Container

A Container places a group of FX and FX Modifiers sharing common Descriptors together in a structure that can be modified as a whole FX by “outside” modifiers and feats affecting the accessibility and use of the Container’s traits.
A Container costs 5 points per rank and grants a pool of (rank x 5) character points you can use to acquire certain traits that are all part of a common "meta-trait" or overall FX. An example of this might be an Alternate Form FX; a group of traits all connected to assuming a different form. While the form’s FX may have their own individual modifiers, durations, and so forth, the Alternate Form also has its own qualities. Activating the Container structure brings all of its FX "on-line" at once and likewise deactivating the structure makes all of its FX "off-line" or inactive.
As you can see, at the default level, a Container has the same cost as acquiring the traits independently (5 points per rank providing 5 character points per rank to spend on traits). The difference comes into play when modifiers are applied to the Container itself, and when the Container's own action and duration are considered.
==Action==
A Container as a whole is considered either active or passive, just like an FX and this determines, and is determined by, the Container’s action and duration:
*An active Container requires a Free Action to make the Container's FX usable. This free action can also activate any FX in the Container that also requires a free action or less to use at the same time. An example is the Alternate Form described above: a free action shifts the character into the other form and activates any of its free action FX.
*A passive Container does not require an action (it has an action of none). Its FX are always available, although not necessarily always active and it may require different actions to activate them individually. An example is a Device, an item that contains various FX. The Device is a passive Container for those FX, which are always available, so long as the wielder has the Device, although they may require activation on their own.
The Container's required action does not affect the required actions of its FX: they remain the same unless modified with extras or flaws. So a Container that holds a Damage, Enhanced Movement, and Enhanced Trait FX, for example, has an action of free or none, by its FX still require one, one, and none actions, respectively, to use.
You can change a Container's action with extras and flaws like an FX. This modifies the cost of the Container structure itself: so changing an active Container’s action from free to one, for example (a -1 Flaw), changes the structure’s cost from 5 points per rank to 4 points per rank (but the Container still grants 5 character points per rank to apply to its FX).
==Duration==
An active Container has a default duration of Sustained Duration: the Container's FX remain accessible so long as you maintain the Container’s activation each round as a Free Action. If you're unable to maintain the Container, you also lose access to its FX. If a character in an alternate form is unable to maintain that FX, he reverts to normal form.
A passive Container has a default duration of Permanent: the Container's FX are always available and, in fact, cannot be made unavailable unless some other modifier comes into play. Take a suit of armor as a Device: it is a real, permanent item with certain traits that don't go away unless you take off the armor, which is a particular flaw of Devices.
Like action, a Container's duration does not affect the durations of the FX it contains, with one exception: Permanent duration FX in a sustained or continuous duration Container do stop working if the Container is deactivated. While active, these FX still have the limitations of being permanent (no using Hero Dice to improve it, no countering other FX) and you can't switch them off selectively; you have to deactivate the entire Container.
So, for example, a character who turns into solid stone has an active Container with (among other things) the Enhanced Toughness FX to reflect his rock-hard skin. Enhanced Toughness is a permanent FX, meaning the character can't improve it using Hero Dice. He also can't just choose to turn off his Toughness to allow a hypodermic to penetrate his skin, for example. He needs to turn off his entire Alternate Form Container, along with all its other FX. In some cases, the GM may decide a permanent duration doesn't constitute a significant flaw when applied to an FX in a Container you can turn on and off, in which case the FX may have to have its duration modified.
You can change a Container's default duration with Extras and Flaws just like an FX, which modifies the cost of the Container structure: so changing an active Container’s default duration to Continuous Duration (a +1 Extra), changes the cost of the structure from 5 points per rank to 6 points per rank (although the Container still grants 5 character points per rank to apply to its FX).
==Containers and Modifiers==
In addition to the Action and Duration modifiers, certain other modifiers may apply to a Container structure at the Gamemaster’s discretion. As a general rule, a modifier must affect the ability to activate, access, or maintain a Container in order to apply to it rather than to its individual FX. The following are some guidelines on applying other modifiers to Container structures:
* Affects Others: You can bestow a Container with this extra on someone else. With the +0 version, you can only grant the Container and its FX to others; with the +1 version, you can grant the Container’s FX while also using them your- self. Note that you can only grant all of a Container or none of it. The GM may allow selective granting of FX for an additional +1 extra (like the Selective Attack extra).
* Decreased Duration: A Container can apply a Duration flaw to change its default duration.
* Increased Action: An active Container can apply an Action flaw to take longer to than a free action to activate.
* Limited: Certain Limited flaws (usually concerned with activation or maintenance) may apply to Containers, such as only being able to activate a Container at night. The flaws applied to the Device structure are essentially particular Limited flaws.
* Increased Range: Container structures are personal range by default and cannot apply this extra unless they first have Affects Others (which makes a Container touch range). One application allows you to grant a Container's FX at range, while two allow you to grant them at perception range.
* Side Effect: This flaw can apply to Containers with Unreliable or similar conditions that make their activation uncertain, in which case the Side-Effect applies when the activation fails. If the Side-Effect always applies, then no roll is required.
* Tiring: If activating an active Container causes fatigue, this flaw can apply. It does not mean using the Container's FX are tiring, only activating the Container itself.
* Unreliable: If applied to an active Container, it means it doesn't always activate when you want it to. You need to make a reliability roll each time, with the Container activating on a roll of 11 or higher.
Category:Rulebook
Category:Characters
Category:FX
Category:FX Structures