Difference between revisions of "Power Copy"

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This file is meant to delineate acceptable boundaries and practices for power copying Advantages and variants thereof, encompassing basic Power Copy / Mega Manning, Assimilation of another character's abilities into your own, and wholesale Mimicry of another character. '''All forms of Power Copying are required to be Defining Advantages.'''
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This file delineates acceptable boundaries and practices for the Advantage of power copying, as-seen in characters like Megaman or Kakashi from Naruto. It also delineates the acceptable boundaries of the reverse, in the form of Contracts that allow the user to give others powers.
  
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"Why," you might ask, "are power copiers so heavily rules-laden?" To put it simply: We're a freeform roleplaying game where people usually play pretty powerful characters, and have an interest in advancing those characters by acquiring new toys. People gauge a character's competence by Width of Ability and Height of Ability. Height of Ability is capped by our Power Level system and combat rules, but width of ability has gone unchecked and power copier power creep is symptomatic of that. While reviewing these policies, a player pointed out that their copier had, by the end of the character's lifespan, accumulated 30 stolen weapons. The net effect of unchecked lateral growth is that power copiers experience arbitrary lateral "level-ups" unavailable to other PCs, bounded only by other players saying no to them.
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1) All Advantages obtained by Copy are presumed to be weaker than that of the originating PC. If the copier directly contests the original PC's action with their copied version, the copier loses by default.<br>
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2) What Can I Not Share/Copy?
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::'''Contracts''' - Quantum Solution, Resurrection, Power Copy & Share Powers The Advantage, and Split Actions
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::'''Share Powers & Power Copy''' - Immortality, Intrusion or Control Immunity, NPCs, Quantum Solution, Resurrection, Power Copy & Share Powers The Advantage, and Split Actions 
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3) Players should write an +info (+info PowerCopy or +info Contracts) with the details demanded in the Power Copy or Contract Advantages. Additionally, Contract recipients are expected to make an +info Contracts file that matches the Contract dispensed to them. If the Contract grants Copied powers, the beneficiary of the Contract marks the uses of the Copy instead of the Copier.<br>
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4) Neither Power Copy or Contract can be put into force "off-screen."<br>
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5) No PC may be held to more than one Contract at a time, unless a second Contract is purely punitive.<br>
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6) Sharing & Contracting Power Copy<br>
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::'''Sharing Power Copy - Derivative copies:''' Identical to a standard use of a Copied trick - it costs one use if it has not been brought into the scene already.
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::'''Contracting Power Copy - Derivative copies:''' Costing a use from the Copier, the Contract Copy is loaned to the Contract beneficiary. The beneficiary gains 4 total Scene-uses as if they copied the trick fresh themself.
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::'''Sharing Power Copy - Mirror copies:''' Mirror-Copied Advantages may be Shared as long as they are legal to both Copy and Share. This otherwise functions identically to sharing Power Copy - Derivative slots except it grants 3 uses, like Mirror.
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::'''Contracting Power Copy - Mirror copies:''' Identical to the Power-Copy Derivative case. The advantage is given to the beneficiary to control until used up or retracted.
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7) Benefitting from a Contract or Share never grants someone the ability to sub-contract the powers they gain. This is the purview of characters with those native advantages.
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==Power Copy - Derivative==
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Derivative Power Copy is a limited-scope ability to steal an attack or similar limited-scope "something" from your target. You may target '''eight (8)''' items at a time, which go away after being used in '''four (4)''' scenes. Consent isn't required, but the target dictates the specific effect the copier receives.
  
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In short: People like to "level up" / advance their characters, and lateral upgrades are the only option available to people past a point. So we don't want characters to be able to acquire an arbitrary (technically infinite) amount of lateral upgrades that never go away, especially when the mechanism is inherently aping somebody else's stuff.
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Note that this is not the same as four ''USES''.
  
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'''Power Copying / Megamanning''': Often shorthanded as '''Copy1'''. Power Copying, or Megamanning, involves a limited-scope ability to steal an attack (or some similarly limited scope "something") from your target. This no longer requires consent to be used, but only six copied attacks may be stored. Copied attacks universally timeout after 90 days OR being used in three scenes, whichever comes sooner. The target player determines exactly what the copier receives. These rules retroactively override the rules and mechanics of the source theme.
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==Power Copy - Mirror==
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Mirror Power Copy gives you '''9''' pips to spend on Advantages copied from other players. Except where otherwise noted, these Advantages are received exactly as written by the copied target. When copying uprated (4-5 pip) Advantages, they cap at '''3''' pips, both in cost and "what you get". Consent is required from target players, who may dictate entirely what can or cannot be stolen. Copied Advantages expire after being used in '''three (3)''' scenes.  
  
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'''Assimilation''': Often shorthanded as '''Copy2'''. Assimilation is distinct from Power Copy; it involves permanently stealing <X> from another player and incorporating it into your advantage kit. Examples include Sylar from Heroes, Bass.EXE from Megaman Battle Network, Shirou from Fate/Stay Night. These characters create advantage kits by taking from others. Characters of this type are welcome to have their core kit established -- Bass.EXE can float and shoot a killer wolf head cannon, Shirou can summon Archer's swords and Caliburn -- but they can't expand their toolbox without upgrade applications. Furthermore, as their advantage sets are usually complete once they have their core kit, we prefer them to settle on the most prominent kit they use from their source material and stay there instead of accumulating more.  
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Note that this is not the same as three ''USES''.
  
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On top of requiring consent from their target to take their stuff, and an upgrade application, Assimilators are limited to three (3) upgrades obtained in this way. Within the scope of our system these are '''three bullet points''', which may not be umbrella advantages themselves, and may never be standalone advantages.
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==Contracts==
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Contracts are the reverse of Power Copy. A character with Contracts is able to share '''(Rating) * 3 Pips''' worth of Advantages with up to '''(Rating) * 2''' targets. This models Faustian bargains, boons and curses, magical geases, and simple commitments of aid. Contracts expire after '''3 months'''. Pushing Contracts to Rating 4 or 5 increases the number of targets as normal, but only provides another '''2''' then '''1''' additional shareable Pips, for a maximum of 12. Power copies consume uses of the Power Copy entry itself; they don't consume any of the Contract's Pip budget.
  
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'''Mimicry''': Often shorthanded as '''Copy3'''. Mimics are characters who steal another character's everything: Abilities, body / appearance, etc. Aptom from Guyver is an example, as is Axl from Megaman X, and to a lesser extent Beck from Mighty No. 9. To put it plainly this isn't an Advantage category we want running live at all, and we want absorbed entire advantage sets lingering even less than individual tricks. As of this writing only one character has this kind of advantage, and also has no other powers of their own, requires both IC cooperation and OOC consent to do it, and retains the borrowed advantages only for one scene's worth of use.
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To be clear, the cap is '''per recipient'''. Someone with Contracts●●● can, for example, offer 6 different people 9 pips worth of advantages for a grand total of 54 between them.
  
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Instances of Mimics will need to be discussed with staff on a character-by-character basis, with the understanding that it: 1) Needs to be your character's main gimmick, 2) Will require an upgrade every time it happens, 3) Caps out at 2 maximum (not assumed, unlike other copier types) stored extra advantage sets at a time., 4) Will have the expectation you're not as good as the original at whatever you gain from them. Much as is the case with Assimilators, it's still OK for a guy like Aptom to have his core kit -- that is, his "monster mash" form from having eaten a bunch of other monsters -- but we'd mostly prefer if characters like this picked their core gimmicks from their source material and stuck with that.
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Contracts can establish terms under which the Contract is validated, and the conferred Advantages are activated, and can establish terms, under which failure to meet them results in a penalty or punishment; usually revocation of conferred Advantages, and subjecting the penalized beneficiary to one or more of the benefactor's advantages as if they were present when the terms were broken. Penalties are commensurate to the Investment in the Contract.
  
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'''Point of Clarification''': Taking another character's appearance alone without assuming their traits isn't nearly this heavily locked down.
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Time-based expiration does not apply to NPCs, and there is no limit on the number of NPCs with which you may establish bargains.
  
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'''Mono-Theme Power Copy''': Copy abilities only applicable in-setting (such as Naruto's sharingan) and in-setting upgrades (Aptom eating new zoanoids to improve his monster mash) may get more leeway, but there still needs to be a ceiling that isn't arbitrarily high. Antagonist subsidies do apply here to an extent though.
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Contracted Advantages are '''not subject to the consent of the beneficiary'''. They may be withdrawn by the benefactor at any time.
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'''Power Copy Lifespan Limit''': Regardless of the copying method used, an advantage stolen from a character who is no longer played will be reviewed and possibly purged. It is the responsibility of PCs with power copy to, where possible, alert staff that they have abilities that have outlasted the character they were obtained from. Stealing the power to fly from a superhero probably wouldn't be purged, but stealing a character's core gimmick would be. The reason for this is that we don't, for example, want the Sailor Moon of 2008 to make the decision to let Power Copier X steal her Moon Crystal Power and for the Sailor Moon of 2016 (almost certainly not the same person) to have to live with that baggage.
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'''Patch Notes 1/16/2017:''' Adjusted the number of copied attacks Power Copiers can keep, and the number of bullet points Assimilators can have.
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[[Category:News]]
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[[Category:News File]]
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Latest revision as of 02:56, 3 July 2024

This file delineates acceptable boundaries and practices for the Advantage of power copying, as-seen in characters like Megaman or Kakashi from Naruto. It also delineates the acceptable boundaries of the reverse, in the form of Contracts that allow the user to give others powers.

1) All Advantages obtained by Copy are presumed to be weaker than that of the originating PC. If the copier directly contests the original PC's action with their copied version, the copier loses by default.
2) What Can I Not Share/Copy?

Contracts - Quantum Solution, Resurrection, Power Copy & Share Powers The Advantage, and Split Actions
Share Powers & Power Copy - Immortality, Intrusion or Control Immunity, NPCs, Quantum Solution, Resurrection, Power Copy & Share Powers The Advantage, and Split Actions

3) Players should write an +info (+info PowerCopy or +info Contracts) with the details demanded in the Power Copy or Contract Advantages. Additionally, Contract recipients are expected to make an +info Contracts file that matches the Contract dispensed to them. If the Contract grants Copied powers, the beneficiary of the Contract marks the uses of the Copy instead of the Copier.
4) Neither Power Copy or Contract can be put into force "off-screen."
5) No PC may be held to more than one Contract at a time, unless a second Contract is purely punitive.
6) Sharing & Contracting Power Copy

Sharing Power Copy - Derivative copies: Identical to a standard use of a Copied trick - it costs one use if it has not been brought into the scene already.
Contracting Power Copy - Derivative copies: Costing a use from the Copier, the Contract Copy is loaned to the Contract beneficiary. The beneficiary gains 4 total Scene-uses as if they copied the trick fresh themself.
Sharing Power Copy - Mirror copies: Mirror-Copied Advantages may be Shared as long as they are legal to both Copy and Share. This otherwise functions identically to sharing Power Copy - Derivative slots except it grants 3 uses, like Mirror.
Contracting Power Copy - Mirror copies: Identical to the Power-Copy Derivative case. The advantage is given to the beneficiary to control until used up or retracted.

7) Benefitting from a Contract or Share never grants someone the ability to sub-contract the powers they gain. This is the purview of characters with those native advantages.

Power Copy - Derivative

Derivative Power Copy is a limited-scope ability to steal an attack or similar limited-scope "something" from your target. You may target eight (8) items at a time, which go away after being used in four (4) scenes. Consent isn't required, but the target dictates the specific effect the copier receives.

Note that this is not the same as four USES.

Power Copy - Mirror

Mirror Power Copy gives you 9 pips to spend on Advantages copied from other players. Except where otherwise noted, these Advantages are received exactly as written by the copied target. When copying uprated (4-5 pip) Advantages, they cap at 3 pips, both in cost and "what you get". Consent is required from target players, who may dictate entirely what can or cannot be stolen. Copied Advantages expire after being used in three (3) scenes.

Note that this is not the same as three USES.

Contracts

Contracts are the reverse of Power Copy. A character with Contracts is able to share (Rating) * 3 Pips worth of Advantages with up to (Rating) * 2 targets. This models Faustian bargains, boons and curses, magical geases, and simple commitments of aid. Contracts expire after 3 months. Pushing Contracts to Rating 4 or 5 increases the number of targets as normal, but only provides another 2 then 1 additional shareable Pips, for a maximum of 12. Power copies consume uses of the Power Copy entry itself; they don't consume any of the Contract's Pip budget.

To be clear, the cap is per recipient. Someone with Contracts●●● can, for example, offer 6 different people 9 pips worth of advantages for a grand total of 54 between them.

Contracts can establish terms under which the Contract is validated, and the conferred Advantages are activated, and can establish terms, under which failure to meet them results in a penalty or punishment; usually revocation of conferred Advantages, and subjecting the penalized beneficiary to one or more of the benefactor's advantages as if they were present when the terms were broken. Penalties are commensurate to the Investment in the Contract.

Time-based expiration does not apply to NPCs, and there is no limit on the number of NPCs with which you may establish bargains.

Contracted Advantages are not subject to the consent of the beneficiary. They may be withdrawn by the benefactor at any time.


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