How to build a power: The Mime

[DemiBenson]

I had a thought recently abouta bizarre power set, and I wasn’t sure how to do it.
Description of the effects: Anything you mime (that is, you are silent and act it out) involving yourself has real-world effects.

Examples:

• You mime swinging and throwing a lasso, and an invisible, intangible lasso might catch your target. You still have to make a Miming skill roll, and a skill roll to hit and catch the target.
• You mime staggering into a strong headwind, and around you a strong wind blows everyone and everything. You still have to make a Miming skill roll, and a DX roll to keep your footing.

Thoughts?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by DemiBenson

I had a thought recently abouta bizarre power set, and I wasn’t sure how to do it.
Description of the effects: Anything you mime (that is, you are silent and act it out) involving yourself has real-world effects.

Examples:

• You mime swinging and throwing a lasso, and an invisible, intangible lasso might catch your target. You still have to make a Miming skill roll, and a skill roll to hit and catch the target.
• You mime staggering into a strong headwind, and around you a strong wind blows everyone and everything. You still have to make a Miming skill roll, and a DX roll to keep your footing.

Thoughts?

It's clearly a Modular Ability, and it seems as if it's limited to Physical advantages. I would look at the other specifications for designing MAs in GURPS Powers.

[Donny Brook]

I think Modular Abilities too.

Is there a canonical Requires Gestures limitation? If not maybe it's analogous to Requires Ready or All-Out.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Is there a canonical Requires Gestures limitation?

If I'm not mistaken, it's part of the "Pick two of three" Limitations inherent in Sorcery (Gestures, Speaking, and 1 FP). In that, it's set as -10%, so that's what I'd go with here. If you disallow speaking while it's in use, Temporary Disadvantage: Cannot Speak is appropriate (probably at the "can't make any sounds" level). Of course, that's not necessarily the case for a mime power (more on the next page, and for several pages - with an April Fools' comic in the middle - starting here), although it looks like that TD is part of what OP is looking for.

[naloth]

It depends on what tricks you want your mime to have. This was one of my brother's characters from a long time ago:
The Killer Mime

[newton]

I think if modular abilities is too expensive point-wise it may be a better idea to have a small set of tricks the mime can actually do. For instance innate attacks with the right set of enhancements and limitations could be used for invisible walls or invisible weapons.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by newton

I think if modular abilities is too expensive point-wise it may be a better idea to have a small set of tricks the mime can actually do. For instance innate attacks with the right set of enhancements and limitations could be used for invisible walls or invisible weapons.

If I was to do it now, I'd essentially copy what Sorcery did. A modular slot pool, wide talent, and lots of AAs. You could make it come out to the same 20 base + 10/lvl, which grants you the ability to improve any mimed ability worth up to your level ability. In addition, you take every "trick" you know and make it an AA with a normal cost less than your pool. It takes 1 second to get into an ability (start miming it), then you can use it the following turn.

My prior example becomes:
Mime Pool 6 [70] (allows any ability costing up to 6 points to be done at will).
Mimed Grenade [68 actual / 5 = 14]
Mimed Sniper [39 / 5 = 8 ]
Mimed Shotgun [ 9 actual / 5 = 2 ]
Mimed Revolver [ 20 actual / 5 = 4 ]
Mimed Chainsaw or Sword [ 13 actual / 5 = 3]
Mimed Glider [ 12 actual = 3 ]
Mimed Motorcycle [ 27 actual / 5 = 6]
Mimed Robot Body [ 25 actual / 5 = 5]
Mimed Stairs or Ladder or Coyote running on Air (12 actual / 5 = 3]

Total: 118 points
Mime Talent would be 10/lvl.

[ravenfish]

Powers p.116 prices "requires gestures" at -10%. This is in the context of fantasy spellcasting, but it should work just as well for miming.

[DemiBenson]

Originally Posted by naloth

It depends on what tricks you want your mime to have. This was one of my brother's characters from a long time ago:
The Killer Mime

Thanks. That’s a good place to mine for ideas.
Although I might add No Signature to the power modifier.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by DemiBenson

Thanks. That’s a good place to mine for ideas.
Although I might add No Signature to the power modifier.

I took a weak signature as part of the total mime modifiers because it's silent with strong visual clues as to what power is being used.