[Powers] Control with Natural Phenomena

[Nereidalbel]

With Control Earth 10, Natural Phenomena (+100%), Persistent (+40%), Extended Duration (+150%) [780], what exactly would be my limits? Beyond the GM just saying "No, just, no!"?

[the_matrix_walker]

I think most would rule that it's not applicable... I could see how it might be though, but you'd have to be slightly more specific. "Earth" isn't a "Natural phenomenon", but "Earthquakes" are.

It's important to keep in mind the hefty built in limitations of "Natural Phenomena." It allows only gross control. It is a net enhancement because of the vastly increased area.

If allowed, you could cause or prevent earthquakes within a mile radius, Shake the earth to give opponents a -10 penalty to various actions, or a +10 bonus to intimidation or similar things.

[Humabout]

Off the top of my head, I could see you using this to cause/stop earthquakes, create sinkholes, and cause massive landslides. Personally, I'd draw the limit at anything that couldn't naturally happen without magic/powers/whatever. So you couldn't transmute mud into granite or make a flying earthen island. I'm not being particularly creative here, atm, though. I'm sure some of the others will have better insight.

[Nereidalbel]

Localized earthquakes could be useful, as could preventing them. Sinkholes forming over a large area could also be quite disruptive, and nobody would dispute the destruction caused by landslides. Thanks for the tips :)

[Genesis]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

I think most would rule that it's not applicable... I could see how it might be though, but you'd have to be slightly more specific. "Earth" isn't a "Natural phenomenon", but "Earthquakes" are.

It's important to keep in mind the hefty built in limitations of "Natural Phenomena." It allows only gross control. It is a net enhancement because of the vastly increased area.

If allowed, you could cause or prevent earthquakes within a mile radius, Shake the earth to give opponents a -10 penalty to various actions, or a +10 bonus to intimidation or similar things.

Actually - I seem to recall that Natural Phenomena gives a +/- 1 modified for every three levels of Control you have. So Control 10 gives you a -3 penalty to people for earth-shaking, etc. It's really quite an expensive trick. Psionic Powers couples 1 level of Control Weather with 2 levels of Control Weather (no increase in AoE, -50%) for +/- 1 per level of the sum advantage.

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by Genesis

Actually - I seem to recall that Natural Phenomena gives a +/- 1 modified for every three levels of Control you have. So Control 10 gives you a -3 penalty to people for earth-shaking, etc. It's really quite an expensive trick. Psionic Powers couples 1 level of Control Weather with 2 levels of Control Weather (no increase in AoE, -50%) for +/- 1 per level of the sum advantage.

Ahh, I forgot! Right you are!

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Genesis

Actually - I seem to recall that Natural Phenomena gives a +/- 1 modified for every three levels of Control you have. So Control 10 gives you a -3 penalty to people for earth-shaking, etc. It's really quite an expensive trick. Psionic Powers couples 1 level of Control Weather with 2 levels of Control Weather (no increase in AoE, -50%) for +/- 1 per level of the sum advantage.

Yeah, If you can live with the handicaps (PK had to pile the limitations on to get it just so at an affordable cost), the Weather Control ability is a pretty good model for one based on earthen natural phenomena.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

With Control Earth 10, Natural Phenomena (+100%), Persistent (+40%), Extended Duration (+150%) [780], what exactly would be my limits? Beyond the GM just saying "No, just, no!"?

On flat open ground you can penalize everyone's physical actions by ten and you can actually go away and leave the area shaking for a while. You can also level any rigid structure short of a very high tech earth-quake "proof" building in the area. You can create a volcano if you have a reservoir of magma down there to call upon. You can induce a tsunami by influencing the sea floor. You can cause landslides in mountains. You can turn solid ground into quicksand if there's water to work with,, You can actually build new mountains or move them if you make a project of it but it won't be quick.

What you can't do is precisely control anything, directly harm anything that isn't attached to the ground, transmute elements that sort of thing.

[Nereidalbel]

Hmm, I had not thought of mountain building!

[Nereidalbel]

GM approved raising it to 100 for a 10 mile radius, and isn't concerned about the points. How long would raising or leveling a mountain take? What magnitude earthquake could I produce, and how localized would the damage be? Trying not to sink California, if I can help it.