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"Always On" Mental Power build help (5th Ed)


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So, I was trying to build the following mental power: A Telepathy/Empathy that is always on and that the character has to 'focus' on to shut it off -- like a telepath that is always 'hearing' the thoughts around them until they learn to build 'walls' to shut them out.

 

What I was thinking:

Telepathy; Area of Effect (Radius) (+1), *Persistent (+1/2), *Reduced Endurance (0 END, +1/2), Always On (-1/2), Can Only Read Surface Thoughts (-1/2), Receive only (-1/2), Standard Effect (+0)...

Mental Defense; Costs Endurance (+1/2), Affects Personal Mental Powers (-??) [Basically I want the Mental Defense to block their Telepathy; but because it's there just as much to keep the noise 'out', it keeps their mental powers 'in' as well. Costs Endurance to represent the strain caused by having to keep the 'walls' up full time, low enough to be covered by REC but could pose a problem if they start exerting themselves too much. Want to make having the Telepathy "on" (as in not blocked my Mental Defense) to be distracting - maybe a Physical Disadvantage?]

 

The other idea I had was to build it as a Disadvantage (Physical or Psychological, All the Time/Fully or Very Common/Total, 25 pts) with the powers.

 

Thoughts?

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This solution works for both 5th & 6th.

 

Try buying the ability to turn off as a separate power.

 

Figure out the cost of that Always On power but without the Always On limitation/complication. That, in essence, is you buying off Always On.

 

Use that cost as a separate power then buy Cost Endurance on that power.

 

So you have:

* The Always On power

* Points to buy Always On off, Costs Endurance(-1/2)

 

You can use this for other things also like ghosts that are always Desolid and need to become corporeal to attack.

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  • 1 month later...

It actually sounds like No Conscious Control on the telepathy. at the full -2.

 

Or...for the time being?  It's a major, and I do mean MAJOR, physical limitation.  This is a serious affliction, until it can be controlled. When it's used in fantasy or supers (and I can offhand think of at least 2 authors), it's crippling.  Until it's controlled, don't worry about the stats on the sheet because it's not a power.  Note that the first thing is to put up mental defenses so that the power no longer exists.  Which is the same as not having the power at all.

 

Figure:  until this power is controlled, you don't have a character;  you have a victim.  Of fate or a cruel universe if you like, but a victim nonetheless.  

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