Help with problem with project 275

[JmOz]

OK, part of the idea of my 275 point project was that these characters were suppose to be not necesarily "Street level" but not far from it, kind of a cross between Champions (bronze age) & HUdson City Powers. I have also been slowly working my way through the Champions Archtype section, and I have come to mentalist.

 

Here are some of the problems I am having with making a mentalist, as I do not want them to be able to sidestep mysterys to easily I don't want a telepath, so I thought how about a telekinetic. Not bad but I don't want another blaster, and most TK's seem to be blasters in effect, same goes for Pyro/Cyro kinetics

 

any thoughts

[Hermit]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

Well, there's always precognition, just put some limitations on it to make it less accurate, give Danger Sense as a talent, and voila. If you need something offensive, maybe Mental Illusions to show the future, with a NCC (-1) representing no control over WHAT glimpse of the future the target gets trapped in.

[JmOz]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

Well' date=' there's always precognition, just put some limitations on it to make it less accurate, give Danger Sense as a talent, and voila. If you need something offensive, maybe Mental Illusions to show the future, with a NCC (-1) representing no control over WHAT glimpse of the future the target gets trapped in.[/quote']

 

good idea, maybe another martial artist (normal not super) for his offencive punch, and a number of skill levels to represent his future sight being usable

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

When I design Precogs, I usually use something like "Luck, (Only if the player can tie the random clues the GM gives them to something in the scene) -1"

[Comic]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

I wouldn't dispose of telepaths entirely, unless there's another strong reason. Often, telepathy is worse than useless when investigating, since they can only read the thoughts a person knows, not the truth behind those perceptions. But it's your project.. so.

 

Other things mentalists can do in genre, without turning into blasters: indirect effects, danger sense to detect danger to others far away, PRE attacks and skills, Images, Transformation attacks, Suppress powers. As for TK.. it's very different from blasting.

 

If you want to have a very in-genre mentalist, give them Find Weakness for their TK, and Invisibility.

[Alibear]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

I like the idea of a clairvoyant seeing the attack from the attackers POV as the sfx for danger sense.

 

Extra dcv only v humans is another good one as you sense when someone attacks you by picking up on the emotions of the assailant or can flat out read his intentions.

 

You could buy indirect attacks of opportunity, as Vader does v Luke, by using the set as a weapon for a TKer.

 

I also like the mental paralysis power.

 

I thought about something like forcing a persons awareness or POV to an unfamiliar position which would be very unnerving and disorientating and a bugger in combat. Negative skill levels maybe?

 

Telepathically shutting off the signals coming to the brain from nerve endings for a flash v touch. Would also work for any other sense.

 

Enhancing sensitivity in a persons pain receptors to the point where they pass out.

[Alibear]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

I always wanted to play a character like the mentalist in the Wildcards series.

 

The guy who had a big end battery for his powers but he could only recharge it through tantric sex.

 

He would have his Harim as a large group of DNPC supermodels, actresses and such.

 

 

Of course he'd need to be the James Bond of the PSI world.

[dustytomes]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

how about a "biomancer" someone that can control other people's biological functions but not there thoughts. You could give him healing, aid and drain powers. Give him empathic telepathy/mind control as he could read/cause chemical changes that relate to emotions.

[JmOz]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

I wouldn't dispose of telepaths entirely, unless there's another strong reason. Often, telepathy is worse than useless when investigating, since they can only read the thoughts a person knows, not the truth behind those perceptions. But it's your project.. so.

 

Other things mentalists can do in genre, without turning into blasters: indirect effects, danger sense to detect danger to others far away, PRE attacks and skills, Images, Transformation attacks, Suppress powers. As for TK.. it's very different from blasting.

 

If you want to have a very in-genre mentalist, give them Find Weakness for their TK, and Invisibility.

 

Really? I have found telepaths in my game to destroy mysteries, but maybe an empath, I'm getting busy with end of the year stuff, so I am goint to think on this. I have to admit I am confused about your last paragraph as I can't think of any character like that, but I am probably being dense.

[Comic]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

Many GMs overcredit telepaths with their plots.

 

In a world where there are telepaths, maybe the inexperienced or ignorant villains will reveal their identities, their locations, their true plans or other secrets to front-line henchmen, at first.

 

The master villains who last all lie to their agents. They have drivers pick them up and drop them off in the back of windowless vans without the drivers themselves entering the fray, so if the agents are caught they literally can't reveal the location of their hideouts. They organize in small cells, unknown to the rest of the group. They wear masks, use proxies, give out information on a need-to-know basis. They feed their agents false information, or set conditions that allow the agents to speculate incorrectly on their goals, motives and methods. Oh, and they kill agents who are likely to expose them where they're most vulnerable, if they can't get them out of custody. Even in a world without telepathy, many such measures are used by criminals and terrorists to protect their secrets.

 

Telepathy is expensive, even on mooks. The longer it's done the greater the chance of breakout, and one fact or the answer to one question per phase is the limit.. which is very limiting, if the target of the probing has been lied to, kept in the dark, or is confused about their facts. The telepath will usually have to either at least succeed at a conversation roll to turn the target's mind to actively thinking about the sorts of secret that would help in an investigation, otherwise they will have to access memories at the more difficult effect level -- and even for current thoughts, useful secrets are deep, hidden thoughts.

 

This is all without the cheesy deus ex factors available in a supers campaign: villain mentalists who have used some special power to cleanse or purge agents of valuable information, machines that zap the memory, shape-shift or images against mental senses. Sure, if everyone the telepath taps has such contrivances, it's a sign of terrible GMing; if a handful of carefully placed characters have this sort of alteration, balanced and in a way that makes common sense and dramatic sense, then it's brilliant.

 

All the information a good telepath could gain that is of use in busting most mysteries is also available to a decent detective without psychic powers: computer databases, high knowledge scores, forensic medicine, cryptography, deduction, conversation, persuasion and seduction, bugging, bribery, enhanced hearing and stealth, shadowing, streetwise, criminology -- or if dealing with otherworldly beings/etc., their equivalent proximal skills.. These aren't 'mystery busting abilities.' These are -- like telepathy -- the abilities we want the heroes to be employing cleverly to solve mysteries. Impenetrable mysteries that leave the heroes always the intellectual victims of GM's uberplotaware villains are no interest to me as player or as GM.

 

Trying to protect a mole from a telepath? Does the telepath read every mind all the time without cause? I'm cool with that. Does the telepath never make a mistake? Do they have perfect apprehension of every thought they read, and know beforehand how to prioritize the distresses, dark secrets, dire imaginings, planted suggestions, and believed lies in every mind? Because unless they do, by the time they've plumbed the depths of the first mind or two, shouldn't they be pretty busy tracking down false leads, red herrings, minor subplots and long cold trails of little significance? It's telepathy, not omniscience or Detect Plot.

[JmOz]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

You bring up some good points comic, and they give me pause

 

So right now lets turn the tide, and brainstorm different ideas for a mentalist for this project, and evaluate ideas for them

 

1) Clairvoyant, unreliable

 

2) An Empath

 

3) A real telepath

 

4) Telekinetic

 

5) Pyro/Cryptkinetic

[Vann the Red]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

I'd go for #1. Not only won't ruin mysteries (although I appreciate the points about true telepaths just changing the information you present in mysteries), but serves as a great hook to find new ones. "Wait, a murder was committed in this room. I feel it."

 

Tell me more about this Project 275, please. It sounds fascinating.

 

VtR

[JmOz]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

It is me making a single character of each archtype on 275 points (175+100), here is a link for links

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61097

[Vann the Red]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

I see. Thank you. Looks intriguing. About the power level I like, too. Started the game 20+ years ago on 150+125 characters. Still feels 'right'.

 

VtR

[caris]

Re: Help with problem with project 275

 

Well there are the other Mental Powers like Mental Illusions and Mind Control. You could tack on Physical Manifestation to the TK powers have him creating mental constructs similar to what Quasar, Green Lantern, etc. do. There is also the Aquaman/Antman route, limit the Telepathy to something other than humans.