Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

[Tech]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

The ultimate trick is not to overuse it. If it becomes an 'instant death' power against martial artists' date=' or even 'parlayze the martial artist for the entire combat,' that has great potential to make for a not-very-fun game for someone. If it happens once in a while, it's not a big deal (especially if the villian has a 'paralyze him and leave him' strategy, as opposed to 'kill the helpless martial artist' which is decidedly mean).[/quote']

 

I agree.

[Tech]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

Title of the thread says it all. Player wants to have this, but it seems to me that this power is WAY too effective for the cost. It basically means an almost certain easy win for the players(as most bad guys will be immobolized long enough to take them out easily). Some fights will be over in a single phase. This seems ridiculous to me..and basically forces me to radically alter every scenario I run. Anyone have any experience with this power and how it affects the way the campaign is run?

 

Thanks,

Rob

 

In the campaign I'm in, there's one player who has Mental Paralysis and it is used rarely. For one hero to use it and the other heroes to beat on that villain is not heroic. Heroes do not beat the living daylights out of helpless opponents, not that some deserve it. Heroes stand above the villain mindset.

 

Do you want a practical way to have the player limit themself in using it. Use my GM rule and be sure to tell them this:

 

Any tactic you use against the villain is fair game against you. If you act ruthless, expect it against yourself. Show restraint and mercy, expect some restraint and mercy. Paralyze villains and have others beat on them, expect the same.

 

You'd be surprised at how much restraint players have after that. If they simply don't get it, give them a taste of what they dish out to remind them. This is not revenge, this is helping them restrain themselves and keeping game balance.

 

Another gentle way of handling this is telling the player in the presence of the other players that the power will be allowed on a test basis, to see if the power is overwhelming or if the player is too eager on using it. Finally, if the player doesn't restrain himself, you as GM have to right to revoke that power but tell the player why. This works after using the above because the warning was already given prior to be forced to revoke it.

[GoldenAge]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

We have a special character called Clouded Leopard who utilizes a mental paralysis. To lessen its devastating effects we've limited it to "Must Make Eye Contact".

 

Out of combat it's rather easy to catch someone's eye... But such an attack in combat requires a called shot head (eyes) at -10.

 

[BNakagawa]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

Mind Control turns them on their allies. That's another 6 point slot.

 

 

 

Any combatant has an EGO score and a PRE score, so they can generate some damage, though possibly not huge damage. Allowing a haymaker to be used enhances that damage markedly.

 

Of course, a character reliant on accessible foci, attacks that do no BOD, or attacks which are Restrainable or otherwise require freedom of movement have little ability to damage a normal Entangle.

 

I'd be inclined to allow the power to the extent of the game's damage class limits, but explicitly reserve the right, should balance prove it necessary, to require the limitation "no defenses" be applied to the power, further enhancing the ability of anyone to get out in time. Alternatively, you could require that limitation from the outset, with the caveat that you will allow it to be bought off if the power proves insufficiently effective due to the limitation.

 

On Mind Control: Well, no 12d6 Mind Control lets you ATTEMPT to turn them on their allies. Assuming you are facing a team and not a randomly assorted collection of superpowered combatants, that might prove to be a little difficult. Conversely, a Mental Paralysis WILL shut down a non-mentalist for at least a full phase, probably more than that.

 

As for the no-defense house rule, I could live with that. That would keep it from being a complete hose job on any non-mentalist.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

On Mind Control: Well' date=' no 12d6 Mind Control lets you ATTEMPT to turn them on their allies. Assuming you are facing a team and not a randomly assorted collection of superpowered combatants, that might prove to be a little difficult. Conversely, a Mental Paralysis WILL shut down a non-mentalist for at least a full phase, probably more than that.[/quote']

 

12d6 will typically get a +30 effect on a 10 Ego target (the one that has trouble breaking the mental paralysis). There's a decent chance he'll make the first ego roll, or the second. If not, I get a full turn before he gets a third. That seems like a reasonable tradeoff for not getting an automatic phase or two held.

 

As for the no-defense house rule' date=' I could live with that. That would keep it from being a complete hose job on any non-mentalist.[/quote']

 

I think it's a means of de-powering the ability if it were to prove unbalanced, without eliminating its effectiveness entirely.

[casualplayer]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

So are we working hard at treating a symptom or should we take a look at the disease which, IMO, is Entangle being made to do too much. A power designed to emulate ice bonds and webbing can't help but fail when kit-bashed to simulate seizure-freezing someone.

 

RAW, you should use single command Mind Control to emulate this effect. Rules as they should be written?....Here's hoping 6th fixes it.

[BNakagawa]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

12d6 will typically get a +30 effect on a 10 Ego target (the one that has trouble breaking the mental paralysis). There's a decent chance he'll make the first ego roll, or the second. If not, I get a full turn before he gets a third. That seems like a reasonable tradeoff for not getting an automatic phase or two held.

 

 

 

I think it's a means of de-powering the ability if it were to prove unbalanced, without eliminating its effectiveness entirely.

 

That's a +30 on a 10 EGO target with no mental defenses. Most people end up with some, or they get pwnd by the generic 21 stun mental attack from across the board that nobody else can even see. Mental defenses, which do nothing about mental paralysis, BTW.

 

I'd rather see it as a starting point, rather than a potential nerf. Your example 10 EGO victim has a 50-50 chance of busting out of a 2d6 mental paralysis with no defenses. That's roughly analogous to a 12d6 energy blaster busting out of a 6d6 entangle and that's been the standard for entangles for over 2 decades...

[incrdbil]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

regardless' date=' an entangle that is transparent to attacks is still easy for any passing teammate to rip asunder, assuming they can hit a dcv of 3. [/quote']

 

And they like attacking their teammate. Also as the takes no damage from outside attacks entangel may very likely have a higher DCV (pg 168 size special effect, other factors)--with the -3 OCV for trying to hit such an entangle, the odds of missing and hitting the character are notable, and even if they do hit the entangle, they still harm their teammate. Martial Artists, not known for massive defenses, might not be terribly happy about this.

 

A mental paralysis is generally something nobody can help you with unless they have some mental powers.

 

Which is why it costs so much. Again, a few points of ego means that most mental entangels won't hold you long--heck, common flashes will more likely have you at a reduced DCV longer than this. If your ego is 10, well, you deserve what you get when mr evil mentalist comes to town.

 

The issue I have with mental paralysis and martial artists is this: The martial artist has invested a large batch of points in order to have a high DCV to protect them against attacks.

 

And if they want to avoid Mentalist problems, they should concentrate on ECV too, like anyone else.

 

A mental paralysis attack usually costs all of 6 points for an ultra slot in a 60 point multipower, assuming no limitations. (and let's be honest, how many mentalists don't have such a multipower?)

 

In a 60 point multipower, they don't have much of a mental based entangle. Not one that's goign to bother a martial artist any more than a AE accurate entangle, or flash attack, or Dex Drain/Suppress.

 

Again, run mentalist with a 14 or 15 ego, and most mental entangles you run into at an equal AP level are going to hold him up maybe for a phase..and numerous other common powers messup the same character for even longer.

 

There's no issue here.

[incrdbil]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

On Mind Control: Well' date=' no 12d6 Mind Control lets you ATTEMPT to turn them on their allies. [/quote']

 

And a mental paralysis attempts to freeze you up.

 

Assuming you are facing a team and not a randomly assorted collection of superpowered combatants, that might prove to be a little difficult.

 

Being on a team doesn't make you any more resistant to mind control--it just means the mentalist has to choose his options more carefully. Instead of 'attack your best friend' its "take your best friend to safety'--which is just as annoying as fighting.

 

Conversely, a Mental Paralysis WILL shut down a non-mentalist for at least a full phase, probably more than that.

 

I'd hope a 67+ active point power would bother a target that chose to take no type of defenses versus that form of attack for at least a phase.

[Trebuchet]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

If your ego is 10' date=' well, you deserve what you get when mr evil mentalist comes to town.[/quote']Bingo! In 26 years of playing Hero I've never built a superhero or heroic player character with only 10 EGO. To my mind strong willpower is a major aspect of fictional heroes. I just can't see a superheroic martial artist sticking with a base 10 EGO. IMO nobody achieves true mastery of a martial art or or even a sport without having a fair amount of mental discipline, which in Hero would clearly be represented by EGO.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

While I don't necessarily agree that a 10 ego is impossible for a Super or a Hero, I do agree that this is a choice to create someone whose willpower/mental strength is NOT heroic. This should be the exception, rather than the rule, and the player should be well aware that his character has a significant weakness

just as a character with a 10 DEX or a 2 SPD, while not impossible, is extremely slow for a Hero/Superhero, or a 10 PRE is exceptionally unimpressive for a hero/super.

[BNakagawa]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

Bingo! In 26 years of playing Hero I've never built a superhero or heroic player character with only 10 EGO. To my mind strong willpower is a major aspect of fictional heroes. I just can't see a superheroic martial artist sticking with a base 10 EGO. IMO nobody achieves true mastery of a martial art or or even a sport without having a fair amount of mental discipline' date=' which in Hero would clearly be represented by EGO.[/quote']

 

Well, as you know, all martial artists in all champions games are all self-trained paragons of willpower and dedication. The notion that you could play an evasive character that depended on DCV as a primary form of defense that didn't dedicate their lives to the perfection of a formal school of martial art is unthinkable.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

OK. Mental Paralysis. Let us be clear what we are talking about:

 

Entangle 2d6, 3 DEF, Cannot Be Escaped With Teleportation (+1/4), Takes No Damage From Attacks All Attacks (+1/2), Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense applies; +1) (69 Active Points); Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4) 69 Active/55 Real

 

Agreed?

 

That is about the nastiest you can make it and not exceed a nominal 60 point AP cap by too much (if you ignore AP caps that is a whole other issue).

 

So, HOW TO PREVENT IT BEING A GAME BREAKER, BUT STILL MAKE IT USEFUL? (I'm adding a bit, but an important bit)

 

Well, first off you could require a custom limitation: -1/2 every 5 points of mental defence the opponent has reduces the DEF by 1/increases their effective EGO by +5 points.

 

That should go a long way. Even agents can have a little mental defence built into their helmets without raising eyebrows.

 

Second most heroes and villains have at least 15 EGO (and martial artists often have a decent EGO score), so, with a push or haymaker they will be out lickerty split anyway (they get a half phase action if they break out, or a full phase if they can manage 7 'Body'.

 

I'm not really seeing the problem.

 

The other thing that you can use, if you want, is tactics. Simply put, if one member of the team is very dangerous (and people with mental powers often are not the best protected) then they will be the first target in any assault. A dozen agents, all coordinating and aiming at The DollMaker will put an end to his mental paralysis shennanigans without much ado, or any team of villains who have done even minimal research will act quickly to neutralise him. Bear in mind that BOECV powers are visible by default, so he can't do the 'mentalist mingling with the crowd' thing and, even if he has invisibility, making the power invisible is going to cut into that DEF or BODY.

 

Really. Shouldn't be a problem.

 

If it still is, have a chat with the player, ask them to tone down the power level, or buy the whole thing with 'Only 1 DEF', so anyone can break out, given time.

 

As to the level of EGO, guys, come on. You don't need a big EGO to be a Hero, any more than you need a big strength. Sure it is a pretty common feature, but some get by on bluff (say a high PRE) and some get by on psych lims (Look, these guys scare the c**p out of me, but they killed my family and I won't rest until every one of them is behind bars).

 

I'd agree that EGO is often neglected though, and if it is, and players can not be persuaded to add some points for role playing reasons, maybe a few combats standing still is the very thing to demonstrate the practical uses of EGO.

 

Of course we are talking about a PC taking mental paralysis, and it is well known that villains often have massive EGOs The players really can't start complaining if they face opponents who don't just fall over at the first bell.

[Trebuchet]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

Well' date=' as you know, all martial artists in all champions games are all self-trained paragons of willpower and dedication. The notion that you could play an evasive character that depended on DCV as a primary form of defense that didn't dedicate their lives to the perfection of a formal school of martial art is unthinkable.[/quote']You might note I included world-class athletes as others who would likely rate a higher-than-base EGO. You don't think people who make it to the Olympics might train and push themselves as hard mentally as world-class martial artists? Having DCV as the primary form of defense doesn't preclude the character having other reasonable types of defense. It's not like a 15 EGO is equivalent to +15 PD.

 

Silly me. I always get these campaign balance issues wrong even after running a successful campaign for 15 years. Thanks for enlightening me.

 

/sarcasm

[incrdbil]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

Well' date=' as you know, all martial artists in all champions games are all self-trained paragons of willpower and dedication. The notion that you could play an evasive character that depended on DCV as a primary form of defense that didn't dedicate their lives to the perfection of a formal school of martial art is unthinkable.[/quote']

 

 

Well, if you want to play someone who has average willpower, but a great DCV, you have cheerfully taken on the role of someone who will be vulnerable to many mental effects.

 

The idea you shold be able to handwave away attacks you never have attained any defensive capability against is pretty unthinkable too, unless its part of the (apparently widespread) 'hose the mentalists' school of thinking.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

Well' date=' as you know, all martial artists in all champions games are all self-trained paragons of willpower and dedication. The notion that you could play an evasive character that depended on DCV as a primary form of defense that didn't dedicate their lives to the perfection of a formal school of martial art is unthinkable.[/quote']

 

I don't think the idea that a character who has normal human willpower would have an Achilles heel against mental powers is unthinkable either. If your concept calls for a character with a huge DCV, limited defenses and normal human ego, fine - but you should not be surprised that mental powers are quite effective against this character. By his concept, they should be.

 

Let's look at some other 60 point multipower slots that could be very effective against certain concepts within certain archetypes:

 

- 8d6 Flash, 1 hex area or 6d6 Flash, BOECV: Any character dependent on DCV can easily be hit, and loses DCV for half a turn or so. Like most Flashes, this is also a mentalist killer as his powers all rely on line of sight. Anyone without flash defense/enhanced senses is at a disadvantage. Even a Brick loses 3 or 4 DCV, making Sweep/Rapid Attack more effective, in addition to the counterattack problem.

 

- 5d6 Aoe 1 hex, double knockback - average 3" Knockback will set that high DCV target at 1/2 DCV until his next phase, or he can abort his next action as soon as possible to regain his footing.

 

- 4d6 Ranged STR Drain - target the Brick and he loses 3 damage classes on average (unless his concept includes power defense). Rapid Fire it and take him down 5 or 6 DC's at a shot. That low STR energy projector or mentalist? If he only took a 10 or 13 STR, he's at negatives from the first hit.

 

- 4d6, 8 DEF Entangle - against anyone with restrainable, focused, etc. attacks, they're reliant on friendly fire to break them out. Or make it 4d6/4 DEF takes no damage from attacks so my teammates can smack him around at 0 DCV. Or 2d6/4 Def (or straight 3d6/3 DEF) AoE 1 hex. I don't need to hold you for a long time - one good Sweep or Rapid Fire at 0 DCV should do it.

 

The point is that there are typically attacks which can demolish any given character. And there should be, in my opinion. When I design or review a character, I typically ask the question "how would this guy be stopped". Every character should have an area of weakness, not just areas of strength. Otherwise, what does he need teammates for? If the character's schtick is virtual invulnerability, I might let him away without an attack that has significant effect, but he'll have to be under average in some other area (maybe his attacks are comparatively low, for example).

[Sean Waters]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

..........

 

Let's look at some other 60 point multipower slots that could be very effective against certain concepts within certain archetypes:

 

.................

 

 

 

6d6 INT drain

 

Duh!

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

6d6 INT drain

 

Duh!

 

Another good one.

 

Or we could use 4d6 at range so he doesn't have to get into HTH

 

Or 3d6 Ranged 1 hex AoE (and that would also work with STR) so those pesky martial artists can get hit as well.

 

Or double the dice and make it a Suppress - that gets an average of 21 STR or INT, which puts a large portion of standard Supers into a negative stat.

[BNakagawa]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

The point is, that evasiveness is a valid primary defense type in 99.9% of all genres.

 

Mental powers are a common feature of some very much smaller percentage of them.

 

On one day, you could have a very competitive, playable character. On the next, you could have a closed casket burial.

 

It is essentially no different than what happened to the PreColombian population of the new world. They had a perfectly functioning world, when along came something they weren't built to handle. (European pathogens) which wiped out entire populations.

 

You could have a game that is focussed on Bricks, Energy Projectors and Martial Artists humming along happily when along comes a mentalist that makes them all essentially unplayable.

 

Funny, the same thing happened the one time we let a Psionic into a D&D game...

[incrdbil]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

The point is, that evasiveness is a valid primary defense type in 99.9% of all genres.

 

What's valid in one genre doesnt carry over to another genre. Genre's differ. if the genre allows mental powers like mental entangle..then evasiveness has its limitatiosn built into the genre..unless the genre is 'there are mental powers..but only losers use them, because anyone can avoid them".

 

On one day, you could have a very competitive, playable character. On the next, you could have a closed casket burial.

 

A bit melodramatic. Reliance on pure DCv has its drawbacks outside of mental effects.

 

It is essentially no different than what happened to the PreColombian population of the new world. They had a perfectly functioning world, when along came something they weren't built to handle. (European pathogens) which wiped out entire populations.

 

I missed that role playing game.

 

You could have a game that is focussed on Bricks, Energy Projectors and Martial Artists humming along happily when along comes a mentalist that makes them all essentially unplayable.

 

If the campaign includes mentalists, those who have normal defenses and normal egos are goign to be hosed. This is nort a problem. This is a choice of theplayers--much like playing a character with no-resistant defenses in a capaign that has killing attacks. Sooner or later, you will pay for that choice.

 

Funny, the same thing happened the one time we let a Psionic into a D&D game...

 

So, somethign is broken in another game, it must be in HERO?

[Vulcan]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

And they like attacking their teammate. Also as the takes no damage from outside attacks entangel may very likely have a higher DCV (pg 168 size special effect' date=' other factors)--with the -3 OCV for trying to hit such an entangle, the odds of missing and hitting the character are notable, and even if they do hit the entangle, they still harm their teammate. Martial Artists, not known for massive defenses, might not be terribly happy about this.[/quote']

 

I always thought that 'takes no damage' just allowed someone to shoot at the entagled victim without breaking them free in the process. What you're talking about sounds more like 'both entagle and target take damage.'

 

Which is why it costs so much. Again, a few points of ego means that most mental entangels won't hold you long--heck, common flashes will more likely have you at a reduced DCV longer than this. If your ego is 10, well, you deserve what you get when mr evil mentalist comes to town.

 

And if they want to avoid Mentalist problems, they should concentrate on ECV too, like anyone else.

 

True, to a point. One of the nastiest things we ever did with a martial artist was to give her an 18 EGO and 29 Mental Defense. She was our team's mentalist hunter.

 

But by and large, she suffered for it when going up aginst other martial artists, a much more common foe.

 

In a 60 point multipower' date=' they don't have much of a mental based entangle. Not one that's goign to bother a martial artist any more than a AE accurate entangle, or flash attack, or Dex Drain/Suppress. [/quote']

 

Good point. But you can dive for cover vs. the AEH attacks. And a non-AEH attack must cope with the martial artist's significant DCV.

 

There's really nothing anyone can do to raise their DECV against mental attacks. Throw Overall Combat levels into it, that's about it.

 

Again' date=' run mentalist with a 14 or 15 ego, and most mental entangles you run into at an equal AP level are going to hold him up maybe for a phase..and numerous other common powers messup the same character for even longer. [/quote']

 

Do you mean that the mentalist has a 14-15 EGO, or the target? Most mentalists I've seen have a 20-25 EGO.

 

There's no issue here.

 

I wouldn't dismiss it so cavalierly, it certainly can be an issue if it is abused. But then, so can just about anything in the HERO System.

[incrdbil]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

Another good one.

 

Or we could use 4d6 at range so he doesn't have to get into HTH

 

Or 3d6 Ranged 1 hex AoE (and that would also work with STR) so those pesky martial artists can get hit as well.

 

Or double the dice and make it a Suppress - that gets an average of 21 STR or INT, which puts a large portion of standard Supers into a negative stat.

 

8d6 AE one hex accurate END suppress. Now the MA must burn stun just to be in combat (minimum of 1 end per phase)..and then using Strength, then at least 1 end to move...

 

Or make it a Presence suppress, so the MA has to spend the next action changing his pants.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

I'd allow someone to 'mental dodge', if they wanted. If makes them harder to hit mentally, but has no effect on DCV, and is a full phase action you can abort to.

 

Most mentalists have significant EGO but often not so much that a mental dodge can not cause them a real problem. Evasion, therefore, can be used as a defence against mental paralysis, at least when I'm GMing.

[Marcus]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

The point is, that evasiveness is a valid primary defense type in 99.9% of all genres.

 

Mental powers are a common feature of some very much smaller percentage of them.

 

On one day, you could have a very competitive, playable character. On the next, you could have a closed casket burial.

 

It is essentially no different than what happened to the PreColombian population of the new world. They had a perfectly functioning world, when along came something they weren't built to handle. (European pathogens) which wiped out entire populations.

 

You could have a game that is focussed on Bricks, Energy Projectors and Martial Artists humming along happily when along comes a mentalist that makes them all essentially unplayable.

 

Funny, the same thing happened the one time we let a Psionic into a D&D game...

 

Given the comment about Psions, coupled with your approach in this thread to mental powers and description of the high-DCV, low-ego 'martist', I think weve gotten to the core of the matter. ((Please correct me if I'm wrong))

 

You see Mentalism as being 'outside the norm' for your games. Few to no people have it, and noone should have to buy defenses against it, due to its rarity.

 

Mental powers should, in such a setting, be purchased in an amount/levels to match that lack of defenses, wiht an end result eing that mentalism is no better or worse than anything else.

 

The countervailing position is that mental powers, and mental defense, are as much a 'part of the game' as flash defense, power defense or (argueably) rPD and rED. A character going forth to superhero with no meaningful flash will have his entire day ruined by his first flash, and a character lacking rPD will respond poorly to handguns. Even so (in the eyes of position #2), a character with a 10 Ego is the moral equivalent of a character with a 10 Dex... he knew the risks when he signed up.

 

Alot of 1st and 2nd ed. D+D games that added Psionics 'after the fact' (Much less an issue with 3.5 psionics, which is like magic, but less cool) had similar problems. Noone had invested anything in their defenses against mentalism, they were all mind-blind, etc... so when psionics showed up, everyone was blindsided. In a game/world where psionics were just a part of the thing from day 1, a character would no more ignore their mental defenses than their magical ones, and would have no more right to complain about the result of having more mental defense than having no magical defense.

 

For me, and my group, Mental Powers came in at day 1. This does not mean every character needs a 20+ ego and 10+ additional mental defense, but if you dont have a decent Ego, and at least SOME mental defense, know WHY you dont... just like a character with a bad dex and no real PD and ED probably had better think things through.

 

Maybe thats even part of the problem... since even in a high-mentalism game, a lack of EGO and Mental Def. doesnt ruin you as often as a lack of Dex and PD, people start to think of it as something they dont need to have... and then get shocked and appaled when they DO get crushed by the attack they didnt bother to buy the defense against.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Mental Paralysis..how do I keep this from being game breaking?

 

Couple of things:

 

1. We're getting off the track of the original thread by some way and it might not be a bad idea to look for it again.

 

2. Having said that, I usually don't allow martial maneuvres for someone who is entangled and trying to escape except, obviously, escape. House rule, but it seems you need to be able to swing a punch to get the benefits of a martial punch and if you are immobilised, or nearly, you can't.

 

3. Does anyone actually think that mental paralysis is unduly unbalancing?