Kevin

Maybe the character could be built with increased Presence, the presence increase having limitations if it is strictly pheremone based. The DCV bonuses could be linked to a presence roll. Or you could have the DCV bonuses build incrementally based on exposure to simulate pheromones. (+ 1 DCV first phase exposed, + 2 second phase, etc.) Just thinkin' as I go.

After reading the posts on this board, I have two thoughts on the perils of telepaths in a Champions game. It seems to boil down to A)Skill and B)Trust. Skilled gamemasters and players do just fine with telepaths. Gamemasters and players who trust each other do fine with telepaths. Unskilled or inexperienced gamemasters combined with either an unskilled player or a skilled player deliberately busting the game don't fare well. Personally, I only find role playing satisfying if the shared game is enjoyable to everyone; all players and the gamemaster. There are some character concepts, which, if played one way, enhance the game. If played another, they ruin it. Telepaths are just one of those concepts. If your gamemaster is willing to allow a psionic into play, folks, don't make him regret it!

The Patriot has the biggest trust factor. As far as cool and sex appeal, In many ways it depends more on character than power framework. Mentalists, metamorphs, and mystics tend to get the least trust because much of their mystique centers on mystery and to a certain extent deception.

I vaguely remember that Physical Limitation. Anyone remember how it was built?

Have her take a physical limitation?

Yes! I would love to play in a game that was run that way! Telepaths are not all powerful. They should not be able to say "I am in his head, what does he know"? Role-playing is key! Along with specific answers the telepath is searching for, unexpected thoughts and feelings in the target should all come into play. Maybe along with breakout roles for the target, the telepath should have to roll to not be overwhelemd by the thoughts and feelings of the mind they are reading. Especially if they stay in that mind for awhile. So, how have other GMs dealt with this?

OK. I have played with a guy whose character was not technically a telepath, but took mind control as a power. Our GM allowed it. He tried to get his opponents to commit suicide. Never could grasp A) the ethical issues and this was kind of drastic and C) he was never gonna get a +30 roll But he was just stupid. Does anybody have serious issues with a smart player running a straight telepath?

We've been talking about telepaths in another thread, and I was wondering who does and does not allow telepaths in their game? Have you had problems with players abusing the game you were running, or messing with OTHER player's characters?

I like telepaths (obviously). Over the years I've played a couple of telepaths, one super ethical and one morally ambiguous. The shady telepath messed with the other character's heads occassionally. Important note: AS A PLAYER, I NEVER MESSED WITH OTHER PLAYERS. Only in character. With the cooperation of the other players. Sometimes to bring comic releief to the game, sometimes to make an interesting story. Always in context. If I had used my telepath character in a way that abused the game, the other players would have KILLED ME and the GM would have shut me down. Tact and diplomacy are good PLAYER SKILLS to have if you run a mentalist!

In game terms, players who use mentalists to abuse other player characters are going to get creamed by the other pcs AND by the other players. Frankly, other players are going to police abusive mentalist characters.

Wow. A discussion on the ethics of telepathy. I think Babylon 5 probably hit the nail on the head about how society would really treat a telepath. Telepaths had to be identified as such at all times, and it was illegal to read anything but surface thoughts without permission. And they abused their abilities all the time. A telepath in "real" life would be cynical and manipulative. Cynical because they would know just how much of everyone's social presentation was a veneer, and manipulative because inherently their powers are manipulative. BUT...no telepath would be able to abuse or manipulate his friends or companions. Because the VERY FIRST TIME they were discovered, they would have no more friends and companions. Trust would simply not be returned. And a telepath would get very tired of not being surprised by friends and loved ones. Seeing all the hidden warts, all the time, would get old. Making people do what you wanted or see what you wanted without letting them be themselves would get old. If a telepath started out as a "master manipulator", he or she would end up unhappy and miserable. Also, as telepaths have been written in fantasy and comic book terms, they spend more time trying to shut everyone else out than trying to pry their way in. (And I would love for anyone to share how they have dealt with that in game terms.) Being alone with your thoughts would be a luxury for a telepath! But, yes, on the whole they would be set apart from others with "super powers" the same way normal people woudl set apart anyone with such an ability.

A really bad gamemaster is threatened by telepaths. Plots so simple and obvious you could drive a truck through the holes in them do not hold up to telepaths, so bad GMs hate mentalists. Hack and slash games where combat takes precedence over plot are usually indifferent to telepaths (their motivation is to punch you, who cares what they are thinking). But most of all, bad gamemasters hate telepaths because their game plans are rigid and inflexible. Mediocre gamemasters are fine with telepaths. There is planning, thought, and creativity in their work and a mentalist only adds to the story. Misdirection, shell games, and layering of villain motivations are not too tough for the mid-level gamemaster to deal with. They can roll with the punches and handle the monkey wrenches players through into the mix. A REALLY GREAT Gamemaster rejoices when someone wants to play a telepath. Exposition and plot development flow when you have a mentalist around. Time is not lost trying to gte players to figure out what the GM needs them to figure out. The best gamemaster knows that a telepath has to know what questions to ask to learn anything anyway, can think on their feet during a game, and enjoys the dance of player and gamemaster or he wouldn't be doing this. The great gamemasters plans are fluid, and they can make the story work in whatever direction the players take them. I have played, and I have run games. Probably as a gamemaster I'm just mediocre. But I have been lucky enough to play with really great gamemasters. And I know they can change their plans in mid-game to match what the players are doing so that everyone enjoys the game to the maximum possible level.

Tactics and role playing are another matter all together. I am all for going against type in role-playing and attack decisions. That is fun and adds spice. Just don't be giving every villain on the planet protective ear coverings because Howler's NND attack is so good in combat. And don't let every player buy 20 points of power defense because Leech scared them all last week when he beat up on the team.

Happy to see these posts. I have always stuck to concept driven characters, and go insane when another player or GM gives, for instance, a martial artist 35 PD "just because" or suddenly every villain has scads of mental defense because a telepath joined the team. Yeah, the brick with a 5 intelligence has a 20 EGO and 10 Mental Defense. Sure he does.

GM agents that are smart and have studied the heroes for weaknesses do not have to have attacks and defenses that are all powerful. Prepared agents (who understand the battle tactics of the hero group) will not stand around in a group waiting to be taken out in one shot. They will choose appropriate targets and coordinate attacks. Agents do not have to be "powered-up" if they fight effectively and well. Players enjoy the fight scenes more if they have to think and be creative to win. (Except for that occassional player who justs wants to hit/blast everything in sight...but he gets on everyone's nerves in two seconds anyway. No one reading this is like that. Right? Right!)

1. MindBlock 2. PsiGuard 3. BrainTrust Are they a criminal group, or a group of fanatics who are suspicious of telepaths and believe eliminating psychic peeping toms is the right thing to do?

No gamemaster I have ever played with would have allowed a player character to stay "safely at home" and fight using clairsentience and mind scan. Hordes of robots, unable to be affected by mental attacks, would have tracked said mentalist down during the first outing and turned the character into swiss cheese!

Mentalists have always been my favorite characters. There is so much room for character development (trust issues for a character that commonly KNOWS most people say one thing and think another are interesting). You didn't say if you wanted uses for mind control or mental illusions in or out of combat. Out of combat these abilities can make for good roleplaying. Especially if you utilize the "remember actions and think they were natural" modifier for mind control and the "remember the illusion as being real" modifier for mental illusions. The guy who said it was essential to use telepathy first was dead on target: once you have learned another character's motivations, hopes, fears, secrets, and psych disads you can tailor mind control and illusions to them. Make the commands and illusions fit in with the characters "real" experiences. In combat, illusions can be used in many effective ways. Do not think of necessarily doing direct damage, think of removing a foe from the fight or setting them up for a teammate. A flying foe that hits a wall atfull speed thinking it was open sky, a speedster that falls down a hole or an elevator shaft thinking it was a corridor, a brick who is fighting an imaginary enemy, these are all good. But don't forget: what is the enemies objective? If they are there to kidnap someone, or steal something, or smash something, AND YOU MAKE THEM BELIEVE THEY HAVE DONE IT, they head away and you stopped them. Don't know what the foes objectives are? Then while your teammates are pounding them with energy blasts and fists, you scan their minds and find out this fight was all a diversion while they kidnap the president! Can be really helpful to know! In combat, mind control can be used to alter targets, get foes arguing about personal matters, or something different. Have an impressive teammate make a presence attack and then reinforce it with mind control. Make one foe hit another BUT FORGET HE DID IT. (That can be amusing). If you hit one target with an illusion so he hits his evil teammate, then mind control the guy that just got hit into hitting back, you can get the entire villain team fighting each other! A good game master can allow a telepath to learn just enough to feel satisfied in the game, bring a lot of color to it, and fill in areas of exposition, without giving anything away. And criminal masterminds tend to stay out of the fight anyway, so the supervillains may not know the REAL plans... Hope you have fun with your mentalist! I sure enjoy mine.