See through cameras - Build Question

[Aelaen]

I'm joining a 6th ed Champions game and I'm at a loss how to build a particular Enhanced Sense.  The character is a technology controller, and I'd like for them to be able to use any existing camera, mic or other sensor (motion detector, etc.) nearby and on.  Just experience what it sees, not control it to pan or turn on or anything.  As a normal sense, not in a hacking skill sort of way.

Starting with a Detect of Large Class of things for 10, probably with a few extra classes of things (sound, etc.).   Or am I going to need to buy the power several times, once each for Signt, Hearing, and possibly Radio?

How do I handle things like nightvision cameras - do I need to buy a bunch of enhanced perception with a limitation "just to match hardware"?  Same for telescope and microscopic?

Now, I can't control where they are pointing, but I can get arcs that wouldn't otherwise be in my line of vision or line of sight.  Is the Increase Arc of Perception?  Do I need Penetrative if a camera I can see is looking down a hall that I can't see?

What type of limitation would you give in a modern / near future world for "only existing sensors"?  What other advantages or limitations would you suggest?

Thanks a lot!

 

[sentry0]

1 hour ago, Aelaen said:

I'm joining a 6th ed Champions game and I'm at a loss how to build a particular Enhanced Sense.  The character is a technology controller, and I'd like for them to be able to use any existing camera, mic or other sensor (motion detector, etc.) nearby and on.  Just experience what it sees, not control it to pan or turn on or anything.  As a normal sense, not in a hacking skill sort of way.

Starting with a Detect of Large Class of things for 10, probably with a few extra classes of things (sound, etc.).   Or am I going to need to buy the power several times, once each for Signt, Hearing, and possibly Radio?

How do I handle things like nightvision cameras - do I need to buy a bunch of enhanced perception with a limitation "just to match hardware"?  Same for telescope and microscopic?

Now, I can't control where they are pointing, but I can get arcs that wouldn't otherwise be in my line of vision or line of sight.  Is the Increase Arc of Perception?  Do I need Penetrative if a camera I can see is looking down a hall that I can't see?

What type of limitation would you give in a modern / near future world for "only existing sensors"?  What other advantages or limitations would you suggest?

Thanks a lot!

 

 

I think you can simplify this a bit by starting with Clairsentience as your base power with a limitation that it only works through cameras/sensors.  I personally would give it 1/4 or maybe 1/2 limitation value if anything given the relative ubiquitous nature of sensors in our world today, let alone the near future.

 

Strictly speaking, Clairsentience doesn't provide you with telescopic or microscopic vision.  Perhaps a small VPP would make sense in this scenario.  One that only works with your Clairsentience and only to mimic the sensor you're looking through.

[Aelaen]

1 hour ago, sentry0 said:

 

I think you can simplify this a bit by starting with Clairsentience as your base power with a limitation that it only works through cameras/sensors.  I personally would give it 1/4 or maybe 1/2 limitation value if anything given the relative ubiquitous nature of sensors in our world today, let alone the near future.

 

Thanks, I should have thought of Clairsentience from the beginning.

[Doc Democracy]

Yeah, or you might simply buy N-Ray vision with enough levels to counter range penalties and the limitation, only what nearby cameras can see.

 

I would give night vision benefits for free if there are such cameras in existence.  Of course, this gives the character an absolute power, it would not matter the security levels or relative disconnectedness of the cameras to anything else (which might be what you are looking for) or you might also add that it requires a skill roll that you might only require as a GM when there are well protected systems.

 

Doc

[BoloOfEarth]

Relating to the Clairsentience, you may want to include Mobile (e.g. automobile dash cams) and possibly Multiple Perception Points (if he can cycle through different camera views).

 

Also a suggestion:  Retrocognition, with appropriate Limitations, representing the character pulling up stored audio/video footage from said camera / sensor.  This might need to be done as a partially limited power, and I have no idea how that might be done.

The Champions Powers book lists Only through Cameras and Listening Devices as a -1/2 Limitation.

 

And technically, I think you'd need to possess any enhanced senses that a camera or sensor had before you could use it through the Clairsentience (even Nightvision).  Sentry's idea of a VPP is an excellent idea, IMO.  (You'll need GM permission since Special Powers like Enhanced Senses can't normally go into a Power Framework like a VPP, but I think having the Limitation that it only mimics the camera/sensor you're looking through keeps it from being abusive.)

 

[Duke Bushido]

I agree with everything Bolo says except for adding "mobile."  As not every camera is mobile, we run into the "if you pay for it, you get it" conundrum: what can we do to make it "sort of mobile?" when you decide to look through the skycam mounted on the local suspension bridge?   I'd personally just hand wave the "mobile" part: you can continue to see what the camera sees, so long as it is within the range of your power.  Once it mobiles on out of range, you're back looking through your own peepers, hunting for another camera.

 

 

[Tech]

I'd go with either suggestion but I think Docs might be cheaper, but no one's calculated the cost of potential said power.

 

For myself, if someone were to suggest this idea, I'd like to know the limits of the power. Can he perceive through any camera, mic, etc? What about supervillain base equipment? What about those bases that have security on them; how's that factor in? How close is 'nearby'?

[sentry0]

3 hours ago, Tech said:

I'd go with either suggestion but I think Docs might be cheaper, but no one's calculated the cost of potential said power.

 

For myself, if someone were to suggest this idea, I'd like to know the limits of the power. Can he perceive through any camera, mic, etc? What about supervillain base equipment? What about those bases that have security on them; how's that factor in? How close is 'nearby'?

 

The type of effect described by the OP would be pretty problematic in most campaigns, certain types of villains probably wouldn't have security equipment like your rampaging monster or mystic villain.  I would fully expect that any self respecting modern villain would have a security sensor or 2 to protect their diabolical base... the smart ones who knew who they were tangling with would have them removed I guess.

 

Neat power but it's the kind of power that would give me a headache as a GM, kind of like Telepathy or extreme enhanced senses do.  It makes certain scenarios very challenging to pull off or even outright impossible.

 

It is a Stop sign power for a reason I guess

 

[dmjalund]

I keep reading this topic as transparent cameras

[Aelaen]

On 9/13/2019 at 8:17 AM, Tech said:

For myself, if someone were to suggest this idea, I'd like to know the limits of the power. Can he perceive through any camera, mic, etc? What about supervillain base equipment? What about those bases that have security on them; how's that factor in? How close is 'nearby'?

That brings up an interesting idea if going with the N-Ray vision version instead of the Clairsentience version.  Definite it as only partially penetrative instead of fully penetrative, where it only works through unsecured cameras.  Work with the GM to get an appropriate word for "unsecured" so that it's useful at times but the GM can shut down where it makes sense.

Idea is to make it useful, not to give the GM headaches.  Like if we're fighting in a mall the character could pull up cameras, or people's phones in a Starbucks, but not insta-hack the villains' secure lair.

 

[sentry0]

On 9/15/2019 at 12:07 AM, Aelaen said:

That brings up an interesting idea if going with the N-Ray vision version instead of the Clairsentience version.  Definite it as only partially penetrative instead of fully penetrative, where it only works through unsecured cameras.  Work with the GM to get an appropriate word for "unsecured" so that it's useful at times but the GM can shut down where it makes sense.

Idea is to make it useful, not to give the GM headaches.  Like if we're fighting in a mall the character could pull up cameras, or people's phones in a Starbucks, but not insta-hack the villains' secure lair.

 

 

You could put a limitation on either power that it "Requires a modified INT/Skill check vs target sensor" to simulate that it's harder for you to tap into a secured system.  An unsecured sensor grid may be at a +1-3 while a Dr. Destroyer base could be at a -10.