Using Telekinesis to fly, and for defenses?

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

You can certainly hold a shield up with TK. That doesn't mean you can Block remotely, because the shield still has to take time to move over to the person you want to defend.

This is one situation where I wish you could do Wait > All-Out Defense so that you could decide where you move in reaction to an attacker (ie which ally is having an arrow shot at them)

The only way to move more than a Step with a wait seems to be to Wait > All-Out Attack (1/2 move) or Wait>Committed Attack (2 steps) since Move, Move and Attack and All-Out Defense aren't options.

With a normal Sacrificial Dodge the "If you succeed, you are hit by the attack." doesn't interact with untargetable hands in any feasible way. I wouldn't be opposed to calculating the "effective HP" of "body" of your TK equal to its level (like how the ST is) so since it normally takes more than HP/3 to cripple hands, 1 damage should cripple TK hands at 1-2, 2 damage at 3-4 and so on.

The benefit of TK of course is you basically just recreate the hands each new concentrate maneuver, so if you allow crippling the TK pseudohands it would only be for the purposes of breaking their grip temporarily, or how much damage they could stop via a sacrificial dodge.

"Sacrificial Dodge and Drop" seems like the superior option for using TK.

It allows you to cover for someone within 1 step of you.

"you take the hit . . . unless you succeed by 3 or more, in which case neither of you is hit!"

I think in the first case, you don't get to protect anyone (the attack just passes through the untargetable hands) but if you succeed by 3 or more you push them out of the way.

Now here's the thing... shields give a Defense Bonus, and there's an optional rule where if the DB makes the difference it means the shield was hit. In THAT case, I would say that your shield does end up stopping the hit, rather than just passing through the insubstantial hands.

How to interact with Sacrificial Dodge (did you succeed by the Sheild DB or succeed by 3) is a little hard for me to understand. I don't know which one you would count first.

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

It's arguable. Personally, I think that TK is probably "personal" enough that you can use it to defend yourself without needing anything else, and certainly none of the references to using TK to defend yourself mention any requirement for a perk or anything like that.

What references? I can't find any besides Kromm's post.

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

As I mentioned above, I do think it's fair to say that if your TK "focus" wasn't within reach of someone (including yourself!) during your turn, that you couldn't defend them because you can't shift focus fast enough. I'd probably allow a perk to overcome that, though.

What about retreats? Sacrificial Dodge allows you to interpose yourself if someone is within a step...

It occurs to me that TK doesn't explicitly have guidelines as to what its "step" is. It's 1/10 Move rounded up I think so since Basic Move of TK equal to its Level, higher levels of TK would have a bigger "step" and be able to make longer-distance retreats.

TK11 for example, may have ST11 just like an average man, but it has Move 11, more than TWICE as fast as a human, and a step of 2 yards (6 feet).

It's also cheaper (there's a limitation in Powers) to buy TK levels solely for buying up the effective Basic Move of the move, which would increase its Step for being able to Wait>Attack or Wait>Committed Attack to get close enough to allies to defend them when someone moves at them.

There are also discounts for inability to punch with the TK, inability to lift yourself with the TK, or only being usable against items and not people.

[Kax]

Originally Posted by Plane

This is one situation where I wish you could do Wait > All-Out Defense so that you could decide where you move in reaction to an attacker (ie which ally is having an arrow shot at them)

This is what 'Evaluate while Defensive, then Attack' is, basically.

[smurf]

IIRC the encumberance of the lift will reduce the movement.

BL of TK 15 is 45lb

Or 45 to 90lb for encumbered -1

180lb for encumbered for a -2 or -40% MA. MA 15 becomes 11.

BL of TK 10 is 20lb and:
20 to 40lb encumbered
40 to 60lb encumbered
60 to 120 encumbered
120 to 180 encumbered

Or TK 10 to move 180lb = an MA 2

Also because the encumberance is at -4, after the first 10 seconds the character takes 4fp and then again after the first hour?

[Boge]

Originally Posted by smurf

Also because the encumberance is at -4, after the first 10 seconds the character takes 4fp and then again after the first hour?

Where does it mention this? And would this apply to Telekinesis?

[Kax]

Originally Posted by Boge

Where does it mention this? And would this apply to Telekinesis?

FP cost for carrying a load, I'm guessing. And there is a listing somewhere, probably Supers, for long maintenance of Powers costing Fatigue.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Kax

And there is a listing somewhere, probably Supers, for long maintenance of Powers costing Fatigue.

"Long-term Use" in the "Abilities and Exertion" box on Powers p159. (1 FP/hour -- and that hour doesn't have to be continuous use of the same ability, but could be a mix.)

[Boge]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

"Long-term Use" in the "Abilities and Exertion" box on Powers p159. (1 FP/hour -- and that hour doesn't have to be continuous use of the same ability, but could be a mix.)

I think he's also including 4 FP after 10 seconds in combat with Heavy Encumbrance.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Kax

This is what 'Evaluate while Defensive, then Attack' is, basically.

I'm talking about when you want to do 2 defenses for an ally (all-out defense: double) not getting a bonus to attack.

If you have to use your movement points right away (1/2 move for dedicated dodge, step otherwise) then you can't do an all-out-defense reactively to position yourself to use those defenses.

The next best thing would be Wait>Committed Attack (react and move 2 steps towards your ally so you can do 1 reduced defense for them) or Wait>Defensive attack (react and move 1 step towards ally so you can do 1 enhanced defense for them) but neither give the 'double' option you would need to do the Sacrificial Dodge interposing-prep so that you can parry/dodge the attack now aimed at you instead of the original.

[smurf]

Originally Posted by Boge

I think he's also including 4 FP after 10 seconds in combat with Heavy Encumbrance.

At least I would treat it as running/sprinting rules.

[Terwin]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

I'd require a TK version of whatever skills you want to use with TK (Brawling, Shield, Lockpicking, etc). Lacking those, they'd default. A "generic" TK skill would be used just for basic lifting and moving of objects, but it wouldn't serve as a universal skill replacing all the others in the book just because "I do it with my TK". Your metaphorical disembodied hands don't suddenly become capable of heart surgery when the teke has none of that knowledge.

I have never seen a reference to a 'TK' version of a skill, on the other hand, Kromm specifically said you can 'use it like a pair of hands'.
If I have a shield skill and multiple pairs of hands, I can use the shield with any of those hands without any additional penalty. It seems that this should work for TK hands just as well as for other forms of multiple hands.

I have played a number of characters with TK because it is a very versatile ability. Parry missile weapons using unarmed combat skills if the hooter is within your range, fly(if slowly) if you have the TK strength, use Karate and Judo against people with guns when you are only peeking around the corner at the scene(preferably from far away, but that requires extra range), those you grapple can be lifted and dropped for potentially hefty damage depending on your range(and power), pull trip-wires from several yards away, punch someone in the back of the head when you are standing there with your hands up, etc.

Add in TK talent and your control over your TK hands is even better than your control over your own body(works especially well when your TK power is higher than your ST: you look like an unarmed non-combatant cowering in the corner while you systematically disassemble your enemies with invisible punches and grabs, while you parry their guns to protect your friends).

Have I mentioned I am a big fan of compartmentalized mind(one power only)?
GM will sometimes allow buying it in half-levels(gaining one TK hand), and each hand can use an unarmed parry each round before accumulating penalties(but only one attack per round for each set of two hands).

A martial artist with high TK can look very wuxia, even with no other abilities or equipment.