Help with a scrying ability

[Kesendeja]

A NPC adversary in my game has the ability to hijack the senses of a PC so he can spy on the party. I'm not quite sure how to build this. Is it a disadvantage for the PC, an advantage for the NPC, or both.

If it matters the PC is unaware of the effect.

[Refplace]

Mind Reading with Senses only from Powers or DF Allies I think, if not Allies it would be in Summoners but pretty sure Allies. Look under Familiars.

[Brandy]

Powers lists a Sensory as an enhancement to Mind-Reading, but doesn't have a Sensory only limitation, so that must be in one of the other places.

From the basic set, you can build it with Clairsentience with increased range and some sort of accessibility to require a person into whom to shift your perspective.

From the PCs perspective, it sounds like an Enemy with Watcher at least.

[Refplace]

Doesnt appear to be in either book, I know I saw it printed somewhere but always have trouble finding it again.
I think I remember it in connection with a ghost or something that could see through rats eyes but its not in Metro of Madness either.
I think it was a -20% limitation but really cant be sure.
Anyone know where it is?

[Kelly Pedersen]

The "Sensory Only" limitation on Mind Reading actually appears in the Basic Set, and is indeed -20%.

I agree that Mind Reading with that limitation is probably the right ability to model this on the opponent's side, but I'll point out that, unless the opponent is actually a capital-E Enemy, building this with points for them is probably a waste of time - you don't need to worry about point balance for NPCs.

So, the question becomes, what's the effect on the PC? Is this something that the opponent can only do to them, for some reason? Could the opponent do it to others, but they're uniquely vulnerable? Or can the opponent do it to anyone, and they just regularly choose the PC? In any case, I'd say that the PC should take the opponent as an Enemy, with the exact severity depending on what the opponent plans to do with the information (Watcher if they just look for the PC doing something embarrassing or illegal and then report that, Rival or Hunter if they use it directly to damage the PC).

If the PC is uniquely vulnerable to the enemy's mind reading (as opposed to just being the opponent's preferred target), I'd give an additional disadvantage. I'd price being totally unable to resist the ability at -5 points, basically a sort of "reverse Mindlink", or the maximum allowed Susceptible to an occasional hazard. If they can resist, but at a penalty, I'd just use Susceptible.

[Kesendeja]

The NPC is actually one of the main antagonists of the story. And for reasons I'd rather not get into, my players frequent the forum, the PC is the only one he can do this to.

The PC on the other hand cannot resist and is totally unaware of the ease dropping. But may discover it as the longer it goes on the more of a two way street it will become.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

The "Sensory Only" limitation on Mind Reading actually appears in the Basic Set, and is indeed -20%.

Thank you!

[Brandy]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

The "Sensory Only" limitation on Mind Reading actually appears in the Basic Set, and is indeed -20%.

Yes, thanks. I feel a little silly for not turning the page.

[Black Leviathan]

This ability should in any reasonable story be Total Party Kill for the group. You should do some very critical work on limitations for this power; chances that the villain is listening in, range of effect, what interferes with the ability. Even if the villain is measurably weaker than one of the party members, knowing their exact plan of attack and their every weakness should make it trivial for them to be thwarted if not tortured.

[Kesendeja]

The villain has many draws on his time so his ease-dropping is limited. But he does know a great deal about the party. It also takes him concentration to spy on the party.

At this point in the game he has learned a little information on several important NPC's, but the randomness of what he gets is a huge limiting factor. He has to scry at just the right time.