Telecommunications limitation: when and why?

[Captain Joy]

In GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 59 only the Telespeak advantage with its Telesend skill has the Telecommunication (B92) limitation. The Telecommunication advantage doesn't come up at all in GURPS Psis. I would think that advantage would be the backbone of most telepath builds. What am I missing?

[Refplace]

I dont know.
Telecommunication is mentioned as possible with ergokineses and the Telsesend subset in a few places,including the box you mention.
Here its a limitation on Mind Reading but I dont know what it actually does, seems like its covered in the Accessibility, Projected thoughts only limitation.

[Kelly Pedersen]

I think Psionic Powers doesn't use the Telecommunication limitation much because it's really supposed to represent something different than psionics, mostly. Telecommunication on advantages like Mind Reading or Mindlink usually turns them from something that just contacts someone on a "mental level" into something a bit more mundane, something that follows a more realistic communication channel.

For example, a cyberpunk computer hacker with a neural interface implant might have Mind Reading with the Digital modifier and Telecommunication (Cable Jack) limitations, representing the fact that she can read computers, but only while jacked in - it means Mind Reading isn't just an ethereal ability to scan computers at a distance, you've got to be plugged in. Similarly, a robot swarm with a distributed consciousness might have Mindlink with Telecommunication (Radio), representing the fact that all members of the swarm share an awareness, but only when they're in radio contact.

So, basically, I don't think that the Telecommunication limitation is very appropriate when its paired with the Telesend version of the Telecommunication advantage, because that's basically already the way most of the advantages that the Telecommunication limitation could be applied to already work.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

I think Psionic Powers doesn't use the Telecommunication limitation much because it's really supposed to represent something different than psionics, mostly. Telecommunication on advantages like Mind Reading or Mindlink usually turns them from something that just contacts someone on a "mental level" into something a bit more mundane, something that follows a more realistic communication channel.

I've never taken it that way.

Mind Reading has standard range penalties, so it doesn't work at any great distance. Telesend has theoretically unlimted range, and in practice takes long-distance modifiers. So Telesend is at no penalty at 200 yards, whereas any ability based on Mind Reading is at -12. If you go to a mile, Telesend is at -2, but Mind Reading is at -18. For 10,000 miles (not far short of "anywhere on Earth"), Telesend is at -10, which is really hard, but Mind Reading is at -42, which is utterly impossible.

Mind Reading is "Someone is close enough to see; I see them; what are they thinking?" You can extend it to "I want to think back at them." But Telesend is "I want to send my thoughts to someone far away." You have a small penalty if you can't see them, but for someone close to you it's only -1. Those are two different images of how telepathy works.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

Telecommunication on advantages like Mind Reading or Mindlink usually turns them from something that just contacts someone on a "mental level" into something a bit more mundane, something that follows a more realistic communication channel.


So, basically, I don't think that the Telecommunication limitation is very appropriate when its paired with the Telesend version of the Telecommunication advantage, because that's basically already the way most of the advantages that the Telecommunication limitation could be applied to already work.

Originally Posted by whswhs

Mind Reading has standard range penalties, so it doesn't work at any great distance. Telesend has theoretically unlimted range, and in practice takes long-distance modifiers. So Telesend is at no penalty at 200 yards, whereas any ability based on Mind Reading is at -12. If you go to a mile, Telesend is at -2, but Mind Reading is at -18. For 10,000 miles (not far short of "anywhere on Earth"), Telesend is at -10, which is really hard, but Mind Reading is at -42, which is utterly impossible.

I think your both misunderstand the ops question.
The box the Op refers to is Telespeak and bundles Mind Reading and Telsend together for two way communication.
The build makes the ranges the same on both abilities by using various levels of Short or Long Range.
What hes asking about is a -20% modifier on Mind Reading only called Telecommunication.
I looked it up in GURPS Basic and its a limitation on Mind Reading (p. B70).
From what I can tell given that it also has only read projected thoughts it appears to be acting as a kind of accessibility requiring them to be in communication with Telesend as well.


To the Op: After reading the entry in Basic I still dont see where it would apply to most telepathic abilities.
I could apply it to Illusion with the Mental modifier so you could only create illusions to people your talking with using Telesend.

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by Refplace

I think your both misunderstand the ops question.
The box the Op refers to is Telespeak and bundles Mind Reading and Telsend together for two way communication.
The build makes the ranges the same on both abilities by using various levels of Short or Long Range.
What hes asking about is a -20% modifier on Mind Reading only called Telecommunication.
I looked it up in GURPS Basic and its a limitation on Mind Reading (p. B70).
From what I can tell given that it also has only read projected thoughts it appears to be acting as a kind of accessibility requiring them to be in communication with Telesend as well.

Yes, thank you for clarifying Refplace.

Originally Posted by Refplace

To the Op: After reading the entry in Basic I still dont see where it would apply to most telepathic abilities.
I could apply it to Illusion with the Mental modifier so you could only create illusions to people your talking with using Telesend.

That makes sense. But what I still don't understand is why the Telecommunication limitation is attached to the Mind Reading part of Telespeak (Psionis Powers, p. 59). It's not a part of the Telereceive (Psionis Powers, p. 59) or Telesend (Psionis Powers, p. 60) powers. Indeed, no other telepathic build in Psionic Power bothers with a Telecommunication limitation. What is so specially about Telespeak?

Also, to claim a -20% Telecommunication limitation, wouldn't you have to have the Telecommunication-Telesend (B91) as an advantage — a 30-point advantage? You'd have to have 150 points worth of telepathy powers to make that -20% limitation worth while.

I'm beginning to think the Telesend form of Telecommunication (B91) has no purpose in a full blown psionic campaign that makes use of a full suite of psionic powers. It's just in Basic Set as an easy way to give a character psi-eque Telesend without having to worry about setting up a psionic powers with skills and talents and yadda yadda yadda. It's inclusion as a limitation in Telespeak (Psionic Powers, p. 59) is an error. Dropping if from Telespeak wouldn't change anything about it, but its cost.