How To Build Half A Brain ?

[clsage]

Inspired by a thread in the Pulp Hero forum re: adventuring in Oz and
by a character in an upcoming SciFi channel miniseries, I got to
thinking about how to build a character who has had his brain
split and parts removed. He was once a genius type and a gadgeteer
and he still has some capabilities in that realm. The thing is, his
mental abilities are sporadic. So, the question becomes, how to
build the effect ? I've been thinking of an activation roll on some of
his INT, or maybe a multipower of skills with the slots being all ultras.
Of course, since I've been at work all day and have not been able to
fiddle with either HDv3 or my rules text(s) so I'm sure to have better
thoughts once I do....But I'd appreciate any thoughts/opinions/input.

Thanks.

-Carl-

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Set up the intelligence for the non-genius part of his brain -- a 5, a 3, whatever. Let's say 3. Then buy +15 or +20 INT with either an activation roll or ... hm. Okay, work with me on this.

Charges has 'Continuing Charges', which costs +1/4 and moves the penalty 1/4 towards the positive for every time increment it lasts -- +1/2 for Extra Phase, +3/4 for Turn, etc. Apply this to your Activation Roll Activation (8-, -2) would last for one basic action, but you might make it last, say, 5 minutes -- a +1.25 shift. So you might have '+15 INT, Continuing Activation (8-, Lasts 5 Minutes, -3/4): Real Cost 8.' It doesn't always work (in fact, it's got a good chance of NOT working), but when you have it, at least you have it for a little while.

[Psylint]

Or use the specificity of Hero System to do it instead.

How sporadic are the abilities? If it's more of a "Well so long as we're talking about astrophysics or chemistry and the like, he's a genius, but if he comes across something new or tries to deduce a simple word scramble he's essentially a doofus." That's just low INT plus lots of skill levels in the "genius fields"

If it's more random then maybe +15 INT No conscious control works better.

Perhaps it's a memory deficit induced stoopidity, such that his reasoning faculties are fine, his memory is just so poor that he can't use them. Such a character might then be able to exert their full intelligence if he had memories aids, like notes, a computer data, other players, etc.

[Sean Waters]

You could even buy the skills themselves with NCC or activation if the GM allows.

One interesting idea might be some sort of lockout - when he is concentrating on one thing it 'takes over' and he can't focus on anything else - he becomes totally focussed on cracking the computer access code (for isntance) but at the cost of ignoring the bloke witht he spiked club walking up to him, grinning...

[clsage]

<snipoage>
One interesting idea might be some sort of lockout - when he is concentrating on one thing it 'takes over' and he can't focus on anything else - he becomes totally focussed on cracking the computer access code (for isntance) but at the cost of ignoring the bloke witht he spiked club walking up to him, grinning...

That's sort of what I was toying with regarding the Multipower for
thinking with every slot being an ultra. So all of his INT has to be
'focused' into a particular skill set during the use to the exclusion of
everything else.

Hmmmmm.....It could be a very high level of Concentrate, since
it could place him at a 0 (or potentially negative) DCV....Hmmm yet
again.:think:

-Carl-

[clsage]

Set up the intelligence for the non-genius part of his brain -- a 5, a 3, whatever. Let's say 3. Then buy +15 or +20 INT with either an activation roll or ... hm. Okay, work with me on this.

Charges has 'Continuing Charges', which costs +1/4 and moves the penalty 1/4 towards the positive for every time increment it lasts -- +1/2 for Extra Phase, +3/4 for Turn, etc. Apply this to your Activation Roll Activation (8-, -2) would last for one basic action, but you might make it last, say, 5 minutes -- a +1.25 shift. So you might have '+15 INT, Continuing Activation (8-, Lasts 5 Minutes, -3/4): Real Cost 8.' It doesn't always work (in fact, it's got a good chance of NOT working), but when you have it, at least you have it for a little while.

I like this....nicely built !

And if I 'stack his +INT' he could potentially have a widely varying
smartness....Say several slots of +5 or +10 INT and one big slot
of +15 INT, potentially with some of them limited with Concentrate
as well as the activation rolls...... :think:

-Carl-

[clsage]

Or use the specificity of Hero System to do it instead.

How sporadic are the abilities? If it's more of a "Well so long as we're talking about astrophysics or chemistry and the like, he's a genius, but if he comes across something new or tries to deduce a simple word scramble he's essentially a doofus." That's just low INT plus lots of skill levels in the "genius fields."

If it's more random then maybe +15 INT No conscious control works better.

Perhaps it's a memory deficit induced stoopidity, such that his reasoning faculties are fine, his memory is just so poor that he can't use them. Such a character might then be able to exert their full intelligence if he had memories aids, like notes, a computer data, other players, etc.


Well, I need to see more of the SciFi miniseries I'm stealing...errr,
adapting from to answer that. Basically, from what I have seen
so far, he can recognize a high tech gadget and identify it properly,
but he can't fully recall if he invented it. He does seem to have
solid recall IF prompted, at least for some things.... :think:

-Carl-