Viral Mind Control

[ParitySoul]

I was trying to work out a type of Mind Control used by a very nasty character that passed from person to person bringing them under the 'masters' will. A mental virus if you will. Once infected the next person would pass it on until it came across someone who was immune (good mental defences). Basicaly, the PCs can fight the effect with the right adjustments (immunizations) but everyone that they didn't protect would be infected.

 

Anyone see Spiral Zone? Something like that, but more agressive.

 

How the heck do I build this?

[ParitySoul]

For that matter, has anyone ever done a Borg like colletive? Or had to deal with agressive nano attacks?

 

Thanks again.

[Zed-F]

I have a character with something like that.

 

Basically, I bought 2 transform powers to go with a mind control. The first transform is a fairly typical psychic surgery transform - BOECV, based on EGO not BODY, used to impose psych lims on the target (e.g. loyal to master.) The second transform only works on targets transformed by the first transform to make the results of the first transform contagious. Note, though, that if you want to work this in a similar fashion to the rules for the Sticky advantage, in order to keep a lid on things and not infect everyone in the world in the space of a few days, the rule is that only the original target is contagious -- everyone else is a "carrier" and symptomatic, but not contagious. Hence why I built it as 2 separate transforms.

 

For example, the character comes across a group of 4 guards near the entrance to a facility. He mind controls one who is on patrol, takes him to a quiet spot, and transforms him with transform A to make him permanently obedient, then with transform B to make him contagious. Mr. "B" then goes back to his buddies and spends a few minutes with them, whereupon they are all in state "A". If the character wants them all to be contagious, he has to use the "B" transform on each of them.

[ParitySoul]

Unless you want to control the world. Heh.

 

But what if the power costs end for each 'zombie'? And the bad guy is using a massive End Reserve to control say...a city? And there is an upper limit on hosts for the mind control infection. Basical the End Reserve regen is maxed and it can't maintain anymore. A few slip free from time to time. Etc. I want this to be messy, not efficent. But, ya, I was working with a transform. Closest to what I want.

[Dust Raven]

From your first post, it seems that you are planing this for an NPC that the PCs must defeat, somehow freeing all of the zombies.

 

If this is correct, simply define the game mechanic of infection (Xd6 Mind Control/Transform/Other Appropriate Power), a cure, and then just describe the method of contagion. Don't break your brain trying to figure out how many points something is or how to build it unless a PC is buying it. So long as something like this is being used by an NPC, its a really cool plot device and nothing more.

[Nightshade]

I would go with a Sticky, Uncontrolled Mind Control, based upon Con, with Ranged if you want it to be transmitted by something other than touch.

 

If you wanted more of a zombie aspect, you could go with an EGO Drain instead. To get the disease effect, you could go with gradual effect. That way, people don't just "become" zombies.

 

Nightshade

[Lord Liaden]

Originally posted by ParitySoul

Unless you want to control the world. Heh.

 

But what if the power costs end for each 'zombie'? And the bad guy is using a massive End Reserve to control say...a city? And there is an upper limit on hosts for the mind control infection. Basical the End Reserve regen is maxed and it can't maintain anymore. A few slip free from time to time. Etc. I want this to be messy, not efficent. But, ya, I was working with a transform. Closest to what I want.

 

Let's try approaching this from a different direction: rather than using a Power to change individuals controlled, how about changing the Power that controls them?

 

Since the mind control is supposed to cost END and have a maximum effect, this sounds to me like Mind Control with Advantages and Limitations. Affecting large numbers of people at once could be Area of Effect, with people "slipping free" when they move out of the area of Mind Control - the larger the area, the more Endurance required to maintain it. Alternatively you could have the means of Mind Control seek out each mind (via Mind Scan for example) and attack each one separately, maintaining each Mind Control at the cost of END for each person. An upper limit of controllable people would be reached eventually, depending on the size of the Endurance source and its Recovery.

 

As for the "infection" part, this could be used to bring the cost of the Mind Control down. Just put a Limitation on MC, "Only vs. Infected People," defining the ease of Infection as you wish and pricing the Lim accordingly. Another approach would be to define the Infection in game mechanic terms, as a Continuous Uncontrolled Sticky Transform "Target to Target with x2 Vulnerability to Mind Control," requiring a much smaller Active Point MC to get the job done. A variation on that construct (very much subject to GM approval) would be to substitute EGO Drain for Transform, and define the value of the Drained EGO as only applying vs. this particular Mind Control. (I'd call that a net 0 Advantage/Limitation myself, but the point is debatable.)

 

I hope some of that is of use to you.

[Zed-F]

This is HERO. There's always more than one way to skin a cat.

[prestidigitator]

Originally posted by Zed-F

...if you want to work this in a similar fashion to the rules for the Sticky advantage, in order to keep a lid on things and not infect everyone in the world in the space of a few days, the rule is that only the original target is contagious -- everyone else is a "carrier" and symptomatic, but not contagious. Hence why I built it as 2 separate transforms.

I like to build diseases with Sticky, and keep them somewhat under control by giving them a relatively low Activation Roll. This can be placed on the whole power (if the initial contamination isn't often successful), or just applied to the Sticky Advantage (if contaminated subjects have a small probability of transmitting for each physical contact). I have actually created an "Allows Saving Throw," Limitation, which I often use in my heroic campain instead of Activation Roll. This way hardier targets, with higher Con (or Ego--whatever) scores, are less likely to contract the disease.

[dugfromthearth]

yes

 

I do exactly as presdigitator has said.

 

sticky with a limitation on it so that it does not always spread.