Dual Brians

[tiger]

I'm working on a creature with 2 brians. I have thought of a couple ways of doing this but wasn't sure on the legality of them.

 

1)Increase the Spd, Allows the creature to act more an could reflect the two brains. I realize this is legal

 

2)Limited form of duplication. Doesn't create a second body. Just a second brain. Speciall effect is that the body would react twice in a round. This I'm totally unsure of the legality

[Steve Long]

Since this isn't a rules question, but a "how to," I've moved it.

 

What do you think, Herodom Assembled?

[MarkusDark]

I probably would go with the latter, including the limitation that what one dupe feels, they all feel.

 

I played a mentalist once who had trained his mind so that although he was a normal human and had only a speed of 3, he had a 'mental' speed of 6 - so that he could use only mental powers during the off speeds (no movements, no aborts to block or dodge, etc).

[TheEmerged]

Two Brians? Sounds like duplication to me

 

Okay, Spelling Police aside -- yes, I would personally go with duplication, primarily because I'm not what you'd call a fan of limited SPD. To use Menton from CKC as an example (3 SPD, +3 SPD only for mental actions) in my campaigns the player has to pay for 6 SPD and then take a Physical Limitation "Cannot perform physcial actions during phases..."

[CrosshairCollie]

You wouldn't really need to limit the SPD ... I interpret SPD to be reaction time, essentially, so two brains could react to things more quickly. It'd also be a good excuse to buy your field of vision up ("I'll look left!" "I'll look right."), your intelligence (two heads *are* better than one!), and the like. Not so much its own power or stat, but a special effect for buying increased mental acuity. Heck, some Penalty Skill Levels against things that dampen your concentration would even work ("YOU focus on the bomb, I'll keep an eye out!")

[BlackCobra]

I'd also recommend, for best effect, adding Invisible Power Effects on the duplication, unless it's really really obvious (like Mojo JoJo style obvious) that he has 2 brains.

 

This kind of duplication is really interesting. My first instinct was "No!" but then I thought about it a little. Interesting idea!

[Blue]

Originally posted by TheEmerged

Two Brians? Sounds like duplication to me

 

Aha! I knew if I held out long enough someone else would make the Brians joke

[Old Man]

As far as I cantell, the Dual Brain would only add a few points of INT/EGO and make it possible to have 1 or 2 more mental mutations.

 

Then again, I haven't looked at a Gamma World book in ages.

[AlHazred]

I don't know that two brains would let you react more quickly; if they're both as slow as my one brain before caffeine, well, let me tell you...

 

Powers for two brains would be pretty unusual - think two different things at the same time, maybe use both hands equally well. If the guy's a mentalist, maybe you can use a variant on the Multiple Power Attack rule to make his two attacks without crunching a lot of rules...

[Col. Orange]

How about buying the second brain as an A.I.?

[tiger]

well the theroy is that the two brains operator seperate of themselves.

 

So one brain can have the body swing the sword while the other is doing something else. if you buy a second set of arms the "therorically' you could swing two swords at seperate targets. or sword and lockpick at the same time. etc.etc.etc.

[tiger]

OK here is a rough draft of the possible writeup for an Orlen from Gamma World. I working it up for a Gamma Hero campaign.

 

It has 2 heads and 4 arms. I bought duplication to represent the fact that it has 2 heads. I worked up a few powers just to give the "feel" of the creature.

 

What you think?

 

 

 

 

Orlens

 

Player:

 

Val	Char	Cost
10	STR	0
10	DEX	0
10	CON	0
10	BODY	0
10	INT	0
10	EGO	0
10	PRE	0
10	COM	0
2	PD	0
2	ED	0
2	SPD	0
4	REC	0
20	END	0
20	STUN	0

6" RUN02" SWIM02" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 0

 

Cost	Power	END
5	2 Heads: Extra Limbs
5	Extra Set Of Arms: Extra Limbs
12	Second Brian in Second Head: Duplication (creates 90-point form) (18 Active Points); Doesn't created another body (-1/4), Duplicates skills/talents/perks/powers only (-1/4)
45	Mental Powers: Multipower, 45-point reserve
2u	1) Flight 15" (30 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (2x END; -1/2)	6
4u	2) Strong Of Mind: Telekinesis (30 STR) (45 Active Points)	4
3u	3) Mental Impressions: Mind Scan 7d6 (35 Active Points)	3
3u	4) Mind Speak: Telepathy 7d6 (35 Active Points)	3
21	Will Force: 20 pt increase to multipower - 5 point increase to ultra slots , Must pay end on increase powers (+1/2) (37 Active Points); 3 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (-3/4)

Powers Cost: 100

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Character Cost: 100

 

Val	Disadvantages
15	Distinctive Features: 10' tall 2-headed man/woman (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses; Not Distinctive In Some Cultures)

Disadvantage Points: 15

 

Base Points: 150

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

[Fuzzy Gnome]

OK, it's not two Brians, it's a Brian and a Sheila.

[Old Man]

no no no...it's either two Brians or two Sheilas.

 

I'm not exactly sure how Duplication works - have yet to read up on it. but you might also consider the way they did Hydra heads in the 5th Ed Beastiary.

[tiger]

Actually this is. I just didn't give it a seperate sheet and didn't add that it can't recombine if cut off.

 

Which I still can

 

I just figure one sheet and made a note that it has the skill & powers on the sheet.

[DocSubtlety]

Gamma World Dual Brain also gave you increased resistance to psychic attack - you could make a second save against anything that targeted you. (I'd probably offer 25% Mental Damage Reduction if I were putting it together myself.)

 

BTW: I'm currently playing a character in a very, very complicated hard SF game who gave himself a second brain. And a third. And I was headed for a fourth before disaster struck.

 

2nd Brain:

Jeeves: built as a Computer - INT 25, EGO 10, access to my racial memory power. (I used him to do most of my research while I was busy adventuring.)

 

3rd Brain:

"Security Jeeves": +2 overall Perception, as a dedicated intelligence reviewed all of my sensory input.

[AlHazred]

I think Duplication is overly complicated for most Dual Brains I've seen portrayed. It works really well where the brains are slightly different, but in most games, it just makes you harder to affect with mental powers, let's you concentrate on two different things at the same time, and (usually) control both arms equally well.

 

Taken seperately, that's

 

One Brain Per Hand: Ambidexterity (3 Penalty Skill Levels). Total Cost: 9 points.

 

Concentrate On Different Things: +3 Skill Levels with Intellect Skills (15 Active Points); Only To Counteract Combat and Limited Time Frame Penalties (-3/4). Total Cost: 9 points.

 

Twice As Resistant To Mental Attacks: Mental Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50%. Total Cost: 30 points.

 

YMMV