implant. The fact that it lets you adopt [i]any[/i] purely mechanical (constant mass) mobility system while also letting you grow - if I recall the rules correctly - an arbitrary amount of arms from anywhere means that a morph with the shape adjusting implant could in fact transform from a car to a robot dragon if they really wanted to. There would be limitations on this given by the Shape Adjusting implant (such as "no more than 300% volume increase"), but the Shape Adjusting implant basically turns a morph into a giant metallic shoggoth, so cars and robot dragons are well within the possibilities. (Of course, this is all based on the really awkward writing in [i]Transhuman[/i] which has Flexbot Shape Adjusting be the same implant as all other forms of Shape Adjusting, despite the apparent intent that Flexbot are supposed to have super-special Shape Adjusting that is described in Transhuman.)

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Tue, 2014-06-03 09:42

jasonbrisbane jasonbrisbane's picture

of course a large dragon

of course a large dragon "vehicle" bot that has smaller humanoid/small dragon morphs inside would be awesome! Breath fire? Breath smaller bots that breath fire!

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Regards, Jason Brisbane

Tue, 2014-06-03 15:24

Kyrnterra

Translation pending...

please anybody feel like adding to this statement the most plausible way to make this work were to have a morph that is made up of hundreds if not thousands of small interlocking plate that allow it to alter forms Advantages would be quick change due to pre programmed forms dis advantages would be low durability and armor in large dragon form due to thin plates and unable to use the shape adjusting with freedom Perhaps there is a device inside the morphology that could create pressure or something to help maintain shape durability and armor?

Tue, 2014-06-03 15:38

Aldrich

Kyrnterra wrote:please

Kyrnterra wrote:
please anybody feel like adding to this statement the most plausible way to make this work were to have a morph that is made up of hundreds if not thousands of small interlocking plate that allow it to alter forms Advantages would be quick change due to pre programmed forms dis advantages would be low durability and armor in large dragon form due to thin plates and unable to use the shape adjusting with freedom Perhaps there is a device inside the morphology that could create pressure or something to help maintain shape durability and armor?

Your fluff explanation seems fine. Again, if it's rules you're after, check out the section on flexbots in Transuman

Transhuman pg 208 wrote:
SPEED OF CHANGES Changes in shape are fast but not instantaneous. A shape-adjusting bot couldn’t, for example, reshape its body out of the way of an incoming blow. The Shape- Changing Speed table provides sample timeframes for different changes, along with the type of action required. Adjusting shape usually consumes a single Quick Action or Complex Action per Turn, but only one shape adjust- ment may be taken in a given Action Turn.

Most of the changes listed take 1-10 minutes. You could of course speed that up (with GM approval), but I would increase the cost of the morph to compensate, as the tech to do that would be above average, and therefore more rare and expensive. And regarding armor / durability:

Transhuman pg 208 wrote:
Compress itself by 33% in any dimension with no ill effects, provided the additional mass is extended in another dimension. • Extend itself by up to 50% in any dimension at the cost of spreading thin its external surface. This reduces the module/bot’s armor by 25%. • Extend itself up to double its size along any dimension. This seriously spreads out armor, in some cases exposing weak spots. Reduce armor value by 50%. This may also make the module/flexbot more susceptible to electromagnetic radiation at the gamemaster’s discretion. • Extend itself by up to 50% along one dimension and up to double along another. Extending in two dimensions has a severe effect on armor protection; reduce armor by 75%. Internal systems are more susceptible to radiation, if any is present. A module extended in this fashion is no longer considered a small target in combat.

As a GM, I wouldn't allow a morph to undergo a dramatic increase in size without decreasing armor. Durability stays the same.