I have a player who wants to create a magical chameleon, using melanin control and a powered-up version of Facial Sculpt in order to mimic False Front bioware. I was thinking of creating a new power based on facial sculpt which would affect the whole body, allowing the adept to change sex, body type, and apparent metatype within mass limits with a successful disguise check. I need feedback on how powerful/versatile I should make said power, what limits I should impose, how much the power should cost, etc.

Thoughts?

I'm guessing you mean you have a player that wants to create a magical chameleon, not a character (I mistyped both of those first time through, gezz)

Hmm, interesting question. Personally I'm thinking make it .5 points per level, and add it as a bonus to disguise check just like facial sculpt does. Hit made on your disguise + stat + chameleon count both like normal disguise hits, but also allow you to change various things. Like change sex is 1 hit. Change body to lighter/thinner build is one hit. Skin color is 1 hit. Hair is 1 hit, so on.

Then for changing race, use this line: Dwarf -> filler -> elf/human -> orc -> troll, and each step along the line costs one hit. Changing from human to elf and vice verse is still one hit. Would likely need a 'change build' hit to make most of these convincing, otherwise you'd end up as a scrawny looking troll or huge elf or something.

Note that spending your hits on these changes doesn't take away from the quality of the disguise at all.

Wow that would be fairly rediculously cheap/powerful Karoline, i'm AFB so i can't show my math but super mimicry for .5 power points would be too cheap to pass up.

Facial sculpt gives +1 DP per level to disguise tests and lets you rearrange your face to look however you want.

I suppose I should add the stipulation that you can only take advantage of a maximum number of hits equal to your level in the chameleon power.

It also doesn't make your disguise any more convincing. People will be able to see through it just as easily "Wait, your muscles are all wrong for a troll, and why does it look like your roots are blond?", it is just that if they do fall for it, they'll be looking for an even more wrong person then they originally were.

Mechanically it is the same advantage as facial sculpt, it just adds some nice fluff mostly. And .5 per level is somewhat expensive when you consider there are two other ways to get the same +1 DP for .25 per level.

I suppose you could make it more expensive if you really wanted, but it is a fairly niche power. Should likely stipulate that you can't use it in conjunction with a mask or disguise kit or anything like that, or if you can, you can't use hits gained from the dice of the kit/mask to affect the magic changes.

Edit: I do admit that a level or two is very appealing for many, as even if it is seen through, they won't know what race/sex you really are, but still, power points are usually fairly thin, so I still don't think it would be a must have. A must have for any character big on disguises, yes, but for others just a 'that would be kinda cool' sort of thing.

I should probably add that I limit ranks in ANY power to your Magic/2, rounded down.