Rene Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Hello, folks. I'd like to know how you could simulate the "Memory Absorption" power in HERO. You know, part of what Rogue does when she touches someone, or Brain Trust's (from the Wild Cards novels) only power. The "skill copy" part is pretty easy. Use a VPP with the appropriate Limitations to simulate the pool of absorbed skills the character can access. The problem is the memory part proper, getting access to the victims's secrets. Telepathy seems a obvious choice, but it's kinda awkward. It allows for the target to "breakout", and in this situation there is no breakout possible. You just copied their memories inside your own head. A Transform would do the trick, if Transforms could affect yourself (myself into myself plus knowledge), but it can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Re: Absorbing Memories? Originally posted by Rene The problem is the memory part proper, getting access to the victims's secrets. Telepathy seems a obvious choice, but it's kinda awkward. It allows for the target to "breakout", and in this situation there is no breakout possible. You just copied their memories inside your own head. Actually, Telepathy is the way to go. You just need to add two things to it... Eidtic Memory to retain what you find, and the "Rapid" sense adder to find it faster. Remember, Telepathy is technically part of the Mental sense group... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 The Emerged beat me to it. I was going to say exactly the same things. And if you want the target to lose the memory when you're done, add a Linked Transform... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene Posted June 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2003 Thanks, guys. I think your idea is great, Emerged. Simulates the power pretty elegantly without making up lots of convoluted fudges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted June 28, 2003 Report Share Posted June 28, 2003 The one time I built this sort of power I used Cramming:Memorys of person scanned for stuf like the persons first girlfriend or what happen that time in Guam..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkling Posted July 5, 2003 Report Share Posted July 5, 2003 Telepathy is the way to go. There may be Side Effects on the power though, or a physical limitation (psychologically based) Cannot consciously choose all retained memories Ghosts remain in psyche Loses sense of identity under stress Suppressed Multiple Personality (Psych Lim maybe?) And of course, Tachyon's effect on Brain Trust at the trial would simply be his telepathy putting Blythe to sleep, and the other personalities "took over" briefly. There is indications of this in the old Genosha/X-Men run where Rogue's powers were suppressed also. Rogue as she joined the X-Men in the comics WAS an MPD, she just had the control in times outside of life threatening. An obvious disad added by the GM upgraded her powers. The Carol Danvers psyche was mostly passive and didn't think she had a right to destroy Rogue's life. Probably due in some case to Prof X's telepathy...off screen, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted July 6, 2003 Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 I've never been real comfortable with the whole mind reading stuff. Usually in other RPGs in the past we have put limits on it. Also other characters we allow to have the ability to "fight off" the attempting mind reader. Based on something like their willpower or maybe their pychic training and other such stuff. ANd maybe have something to modify what you can get out of it. A favorite color wouldnt be so hard to obtain necessarily in a mind read. But the deepest darkest secret in the mind of a person with strong willpower and a lot of training in psychic abilities is gonna be pretty blasted hard to unlock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene Posted July 6, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 Yes, psi powers usually are problem powers in RPGs, Badger. They can serve the plot wonderfully in some situations, wreck it completely in others. But I don't think they're a bad thing myself. The GM just has to work a bit harder and prepare the adventure more carefully to account for the psi characters. In this light, psi powers actually are a good thing. Too many GMs fall in the "generic adventure" trap (or worse, the generic campaign trap), crafting stories that theoretically could accomodate pretty much any superguy. I don't like this very much. I think the best adventures are tailor-made. A Superman story don't work if you bring on Batman to take his place. In the same way, if you're going to have the X-Men and their thousand mentalists, you can't do a Fantastic Four adventure. In short, I'm always suspicious of GMs who have lots of adventures written down even before the PCs finished making their characters. This kind of GM usually puts too much emphasis on his world and the NPCs, and too little on the PCs. Well, maybe not, some GMs really can improvise well enough to catch anything the PCs throw at him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted July 7, 2003 Report Share Posted July 7, 2003 Originally posted by Rene In short, I'm always suspicious of GMs who have lots of adventures written down even before the PCs finished making their characters. This kind of GM usually puts too much emphasis on his world and the NPCs, and too little on the PCs. Well, maybe not, some GMs really can improvise well enough to catch anything the PCs throw at him. Well, speaking as a Perpetual GM -- the fact of the matter is, I don't like charactercentric campaigns. My players understand they have the power to change the world, and in fact will almost certainly do so. But the world does not revolve around them; if a VIPER base is realisitically going to have 4d6 RKA autocannons guarding their base, it's not MY fault if the PC's fail to buy resistant defenses. If VIPER and ARGENT both have a nest in City X and its a campaign matter that the two hate each other, there had better be a reason they haven't found each other by the time the PC's show up. More generally though: one of the biggest traps for the newbie GM is giving the players mystery-destroying powers -- or access to a mystery-destroying NPC. It's okay to have a "backup" to move the campaign/session along for those inevitible "Duh..." moments, but you have to watch this carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted July 7, 2003 Report Share Posted July 7, 2003 Originally posted by Rene In short, I'm always suspicious of GMs who have lots of adventures written down even before the PCs finished making their characters. This kind of GM usually puts too much emphasis on his world and the NPCs, and too little on the PCs. Well, maybe not, some GMs really can improvise well enough to catch anything the PCs throw at him. Well, speaking as a Perpetual GM -- the fact of the matter is, I don't like charactercentric campaigns. My players understand they have the power to change the world, and in fact will almost certainly do so. But the world does not revolve around them; if a VIPER base is realisitically going to have 4d6 RKA autocannons guarding their base, it's not MY fault if the PC's fail to buy resistant defenses. If VIPER and ARGENT both have a nest in City X and it's a campaign matter that the two hate each other, there had better be a reason they haven't found each other by the time the PC's show up. More generally though: one of the biggest traps for the newbie GM is giving the players mystery-destroying powers -- or access to a mystery-destroying NPC. It's okay to have a "backup" to move the campaign/session along for those inevitible "Duh..." moments, but you have to watch this carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 What level of effect would need to be rolled to absorb / copy memories and skills? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 A strict reading of the power would seem to indicate that EGO+30 is required. Any differing opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarf Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 I think EGO + 20 might be enough, unless they had stuff repressed or hidden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Jogger Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 Originally posted by Kristopher A strict reading of the power would seem to indicated that EGO+30 is required. Any differing opinions? If it was strictly, I steal his memories, than EGO +20 would be enough. But if it was, I steal a part of him (like Rogue does) including the knowledge of his deepest secrets, fears, etc. than EGO+30. "It's unpleasantly like being drunk." "What's so unpleasant about that?" "Ask a glass of water." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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