09-13-2016, 05:29 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Jul 2013
|
Broadcast and Maledictions
Hey guys,
I've been doing a bit of fiddling with Illusions recently. As of GURPS Powers: The Weird, you can add Broadcast (from Telesend) to Illusions with Mental. Doing so means you roll at a -4 as usual, you effect anyone who observes you, and you take a penalty for distance based on the Long-Distance Table. First of all, is this fair? Consider the following build, Illusion (Broadcast, +50%; Long-Range 1, +50%; Mental, +100%; Reliable 4, +20%; Selective Effect, +20%) [85]. Roll IQ, anyone you want to affect anywhere in the universe must roll Will and beat your margin of success, otherwise you completely hijack their perceptions. That seems a little too much considering the cost of other abilities. If it is fair, could we apply it to other powers that operate in a similar way, like Affliction with Malediction, or Mind Control? Mind Control with Broadcast, Reliable 4, and Hearing-Based, Reversed seems like the perfect way to represent a pied piper type character, who can control anyone who hears his voice. |
09-13-2016, 07:07 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
Just to veer into technicalities (not inappropriate since the OP is complaining about an technicality which is technically incorrect):
Long-Range doesn't increase the max range of an ability. It merely reduces range penalties. The base Max for Illusion is two yards. Mental changes that to "anyone you can touch or see". Mental says that "Area Effect is irrelevant", but that's only considering the case of one target. It means that the apparent size of the illusion isn't limited by the area, because the actual area for Mental is just the one target's head. However, if you're affecting multiple targets, then I think it's perfectly reasonable to invoke the area again so as to affect everyone in the area. Still has nothing to do with the apparent size of the illusion, but it does have a lot to do with the size of the group of people you can affect at once. On the bright side, once you pile on enough AE to encompass the universe, you don't need Ranged. The universe is about 10e26 meters in radius, so 86 levels of AE (+4300%) ought to cover it. Does the character also have a way to simultaneously perceive everyone in the universe? I say "perceive", because that's not just a matter of tracing a potential line of sight. The character needs to actively be aware of their existence and mental state, in order to affect it. And that's everyone simultaneously, not possibly concentrating on one at a time in a serial fashion. Typical management and C3I fan-out ratios suggest that one human-equivalent brain can oversee about 10 people, at a relatively high level of detail (as opposed to individually editing all their sensory perceptions in real time, say). Let's make the ratio 100 to 1, just so the illusionist could handle a crowd on Earth. Divide the number of sentient minds in the universe by 100 and buy that many levels of Compartmentalized Mind to manage them all in parallel. How many billions is that? Depends on the setting, of course. Conversely, if Broadcast requires them to actually be observing the illusionist when the ability is activated, rather than vice-versa, how many of those distant aliens actually have the ability to do so, and of those with the ability, how many are actually doing so? |
09-13-2016, 08:02 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Jul 2013
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
Quote:
So, the build I posted is RAW, whether it should be or not is a different question. |
|
09-13-2016, 09:39 AM | #4 |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ellicott City, MD
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
If Broadcast works through TV screens and literally every sentient being in the Universe is watching you on TV at once, sure. Otherwise? You're only going to affect the crowd around you, plus the sniper aiming for your center of mass. The whole "anybody who can see/hear/etc you" part of Broadcast is not removed just by adding Long Range.
|
09-13-2016, 11:11 AM | #5 | ||
Join Date: Jul 2013
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
09-13-2016, 12:06 PM | #6 |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ellicott City, MD
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
Then you would need one impressive illusion to be observed across the entire Universe. And what with light having finite speed, it could be a few billion years before some entities end up having to roll. Just make sure it's a fun one!
|
09-13-2016, 01:29 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Jul 2013
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
Quote:
Regardless, perhaps 'anywhere in the universe' was an exaggeration as to the capabilities of that build, but even 'anywhere in the city' seems like a lot in comparison to how normal Illusions work. The kind of Area Effect needed to make an Illusion that could be seen by everyone in the city would be astronomical. |
|
09-13-2016, 01:31 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ellicott City, MD
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
Quote:
|
|
09-13-2016, 02:04 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
Quote:
Normal Illusions can be seen pretty far away with no intervening obstacles. Think of a kite or small plane. In any case, as to the original question. Broadcast was for Communication abilities, Illusion with Mental is about as far as I would streatch it. I would probably not allow it on Maledictions but go with Area Effect instead. Note that on Malediction you would need several levels of Increased Range mod as they start at -1 per hex.
__________________
My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries |
|
09-13-2016, 03:21 PM | #10 |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ellicott City, MD
|
Re: Broadcast and Maledictions
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|