Help with TK limitation
 

Hi,

I'm going to be gm'ing a game that uses GURPS Psionics, and I'm thinking of a limitation on telekinesis.

Imagine that the character can only use their TK on a set of six specific 2" steel balls (perhaps with some "decorations" al la the Phantasm movies). The character could make more between adventures, but with this TK, they could only use the set the character has with them at the time.

I'm thinking perhaps a 50-60% limitation? Does this sound right?

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

Sounds like Gadget Limitations: Breakable, Size, Can Be Stolen, Unique p 116 to 117.

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

The 'six steel balls' part sounds quite restricted. What do you envision being able to do with them?

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

Normal TK is imagined as having a regular invisible pair of hands of TK strength and a reach matching your TK range. If you are retaining those properties but saying that the imaginary hands can only touch the steel balls, I'd rate it as -80%.

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

Right off the bat I see it eliminates all fine motor control. Flinging/pressing metal balls at things isn't as good as paws let alone hands. In general that alone is -40: No Fine Manipulators.
The rest probably is just Gadget limitations. Though smaller objects allow slightly more control, but less "bonking" use. So I think size considerations may be more complicated than default.

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

Juggling, punching, stabbing, that sort of thing. Basically anything that flying 4" diameter steel balls with stabby-parts can do.

Phastasm Collection Trailer Around 0.42s there is one of the flying balls.

No, in the movie they aren't (probably) being controlled by telekinesis. It's a great effect, and very memorable decades later. The rest of the movie is pretty generic, though.

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

What is that other than an Innate Attack?

Seems like one of those cases where you might want a couple of abilities in an AA group rather than Telekinesis, even if that's the notional explanation for why the balls are flying around.

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

That's what I was thinking. If the main thing the OP interested in is the attacks, build an IA with some appropriate modifiers, and pick up any cosmetic stuff to do minor tricks, possibly as Alternative Abilities. Teke seems too broad for what is desired. Note that you could still attach a Psychokinesis power mod to IA.

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

Looks to me like it requires Innate Attack with a Gadget limitation rather than Telekinesis, or at least IA as an Alternative Ability to TK (or vice versa).

Re: Help with TK limitation
 

With the 'Overhead' mod, I think it's called.