Tenure as a perk

[Steve]

In my new campaign, one of the characters is a tenured professor. I'm thinking that would be worth 1 point as a perk. Has anyone ever used tenure as a perk on a character? Other than giving an employment guarantee, what are some other benefits it might offer?

[Escafarc]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

In my new campaign' date=' one of the characters is a tenured professor. I'm thinking that would be worth 1 point as a perk. Has anyone ever used tenure as a perk on a character? Other than giving an employment guarantee, what are some other benefits it might offer?[/quote']

 

Don't forget to add Hunted by the GOP.

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

In my new campaign' date=' one of the characters is a tenured professor. I'm thinking that would be worth 1 point as a perk. Has anyone ever used tenure as a perk on a character? Other than giving an employment guarantee, what are some other benefits it might offer?[/quote']

 

Depending on what type of professor and the university, it might offer housing, use of the labs, use of the grad students as minions...

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Don't forget to add Hunted by the GOP.

 

Awesome.

 

Must spread rep... you know the rest.

 

I call it a 1pt perk; the equivalent of (maybe) 1pt of wealth, from a very secure job.

[Markdoc]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

I wouldn't even call it a perk. Speaking from experience "being tenured" actually gives you very little. It provides pretty good protection from being fired - but then, so does a decent contract. It doesn't - for example - protect your salary, your access rights, your seniority, any of that stuff. And it's a negative right. You don't actually get anything except a warm fuzzy feeling of security from being tenured*.

 

Two examples - one from my own workplace, one from UCLA. In the first case, a tenured researcher was deemed "unproductive". Rather than going to the hassle of firing her, they cut all her funding, assigned her lab and support to other scientists and when that didn't do the job took away her office. Since she had nothing left to do but hang around in the hallways, she soon left. In the second case, a university hospital wanted to reduce headcount for economic reasons. Again, rather than fire tenured professors, they simply cut their salary by 90% and told them to make the rest up out of grants.

 

So it protects you from being on the "at-will" firing line, and gives you some boasting rights, but that's about it.

 

cheers, Mark

 

*well, some places it affects your pension rate calculation ...

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Well now it really does sound more like a Complication than a Perk. Ouch.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

I would build it as Access + Reputation, really. But at very low point levels.

[Cancer]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Well, any academic position gives you some handy things. You get library access privileges to whatever your institution happens to subscribe to, which could be a significant skill adder on KS tests out in technical minutiae. Depending on what field, you could have your own lab on campus. That wouldn't be an "inner sanctum" kind of lab because it's publicly known and lots of people have access, but it's there, and that again can be access to equipment that otherwise you wouldn't have. I think the use of Access + Reputation is the best way to model it, and how useful that is depends, of course, on the campaign and the GM.

 

Get the right/wrong GM and all it does is oblige you sit through three to five hours of regular weekly committee meetings....

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Get the right/wrong GM and all it does is oblige you sit through three to five hours of regular weekly committee meetings....

 

Which is why my university proffessor is the secret ID of Dr. Mentalist. All the meetings end on schedule, and everyone votes the way he likes.

[Christopher]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Which is why my university proffessor is the secret ID of Dr. Mentalist. All the meetings end on schedule' date=' and everyone votes the way he likes.[/quote']

He still has to apply to meetings sometime teach people. That would fall into some kind of social complication that collides with his heroing/vilianing.

 

Also, if he is a campion/hero using his mental powers on his colleages would be a total no-go. It's like the powers of the jedis: You could use them to hit on women, or get a better price in almost anything, use telekinesis for pranks,... - but you are already on the path to the dark side.

A Jedi (Hero/Super) should only use his powers to fight evil (situations the force has brought him into), not for his own ends. Once you start using your powers that way, using them on politicans, team members, bystanders for convenience isn't that far away anymore...

And soon you may think, that the world needs your guidance....

[Lucius]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

It's my personal opinion that most Perks like this are pointless - or should be, if I may be forgiven the pun.

 

If the character has the appropriate skills and it's written into his background that he's a tenured professer - he's a tenured professor. Why should he have to spend points on a "Perk" for that?

 

Now, if the player wants a Social Complication for the job, give the Complication and then play it up. Similarly if they want a Base: Lab & Office on Campus, to get a complementary roll for their Science or Knowledge Skills, let them buy that. Personally, I'd suggest not spending points on it but still give a +1 or +2 bonus for access to equipment and/or reference materiels. If you really must quantify that sort of thing with points, how about Skill Levels with a Limitation: Only with access to laboratory and extra time?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Untenured palindromedary

[Vondy]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Which is why my university proffessor is the secret ID of Dr. Mentalist. All the meetings end on schedule' date=' and everyone votes the way he likes.[/quote']

 

So, he's more of an dictatorial anti-hero, then?

[Cancer]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Depending on the reasonableness of his choices, I might leave out the "anti" there.

[Christopher]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Depending on the reasonableness of his choices' date=' I might leave out the "anti" there.[/quote']

He's mind controlling others without any mayor threat to any live (by outside force). He is a anti hero at best, if he isn't a villian already (or on his way to become one).

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

So' date=' he's more of an dictatorial anti-hero, then?[/quote']

 

Well, he was more of a one off joke than a actual character. But I think I'll add him as a npc to my next campaign. Give him a elemental control: Telepathy, with telepathy, mind control, mental illusions. Got his position through use of mental powers. Not large scale capital E! evil, but Not A Nice Person. Considers himself to not be a villian because he doesn't rob banks and rape women with his powers. He'll join with Samuel Gray Wolfe (retired assassin) and several others who occupy the grey areas in the campaign: Not villians per se, but people who do not follow the rules of polite society.

[Cancer]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Like telemarketers and bank executives, then.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

He's mind controlling others without any mayor threat to any live (by outside force). He is a anti hero at best' date=' if he isn't a villian already (or on his way to become one).[/quote']

 

We're always so down on mental powers. What if he had, say, See it my way3d6 Mind Control (SFX: highly persuasive), Cumulative (+1/2), 16x maximum (+1), 0 END (+1/2), Area Effect - radius (+1). He argues very convincingly. He can reach a total of 288 points of effect - enough that you will need a breakout roll of 3. With a 2 SPD, he can get an average of over 100 points of effect in a one minute presentation, on a room full of people. That gets up to 15 EGO to +30 level with a -11 to the breakout roll.

 

Toss on "no range" (it centers around him) and Visible (to hearing - he's clearly trying to persuade you). He's incredibly charismatic and persuasive - no evidence whatsoever of psychic or paranormal powers.

 

Is he somehow worse than a fellow who's not superhuman, but has (say) a 4 SPD, 20 DEX, 7 OCV and 7 DCV who plays pro sports way better than most of his competitors because of his natural gifts?

 

Just because we mechanically write "mind control", why does that move the ethical bar? Does it change matters if he uses this natural charisma to argue against racism and sexism, or to promote non-violence and peaceful coexistence, instead of for personal gain? I think we're too quick to jump all over the "mental power" mechanics.

[phookz]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

Just because we mechanically write "mind control"' date=' why does that move the ethical bar? Does it change matters if he uses this natural charisma to argue against racism and sexism, or to promote non-violence and peaceful coexistence, instead of for personal gain? I think we're too quick to jump all over the "mental power" mechanics.[/quote']

 

Agreed and repped. Although I like the idea of the fringe-hero, I don't agree that the use of mind control necessitates a descent into villainy. It brings up great questions on the ethics of mind control and where free will starts. I like it.

[Christopher]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

We're always so down on mental powers. What if he had' date=' say, [i']See it my way[/i]3d6 Mind Control (SFX: highly persuasive), Cumulative (+1/2), 16x maximum (+1), 0 END (+1/2), Area Effect - radius (+1). He argues very convincingly. He can reach a total of 288 points of effect - enough that you will need a breakout roll of 3. With a 2 SPD, he can get an average of over 100 points of effect in a one minute presentation, on a room full of people. That gets up to 15 EGO to +30 level with a -11 to the breakout roll.

I don't know, that might be a little bit cheesy. And I think the comparsion with the sportstar isn't very good. Could he (mc-guy) do the same thing with normal persuasion and complementary skills, that aren't beyond the human maxima at the same cost?

Also you forgot one point: They notice they are mentally attacked, in the first round he doesn't archieves a result.

 

When talking about different interpretations, would it be okay to archieve the same thing with mind-bending chemicals in the food for the presentation?

The effect of Mind Controll is clearly stated as "taking over the mind of someone and controll their actions". If that is not what you want to do, then Mind Controll is the wrong power.

 

And of course the entire "path to evil thing" was from my point of view, wich is admittedly relatively black and white (with a steep, grey slope).

[phookz]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

So Obi-wan was on his way to the dark side when he MC'd the storm troopers with "these aren't the droids you're looking for"?

[Christopher]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

So Obi-wan was on his way to the dark side when he MC'd the storm troopers with "these aren't the droids you're looking for"?

That's the interesting part: No. Not more than he was while using it any other time along the road (EP 1-3).

 

Because it wasn't his decission to be there. He just followed the force (the heroic story). Using the force to get a transport from the gungans, trying to get the hyperspace parts and freeing Anakin from Slavery: He was guided there by the force, he was literally send there to do this. The most noteable part is, when he alowed vader to kill him: The force said it was time to leave the world, and he left.

What anakin did to the sandmen? That was Darkside action. Not because of the hate, but because he followed his emotions (contrary to silencing them and listening to the force).

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

I don't know, that might be a little bit cheesy. And I think the comparsion with the sportstar isn't very good. Could he (mc-guy) do the same thing with normal persuasion and complementary skills, that aren't beyond the human maxima at the same cost?

Also you forgot one point: They notice they are mentally attacked, in the first round he doesn't archieves a result.

 

Of course they notice. He's standing at the podium using his speech to persuade them. If they DON'T notice him, they aren't going to be persuaded, are they now? If you prefer, however, we could drop the dice down to 2d6, tack on IPE (+1 should be plenty) to mask all traces of the effect while building and slap on four more doublings of the maximum to keep the AP at 60.

 

Do you not notice a speaker at a political rally trying to influence your decisions?

 

He spends 60 AP, so let's say 30 real points, on his SuperPersuasion. If he instead bought +3 PRE and Persuasion with +12 to the roll, he would have a 24- Persuasion roll at the same cost of 30 real points. That seems pretty persuasive to me. For 60 AP, his roll can be 39-. Or he can buy +90 PRE, Only to Persuade (since it's a power, by virtue of having a limitation, NCM does not apply).

 

We can give the athlete 23 DEX and 5 SPD, if you want. He's not "superhuman", any more than Stephen Hawking is "Superhuman" for his intelligence.

 

When talking about different interpretations, would it be okay to archieve the same thing with mind-bending chemicals in the food for the presentation?

The effect of Mind Controll is clearly stated as "taking over the mind of someone and controll their actions". If that is not what you want to do, then Mind Controll is the wrong power.

 

If the speaker at a political rally persuades people to a certain action or viewpoint, I think we accept that. If, instead, he drugs the refreshments, I'm pretty sure he has some legal issues to contend with. However, I understand that casinos in Vegas still pump in extra oxygen so gamblers are more awake and less likely to stop plugging in their quarters to take a snooze. That's the use of a chemical substance to influence behavior, isn't it?

 

That's the interesting part: No. Not more than he was while using it any other time along the road (EP 1-3).

 

Because it wasn't his decission to be there. He just followed the force (the heroic story). Using the force to get a transport from the gungans, trying to get the hyperspace parts and freeing Anakin from Slavery: He was guided there by the force, he was literally send there to do this. The most noteable part is, when he alowed vader to kill him: The force said it was time to leave the world, and he left.

What anakin did to the sandmen? That was Darkside action. Not because of the hate, but because he followed his emotions (contrary to silencing them and listening to the force).

 

Ahhh...so it's all good as long as my actions were guided by invisible voices!

[dmjalund]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

I think there's a difference between tricking someone into believing current environment is different from what you thought and acting accordingly, and making you change your opinion about what is right and wrong.

[Clonus]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

That's the interesting part: No. Not more than he was while using it any other time along the road (EP 1-3).

 

Because it wasn't his decission to be there. He just followed the force (the heroic story). Using the force to get a transport from the gungans, trying to get the hyperspace parts and freeing Anakin from Slavery: He was guided there by the force, he was literally send there to do this. The most noteable part is, when he alowed vader to kill him: The force said it was time to leave the world, and he left.

What anakin did to the sandmen? That was Darkside action. Not because of the hate, but because he followed his emotions (contrary to silencing them and listening to the force).

 

I disagree. It wasn't dark side because because it wasn't motivated by fear or anger, and it wasn't evil because lives depended on doing it.

[Clonus]

Re: Tenure as a perk

 

We're always so down on mental powers. What if he had' date=' say, [i']See it my way[/i]3d6 Mind Control (SFX: highly persuasive), Cumulative (+1/2), 16x maximum (+1), 0 END (+1/2), Area Effect - radius (+1). He argues very convincingly. He can reach a total of 288 points of effect - enough that you will need a breakout roll of 3. With a 2 SPD, he can get an average of over 100 points of effect in a one minute presentation, on a room full of people. That gets up to 15 EGO to +30 level with a -11 to the breakout roll.

 

Toss on "no range" (it centers around him) and Visible (to hearing - he's clearly trying to persuade you). He's incredibly charismatic and persuasive - no evidence whatsoever of psychic or paranormal powers.

 

Is he somehow worse than a fellow who's not superhuman, but has (say) a 4 SPD, 20 DEX, 7 OCV and 7 DCV who plays pro sports way better than most of his competitors because of his natural gifts?

.

 

Yes. He is. He's the equivalent of a fellow with those stats who uses his exceptional abilities to snatch purses.