Fearghus Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 I have a question about mental powers. Do they only effect one person at a time or as their base power can they effect multiple targets at a time? What brings this up is a player of mine wanted to take a mental illusions power to make himself look like someone else. Then another player of mine started this question about weather everyone sees the illusion or not, and it pretty much killed the whole session. In the end I built the power as images, but the argument got me thinking about other mental powers that you typically think of effecting multiple people. Like Mind Control or Telepathy. Do you need to buy a special advantage to effect multiple targets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Mental Illusions et al. work on one Target at a time, though you can use it Multiple Times to affect Multiple Targets. you can apply Area Of Effect to hit everyone in the Area at once. Though this does not hit everyone in LOS. If you want a "mental disguise" trick it really is best modeled as Images with the SFX of "mind control" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 Re: Mental Powers 'Phwoar! - don't you look like that Scully?': Mental Illusions 1d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1), Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1), Cumulative (24 points; +1), Penetrating (x2; +1), MegaScale (1" = 10,000 km; +1 1/4) (34 Active Points) You don't actually need much because almost everyone wants you to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 Re: Mental Powers I have a question about mental powers. Do they only effect one person at a time or as their base power can they effect multiple targets at a time? What brings this up is a player of mine wanted to take a mental illusions power to make himself look like someone else. This is a case of 'reasoning from effect'; the power that makes you look like someone/thing you're not is Shapeshift. You could take it with some limitations like 'not vs people with more than 20 points of Ego and Mental Def', to make it more psionic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utech Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers This is a case of 'reasoning from effect'; the power that makes you look like someone/thing you're not is Shapeshift. You could take it with some limitations like 'not vs people with more than 20 points of Ego and Mental Def'' date=' to make it more psionic.[/quote'] You might also go with Images. Your GM can help you work out a way to "see through" the Images with an EGO Roll instead of a PER Roll. You might even work up something similar to the "stealth suit" version of Change Environment. Ah, Hero... So many, many ways to lift the heavy burden of skin from a cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAge Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Can you Spread a Mental attack the same way you can an Energy Blast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtelson Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers You might also go with Images. Your GM can help you work out a way to "see through" the Images with an EGO Roll instead of a PER Roll. Sounds like a job for Based on Ego Combat Value... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prestidigitator Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Can you Spread a Mental attack the same way you can an Energy Blast? Not that I know of, but it sounds like a darned good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Can you Spread a Mental attack the same way you can an Energy Blast? Yes. ANY and ALL Ranged Attacks may be spread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtelson Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Can you Spread a Mental attack the same way you can an Energy Blast? IIRC Only Ego Attack plus ranged attacks purchased with the 'based on ECV' advantage with GM's permission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers jtelson is right... the only Mental Power you can Spread is Ego Attack. Huh, don't like that at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAge Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers jtelson is right... the only Mental Power you can Spread is Ego Attack. Huh, don't like that at all. Doesn't make a lot of sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Nope, I don't think it does. Had I realized that earlier I would have made a note in the 6E Forums. Personally, I think you should be able to Spread any Non-Area Ranged Attack you'd like. Losing a DC is Losing a DC even on "non-damaging" attacks. Reduced effect on multiple targets. . . ah well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcan Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Just because the rules offically say that you can't spread Mind Control / Mental Illusions doesn't mean a GM cannot house-rule otherwise if he thinks it makes sense. I may have to adopt that house rule next time I run a game... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utech Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Personally' date=' I think you should be able to Spread any Non-Area Ranged Attack you'd like.[/quote'] Out of curiosity, why limit it to ranged attacks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Because Hand To Hand Attacks can Sweep. I consider them a good balance against each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prestidigitator Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Because Hand To Hand Attacks can Sweep. I consider them a good balance against each other. I don't know that that is a good reason. The ranged equivalent of Sweep is Rapid Fire. Also I seem to recall that only EB is spreadable; don't think RKA can be spread normally. Not that I really have an opinion one way or the other about whether HTH attacks or general ranged attacks should be spreadable. It does seem to make sense for Mental Powers to me though. Don't ask me why. Heh heh. (I guess it's just a common psionic genre thing that mentalists can effect multiple targets with "more effort" or lesser effect or something.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Out of curiosity' date=' why limit it to ranged attacks?[/quote'] Maybe it's just me, but I can't imagine anybody capable of HTH combat being able to spread his hands to create pseudo-Area Effects. As stated above, that's Sweep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utech Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Maybe it's just me' date=' but I can't imagine anybody capable of HTH combat being able to spread his hands to create pseudo-Area Effects. As stated above, that's Sweep.[/quote'] I think you're confusing the name with the mechanic. After all, the RAW allows people to Haymaker an Energy Blast even though a haymaker is generally defined as a very powerful punch... At any rate, I've got no particular reason to push for a rules change. I was just struck by the original statement that all ranged attacks ought to be able to Spread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtelson Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Re: Mental Powers I don't know that that is a good reason. The ranged equivalent of Sweep is Rapid Fire. Also I seem to recall that only EB is spreadable; don't think RKA can be spread normally. Not that I really have an opinion one way or the other about whether HTH attacks or general ranged attacks should be spreadable. It does seem to make sense for Mental Powers to me though. Don't ask me why. Heh heh. (I guess it's just a common psionic genre thing that mentalists can effect multiple targets with "more effort" or lesser effect or something.) 1 or 2 incarnations back I think it was only EB; currently it's (essentially) ranged non AOE non not Ego Blast mental attacks; With the caveat that the whole rule's optional and the GM can set whatever guidelines he wants (The write up suggests GMs may tend to dissallow some powers to be spread). As to spreading Mind Control etc.- Might be a balance issue. If you can spread 12d6 Mind Control, it pretty much gives you 2-3 Agents a phase rather than 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Re: Mental Powers Well, Spreading An Attack is causing it to hit several hexes at once, aside from some SFX considerations, I suppose there's no real reason not to Spread HtH Attacks either from a strict Mechanical POV. (and before anyone notes: guns are usually built with the Beam Limitation, which means they can't be spread.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Re: Mental Powers 1 or 2 incarnations back I think it was only EB; currently it's (essentially) ranged non AOE non not Ego Blast mental attacks; With the caveat that the whole rule's optional and the GM can set whatever guidelines he wants (The write up suggests GMs may tend to dissallow some powers to be spread). As to spreading Mind Control etc.- Might be a balance issue. If you can spread 12d6 Mind Control, it pretty much gives you 2-3 Agents a phase rather than 1. You still lose a Damage Class for each hex. Even if the three agents are standing next to each other you only get 9D6 of Effect here. You could fail. And since they rarely stand in line like that... you can lose dice quickly if you try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 Re: Mental Powers You can lessen the damage of your attacks to increase chance to hit in the real world with a punch. It's called a jab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 Re: Mental Powers But can you jab multiple people standing several feet away from eachother in one movement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 Re: Mental Powers No, not unless you had really long arms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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