GURPS: Steal Attribute

I haven’t done a psionic ability in a while. Today’s ability is a variant of the Drain (Attribute) ability from Psionic Abilities (p. 50). Not only does it reduce the victim’s attribute, but it increases the user’s attribute by the same amount.

Alternatives

Before creating a new ability, it is useful to examine existing alternatives. One alternative that works fairly well is purchasing enhanced attributes with a Trigger limitation. Mailanka did something similar for Psi-Wars with Triggered Psychic Vampirism Abilities, and I am farily certain that other have something even more directly.

Another alternative is to use some sort of Modular Abilities limited to attributes with a similar trigger.

This variation simply uses linked Afflictions.

Steal (Attribute)

96/100/104/108/112/116/120/124/128 points for levels 1-9; 36/58/60/63/65/68/71/76 with Multiplicative Modifiers

Skill: Steal (Attribute) (Will/Hard)

This ability works like Drain (Attribute) except that it also increases your attribute by the same amount for the duration. Your enhanced attributes can be negated like any other Psionic effect.

The GM should forbid using the increased Will from Steal IQ to gain ever increasing margins.

If Steal (Attribute) and Drain (Attribute) coexist, feel free to allow them to use the same skill. This is simply an alternate version with an added effect.

Statistics: As Drain (Attribute) with an added Linked, +10% and add a linked Affliction with the same modifiers except with the Attribute Penalty replaced with Advantage, Enhanced Attribute, Margin Based, +540% and Self Only, -50%. Note: Enhanced Attribute is the either +1 DX or IQ or +2 ST or HT with a Psychic Vampirism -10% modifier. [25+71, 27+73, 29+75, 31+77, 33+79, 35+81, 37+83, 39+85, 41+87] or [20+16, 26+32, 27+33, 29+34, 31+34, 33+35, 35+36, 36+37, 38+38] with Multiplicative Modifiers

Designer Notes

There is room to argue about the specific value of the Self Only limitation. One could make an argument for -80% since “self” is a single individual, but “self” is also always available. It is certainly worth some limitation since buffing the entire party is clearly useful.

The ability isn’t great, and I can see why Drain (Attribute) wasn’t written this way. It is very expensive and certainly not worth the cost except with large success margins. Increased Attributes with a Trigger limation and a Psychic Vampirism PM are simpler and less expensive. The ability to take Alternate Abilities may make high levels worth the high cost.

Multiplicative Modifiers do make the ability much more affordable, and high levels may be highly cost effective with high enough margins even without Alternate Abilities. Alternate Abilities could easily make this a steal (pun intended).

Here is a bonus technique that you could allow instead of Alternate Abilities. It adds an Alternative Enhancement (Power-Ups p. 13). It is unorthodox for a technique, so I decided to save it for the Designer Notes.

Steal (Different Attribute)

Default: Steal (Attribute)-11; cannot exceed Steal (Attribute).

You can steal a different attribute instead. You must specialize by different attribute.

A Drain (Different Attribute) technique is also possible and has a -1 penalty.

The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.