10-24-2016, 08:45 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cockeysville, MD
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Mind Control Questions
A Bard has joined my on-going DF party... with the Mind Control ability. So, I'm trying to get my head wrapped around what this character and and can't do. I've read the Advantage's description, and then looked through the forums here and the FAQ (but didn't find much.) So, here are my questions:
1) Can everything w/o Immunity(Mind Control) be controlled (like wild animals)? 2) What if the target doesn't understand the language the Bard is using? Do the commands work on intent or understanding? 3) What about trying to control something that is being possessed by another "mind"? 4) If the ability is resisted, the target knows that an attempt to dominate their mind was made. What happens when they fail, then the effect ends? I assume that they remember everything and know that they were controlled (unless maybe the caster told them to forget?) I'm sure I'll have other questions, but that should cover what I need for planning the next session.
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10-24-2016, 09:13 AM | #2 | |||
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: Mind Control Questions
Quote:
The Bard Song power modifier adds specific limitations that lead me to suspect it works on understanding: "Anything that affects others only works on targets who can hear the music, while any messages or instructions the bard sends have to be hidden in song." But that's not an explicit statement one way or the other. Quote:
Quote:
The user cannot "tell them to forget" any more effectively than you could tell me to forget: Even were I terribly co-operative, I simply can't forget things on demand. Beings with the ability to forget things on demand obviously work differently.
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10-24-2016, 09:17 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: Mind Control Questions
Have a look at GURPS Powers page 195, it has some useful discussion about Mind Reading, Mind Probe, and Mind Control. There's some more notes on p157
Page 149 has a Linguistic Programming ability that is Hearing-Based but has no special limitations restricting comprehension. The description states "By speaking for two seconds in a master language understood by all sapient minds, the user can “program” anyone within earshot." I think Bard Song doesn't actually add a linguistic restriction, and it looks like it should work on animals. However, in DF animals are the exclusive domain of Druids, so perhaps not.
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10-24-2016, 10:14 AM | #4 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Mind Control Questions
Given that Bard Song also has Speak with Animals, I don't think it was intended to be restricted.
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10-24-2016, 04:03 PM | #5 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Mind Control Questions
Quote:
But bringing attention to experiences good, bad, or indifferent, certainly is the worst way to induce the forgetting of them.
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10-24-2016, 04:36 PM | #6 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: Mind Control Questions
Quote:
And yes, when this happens a lot in children, the ability to form episodic memories is degraded long term - pre-emptively not-remembering in case it's stressful, if you will.
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10-25-2016, 07:54 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cockeysville, MD
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Re: Mind Control Questions
Ok, so animals are controllable and commands must be spoken but not understood?
If intent drives the command, then there is no room for the subject to interpenetrate or misunderstand the command? I always thought that was one of the drawbacks of mind control, you had to be clear on what you wanted. Also, I'm looking over the monsters in DF2 and DFM1 and noticed that there isn't a lot of creatures with Mind Control immunity. I thought that constructs and undead had a blanket immunity, but this isn't even remotely true. Creatures with IQ 0 don't list immunity to mind control, but I assume that is part of IQ 0 (no mind to control). Another question, Mind Control states that it lingers for awhile (1d6 min. IIRC), but the Bardic Powers state that all effects end immediately if the Bard stops singing. Which takes precedence? And does that also mean that spells end before their duration if the bard ends the song? (That'd cause all sorts of issues with spells like possession which leaves the caster's body limp).
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10-25-2016, 09:18 AM | #8 | ||
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: Mind Control Questions
Quote:
In fictional sources, the conditions vary a lot, as different authors invent different restrictions to try to make the power and their stories interesting. In games, those restrictions are generally invented partly by the setting design, and partly at character design time. The basic GURPS Advantage, Mind Control, is in the middle of that spectrum. The "you just control them" would be Possession. The text of MC cites Reprogrammable, which says Quote:
So, in your games, you can choose to have the MC require the victims to obey only the letter of their instructions, if that's what you want. That's not necessarily a requirement of any ability built on top of Mind Control, though. It's also worth keeping in mind that there are other ways to get mind-controlling effects. Possession and Afflicting a Duty or Sense of Duty come to mind. So when designing, it's also worth pausing to ask whether Mind Control is really where you want to start. |
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10-25-2016, 03:43 PM | #9 | ||
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cockeysville, MD
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Re: Mind Control Questions
More questions:
DF1 states: Quote:
Also, is singing a free action on this case or is a concentrate maneuver required? Quote:
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10-25-2016, 03:43 PM | #10 | |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Mind Control Questions
Quote:
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Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check. |
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