A Cursed Email

[Steve]

How would you construct an email (maybe with a very special attachment like a picture or movie) that would cause the reader to summon a vengeful spirit to attack them? Im thinking of a spirit like the ghost girl from "The Ring."

 

One way I was thinking would be to give the email reader the Summon power, but with the Antagonistic limitation and a Trigger (either reading the email or looking at the attachment). If it is given a time delay, the victim wouldn't known anything was wrong right away.

[Christopher]

Mixing magic with technology is never a good idea.

 

Even if you give a power via UBO, the recipient must still choose to use it. And using UAA here just sounds wrong (it's like giving him DI, No STR increase with UAA).

 

The biggest problem is that the E-Mail (unlike real mail) is not a physical object.

 

But maybe with Transdimensional:

In a way the "Computer World" is it's own dimension. And the E-mail is an object in said dimension (in the same way that a Memory is a Object in a mind for purpsoes of Mental Transforms).

Summon, Trigger (0 Phase), Transdimensional (this deals with getting the power into the Compter World and letting the summoned beign affect the real World).

You would propably make the EGO Roll when you use this power.

 

Might also need to buy a Transdimensional Sense jsut for this Trigger. If it was a real mail the Trigger could use Sight to "notice when it is read" or touch to know when it is opened. But in this case the Trigger is on the other side of a Dimensional Barrier.

[stardogchamp]

Have you seen this thread?

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/87882-emailing-a-fireball/?hl=%2Bfireball+%2Bemail

 

it might give you some food for thought.

[Steve]

Have you seen this thread?

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/87882-emailing-a-fireball/?hl=%2Bfireball+%2Bemail

 

it might give you some food for thought.

I did. It was an inspiration for my question. I'm asking about Summon, which is not normally used as an attack, because it seems to best describe the basic power concept.

 

Victim reads email/views video and a vengeful ghost is summoned to cause them grief. It seems like Summon, Usable As Attack with a Trigger and maybe Time Delay to me.

[Lucius]

I've cursed a lot of emails.

 

I'd like to curse the spammers who sent them. May each of them find a spam email in their inbox for every single person they've ever spammed or tried to spam, and one new virus in their hard drive for every single person they ever tried to infect with a virus.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary suggests "Summon, with the Task being: Go haunt the guy who opens this email."

[Greywind]

BTVS - I Robot, You Jane ep1.08

[JmOz]

why not just a trigger summon?  there is a little hand waving (of the where it is summoned) but I don't see any need to over complicate

[Christopher]

why not just a trigger summon?  there is a little hand waving (of the where it is summoned) but I don't see any need to over complicate

Trigger is not designed to allow you to detect stuff you could not normally detect yourself. When someone opens a Email is one of those things.

Also the trigger must somehow get to the target to trigger at the right spot.

[Lucius]

Maybe the palindromedary had it right. Just Summon, straight up, with the TASK being "Go haunt the person who opens this email."

 

"Detect person I'm supposed to haunt" is a sense the Summoned bogie has.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Feeding suspect emails to the palindromedary

[Christopher]

Maybe the palindromedary had it right. Just Summon, straight up, with the TASK being "Go haunt the person who opens this email."

 

"Detect person I'm supposed to haunt" is a sense the Summoned bogie has.

Plus maybe a Teleport, megascale to get there. It's a solid approach.

 

Only leaves the question when it is cast:

If you cast it while sending the Email and the target does not open it right away (but say a week later), would the waiting time cost you Tasks (at the 1/day ratio)?

If it Triggers when read, how does the trigger know that a Mail on the other side of the planet is being read?

 

The biggest problem is that the E-Mail (unlike real mail) is not a physical object.

 

But maybe with Transdimensional:

In a way the "Computer World" is it's own dimension. And the E-mail is an object in said dimension (in the same way that a Memory is a Object in a mind for purpsoes of Mental Transforms).

Summon, Trigger (0 Phase), Transdimensional (this deals with getting the power into the Compter World and letting the summoned beign affect the real World).

You would propably make the EGO Roll when you use this power.

 

Might also need to buy a Transdimensional Sense jsut for this Trigger. If it was a real mail the Trigger could use Sight to "notice when it is read" or touch to know when it is opened. But in this case the Trigger is on the other side of a Dimensional Barrier.

Nobody seems to have noticed my post or my idea to use Transdimensional, so I write this out:

Literal Mail Worm: Summon 200 point Giant Worm Monster, 40 Base Points; Transdimensional* (real World to Cyberspace and back; +1/2), Trigger ("When Mail is being read by intended recipient**", Activation takes no Time, Trigger requires a Full Phase Action to Reset, +1/4), 70 AP; 70 Real Points

plus

As you look at the mail, it looks back: Transdimensional Sense Modifier (10 Points) for Sight or Touch***, for Literal Mail Worm Trigger only (-2)

 

It works on the asumption that the Mail is a "Physical Object in an Alternate Dimension"(Cyberspace) and as such can have triggers applied to it/carry triggers along.

 

 

*Since Trigger has some inherent Indirect Properties, I asume you can just buy Transdimensional for it without needing Indirect

 

**Using Sight as Trigger would allow to identify a specific target within Sights limitation.

Touch might not be able to but it might still know the difference between a Virus Scanner/Spam Filter and a mail Programm (what a human reader uses). It would still missfire if some pre-reads it.

 

***Depends on GM ruling wich of the two senses would be more apropirate for a Mail to detect "being read".

[Sean Waters]

If I create a power in a universal focus which is activated by pushing the button on top, then leave that focus on the bus, someone could come along and use it.  They would have no idea what it did other than by observing the effects.

 

So, how about a summon in a universal focus, a video tape, activated by playing it (requires gestures, another focus, extra time etc.)?

 

That gets round all the problems.  You don't need UBO with a universal focus, and the person activating the power will be the person to whom an antagonistic spirit is antagonistic to.  Moreover the power is activated wherever it is activated and so that is where the summons happens.

 

All you are doing is giving someone a focus and they are using it.  Am I underthinking this?

[Sean Waters]

I suppose one issue here is whether the email is cursed for all recipients?  What if you forward it to someone else?  What if you have a virus that forwards a copy to everyone in your address book?

 

Really you need to decide what this is.  Is it one shot, or can it keep on going?  The latter is more problematic.

[Christopher]

If I create a power in a universal focus which is activated by pushing the button on top, then leave that focus on the bus, someone could come along and use it.  They would have no idea what it did other than by observing the effects.

 

So, how about a summon in a universal focus, a video tape, activated by playing it (requires gestures, another focus, extra time etc.)?

 

That gets round all the problems.  You don't need UBO with a universal focus, and the person activating the power will be the person to whom an antagonistic spirit is antagonistic to.  Moreover the power is activated wherever it is activated and so that is where the summons happens.

There are several Problems with taht approach:

1. A Character does not HAS to use a Focus.

2. The Videotape is a physical object. A Emal is not a pyhsical Object.

3. What you describe would fall under "setting Trigger multiple times", wich is allowed if the Trigger needs a Focus or has charges. "Summon, Anatognistic, Focus" is clearly not balanced to set that Videotape Trap. You want a Trap that triggers if the Videotape is played - so use trigger and pay what it is worth.

[Sean Waters]

There are several Problems with taht approach:

1. A Character does not HAS to use a Focus.

2. The Videotape is a physical object. A Emal is not a pyhsical Object.

3. What you describe would fall under "setting Trigger multiple times", wich is allowed if the Trigger needs a Focus or has charges. "Summon, Anatognistic, Focus" is clearly not balanced to set that Videotape Trap. You want a Trap that triggers if the Videotape is played - so use trigger and pay what it is worth.

 

We are after solutions, not problems, Christopher.

 

1. Absolutely.  Don't open the email, don't watch the video, no movie.  That is kinda the point.

2. An email fulfils all the necessary criteria for a focus.  Not sure it says that it has to be physical.  It can be taken off you, it can be destroyed, other people can use it.

3. With due respect, Christopher, are you not the one who is constantly saying that you should not be paying for plot points?  This is not a Hero power.  It is something a villain does.  What it is worth is what you pay for it.  You want to use trigger, cool, nothing wrong with that, it just seems unnecessarily complicated, whereas focus allows a clever player to do something about the booby trap, like return to sender without opening it.  Still, there is not one 'right' way to do it, this being Hero.  Using Focus and using Trigger do different things, both achieve a similar result.  I'm sure I can come up with an even more expensive build if I try...

 

Consider this: if you have a hand grenade as a universal focus, and you give it to someone else, someone who does not know what a hand grenade is, and they mess with it, pull the pin out and blow themselves up.  Does the grenade do no damage because you didn't build it as a triggered attack?  Do you have to build all your grenades with 'trigger' just in case?

[Christopher]

3. With due respect, Christopher, are you not the one who is constantly saying that you should not be paying for plot points?  This is not a Hero power.  It is something a villain does.  What it is worth is what you pay for it.  You want to use trigger, cool, nothing wrong with that, it just seems unnecessarily complicated, whereas focus allows a clever player to do something about the booby trap, like return to sender without opening it.  Still, there is not one 'right' way to do it, this being Hero.  Using Focus and using Trigger do different things, both achieve a similar result.  I'm sure I can come up with an even more expensive build if I try...

If it does not has to be written up, it does not needs a broken build either.

 

Not one of the example powers ever uses anyhing but a physical Object for Focus. A Email is neither obvious, nor accesible, nor damageable with normal human skills. If it cannot be affected by normal human abilities, it is not a Focus.

Removing a Email from someones posession is about as easy as removing a Cyberware implant with Surgery (a skill Roll at least). And the later is explicitly not a Focus.

 

Consider this: if you have a hand grenade as a universal focus, and you give it to someone else, someone who does not know what a hand grenade is, and they mess with it, pull the pin out and blow themselves up. Does the grenade do no damage because you didn't build it as a triggered attack? Do you have to build all your grenades with 'trigger' just in case?

Everyboyd knows what a Hand Grenade is, unless they have a Complication for being "out of time" (or the using Character is from the Future). That is why you said "Hand Grenade" not "HKA, AoE, Focus".

If somebody is stupid enough to paly with it, it's his own fault. Pulling the pin and keeping it in your hand is NOT the normal way to use a grenade (indeed you will find proper sentences in every military training book).

 

Also you can ocassionally use a Hand Grenade (regardless of build) for simple Traps. Ocassionally is the important word. If you keep using it that way you either needed a Proper Skill and/or a Naked Trigger advantage.

 

 

But what you tried to make is a Trap. Plain and simple. Nobody in his right mind expects a VHS Casette to explode, summon a Angry Ghost or start a Shadow Duel just by putting it in your VCR. And putting it in your VCR to play it is the normal way to use "Edetic Memory, Focus".

Sticking a Harmfull power with limitations like Antagonistic to the user is just plain a missue of the Rules. The same way "DI, UAA, No STR increase" is a clear missues of UAA (and explicitly marked as such).