Animation

Animation is a limitation for Telekinesis. It's introduced on P83 and Animated Objects on P82 elaborates.
Supers 28 gives an alternative for animated targets (normal animation is just for inanimate ones) which is called Animate Life-forms or Animate Life-forms (Partial)
==Horror==
===overview===
H19 gives examples of fliers "harpy corpse or a model helicopter". Both of these would have moving parts, which implies that mobility is necessary.
The "Unliving" examples also seem like they would be mobile: "corpse or unpowered android"
The "Homogenous" examples OTOH seem like they would be normally locked in place: "statue, mannequin, or one wall of a haunted room"
In all cases one might assume to have a Paralyzed (Paraplegic plus) type disadvantage that would need to be overcome to move them.
However lacking movable joints whatsoever would seem like an extra limitation on top of that. Like for example having DX bought down to 0 on top of paralysis.
The conceptual difference is between "legs with joints which just can't voluntarily move" vs "stick carved in the shape of a straightened leg, with no joints". These would matter for living beings (the former would be easier to move than the latter) so it should matter for Animation too.
====Vetala====
The Vetala on page 59 (a Haunt, H27) of GURPS Horror is one example of it.
Their TK has Corpses only accessibility, just like their possession (advantage) does.
==HP v weight==
The limitation value is because unlike being limited by just weight, "Animation" also requires having enough TK to animate the HP (if Unliving) or half the HP (if homogenous)
*the pattern for these two seems to be that it requires twice the cover DR in ST to animate
*Powers did not initially list a possibility for animating a Diffuse thing, this was added in Horror: 1/4 HP
**collectively this might imply that cover DR for diffuse beings is 1/8 HP, as opposed to "maximum injury one could take from impaling attacks" which seems to be the ongoing pattern (implying merely 1 cover DR regardless of HP)
**no mention at all is given for animating things lacking Injury Tolerance
==enhancement==
"enabling inanimate objects to flex" is actually sort of an enhancement to Telekinesis though, because normally you couldn't for example, make a 1-piece statue move as if it had joints...
"objects other than statues and mannequins usually have No Fine Manipulators" is an interesting note. The contrast between these examples is that mannequins (like dolls) are poseable (they have joints) whereas statues are NOT posable (they do not have joints).
So it should actually be easier to animate a mannequin than a figure. This isn't really reflected in TK.
P82's "makes tables gallop and mannequins dance" also doesn't really acknowledge that: although tables have distinct pieces (legs and the top) the legs are meant to be fixed in place and not easy to move unless it was loosened.
==possession combinations==
The combination with POSSESSION also highlights something important: possessing a corpse doesn't allow the corpse to move! Possession transfers the mental traits of possessor into a body where it inherits physical traits.
Similar Inanimate Object, a rotten/skeletal corpse would have no ST (but would have HP) and no DX. Thus requiring TK to create ST and apply DX. There is simply no nervous system left to take over!
Recently dead might still have DX/ST as systems haven't fully rotted away. However there is no "spark of life" so they would be Portable (can't move under own power) and Paralyzed. Those would need to be bought off, if not using TK to animate.
OTOH stuff like Doesn't Sleep is actually an advantage to possessing a corpse (you inherit the physical advantage). A body that falls asleep due to exhaustion would affect the possessing mind, actually a drawback. Lichs are smart.
For B50 to stop being a physical advantage and instead be a mental one brought along, it requires using the Cosmic power modifier from P21:
:nothing can take away the wielder’s power – his abilities work on any world he visits, are present in any body he occupies
The latter is already the case with mental advantages so this presumably imparts them to physical ones too.
This is different from a cosmic enhancement. There is no actual named cosmic enhancement which imparts this transference. B103 "allows it to work under all circumstances" seems to resemble it though, as an aspect of all of them.
P21 seems to indicate it appleis to both (wild abilities with any cosmic enhancement, or powers with the cosmic power modifier):
:abilities that aren’t subject to the countermeasures that affect wild advantages.
:For powers like this, the “countermeasures” aspect of the power modifier is actually an enhancement.
:This is the equivalent of the Cosmic enhancement
A ghost who bought their ST or DX with this, would impart whatever attributes they enhanced in any form they visited.
If it ONLY benefitted that form, then you would take "only while possessing -10%".
This could be used to impart dead bodies (ST 0 or DX 0) with the ability to move without using TK.
Another option instead of cosmic attributes would be to have an affliction for adding ST or DX, and to hit the corpse with it.
B35 has Affliction as a physical advantage, so you don't bring it with you into a possessed body unless it's cosmic.
==physical to mental==
However there are ways to turn physical traits into mental ones. This modifies the Mental/Physical/Social icon from B32.
*P172 it also influences whether you use Will/Concentrate or HT/Ready for Stunts.
P235 "Any ability based on a mental advantage or that requires an IQ, Will, or Per roll"
P154 Physical and Mental Abilities:
:abilities built from physical advantages are physical, while those based on mental advantages are mental . . . but modifiers such as Based on (Different Attribute), Malediction, and Requires (Attribute) Roll can blur this distinction
::Regardless of the underlying trait, any ability that requires an IQ, Will, or Per roll to use is mental,
while one that calls for a ST, DX, or HT roll is physical, unless the GM specifies otherwise.
P75 for example, Possession begins as mental (uses an IQ roll) but if B102's "Based on (Different Attribute)" floated that to DX or HT for the user then it would become a "physical ability based on a mental advantage".
The spirit of possession and body-swapping may be that "mental abilities" (not mental advantages) are transferred while "physical abilities" (not physical advantages) are left behind.
A good example of this would be psi or sorcery. Either of them have means of using Damage Resistance which is a physical advantage, or using Affliction attacks. These are given "Requires IQ roll" baselines, which shift them into "mental ability" territory, so you would expect them to be transferred into a new body.
It is more expensive (buying a "based on" enhance) to shift abilities with inherent rolls to a different attribute. Those not requiring rolls (such as DR) can be shifted using limitations (required X roll).
The way to do this for attributes (cheaper than cosmic, and maybe cheaper than affliction) would thus be to buy something like "requires will roll" on your DX or ST.
By having that, although it's harder to use, whichever was limited that way would be carried over to a newly possessed form. As a "power" you could also boost that attribute with extra effort.
You could similarly have sort of a "left behind" aspect for mental attributes.
If you had IQ 10 then IQ+1 (requires HT roll -10%) [18] then you would not take that extra IQ with you when you possessed someone, instead it would be left behind in your old body and benefit anything which possessed your old body, as that portion of your IQ is actually a "physical trait".
This would probably be realistic too, since a lot of IQ could be based in the physical structure of the brain, and some people don't always use their full intelligence except when in good health, and might fatigue themselves trying to forcibly use it.
None of these work without a minimum of 3 FP per PU8's rewrite of Requires (Attribute) Roll to match the requirements of Unreliable. So for cases where FP runs out, it would pay to have some level of "Cosmic DX" or "Cosmic ST" to lend a corpse.
Category:Concepts