The ability to "hear" violence

Antiquation! · 03-22-2018, 05:37 PM

Hi All,

I've been going through Powers and Powers: Enhanced Senses trying to come up with the best way to model the different facets involved without overcomplicating things (and failing in that regard). I'm curious to know if anyone here had suggestions on how best to model the following power/abilities. To be honest, I'm also having difficulty pricing or even naming the modifiers as well.

Essentially, the player has a PC with the ability to detect violence and violent intent.

The way it works in-universe is that every living being has an Astral Cord, which vibrates/resonates like a string upon committing acts of violence. The PC can't actually astrally travel or see the astral realm, but he can "hear" these Cords vibrating through a form of what is basically supernatural synesthesia (there is no actual sound involved).

Time does not flow on the Astral plane the same way, so these vibrations can tether/linger in an area like echoes, which the PC can detect some time after a violent act has been committed.

Obviously robots, AI, etc. do not generate these signals on their own. However, a sentient/living being committing a violent act against an inanimate object could generate these signals; depending on the intent of the actor, serious signals could be sent out by someone destroying a mindless inanimate statue (if they believed it was a real person, or had a soul, etc.). By the same token, someone murdering a person without realizing it might not produce any signal at all. Someone who just watched a gruesome documentary about the reality of slaughterhouses, and decided to eat a burger, might even throw off waves.

The idea is that these signals can be blocked and muddled by Astral obstacles, but not by ordinary physical barriers.

Detect is the first core advantage that comes to mind with a hefty chunk of modifiers, including the Power Modifier: Psionic, as well as aspected Psychometry, and maybe an aspected+linked form of Empathy and Danger Sense? As far as modifiers, Sense-Based as a limitation seems to make sense. Having difficulty deciding on modifiers to account for the "intent" portion of the equation, though.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
And thanks!

Refplace · 03-22-2018, 05:52 PM

Sounds like you have a good handle on it.
I would consider Penetrating and 360 as some of those modifers, possibly Time Spanning (Past) as well.
Also consider Alternate Abilities of that Detect for when your focusing on a subject, so Psychometry and Mind Reading for example.

Antiquation! · 03-22-2018, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Refplace

Sounds like you have a good handle on it.
I would consider Penetrating and 360 as some of those modifers, possibly Time Spanning (Past) as well.
Also consider Alternate Abilities of that Detect for when your focusing on a subject, so Psychometry and Mind Reading for example.

Good suggestions, thanks! I forgot to mention Reflexive will probably be worth adding to most of the general abilities, the player has also mentioned that while it's as natural as hearing, it can also be 'overloaded' like an ordinary sense.

Refplace · 03-22-2018, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antiquation!

Good suggestions, thanks! I forgot to mention Reflexive will probably be worth adding to most of the general abilities, the player has also mentioned that while it's as natural as hearing, it can also be 'overloaded' like an ordinary sense.

Your welcome.
I consider sensory overload to be normal part of the sense, buy Protected Sense if you want to protect from that, and use penalties to account for a lot of background noise as needed.
So it is harder to sift through a war zone or active gun fight than walking down the average street,

~~VonKatzen~~ · 03-22-2018, 09:57 PM

Just a comment on a fictional idea, Stardust the Super-Wizard (a Fletcher Hanks Kalelogue of sorts) had a device on his private star that allowed him to detect criminal intent from interstellar distances. He would respond by doing things like throwing all rackateers into the sky with an anti-gravity ray. Talk about Minority Report.

Daigoro · 03-23-2018, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antiquation!

As far as modifiers, Sense-Based as a limitation seems to make sense.

If it's not making an actual sound, and it can't be seen, I'm not sure Sense Based is appropriate.

Icelander · 03-23-2018, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daigoro

If it's not making an actual sound, and it can't be seen, I'm not sure Sense Based is appropriate.

If mundane sounds that the character can hear make it harder to 'hear' violence, i.e. provide a penalty for distraction or overloading the sense, and anything that interferes with Hearing will also interfere with the Detect, I'd consider that fully worth the Sense-Based limitation.

Daigoro · 03-23-2018, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icelander

If mundane sounds that the character can hear make it harder to 'hear' violence, i.e. provide a penalty for distraction or overloading the sense, and anything that interferes with Hearing will also interfere with the Detect, I'd consider that fully worth the Sense-Based limitation.

You're right, but there's this part as well:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antiquation!

The idea is that these signals can be blocked and muddled by Astral obstacles, but not by ordinary physical barriers.

So I'm taking the word "hear" to mean "detect", without any other relation to the auditory sense or sound waves. It doesn't seem like deafness, ear muffs or disco music would affect the detection, thus it shouldn't be Sense-Based.

Icelander · 03-23-2018, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daigoro

You're right, but there's this part as well:

So I'm taking the word "hear" to mean "detect", without any other relation to the auditory sense or sound waves. It doesn't seem like deafness, ear muffs or disco music would affect the detection, thus it shouldn't be Sense-Based.

Agreed. :-)

Donny Brook · 03-24-2018, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Refplace

Sounds like you have a good handle on it.
I would consider Penetrating and 360 as some of those modifers, possibly Time Spanning (Past) as well.
Also consider Alternate Abilities of that Detect for when your focusing on a subject, so Psychometry and Mind Reading for example.

I don't think Penetrating or 360 are necessary. Detect is not inherently directional or constrained by physical barriers.

03-22-2018, 05:37 PM	#1
Antiquation! Join Date: Oct 2006	The ability to "hear" violence Hi All, I've been going through Powers and Powers: Enhanced Senses trying to come up with the best way to model the different facets involved without overcomplicating things (and failing in that regard). I'm curious to know if anyone here had suggestions on how best to model the following power/abilities. To be honest, I'm also having difficulty pricing or even naming the modifiers as well. Essentially, the player has a PC with the ability to detect violence and violent intent. The way it works in-universe is that every living being has an Astral Cord, which vibrates/resonates like a string upon committing acts of violence. The PC can't actually astrally travel or see the astral realm, but he can "hear" these Cords vibrating through a form of what is basically supernatural synesthesia (there is no actual sound involved). Time does not flow on the Astral plane the same way, so these vibrations can tether/linger in an area like echoes, which the PC can detect some time after a violent act has been committed. Obviously robots, AI, etc. do not generate these signals on their own. However, a sentient/living being committing a violent act against an inanimate object could generate these signals; depending on the intent of the actor, serious signals could be sent out by someone destroying a mindless inanimate statue (if they believed it was a real person, or had a soul, etc.). By the same token, someone murdering a person without realizing it might not produce any signal at all. Someone who just watched a gruesome documentary about the reality of slaughterhouses, and decided to eat a burger, might even throw off waves. The idea is that these signals can be blocked and muddled by Astral obstacles, but not by ordinary physical barriers. Detect is the first core advantage that comes to mind with a hefty chunk of modifiers, including the Power Modifier: Psionic, as well as aspected Psychometry, and maybe an aspected+linked form of Empathy and Danger Sense? As far as modifiers, Sense-Based as a limitation seems to make sense. Having difficulty deciding on modifiers to account for the "intent" portion of the equation, though. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? And thanks! __________________ - Danny

03-22-2018, 05:52 PM	#2
Refplace Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Yukon, OK	Re: The ability to "hear" violence Sounds like you have a good handle on it. I would consider Penetrating and 360 as some of those modifers, possibly Time Spanning (Past) as well. Also consider Alternate Abilities of that Detect for when your focusing on a subject, so Psychometry and Mind Reading for example. __________________ My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries

03-22-2018, 09:57 PM	#5
~~VonKatzen~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2018	Re: The ability to "hear" violence Just a comment on a fictional idea, Stardust the Super-Wizard (a Fletcher Hanks Kalelogue of sorts) had a device on his private star that allowed him to detect criminal intent from interstellar distances. He would respond by doing things like throwing all rackateers into the sky with an anti-gravity ray. Talk about Minority Report.