The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

[Weldun]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

As a GM' date=' I'd let the character buy extra dice with "Only to overcome breakout rolls" if I was going to allow something like that at all, but to each his own.[/quote']And if you are allowed to use the set effect rule (pg 104 5ER), it works out cheaper, although the limitation is more of a -½ for that.

 

Aim for what you need, anything else is gravy.

 

Just because you can make the target believe that they're in another part of the world, it doesn't mean you should. If you aim for something easier, but get enough to do a lot more, their chances of breaking out are significantly lessened. The same goes for any other mental power. I still remember the old Adventurer's Club article, "Molding Minds for Fun and Profit.";)

[BlackSword]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

Botching when you shoot fire out of your hands is embarrassing at worst, botching when you are messing around in someone's mind is bad at best

 

Those powers aren't just for combat (also known as, gee BS if you had used your retrocognition we could have solved this mystery 3 hours ago)

[FenrisUlf]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

Ask the GM just what Alien class of minds covers before you take it' date=' it may not be necessary for what you wanted [/b']

 

Just what do you use it to cover? To me, it should be the really alien aliens, like the Lemurians or the Elder Worm. I allow the Atlanteans and Empyrenas to pass as 'Human Class of Mind', for example.

[Hermit]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

Just what do you use it to cover? To me' date=' it should be the really [b']alien[/b] aliens, like the Lemurians or the Elder Worm. I allow the Atlanteans and Empyrenas to pass as 'Human Class of Mind', for example.

 

That's sort of my point. Different GMs may have different definitions and it is best to find out what his judgement call on a category is before you take it.

[Weldun]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

Be Impressive.

 

A high PREsence will make your Mind Controlling days a lot easier, as you can follow a PREsence attack with any attempt to use Mind Control.

 

Here's how it works. As you move up the effects of the chart of the PREsence attack table, you will see mention of how seriously a target will take your suggested course of action. You may also notice that these correspond inversely to the Mind Control chart. If you achieve the +30 level on your PRE attack, the target is listed as "will nearly always follow commands" and that nearly isn't quite enough. So, a simple Mind Control with a greater than EGO result would be all that is needed to get the target to "perform actions he's inclined to do anyway." The +20 effect on PRE attacks is "will possibly do as the attacker commands" which correlates to +10 on Mind Control, "perform actions he wouldn't mind doing anyway." The +10 level similarly corresponds with "may comply with orders and requests if they seem worthwhile to him" and "perform actions he is normally against doing."

 

Just remember, that the target gets a bonus in both cases if your order contradicts the target's Psychological Limitations.

[Egyptoid]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

Force Wall is your friend. Take a phase to rest and recover behind a nice shield.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

Force Wall is your friend. Take a phase to rest and recover behind a nice shield.

In a pinch, concrete or stone walls work too.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

In a pinch' date=' concrete or stone walls work too. [/quote']

 

As do bricks with the durability, stability, and intelligence of concrete or stone walls.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

*I always say, be creative but in a way that is believable.

 

If you use Mental Illusion, make it as subtle as you can, that way the level needed to make the target think it is real is lowered.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

If your group is fighting a mega-villain with meager mental defenses, get in their early and do your thing before he/she wipes the floor with the rest of the party.

 

Take a gander at Gravitar, for example. She rates mega-villain... but the only defense she has against mental attacks is a high Ego. If your mentalist can beat ECV 8 routinely, they have her on a silver platter, really.

 

But if the other members of the party have already been hurled around like so many rag-dolls by the Mistress of All Gravity by the time you start, they are justified in taking it out on you afterwards.

[CBikle]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

If your group is fighting a mega-villain with meager mental defenses' date=' get in their early and do your thing [i']before [/i]he/she wipes the floor with the rest of the party.

 

Take a gander at Gravitar, for example. She rates mega-villain... but the only defense she has against mental attacks is a high Ego. If your mentalist can beat ECV 8 routinely, they have her on a silver platter, really.

 

But if the other members of the party have already been hurled around like so many rag-dolls by the Mistress of All Gravity by the time you start, they are justified in taking it out on you afterwards.

 

Gravitar is one of the few exceptions to the rule; most published Champions master-villains tend to have enough boatloads of mental defense (in addition to a high ego) to make any serious mental shennanigans, impossible.

 

Gravitar is really just intended for big brawls, not so much a complicated behind-the-scenes type master-villain, so I'd figure that most GMs would be inclined to let the mental stuff play out, whreas they wouldn't risk it with a villain that they wanted to see make it beyond the first act.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

If you have an attack that does body----be very careful when you use it.

 

Your team might get worried that they might get mindfried someday.

[Karma]

Re: The Things I've Learned Playing A Mentalist

 

Try lower level effects first 'Hit the Brick, not me' before high level ones 'Attack your friends'. Even with Cumulative your victim is more than likely to pummel you into paste before you reach high levels.

 

and just 1 more

 

People don't appreciate being Mind Controlled/Mind Read/Mental Illusioned, etc. Either use 'undetectable' effects or get the heck away before they make their breakout rolls.