Coolness factor - Mentalists or Mystics?

[phydaux]

I'm making a hero character for play in the OCU. I already know, mechanics wise, what I want the character to be - 75 point VPP with a few other OIFs to provide FF and DEX/SPD boosts, etc.

 

What I need help with is the coolness factor. I either want the character to be a Mentalist or a Mystic. I like the idea of a Mentalist (Ooo, don't read my mind...) but the OCU seems to have lots of opertunities for Mystics (Archmage, Tekofanes, DEMON, dueling magic sociaties, etc.)

 

What I'd like from the group is:

 

1) Why is one cooler than the other?

 

2) What are some cool names for a female character (I know... ANOTHER female mentalist/mystic...)?

[Crimson Arrow]

1) Never thought about this before, but I'd say that (paradoxically) mystics are both cooler and less cool then mentalists. On the one hand, they deal with bizarre and powerful forces beyond the ken of ordianry folk. They often have a lot of flexibility and unusual knowledge and skills. On the other, they often have cheesy villains, dodgy-looking costumes (can you say "cape"?) and go around talking about "Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth".

 

Overall, I think I prefer mystics to mentalists, though.

 

2) The name partially stems from whether she's a mystic or mentalist. Do you have any ideas about her at all? Ethnicity, colouring (not guaranteed by ethnicity - think of Storm), background (rich, impoverished, big family, orphanage), moral stance (totally pure or just a good person), quirks, preferred powers (for example is she more a telepath than a telekinetic), motif (the classic Champions character Rose had magical powers which were accompanied by the smell of roses, for example). The names thread is a good source, but might be a little overwhelming.

[phydaux]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow

Never thought about this before, but I'd say that (paradoxically) mystics are both cooler and less cool then mentalists.

 

We're talking about mystics and mentalists and discover a paradox. How charming.

 

As far as the character goes, I see her as a PhD in paraphysics, has studied at [insert that Swiss think tank-place here]. Perhaps that was when she discovered she was a super herself. Maybe he knew before. I haven't decided. I'm leaning toward "she didn't know, but she suspected, prompting her huge interest in paraphysics." While studying she made LOTS of contacts in the mystic and mentalist community. She still has access to various paranormal libraries and databases as perks.

 

If she's a mystic, then she's Russian. Her OIFs are heirlooms left to her by her grandmother. Her grandmother may have discovered them during the time she spend in a labor camp in Siberia, or they may have been in the family for hundreds of years. Either way, they are obviously VERY old.

 

While she was at the think-tank place, for some reason she felt compelled to hide the heirlooms and keep them secret. Even though she was studied and probed both physicly and mentaly while at the think-tank, for some reason she is very sure the secret of their existance is still safe.

 

Geez, I know everything about her but her name.

 

If she's a mentalist, then she's American. Her VPP is an OIF. How she got it, and her other OIFs I don't know, but I can make up a decent story.

 

I don't have the mystic background fleshed out nearly as well, but I do have two ideas. First, she's agoraphobic (afraid of open places like parks and parking lots). Second, she's a virgin, and is convinced that if she looses her virginity she will also loose her powers. I see this as more of a psyk lim than a power limitation.

[phydaux]

I see the mystic as more open and friendly, but still reclusive. I see the mentalist as more closed, and possiblr even vindictive.

 

Either way, both are generally heroes, but neither has CvK.

 

I may add the virginity psyk lim to the mystic. Make it so that she's interested in men, likes men, dates and will even kiss a little, but teleports away when things start to get interesting.

[Supreme Serpent]

Mystics are generally much cooler.

 

And don't knock the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth, much less the Rings of Raggador or the Vapors of Valtorr for that matter!

 

Mentallists are powerful because of their mind.

 

Mystics are powerful because of what they know . Generally cooler. The various foci you want would work better with a mystic too, IMO.

 

As far as names go, mystics can often get away without codenames, just going by their real name -"Vassilya Rubinikov", etc. Could go the Russian folklore route for names, like Baba Yaga, Naina or somesuch. "Dr.Something" would be good, especially as your character IS a doctor.

 

Apparently the Russian for "witch" is Ved'ma, so maybe "Dr. Ved'ma"?

[Hermit]

Re: Coolness factor - Mentalists or Mystics?

 

Originally posted by phydaux

I'm making a hero character for play in the OCU. I already know, mechanics wise, what I want the character to be - 75 point VPP with a few other OIFs to provide FF and DEX/SPD boosts, etc.

 

What I need help with is the coolness factor. I either want the character to be a Mentalist or a Mystic. I like the idea of a Mentalist (Ooo, don't read my mind...) but the OCU seems to have lots of opertunities for Mystics (Archmage, Tekofanes, DEMON, dueling magic sociaties, etc.)

 

What I'd like from the group is:

 

1) Why is one cooler than the other?

 

2) What are some cool names for a female character (I know... ANOTHER female mentalist/mystic...)?

 

1) Any archetype can be cool if you do it right So, I'd say Tie. However, generally, I'd say Mystics are often portrayed at more extremes. It's easier for them to be lame normally, but when they're cool , they're REALLY cool. Where as mentalists are okay to cool naturally, but rarely reach uber cool.

 

2. Names, it depends a lot on the FX of their powers. An ego blaster with a more 'raw' feel to her power might be called "Mindrender" where as one who has Telepathy as her strength might go by "Insight". For mystics, well, for some reason it seems female mystics are less concerned about trappings of a PHD But "Doctor (fill in blank)" is a classic. A fancy word ending in A is very appropriate. Again, Special effects make a difference "Bale" might make sense for someone with fire light magics, while "Lady Rune" would indicate she uses a lot of symbols. If she believes part of her magics come from her purity/virginity, then you could incorporate that with a name like "Almaphea" (from the Last Unicorn book), or "Silver" (often equated with the moon, and purifying), or "Lady Artemis" or "Lady Diana" (No relation to the princess, instead named in part after the goddess who turned men to stags if they dared look upon her naked form etc).

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow

On the other, they often have cheesy villains, dodgy-looking costumes (can you say "cape"?) and go around talking about "Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth".

 

Hey, if that's a dig at Doctor S, I got one thing to say...Don't dis the cape. That Cape is so cool, that Spawn stole it. That cape is a mystic's best friend, not nearly as pushy as some helmets I could mention , nor primadonna as certain amulets.

[Lightray]

Originally posted by Hermit

Hey, if that's a dig at Doctor S, I got one thing to say...Don't dis the cape. That Cape is so cool, that Spawn stole it. That cape is a mystic's best friend, not nearly as pushy as some helmets I could mention , nor primadonna as certain amulets.

In fact, that cape is so cool it makes a cameo in the latest issue of The Legion. A DC comic.

 

Take a look in the display case behind the Athramites when Superboy and Ferro are talking to them.

[Crimson Arrow]

Originally posted by Hermit

Hey, if that's a dig at Doctor S, I got one thing to say...Don't dis the cape. That Cape is so cool, that Spawn stole it. That cape is a mystic's best friend, not nearly as pushy as some helmets I could mention , nor primadonna as certain amulets.

 

No. More of a general comment that mystics always seem to have capes and it has become a bit of a cliche. At least Doctor Strange's one has some use, so you can understand why he wears such a cumbersome item. His is particularly bulky, but the "living" qualities of the cloak explain why he doesn't fall over it.

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow

No. More of a general comment that mystics always seem to have capes and it has become a bit of a cliche. At least Doctor Strange's one has some use, so you can understand why he wears such a cumbersome item. His is particularly bulky, but the "living" qualities of the cloak explain why he doesn't fall over it.

 

Okay then Sorry for my misunderstanding. Yeah, perhaps Fate and Strange get a bit TOO emulated in wardrobe. However,it's tradition, and I'm big on tradition.

 

Which is why I prefer female mystics wear fishnets or high boots *EG*

[Crimson Arrow]

I am getting the feeling that you are tending towards the mystic. While you have more details for the mentalist, she seems a little lifeless to me. Maybe that's MY prejudices though!

 

What sort of powers do you see the mentalist having? Is she more telekinetic, precognitive or telepathic? For example, there's no point calling he Phantasmagoria if she is a telekinetic. Bearing in mind that a phantasm means something seen, but with no bearing in reality (and is often associated with ghosts as well), that (Phantsam) would fit with a telepathic psychic with Mental Illusions who had an interest in the paranormal and it's a bit shorter too!

 

However, I think you have in mind that she can do the whole range of psychic powers. If I am right, could her OIFs be jewels of gems (a bit like Ioun Stones in D&D)? They float round her, but there are too many to take away in combat, at least all at once. The ruby gives her pyrokinesis, the sapphire telepathy (associated with clear thought and spirituality), etc.

 

She could be called something simple, like "Jewel". I'd avoid "Gem", as that was a terrible cartoon series in the 80s, I think.

 

If you go down that route, there is stuff on "gem lore", explaining what associations each type of jewel has. The very first site I found is this one:

 

http://uk.geocities.com/paganeagle2...l/gem_lore.html

 

That seems to have quite a few possibilities (plus one or two spelling mistakes). There's probably a lot more on the net.

[Crimson Arrow]

OK, turning to your mystic option, have a look at this site:

 

http://russian-crafts.com/tales.html

 

It contains a number of Russian folk tales and I have to confess that I have only glanced at a couple which seemed like they might be helpful.

 

The one which caught my eye was "The Scarlet Flower". It sounds like a Russian version of "Beauty and the Beast", but note the items the father finds for his daughters, a golden crown, a crystal mirror and a scarlet flower. Sounds like they could be magic items to me.

 

I seem to recall another story (which I think might have been Russian) about three enchanted items. One was a mirror, one a comb and the other...was something I can't recall. They are thrown behind the heroine as she is pursued by a witch. The mirror becomes a huge lake, which the witch must swim across and the comb becomes a dense forest. I had a look for that story on the site, but couldn't spot it. I'm not saying it isn't there, though!

 

Perhaps she has a little box or bag of tricks and inside are a variety of items, each of which has a fabulous power. You could have knitting needles which fly through the air like arrows, a spindle that wraps people in golden threads, a millstone that churns out flour, making it impossible to see, a thimble that means you always know where you are, a mirror that shows you distant locations, that sort of thing.

 

Alternatively, perhaps she has an old storybook. The illustrations fly from the tome and turn into things and creatures from the stories. For example, her flamebolt has the shape of "The Firebird", if she needs to swim, it summons "The Golden Fish" and she holds on.

 

For a name, how about "Scarlet Flower"? I don't know what that is in Russian, though. The name indicates sacrifice (read the story), love of one's family and also romantic love. Scarlet is a passionate colour, but she is scared she will lose her powers if she loses her virginity. Perhaps a lot of people assume she is a "scarlet woman", when she is anything but that. Give her flaming red hair, too, of course.

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow

Double post - but I'll be back

 

And then we will elect you Governor

[Crimson Arrow]

Originally posted by Hermit

And then we will elect you Governor

 

Ding, ding, ding! Hermit wins the prize for the person who couldn't resist the Arnie joke (which I was waiting for).

 

Congratulations Hermit.

[Hermit]

My Psychological limitation: Gullible and easily lured (Common, Moderate)

 

Back on the mystic subject, CA, nice link to the gems. Heck, makes me tempted to make a mystic theme team named after each stone.

 

Either that, or reading Amethyst: Princess of Gem World back in the 80's scarred me for life.

[Beetle]

Originally posted by phydaux

If she's a mystic, then she's Russian. ... If she's a mentalist, then she's American.

But of course!

 

Have you run either of the two concepts past your GM yet to see if they'll be allowed? Both these concepts are near the front of the line on GMs "Yeesh, like I need this headache ... can't you just clone Wolverine?" list, as they can require much extra work for the poor GM.

[Crimson Arrow]

Originally posted by Hermit

My Psychological limitation: Gullible and easily lured (Common, Moderate)

 

Back on the mystic subject, CA, nice link to the gems. Heck, makes me tempted to make a mystic theme team named after each stone.

 

Either that, or reading Amethyst: Princess of Gem World back in the 80's scarred me for life.

 

Ah, I was just funnin' with you Hermit. While I knew that post was ripe for a Schwarzenegger joke, I was actually impressed someone had time to nip in and do the gag while I was typing the "mystic half" of my post.

 

I have been looking into gem lore recently, for a friend of mine, so that immediately sprang to mind as a source of OIFs.

 

Princess of Gem World. Hmm. Didn't she go blind or something, or am I thinking or something else/just plain wrong?

 

On Beetle's point about whether a GM will allow the VPP, I had considered it and assumed it was OK. However, Beetle is right; the GM might not like it. You could easily build these effects into a Multipower, though, or write up the possible powers in advance, to make sure things don't grind to a halt.

[Kristopher]

I think it depends on the campaign, and whether the mood, adventures, and villains mesh better with a mentalist or a mystic.

[Beetle]

For the record, I would allow what phydaux wants to do, but I figure it's always best to ask the GM about these things before putting too much effort into it. The GM might say, "love the mystic, but I hate mentalists."

[phydaux]

Originally posted by Beetle

For the record, I would allow what phydaux wants to do, but I figure it's always best to ask the GM about these things before putting too much effort into it. The GM might say, "love the mystic, but I hate mentalists."

 

Well, if you "read between the lines" in my Russian mystic's backstory, I'm trying the HELP the GM by giving him all kinds of details that have hooks into the OCU setting. The biggest being that the "heirlooms" are actually the Artifacts of Office belonging to the long-dead Archmage.

 

I see my mentalist as being more of a telepath, or as it is better known "the pain-in-the-ASS mentalist."

 

Meta-game wise, mentalists (characters with VPP Mental Powers) have a more limited selection of powers than a mystic (with VPP Magic Powers). But the mystic can access any mental powers the mentalist might use IN ADDITION TO Fireball and Blindness (aka 3d6 Explosive RKA & 6D6 Flash vs. Sight).

 

That, plus the backstory and the idea of having a rivalry with Witchcraft and quaking at the thought of facing Takofanes, etc., all makes me lean toward the mystic.

[pinecone]

I say why pick? Do a "psychic" a mentalist that battles mystic foes! That way you get a double dose of cheesy villians...

[BNakagawa]

Mystics are cooler, provided you follow the guideline set down by the Books of Magic (Gaiman)

 

"Nothing's Free."

 

Magic that has a cost is much more interesting than something you just get to do 4 times a day. Interesting costs could be like sacrificing a day of your life, weakening a spell that keeps a great evil at bay and so on.

 

$0.02

[Oruncrest]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow

Princess of Gem World. Hmm. Didn't she go blind or something, or am I thinking or something else/just plain wrong?

 

Making Amethyst blind was just plain wrong.

[phydaux]

You guys still haven't helped with NAMES.

 

I need names for a telepath mentalist and a PhD mystic, both females,

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by phydaux

You guys still haven't helped with NAMES.

 

I need names for a telepath mentalist and a PhD mystic, both females,

 

Supreme Serpent suggested "Dr. Ved'ma", as Ved'ma is Russian for "witch." If you don't use it, I will.