Tedology Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Hello all, Question about Shape Shift and Invisibility. (At least I hope it's quick!) I have a villain who can change his shape to look like anybody/anything. I understand (at least I think I do) that if he purchases Shape Shift to something like the Mental Group, that if he were to Shape Shift into an individual (e.g. Officer Thomas, a random NPC), that if anybody were to try to read his mind, they would "sense" it was Officer Thomas' mind? (If I'm reading Psychomorph, from the Champions Powers book correctly). Is that a correct understanding? Yes, their Telepathy would read his true thoughts, but it would seem as if it was Officer Thomas' mind. (Of course, the shapeshifter would need to have Telepathy and would have had to sense what Officer Thomas' mind was like as well, correct? Or would he (the shapeshifter) somehow need to get a Mental Illusions damage shield of sort...that would cast the Mental Illusion that the mind was not his own? Also, what about inanimate objects? If he, for example, altered his shape to appear as a pencil...and a mentalist came in and tried to Detect Minds...would my shapeshifter have to purchase Invisibility (to the Mental Group)? Seems rather powerful. Of course, I guess the mentalist PC could try to read the mind of the pencil on the table. And along the same lines, would the pencil have a pulse? Or would Shape Shift to Touch Group help with that? Sorry for the many questions... I'm trying to grasp the best way to make this shapeshifter. Thanks much! Ted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusher Bob Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Mental shapeshifting normally only disguises your surface thought (up to EGO +9), but a telepath can normally identify you eith the get an EGO +10 result or better. But I'd guess that just piling on the mental defense would prevent most telepaths from getting through. Of course, they'll tend to notice something is up if they can't read you. So maybe mental defense with invisible power effects? If the let mental defense with invisble power effects allow you to confabulate what the telepath senses, then I guess it could also hide the fact that that chair has a human mind... Of course, this doesn't fool any power or senses not governed by ego / mental defense, like a detect mind sense. To get around that, I'd say either invisibility to the mental group, or maybe talking the GM into letting you multi-form into other classes of mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedology Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Hi Bob and thanks for answering. Well, I'm the GM, so I think I'm fairly safe in that regard. I just wanted to be able to justify it if my players questioned how I did what I did. I could have the chair have "Invisibility to the Mental Group", so I think if a player tried to "Detect Mind" in the room, the chair would not show up...as it's Invisible. I'm guessing the same could be said about the chair's pulse. I'll think about the Mental Illusions damage shield...but it would need to have invisible power effects...otherwise the telepath would "see" the damage shield. Or, being the GM...I could simply say it is that way... I just like to be able to justify (as I already said). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
massey Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 The way I read it is: Shapeshift with mental group would cover any sort of Detect powers. If it's "Detect Mind", it will be fooled by the Shapeshift, the same as how our vision is basically a detect and is also fooled by shapeshift. You could get around Shapeshift with Mind Scan. If I Mind Scan for Shapeshift Lad, for some reason I keep coming up with the image of a pencil. I can then use Telepathy on that pencil normally, and lo and behold, it's not actually a pencil. Telepathy that is bought Area of Effect would also break through it. You'd get the thoughts of everyone in the area, and while you may not realize it's the pencil having those thoughts, you'd have one extra set of thoughts than you had people in front of you. Invisibility vs mental would prevent the Mind Scan from finding you, and probably the Detect Minds as well (depending upon the sfx of the Detect), but if I'm looking at you and I randomly decide to try and read that pencil's mind, then my Telepathy still works. Mental Defense won't prevent someone from figuring out you're there, any more than a high PD makes you invisible. But it will stop mental powers from getting through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassandra Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Mental Illusion, Self Only (-1/2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedology Posted June 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Massey, thanks for your input. You explain it quite clearly. Cassandra, I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Self Only". Wouldn't it need to be a damage shield so that if somebody tried to use Telepathy on him, it would trigger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Technically, Cassandra's build means that the character is delusional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelCold Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 You can use Darkness (Mental Sense Group). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedology Posted June 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 You can use Darkness (Mental Sense Group). Good point, SteelCold. What's the smallest radius I could purchase Darkness at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Radius 1. Only affects a single hex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedology Posted June 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Radius 1. Only affects a single hex. Great...thanks for your help, Greywind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grailknight Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 I'd add Invisible power effects that Darkness just to be thorough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedology Posted June 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 I'd add Invisible power effects that Darkness just to be thorough. VERY good point, Grailknight...thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.