Mental IQ

Mental IQ is the concept of trying to turn IQ into a mental advantage in contrast to physical IQ which represents the physical health of the brain (suggested by it making HT-based maintenance rolls).
Mind vs. Brain from B296 hints at this: suggesting the use of racial modifiers of IQ/Will/Per when inhabiting a new body
*penalties are used in the example but it doesn't forbid bonuses, implying the reverse could be true, like an animal from an IQ-5 species (not necessarily 5, examples might vary up or down) jumping into an IQ+0 species might gain 5 points of IQ
**this doesn't even mean the example of the species needs IQ 10, they might have an extra +2 (IQ 12) personally but the animal won't benefit. Conversely, the animal would still get +5 even if the example of the species is inferior, like being -4 to IQ (IQ 6, barely sapient) in which case an IQ 5 animal would end up SMARTER than the original owner of the body
This distinction means IQ from racial templates should be considered "physical IQ" since:
*it does not travel with you
*those possessing you use it
This means for example that the human average of 10 is ENTIRELY physical IQ: a possessor is -10 to IQ when possessing something, and the reason they would still function at 10 IQ in another human body is because they enjoy the benefit of taking that racial IQ
*possessing a reptile OTOH they only enjoy the benefit of +2 IQ to offset the -10
A major problem with this though is having IQ penalties below your racial norm being a mental disadvantage you take with you, if inhabiting something with a physical IQ smaller than that disadvantage, can take you into negative IQ.
The problem with that is that it reaches the sentient cap where suddenly you gain a bunch of advantages and disadvantages.
If not for that, you might still be able to use skills if you had enough points in them to offset negative IQ, or used Time Spent to get a +6, or had +10 from Task Difficulty Modifiers.
This is important for advantages like Possession where minds can be spiritually swapped without a literal brain transplant.
It's also important for the idea of surviving brain death as a ghost.
One option is getting the +20% Based on enhancement for IQ, and treating that as shifting it's age rolls from HT-based to Will-based, for example. If that's too expensive, you can just take Requires IQ roll -10% instead.
This however avoids physical decline, which should happen too.
Duplicate Advantages is another way: buying 2 forms of IQ similar to Alternative Abilities in cost (but not function) where one can be used when the other is not.
Keep in mind that at -20% (16) 1/5 the cost is 
"Mental IQ" (4/level) could acquire -25% to reduce it to 3/level by -10 for requires IQ, -10 for possession only, and -5 for Maximum Duration: 12 hours. By initiating the 12 hour periods 5 minutes apart, you would not have to experience the 5-minute losses concurrently. Much like ST, it is assumed that IQ comes with Variable baked in: you can have Will 0 by offering consent, for example.
Even at 4/level though, you can buy 5 points of mental IQ for the cost of 1 normal IQ. So an IQ 12 human for example could take:
-2 to physical IQ
+10 to mental IQ
a 0 point trait which makes them IQ 10 in both their primary and backup.
Mental IQ is an interesting way to make possession more expensive. If it's considered "baked in" then you could just buy it up from an assumption of 10.
The biggest difficulty with physical IQ is explaining why it would not benefit whoever is possessing your body. Physical traits should be inherited...
There maybe should be some sort of "Negated Advantage: IQ" (aka "Unconcious" Affliction) built into a successful possession. That could explain why it is inaccessible.
Physical IQ also might be cheapened by having "required advantage: mental IQ -10%" baked into it. Assuming a limitation like that is how we could create a 0 point feature.
-10% on 20 points only saves 2 points, so mental IQ would need to actually have -50% in limitations as a 1/5 cost ability for that to work out.
Minimum Duration could be one way. Having that on a Requires IQ roll ability is dangerous: you would be FORCED to spend FP to make new attempts, no option to avoid FP and rest 5 min. This gives another -10% if you set it for 12 hours. -5% for 8 hours could be more reasonable. That would bring it to -30%.
*presumably if you drop to 3 FP it would shut down though, unless you rule it forces you to go negative
*Takes Extra Time might be used to give a 'ready' required to turn it on (to make the IQ roll) at much cheaper, but then you'd need to do that every single minute you made the IQ roll. Two levels would bring it to -50%.
The reason that "Advantage X (required advantage: Duplicate Advantage X)" appears to be legal is because of how explicitly Duplicate Advantage does NOT function like alternate abilities (no cross-neutralization link) so instating a 1-way link should be legal.
A -10% discount that requires a mostly-useless ability which normally costs +20%. It only works out to 0 with -50% limitations, and only gains you points if you go below -50% on the duplicate: which you can't by much due to -80% cap.
if for example IQb had -80% limits worth minimum 4/level...
IQa10 (req: IQb -10%) [190]
IQb10 [40] x 1/5 = [8]
net savings: only 2 points. A couple quirks where your physical IQ reqires your mental IQ be maintained, so if you suffer "spiritual brain damage" the IQ you can manifest in your body is also limited.
This makes sense to assume for how mental IQ in a physical IQ body would work, so long as however it's designed it works out to -50% then it works out to be a 0 point feature.
category:rules