Mindless Control

[Michael Hopcroft]

How does one do Mind-Control like effects on things that have no minds?

 

For example, you are in the enemy headquarters and your archrival is making breakfast. You want to cause him some trouble, so you decide to ruin his breakfast by "commanding" his cooking equipment to malfunction in asnnoying and dangerous ways. But none of the equipment has a computer control or anything that might resemble a mind. How do you do it?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Mindless Control

 

Let's see.

 

If it's computerized, then the Cyberkinetic style Mind Control (vs INT rather than EGO) would work. Since you said it's not computerized, I'd probably go with TK to turn up the burners, or knock the can out of the opener or the lid off the blender or whatnot.

 

Or, of course, the classic Transform Gadget into Gadget That Goes Haywire.

 

Or, simple attack powers with limitations to represent the fact that something nearby is generating the attack ...

[Checkmate]

Re: Mindless Control

 

In the example above: Telekinesis will do everything you want.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Mindless Control

 

Remind me: do objects need to buy a class of minds to be vulnerable to mental attacks?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Mindless Control

 

Remind me: do objects need to buy a class of minds to be vulnerable to mental attacks?

 

If the object is truly mindless (lacking either sentient will, or a computerized intellect), then it has no mind to be a class of. A pencil or can opener, for example, doesn't have any class of mind.

 

Otherwise, the class of mind they occupy is based on special effect (computers=machine class, for example).

[Mister E]

Re: Mindless Control

 

Sounds like, "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," to me.

 

What about a Change Environment with a major negative to PS:Cooking Skill Rolls (-5, "Sheer Folly"?) and some added minor damage for entering into the area?

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Mindless Control

 

First thing I thought of was Teke. But it might not do it the way you want.

 

Second thing I thought of was a CE (-X to DEX related skills, or whatever else you want) with the SFX "cause chaos." Third, already mentioned it Transforming the Kitchen into a place far less helpful (although I think CE does it most effectively, to be honest).

 

*Sorry Mister E -- you covered this and I missed it. Still, CE is the way to go for me.

[The Monster]

Re: Mindless Control

 

This is exactly the signature power my wife's character The Chauffeur has: the character can talk to and direct mechanical devices (up to and including cars, mechs, etc.); the character thinks of them as alive, and simply reaches out to them with his mind.

 

There's really a couple powers involved, because of the different effects.

 

One is a linked TK and Clairvoyance. The Clairvoyance basically gives you a sense of the controls of the target object - it doesn't allow you to see out from the thing, but it enables you to use the TK to actually operate the controls remotely. Basically, this is blind remote control; you can make the machine do anything it normally does as if you were the operator. While this is cool enough, the TK is only as strong as a normal person, so if there's anyone actually operating the machine, you have to wrestle with him over the controls, and he can override your efforts by brute force.

 

The wilder one is a Summon effect. The Chauffeur, in game terms, Summons an AI/Spirit into the machine, which he can then deal with using the Summon rules as a framework (yes, they're bought with the Friendly adder) - the character thinks of this not as summoning an entity into the machine, but as "waking up" the spirit already existing in all machines (nobody's tried to objectively check his theory/delusion yet). The AI isn't anything super - human-normal INT, EGO, etc. - so it's really cheap, and it's only friendly, not slavish, so he has to negotiate with the machine if he wants it to do anything unnatural.

It doesn't work on anything that's already an AI (i.e., has an EGO), nor does it work on anyone personal Focus.

 

I run the "awakened" machines as having an innate desire to perform their designed function, and rarely any desire to harm anyone. Cars want to drive, guns want to shoot, that kind of thing, but they're machines, not demons, so they're not out to get anyone, as a general thing.

 

It's been a fun power, sometimes totally useless (like during the fight in a large city park), at other times decisive. The most amusing use of the power was during the battle against Mechs. My heart stopped when she asked me "do these things have ejection seats?" And of course they did, what with my having built them in loving detail. The rest was a game of "pop goes the mech pilot."

[SteveZilla]

Re: Mindless Control

 

One is a linked TK and Clairvoyance. The Clairvoyance basically gives you a sense of the controls of the target object - it doesn't allow you to see out from the thing' date=' but it enables you to use the TK to actually operate the controls remotely. Basically, this is blind remote control; you can make the machine do anything it normally does as if you were the operator. While this is cool enough, the TK is only as strong as a normal person, so if there's anyone actually operating the machine, you have to wrestle with him over the controls, and he can override your efforts by brute force.[/quote']

 

IIRC, this would require buying the Clairvoyance with Targeting, as it's normally not a targeting sense (I remember this from the possible 'voyance to see an area to set a Floating Fixed Location).

 

The wilder one is a Summon effect. The Chauffeur' date=' in game terms, Summons an AI/Spirit into the machine, which he can then deal with using the Summon rules as a framework (yes, they're bought with the Friendly adder) - the character thinks of this not as summoning an entity into the machine, but as "waking up" the spirit already existing in all machines (nobody's tried to objectively check his theory/delusion yet).[/quote']

 

This reminds me of something I head a long time ago. IIRC there is some Ancient Aztec/Mayan/??? legend/prophecy about some day all the tools man uses will awaken and rise up against us?

 

 

The AI isn't anything super - human-normal INT, EGO, etc. - so it's really cheap, and it's only friendly, not slavish, so he has to negotiate with the machine if he wants it to do anything unnatural.

It doesn't work on anything that's already an AI (i.e., has an EGO), nor does it work on anyone personal Focus.

 

What about a universal focus that someone has paid points for? Also, to qualify as a "machine", I would presume it has to have at least one moving part. I.e., swords and regular bows aren't but a crossbow is?

 

I run the "awakened" machines as having an innate desire to perform their designed function' date=' and rarely any desire to harm anyone. Cars want to drive, guns want to shoot, that kind of thing, but they're machines, not demons, so they're not out to get anyone, as a general thing.[/quote']

 

That's a balanced perspective. A Machine would want to do what it was made to do, and without a direct intent. Does the AI have some amount of STR or TK so it can move the machine (or it's controls) it's in?

 

It's been a fun power' date=' sometimes totally useless (like during the fight in a large city park), at other times decisive. The most amusing use of the power was during the battle against Mechs. My heart stopped when she asked me "do these things have ejection seats?" And of course they did, what with my having built them in loving detail. The rest was a game of "pop goes the mech pilot."[/quote']

 

Even without the ejection seats, it seems it might have been a night of "Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots".

 

Though in some mechs, there are little if any physical controls -- most or all being done though some neural interface. How would that affect this?

[Mister E]

Re: Mindless Control

 

Even without the ejection seats' date=' it seems it might have been a night of "Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots". [/quote']

 

In response, some Burning Man photos off the net: link.

 

[Dust Raven]

Re: Mindless Control

 

How does one do Mind-Control like effects on things that have no minds?

 

For example, you are in the enemy headquarters and your archrival is making breakfast. You want to cause him some trouble, so you decide to ruin his breakfast by "commanding" his cooking equipment to malfunction in asnnoying and dangerous ways. But none of the equipment has a computer control or anything that might resemble a mind. How do you do it?

 

If there is any mechanical device that can be manipulated by a "decision" made in some kind of central processor, then it can be mind controlled to perform any action such a mechanical device can perform. If the oven temp is computer controlled, you can mind control the comp to change the temp. If the door is not motorized, you cannot mind control the oven to open or close the door. You'd need TK for that.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Mindless Control

 

In response' date=' some Burning Man photos off the net: link.

 

 

There's also the commercial, 'Street', from Dodge: