Telepathic Hearing

[CptPatriot]

I was looking in the Champions Powers book, page 240 at the power Telepathic Hearing which is purchased as:

Detect Surface Thoughts (INT Roll) (Mental Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Sense

But in the book, it also says:

Characters should get the GM’s permission to buy it, though, since it may effectively replace Telepathy in some ways (some GMs may prefer that characters use [highlight]

Triggered Telepathy

[/highlight] to accomplish this result).

My question is how should the [highlight]Triggered Telepathy[/highlight] be written up in the event that the GM denies my request for the [highlight]Detect Surface Thoughts[/highlight]?

 

How would/should Mental Defense be handled for [highlight]Detect Surface Thoughts[/highlight] to be fair to those who do have that protection?

[dmjalund]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

i'd say that anyone with ANY mental defence would be inaudible (or at least unintelligable)

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

I was looking in the Champions Powers book' date=' page 240 at the power Telepathic Hearing which is purchased as:[indent'] Detect Surface Thoughts (INT Roll) (Mental Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Sense

[/indent]But in the book, it also says:

Characters should get the GM’s permission to buy it, though, since it may effectively replace Telepathy in some ways (some GMs may prefer that characters use [highlight]

Triggered Telepathy

[/highlight] to accomplish this result).

My question is how should the [highlight]Triggered Telepathy[/highlight] be written up in the event that the GM denies my request for the [highlight]Detect Surface Thoughts[/highlight]?

 

How would/should Mental Defense be handled for [highlight]Detect Surface Thoughts[/highlight] to be fair to those who do have that protection?

 

I think instead of Triggered Telepathy I might try making Telepathy Continuous, Zero END, use Standard Effect (so you are not constantly rolling for level of effect), and perhaps add limitations that you can't hear anything deeper than surface thoughts regardless of how far you surpass their EGO, and maybe even tie it to your regular PER roll. However, that may end up being much too expensive for the effect you want...

[CptPatriot]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

i'd say that anyone with ANY mental defence would be inaudible (or at least unintelligable)

So, would that be worthy of a limitation or a requirement for allowing the Detect in the first place?

[dmjalund]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

So' date=' would that be worthy of a limitation or a requirement for allowing the Detect in the first place?[/quote']probably a requirement - think of it detect -analyse face, where Mental Defense is wearing a mask

[Yansuf]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

You could make mental defense increase the difficulty of the Int roll. For example, with a normal Int roll of 13, to read someone with 6 points mental defense the required roll is 13-6=7.

[CptPatriot]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

I think that works, just need to see how the Triggered Telepathy writeup looks for comparison

[torchwolf]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

I think instead of Triggered Telepathy I might try making Telepathy Continuous' date=' Zero END, use Standard Effect (so you are not constantly rolling for level of effect), and perhaps add limitations that you [i']can't[/i] hear anything deeper than surface thoughts regardless of how far you surpass their EGO, and maybe even tie it to your regular PER roll. However, that may end up being much too expensive for the effect you want...

I think this would probably be the best solution (or maybe Costs Half END, since Continuous can now Cost END). An Explosion AoE might also make sense, maybe with a PER Roll RAR.

Some additional problems with the Detect approach (apart from being a budget Telepathy):

a simple 3d6 PER Roll generates more random results than using the Telepathy mechanic; the Telepathy mechanic is already in place and using Detect will add a separate mechanic and notes on handling it (interaction with other mechanics based on Mental Powers); etc.

Personally, I always replace Detect Thought and Detect Emotion builds with Telepathy.

[Checkmate]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

If you do go with the Detect, I would also allow anyone aware of your ability to "whisper" their thoughts, or make it harder for you to detect even if they don't have Mental Defense. That power is just huge compared to the cost.

[pinecone]

Re: Telepathic Hearing

 

If you do go with the Detect' date=' I would also allow anyone aware of your ability to "whisper" their thoughts, or make it harder for you to detect even if they don't have Mental Defense. That power is just huge compared to the cost.[/quote']

 

Yeah, or "Shout over" your real thoughts..."I am obsessing over Kims rear!" "Whysper, whats he planning?" "I like big butts and I can't denie?"