Always On (limitation)

note:This is on the limitation. For the status see Always On (status)

Always On is a B110 limitation one takes for abilities which are normally switchable. Common examples include Insubstantiality (which is switchable with 1 ready maneuver by default) and attacks with Aura (switchable with free action by default)

off is relative[]

Insubstantiality can actually specify "on" or "off" as a default state, which only really matters if you take while conscious or reversion.

always is not ALWAYS[]

An ability which is always-on by default loses this without taking Switchable +10% if something else like Costs Fatigue is applied to it.

As for things with the limitation, if they have an Accessibility, then they are only "always on" when the conditions of the Accessibility are fulfilled.

If that condition is an altered form and the user controls that altered form via a switchable ability they can easily control whether it's on or not.

For example:

Invisibility (only while flying)
Flying

The user can just hover a bit to enjoy the invisibility, and if they ever want to be visible, just turn it off and go into freefall, which isn't that dangerous if you're only 1 inch above the ground.

The more well-known combination is Invisibility (only while insubstantial -10%) with Insubstantiality (switchable by default) which is much cheaper than taking Switchable +10% Link+10% on Invisibility and Link+10% on insubstantiality.

it's unclear which book used that or if it was in FAQ or quotes, please supply link/page if known

Pricing in respect to switching time[]

if an ability normally requires less time (free action) to switch off, then it might be reasonable to let them take a Takes Extra Time limitation to bring it down to a free action first before taking AO, but this is not done for Aura
if an ability normally requires more time to switch on, then it could be reasonable to force them to buy Reduced Time to lower it to 1 second before giving this discount, but this is not done for Insubstantiality.

Contradictions[]

Burning Attack is assigned different values in basic set 262 and powers 54 (both -40%) and elsewhere in powers (-20% on page 100)
Toxic Attack is worth -40% on Powers 54, -20% on powers 144/155
- per B110 -20% is supposed to be "physically inconvenient" while -40% is "dangerous (to you!)"
Terror is assigned different values in Characters (-20%) vs The Weird (-10%)
- the latter small is meant to be "cosmetic"

Five tiers[]

-0%:

The Weird pg 29 for Corrosion Attack, unless this was an accidental omission. It says "Always On, Can’t wear armor, ‑40%;" and -40% is the usual value for Can't Wear Armor
- since CWA is meant for DR, this is probably just meaning they CAN wear armor but it will be quickly corroded into sludge, so you can't wear it for very long

-10%:

-20%:

B93 for Terror
P22 for Telekinesis
P100 for Burning Attack or Corrosive Attack
P144 for Corrosion Attack or Toxic Attack
P155 for toxic Attack

-40%:

B262 for Burning Attack (Aura) for Body of Fire
- it's unclear how this is dangerous to the actual user unless it makes them unable to take shelter in wood buildings since they would collapse on them
P54 for Burning Attack or Toxic Attack

-50%:

B72 for Obscure
- one point of comparison would be always-on invisibility, which is offectively obscure 10 to electromagnetic vision. B63 has this Always-On by default and +10 switchable, so if you x1.1 to get that cost, you /1.1 to get reduced (base) cost as if always on, which is nowhere near half.
B63 for Insubstantiality
- actually unclear how this is worth so much, it isn't even dangerous warranting -40, merely inconvenient, which is normally only -20
  - maybe it's dangerous because there are a bunch of "Insubstantial Only" attacks floating around which you can't avoid?

powers[]

compatibility with selective stuff[]

P105 specifies this limitation is incompatible with Selective Area or Selective Effect

interaction with temporary disadvantage[]

P106 discusses how an always-on advantage can have a Temporary Disadvantage

An “always on” advantage can have Temporary Disadvantage. Instead of affecting the entire character, the disadvantage has the potential to shut

down the advantage.

This was probably intended for abilities which are always-on by default like Damage Resistance or Regeneration or Invisibility as opposed to switchable abilities modified with the "Always On" limitation, like what can be done to [[Insubstantiality.
- this evolved into Temporary Disadvantage, Shutdown as of GURPS Power-Ups 8 a useful unique name

interaction with duration minimums[]

p 111 re Minimum Duration:

On an advantage that allows Always On, this limitation is worth at most -5% less than Always On; e.g., if Always On is -20%, Minimum Duration can’t go beyond -15%.

for a Limited Enhancement[]

Not all applications of limitations to enhancements make conceptual sense. For example -50% "Always On" (B72) to "Defensive +50%" reduces the cost to +25% and the effect should (unless using Selectivity to switch off the "Limited Defensive" enhancement) that "I can't turn the ability off".

The balance problem there is by saving 25%, this more than pays the 5% cost of Selectivity. You've saved 20% on the cost of Obscure with no drawbacks.

"Always On" as a limitation put into effect should at MINIMUM prevent switching an enhancement off via selectivity the same way it would prevent an advantage from being switched off by switchable.

This does represent a drawback: there could be cases where someone would WANT to switch off their enhancement. There can be cases where you actually want to block your own senses:

prevent from seeing something you don't want to see
prevent from hearing something you don't want to hear
prevent from smelling someone you don't want to smell

This would be useful for example if you

had no eyelids
were given a mind control command "do not shut your eyes" but not "don't throw a smoke bomb"
had Uncontrollable on your Penetrating Vision ("I just can't help but look at people's underwear")
had no wax to plug in your ears
had no clothespin to hold your nostrils shut

These are situations where Selectivity being able to shut off Defensive is useful, so Always On as a limitation on Defensive would make sense, so long as this is understood to mean an inability to shut the ENHANCEMENT off (B110 "without directly affecting the underlying ability.")

Temporary Disadvantage would be a special case because that NEVER affects underlying abilities anyway. One should be able to apply that to enhancements, where the TD only applies when the enhancement is on

enhancements are ALWAYS on unless you take selectivity to allow to turn them off as a free action
- TD is banned for 'free action' switchability so you need TET to limit selectiivty (+4%: takes 1 ready to toggle on or off) to allow TD here.

Weird[]

GURPS Powers: The Weird pg 29 allows Half Damage Without Grapple in combination with it and Aura.

Specifically Hyperacid Integument uses a variation called Always On, Can’t wear armor which used Can't Wear Armor even through it is normally for DR

quotes[]

Kromm in 2004 mentions taking it on Affliction (advantage) http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=21617&postcount=3

You want Affliction with the Advantage enhancement and Area Effect, Selective Area (I hope!), and Sense-Based (your allies' DR doesn't stop the Affliction, btu they must see you or hear your encouraging words), plus Always On (at -10%, since the effects are mostly going to be "annoys your enemies") and Emanation (to tack your area of effect to your person).

in 2008 http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=528553&postcount=10

Emanation goes off in "shots" like the various "nova" skills in Diablo II -- if you activate it, pow, a ring of hurt explodes off of you. Next turn, if you activate it, pow, another ring of hurt. In between . . . nothing. Enemies can run up and smack you, grapple you, etc., and your ability can't discourage them because it isn't your turn. If you're unable to activate it . . . also nothing. Adding Always On is generally forbidden.