Asimov's Mule

[Pariah]

How would one go about writing up The Mule from Isaac Asimov's Foundation series?

 

Mind Control doesn't seem nearly strong enough. I was thinking Major Transform, Based on Ego Combat Value. What other Advantages and/or Limitations would be appropriate? And how many dice of effect would be needed?

 

(I admit that I'm handicapped by the fact that I haven't read the series in at least ten years. I'm not even exactly sure where my copies are at the moment.)

 

Also, what else would you buy for the character? A couple of Disads Complications seem obvious: Secret ID, Distinctive Features, Physical Limitation (Hunchback), Hunted, etc.

 

Or has Susano already done all of this, and I just haven't found it yet?

 

Tell me what you think.

[Sundog]

I agree that you'd need a transform to bring about the effects of the Mule's mental powers. No one ever "recovered" from the absolute loyalty he created, and no one changed by it had any chance of resisting. It would also be fully invisible - only detectable by the changed actions and attitudes of it's victims.

That said, he did seem to have lesser powers of influence as well - as when he demoralized entire planets into not resisting his forces when he was working undercover as a musician. For that i would suggest more conventional Mind Control with recovery bought down a few steps on the time chart, with a large area effect, perhaps even megascale.

As to Comps, yes, Secret ID at first, morphing into Public ID later, Distinctive features, probably Reputation. I seem to recall he overemphasized his hunchback when undercover, and could actually move well when he wished to, though like you I haven't read the books in some time. Perhaps a psychological obsession with the Second Foundation, a dose of megalomania?

[L. Marcus]

Remember that editing attitudes was not the only ability the Mule had -- he could also edit memories, at least short-term ones. While on Trantor, Bayta Darell caught him in the act several times influencing Ebling Mis in Mis' search for the Second Foundation, but the incidents were deleted from her memory.

[Christopher]

2 hours ago, L. Marcus said:

Remember that editing attitudes was not the only ability the Mule had -- he could also edit memories, at least short-term ones. While on Trantor, Bayta Darell caught him in the act several times influencing Ebling Mis in Mis' search for the Second Foundation, but the incidents were deleted from her memory.

Transform does cover "erasing memory", if you consider "Memory objects in the persons mind". APG 1 127 has the "Psionic Surgery" rules for this.

[Cancer]

A Second Foundation operative (Bail Channis) who had been modified for his mission was able to remove the Mule's control over Pritcher during the "duel" between Channis and the Mule, so some kind of Dispel is also in the toolbox of however you build the Mule and those that can contend against him.  The First Speaker was also able to alter the Mule himself in the latter's moment of despair.  Seems to me that you would also want to consider how these would work in terms of game mechanics if you're building these characters.

[DShomshak]

Speaking of Ebling Mis, the Mule's driving him to discover the secret of the Second Foundation might include an INT Aid as a well as an induced obsession. The obsession is the "special effect" for the INT Aid, though -- Mis was driven to "push" his own thought processes, raising his Deduction high enough to infer the Second Foundation's true location.

 

Dean Shomshak

[L. Marcus]

And then there's the Mule's ability to kill -- possibly with a visi-sonor as some sort of focus.

[Pariah]

Ooh, I had forgotten about the Visi-sonor.

[Christopher]

23 hours ago, L. Marcus said:

And then there's the Mule's ability to kill -- possibly with a visi-sonor as some sort of focus. 

I feel so out of my depth never having read it. But I can still participate to soem degree

 

First of course the disclaimer:
"What works in a Book does not nessesarily work at the gaming table". The scenarios are just to different:

So do not worry if it can not be translated to a Sheet.

 

On 12/7/2018 at 6:56 PM, Cancer said:

A Second Foundation operative (Bail Channis) who had been modified for his mission was able to remove the Mule's control over Pritcher during the "duel" between Channis and the Mule, so some kind of Dispel is also in the toolbox of however you build the Mule and those that can contend against him.  The First Speaker was also able to alter the Mule himself in the latter's moment of despair.  Seems to me that you would also want to consider how these would work in terms of game mechanics if you're building these characters. 

Most powers can be dispelled. Transform can be countered by "healing", including the healing power if memory serves.

The abiltiy to use transform does not imply immuntiy to transform.

There is no reliable counter power agaisnt transform, because Transform could transform you into something without said power. And even power defense can be worked around with NND easily.

It is one of those powers that is more a codified plot device then anything else.

 

On 12/8/2018 at 5:58 AM, DShomshak said:

Speaking of Ebling Mis, the Mule's driving him to discover the secret of the Second Foundation might include an INT Aid as a well as an induced obsession. The obsession is the "special effect" for the INT Aid, though -- Mis was driven to "push" his own thought processes, raising his Deduction high enough to infer the Second Foundation's true location.

 

Dean Shomshak

This power depends on the role skills and player knowledge have in the world. Only having your description to go by, some ideas:

- The 2nd Foundations real location being relevant for the adventure, the GM allowed a second roll after the conflict was resolved. Maybe even a automatic success. It is a case of "Failure, but the adventure has to continue" (to borrow a term from OpenLegend RPG).

- The obsession was a Mind Control "obsess about something and do not fight me". Now the obsessing allwoed some connection being made. And with that the question of "where is the 2nd Foundation" had only one automatic result.

- Maybe the GM took pity on the Player being stuck so long in thoguth (and not acting in the fight), so he gave him that success as a tradeoff?

- maybe the player had nothing to do during the fight, thought about it again and thus realized the truth?

- maybe the real loaction had been one of hte many theories all along, but the GM needed a Deduction Roll Success - or winning that fight - before eh confirmed it?

 

In any case the Realisation and the Power used do not need to stand in any connection. There are many ways to slice such a scenario.