12 Months 12 Characters. The Mentalist

[death tribble]

Well several days late but still on track.

 

The fourth character is a mental powered character.

So here the first questions are

Do we keep STR normal at 10 ?

Is DEX average i.e. 23 or lower ? Or even higher ?

Should INT be greater than say 13 to match EGO ?

Should EGO be 20-23 or higher ?

Should our egoist be straight mental powers i.e. Professor X, or have extras like a Legion flight ring or have other powers like martial arts i.e. Psylocke

 

[Hyper-Man]

Here's an old 5e Marvel-Girl knock off (Telepathic/Telekinetic) I created a while back that the board is welcome to mine for ideas as a starting point: http://www.herogames.com/viewCharacter.htm?id=209081

[Ockham's Spoon]

I would go for a pure psionic/psychic type character, and leave any psychokinetic tricks alone, because psychokinetic powers tend to mirror other character types with just a mental sfx. Attack powers for a psionic/psychic are easy, the real trick is keeping the mentalist balanced with the other characters without the psychokinetic abilities in terms of defenses and movement. With that in mind I would suggest abilities like:

 

Saw It Coming: Extra DCV (possibly costs END)

Psychic Blow-Slipping: Combat Luck

Mind Over Body: Healing only vs. Self

Pain Override: Damage Negation (or just extra PD/ED)

Adrenal Boost: Extra Running and Leaping (although not speedster level to be sure)

Walking the Teseract: Teleport (the sfx here is the psychic character can perceive higher order dimensions and use them to travel)

 

 

[Old Man]

I'd certainly prefer a "pure" mentalist that had no martial arts or EB. Otherwise you're veering into martial artist or energy projector territory. It's hard to resist adding telekinesis to the power set, but I'm more interested in a character that mostly operates on telepathic terms.

[JackValhalla]

I'd prefer pure telepathy/mental powers. Telekinesis has its time and place, but most mentalist characters have enough to do without trying to double up as blasters or bricks.

Defending mentalists is not hard. If the mentalist has mind scan and mind link, leave them back at the team base, they'll be perfectly useful from anywhere on the planet. Or, maybe they can astral project or turn their body into psionic energy, desolidification is an excellent defense, especially since mental powers don't need "works while desolid". Is you base a space station? Put your mentalist in geosynchronous orbit with a telescope, make the most of that "Line of Sight" range. A purely telepathic character can even use one of the most insidious defenses: dressing in street clothes and mingling with the bystanders, though that works best against villains that are unlikely to endanger innocents. For characters whose defenses come from telepathic misdirection, either invisibility BOECV or Missile Deflect BOECV.

For stats, I often prefer mentalist characters to be almost "everymen". Baseline STR, DEX, even INT. It's a valuable RP opportunity, and not many characters can pull it off without being crippled by it.

 

[psyber624]

While I love pure mentalists myself they have many of the same issues as any one trick pony in that they can become nearly useless in the wrong circumstances. That makes giving them powers of SOME sort that are not resisted by EGO/MD a really good idea. Support powers of some sort work great here, so if they simply CANT fight mentally the current badguy on a mental front they can still contribute to the team. Darkness powers for instance are a good idea that can have a pseudo-psychic explanation. Telekinesis or Standard EB's (with psychic sfx) are other standbys.

 

As far as Stat's are concerned alot depends on concept (which should really be defined first IMO). STR is really not needed at all for mentalists, the only real reason for non-melee to get it is to fight entangles/grabs but mentalists are not as hampered by them as other concepts are. DEX is needed (unless we use EGO for DEX with mental powers optional rule) as much for mentalists as anyone else. INT is purely concept (Mutants don't need it, Techno-psychics might, etc). Other stats should be determined based upon other choices that haven't been made yet (what kind of defense are we going with, etc.)

[Old Man]

I, too, am used to giving mentalists some twist or other power to use just to make sure they don't become irrelevant. Typically they wind up with some sort of physical armor (to prevent them from getting killed) and TK or some other physical attack (so they're still useful against robots and natural disasters). But part of what drives this is that mental powers seem kind of vanilla. If the SFX is psi, then telepathy is telepathy, mind control is mind control. It's very hard to make a 'pure' mentalist that is distinctive in some way.

[death tribble]

I'm thinking that body armour or a force field generator is a good idea as otherwise as soon as the bad guys know who the mentalist is, down they go.

Alternately how about invisibility. You either have a device that does it or you have a mental projection field that means you can't be seen unless you have mental defence, a high ego, enhcnaced senses or something else.

Thoughs please ?

[Ockham's Spoon]

Invisibility and Mind Scanning to attack opponents from afar (the mentalist sniper) are both reasonable powers conceptually, but they can be frustrating to deal with for the GM and fellow players (especially the sniper). If the defenses I noted in my earlier post aren't going to be enough, I would sooner give the mentalist a little body armor or a magic ring of protection than design them to hide in a crowd or in a clock tower (appropriate for a villain but not a hero).

 

If there is concern about the mentalist being useless against robots and such, I think psyber624 has the right idea with giving the mentalist support powers to boost the rest of the team. If you really want a physical attack to fall back on, get the mentalist a gun or some martial arts and a psychic sfx Find Weakness power to make them effective.

 

Mental powers don't have to be vanilla. The trick is picking a mental sfx and building on it, rather than just giving them a whole suite of mental powers just because they are mentalists. For example, you could have a mentalist who specializes in memories:

Momentary Lapse: +3 DCV, Cost END, Only vs. targets with minds

Forget the Pain: -2 DC Damage Negation, Physical and Energy, Cost END

Forget the Pain II: Healing vs. STN

Mental Derail: Entangle using Mental Paralysis rules

Selective Amnesia: Dispel vs. Any 1 activated Power (+1/2), Power cannot be used again until target makes an EGO breakout roll (+1/2; per APG2), ACV (OMCV vs. DMCV +1/4), AVAD (Mental Def +0), Line of Sight (+1/2)

Recall Pain: Mental Blast

Read Memories: Telepathy, only vs Memories

Rewrite Memories: Minor Transform ACV (OMCV vs. DMCV +1/4), AVAD (Mental Def +0), Line of Sight (+1/2)

 

Or how about a mentalist who just intoxicates people?

I Didn't Even Feel That: -2 DC Damage Negation, Physical and Energy, Cost END

You Didn't Even Feel That: Healing vs. STN

Drunken Swing: +3 DCV, Cost END

Stumbling Drunk: Change Environment, -4 DEX Roll

Intoxicate: Drain vs. Any 1 CHA (+1/2; either INT, EGO, DEX, OCV, or DCV), ACV (OMCV vs. DMCV +1/4), AVAD (Mental Def +0), Line of Sight (+1/2)

Pass Out Drunk: Mental Blast

Pink Elephants!: Mental Illusions

 

There are plenty of other themes your could do as well. If you need to expand them beyond the theme a little bit just to round them out that is probably okay; their powers may still be developing after all.

[death tribble]

Anyone wanting to post their idea of a mentalist please do so now.

 

Also for the artwork do people want a male or female mentalist.

[death tribble]

What Talents and skills should our mentalist have ?

 

Thoughts please.

[Matt the Bruins]

If it's a mentalist who can make lasting changes, SS: Psionic Surgery would be a good one to have.

 

Maybe Universal Translator to model pulling the meaning from people's thoughts even if he/she doesn't know the language they're speaking.

[death tribble]

As I have just posted the same question in the Brick thread, here we have the same. Should our mentalist look human or be a floating brain, brain in a jar, alien beast etc

[death tribble]

How much CON should our mentalist have ?

I am in favour of the range 18 to 25 but more like 20-23 which brings it into line with tjhe other characters.

 

Thoughts ?

[death tribble]

Sample characteristics

 

STR 10

DEX 23

CON 20

INT 13

EGO 23

SPD 5

 

Thoughts please ?

[Hermit]

My idea for a mentalist, I suggest we steal from Deuce of Psi, Charles Xavier of the X-Men, and Sleepwalker (I think that was his name) kind of. Have an image of a rather modest looking woman in a wheel chair, hair kept sensible, glasses, baggy sweater. "Hollywood Ugly" some would say, but in truth she's just modest. But she's fallen asleep, and peeling out of her body is her otherself, the classic vivacious comic book beauty with glowing eyes and a smirk on her face. Her hair would be longer, unrestrained, and since this is an idealized 'her' that no one would recognize, she doesn't need a mask, let alone glasses. I myself am picturing a raven haried beauty in something like a Zatanna outfit but that outfit being in red (Since we aren't having a redheaded mentalist, making red her costume color would honor that ) This other form is quite tangible. A solid being of mental energy. She has the standard mentalist array of powers, but also has the ability to come back from the dead (Regeneration with resurrection option self only) and the only way to truly 'Kill' her would be to kill the 'real' body of her secret Identity.

 

Of course, if you're getting storn to draw that, it might not work as you may end up paying for two characters instead of one.

[TheQuestionMan]

Harbinger

Player: Eddie

 

Val Char Cost

15 STR 5

18 DEX 24

18 CON 16

13 BODY 6

13 INT 3

23 EGO 26

15 PRE 5

14 COM 2

 

8/20 PD 5

8/20 ED 4

4/6 SPD 12

8 REC 2

36 END 0

32 STUN 2

 

6" RUN 0

2" SWIM 0

3" LEAP 0

Characteristics Cost: 112

 

Cost Power END

10 Psychokinesis: Elemental Control, 30-point powers, (15 Active Points); all slots OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2)

10 1) TK Flight: Flight 10", Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), MegaScale (1" = 1 km; +1/4) (30 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 1

10 2) TK Shield: Force Field (12 PD/12 ED), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (30 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 1

10 3) TK Strike: Hand-To-Hand Attack +7d6 (35 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 3

 

27 Psychokinesis: Multipower, 40-point reserve, (40 Active Points); all slots OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2)

3u 1) Mindblast: Ego Attack 4d6 (40 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

2u 2) Mindwipe: Drain EGO 2d6+1, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4), Ranged (+1/2) (40 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

3u 3) Mindlock: Entangle 2d6, 2 DEF, Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense applies; +1) (40 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

1u 4) Empathic Healing: Healing BODY 3d6+1, Can Heal Limbs (38 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Extra Time (Extra Phase, Only to Activate, -1/2), OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

2u 5) Mindcloud: Invisibility to Sight, Mental and Hearing Groups , No Fringe (40 Active Points); Only vs Sentient Targets (-1/2), OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

3u 6) Mindscapes: Mental Illusions 8d6 (40 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

3u 7) Mindbar: Mind Control 8d6 (40 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

1u 8) Mind Link , Human class of minds, Any Willing Target, Any distance, No LOS Needed, Number of Minds (x4) (40 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2), Extra Time (Extra Phase, Only to Activate, -1/2), OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

2u 9) Mindscan: Mind Scan 8d6 (Human class of minds) (40 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

2u 10) Mindspeech: Telepathy 8d6 (40 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 4

 

Psychokinesis, all slots OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2)

10 1) Speed of Thought: +2 SPD (20 Active Points); Only To Use Psychokinetic Powers (-1/2), OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2)

11 2) Mental Energy: Endurance Reserve (60 END, 10 REC) (16 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 0

3 3) Psionicshield: Mental Defense (10 points total) (5 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 0

3 4) Psionicshield: Power Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF (Focus: Psionic Gem; -1/2) 0

 

Powers Cost: 116

 

Cost Skill

0 Acting 8-

0 AK: Campaign City (Everyman Skill) 11-

0 Climbing 8-

2 Computer Programming (Personal Computers) 12-

0 Concealment 8-

0 Conversation 8-

1 Criminology 8-

0 Deduction 8-

1 Interrogation 8-

0 Language: English (idiomatic; literate) (5 Active Points)

0 Paramedics 8-

0 Persuasion 8-

3 Power: Psychokinesis 14-

0 PS: Psionic Etiquette (Everyman Skill) 11-

3 Scholar

1 1) KS: Criminal Law & Procedures (2 Active Points) 11-

1 2) KS: Current Events (2 Active Points) 11-

0 3) KS: Psionics (Everyman Skill) 11-

1 4) KS: The Criminal Underworld (2 Active Points) 11-

1 5) KS: The Gang World (2 Active Points) 11-

1 6) KS: The Law Enforcement World (2 Active Points) 11-

1 7) KS: The Psionic World (2 Active Points) 11-

1 8) KS: The Superhuman World (2 Active Points) 11-

3 Seduction (Charm) 12-

0 Shadowing 8-

0 Stealth 8-

0 Streetwise 8-

1 Tactics 8-

1 Teamwork 8-

0 TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, Everyman Skill

0 WF: Clubs, Fist-Loads, Unarmed Combat

Skills Cost: 22

 

Total Character Cost: 250

 

Val Disadvantages

10 Distinctive Features: Mutant/Psionic (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses)

15 Enraged: When Innocents Injured (BODY) (Uncommon), go 11-, recover 11-

15 Hunted: Brainstorm 11- (As Pow, Harshly Punish)

10 Psychological Limitation: Code vs Murder (Uncommon, Strong)

10 Psychological Limitation: Code of the Hero (Common, Moderate)

15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major)

 

Disadvantage Points: 75

Base Points: 175

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0