How to apply Long-Range (Powers:108)

[dataweaver]

Instead of saying that everything has infinite range and no range penalties, what about a modifier that makes most of them work at the range of “mental touch”? That is, you must first establish some sort of telepathic connection to the subject; but once you've done that, you can freely use the other powers on that subject as if he was standing right next to you. Anyone else, even someone who is actually standing right next to you, is “out of range” until you establish a mental connection with them.

Then you only need to set up one power that has infinite range and no range penalties. And personally, I wouldn't bother with “no penalties”; instead, I'd borrow from the optional rules for Spirit powers in GURPS Powers (p.178, “Affecting others”) and replace the distance-based penalities with familiarity-based penalties: someone you've never heard of, let alone met, would be at a -10 “range penalty”, assuming the GM permits it at all; but someone that you're intimately familiar with can be contacted without any penalty no matter where they are. The rules I mentioned suggest penalties for cases between those two extremes. It's not quite “no range penalties”, as there are still penalties for separation; but those penalties aren't based on distance, and could extend your reach all the way to another planet if there's someone there that you're at least somewhat familiar with.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

modifiers apply at short range –50%

Where is this from? Powers 112 values Short Range at -10% per increment, it's not the inverse of +50% per increment of Long Range from Powers 108

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

Yep, the built that I'm attempting is indeed with Familiarity penalties replacing distance penalties. However, I don't want things like Terror and Affliction to require another ability to piggy-back on. Each of these abilities, except Clairsentience, is a form of mental contact. Only Empathy and Mind Probe should require piggy-backing.

Originally Posted by Plane

Where is this from? Powers 112 values Short Range at -10% per increment, it's not the inverse of +50% per increment of Long Range from Powers 108

Kelly suggested it as a limitation on the abilties that get Increased Range (Familiarity), because the Familiarity penalties apply even at very close range.