Telepathy in traveller?

[Whipsnade]

Bill, I suspect you're misunderstanding me. A shielded person in a room, when observed by a CV, is invisible to the CV, but the things they move are visible, so if the SP moves something, the shielded person is given away.

Wil,

I got that bit, or least I think I did. What I think I did was conflate shielded "person" with shielded "room" and then slathered on top the fact that psions are described as being unaware of scans.

IMTU, A clairavoyant has a perspective like a 360°x180° immobile webcam, in re the room. They can't move the point of view, but can change the angle of view. They have a 120x120° field of view... and it can be changed instantly.

That's how it works IMTU also. I imagined a "pont" that corresponded to the peep's visual field and sound detection location; i.e his "head". The peep can than move this virtual head around the room, looking under tables, tracking down sounds, etc. until they need to cross a physical barrier. When a physical barrier is contacted, the "head" or "point" can't cross it. Let me try and explain...

I never had a player interested in psionics. Odd, but true. There were psionic NPCs and groups with access to psionics that interacted with the players however. So I came up with some ground rules for how I as the GM would use psionics. I wanted to be fair. If the players came up against a telepath, that person's gifts would "work" same as they did for the last telepath the players encountered.

The various descriptions in the Clairvoyance section talk about how the peep needs to specify an exact "point" and/or location to scan. There's even a psionic skill called Direction which helps them do this for locations that have only been described to them. The peep uses Direction to lock onto the described location and then uses whatever combination of Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, or CCC to scan the described location.

It's the emphasis on location that led me IMTU to insist on the "cannot cross barriers" approach. The peep isn't going to be able to "pop" into a described location and then have his "sensory point" travel wherever he wishes from that location. The described location, the location determined by Direction is the only place that can be scanned. The same location cannot be a starting point for extended scans.

Let's say the peep is scanning a hotel suite. He had it described to him or even visits a duplicate suite on another floor. He "pops in", performs his scan, and realizes the information he needs is in a desk drawer. He can't "pop in" the desk drawer on the same scan however. He needs to make another attempt, this time using Direction and his own observations to "pop in" the drawer itself and scan there.

Like I said, I was interested in using psionics consistently as a GM. My interpretation could be utter nonsense, but I was applying that nonsense consistently. As a GM you can get away with murder as long as you're consistent.

Unless you have a specific special for detecting psionic observation, you can't tell if you're being observed psionically.

Agreed. While that's not explicitly stated in CT, the descriptions of psionics lead logically to that conclusion.


Regards,
Bill

 

[aramis]

I don't let the CV/CA move the point of focus; they can change the view angle, but if you put your view above the table, you can only see into the fridge when no unshielded person is between you and the fridge.

 

[Icosahedron]

That's how it works IMTU also. I imagined a "pont" that corresponded to the peep's visual field and sound detection location; i.e his "head". The peep can than move this virtual head around the room, looking under tables, tracking down sounds, etc. until they need to cross a physical barrier. When a physical barrier is contacted, the "head" or "point" can't cross it.

Yes, I do this, to a point.

It's the emphasis on location that led me IMTU to insist on the "cannot cross barriers" approach. The peep isn't going to be able to "pop" into a described location and then have his "sensory point" travel wherever he wishes from that location. The described location, the location determined by Direction is the only place that can be scanned. The same location cannot be a starting point for extended scans.

Let's say the peep is scanning a hotel suite. He had it described to him or even visits a duplicate suite on another floor. He "pops in", performs his scan, and realizes the information he needs is in a desk drawer. He can't "pop in" the desk drawer on the same scan however. He needs to make another attempt, this time using Direction and his own observations to "pop in" the drawer itself and scan there.

Regards,
Bill

Hmm, I had the POV able to move about freely, but you're right, it needs limiting. I can feel a houserule coming on - something like 1m/s max speed and roll under psi strength to cross a barrier.
That would mean the peep couldn't move more than 15m from his starting point in a single session (or keep up with people walking) and would find it difficult (though not impossible) to walk through walls or peep into several enclosures.
The peep still couldn't read files in a filing cabinet because they're too close together (and/or constitute individual barriers) and couldn't operate a computer to access digital files.
I think the military secrets are probably safe, but the manhunt is still too efficient.

This discussion is really helping me to get a focus on psionics.

 

[Lycanorukke]

I personally dont like psionics much (never had PC's who pushed hard for them either), but a fair chunk of Traveller history is due to psionics -The Zhos, the supressions etc. As such IMTU, I toned them right down - psionics was partly genetic and party from living in a culture where psionics was common - all that psionic activity 'stimulated' nearyby peopoles brains, and with enough exposure they could develop Psi on their own. However, cutting down the numbers of psi's left a large gap to be filled to give the 'peepers are everywhere' McCarthy like panic of the Imperium. So I filled it with a mix of people trained in psychology, body reading, leading questions, etc (like stage magicians today). Add in a little high tech tracking or record searching and players get paranoid that the guy is psionic. Even the Zho 'thought police' are mostly psychologists looking for early signs with the ocassional real peep, rather than hordes of mind readers scanning 24/7.

How do the "peeps" know where they are? They bugged the players room, hacked into their bank account, a small private eye bot (with camo option) is following them , or the shiney new gauss rifle the PC bought was supplied with optional tracking device by bribing the store clerk. That way the players get wound up that the 'psi squad' is on their tail - listening to their every thought, knowing exactly where they are, telepathicaly rummaging through their underwear drawer - and take all sorts of weird measures to proof themselves (like spending tons of money on shields which they have to pay back).

Then eventually they find out that its not the mind rippers, but just a clever opponent with high tech and brains, and then they laugh it off. Then they have to work out how to pay back all the money they borrowed as well as explain to investigators why they are interested in illegal psionics.

And then you spring a real peeper on them. :devil:

 

[Icosahedron]

Likewise, I haven't had a group interested in psionics until now, and that's why I'm suddenly coming up with problems.

I'm not too worried about the peeps figuring where the PCs are going, I'm more worried about them finding the PCs' hideout and storming the place with overwhelming force. It's what they would logically do, the PCs have to sleep somewhere, but if that happens, the PCs are as good as dead. I hate having to rig deus ex machina escape opportunities when the logical conclusion of events would be dead PCs.

As to the scenario you described, for me it sounds plausible but doesn't quite "feel" right. Again, without a firm knowledge of the rules all I can do is judge by "feel" for what its worth to you.

Going by that standard, given a psion with a focus item, it seems that he would be able to narrow or pinpoint his circular error over the course of several days rather than playing battleship. What I mean is, on the first day he could say "they're definitely in the city" and "probably closer to the city center than the outskirts." Next night he could (with a higher energy expenditure perhaps) narrow down to "They are in one of the downtown districts" with possibly some detail like "close to the shipping channel - I heard a ships horn faintly." Then over the course of more nights, more details would emerge that narrows down the search area (they're in a hotel room with light blue interior walls - near a grav bus station; I just glimpsed the bus lifting past the window) or alternatively the circular area would draw smaller over with continued effort if the divining didn't reveal any useful details about the group's hiding place.

If anyone is interested, I've been giving some more thought to the tracking down of a PC hideout by psionic means.

As Major B indicated, maybe it wouldn't happen by way of a narrowing circle, but more like a detective collecting clues - a jigsaw puzzle that makes little sense until you place that one piece that enables you to recognise the picture.
Done that way, the search could be entirely abstract - covered by dice rolls.
What do you tink of a mechanic like this:

Roll 5D6 each day, if all the dice are 'ones', the peep has found the PCs. (gathered enough clues to locate them). One of the dice should be a different colour, a 'marker'. If the marker shows a 1, roll 4D6 for subsequent searches. Continue removing dice every time the marker rolls 1, until only the marker remains. Whenever all the rolled dice read 1, the PCs are found.

This would give a small but finite chance that the PCs would be discovered immediately, and the chance increases with time. It has the random effect I was looking for and also averages to a period of several weeks.

Comments?

 

[Whipsnade]

Icosahedron,

It's a nice system, if a GM wants to handle psionics in that manner. I'd allow the players to remove dice from the detection pool by other methods too. Ultimately, I think role-playing the manhunt would be better than roll-playing it; i.e. Eneri's idea about canvassing take-away food kiosks should develop additional leads vs. Okay it's another week, can we roll the dice again and see if we've found more clues?

As I wrote earlier in the thread, I never had a player express any interest in playing a psion or even being tested for psionic potential. That means I played psionics pretty much straight out of the box. The type of telepathy "sensor sweeps" you write about are not supported by the LBB:1 descriptions. The telepath has to be able to see the target in question or, if he can't, needs "targeting information" via either his or another psion's Direction skill. The clairvoyant can "peep" into spaces as part of the manhunt, but again he needs to know about the space in question.

A telepath casting about the city slowly narrowing down the precise location of the fugitives by psionically developing clues is something I find simply too powerful. A psion with a certain Special talent might be able to do this, perhaps after handling an object belonging to one of the targets, but an everyday psion can do what LBB:1 says he can and nothing more.


Regards,
Bill

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

I don't often allow any form of psionics, except in very rare instances when a Zhodani Noble might be encountered. Even then, the telepathic talents are usually empathy, shield and read surface thoughts only, and I rely mostly on fear, ignorance and intimidation ("I see my appearance distresses you. Let me assure you that Zhodani interrogation methods will leave your minds intact ... mostly, anyway ... and you will still remember who you are... <insert evil laughter here>). I have allowed clairvoyance, but it too can be abused, unless every room the clairvoyant tries to peep into has its lights all switched off.

I prefer to leave the "Mental Cases" to fantasy games, and for my players to have ordinary characters with ordinary gear, and for them to work together to overcome extraordinary obstacles. No munchkinism allowed.

But that's just me.

 

[Icosahedron]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Icosahedron,

It's a nice system, if a GM wants to handle psionics in that manner. I'd allow the players to remove dice from the detection pool by other methods too. Ultimately, I think role-playing the manhunt would be better than roll-playing it; i.e. Eneri's idea about canvassing take-away food kiosks should develop additional leads vs. Okay it's another week, can we roll the dice again and see if we've found more clues?

Good idea about other ways to narrow the search.
I agree absolutely that role-playing should rule where PC psions are involved, but I'm developing this for a situation where the peeps are NPCs. All the PCs know is that tonight their door may or may not be broken in by the 'thought police', and I need to create a system to determine when or if that happens.

A telepath casting about the city slowly narrowing down the precise location of the fugitives by psionically developing clues is something I find simply too powerful. A psion with a certain Special talent might be able to do this, perhaps after handling an object belonging to one of the targets, but an everyday psion can do what LBB:1 says he can and nothing more.

Regards,
Bill

Yes, it is a powerful skill, and my difficulty is to balance how Psi 'works' in real life, against an exciting but survivable manhunt.

I think I, too, said upthread that I've rarely used the Psionics rules, but I have some players who asked to play a psi game - hence me now trying to get my head around the rules and housebash them on the fly into something we all find comfortable and 'realistic' for our game.

 

[Whipsnade]

I agree absolutely that role-playing should rule where PC psions are involved, but I'm developing this for a situation where the peeps are NPCs.

Icosahedron,

Oddly enough, I've much more experience running NPC psions than dealing with PC psions. Even weirder, I had my players working against NPC psions and never twigging to the fact that their opponents were psions. Weirder still, I had players opposing non-psion NPCs who they firmly believed were psions.

All the PCs know is that tonight their door may or may not be broken in by the 'thought police', and I need to create a system to determine when or if that happens.

I handled the same issue by being fair and consistent. As long as you're consistent, you can get away with murder as a GM. I handled NPC psions in the same manner I would have handled PC psions if I ever had any. When in doubt, I rolled for the probabilities of certain attempts and events. For the most part, however, I kept the needs of the adventure/campaign in mind while "exploiting" slips by the players and "rewarding" good thinking by the same.

Yes, it is a powerful skill, and my difficulty is to balance how Psi 'works' in real life, against an exciting but survivable manhunt.

As I've written before, I think a large part of your concern regarding peep influenced manhunts has to do with an inflated belief in psionic abilities. A telepath will not be able to "trawl" a city day after day slowly narrowing down the players' location. A clairvoyant will not be able to "peep" into spaces they know nothing about. Until the players are located by "old fashioned" policing methods, the psions will not be able to employ their gifts.

Read the descriptions in LBB:3 again. The gifts listed are powerful, but, with the exception of a Special talent created by you, those gifts do not allow a telepath to "pluck" the players out of the crowd. They aren't "radar", they're very much focused and can only be used in a focused manner.

I think I, too, said upthread that I've rarely used the Psionics rules, but I have some players who asked to play a psi game - hence me now trying to get my head around the rules and housebash them on the fly into something we all find comfortable and 'realistic' for our game.

That's a laudable goal, but I think you're making the task harder because you believe the listed psionic abilities can be used in ways they cannot.


Regards,
Bill

 

[Jame]

I began wondering about blind telepaths/telekinetics. Wouldn't a blind telekinetic be able to "see" by feeling where things are around her?

 

[aramis]

Don't think so, Jame, only two of the abilities are perceptive: Telepathy and Clairvoyance.

And both of those have sufficient costs that, unless you have a focus reducing costs, or extend the durations, they can't afford to keep them up 12+ hours a day. And telepathy only lets you know where the lifeforms are..

If you use TNE, however, yeah, you can, tho' your max range fluctuates, since TNE doesn't use PSR as apool of points, and TNE Psionics are usable at will.

Now, in GURPS, it's only about 60 points to have an always on clairvoyance sufficient to make blindness relatively immaterial, and in hero system, being able to see by psionics is simply a different default sense group, and perception is based upon ECV. So in those, you can mechanically represent the effect, but neither then is recreating Traveller Psionics.

 

[Whipsnade]

Icosahedron,

I did a quick read through of the thread, seeing as it's rather old, and found something you wrote that I think illustrates the problem nicely:

Except that a clairvoyant manhunt does seem to be unnervingly efficient.

Why do you think a clairvoyant manhunt would so much more efficient? Let's look at the LBB:3 descriptions of the various types clairvoyance again:

Sense: "The clairvoyant character must state the range at which he is applying his talent, ..."

Clairvoyance: "The clairvoyant character must state the range at which is applying his talent."

Direction: "A character must specify the exact location at which he is applying his ability."

Under CT, the clairvoyant must know the target location they wish to scan. They scan a hotel room and not a hotel. They scan a room in a house and not a row of houses. They scan a room in an apartment and not an apartment building. They scan a suspected location and not a number of locations to produce suspects.

Because they need to know their target before employing their gift, psions need a designated target. However, because psionic costs and recovery times prevent "popping into" dozens of spaces quickly, psions cannot create a target list with their gift. A psion employing "Combined Clairvoyance And Clairaudience" (CCAC) at a range of only 5 meters is going to need 6 hours to fully recover; three hours for recovery to begin plus two hours for CCAC's cost plus one for the range cost.

Looking at another way, roughly half of all psions will have an unmodified strength of 7 or more. A psion with a strength of 7 is going to be able to make all of two CCAC attempts at all of five meters range before requiring nine hours recovery time.

While psionics most certainly will help with watching that needle in the haystack, when it comes to finding that needle psionics isn't much help at all.


Regards,
Bill

 

[Icosahedron]

As I've written before, I think a large part of your concern regarding peep influenced manhunts has to do with an inflated belief in psionic abilities.

Read the descriptions in LBB:3 again. The gifts listed are powerful, but, with the exception of a Special talent created by you, those gifts do not allow...
<snip>

Why do you think a clairvoyant manhunt would so much more efficient? Let's look at the LBB:3 descriptions of the various types clairvoyance again:
<snip>
While psionics most certainly will help with watching that needle in the haystack, when it comes to finding that needle psionics isn't much help at all.

Perhaps you are right, maybe I'm making things too difficult for myself and the PCs, but as the game is already underway, there are limits to what I can change.

eg, it is a premise of the adventure that:

a) A 'special' talent exists (let's call it Psychometry) that enables the psion to handle objects and obtain information about their owners.

b) That information includes clairvoyant-like sights and sounds related to the owners' current whereabouts (I'm picturing something similar to the stereotypical video or audio tape the cops always analyse to track kidnappers on TV shows - "look, through the window behind the guy with the mask, you can see the Statue of Liberty." or "listen, I'm sure that's the call of the Lesser Nut Warbler in the background.")

c) Gradually, as the NPC Peeps gather more 'psychic tape', they are able to narrow down where the quarry is hiding out by summing the clues, but this is a slow process thanks to the shortness and vagueness of the readings and the necessary recovery time between readings.

d) If the PCs relocate before the Peeps pin down their whereabouts, they can evade capture, but the PCs don't know how long the tracking takes (in fact, I think tracking time should be random, but have a bell-curve distribution).

e) A typical period between relocations of a couple of weeks or so should keep the PCs safe, but they don't know that, and a 'breakthrough' by the Peeps might lead to an early raid.

Now what I'm trying to do is figure out a fair, logical and consistent mechanic to adhere to the above adventure premises, for 'off-table' NPC Peeps.

The '5D6 with Marker' idea is the best I've come up with so far.

 

[Whipsnade]

Icosahedron,

Your Special Talent Psychometry looks fascinating and it most certainly deserves a write-up so it can be shared with the Hobby.

All we need to do now is tweak it a wee bit...

The easiest way to tweak things is via Psionic strength levels and point costs. The various CT psionic ability groupings are presented as a series of experience levels each of which the psion must reach before starting on the next. Clairvoyance, for example, requires that the psion master Sense, Direction, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, and Combined in turn. Furthermore, those levels are not all one step apart. Sense is Level 2, Direction Level 3, Clairvoyance Level 5, Clairaudience Level 5, and Combined Level 9.

One ability, Psychokinesis, uses levels to restrict the mass of the object being manipulated. Increased levels allow the manipulation of larger masses PROVIDED the psion has the strength rating to attempt the task. A psion wishing to move 100 kgs needs a psionic strength of 10 even before range costs are paid.

If we use levels and range costs, we can "tweak" your Psychometry Special into something that is useful without being game breaking. CT has ten ranges. If we drop Close, Short, Continental, and Planetary, we end up with six ranges spanning 6 meters to 500 kilometers. Using Clairvoyance as a guide again, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, and Combined all have the same strength requirement which is then modified by range. Your Psychometry Special can be handled in the same manner with a fixed attempt cost modified by a steep range cost curve.

Another way to tweak Pyschometry is via it's application. Psychometry allows the psion to handle an object and obtain information about the owner's current location. The words in that sentence we need to focus on are "owner" and "current".

Just what constitutes being an "owner"? Obviously the target "owns" a handgun they have used some period of time, but what about a "rented" or "drop" gun? You know, one of those pieces people buy off the street for one time use? Taking the question further, what about a cocktail glass? The target drank three fingers of Old Overcoat out of the glass, but does that mean they "own" it?

If our psion handles that drop gun, who pops on the Psychometry attempt? The actual target or the fellow how rented him the gun? Ditto the cocktail glass? The actual target, the bartender, or the bar's owner?

If the term "owner" means "last person to use the item", we've troubles. If the term "owner" means "person who has used the item the most", we've troubles too. There are plenty of questions about just what the term "owner" means.

Now let's tackle "current'.

Giving our psion a mulligan on the "owns" question, he's now handling an object his target "owns" and attempts a Psychometry reading at noon. Again using Clairvoyance's Combined as a guide, the result is 15 seconds of "audio visual tape" showing the target's current location; a booth in a chain restaurant where they are having lunch. How much has the psion actually learned?

Let's say the psion can check in on the target four times a day. That's one minute of tape every 24 hours. Yes, there could very well be I see the Empire State and I hear foghorns moments, but those will be more a result of luck than planning.

One way I can see Psychometry being very helpful is via Direction. A psion using Psychometry Special can use Direction to point psions with Clairvoyance where to "peep". The actual physical location of the target will still be unknown, but the Psychometry psion can still direct the Clairvoyance psions to the "virtual psionic" location.

Another way would involve the amount of fatigue the Psychometry psion feels after their attempt. Because you'll be imposing range costs, costs the psion will unware of before they make their attempt, the psion will be able to state the range to the target. Knowing the target is Distant, 500 to 5000 meters, rather than Regional, 50km to 500km, would be helpful. Even failed attempts, which occur when the Psychometry psion doesn't have the strength points to meet the range costs, will provide some information.

Now what I'm trying to do is figure out a fair, logical and consistent mechanic to adhere to the above adventure premises, for 'off-table' NPC Peeps. The '5D6 with Marker' idea is the best I've come up with so far.

And it's a very good idea too. Your fears that the manhunt would be too easy, however, mean that your ideas need to be tweaked or "dialed back" somewhat.

The dice pool is rather coarse. The manhunters only need remove five dice and you as the GM can only manipulate the pool to model both the manhunters' and players' successes by adding or subtracting an entire die. There needs to be more wiggle room.

DGP presented some nifty rules for research projects in MT's Referee's Companion. The GM would set a target number for the final Hypotheses at X.X while the players would begin at Hypotheses 1.0. The harder the project, the higher the final hypotheses number would be. The number of intermediate steps between each whole number step was also selected by the GM in advance. Advancing between of those intermediate steps was accomplished by either finishing discrete tasks or making successful opposed die rolls.

The players would then undertake a series of role-playing activities that would either give them intermediate steps towards the final hypotheses or modify the rolls needed to make those intermediate steps. Thus advancing from one step to another requires both role an roll playing activities.

More importantly, the GM could easily punish or reward the players' activities by adding or removing intermediate steps. The hunters get lucky or the players screw up and you remove an intermediate level. The players take precautions or the hunters follow dead end leads and you add an intermediate level. When the hunters reach the final level, the players are found if they still happen to be around. More steps gives you more control as the GM.

Whatever and however you decide to handle Psychometry, you really should write it up and share it with the Hobby.


Regards,
Bill

 

[Icosahedron]

Hmm. A lot of food for thought there, Bill, thanks.

Much of what you say would be useful for lifting this from a pseudo-random Referee aid for NPCs into a viable talent that could be used by players. I hadn't planned that far ahead, my PCs aren't Psions. That'll take some thinking.

Your query about 'ownership' is very valid. In this adventure the psions already know who they are looking for and are using the object merely as a psionic focus, but in general the ownership problem could give many false readings.
In fact it may be that the only way to get a sensible reading is when ownership is not in dispute, or the object is used as a focus to track a known person.

Using Direction is a good idea, and one that was sort of vaguely implicit in my head, but exactly how useful those 15 seconds would be depends on how clairvoyance works, as discussed unresolvedly upthread. If the Peep could spend 15 seconds moving vertically through the roof, rotating the POV as it went, to get a city-scan from ground zero, 15 seconds could probably locate the position fairly accurately - at least within a couple of blocks - so if Psychometry and Clairvoyance are to be used together, we'd need to know how they both work.

Use of fatigue to provide information makes sense, too.

Yes, the dice pool is over-mechanical for a PC talent. I have that MT book, if I can dig down to the appropriate box I'll remind myself of the research rules, they would add a useful role-play element.

Hah, yeah - Psychometry, by Whipsahedron - or is that Icosnade?

 

[Whipsnade]

Hmm. A lot of food for thought there, Bill, thanks.

Icosahedron,

Well, let's just say you posts always make me think.

Much of what you say would be useful for lifting this from a pseudo-random Referee aid for NPCs into a viable talent that could be used by players. I hadn't planned that far ahead, my PCs aren't Psions. That'll take some thinking.

I think developing it first as a ability available to PCs who roll successfully for a Special talent will make it easier to figure out how a GM can then use the same talent in a fair, logical and consistent manner with NPCs.

Your query about 'ownership' is very valid.

I'm still mulling it over too. I think allowing those with the Psychometry talent to make a quick, cost free "reading" on a specific object is the best way to go. The psion can hold/touch the object in question, concentrate for a bit, and then announce whether the object can be useful or not. Every other method seems to require too many rules with too many potential loopholes.

Using Direction is a good idea, and one that was sort of vaguely implicit in my head, but exactly how useful those 15 seconds would be depends on how clairvoyance works, as discussed unresolvedly upthread.

Yes. That is going to have be left to the GM's discretion it seems. I will point out that, if you allow the psion's POV of view to move as you describe, you've just restored a lot of the danger to the psionic manhunt, danger we've been trying to dial back.

Use of fatigue to provide information makes sense, too.

Yes, it provides information but not too much information. The range bands are rather large, even Distant's 500 to 5000 meters can cover a lot of city. Entirely failed attempts provide information too; i.e. Sorry sir, they must be more than 50km away because I wasn't able to fix on them...

(Of course a psion wouldn't know they're out of his range until they try to get a fix. While failure can occur due to a lack of levels in the ability or a lack of strength points, you'll need to assign strength costs to failed attempts. The simplest way would have the psion lose strength points up to that required by his highest range level or his remaining strength points whichever is less. This way, the psion pays for even a failed attempt.)

Yes, the dice pool is over-mechanical for a PC talent.

But not for a fair, logical and consistent application of the talent by GMs for NPCs. You've been entirely correct in worrying about how the GM can use the talent with NPCs without making it too powerful.

Hah, yeah - Psychometry, by Whipsahedron - or is that Icosnade?

Neither. This is your idea. I've just been kibbutzing, nothing more.

The article should read ICOSAHEDRON as big as life. We've few enough Special Talents which people have taken the time to truly work out but, thanks to you, we're going to have another.


Regards,
Bill

 

[Blue Ghost]

I haven't read the full thread, but here's something to toy with; simulated mind reading.

Here's how it works; find his home residence, then wire it through the air vents and possibly the electrical conduit with fibre optic cameras and microphones. When he's asleep put him in a state of semi-conciousnous; hypnosis is the colloquial term.

During this state you can interrogate and offer suggestions for the subject to act on. You might wrongfully call it a form of mind control, because you can't really make a person do something (or imagine it unwillingly) something that they do not wish to do.

But, you can get them to divulge their thoughts, and then stage them the next day, or sometime after they wake. It's an actual technique used in real life.

See what your ref thinks about it :smirk:

 

[Droptrooper.]

I'm pretty sure an early issue of Imagine Magazine (published by TSR's UK arm) may have had rules for CT Psychometry. They were in a feature adventure using CT rules for playing in the worlds of Luther Arkwright.

Memory is a bit hazy on this, can't remember the issue number but remember the adventure pretty well. For all I know there might not have been psychometry rules there (though they were a feature in Luther Arkwright) and our ref, Big Dave made them up.