How to Build: Sleep effect that is most appropriate

[fr2itus]

Realizing that the 'most' appropriate power is difficult to define in an open ended game, I was hoping for feedback on various ways to create a sleep-like attack other than mental blast, which seems some how to forceful.

 

Would drain/suppress END be more game appropriate even if more expensive?

 

Or stay with mental attacks like Mental Illusion/ Mind Control? If so what are some builds players have used?

 

Mental Transform with the two Advantages: AVAD (Mental Defense instead of Power Defense; +0) and Works Against EGO, Not BODY. Also taking a Limited Target Limitation (minds only) noted in 6E page 306 seems the cheapest but may not be in the spirit of game design.

 

I have noted the knock out gas or poison darts in 6E book1 pg 331 as a straight blast with sleep effect but again I am looking for more subtle attacks on EGO or PRE.

Maybe Changing Environment?

 

Would like to hear how others tackled this problem.

[Ranxerox]

You might consider an Entangle versus Ego.

[GhostDancer]

Or Suppress STUN or SPD.

[Chris Goodwin]

I've usually done it with Mind Control, single command: go to sleep.

[Ockham's Spoon]

I suspect that Mental Blast seems too forceful because of the term "blast", but the sfx don't have to be violent. In game terms, forcing someone to go to sleep is essentially rendering them unconscious, that is negative STN. There are plenty of ways to get there, Mental Blast, regular Blast that does no BDY or Knockback, STN Drain, etc. How you build it will depend on how you conceive of the power working.

 

For a mental power, Mental Blast can certainly work, as would Chris's suggestion of Mind Control.

 

For a energy/time manipulation power, an NND attack or STN Drain would probably be most appropriate.

 

For a chemical attack, a STN Drain with Damage Over Time would fit the bill nicely.

[TheRealDeal]

Your idea of a Transform seems the best bet IMO. Just have the Transform end by "target is actively awakened (shaken, kicked or hit, but not enough to harm them, etc), or suffers any BODY/STUN". This would make it not useful as an attack, but more of a way to escape. So you Transform the target into itself but simply from awake to sleeping. I would think the 10 AP per 1d6 would be enough for this, given how easy it is to end it.

[Greywind]

I've usually done it with Mind Control, single command: go to sleep.

Worked on the Borg.

[Hyper-Man]

Most of the suggestions in the 6e books recommend using Damage Over Time and take into account if the target has Life Support: diminished need for sleep. One option I didn't see was a Drain vs. CON.

 

from 6e1 page 44:

At CON 0, a character must succeed with a CON Roll to expend END in any way. Any Action that costs END requires a CON Roll, with separate rolls for each Action if the character performs multiple Actions in a Phase. If the character fails the roll, he cannot perform the Action that Phase.

[fr2itus]

Thanks all for the feedback. Now to build a sandman character. I'll post again if I find a good effect write up.

[Oruncrest]

If you're using 6th edition, why not use Change Environment, like so:

 

62 Go to Sleep: Change Environment (-4 point of EGO, Long-Lasting 6 Hours, Stunning (uses EGO instead of CON)) 6

 

With the defense being LS: reduced need for sleep.