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Old 01-11-2012, 11:25 PM   #1
Trachmyr
 
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Florida
Default Help me Stat a complicated Possession Power

I’ve been working on a character for a while for a game that keeps getting postponed, hopefully that game will be starting soon, so I really need to nail down this ability, but I’ve had some difficulty figuring it out.

The character is a possessor entity, an alien consciousness that can move from human host to human host, often leaving previous hosts “attuned” for later possession. The character must touch the new host to possess them, but can jump between “attuned” hosts nearly instantly. The character also has full access to the individuals memory and skills, and is difficult to detect, and only need wait 24 Hours to reattempt a failed possession.

At this point, the build is fairly easy (using Multiplicative Modifiers):
  • Detect Puppets (Rare (Base 5pts), Power Modifier: Cosmic +50%, Long-Range 2 +100%, Cosmic: No Die Roll Required +100%, Lock-On +50%, Undetectable Signature +25%, Reflexive +40%, Vague -50%, Accessibility: Only Own Puppets -30%+) [5 Points]
  • Reconfigurable Puppets (Slotted 5-point Cosmic Modular Ability (Base 32 Points), Limited: One Trait (Puppet) -50%, Accessibility: Only To add Current Host -30%+, Special: Activates with the Use of Chronic Possession only, but doesn’t require an action to adjust +0%) [7 Points or 32 Points per 5 Puppets]
  • Reconfigurable Allies (Cosmic Modular Ability, Limited: One-Trait Only (Puppet Allies), Accessibility: Only to add Current Host -30%+, Special: Activates with the use of Chronic Possession only, but doesn’t require an action to adjust +0%) [2 Points per 1 Point of Ally Pool]
  • Possession (Chronic +20%, Assimilation +14% (Cosmic: Can learn Full Skill level, Only With Puppets), *Cultural Assimilation +7% (Only With Puppets), Full-Memory Access +14% (Cosmic: Can Learn Full Skill level, Only With Puppets), Reflexive (Only With Puppets) +28%, Low Signature +10%, Reduced Immunity +50%, Malediction +70% (Only with Puppets), Long Range 3 +105% (Only with Puppets), Based on Will (Own Roll) +20%, **Link +20%, Humans Only -40%) [275 Points]
* Cultural Assimilation allows the Host’s Languages and Cultural Familiarities to be gained through Asslimilation. ** The Link is in there so that all additional powers can be used after a single Resistance Roll

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But this is where it gets complicated, because the character can place the host under a several varying levels of control, as listed below:
  • No Control: At this level the character has full access to the host’s senses and thoughts (Mind Reading + Sensory), can probe for information (Mind Probe… or is that needed with Assimilation/Full Memory Access Possession?), but is not in control of the Host's Body.
  • Mental Influence: As for No Control, but can also manipulate the Host through Mind Control (Mental Tricks, Conditioning, Slow and Sure (required), Rationalization, No Memory, Selectivity).
  • Interaction: As for Mental Influence or No Control, but can also project an imaginary being into the host’s mind, that can talk, touch, interact and affect the host (Illusion (Mental, Independence, Stigmata)). If not projecting an image, then direct mental communication is possible (Telesend)
  • Partial Possession: As for Mental Influence, plus direct mental communication. The Host is left in control of their body, but the character can take over any or all of their body as it chooses, such a speech or a single limb, or increase control to full possession.
  • Puppet Possession: As for Mental Influence, plus direct mental communication. The character is in full control of the host‘s body, but the host is not sublimated, and can still experience all their senses.
  • Full Possession: The character is in full control of the host‘s body, but the host is in a state of unconsciousness, a dreamless sleep, however the Host can still be affected by Conditioning.

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At first glance it would seem I need to add Mind Probe, Mind Reading, Mind Control, Telecommunication (Telesend) and Illusion to the character’s list of abilities, but that seems like an awful lot for mostly lesser effects of Possession (except the Mind Control Part, that’s a substantial effect). So I have some questions for the Hive Mind:

  • Do I need Mind Probe at all if I have Possession with Full Memory Access? If I do, what would I get from Full-Memory Access alone? If not, how quickly can I gain information from Full-Memory Access, should I use Mind Probe as the basis?
  • Do I need Telecommunication (Telesend) if I have Mental Illusions? Couldn’t I just communicate through a “phantom voice in the head”?
  • What would be the modifier for Possession if I could Tap into senses but let the person have control in addition to taking full control? What about Partial Possession? What about Full Possession but leaving the host fully aware? I considered using the Sensory enhancements from Mind Reading, maybe buying them twice (once for the character, and once for the host), though I think that at +20% they’re a bit expensive for the 100-point Possession ability compared to the 30-point Mind Reading Ability… perhaps drop them to +10%. And, if I can use “sensory”, what would be the enhancement to hear thoughts? Another +10%? Or should it be done with Mind Reading? If so, what’s a fair Accessibility for Only vs. Host? (it would incorporate Touch Only and Racial, so at least -40% plus the addition limitation of not being able to affect humans the host touches, so about -50%?)
  • I also considered stealing the “Partial” enhancement from Insubstantiality, does that seem about right?
  • How would I build these abilities so that the entire affect is an all or nothing on one Resistance Roll? And to remove the possibility of additional resistance rolls (I remember seeing a thread where Invasive was suggested). For instance, if I allow the host to control their body, I want to be able to retake it without the need for a new contest (which could prove lethal using Possession)… same think with the additional resistance roll for forcing someone to kill themselves or act against their nature. Related issue, what is modifier to make Puppet affect not just Possession, but all abilities in the package.
  • Finally, what would be the limitation on Illusion if I could only create a “Imaginary Friend” to use for interaction (plus an imaginary voice). I’m fine with the illusion having to be mostly the same (can change hair color, clothes, etc…. but always look and sound like the “same person”). And would the ability to affect ones-own-self with the illusion so that the character’s Point-of-View originates from the Imaginary Friend (but you still only gain the senses of the host, missing details are filled in from memory or imagination… thus if a ninja is sneaking up behind the host and steal a painting, the character will not see the ninja but will see the painting even if “facing” in that direction) be about a 1-point Perk?


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Thanks for any help you can give!

Last edited by Trachmyr; 01-12-2012 at 03:02 AM. Reason: Corrections and Changes to the Possession Build
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illusion, mind control, possession, puppet

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