Gaspode the Talking Dog

[Alverant]

One of the characters in Terry Prachett's Discworld series is a talking dog named Gaspode. No, I'm not going to ask how to build him. It would be easy; remove Animal Intelligence limitation and add English and Wolf languages. No, I'm wondering how to build another one of his "abilities".

 

[from his wikipedia entry]

However, since everyone knows that dogs can't speak, people tend to interpret his speech as their own personal thoughts, a tendency which Gaspode regularly uses to wangle food from passers by.

 

The few people immune to this effect are those open minded enough to consider the possibility of a talking dog. Would this be the telepathy power or simply the skills psychology or ventriloquism to make people think that Gaspode's voice is either their own inner voice or a random voice in the crowd? I'd probably add a -1/4 limitation regardless for "Doesn't work on anyone who thinks a talking dog is possible" which would pretty much be anyone who the GM thinks would further the plot.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Gaspode the Talking Dog

 

What about a very small Mind Control with lots of extra dice that have the limitation that they are only for concealing the source of the "attack"? It shouldn't take a lot of dice of MC to convince someone to "feed the cute little dog" since, who doesn't want to feed the poor little stray? Don't buy the Telepathic adder, so they still hear the actual voice and the extra dice with the limitation prevents them from knowing they've been "mentally attacked".

 

Okay, maybe I'm over thinking this a bit...

[Tasha]

Re: Gaspode the Talking Dog

 

One of the characters in Terry Prachett's Discworld series is a talking dog named Gaspode. No, I'm not going to ask how to build him. It would be easy; remove Animal Intelligence limitation and add English and Wolf languages. No, I'm wondering how to build another one of his "abilities".

 

[from his wikipedia entry]

However, since everyone knows that dogs can't speak, people tend to interpret his speech as their own personal thoughts, a tendency which Gaspode regularly uses to wangle food from passers by.

 

The few people immune to this effect are those open minded enough to consider the possibility of a talking dog. Would this be the telepathy power or simply the skills psychology or ventriloquism to make people think that Gaspode's voice is either their own inner voice or a random voice in the crowd? I'd probably add a -1/4 limitation regardless for "Doesn't work on anyone who thinks a talking dog is possible" which would pretty much be anyone who the GM thinks would further the plot.

 

Just give the Dog a high persuasion roll, perhaps with some acting.

[Ternaugh]

Re: Gaspode the Talking Dog

 

Taking what you will from it, the GURPS version of Gaspode calls his power "Voice of Command", which, coupled with a base campaign assumption ("Dogs can't talk"), effectively gives him his ability. I'd agree with Tasha that it's probably a high Persuasion roll, with some acting. Add some Ventriloquism for when he's acting as Foul Ole Ron's thinking-brain dog, and Stronginthearm's your uncle.

 

JoeG

[Narf the Mouse]

Re: Gaspode the Talking Dog

 

...How would you build Foul Ole Ron?

[Vulcan]

Re: Gaspode the Talking Dog

 

It shouldn't take a lot of dice of MC to convince someone to "feed the cute little dog"...

 

A bit more than you think, Gaspode was described as being... well, 'mangey' would be understating it.

[Ternaugh]

Re: Gaspode the Talking Dog

 

...How would you build Foul Ole Ron?

 

I'm leaning towards Duplication, with Foul Ole Ron's Smell having an Inherent Desolidification. I suppose that you could also buy it as a follower. Either way, we've seen that it's affected by Presence Attacks.

 

JoeG

[Alverant]

Re: Gaspode the Talking Dog

 

Thanks, but I like the idea given in the first response to http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/81138-Things-that-trigger-Complications-Limitations in that it should cost 0 points. It's not really the Gaspode making people interpret his talking as an inner voice or someone else in the crowd. It's the person's own preconceptions doing it. Call it species prejudice. For example if someone is convinced all Trolls are stupid and hears a troll give a lecture about calculus then the person is going to think the Troll is just parroting what is being whispered to her or she memorized the lecture before hand. That person won't even consider that she is a Troll who is smart enough to give the lecture on her own. So a person who knows that dogs can't talk will invent reasons why they heard the phrase, "You're a worthless jerk." after kicking some mutt. So if the person is doing it to themselves, why should it cost points?