GURPS Powers: The Weird

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Definition of Immunity to Mind Control:

There are a bunch of things in there that aren't in my definition of "External Control," notably Illusion and arguably the forms of Glamour. Those affect perception rather than action. Granted there's a lot of overlap, but it's legitimate to have two categories that overlap.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Dropping the radius is probably a -100% limitation that would give:

Obscure (Smell; Defensive +50%; No Radius -100%; Stealthy +100%) [3/level]

But the RAW build has the Obscure in question costing 2/level.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by whswhs

But the RAW build has the Obscure in question costing 2/level.

Huh? That's one possible build. There are other RAW possible builds that have different mechanics.

[Astromancer]

This is beautiful. It gives on several different levels.

I will buy it as soon as finances permit.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by whswhs

There are a bunch of things in there that aren't in my definition of "External Control,"

Your definition includes "mind control through magic or powers, and mental possession."

Originally Posted by whswhs

notably Illusion and arguably the forms of Glamour. Those affect perception rather than action.

Illusion affects perception. Illusion with mental does an end run on perception.

Originally Posted by Glamour

Your ability controls others’ perceptions through a persistent hypnotic suggestion, mental illusion, or psychic compulsion.

Sounds like mind control. Which is in the definition of External Control.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Fractal Manipulation page 31,

High Manual Dexterity 10 adds Cosmic, Exceeds normal limits, +50%; why is this needed? I understood the limit of 4 levels was for normal humans, in the same way normal humans can't take ST much above 20 but Supers and non-humans can without paying extra for exceeding human limits. E.G. Changing times page 53; The Bush Robot has High Manual Dexterity 10 [50]; it doesn't have "Exceeds normal limits, +50%"

Yeah I saw a few uses of Cosmic where in some games I would toss it out.
IMHO it should have been brought up in the playtest but then left in and a box used to call it out.
Cosmic is The modifier to allow breaking the rules so in many settings you need it for exceptional abilities (like the Special Exercise perks) but in others you don't need it.
The section on Native abilities almost addresses this but not quite explicitly.
However in a Weird Powers book its more appropriate and I would expect to see it more then if this where say a Supers supplement.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

So . . . Digital Web 2.0 and Virtual Adepts?

Yeah that would be a cool thing. The Styles and Gadgeteering sections really are like raw ore and have lots of room to expand for other articles or setting supplements.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Yeah that would be a cool thing. The Styles and Gadgeteering sections really are like raw ore and have lots of room to expand for other articles or setting supplements.

That's exactly what I hope it will lead to. I had room to indicate the possibilities; take that as a model.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Illusion affects perception. Illusion with mental does an end run on perception.

Sounds like mind control. Which is in the definition of External Control.

No form of Illusion is listed in the definition of External Control. And it doesn't seem to me to matter if you cause someone to misperceive a situation through physical camouflage or disguise, projected holograms, subtle psychological tricks, overt hypnotism, or psionic or magical mind control. The effect is still to change what they perceive.

GURPS makes a distinction between perception and action. Perception is affected by Illusion, but not by Mind Control; action is affected by Mind Control, but not (directly) by Illusion. You can play verbal games to your heart's content, but the two categories are game mechanically distinct.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Yeah I saw a few uses of Cosmic where in some games I would toss it out.

There are two versions of "toss it out": You might think it didn't need Cosmic to allow it, or you might think it was too powerful to be justified even by Cosmic. Are you thinking of the first, the second, or both?

[PK]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Perhaps PK would like to comment, since he (literally) wrote the book on Cosmic?

I've endorsed the use of Cosmic in the past to (A) exceed campaign limits on a leveled advantage and (B) allow an advantage to stack with existing copies of itself, where it normally wouldn't because it isn't leveled. You're effectively paying a "tax" on the ability to break the system's or campaign's limits. And note that those limits do vary from race to race! A racial template is its own Unusual Background or prerequisite for whatever traits it includes (like the Bush Robot having HMD 10); the existence of said template doesn't mean that other characters can freely buy traits that are exotic, over-leveled, etc. (In other words, just because a "bush robot" racial template exists doesn't mean your normal human PC can buy Digital Mind, Flight, or HMD 5+.)

So this ability is priced assuming that (A) a normal human being is buying it and (B) the GM is respecting the limit on HMD listed in the Basic Set. If those assumptions aren't correct, just delete Cosmic. After all, one of the reasons The Weird breaks out the statistics is so you can easily rework it to fit your own game.