Psychokinetic Controls

[phoenix240]

How would you represent a vehicle the required psychokinsis (TK with a psionic sfx or a similar ability, special effectswise) to operate? Beings without it couldn't operate it at all. There are no physical controls and the craft must be piloted via pyshokinetic manipulation but just about level of ability will do (sfx and Limitations taken into account) and it still takes some training or experience (or a player character level disregard for danger and common sense )

[CptPatriot]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Well, the rules don't say anything on how you control vehicles. The only thing about controlling a vehicle is that the user have the appropriate skill to drive/pilot it. If you declare that it is a psychokinetically operated vehicle, then that is it.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

I'd probably go with a zero point Phys Lim on the vehicle. Presumably, whoever paid points for it is psychokinetic, therefore he can use it. It can't be easily stolen, but on the other hand if he's unconscious or disabled, nobody else can use it to drive him to safety. It's kind of like a Personal Focus in that way, and Personal vs Universal doesn't get you a point break either.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Definitely a Physical Limitation on the vehicle. This means the vehicle can't be driven by just anyone, so it's a limitation.

 

Now a driver who has practiced using his Psychokinesis to drive said vehicle and has gotten very adept with it could purchase Skill Levels for piloting that specific vehicle and/or AID or Succor to increase the vehicles Primary Characteristics while he is Linked with it.

[dmjalund]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Definitely a Physical Limitation on the vehicle. This means the vehicle can't be driven by just anyone, so it's a limitation.

 

Now a driver who has practiced using his Psychokinesis to drive said vehicle and has gotten very adept with it could purchase Skill Levels for piloting that specific vehicle and/or AID or Succor to increase the vehicles Primary Characteristics while he is Linked with it.

But a physical limitation on a vehicle doesn't save the owner any points

[Christopher]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

I'd probably go with a zero point Phys Lim on the vehicle. Presumably' date=' whoever paid points for it is psychokinetic, therefore he can use it. It can't be easily stolen, but on the other hand if he's unconscious or disabled, nobody else can use it to drive him to safety. It's kind of like a Personal Focus in that way, and Personal vs Universal doesn't get you a point break either.[/quote']

I agree with that. It's just a interesting variant for a Personal Focus.

 

Of course, one question: Does he have to sit in the driver seat to controll it, or could he remote controll it? I think so far everyone asumed he has to be in the seat like a normal driver.

[phoenix240]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

I'd probably go with a zero point Phys Lim on the vehicle. Presumably' date=' whoever paid points for it is psychokinetic, therefore he can use it. It can't be easily stolen, but on the other hand if he's unconscious or disabled, nobody else can use it to drive him to safety. It's kind of like a Personal Focus in that way, and Personal vs Universal doesn't get you a point break either.[/quote']

 

 

This is what I was thinking. It does seem like it would more or less balance out and be more or less a pot device/sfx. It might actually be worth a small limitation in this game since PK is a very rare ability.

 

 

But a physical limitation on a vehicle doesn't save the owner any points

 

 

They reduce the base cost of the vehicle in my games.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

But a physical limitation on a vehicle doesn't save the owner any points

 

But should it?

 

"A limitation that is not a limitation is not worth any points."

 

A vehicle you build, with your points, that ONLY YOU can operate... doesn't sound like it should reduce points to me. Usable By Other is an advantage; a personal vehicle that only you can use sounds like a power that does not have UBO.

 

Just my $0.25 (adjusted for inflation)

[Christopher]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Usable By Other is an advantage; a personal vehicle that only you can use sounds like a power that does not have UBO.

Because you acn choose who recieves it adn who not. The 0 Point Complications is a very fitting equivalent to a Personal Focus: Nobody on your team can steer it, but you also got the perfect Anti-Theft System.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

But should it?

 

"A limitation that is not a limitation is not worth any points."

 

A vehicle you build, with your points, that ONLY YOU can operate... doesn't sound like it should reduce points to me. Usable By Other is an advantage; a personal vehicle that only you can use sounds like a power that does not have UBO.

 

Just my $0.25 (adjusted for inflation)

 

You've never had a buddy who needed to borrow your car? Or gone on a long road trip with friends where you swapped drivers every few hours?

 

The other option, of course, is that if it is a Phys Lim, then at some point the GM WILL make it an issue. The owner's been knocked out, or his powers have been drained ... we need to drive him to the hospital, quick give me the keys! Wait, there are no keys ... then how do we ... FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[Dreamstreamer]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Could it be a perk? Something like, "Access to psychokinetically controlled vehicles" or similar? It would have to be limited to those with psychokinetic powers in the first place, but I think that it might work.

[Sketchpad]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Why not just do something like:

Psychokinetic Pilot: +2 w/ Combat Piloting (Uses END, Ranged)

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Why not just do something like:

Psychokinetic Pilot: +2 w/ Combat Piloting (Uses END, Ranged)

 

Because then anybody can still use the vehicle, the specific character will just use it better. The idea is that the vehicle can only be operated via PK.

[Sketchpad]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Okay, then why not TK w/ Fine Manipulation (Only Useable to Pilot Vehicles)?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Okay' date=' then why not TK w/ Fine Manipulation (Only Useable to Pilot Vehicles)?[/quote']

 

Because that still wouldn't stop the vehicle from being piloted by people without TK. What we're trying to build is a vehicle that can only be operated by certain people, not people with certain powers that help them pilot vehicles.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

I'm going to poke some holes into this idea.

 

Are we talking about the power TELEKINESIS, or are we talking about the SFX "Psychokinetic"?

 

Either way, there is an extenuating problem. Not all uses of the mechanic of TK would fit the idea of "psychokinetic", and not all abilities labeled "psychokinetic" would lend themselves to the sort of finicky business of piloting a vehicle.

 

For instance perhaps Magnetu has a magnetic ability built using the power TK; can he pilot your vehicle? What about Gravitator, who also has a gravity manipulation ability built using TK?

 

On the other vector, Plowshare has a powerful "psychokinetic" ability to project a wave of psychokinetic force that pushes earth out of the way in long furrows; it's built using Tunneling. Bullwork enhances his strength and toughness to superhuman degrees and seems to be a typical brick, but his power is really tactile psychokinesis; all of his brick abilities have the SFX of "Psychokinesis" even though they are fairly prosaic uses of Armor, Strength, Hand Attack, and so forth. Despite having the applicable SFX, it doesn't seem feasible that either Plowshare or Bullwork have the right "sort" of psychokinesis to pilot your vehicle.

 

For that matter, what about Spoon-Bill who has a rather weak form of TK sufficient only for levitating coins and bending spoons with great effort...even though conceptually he's a telekinetic and he has an ability built using TK, it doesn't seem like he's powerful enough to pilot your Psychokinetic vehicle.

 

 

If this concept is something central to your setting...the idea of vehicles that people with a very particular sort of telekinetic ability can pilot, I recommend you simply define a custom talent, such as "Psychokinetic Pilot", with a prerequisite defined as you deem fitting your setting and this concept you are modelling. Price it at 1, 3, or 5 points (or even more if its really a big deal and confers some significant advantage), as seems fair for the point level you are operating at and how significant the ability to pilot such vehicles is. On the actual vehicles, take a Complication requiring the talent; whether its a 0 point or more Complication is up to your discretion, but largely doesn't matter.

[MorpheousXO]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

I was actually under the impression that they meant specifically Telekinesis with the SFX of Psychokinesis, which if I recall is what they call tk in the book when you change it to use OMCV... box on 6e1 pg 295. Now, that's just how I read it, and I could be wrong. That said, my contribution to this discussion is based on that assumption.

 

0pt phys lim. sounds right to me.

[Christopher]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

I asumed that Fine Manipulation ability is not nessesary. I thought it is mostly a normal car, except for a psyichokinetik "Dead Man Switch" or "Immobiliser". That, or perhaps the vehicle bestows the abilities nessesary to controll on anyone able to use at least a mimimum of psychokinesis.

In any way just having the right power/sfx might tbe enough to controll it, regardless of what power is nessesary.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

I was actually under the impression that they meant specifically Telekinesis with the SFX of Psychokinesis, which if I recall is what they call tk in the book when you change it to use OMCV... box on 6e1 pg 295. Now, that's just how I read it, and I could be wrong. That said, my contribution to this discussion is based on that assumption.

 

0pt phys lim. sounds right to me.

 

Same here. I was thinking of it like some sci-fi flying saucers, where the alien race controls the ship 'with their minds' .. and then the captive human gets free, tries to fly the thing, and he's all 'where are the controls?!'

[phoenix240]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

I'm going to poke some holes into this idea.

 

Are we talking about the power TELEKINESIS, or are we talking about the SFX "Psychokinetic"?

 

Either way, there is an extenuating problem. Not all uses of the mechanic of TK would fit the idea of "psychokinetic", and not all abilities labeled "psychokinetic" would lend themselves to the sort of finicky business of piloting a vehicle.

 

For instance perhaps Magnetu has a magnetic ability built using the power TK; can he pilot your vehicle? What about Gravitator, who also has a gravity manipulation ability built using TK?

 

On the other vector, Plowshare has a powerful "psychokinetic" ability to project a wave of psychokinetic force that pushes earth out of the way in long furrows; it's built using Tunneling. Bullwork enhances his strength and toughness to superhuman degrees and seems to be a typical brick, but his power is really tactile psychokinesis; all of his brick abilities have the SFX of "Psychokinesis" even though they are fairly prosaic uses of Armor, Strength, Hand Attack, and so forth. Despite having the applicable SFX, it doesn't seem feasible that either Plowshare or Bullwork have the right "sort" of psychokinesis to pilot your vehicle.

 

For that matter, what about Spoon-Bill who has a rather weak form of TK sufficient only for levitating coins and bending spoons with great effort...even though conceptually he's a telekinetic and he has an ability built using TK, it doesn't seem like he's powerful enough to pilot your Psychokinetic vehicle.

 

 

If this concept is something central to your setting...the idea of vehicles that people with a very particular sort of telekinetic ability can pilot, I recommend you simply define a custom talent, such as "Psychokinetic Pilot", with a prerequisite defined as you deem fitting your setting and this concept you are modelling. Price it at 1, 3, or 5 points (or even more if its really a big deal and confers some significant advantage), as seems fair for the point level you are operating at and how significant the ability to pilot such vehicles is. On the actual vehicles, take a Complication requiring the talent; whether its a 0 point or more Complication is up to your discretion, but largely doesn't matter.

 

Well I specified Psychokinsis (TK with Psionic Special effect) as the basic case but I assumed that being Hero that sfx would matter and I didn't need to go into extreme detail about what qualified to pilot the vehicle. I guess I should edit the original post to make that clearer.

 

Just about any character with a pyschokinetic type ability could potentialy learn to pilot this particular device given time and training. Someone without such an ability simply can't. It would be like trying to fly a convential vehicle witht out manipulatory limbs.

[phoenix240]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Same here. I was thinking of it like some sci-fi flying saucers' date=' where the alien race controls the ship 'with their minds' .. and then the captive human gets free, tries to fly the thing, and he's all 'where are the controls?!'[/quote']

 

Actually, that's pretty much exactly what I was working on: a Gray "Flying Saucer".

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Actually' date=' that's pretty much exactly what I was working on: a Gray "Flying Saucer".[/quote']

 

Say, here's a thought ... instead of requiring Psychokinesis, how about giving the Grays Telepathy or Mind Control that affects machines, and then give the vehicle a computer they can command? That may actually fit better, since if there are no controls,there's nothing to telekinese. Or heck, you could give the computer and the Greys a Mind Link with that -1 limitation about 'only to others with Mind Link' to communicate with the vehicle ...

[phoenix240]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Say' date=' here's a thought ... instead of requiring Psychokinesis, how about giving the Grays Telepathy or Mind Control that affects machines, and then give the vehicle a computer they can command? That may actually fit better, since if there are no controls,there's nothing to telekinese. Or heck, you could give the computer and the Greys a Mind Link with that -1 limitation about 'only to others with Mind Link' to communicate with the vehicle ...[/quote']

 

That is an interesting thought. But in my concept there are controls, they're just not ones that can be manipulated with physical contact. The Gray "technology" is based on use of naturally occurring crystals that conduct, amplify and alter psionic energy, the psychokinetic equivalent of tools and such. They actually have a great deal of trouble grasping the concept of human type tools and technology. It fascinates them though and they collect it trying to figure out how it works (Aduction stories often describe the ships as littered or filled with bits of machines and other junk so I thought I should come up with explanation). They get very simple things (levers, door knobs, etc) but computers and other tech are somewhat baffling. The idea of using an "artificial thinking device" (a computer) is actually somewhat embarrassing. They pride themselves on mental acuity and power. Its similar to how a human might feel about needing a prosthesis (or a marital aid).

[prestidigitator]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Story, not points. Make sure there are disadvantages to match the benefits. Your enemies can't pilot the vehicle, but neither can (most) of your friends if they have to. You may be able to walk around the ship while you pilot it, but what happens when you fly into a field that dampens psychokinetic activity? All kinds of interesting story hooks for no points at all!

[Christopher]

Re: Psychokinetic Controls

 

Just about any character with a pyschokinetic type ability could potentialy learn to pilot this particular device given time and training. Someone without such an ability simply can't. It would be like trying to fly a convential vehicle witht out manipulatory limbs.

That sounds like it is a question of having a Skill (Psionic Combat Driver)/Transport Familarity, that only people with the "right" powers can learn. Depending on how common this ide is, you could just make one "Psionics Vehicle" and the character can controll anything he could fly/drive manually with his mind, or make a complete set of new "Psionic Transport Familarities", so you need "Psionic Jets" to fly Jets, "Psionic Cars" for cars, etc...

And of course a character that pays points for his psionic vehicle does not needs the Familarites for it as usual (but it might be usefull to have them).