How to model TK NOT as a pair of hands?

[Mononofu]

In my imagination, TK is not really the same as two invisble hands floating around, but more of a generall force you can apply, quite similar to graviation, only stronger and able to target things exactly.
E. g. you can lift a person of the ground, punch someone, squeeze his heart, etc.

In GURPS terms, I think it would be best to make it a leveled advantage, but not only in one way (ie every level makes it stronger), but rather in two ways, ie you can adjust how strong it is AND how accurate.

Writeup:
Telekinesis [xx/lvl]
Each level gives you a Telekinetic force equivalent to 1 G, but you can direct it more fine grained. Standard accuracy is about the same as for a human hand.
Enhancements:
- Accurate [+10%/lvl]: your TK is more accurate than a normal human hand, each level increases it by a factor of 10 (ie 10mm, 1mm, 0,1mm, etc. )

Limitations:
- Inaccurate [-10%/lvl]: your TK is less accurate than standard, each level decreasing its accuracy by a factor of 10
- De-Powered [-65% ?]: your TK is very weak, only a tenth of normal strength
- Sense Based [-30 %]: you can only use your TK on objects you can see / touch / feel / whatever
- Inadjustable [-20%]: you always have to use your TK at full strength
- Visible [-10%]: your TK is a visble beam of force
- Interruptible [-30%]: your TK can be interrupted if some steps between you and your target. The force will be applied to him instead of the original target.

I don't really know how much points this should be worth, and if my enhancements and limitations are priced right, any ideas?
(I don't have my GURPS books with me, so values can be a bit off)

[LemmingLord]

I'd love to see some alternatives to the standard tk. I think what you have seems pretty vague as to how much stuff it can affect.

One alternative I used was Affliction: Flight, Superflight.

Base it on Strength for non-inanimate objects. For inanimate objects (or heck, people too), they'd get their size modifier added to their resistance roll.

This route is pretty expensive to effect really big objects right away - but then given enough time, someone should be able to lock on to some pretty big stuff (as long as the resistance roll including size modifier and affliction level isn't greater than 21 which is considered impossible).

[Mononofu]

I don't think my version of TK is that vague, what parts do you mean?

I works just like gravitation, except that you have a fine-grained control how, where and how strong it will be applied, modified by your enhancements and limitations.

[Mehmet]

I usually waive the "think of it as two hands" part of TK - I don't have problems with people gathering dust/soil/small rocks at their TK BL in a second and I allow people to attack directly with TK as if it was an extremity (you can wild swing with it, etc.) - I also allow people to divide their TK however they wish and attack, for instance, three people with 10 levels of TK each (if they have 30 levels). I require enhanced coordination for that kind of thing in a wide arc though - I also don't allow TK to directly affect internal organs so I usually let or require TK'ers to buy DR ignoring innate attacks and suffocation afflictions, etc.

There may be lots of things wrong with all these but no one complained so far.

Cheerio!

[Mononofu]

Sounds quite good, but there's still the question of accuracy - ie how small can the objects be so you can still affect the individually?

How would you price an enhancement like that? And what would be the standard accuracy of TK? The same as for a normal human hand?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Mononofu

Each level gives you a Telekinetic force equivalent to 1 G, but you can direct it more fine grained. Standard accuracy is about the same as for a human hand.

Since when is force measured in Gs?

If it's not a pair of hands, I want to ram together those two hydrogen atoms . . .

[vitruvian]

Since when is force measured in Gs?

It's not; force = mass x acceleration, and Gs only gives you the figure for acceleration.

TK has ST by the RAW, which can be pretty easily abstracted into force; simply take the max 2-handed lift for your TK ST, and figure that the force you're exerting is equal to that many lbs mass times a 1 G acceleration (a teeny bit more, so the weight actually rises, but close enough). With TK ST 10, for example, it's about 160 lbs times about 11 yards/second squared acceleration; converting to metric, it's about 72.5 kilos x 9.8 meters/second squared, so a bit more than 700 newtons.

Of course, TK ST doesn't work *exactly* like a simple force; the rate at which you can move lesser masses doesn't exactly correspond to f = ma, you don't seem to get constant lateral acceleration over time, even in the vacuum of space, merely a top speed, and so on. However, it wouldn't be that difficult to either house rule it to work as such, or come up with a 'Newtonian Force' enhancement that let it do so.

However, I agree with the original post that the GM shouldn't be too stringent in interpreting the 'two hands' thing - it's primarily meant to limit the number of simultaneous actions one can take with the ability sans Area Effect or Compartmentalized Mind, not to prevent characters from gently floating their TK'ed targets about in the manner common to most fictional examples of the ability.

[Sam Baughn]

From reading Powers, it seems as though the Area Effect enhancement works well to model TK which can manipulate lots of tiny objects at once or spread the force out over a large object which might break up if 'held' by one point. It also lets you choke a whole bunch of people at once, which is pretty cool.

[mikeejimbo]

Anyone remember 3rd Edition TK?

I like 4e's changes, actually.