Mental Entangles

[jwpacker]

Okay, can't find anything on this, so I'll risk a new thread...

 

I play a character, and in another game GM one, who have BoECV entangles.

 

If they were normal entangles, a friend or even a police officer could cut them out of the entangle and take them to safety or into custody.

 

But when the entangle is BoECV, and you've mentally paralyzed someone, and the DEF is so high that there's no hope of Joe 10-Ego ever doing enough damage even with pushing... how do they get out of the entangle?

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

A mentalist can break them out, using his mental powers like the friend or police officer would use STR or an attack in your normal Entangle example.

 

As to the person breaking free him/herself, it wouldn't happen, similar to the 10 STR Joe Normal trying to break free from a 5d6, 5 DEF normal Entangle.

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

On a related note, that's why, in my games, such powers tend to have an understood, -0 limitation that they fade over time. It's kinda like Spidey's webs, which break down after an hour IIRC.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

Considering how many AP a 5d6 Mental Entangle would be, it makes sense that Joe Q. Public would be stuck for a long, long time. Something 125, isn't it? That's a grotesquely powerful ability.

 

If your campaign DC caps are in the usual 12-15 range, you're not likely to get more than 2 to 2.5 d6 of Mental Entangle, tops, which a 10 Ego can

(eventually) escape.

 

As a side note/house rule, I let characters' Enrageds and Psych Lims affect their dice to break out. If obeying a Psych Lim would require getting out of the Mental Entangle (say, 'fear of snakes' when attacked by a snake-monster), a strong lim gets +2d6 and a Total lim gets +4d6. Enrageds get +2d6, Berserks +4d6. Psych Lims that are facilitated by being entangled take -1d6 and -2d6 for strong and total, respectively.

[Kestrel]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

If you really want to have some fun, make a compound power with a mental entangle and an EGO drain together. Even if they break out the first time, the second time they'll have a harder time of it. I used that one with a shadow demon/dominatrix NPC, as part of her Whips and Chains MP.

 

But yes, mental entangles are great for holding down people who build characters and neglect to buy up their EGO, either because they don't have the points, or because it just doesn't fit the concept. Although I had a brick who started buying mental defense, as well as his EGO with xp, since he kept getting mind controlled all the time. I figured that eventually he'd learn to resist. Took me forever to get the gm to agree to it.

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

Considering how many AP a 5d6 Mental Entangle would be' date=' it makes sense that Joe Q. Public would be stuck for a long, long time. Something 125, isn't it? That's a grotesquely powerful ability.[/quote']

 

Just a note that I specified a 5d6 normal Entangle. Yeah, a 5d6 Mental Entangle would be quite ick. That would be equivalent to a 12d6 normal Entangle, which would take even seasoned supers a while to break free (discounting use of Desolidification, Teleport, etc.).

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

Just a note that I specified a 5d6 normal Entangle. Yeah' date=' a 5d6 Mental Entangle would be quite ick. That would be equivalent to a 12d6 normal Entangle, which would take even seasoned supers a while to break free (discounting use of Desolidification, Teleport, etc.).[/quote']

 

My bad.

[DocMan]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

Note that the SFX of the BoECV entangle can also provide a limiting factor. If the entangle is represented by hypnotic lights, then closing the victim's eyes should help them break free. A BoECV entangle that simulates a paralytic drug will wear off with time as it is metabolized.

 

Doc

[ghost-angel]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

I'll echo some of the above comments:

 

a fade over time (a long period, at least an hour)

SFX Circumstances - new stimulus, reduced stimulus, etc. . . can help someone out or break it completely. Again, this should take non-combat level time.

[Fireg0lem]

Re: Mental Entangles

 

Also, you can (with GMs permission, I always play with this) push your EGO for this purpose. I think you can even Haymaker your way out, although that makes you very vulnerable after escaping.