GURPS Psionic Powers
 

So, if you've got a copy, what do you think?

I noticed on another thread there seemed to be some confusion or inconsistency as to where to buy it...I got mine from Ebay.

I've got a question already..Psionic Powers has rules for probability alteration, is this the only place in 4th(or 3rd, for that matter) which presents rules for this?

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

IDHMBWM, but I seem to remember Probability Alteration as one of the listed power examples in Powers.

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Yes, on p 132.

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Probability Alteration definitely was in Uplift for 3e, and I think the rules there were reprinted from another worldbook (Wildcards?)

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Isn't it just some kind of Enhancement to various luck-type Advantages, to make them active-use? Wishing ot something?

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Does Lucky Break involve dropping a die roll by 1 pt (or 3%) ?

If so then I'd probably just make it go "inactive" after a successful use,
then assuming 3% of 365 days is ~10; wait 350 or so days before it
can be used again.

Seems pretty weak though, especially if it's a cinematic style game...
probably relegate that to every 100+ days or so; depending on how
many Perk Points were spent up-front...(assuming one is allowed to
do that).

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Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Um... no?

Emphasis mine..

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Sorry, I meant the range of the dice-roll, so rolling a 10 (say = success)
means you can turn that into a 3 or 4 (critical success) so it's not a
numbers-driven dealy.

That's quite a hand-wave.

As a player I'd ask the GM for a break on a power that I can use more
often that's not quite as over-the-top :)

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Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

No, it was a full leveled Powers based system with i think two or three main powers (the 3e kind of Psionic Powers, not the 4e type).

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

No, it was a leveled power, but done really strangely. Basically, if you had bought enough levels to cover the cost of (say) Ridiculous Luck, then you had Ridiculous Luck. On top of that, you could pay 1d FP and roll skill, if successful you got to use it even if it wasn't recharged. It was a very odd system compared to both other 3e psi and 4e psi.

Note that it was derived almost verbatim from Influencing Success Rolls (p. B347), an existing (optional) part of the rules.

That'd be Second Chance, unless you wanted a perk that gave you a very slim bonus to be used very rarely. The fact that it goes away is the only reason it's balanced. Something like this might be fair:

Perk: Just Made It

You can retroactively alter any roll you make (for success or damage) by 1. After using this perk, it becomes inactive for the remainder of this game session and the next one.

Example: Jeff games once a week. This week, he rolls a 12 against a Diagnosis skill of 11. He uses this perk to change the roll to an 11, turning failure into success. He cannot use this perk again this game session, or next week's' game session, but it becomes available for the session the week after.

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

No I meant: "Don't waste time with a one-shot deal unless it's almost a freebie
and get the GM to gimme some freedom with something slightly unconventional
that'll work more often".

:)


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Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Well, basic Luck lets you roll the dice three times and take the best result; which will usually garner you at least one step's worth of change, and frequently more, so on the basis that it's slightly less useful than Luck (but only slightly, since it's also more predictable) I might price this at ~10 CP for a once per hour of play/once per day of game time ability to shift things by one step. Whether greater levels should be taken like Luck (i.e., 20 pts for once per half hour, 40 points for once per 10 minutes, or twice and six times per game day) or just at 10 points per shift, stackable at will so that with 30 points you could shift things one step three times, or shift things three steps one time, I'm not sure.

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Frankly, I'd make that a same-cost variant of Luck, not cheaper. Who hasn't used a Luck roll on a failure only to roll another failure, then another. Depressing. The ability to guarantee a one-step shift is powerful, especially considering that you can turn any success into a crit, which is something that regular Luck isn't actually that likely to do.

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Thank you, Aesir and Fragwulf. I can hunt that info down now.

I remember in GURPS Spirits there was a probability altering portion that was part of the Spirit package, but unlike the other features in the package, no cost was given. I had to "carve out" a price for it by subtracting the costs of all the other attributes from the Spirit template, hah.

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

I found some of it useful.

Parts are too number crunchy but this gave an insight to how to use Powers.

My beef it that a Psi, a half decent one will not be as good as a Mage... IMO Mages now get the upper hand because most of it is buy skill x.

I think the only way to go to levelling the playing field is by using Long Range Distance Mods on B241. Otherwise the skill penalties are disgustingly horrid. Maybe it's my style of game, however I don't want uber smart psis trying to offset a skill penalty (-10 to get some one 100 yards away). Therefore LRD is way of allowing 'moderate down to earth psis' to do stuff whilst not watching the spiralling cost of powers literally eat up points.

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Almost all of the ranged Psi Powers have a higher level that reduces range penalties in some manner. I assume RPK designed it this way (actually, IIRC its explicitly stated so) to cover the low power Psi and allow for higher power Psi.

Yes, its very crunchy. Part and parcel of the 4E philosophy.

And yes, a spell-based, or even a ritual-based mage will cost fewer CPs. And could thereby dominate if the systems are placed together in a setting. The only way I see to offset this is to build Magic on the same assumptions, a core Power, and Skills for all.

As a personal note, my players actually prefer Power-built abilites that they can activate without many restriction, over a lesser-costing ritual magic or spell system that takes large amounts of time or variable energy costs. (True, it may be they aren't quite to the level of "Let's use our imagination to get bonuses and munchkin this ritual to its apex of power.") And, they have both, Psi Powers (and some not-so-psi powers) and Path/Book Magic (I use a house rule allowing personal power to enhance rituals, so frex an Aura Reading ritual benefits from ESP talent and abilites).

One of these days, I should probably tweak 4E Spirit metatrait and add the abilites from 3E Spirit Form, and see how that ends up. Although the one thread I recall doing that came up with serious CP spirits. (In some ways, its easier to have the least common denominatot make up the metatrait, and add Psi as needed.)

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

Jeff is confused and not sure why he would want to pay for a perk that causes him to fail an important medical task and be mocked in perpetuity by Dr House.

Re: GURPS Psionic Powers
 

uh.

Roll a 12. Your skill is 11. You fail!

Adjust the 12 to an 11, your skill is still 11. You succeed!

EDIT: oh, looks like I mentally fixed the Reverends wording when reading it ;)