Mental Damage Shield and Telepathy, Mind Link

[BoloOfEarth]

If the mentalist has an active mental damage shield and makes a Mental Power attack against a foe (e.g. Telepathy), does the damage shield automatically affect the foe?  (I'm figuring that's the mental equivalent of a person with a normal damage shield reaching out and Grabbing someone.)

 

If so, since Mind Link is a variant of Telepathy, if a mentalist has a mental damage shield active when he establishes a Mind Link to his teammates, does the mental damage shield automatically affect his teammates (assuming they agree to the Mind Link)? 

 

[Steve Long]

I want to rephrase your question to state it in a way that I think gets at the heart of the issue:

 

Q:  According to 6E1 322, a Mental Damage Shield has to be built with the Limitation Mental Contact Only (-½). What does “mental contact” mean, and how is it established between two characters?

 

A:  “Mental contact” means any form of contact or connection between two characters that takes place mentally rather than physically. This can include attacking a character with a Mental Power, being attacked by a Mental Power, establishing a Telepathy, Mind Link, or Telepathic Mind Control “link” between two characters, and so on. If there’s any doubt as to whether mental contact occurs between two characters, the GM has the final say on the issue.

 

However, in the case of Mental Damage Shields specifically, there’s another Limitation to keep in mind:  No Range (-½). Since a Mental DS has No Range, any form of “mental contact” that involves the character with the Mental DS using a Ranged power will not activate the Mental DS. This includes the character with the Mental DS using a Mental Power to attack another character, to establish a telepathic link, and so on. (If he were to use one of those powers at No Range, perhaps while touching the target, then the GM might rule that the Mental DS activates.) But if another character makes a Mental attack on the character with the Mental DS, that’s sufficient “mental contact” to activate the Mental DS, even if the Mental attack were made at Range.