[Basic] Advantage of the Week (#28): Compartmentalized Mind

[Otaku]

Last Time: Common Sense; Intuition
Next Time: Constriction Attack

Basic Set

Compartmentalized Mind (p. B43) is an Exotic, Mental trait by default that costs 50 CP per level. Your mind is subdivided in a manner that it functions as if it were two separate minds, however, both are “you” (singular) in absence of other traits that would alter this. Each has access to your full mental capabilities and are able to operate independently from each other. In game terms, you may perform more than one mental task at the same time, which gives you an additional mental maneuver during combat per level. So a character with Compartmentalized Mind Lv1 would be able to make two mental maneuvers (useful for concentrating on or casting Spells, psionics, and various other traits) or to take one mental maneuver and one physical one. To gain an additional maneuver see Altered Time Rate (p. B38-39) or Extra Attack (p. B53).

Effects on one’s mind are applied separately to each compartment. As an example we’ll use hypnosis; one Compartmentalized Mind might be hypnotized while the others are not! Under such situations, a Quick Contest of Will is required to see which compartment is in control of the body, with a +1 bonus to the one that is already currently in control. When something turns two compartments against each other (like hypnosis) then the battling compartments may each use any of the character’s available mental powers against each other: they are to be treated as if they were totally separate minds, with all of that character’s mental characteristics available to them. The GURPS FAQ states that Compartmentalized Mind is essentially the mental version of the Duplication Advantage, so if you have X levels of Compartmentalized Mind as well as Telekinesis Level Y, each compartment will have Telekinesis Level Y available to it (as opposed to sharing or dividing it).

p. B43 includes two variations on this Advantage, intended for use with vehicles: “Controls” and “Dedicated Controls”. Instead of providing a duplicate mind, these provide a set of controls (hence the name) that allow someone to control the character with this trait. The person at the controls is able to use the vehicle’s abilities with the controller’s mental or physical maneuvers, depending upon what is appropriate. Regular Controls operate the entire vehicle and cost 25 CP/level; Dedicated Controls only affect a portion (steering controls, weapon controls, even specific weapon mounts, etc.) and 10 CP/level. The vehicle’s physical limits constrain what the operator may do: if doesn’t matter how many attack maneuvers the character at the controls has if it exceeds the amount the vehicle can perform the excess goes to waste. Unlike with the full version of Compartmentalized Mind, Controls and Dedicated Controls allow another character (PC or NPC) to contribute his, her, or its maneuver for the turn as opposed to truly granting the vehicle in question an extra maneuver. If multiple controls overlap then a Quick Contest between the appropriate vehicle operation skill is called for in the rules; the rules don’t specify how to handle a self-aware vehicle with more (has IQ>0) versus its Controls. I would hazard a guess that you roll a Quick Contest between the vehicle’s Will versus the appropriate vehicle operation skill of whoever is manning the Controls or Dedicated Controls.

Other Supplements

Unsurprisingly there is no mention of this trait in GURPS Lite, nor did I find anything connected to it in Power-Ups 2: Perks or Power-Ups 3: Talents. Somewhat surprisingly GURPS Powers does not contain a “follow-up” entry for Compartmentalized Mind as it does other [Basic] traits, though it is referenced in the entries for many other traits (new and old): the sidebar on “Projection” (p. P44) and the expanded entries for Possession (p. B75, p. P67) and Telecommunication (p. B91, p. P81).

Useful Links

Pending. Feel free to make suggestions.

With that, let’s start the discussion!

[D10]

It always seemed like the ultimate mental advantage for a character that channels powers with concentrate mannouvers. Such as mage.

[whswhs]

GURPS Supers has a modifier called Massively Parallel. Basically what it does is apply the accelerated scale of increase in parallelism based on the Speed/Range table to the number of parallel processes, but only for noncombat uses.

[munin]

GURPS Psionic Powers has the Limited, Mental Separation Only, Mentalism, and No Mental Separation limitations (pp. 13-14).

Personally, I take issue with the idea that a mage can use Compartmentalized Mind to cast spells more quickly. It doesn't make sense to me that a mind could "hand off" concentration on one spell to another mind, even if they're capable of communicating and coordinating with each other (which is the standard assumption, I think). It would make more sense that they could cast multiple spells in parallel though (each mind working on casting one spell and taking the normal time).

Now if they the No Mental Separation limitation, then it's basically just ATR (Concentrate Only)?

[corwyn]

Originally Posted by munin

GURPS Psionic Powers has the Limited, Mental Separation Only, Mentalism, and No Mental Separation limitations (pp. 13-14).

Personally, I take issue with the idea that a mage can use Compartmentalized Mind to cast spells more quickly. It doesn't make sense to me that a mind could "hand off" concentration on one spell to another mind, even if they're capable of communicating and coordinating with each other (which is the standard assumption, I think). It would make more sense that they could cast multiple spells in parallel though (each mind working on casting one spell and taking the normal time).

Now if they the No Mental Separation limitation, then it's basically just ATR (Concentrate Only)?

I think one of its most common uses is to enable artillery mages since it allows you to cast and attack with a missile spell in one turn.

[munin]

Originally Posted by corwyn

I think one of its most common uses is to enable artillery mages since it allows you to cast and attack with a missile spell in one turn.

That I'm okay with, since you're not actually handing off concentration between minds. One mind concentrates to cast the spell, then another mind controls the body to throw the missile.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by munin

GURPS Psionic Powers has the Limited, Mental Separation Only, Mentalism, and No Mental Separation limitations (pp. 13-14).

Personally, I take issue with the idea that a mage can use Compartmentalized Mind to cast spells more quickly. It doesn't make sense to me that a mind could "hand off" concentration on one spell to another mind, even if they're capable of communicating and coordinating with each other (which is the standard assumption, I think). It would make more sense that they could cast multiple spells in parallel though (each mind working on casting one spell and taking the normal time).

Now if they the No Mental Separation limitation, then it's basically just ATR (Concentrate Only)?

Whether or not this is okay seems to depend on whether the magical process can benefit from parallelizing. That's . . . a setting decision.

[Arcanist Xerxes]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to turn this advantage into a seperate character
Long story short one of my players has a past mental version of themselves inhabiting their mind my initial idea was to build a new advantage based on compartmentalized mind with the controls limitation and combined with the split personality disadvantage but I'm not sure it's the best way

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Arcanist Xerxes

I'm trying to figure out the best way to turn this advantage into a seperate character
Long story short one of my players has a past mental version of themselves inhabiting their mind my initial idea was to build a new advantage based on compartmentalized mind with the controls limitation and combined with the split personality disadvantage but I'm not sure it's the best way

Back when I ran a GURPS Supers campaign, Sovereignty, one of the PCs had a Compartmentalized Mind ability:

Mentalist Power (Savant, -10%)
Compartmentalized Mind (Savant, -10%; Switchable, +10%) [50]

At one point the character was involved in an encounter with a sovereign-level telepath, Koshmara (sovereigns were supers whose powers were considered to make them the equals of national governments). One of his teammates killed her. But I worked out that while Koshmara'a physical body had been destroyed, she had been able to move into the PC's other compartment. So she was able to come back.

I would be inclined to say that if you have a second compartment in your mind, but it's occupied by a second personality that you don't control, that personality might be an Ally. The compartment would have no direct point cost, because you wouldn't be able to use or control it; but you would pay the point cost for the Ally, and for any abilities it granted you.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I would be inclined to say that if you have a second compartment in your mind, but it's occupied by a second personality that you don't control, that personality might be an Ally. The compartment would have no direct point cost, because you wouldn't be able to use or control it; but you would pay the point cost for the Ally, and for any abilities it granted you.

I'd go with paying for a Compartment and a Contact assuming that it can do everything for you that a Compartment can plus give you the benefit of it's knowledge.