There is always a "base form" -- to which you return when you're unconscious or dead, unless you buy an enhancement ("Once On, Stays On") to prevent it. So, unless he pays extra, Leonard wakes up every morning as Strong Leonard. Moreover, shapeshifting is not a linear process; you can
always revert straight back to your normal form, without having to recapitulate every shape change you've made all day. And you
don't take Shapeshifting as a power for each and every template; only the "base" character gets that.
The reason for the "Strong Leonard" package is to define that base form, without the shapeshifted "extras," and to define the abilities that persist across all your forms. For example, since Rose has Vibration Sense in her base form, she also has it as "Quartz" and "Dusty," her two alternates. You never
lose abilities from that base form in changing shape, unless they're specifically overridden by the new template.
Moreover, the Shapeshifting power
requires that "you must specify a single, reasonably common external influence that can force you to return to your native form against your will. This should suit the advantage's origin: a Dispel Magic spell if your ability is magical, exorcism if a spirit power, strong magnetic fields if technological, etc." (
Characters, p. 83). So, no, you're not just getting free points; there's always a catch. :-)
Rose, for example, needs to stay connected to the earth; if she's on an airplane, or in a Magneto-style prison made entirely of plastic, then she loses access to her shapeshifted abilities.
So, what is Leonard's nemesis? I can't tell from the straight power write-up, with no flavor, what the "hook" is that makes everything hang together, but the lack or presence of something (a substance, an event, a stimulus) needs to discombobulate Leonard's abilities.
Pardon me while I check your math out, without the extra Shapeshifting stuff for the templates:
- Leonard base advantages: 356
- Alternate Form (PL): 25
- PL template (at 90% for shapeshifting): 108
- Alternate Form (HL): 25
- HL template (90% would be 98; free since less than PL): 0
- Alternate Form (IL): 25
- IL template (90% would be 63; free since less than PL): 0
Total: 539 points, or close to target but still too high.
Healing Leonard has room for 12 more free points of abilities, though that may be hard to swing while keeping in theme. Invisible Leonard, on the other hand, can add 51 free points without going over Power Leonard's cost; again, I recommend Silence (almost as important as not being seen!) and more encumbrance on the Invisibility if you can afford it.
Note that, if you move more of "basic" (Strong) Leonard's abilities into the Power Leonard template, you save points, since you get the 90% discount. And when Power Leonard's price goes up, it means all the other templates can advance in price (and capabilities) as well. The downside is that your base form ends up being closer to normal. To use Rose as an example again, she's almost completely normal by herself; almost everything is loaded into her two Alternate Forms, whose 90% cost is, I believe, around 400 points. It's rather an Achilles Heel that I fully expect to see come up in the campaign -- but is also, I believe, the sort of thing that creates good drama.
So, what is the story explanation for Leonard's tripartite existence? What about him causes the split? Do the three pieces always agree on everything, or are there personality shifts to go along with them? What causes Leonard to forcibly revert to "plain old Leonard," and why?
EDIT: I was just editing my post, wondering how I got some numbers wrong, when I noticed I was now reading Krys' post, which ninja'd mine, rather than joppeknol's, to which I'd originally been responding. So there may be some math oddities above, but hopefully the argument is more or less straight.
