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Old 05-14-2017, 05:07 AM   #11
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: New Technique of the Week: an ongoing thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerBW View Post
I know people who assert that deprogramming is just brainwashing the victim into a mindset that the people paying for it regard as acceptable. If that's the case in a particular game world, it wouldn't be a technique at all, just a regular use of the skill.
Fair point, and that could be done even if restoring the original view was possible.
Quote:
Action 2 p. 17 para 2, and Transhuman Mysteries p. 25, suggest that the default should equal Brainwashing.
Ah, missed those. How's this for a revised version?

Deprogramming (Brainwashing or Psychology-6). Average, cannot exceed Brainwashing+4 or Psychology (whichever you based it on).

This is reversing Brainwashing. In some settings, that isn't possible, this technique doesn't exist, and the most that can be done is to Brainwash the subject to a more acceptable form of behaviour, which is a regular use of Brainwashing.

If this technique is available and used, it is rolled in a Quick Contest with the subject's Will. Taking extra time is common, the base time is a week. Modifiers: +2 for access to people who knew the subject well before they were Brainwashed, and +1 for having successfully Deprogrammed someone who had been Brainwashed in the same way as the subject. Cultural familiarity and language penalties apply. Psychology, Fast-Talk and Intimidation are possible complementary skills. Suggested by Vicky_Molokh.

I reckon this is a Technique rather an optional specialisation because there are (or were) people who specialise heavily in this, and have only a basic knowledge of psychology. The shorter timescale in Action 2: Exploits suits action movie conventions and the penalties for meme effectiveness in Transhuman Mysteries reflect the effectiveness of Transhuman Space's memetics.
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