Implicit Mental Senses

[GAZZA]

Re: Implicit Mental Senses

 

There was an excellent PowerPoint on Senses back in the Haymaker days; a shame that seems to have disappeared now.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Implicit Mental Senses

 

Actually' date=' what I've done and will continue to do is state, if applicable, the mechanics of the power they are trying to build isn't covered by the Sense rules, and then inform them which rules, and thus which Powers, to use to build their ability.[/quote']

So what if the mechanics of the power they are trying to build isn't covered by *any* of the rules?

 

For example, how would you build a "flash" vs. the "sense" that allows a person to feel their injuries? Or a "darkness" vs. the "sense" that allows a person to tell when they're being mentally attacked?

 

It seems to me that the most logical and obvious solution is to go ahead and use Flash or Darkness, respectively. Yes, these would be uses of the powers outside the rules in the rulebook, but

a) they make sense,

they work correctly once you allow a sense to be treated like a Sense,

c) they are consistant with the existing rules,

d) they are in the spirit of the existing rules.

I don't see this as an excessive amount of hand waving. It sounds to me like you are saying that *any* amount of hand-waving is too much, though I may have misunderstood you.

 

Which is exactly what I suggest to everyone, in all circumstances where an existing rule doesn't seem to work. It doesn't mean the rule is wrong or broken or incomplete, it usually means the wrong rule is being used.

I completely agree with this. And if an existing rule works perfectly with only the tiniest amount of hand-waving, that, to me, confirms that the rule is good.

 

The published books give many suggestions about adding new things to existing mechanics: some games might add Mental Defense as a figured characteristic that all characters have (usually with a base of EGO/5), some games might add a Mana (magic power "END") characteristic, etc. Adding a Sense to the list of standard Senses doesn't strike me as any more of a stretch of the rules, especially when the sense already exists in the real world, or is already mentioned in some form in the rules themselves.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Implicit Mental Senses

 

So what if the mechanics of the power they are trying to build isn't covered by *any* of the rules?

I very rarely find this to be the case, and when I do it is usually for something that should be completely hand waived such as a plot device rather than use rule or game mechanics.

 

For example, how would you build a "flash" vs. the "sense" that allows a person to feel their injuries? Or a "darkness" vs. the "sense" that allows a person to tell when they're being mentally attacked?

I would determine what the effects of the loss of that sense would be. If those effects matched the effects given for the loss of Senses in the Sense rules, I'd use the Sense rules. If not, I'd use some other rule, perhaps Drain, Suppress or possibly Change Environment, depending on the desired effect.

 

I don't see this as an excessive amount of hand waving. It sounds to me like you are saying that *any* amount of hand-waving is too much, though I may have misunderstood you.

Oh no, hand waiving is a good thing, but it shouldn't be overused, or used as a crutch if the rule you think should work doesn't seem to.

 

I completely agree with this. And if an existing rule works perfectly with only the tiniest amount of hand-waving, that, to me, confirms that the rule is good.

 

The published books give many suggestions about adding new things to existing mechanics: some games might add Mental Defense as a figured characteristic that all characters have (usually with a base of EGO/5), some games might add a Mana (magic power "END") characteristic, etc. Adding a Sense to the list of standard Senses doesn't strike me as any more of a stretch of the rules, especially when the sense already exists in the real world, or is already mentioned in some form in the rules themselves.

Possibly, but I would definitely say we have a differing opinion of what would make an appropriate Sense.