My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

[Boll Weevil]

Ok, so I have this character named Sydney. He has a suite of psionic powers including these: First, he has the ol' Psionic Defense Reflex (Ego Attack Damage Shield). Second, he has the No-Mind III (Invisibility to Mental Sense Group, always on).

 

Let's discuss how these two powers work, especially if they are bought together. I understand the game terms and the powers on which they are built but would request an exploration of how exactly they would affect an encounter.

 

To make things more confusing to my tiny brainpan, he also has a traditional Ego Attack and Mind Scan etc. Would his Ego Attack trigger the Psionic Defense Reflex also?

[Thia Halmades]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Well, I'm reading no one can sense you, but in the event they do, KZAK.

[Boll Weevil]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Right. It's kinda funny to be Invisible to Mental Powers to begin with. Pso and Pso is looking right at him but can't "find" his mind.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Hey, if it works and the GM allows it, go nuts, that's what I say. I don't know how 'mental sense' works; I would assume if they can't "find" your mind MY NPCs would automatically go on alert; anywhere from a mild fear reaction to a 'frantic search' to possibly establishing a need to attack immediately.

 

Because, when you're used to seeing everything equally, and you trip over an obvious blind spot that you know should NOT be a blind spot, you're immediately alerted to it. I would likely be much more likely to buy "Shapeshift: Mentalist Thought Pattern to Normal Thought Pattern." So you don't come up as a blank spot (which will stand out, depending on GMO) but make sure that you chameleon in.

 

Then, if they pry, POP.

[Enforcer84]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Hey, if it works and the GM allows it, go nuts, that's what I say. I don't know how 'mental sense' works; I would assume if they can't "find" your mind MY NPCs would automatically go on alert; anywhere from a mild fear reaction to a 'frantic search' to possibly establishing a need to attack immediately.

 

Because, when you're used to seeing everything equally, and you trip over an obvious blind spot that you know should NOT be a blind spot, you're immediately alerted to it. I would likely be much more likely to buy "Shapeshift: Mentalist Thought Pattern to Normal Thought Pattern." So you don't come up as a blank spot (which will stand out, depending on GMO) but make sure that you chameleon in.

 

Then, if they pry, POP.

ofcourse the Invisibility could be defined as "I blend in with the crowd, mentally speaking".

[dustytomes]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Do you have it as "no fringe" invisibility.

As GM I'd rule that if they can see you physically but not mentally it would be the same as being invisible but your opponent can hear you. Also look out for aoe powers.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

ofcourse the Invisibility could be defined as "I blend in with the crowd' date=' mentally speaking".[/quote']

 

... hmm. I'd have to think about that. Would I allow it as an SFX? Almost like a mental chameleon. Don't we have a Chameleon power?

 

Like... Shapeshift? (sorry, sorry, I'll shut up now)

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

My personal favorite sense to be invisible to is Clairvoyance (No Fringe, Precognition only), representing the fact that the character has no fate or destiny, and thus their movements can't predicted. This is usually tied in with Invisibility to Danger Sense (future-sensing SFX only).

 

However, it does require that a GM design scenarios that such a power would actually be useful; otherwise, it's an interesting waste of points.

[Comic]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

There are AoE mental attacks, so a damage shield isn't entirely useless.

 

The attack powers aren't themselves IPE, so a GM might give a mentalist with mental awareness a shot in the dark, so to speak, at attacking the source of the powers while they're operating openly in range of the other mentalist. I think there might be notes on this sort of thing in TUM. Or not, lacking that reference.

 

Invisibility if not inherent could always be suppressed, drained or such, in which case that damage shield is a nice reserve.

[The Weapon]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

But if we can't detect your thoughts, how do we know you're really thinking at all? When I think about some of the things my characters have done being able to detect cognition is not always easy!

[Badger]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

But if we can't detect your thoughts' date=' how do we know you're really thinking at all? When I think about some of the things my characters have done being able to detect cognition is not always easy![/quote']

 

 

I did breifly try to create a character that was a bit clueless (to put it kindly). I thought about giving him a Mental Defense labeled "I got nothing". I admit I might have been influenced slightly by the Futurama episode with the Flying Brains on that one.

[rjcurrie]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't the invisibility only to Mental Senses (such as Mind Scan)? Thus, people who can see him can attack him mentally since you don't need to sense him with a Mental Sense to do that.

[incrdbil]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Maybe I'm missing something' date=' but isn't the invisibility only to Mental Senses (such as Mind Scan)? Thus, people who can see him can attack him mentally since you don't need to sense him with a Mental Sense to do that.[/quote']

 

Correct. What he really needs is to by invisibility vs sight group, only vs mental attacks. (Oh, Ultimate mentalist, what a nice book). So you can see him with your eyes, but just can't hit him mentally. the invisibility to mental senses would protect you from mind scan, or attacks targeting using soem form of mental sense like detect mind, (boiught with targeting). It could, perhaps, protect you from triggering a mentalists danger sense, based on the FX.

 

Of course, the mentalist that has TK doesn't care:) ::thwap::

 

Of course, the mental attacks of other mentlaists is what most mentalists don't have to worry about. that's attacking a characters strength. A Smart mentalist doesnt bother ego attacking or mind controlling another mentalist, but they drop a truck on them, blast them with a normal attack, or get the teammate of the other mentalist to do it for them.

 

Now, buying images vs Sight, only applying to mental attacks, and doing an rea could give a protective bonus to the mentalist and all friendlies around him.

[Diamond_J]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

I would also have to agree with the general census that an invisible mind power would mean that you could not be detected by mind powers. If somebody could visually confirm you however, they know where you and your mind are and should be able to effect you as usual. If the GM is extremely nice he could impose some of the blindness penalties to you when visually confirmed. A mind scan should take the place of a secondary sense roll to reduce the penalties.

This example shows how certain people over simplify builds to the point of causing a lack of clarity.

What do you want this character to do? Once you have that figured out maybe you need to go about it another way. Keep note that EGO directly apposes the ability to track minds would an exceptionally high EGO not make more sense and avoid interpretation.

[Boll Weevil]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Both the Invisible to Mental Powers and Ego Attack Damage Shield are verbatim from the USPD sourcebook. Sydney has always had the ego damage shield (adjusted for 5th ed rules changes) but the invisibility is new. I like it because it complements his "unknowable mind". If someone Mind Scans a warehouse he is in, he will not appear. That is the effect I wanted. If his mind is reached, it causes painful feedback. I wanted that effect too.

 

It's how these things work together in common situations that I can't wrap my head around. Will he fry his teammates' heads if he communicates telepathically with them? How would a villain in LOS of him use Mind Control etc?

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Right. It's kinda funny to be Invisible to Mental Powers to begin with. Pso and Pso is looking right at him but can't "find" his mind.

 

Of course not. He left it in his other pants.

 

Seriously, I'd allow a mentalist to use half his ECV to attack an "invisible" mind in a visible body. As someone else suggested, the indirect approach (having the "invisible" mind's team-mate beat him up). Sounds like a plan!

[Thia Halmades]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Of course not. He left it in his other pants.

 

And what has Ted Kennedy taught us about leaving our pants in strange places?

[incrdbil]

Re: My own character is too complicated for my li'l brain

 

Will he fry his teammates' heads if he communicates telepathically with them?

 

Nope. Now if a teammate had his own telepathy, or even mind link, there may be a problem.

 

How would a villain in LOS of him use Mind Control etc?

 

Well strictly by the write up, if he coudl see your character with the mark 1 eyeball, he'd hjave no problem attacking. He just couldn't find him with a mindscan, or other mental group targeting senses/powers. And don't forget the a mental based danger sense might be affected as well. Technically, you could sday they would have to the limitation sense affected by another group, but I think a fx based ruling could be justified, as logn as suitable and equal trade off benefits exist as well.