Telepathy Psi package

[smurf]

I was not impressed by Psionics and still wanted that 3rd ed feel to the psi powers.

To do any thing you will require to invade a mind via 'Telesend'
Telecommunication 24pts
Sapient Beings Only -20%
Telepathic -10%
Video (Secondary Ability) 8%

Once communication is set up you may now use these abilities:

Mind Reading 12pts
Alternative Ability 1/5
Malediciton 100%
Psionic -10%
Sensory 20%
Telecommunication -20%

Affliction is the most costly one for all these abilities.
Affliction: level 4 - 72pts
Based on Will 20%
Incapacition Agony (Secondary) 4%
Incapacition Ecstasy (Secondary) 4%
Irritant Euphoria 30%
Irritant Severe Pain 40%
Psionic -10%
Selectivity 10% (either happy or pain)
Telecommunication -20%

Illusion 9pts
Alternative Attack 1/5
Mental 100%
Psionic -10%
Telecommunication -20%

Mind Control 5pts
Alternative Attack 1/5
Based on Will 20%
Psionic -10%
Suggestion only -40%
Telecommunication -20%

Mind Probe 4pts
Alternative Attack 1/5
Sensory 20%
Telecommunication -20%
Psionic -10%

2 Additional powers:

Detect Telephathic Activity 10pts
Precise 100%
Signal Detection
Telepathic -10%

Empathy 11pts
Secondary Mind reading via Telecommunication -10%
Telepathic -10%
Unreliable -10%

Do you think this is acceptable?

[SCAR]

If you have access to the old pyramid2 archive, you might want to look at
The Best of Both Worlds: Bringing Psionic Power Levels and Skills into GURPS Fourth Edition by PK!

[smurf]

Originally Posted by SCAR

If you have access to the old pyramid2 archive, you might want to look at
The Best of Both Worlds: Bringing Psionic Power Levels and Skills into GURPS Fourth Edition by PK!

I did not want to simply reinvent it. The levels were good in 3rd ed but in 4th ed I agreed why levels were a bit arbitrary.

When PK was done just like ST I thought that was a great idea.

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by smurf

I was not impressed by Psionics

Originally Posted by smurf

The levels were good in 3rd ed but in 4th ed I agreed why levels were a bit arbitrary.
When PK was done just like ST I thought that was a great idea.

Can I ask what it is about Telepathy in Psionic Powers that you don't like?

[PK]

Originally Posted by smurf

Do you think this is acceptable?

Yes and no. By making them all AAs to Telesend, you've ensured that you can only use one ability at a time. That means that you can't do the kinds of things that most players will expect their telepaths to be able to do. For example:

• You can't have a two-way conversation with someone, because you can't use Telesend and Mind Reading at the same time. You can either read his thoughts or project your own.

• If you want to use Mind Probe, you have to walk up and touch the person, because Mind Probe is only ranged if you combine it with Mind Reading, and if they're AAs, that's impossible. (Note that you could fix this specific case by adding Ranged to Mind Probe, but then realize that you can either read thoughts or memories at any given time, but never both simultaneously.)

And so on. Also, if you prefer 3E psi, I'm surprised that you're using non-leveled abilities (since "power levels" were a big focus of 3E) as opposed to the leveled ones in Psionic Powers.

It feels like the biggest change you're trying to make is "you must contact a mind via Telesend before doing anything else to it," but that's an easy change to implement without trying to restructure everything. Just build it into the Telepathic power modifier. To make it fair, I recommend a "carrot and stick" approach -- a small bonus if you use Telesend first, versus a big penalty if you don't. That way, you can justify it being a 0% change. Consider this:

Power Modifier: Telepathy
Your ability is part of the Telepathy power. This means that it is affected by countermeasures and Anti-Psi, and is subject to the rules under How Psi Works. In addition, Telesend is a prerequisite for every other Telepathy ability, and an active Telesend connection to the subject gives +1 to skill when using such an ability; lacking this connection gives -4! (Mind Shield, Telepathy Sense, and Telescan are exceptions to this rule.)

You might want to add Aspect and Mind Clouding to the last list of exceptions, to avoid nerfing them, but you get the idea.

[smurf]

OK... iron out the kinks.

I liked the way 3rd ed did Telesend > Mind read etc.

So I'll go back to my drawing board to see what can do.

[smurf]

So to correct the two way error:

To do any thing you will require to invade a mind via 'Telesend'
Telecommunication 24pts
Sapient Beings Only -20%
Telepathic -10%
Video (Secondary Ability) 8%


Mind Reading 57pts
Malediciton 100%
Psionic -10%
Sensory 20%
Telecommunication -20%

Once communication is set up you may now use these abilities:

Affliction is the most costly one for all these abilities.
Affliction: level 4 - 72pts
Based on Will 20%
Incapacition Agony (Secondary) 4%
Incapacition Ecstasy (Secondary) 4%
Irritant Euphoria 30%
Irritant Severe Pain 40%
Psionic -10%
Selectivity 10% (either happy or pain)
Telecommunication -20%

Illusion 9pts
Alternative Attack 1/5
Mental 100%
Psionic -10%
Telecommunication -20%

Mind Control 5pts
Alternative Attack 1/5
Based on Will 20%
Psionic -10%
Suggestion only -40%
Telecommunication -20%

Mind Probe 4pts
Alternative Attack 1/5
Sensory 20%
Telecommunication -20%
Psionic -10%

2 Additional powers:

Detect Telephathic Activity 10pts
Precise 100%
Signal Detection
Telepathic -10%

Empathy 11pts
Secondary Mind reading via Telecommunication -10%
Telepathic -10%
Unreliable -10%

Do you think this is acceptable?

[David Johnston2]

Nope. The problem with Alternative Abilities is that when you use one none of the others function. Which means any of them that have telecommunication won't work because you aren't using telesend and the empathy won't work at all.

[smurf]

Some of the ranges can be reduced by Touch Only (contact agent?) because of the use of telesend to create the touch.

I was trying to use the optional rule of AA in Powers.11

[Pragmatic]

One house rule that has some support from... Kromm, I think?... is that you can buy two alternate abilities at full cost, and then everything else at 20% cost, and you can then use two abilities at once.

Or three at full cost. Or however many.