Pickpocketing through powers

[bryanjonker]

One of my players was thinking of creating "the best pickpocket evar" in GURPS 4e. Naturally, there will be some skills involved, but he's envisioning crazy stuff, like he's standing 5 feet away and the item is literally locked to the mark's body (or ingested). It's Illuminati University with an anime bent, so anything goes. However, it is also low mana, so magic spells alone won't be that reliable. The characters are at 170 points right now (45 point disad/quirk limit), so he'd be building off that.

I'm thinking either modifying the Snatcher ability or the Warp ability. The Snatcher seems more "correct", but it doesn't really fit because it's getting a specific item from a person, not a generic "I need an item". Warp would work, but you'd need the "Blind" enhancement and it's very limited to a certain set of conditions (get one item from a person). And I would like it tied to a Pickpocket skill, not just a "it's done".

The player is making the case that it's about 50 points.

So, two questions:

1. How would you build this power and how many points would it cost?
2. Any potential game issues I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by bryanjonker

1. How would you build this power and how many points would it cost?

A build based on Affliction (Warp with mods) is probably the way to go to build the power. Don't forget to add No Signature!

Originally Posted by bryanjonker

2. Any potential game issues I'm missing?

One game issue is the potential to "pickpocket" items during battle. Taking their weapons, ammo, spell components, etc. It could get really useful in combat, so much so that it might even start to compromise the character concept. If you make it capable of quickly taking any item on a person, the total limitation on Warp should be quite low and the ability should be costly.

On the other hand, if you add things like Preparation Required (e.g., you have to spend some time observing the person from a distance) or Takes Extra Time, and / or an Accessibility that limits it to items that the victim isn't actively using or aware of (things in their plain sight / touch), it becomes reasonable at much lower point value and won't be abusable in combat.

[Anaraxes]

An earlier thread (starring JCurwen3, even) discussing a "weaponized" Snatcher that steals from its own world rather than creating :

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=93757

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

An earlier thread (starring JCurwen3, even) discussing a "weaponized" Snatcher that steals from its own world rather than creating :

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=93757

HA! Yes, I remembered that one. When I started that thread I actually hadn't considered the combat usefulness of my idea... my thought was it was an overall limitation on Snatcher because sometimes your victims might find you and your ability would have backfired (sort of like in genie fiction where you wish for $1M or that many gold pieces and then it turns out it came from some mobster or dragon or whatever and if you start being a big spender you'll draw unwanted attention).

But yeah, it definitely could be weaponized. Hence my suggestion this time around to use time constraints and/or an Accessibility to effectively eliminate combat value. Also, my idea built on Snatcher because I specifically didn't want it to be targeted (although ask for something specifically enough and of course it would be targeted, especially if it goes for the closest thing, which is what I hadn't thought of).

I'd build this ability based on Warp as thieving is inherently targeted. But some of the ideas from the above thread might be very easily applicable to Warp (limitations and such).

[bryanjonker]

Thanks!

I ended up doing the following:

Affliction (Warp) (1) (Based on Pickpocket; Accessibility (Cannot be performed on held item) (+2); Advantage (Warp) (+50); Malediction (Receives -1/yd range); No Signature; Psionic; Reduced Range (x1/2); Resistible (Per) (Per)) [65]

Basically, it's a resisted roll -- Pickpocket versus Perception. I'm pretty sure the player won't abuse it too much. I cut the Warp advantage in half, because it's not really teleporting the person, it's teleporting an object a person has.

[JCurwen3]

Below is a possible build for this power. Note that the total modifiers on the Warp exceed -80%, so it's capped at -80% despite that. Feel free to remove limitations to lose less functionality if desired.

"Spooky" Pickpocket At a Distance
Affliction 1 (Per vs Pickpocket; Based on Per for target, +20%; Based on Per for you, +20%; Warp*, +200%) [34]

*Warp (Accessibility, Only if unobserved, -20%; Accessibility, Only places you could walk/climb to, given time, -20%; Exoteleport, -50%; No Strain, +25%; Range Limit, -50%) [20]

Exoteleport is from Psionic Powers, p. 18. Both Accessibility limitation values are from Horror, p. 20. No Strain is from Powers, p. 89. Name of the ability is me having a laugh making an Einstein anti-quantum-mechanics reference. :-)

Notes: You can't steal anything you couldn't have realistically walked or climbed towards or that is being observed. You are limited to teleporting objects up to your Basic Lift. Repeated attempts are possible without penalty. You roll Pickpocket, target rolls Per.

P.S. If there is a better, more official way to write up embedded modified advantages in an Affliction, I don't know it, and this seemed like a clean way to do it.

[bryanjonker]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

Below is a possible build for this power. Note that the total modifiers on the Warp exceed -80%, so it's capped at -80% despite that. Feel free to remove limitations to lose less functionality if desired.

"Spooky" Pickpocket At a Distance
Affliction 1 (Per vs Pickpocket; Based on Per for target, +20%; Based on Per for you, +20%; Warp*, +200%) [34]

*Warp (Accessibility, Only if unobserved, -20%; Accessibility, Only places you could walk/climb to, given time, -20%; Exoteleport, -50%; No Strain, +25%; Range Limit, -50%) [20]

Interesting. Yeah, I'd probably remove the Only if unobserved and Only places you could walk/climb to, just to make it more ridiculous. It's in the spirit of the game, trust me :-).

That brings up another question: how does Malediction work? I would have thought this would qualify for that advantage, because DR doesn't make sense. Thanks.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by bryanjonker

Interesting. Yeah, I'd probably remove the Only if unobserved and Only places you could walk/climb to, just to make it more ridiculous. It's in the spirit of the game, trust me :-).

That brings up another question: how does Malediction work? I would have thought this would qualify for that advantage, because DR doesn't make sense. Thanks.

DR might make sense, making objects that are underneath armor more difficult to snag. But as written, the DR of the target would protect even if the object is outside the armor. And making a to-hit roll to "throw" the Affliction doesn't make much sense. This definitely feels like Malediction territory, especially since it triggers a Quick Contest between Pickpocket and Perception.

[B9anders]

I think you can apply some sort of "anchored" limitation to your Warp, given that you must warp it to your own hand. Eyeball at some -40%.

You'll need a detect of some sort though, to lock-on your malediction for objects you can't see.