Cumulative Mental Powers

[Hugh Neilson]

A thought from MegaPlayboy's question. When one attacks with a cumulative mental power, one sets the level of effect desired to be achieved. How would that be stated?

 

In Mind Control, for example, would I:

 

(a) state that I want to issue a specific command (and I then need to keep attacking until I achieve that level of effect, not knowing at the outset whether that is Ego +10, Ego +30 or whatever),

 

OR

 

( state that I want to achieve "Ego +20", and if that turns out to be inadequate for my command, it fails, and if excessive, it succeeds and imposes a penalty?

 

Extrapolating from this, can I state I want to not only achieve the result, but also impose a -X penalty to breakout rolls (let's say it's a -10 penalty)? If so, am I correct in believing the attack has no effect until it reaches the required effect (say Ego +20, for example), plus the extra 50 I need to impose a -10 to the breakout?

 

Finally, if I'm at Ego +20 + 48, and roll a 12, does that mean I have the -10 Breakout roll I stated, or a -12 beakout roll due to the final effect roll being 60 greater than needed?

 

Hopefully, my ramblings make some sense.

 

Thanks

[Steve Long]

Re: Cumulative Mental Powers

 

1. You state it however the GM wants you to state it. Some GMs may prefer an effect-based description, others the easy-to-use raw numbers.

 

2. See 5ER 120 under “Cumulative.” If a character’s seeking a declared Breakout Roll penalty, he’s restricted to that penalty regardless of what he rolls.