Steve Jackson Games Forums - [Psionic Powers] Telecommunication Universal Enhancement Question

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Johnston2 (Post 1189575)

If you are using telecommunication on them you are considered to be touching them.

Excellent way of thinking about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Johnston2 (Post 1189575)

I don't want to make it so that someone with the ability to read minds and ignore language barriers while doing so, automatically will have the ability to broadcast understandable to non-telepaths without even knowing what their language is, even to multiple non-telepaths without a language in common just because that will be so much cheaper.

Agreed. I'm NOT saying that Telecommunication should enjoy the same enhancements and suffer the same limitations that Mind Reading with the Telecommunication Limitation has. I am saying that Mind Reading with the Telecommunication Limitation should enjoy the enhancements and suffer the limitations that Telecommunication has.

Being able to cross a language barrier should cost extra. The question is, should I have to pay for that cost for every single telepathic ability? Or, is it enough to pay for it with Telecommunication and then tie other telepathic abilities to Telecommunication via the limitation? In neither case is anybody getting to cross the language barrier scot free. In one case the ability to telepathically communicate across language barriers costs 15 points (+50% of 30 pts) and in the other case it costs 30 points (+50% of 30 pts twice). If we add Mind Probe to the mix, the total cost of crossing language barriers for all three telepathic abilities becomes 40 pts (+50% of 30 twice plus +50% of 20 once).

Looking at the Telespeak ability [GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 59]: it basically combines Telesend and Mind Reading. You are allowed to add the Universal Technique to this ability. The cost of buying up the Universal Technique to base skill level would be 6 pts (it's a hard technique that starts at a -5 default). 6 pts to cross the language barrier sending and receiving, the only down side being that you'd have to use Telesend and Mind Reading at the same time. Even if they weren't linked, the cost of would only be 12 pts.

Indeed, the cost of the Universal Technique [Psionic Powers, p. 60] seems to cost less than half what it would if purchased as a limitation. Can a cost - play balance argument can really be supported under these circumstances? Even still, the problem remains. When you have "touched" your subject via a telepathic ability that has enhancements and limitations, should not telepathic abilities operating through that touch be effected by those enhancements and limitations?

Although, if someone had the Racial Limitation on their Mind Reading ability, I would not charge them full price for Mind Probe if it also suffered from the same limitation. Although, Mind Probe costs 20 pts whether you have Mind Reading or not, so I guess I would charge full price.

I'm so confused! Thank you all for being patient with me.