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Old 01-29-2013, 05:38 AM   #11
Mailanka
 
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

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Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
Typo. Yes, MH, Monster Hunters.
It's a really nice idea, and very fitting. High levels of philosophy would therefore give you a very deep knowledge of that philosophy and its limitations (pertinent for the pact limitation), but it would also directly empower your abilities. I like it.

But Hypercompetency is point-based. It's meant to make each purchase of a Wild Card skill more palatable. It has no basis in actual skill level. Thus, someone who is IQ 10 and has Philosophy 15 has more "hypercompetency points" than someone who is IQ 20 and has Philosophy 20. I'm not sure if I like that.

If I were to make it level-based, what levels would you gentlemen and ladies suggest?
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Old 01-29-2013, 06:08 AM   #12
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

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Originally Posted by Mailanka View Post
But Hypercompetency is point-based. It's meant to make each purchase of a Wild Card skill more palatable. It has no basis in actual skill level. Thus, someone who is IQ 10 and has Philosophy 15 has more "hypercompetency points" than someone who is IQ 20 and has Philosophy 20. I'm not sure if I like that.

If I were to make it level-based, what levels would you gentlemen and ladies suggest?
I meant to apply it to non-wildcard skills, possibly with some adjustment to the ratio of virtual points per normal points spent. Linking it to skill level seems both prone to abuse (by high-attribute characters) and prone to non-use (past the point where a skill level costs 4 character points).
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Old 01-29-2013, 06:47 AM   #13
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

A few brainstormed ideas:
--Make Philosophy (IQ+X) required for Talent X
--Make Philosophy the "power skill" for all psionic powers
--Make "specializations" of Philosophy techniques (eg. Hobbesian, materialist, positivist, platonist, idealist, realist, pragmatist, rationalist...you might want to narrow the list down to whichever options will be important in the game). Use these techniques as your power skills or as prerequisites for certain high-level powers.
--Use Philosophy for power stunts or extra effort instead of Expert Skill (Psionics), Will, IQ, or whatever.
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Old 01-29-2013, 09:40 AM   #14
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

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Originally Posted by Mailanka View Post
It's a really nice idea, and very fitting. High levels of philosophy would therefore give you a very deep knowledge of that philosophy and its limitations (pertinent for the pact limitation), but it would also directly empower your abilities. I like it.

But Hypercompetency is point-based. It's meant to make each purchase of a Wild Card skill more palatable. It has no basis in actual skill level. Thus, someone who is IQ 10 and has Philosophy 15 has more "hypercompetency points" than someone who is IQ 20 and has Philosophy 20. I'm not sure if I like that.

If I were to make it level-based, what levels would you gentlemen and ladies suggest?
I would strongly recommend against making it level based. The whole point of being points based is because that way you have to spend points to get such a significant benefit. If you get my point. It's not to make wild card skills "palatable" - they either do that on their own or not, depending on design and whether a player is constitutionally inclined towards individual skills and talents, or broad wild-cards.

Badly designed wild cards shouldn't use it as a prop-up, "really good" wild-cards become more overpowered with it, and if the GM wants the group to have simplified character sheets, or detailed character sheets, he uses them or forbids them.
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Old 01-29-2013, 12:33 PM   #15
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

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I've thought of a few. Perhaps philosophy can act as a "critical failure recovery skill" like you see in Thaumatology.
That's an option, sure. Psi is different than magic in a few ways, though, so I'd recommend reading "Averting Psychic Disasters!" in Pyramid #3/29: Psionics for specific rules.

Quote:
Or, perhaps we can attach a pact modifier to psychic powers, making them cheaper
Yes, though that loses one of the advantages of the system -- that all the math has been done for you. One possible compromise would be to offset the -10% Pact with +10% for Reliable 2. In other words, yes, you have a Pact on top of everything else, but you also get +2 to skill! (I touch on this "Reliable bundle" in GURPS Psionic Campaigns.)

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Originally Posted by Mailanka View Post
But Hypercompetency is point-based. It's meant to make each purchase of a Wild Card skill more palatable. It has no basis in actual skill level. Thus, someone who is IQ 10 and has Philosophy 15 has more "hypercompetency points" than someone who is IQ 20 and has Philosophy 20. I'm not sure if I like that.

If I were to make it level-based, what levels would you gentlemen and ladies suggest?
The whole idea is that it's your training that makes you hypercompetent, not your natural IQ. I would strongly recommend against making it level-based. If you use hypercompetency, I'd stick with the same ratio of 12 character points for each "bonus point."

Another thought would be to simply define a quick Code of Honor or equivalent for each philosophy, then simply modify the rolls based on the character's behavior. Oh, you were especially existential today? Great, have +2 on your Astral Projection rolls. Wait, that wasn't very objectivist of you! That'll cost you -1 on your Psychic Vampirism rolls until you get with the program. I realize this doesn't touch on the Philosophy skill, but it might make a nice, simple addition to your rules.
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Old 01-29-2013, 02:05 PM   #16
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

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A Yoda who has a philosophy of 20 isn't wasting his points, while a Luke Skywalker who barely has an idea of how his philosophy works can still function, but does so at a more limited level than Yoda does. ... where's the benefit to investing heavily into Philosophy? That's what I want to figure out.
This idea only works as a setting option, but that seems OK for your purposes.

Before you can use a power, make a Philosophy roll. If you fail, stop there. If you make it, have a bonus to your roll top use the power of (Philosophy margin of success)/2, like the way Symbol drawing gets used in some magic systems.

This might make Philosophy too good a buy; if you're worried about that, use MoS/3, or something like that.
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Old 01-29-2013, 02:19 PM   #17
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

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So a pact limitation might be a good beginning, but where's the benefit to investing heavily into Philosophy? That's what I want to figure ou t.
The simple approach is to use Philosophy as a skill roll in a Skills for Everyone campaign and maybe allow characters to push their power at a skill penalty.
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Old 01-30-2013, 01:18 PM   #18
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

At this point I can no longer resist - I have to post this:

http://dresdencodak.com/2006/12/03/d...and-discourse/

Totally unhelpful, I know.
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Old 01-30-2013, 01:26 PM   #19
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

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At this point I can no longer resist - I have to post this:

http://dresdencodak.com/2006/12/03/d...and-discourse/

Totally unhelpful, I know.
Oh my. It's Viktor. Even has hints of his usual progressive rhetoric. And he's apparently female.
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Old 01-30-2013, 05:37 PM   #20
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Default Re: (Psionic Powers) The Philosophy of Psionics

Here's my take on Buddhist/Hindu Psi

In the East, the existence of psychic powers is taken for granted. There are hundreds of schools of philosophy to choose from, each with an exhaustive take on the origins and proper use of supernatural powers.

Last edited by tantric; 01-30-2013 at 05:45 PM.
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