Variable Telekinesis

[David Johnston]

I have a character named "Poet", who has a peculiar kind of telekinesis. It's dependant on ghosts. Basically he acts as a channel for the ghosts, letting them affect the real world. Both he and the ghosts must agree on what is to be done in order for it to happen. He always has a little telekinesis because he actually has a ghostly sidekick, but he can acquire enormous, mountain shattering power if enough ghosts care about what he's doing. In game terms this means that if he's up against someone who has killed, his telekinesis (and forcefield in a multipower) becomes more powerful. The more they've killed, the more powerful Poet becomes against them. So usually Poet is extremely modest in his abilities, but against major menaces, he becomes godlike. So I'm thinking I'd do it by doubling.

 

So base telekinesis (with just Sonnet supporting him) is str 10

Another ghost takes him to 15

Two more ghosts takes him to 20

4 more ghosts takes him to 25

And so on, and so on, up to people who've killed millions and would give

him ST 130 TK. He

 

But how do you set the value for THAT disadvantage?

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

I have a character named "Poet", who has a peculiar kind of telekinesis. It's dependant on ghosts. Basically he acts as a channel for the ghosts, letting them affect the real world. Both he and the ghosts must agree on what is to be done in order for it to happen. He always has a little telekinesis because he actually has a ghostly sidekick, but he can acquire enormous, mountain shattering power if enough ghosts care about what he's doing. In game terms this means that if he's up against someone who has killed, his telekinesis (and forcefield in a multipower) becomes more powerful. The more they've killed, the more powerful Poet becomes against them. So usually Poet is extremely modest in his abilities, but against major menaces, he becomes godlike. So I'm thinking I'd do it by doubling.

 

So base telekinesis (with just Sonnet supporting him) is str 10

Another ghost takes him to 15

Two more ghosts takes him to 20

4 more ghosts takes him to 25

And so on, and so on, up to people who've killed millions and would give

him ST 130 TK. He

 

But how do you set the value for THAT disadvantage?

 

One method would be to use the Requires a Skill Roll limitation with -1/5 active points and base it on EGO. If nothing else it might provide a baseline to start from if using other more clearly defined limitations.

[JohnTaber]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

Hi David: I like simplicity so I would do this...

 

10 Str TK with no limitations.

+ 120 Str TK, Limitation - Additional Strength is based on the number of guys target has killed (see chart) (-1)

 

Pick whatever limitation value you think is appropriate.

 

Seems easy to me...

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

But how do you set the value for THAT disadvantage?

An Adv/Lim that's keyed off of how many people the character's opponent has killed? Whew! Neat idea but, yeah, a tough one to build let alone balance. I guess I'd buy some sort of max amount of TK, then take some mix of Limited Power, Based on Opponent's Body Count.

 

[Edit: props to JT for saying it more clearly than I did. And also for typing faster.]

 

As far as cost, it depends on your campaign. How regularly are the PCs going to be going up against mass murderers? If they're mostly going to be fighting petty-crooks or villains with CvK, it should be worth quite a lot. If they're going to be going up against Pol Pot or Galactus on a regular basis, then not so much. Can you tell us a little more about the tone of the campaign?

[David Johnston]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

Basically a Dark Champions/Detective type of game is what I had him in mind for. That means quite a lot of murderers who have killed one person, a similar number of gangsters who have killed some people in the line of business, and the occasional moderately superpowered serial killer.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

OK, got it. So the majority of the time, you'll be dealing with people who've killed less than 10, which puts your "normal" operating range in the 20-35 STR range, does that sound about right?

 

Given that, if you buy the full 130 STR (10 regular plus 120 limited), I think you’d be justified in claiming a -1.5 lim (“Power loses 2/3 its effectivenessâ€). Don't think I'd go as high as -2 (“Power loses almost all its effectivenessâ€). Final call would have to be up to the GM, of course, based on what he's planning to throw at you.

 

The problem I see is that even at -1.5, things get pretty expensive: 15 Real for the base 10 STR TK (pending other adv/lims as appropriate), and 72 Real for the limited +120 STR! Given that the full 130 STR would require (by my tally) a body count of over 8 million, from your description of the campaign it sounds like you might be better off lowering your sights a little. You can justify it that only so many ghosts can act at one time, regardless of how many would like to.

 

128 dead people gets you up to 50 STR; or you could maybe go as high as 1024 for 65 STR; GM might allow some way of “pushing†the power on that rare occasion you come up against Hitler. Of course, at that level, your limitation might or might not still be worth -1.5; but should still be worth at least a -1 ("Power loses 1/2 its effectiveness"). That gets you down to 30 Real for +40 STR (or 44 Real for +55 STR), which is closer to doable once you throw in a few other lims.

 

Does that work?

[ghost-angel]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

I would say going up to the full 130TK is probably pretty rare. So why not put that under Haymaker and Pushing Maneuvers and only buy it up to the STR you reasonably expect to be able to use with some regularity.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

I was just thinking buy your 10 STR TK unlimited as suggested, then buy enough extra TK, based on a reasonable max number of ghosts that can assist the character at once, with a RSR: Persuasion or some Power: Ghost Manipulation. The same can be done with the FF, or just put these all in an EC with that Limitation.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

Hrm. Or. You could build it as a Multipower.

 

Ghostly Forces (Telekinesis)

 

1u) 10 STR TK (15 pts.); Requires one ghost (Sonnet, -1/2), Incantations (ghost & caster must agree, -1/4), Concentration (communicate with ghost, -1/4), Gestures (direct ghosts to move objects, -1/4)

 

1u) 20 STR TK (30 pts.); Requires four ghosts (-1/2), Only vs. target who's murdered multiple victims (-1/4), ghosts available cannot exceed number of people target has killed (-1/4), Incant (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Concentration (-1/4).

 

3u) 40 STR TK (60 pts.); Requires eight ghosts (-1/2), Only vs. target who's murdered multiple victims (-1/4), ghosts available cannot exceed number of people target has killed (-1/4), Incant (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Concentration (-1/4).

 

Please forgive me, it's late & my numbers are estimates, but it seems the easiest way to build this is as a Telekinetic Multipower, with each slot being a TK STR backed by an appropriate number of undead. Each slot restricts the user to only so many ghosts as the person has killed; Gestures/Incant/Concentration are straightforward and make sense as you've described it, David.

 

Hope that helps, let me know if it does or if i can be of further assistance.

[Ndreare]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

I like the idea and agree it could be based on a flat modifier of -1 or maybe -1 1/2 based on how your GM is playing it.

 

The other option of useing Persuasion RSR woiuld work with your GM saying you get bonuses to your persuasion skill based on the vested interest of the ghost involved.

 

Long Speach leading upto Lets go get Bin Laden would get you better bonuses than a quick request leeding up to Lets vandalise this Mc Donalds. I think as the GM I would also allow you to use other motivations. Say you have a bunch of mystic and saints hanging around and you want to stop a car from hitting a little girl they may be willing to help even though they were not killed by the driver of the car.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Variable Telekinesis

 

Hrm. Or. You could build it as a Multipower.

Yes, but then you'd still have to put enough points into the MP Reserve to cover the largest slot, plus then pump points into each slot. Why not just buy whatever max STR you want/can afford with the limitations you list as a single power?