trooper6:
The thing you are thinking about is the Alternate Ability which is detailed on Powers pg 11, based on the Alternate Attack box on B61.
Ah, thank you. That is all I wanted.
I recognize that the Ally link is probably not the appropriate one, considering the circumstances, but perhaps tossing out what I have so far for the affliction side of things will help clear up the misunderstanding of the ability. Below is the baseline Affliction that I worked up earlier before hitting the Alternate Ability stumbling block:
Alternate Form: Risen Thrall [Base 15 CP]
Affliction +150%
Takes Extra Time 15 (8 hours) -150%
Accessibility (Only on corpses) - 20%
Once On, Stays On + 50%
Reduced Range 3 (Divisor 10) - 30%
Linked (???) + 20%
Final Cost: 18 CP
Originally, the Linked ability was:
Ally (25% or Less, FA 15) [Base 3 CP]
Minion + 50%
Summonable +100%
Affliction +150%
Takes Extra Time 15 (8 hours) -150%
Accessibility (Dead Only) - 20%
Reduced Range 3 (Divisor 10) - 30%
Linked (Alternate Form, Mandatory) + 10%
Final Cost: 6 CP
Of course, if a linked Ally affliction is the improper way to represent it, then presumably there are other ways to model the desired effect.
It must also be pointed out that I am
not after either the ability "to turn a normal person into an undead thrall" or "the ability to summon Allies." This is straight-up thrall
creation. Nobody's spontaneously popping out of the ground, and no passerby is suddenly whirling around and chomping down into his or her spouse's juicy grey matter.
As far as what the desired effect is, I was deliberately scarce on it in my original post because it had nothing to do with my actual question (about Alternate Ability). It didn't matter. But, for clarity's sake, here's what Create Thrall is all about:
The NPC in question, and really, any other necromantically-inclined clerics or arcanists, can learn the ability to create thralls. All thralls are created from an intact corpse (generally an intact skeleton, though this needn't be the case) in a long, complicated ritual in which the creator inscribes runes into the bones of the thrall-to-be and does various other magical what-nots. Thralls are distinct from the creations of the Zombie spell—they can be quite intelligent and clever, formidable warriors, or arcane casters in their own right. Some of them are even capable of speech. However, they are still bound to their creator.
Thrall creation isn't an "ongoing" power—the glyphs bind the thrall to the creator and don't require any "maintenance" or ongoing focus. In the original source material, thrall creation parallels the creation of magical items rather than the casting of a spell—it just happens that the "magical item" in question is an undead servant rather than a shiny sword. In fact, glancing at
GURPS Magic, it functions not dissimilarly to the Golem spell (M.59), except that Thralls (well, most of them) are capable of taking initiative and responding to unplanned situations.
So, that said, perhaps there is a better way to model thrall creation than what I've been barking up so far. I'm not buying into Ally Group, because that just seems...
wrong... for the flavor of the ability. Still, I'm open to suggestions on other ways I can tackle this.
Caveat: The nature of the setting requires differentiation, both in "fluff"
and mechanics, between those who have learned the arcane arts and those with inherent, unlearned arcane powers. In d20 terms (which are appropriate, since I'm trying to convert something from a d20 setting), it's the distinction between Wizards and Sorcerers. I realize they can both just be represented by slapping Magery on a person and calling it good, and for just about any other setting, that would be fine. Unfortunately, it's not fine for
this setting. As a result, unless it would still achieve the goal of differentiation, I would prefer not to simply use Magery + Spells (regardless of possible limitations) in order to represent both this ability in particular and the NPC in general (for example, the NPC doesn't have Magery and the Lightning spell; she has Innate Attack [Lightning Bolt]).
Caveat 2: The reason for the Affliction/Alternate Form approach in the first place can be found on Powers p. 125, in the last sentence under the description for the Death example power's abilities:
"The GM might allow Afflictions with Advantage: Alternate Form that can raise corpses as undead."
Ideally, I wouldn't even use a Power to model the whole thing. I'd probably use