[Psionic Powers] Psychic Familiarity

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

(It's possible that I may be misinterpreting your question, in which case please clarify it.) It's the core advantage that the ability is built around, justifying it's versatility. That's why the modifiers in question are applied to it. I suppose that they could be applied to Psi Sense instead (since that's what you're 'reading' the Familiar with), which would certainly be cheaper, but I'm not sure whether it's the better choice in this context.

I guess my question has two facets. What can Control of Psi energy do in the setting? Which might answer the other facet -- what does it add to overall build?

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

I guess my question has two facets. What can Control of Psi energy do in the setting? Which might answer the other facet -- what does it add to overall build?

It controls psi energy, thus making it easier (or less difficult) to simulate other psi abilities as long as you have enough understanding of what they do ('How much is enough?' would be a GM call).

EDIT: This does mean that someone who both has Psi Sense below 4 and lacks the right Modular Abilities will have rather more difficulty coming up with new psi techniques that fit. On another not, I made a revised version of the Psiphone, using Psi Sense as the ability that has Malediction et al applied:

Psiphone (Psychic Familiarity (Control Psi Energy (Only for effects conceptually-related to current Familiar, -40%; Meta-Psi, -10%) 2 [20] + Psi Sense 4 (with Signature Sniffer; Malediction 2, +150%; Reduced Time 2, +40%; Locations only, -40%) [52] + Psi Sense 3 (with Signature Sniffer; Alternate Ability of Psi Sense; Malediction 3, +200%; Reduced Time 2, +40%; Locations only, -40%) [10] + Visions (Aspected: Psi activity related to current Familiar) [8] + Modular Abilities (Slotted Cosmic, Slot 1; Only for skills et al relating to current or previous Familiars, -30%; ESP, -10%) 4 [16], (Slotted Cosmic, Slot 2; Only for power techniques relating to current or previous Familiars, -50%; ESP, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 6 [11], (Slotted Cosmic, Slot 3; Only for Area Knowledge or Hidden Lore relating to current Familiar, -80%; ESP, -10%) 2 [4]; Gestalt Familiarity [1]) [122]; Breakable, DR5, -15%, SM-7, -5%; Can be Stolen by ST (Will not immediately work for thief), -15%) [80]
Appearing to be an unknown model of Nokia cellphone from the late 1990s or early 2000s, this psychotronic device must be attuned to the user before it will do anything the base phone wouldn't; this requires a successful Computer Programming/TL8^ roll, which can be resisted by the current owner's Will (the owner will thus know someone is trying this, and on a critical success, will know who). A location may be designated using a phone number, or with the GPS coordinates, or by pointing the phone at it if it's in line-of-sight, after which the size of the location must be entered, either as a radius or a shape; as noted in the OP, the larger the area is, the longer it takes to synchronize with it. As with many other phones, long-distance calls have issues. Some variants of this device have an optional Astral Projection ability: Modular Abilities (Only for Astral Contacts related to the location).

Reduced Time is there because it's often needed to counter Taking Extra Time when switching catalysts, due to combination of distance penalties and the penalty for the size of a location.

Thoughts?

[Donny Brook]

So in the setting this is for, if a character had only Control (Psi Energy) what, if anything, could they do with that?

How does the build:

Psychic Familiarity (Control Psi Energy (Only for effects conceptually-related to current Familiar, -40%; Meta-Psi, -10%) 1 [10] + Psi Sense 1 (with Signature Sniffer) [13] + Visions (Aspected: Psi activity related to current Familiar) [8] + Modular Abilities (Cosmic; Only for skills et al relating to current or previous Familiars, -30%; ESP, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 1 [5] & (Cosmic; Only for skills et al relating to current Familiar, -40%; ESP, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 2 [8] + Gestalt Familiarity [1])

differ in its effects from:


Psychic Somethingness (Psi Sense 1 (with Signature Sniffer) [13] + Visions (Aspected: Psi activity related to current Familiar) [8] + Modular Abilities (Cosmic; Only for skills et al relating to current or previous Familiars, -30%; ESP, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 1 [5] & (Cosmic; Only for skills et al relating to current Familiar, -40%; ESP, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 2 [8] + Gestalt Familiarity [1])

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

So in the setting this is for, if a character had only Control (Psi Energy) what, if anything, could they do with that?

A wide range of things, but they'd have to learn them or figure them out the hard way, and depending on the GM, might have worse penalties in some things, like information-gathering abilities.

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

How does the build:

differ in its effects from:


Psychic Somethingness (Psi Sense 1 (with Signature Sniffer) [13] + Visions (Aspected: Psi activity related to current Familiar) [8] + Modular Abilities (Cosmic; Only for skills et al relating to current or previous Familiars, -30%; ESP, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 1 [5] & (Cosmic; Only for skills et al relating to current Familiar, -40%; ESP, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 2 [8] + Gestalt Familiarity [1])

Yours is a pure 'give me knowledge' build; it's great for that, but pretty much only for that. Apart from anything that I may be forgetting because opening up GURPS Powers right now would be just inconvenient enough that I'd prefer not to, the lack of Control or a similar advantage would mean higher penalties to the power stunts that are too far away from 'information-gathering abilities.' Depending on the GM, some things that drift too far from 'get data' would just not be allowed.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

A wide range of things, but they'd have to learn them or figure them out the hard way, and depending on the GM, might have worse penalties in some things, like information-gathering abilities.


Yours is a pure 'give me knowledge' build; it's great for that, but pretty much only for that. Apart from anything that I may be forgetting because opening up GURPS Powers right now would be just inconvenient enough that I'd prefer not to, the lack of Control or a similar advantage would mean higher penalties to the power stunts that are too far away from 'information-gathering abilities.' Depending on the GM, some things that drift too far from 'get data' would just not be allowed.

The Control (Energy) Advantage in the book specifies how it works and what it does with real world forms of energy. Obviously, what Psi energy does is something for the GM to define when s/he invents it, but as you are putting it in a power build, I am curious what you intend Psi energy (and by extension, Control of it) is supposed to do. You seem to seen Control functionin as a sort of unspecific access requirement which is usually more the role of the Power Modifier.

In the RAW description of Control, it's not about improving finesse with other abilities within a Power. You would use Talent for that and not bundle it into a portmanteau ability.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

The Control (Energy) Advantage in the book specifies how it works and what it does with real world forms of energy. Obviously, what Psi energy does is something for the GM to define when s/he invents it, but as you are putting it in a power build, I am curious what you intend Psi energy (and by extension, Control of it) is supposed to do. You seem to seen Control functionin as a sort of unspecific access requirement which is usually more the role of the Power Modifier.

In the RAW description of Control, it's not about improving finesse with other abilities within a Power. You would use Talent for that and not bundle it into a portmanteau ability.

I feel like we're talking past each other and I want an interpreter. Like, it seems like we're thinking about this in sufficiently different terms that we aren't communicating.

It also feels like you're looking at this in purely mechanical terms (though I may be wrong about that), and I'm thinking about it in both mechanical and fluff terms.

[Donny Brook]

Indeed there is some talking past each other.

I have read your descriptive text, but it is true my questions and comments are confined to the technicalities of powers crunch, and in particular the role of Control (psi energy) in the build.