Possession?

[JohnnyAppleseed098]

With me being the nice GM I am, I embarked on an epic quest to find the meaning of this power (actually not so epic, I just logged on typed some words). So, I am here now for the sake of my party, asking how does possession work?

[Lucius]

 

One of the Advanced Players Guides - pretty sure the first one - has a Possession Power.

 

Otherwise, I'd suggest building it with Mind Control and perhaps Linked Telepathy.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary notes that Possession is 9/10 of the Loa.

[bigdamnhero]

If you don't have the APG, there are a few different ways you can go, depending on exactly how you see it working in your game. 

 

Mind Control, obviously. Technically you might need to link in other powers like Mind Link, Telepathy, Clairsentience, etc, which can get a little complicated; some GMs will just handwave that for dramatic simplicity. 

 

I've seen it done as a variable Multiform, but that gets a little wonky. 

 

The simplest way IMO is probably to use a Mental Transform, Healed by character making a Breakout Roll. 

[Doc Democracy]

My favourite way of building possession as a power is to transform an opponent into the duplicate for the duplication power I have on my character sheet. The details of that are that, when joined, the duplicate has the mental attributes of one duplicate and the physical attributes of the other.

 

It works because there are few other powers in the game that make two bodies join into one. It also works because it leaves the possessor in control of the body of the possessed while retaining the mental attributes of the possessor. It does not allow for a possessed body to be killed with no danger.

 

I like to use the transformation on opponents, setting them up as potential duplicates, so that if one host is getting killed the possessor unduplicates, leaving the physical body of the possessed (and the current target for attacks) still there but another host available for the next action.

 

:-)

 

Not the official route but mechanically pretty cool.

 

 

Doc

[Surrealone]

I think we need to know more about the kind of possession you envision in order to properly reply.

 

i.e.

1. Does the target vessel have to be alive/sentient/animated, or can you possess ANYTHING?  (i.e. Possessed computer?  Possessed car?  Possessed corpse?  Possessed braindead dude on life support?)
2. If the target vessel must be alive/sentient/animated, do you destroy/consume the mind/soul/ego that's already within the vessel?  Or do you temporarily supplant it?  Or do you swap places with it?
3. When you possess the target vessel, are you limited only to its capabilities or do your abilities go with you to it?  (Projectile vomiting 12 feet?  Telekinesis?  Other Damian-like powers?)

I'm sure there are questions I've failed to ask, but the above should give you some idea of why I'm asking for clarification.  In case it's not clear, the answers to those questions lead in a number of directions.  (Example: Obviously Mind Control is a poor mechanical fit for building your power if you envision possessing a car named Christine, causing it to drive on its own, causing the radio to play songs of your choosing, repairing fender damage at will, and placing an obsessive curse on the car's owner.)

[Hyper-Man]

FYI, the official version of Possession is in APG1 on page 74.