Spice-up my mentalist

[Tech]

I've seen so many mentalists that have the usual round of mental powers: Ego Attack and Mind Control, a.  I'm looking for different types of mental attacks for my mentalist hero. I already looked at the old ultimate mentalist book and didn't think too much of it. Can you throw some power build suggestions out, something that will make my mentalist stand out?  Thanks.

[Greywind]

Needs salt.

[Tom Cowan]

How do you wish for you mentalist to stand out?

     Maybe a Mind blade?  A hand to hand mental attack.

     An AOE Mental Illusion? AOE, Pen and Cumulative

[Supabeasto]

How about a psychokinetic brick?

 

You could manifest a large Psi-Giant "armor" like Psimon (Villains - Vol.2 for 6e) and have huge telekinetic strength you use to bash and beat your opponents.

Or, the brick could be a separate physical manifestation of your telekinetic powers.

[Balabanto]

How about boobs and a bikini?

 

That adds spice to any mentalist.

[massey]

I've used normal powers and defined them as mental abilities.  Basically passively using telepathy and other abilities.

 

For instance:

 

N-Ray Vision, only if people are present -1/2  (you basically read their minds and see what they see)

 

Universal Translator (reading their mind so you can understand each other)

 

Other skills, only when someone who has them is nearby -1/2 (picking his brain)

 

Energy Blast, Indirect, only in urban areas -1/2 (you mind control that dump truck driver into turning his wheel at the last second and ramming your opponent, or that housewife into throwing something heavy from her 30th floor apartment)

 

 

 

Stuff like that.

[Lord Liaden]

One of the official Champions villains has an extremely nasty Scanners-style mental attack: RKA AVAD (Mental Defense), Does BODY. If the target doesn't have Resistant Mental Defense (and few do IME), that's going to literally scar their minds.

[DShomshak]

You can make some interesting mental Powers by taking other Powers and adding ACV and AVAD. Like, a "Psychic Blinding" attack: a Sight Group Flash with ACV (OMCV vs. DMCV) and AVAD (acts versus Mental Defense instead of Flash Defense).

 

Dean Shomshak

[freakboy6117]

you could go physical with some Psychic kung fu

 

HTH or DCV skill levels with the SFX of precognition or mind reading

 

missile deflection or force wall for psycho kinetic blocks

 

stretching and HTH damage could also be bought as a psycho kinetic enhancement

 

psychic disorientation blindness or pain generation might be the edge a normal martial artist needs to compete in a super human arena.

[grandmastergm]

In a campaign I ran, one of the players has a fondness for AOE, Autofire Mental Blast attacks- sometimes with Does Body.  It's useful against targets without mental defense.  Or you could have a TK Spear Volley of RKA Penetrating Autofire Attack.

 

You could go with a variation of those attacks.

[Lucius]

Spice up a mentalist?

 

Melange. Of course.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says, The Spice must Flow.

[steriaca]

Blast whatever d6, ACV (OMCV vs. DCV), Indirect (same source, any path), No Range Penalty.

.

The above attack repersents generating 'Mental Energy' and unleashing it at a target. It still affects Energy Defense, but is still a 'mental power'.

[BoloOfEarth]

I recently re-wrote Scatterbrain (from Deathstroke) and gave her Scattershot (Mental Blast, AoE Cone Selective).  Doesn't do a lot, I think only 3d6, but if most of the opposition doesn't have Mental Defense, it adds up quick.  And of course it's good for taking down a room full of normal people, cops, etc. in two shots.

 

Apart from unique writeups, special effects can be your friend in defining a "unique" mentalist. 

 

For instance, I gave a necromancer an attack where her spirit reaches out and attacks the target's spirit.  Mechanically just a straight-up Mental Blast with No Range, but the special effects make it seem a lot scarier than it really is.

 

I've also defined Mental Blasts as the mentalist dredging up the memories of past injuries.  So even though the hero is facing off against Mental Mike, he's having flashbacks to his fight with Grond.  This works best if you can recall an incident from a past fight and remind the player of it in detail,

[Tech]

For those who gave ideas, thanks. I'll have to think about these.

[DShomshak]

BoloOfEarth has a good point about special effects and character background. The glamours of a faerie prince won't feel like the brain-hacking of a super-cyborg with a head full of psychotronic circuitry, even if both are using (say) plain ol' Mental Illusions. What's your mentalist's background?

 

Dean Shomshak

[BoloOfEarth]

While creating an alien scientist with mental powers, I had another thought that relates to giving a mentalist some uniqueness.

 

In addition to the special effects, how the powers are used can add some individuality to the mentalist.  For instance, with the alien scientist I plan to use pretty vanilla Mental Illusions and Mind Control to create various scenarios for the scientist to observe the hero's actions and reactions.  I'm thinking something along the lines of: 

 

"Today we're going to see how Honey Badger reacts to conflicting stimuli.  First, we'll tweak his neurons to make it appear that two different vehicles are out of control, one heading for innocent bystanders and the other toward a group of police officers.  Which will he save?  Then one of an imaginary creature menacing innocents.  After a few such neural illusions, I'll override one of Honey Badger's teammates to force her to attack authorities.  Will he believe that another illusion, or take it at face value and react accordingly?"

[Balabanto]

While creating an alien scientist with mental powers, I had another thought that relates to giving a mentalist some uniqueness.

 

In addition to the special effects, how the powers are used can add some individuality to the mentalist.  For instance, with the alien scientist I plan to use pretty vanilla Mental Illusions and Mind Control to create various scenarios for the scientist to observe the hero's actions and reactions.  I'm thinking something along the lines of: 

 

"Today we're going to see how Honey Badger reacts to conflicting stimuli.  First, we'll tweak his neurons to make it appear that two different vehicles are out of control, one heading for innocent bystanders and the other toward a group of police officers.  Which will he save?  Then one of an imaginary creature menacing innocents.  After a few such neural illusions, I'll override one of Honey Badger's teammates to force her to attack authorities.  Will he believe that another illusion, or take it at face value and react accordingly?"

 

...All this and more on today's episode of "Science of the Mind!"

[freakboy6117]

Not sure how I ended up posting that three times sorry all.

[freakboy6117]

Hmm another way is to use mentalism to spice up another archtype just finished a collection of weird west short stories one of them features a reluctant gun slinger the reason he was the fastest gun in town was his telepathy knowing the moment your opponent is going to draw and distract him by shouting in his head.

 

I have a sniper on my black ops super team who uses telekinetics and remote viewing to make impossible shots and overwatch her teammates.

 

A super genius who uses other people's brains using the minds of people around him and borrow their skills and knowledge( see prodigy from New x men )

 

Another way to spice up is to use disadvantages for example a weak mentalism who uses an augmentation suit to let him go us his powers or the opposite a immensely powerful psychic who needs a suit to stop his uncontrollable power like a telekinetic explosion overwelmed by a world of shouting minds or spreading emotions like fury lust or crippling depression.

[freakboy6117]

Triple post

[bigdamnhero]

I'm a big fan of EGO-based Mental Entangle. My players, not so much...

 

Slap AVAD: MD on any Drain to make an effective mental attack.

 

Mind Control can be incredibly versatile, as long as you don't limit yourself to "Run away" or "Attack Your Teammates." Mind Control: "Only to make target stop what they're doing and dance" is always good for a laugh, and still allows the PC some agency. (Last time I used this on the team's brick, she basically incorporated slam-dancing into her attacks. "Only to inflict crippling insecurity" gives the player a roleplaying opportunity mid-combat, while giving their teammates an excuse for a morale-raising PRE Attack. "Only to attack anybody but me" is a good defensive power. You can slap any of those on as a Set Effect, or just get creative during play.
 

Ditto for Mental Illusions: think how much fun Loki has in the movies with a basic mirror image.

 

I've used normal powers and defined them as mental abilities.

...

N-Ray Vision, only if people are present -1/2  (you basically read their minds and see what they see)

We're thinking along the same lines, tho I usually build this as Clairsentience, Only through the senses of others.

[Old Man]

Conversely I find that a good way to differentiate a mentalist is to limit the powers.  Limit mind control to just having the target feel extremes of some emotion.  Limit telepathy to requiring eye contact.  Or use a non-mental special effect, like ultrasonics, pheromones, or magic.

 

Mechanically mentalists can easily justify the use of creative non-mental powers.  Drains and Suppress are really useful; Suppress INT is cheap and can be AoE and still effective, and cumulative Drain EGO is perfect for setting up a Mind Control.  One thing I've always wanted to try was using something like Duplication to simulate a speedster-mentalist, whose speed of thought vastly outstrips his physical body.  And you could use a mentalist to buff other party members too--consider giving a teammate an adrenaline rush, suppressing his ability to feel pain, or helping him focus on a target.

[massey]

I don't like mental entangles because they're really difficult to defend against. They're cheap shot powers not much different than the old "simulate death, usable against others" trick. Most characters don't have an Ego worth mentioning when they encounter a full-fledged mentalist. The mentalist doesn't need another cheap shot maneuver.

[BoloOfEarth]

I don't like mental entangles because they're really difficult to defend against. They're cheap shot powers not much different than the old "simulate death, usable against others" trick. Most characters don't have an Ego worth mentioning when they encounter a full-fledged mentalist. The mentalist doesn't need another cheap shot maneuver.

 

So change it up a bit.  Switch the power's advantage from EGO to INT for breaking free.  Say  the target has to solve puzzles and riddles in his own mind to work his way out.  Heck, if the target is a PC, have a riddle or two prepared beforehand and give the character a bonus to his INT roll if the player can solve the riddle.

 

And if a player came to me with "Simulate Death, Usable Against Others" on his character's sheet, I'd laugh him out of the room. 

 

Everything my players' characters are allowed to do and have is filtered through the understanding that their opponents will be allowed to pull the same / similar stuff.  And likewise, when I'm creating a villain I only use powers that I'm willing (albeit reluctantly at times) for the players to be able to get if appropriate and they're willing to spend the points.

[bigdamnhero]

I don't like mental entangles because they're really difficult to defend against. They're cheap shot powers not much different than the old "simulate death, usable against others" trick. Most characters don't have an Ego worth mentioning when they encounter a full-fledged mentalist. The mentalist doesn't need another cheap shot maneuver.

I agree it can be abusive if misused. Multiple Stop Signs and all that. But I disagree it's a cheap shot, certainly not in league with "simulate death, usable against others" which is pure muchkinism through and through. (Tho, funny!)

 

A few tricks I use with Mental Entangle:

• I always allow players to add their MD to their EGO for purposes of breaking out, which helps even the odds a bit.
• You have to make sure the attacking mentalist doesn't only use it against the PCs with low EGO scores.
• If all your PCs are using EGO as their dump stat, well...you might need to have a conversation about that.
• Buy up the Entangle's BODY, but leave the DEF low enough that your PCs can usually get a point or two through, so at least they're making progress.
• Besides, any time I have an NPC mentalist hit the PC Brick with a Brain Freeze, I know the next action of every other PC is going to be "I shoot the mentalist!" So it seldom lasts more than a phase or two.

 

Say  the target has to solve puzzles and riddles in his own mind to work his way out.  Heck, if the target is a PC, have a riddle or two prepared beforehand and give the character a bonus to his INT roll if the player can solve the riddle.

I love this idea!