Telepathy and TK

[etherio]

Just curious...

 

I've been GMing HERO for quite a while, and there are two powers that (to my players' frustration) I've never really allowed in my games without heavy limitations: that is, Telepathy and TK.

 

They're both staples of almost every kind of sci-fi and fantasy fiction, especially comic books, but both just rub me the wrong way. Telepathy's such a spoiler as far as storyline goes, and TK at any decent level seems a bit too powerful in and out of combat.

 

Lemme know how you feel about these, or if there are other Effects you treat similarly.

[Fireg0lem]

Re: Telepathy and TK

 

I've always thought of TK as a bit wimpy, personally, compared to other powers. IMO, TK is only really useful outside of combat, unless you have a lot of it. OTOH, it's a good multipurpose power if you have enough...but I wouldn't consider it all that strong.

 

Frustration with mental powers is pretty common...if you want to solve this, you might consider making Mental Defense acceptable in the form of "strong will" or "tough-minded" rather than only for psychics.

[KA.]

Re: Telepathy and TK

 

etherio,

I pretty much agree with Fireg0lem, but I have a few ideas that might help.

 

People tend to look at the Special Effects for most powers to get a handle on how they might be properly used.

You don't have a character with just "Energy Blast", they have to define it as Fire, or Ice, or Water, or Sound, or something.

And if a character wants to shoot off their "Fire Blast" under water, you know that the range or damage might be reduced.

If they want to use their "Ice Blast" in a furnace, this too could lead to a reduced effect.

In both cases, I am not talking about powers bought with Limitations, like "Doesn't work in X", but just things that come up in game play due to circumstances.

 

However, many people who don't use a lot of Mental Powers tend to throw this concept out when creating them. They just assume that everything is "mental" and works equally well all the time.

 

When someone wants to buy Telekinesis, you need to ask them how it works, and more importantly, how it doesn't!

 

Are they in mental contact with some mystical Wind Spirit that moves things for them?

Do they have mental control of some kind of particle that effects the pull of gravity on things?

Do they mentally create a field of static electricity that moves things?

Are they moving things by sheer force of will, based on their incredible self-confidence?

 

Knowing how their power works, and talking to them about it, allows opportunities for you to reasonably set up situations where their power may not work, or may not work as well.

I am not talking about "screwing" the player, or putting Limitations on their powers that they don't get points for, but one of the reason GM's often "hate" certain powers, is because they seem like "campaign breakers" that allow the player to short-circuit any scenario you set up.

When both you and the player have a better grasp of how the power works, you will both be more comfortable with it.

 

The same is true of Telepathy.

Define how it works.

Role-play it out.

Don't just have the Player make one roll and then present him with every piece of information the other character has.

Be sure to check all the rules about Breakout rolls, etc.

Most of the time you cannot just wring out someone's mind like a wet towel, it takes a lot of time and effort.

The mentalist is going to get a pile of random thoughts that they don't want.

Even when they get what they do want, it will be mixed in with a lot of other stuff. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to go probing around in the mind of the average criminal.

 

"Yeah, I remember when I broke into that house on Burrow St. I pulled open a chest of drawers and found a pair of really sexy panties. They were tiny.

I got a little distracted and started rubbing them. I couldn't see much in the dark, but when I got out into the hall there was a nightlight, that was when I realized I was rubbing a pair of little boy's underoos!"

 

Or, having to deal with the thoughts of a very mundane mind.

 

"I can't believe the Lakers lost. That guy on Jerry Springer really looked like a chick. Pizza gives me gas. I shouldn't have eaten that ham in the fridge, I don't know how old it was. Maybe that was mold. I wonder why this rash won't go away. I can't believe the Lakers lost . . ."

 

Read the rules carefully, with Breakout rolls, unless someone puts all their points into Telepathy, it is not going to be that easy to find out everything.

 

It also takes time, one question per phase.

That is one question or fact.

 

Ex:

Where is Dr. Destroyer's base?

In space.

Where in space?

I don't know.

Is it in a geo-stationary orbit?

Huh?

Does it have thrusting rockets?

Huh?

How high is it's orbit?

Huh?

 

Unless you are probing the mind of the chief of Dr. Destroyer's launch crew, he is not going to know a lot about the exact location of a satellite.

People who are high up in organizations are likely to have some type of Mental Defense.

 

Also, remember that Supervillains live in the same high-tech world as the heroes do.

 

After someone finds their base for the tenth time by using Telepathy, villains are either going to pick thugs with some Mental Defense or figure some other way to combat it.

Suicide Chip : RKA 1d6 Trigger by Telepathy (+1/4), Continuous (+1), AVLD (Mental; +1 1/2) (56 Active Points); 1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 Turn which Never Recovers (-3 1/4), No Range (-1/2)

(not a real Power write-up, just an example)

 

Anyway, my main point is, you just have to treat Mental Powers like other powers, don't just let them be automatic, irresistible, forces in your campaign. Define them, put some limits on them, and keep an eye on them.

 

KA.

[Lightray]

Re: Telepathy and TK

 

I've always thought of TK as a bit wimpy' date=' personally, compared to other powers. [/quote']

TK is underpowered compared to other attack powers only in the amount of damage it can cause. When it's used to grab-and-lift an opponent with only hand-to-hand attacks, it suddenly becomes very effective.

 

Telepathy is easier to handle. With breakout rolls for Mental Powers and only one piece of information per phase out of TP, the GM can easily prevent telepaths from spoiling adventures.

[etherio]

Re: Telepathy and TK

 

The usefulness of TK to grab and immobilize characters without superhuman strength was what I was really getting at. You neutralize someone, and they're left high-and-dry, because only their strength is useable against ya. You grab a guy with your hands, he can "pop his claws," stomp on your foot, martial reverse, fire off his EB, etc.

[mr_azrad]

Re: Telepathy and TK

 

I think TK is an awsome power, but I don't think it is unbalanced... it is expensive for a reason.

[Lightray]

Re: Telepathy and TK

 

You grab a guy with your hands' date=' he can "pop his claws," stomp on your foot, martial reverse, fire off his EB, etc.[/quote']

Yep. That's actually why I like TK -- way back in the late 80s, everybody had Wolverine-clones (huge killing attacks, no code vs. killing).

 

This was annoying.

 

The GMs in our campaigns, being annoyed, then made Sabertooth-clones as villains (or just triggered the Wolverine-clone's inevitable Berserk).

 

This was more annoying.

 

But it was what the Wolverine-wannabees thought of as "cool" (note: you couldn't spell it "kewl" in those days because we used cuneiform).

 

TK saved us all, when I hit upon the handy rememdy of my supermage's TK spell -- Wolverine-wannabee or Sabertooth-ripoff, both got hoisted up and held, kicking. Any time they acted out.

 

GM: "Scimitartooth pops his claws; he doesn't have a code vs. killing."

Me: TK hoist.

 

PC wannabee: "Mustelid pops his claws; I don't have a code vs. killing."

Me: TK hoist.

 

So, all praise upon TK, power of powers. Alone among standard powers it can take down Wolverine. If only Magneto knew, he'd have never been killed by Wolverine (however many times that's happened by now).