Technological Power Modifiers: what are they good for?

[dataweaver]

GURPS Supers defines four Technology-oriented power modifiers: Mechanical, Electronic, Nanotech, and Super-Science. Nanotech makes several appearances in the lists of likely Power Modifiers for the new Powers introduced in that book (in fact, it seems to be treated as a variation of Biological, i.e., anything that “Biological” fits, “Nanotech” also fits); and presumably “Super-Science” is mostly synonymous with “Super” for the purpose of which power modifiers make sense for what powers.

But what about Mechanical and Electronic? Looking through the various powers listed in GURPS Powers and GURPS Supers, Electricity and Machine Telepathy seem like they might make sense with Electronic (the latter moreso than the former); are there any others? And what Powers would make sense with Mechanical? Do we maybe need a new power or two (say, a “Cybernetics” variant of Bio-Energy and/or Body Control in the same manner that there’s an Electrokinesis “cousin” to Electricity that’s fine-tuned for Psi) before these Power Modifiers can really come into their own? Or am I simply not being inventive enough?

[Dalzig]

How applicable an Electronic or Mechanical power source can be to powers depends greatly on your assumed setting and its available technologies. A decent example would be the robot masters from Megaman. Purely mechanical means are used to create effects that would look like super powers to anyone else.

You control Air through mechnical means by having a big fan. You control Illusion through mechanical/electronic means by using smoke and mirrors, nanobots, holographic projectors, etc. You control Magnetism through mechanical/electronic means by using electromagnets. You control Telepathy through electronic means by having an implant that lets you read minds.

You should be able to explain most powers through mechanical or electronic power sources with sufficiently advanced, and probably handwaved, technology.

[Refplace]

Also clockwork devices would be mechanical.

[dataweaver]

Originally Posted by Dalzig

How applicable an Electronic or Mechanical power source can be to powers depends greatly on your assumed setting and its available technologies. A decent example would be the robot masters from Megaman. Purely mechanical means are used to create effects that would look like super powers to anyone else.

You control Air through mechnical means by having a big fan. You control Illusion through mechanical/electronic means by using smoke and mirrors, nanobots, holographic projectors, etc. You control Magnetism through mechanical/electronic means by using electromagnets. You control Telepathy through electronic means by having an implant that lets you read minds.

You should be able to explain most powers through mechanical or electronic power sources with sufficiently advanced, and probably handwaved, technology.

I’d buy most of what you’re saying here for the Super-Science Modifier; I’m not so sure about Mechanical, Electrical, or even Nanotech.

[Dalzig]

That's where the campaign setting comes into play. What's Superscience to a TL 3 world can be science to a TL10 world.

What that really means is that any power with the Superscience power modifier can only really be countered or detected by other Superscience things. If a power is instead electronic, it is more understood and can be more easily countered and detected which is why it is worth a higher discount.

Though I suppose if you can't accept the idea that Telepathy may be invoked through Nanotech (send nanobots to invade their brain and relay back what they're thinking) then it might be easier to just call it all Superscience. There's not a terribly large difference unless you make there be a difference.

[dataweaver]

OK; so what powers are suitable for Mechanical, Electronic, and Nanotech are dependent on the campaign’s TL. That makes sense, especially considering that Electronic and Nanotech are themselves only available at certain TLs. So let me refine the question: in a modern-day (i.e., TL8) setting, what powers could Mechanical and Electronic justify?

[Dalzig]

In a more realistic setting, there probably aren't that many actual powers. It would be more common to have an electronic power that is really just a piece of equipment, probably bought with Signature Gear or some other advantage.

Supers provides an example of Powered Skates (p. 83). If your super is Super Skaterboy, then your power is your really fancy skates that make you go fast.

If your super is Ironman, then your power is whatever suit you are wearing.
If you somehow made Ironman's suit be clockwork, like Refplace suggested, then that would be a mechanical power instead of an electronic power.

[dataweaver]

Well, yeah. But what Power does, e.g., Iron Man’s armor have?

I feel like I’m pulling teeth here.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

OK; so what powers are suitable for Mechanical, Electronic, and Nanotech are dependent on the campaign’s TL. That makes sense, especially considering that Electronic and Nanotech are themselves only available at certain TLs. So let me refine the question: in a modern-day (i.e., TL8) setting, what powers could Mechanical and Electronic justify?

Electronic is made for Iron Man, at least the classic Iron Man before he got all trendy with nanomagic. It also covers the vast majority of supervillains who get their powers from their costumes. The Vulture for example. Mechanical is not so useful in the modern day since basically it's for retro steam and clock punky stuff.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

Well, yeah. But what Power does, e.g., Iron Man’s armor have?

I feel like I’m pulling teeth here.

That would depend on what suit you are talking about. But they almost all have the Electronic Power Modifier.