Conflict with Campaign Style

[TheMouse]

Please don't take the comment about giving him a beer too literally.  If you drink, don't game, and if you game, don't drink. <laughs>  That's what the Deck of many things is made for after all.

I generally agree with this, but would like to note an exception.

There was one game where the players -- myself included -- sipped alcohol, while the GM did not. The result of this was basically that we hammed it up a little more and made a couple of decisions that were interesting rather than intelligent. It was actually a pretty fun experience.

[Remy Sinclair]

I was in a game where our GM got drunk it was funny. He kept asking me if I finished making dinner yet. The one he had an hour ago. It was a fun game.

[Erich]

Hi,
I'm the other GM, and in my defense I was mostly concerned with the laws of magic (on the story side), and breaking a mystery by reading someone's mind (on the fun side).
That said, I have no real objection to psychic communication or reading surface thoughts. That could actually lead to some very interesting role play situations.

DS: Hi Mr. Bad guy. I'm Detective Smith and this is my partner Detective Weston, we need to ask you some questions.
DW: ++ask him where he was last night++
DS: So where were you last night?
BG: I was at the bar all night (oh jeez I better not mention the warehouse)
DW: ++ he was in a warehouse part of the night++
DS: You wern't in a warehouse on the lower east side?
etc.

This is something we used in a Champions game and it worked fine.


I'm just not thrilled about the idea of a psychic going up to a suspect and ripping all of the evidence from their minds, kinda ruins the mystery thing.
And I still say that we are bumping into the 4th(?) law of magic, psychics are just untrained minor talents.


By the way Bruce I DO drink cider 
-E

[CMEast]

Why not give the player a modified version of the sight for mind reading? There's plenty of risk in trying to read minds that way and the results won't necessarily ruin a plot. For any person he tries to mind-read, simply make a list of aspects the PC might possibly discover (a few related to the plot, a few relating to that character so it can be used as blackmail/persuasion fodder) and then add a few random surface thoughts for flavour.

Alternatively, use the psychometry rules (YS173) and increase the difficulty.

Either way, don't reveal the difficulty for the roles. Instead, always give information but make it inaccurate or misleading if they fail. Let them know that the information is often suspect and so even on a great roll, they may not take full advantage of the information.

Then just add a minor ability like: [-1] Telepathy. You can pick up thoughts directed at you with an alertness roll, and broadcast information with a roll of conviction or similar. Obviously for minor uses you can skip the roll, but the chance of failure during tense situations can be fun. Especially when the PC broadcasts their plans to the enemy

[Bruce Coulson]

Hi...I was wondering when you'd discover the forum, Erich...

Well, the character isn't using mortal magic, and isn't a mortal (strictly speaking). So, the Laws don't apply (although a Warden might make a mistake...)  This is my take on the power.

My basic concept was to treat the actual 'mind-reading' power like Evocation.  So, one mental stress for attempting it, +1 stress if the target is inhuman (RCV, etc.), target defends with Discipline, each shift grants one piece of information/aspect (telepath has to state what information they're looking for, and they get just that), failure equals no further attempts vs that target that scene.  Consequences can be taken to avoid stress per normal.  Example:  players are trying to discover if thug x killed someone important.  Thug has Mediocre Discipline.  Telepath shudders a bit, and risks a probe, gets two shifts.  They discover if the thug actually did kill the vip (but no details...if, for example, the thug was there but didn't shoot the guy, they don't learn that) and one aspect (Just Following Orders).

Obviously, high Discipline targets (who are going to know important info) are going to be harder to probe...  And any character with actual mental defenses is going to know what just happened (or what was attempted) and is likely to be EXTREMELY unhappy.

I think the above should prevent rampant mind-reading in the campaign (and actually, the person likely to be making the suggestions to mind-read everyone isn't the player who's taking the power, imo...need I say more?).  It should also make the ability useful without wrecking mysteries/intrigue. 

And I'll revise my earlier statement, then.  I can't drink beer, and you SHOULDN'T be drinking...since you're trying to get back in shape to whack people with nasty pointy things.  (Or is it long pointy things, or nasty blunt things?)

[Erich]

That would be well made nasty long blunt things.
Oh yeah, and dodging the same.
-E

[Bruce Coulson]

Modification...more shifts are required for more detailed information.

So, Yes/No/I Don't Know/Tampered With is one shift for a answer.

To answer, say, "How long have you hated this guy?", two shifts.

"Why do you hate this guy?" "What kind of thing tampered with this guy's mind?"  3+ shifts.

[KOFFEYKID]

Reading the Surface [-1]. You are a natural psychic, and can read the surface thoughts of individuals around you. This is not a violation of the laws of magic, as the thoughts "radiate" out from the thinkers mind. You may use discipline to defend against deceit attacks and maneuvers instead of the usual skill whenever the GM deems it appropriate. Also, you gain a bonus in social situations when you can read someone's surface thoughts, add +2 to all of your social rolls against somebody who you are reading.

This pretty much does what you want it to do right? You can use your "mind (discipline)" to detect falsehood, and it helps a bit in social situations.

[luminos]

+2 to all social rolls is more than a -1 power.

[KOFFEYKID]

hmm, take a look at Flesh Mask.

[Bruce Coulson]

Actually, the psychic power template I'm working with is supposed to be more flexible...closer to Channelling, say.  The psychics only get one type of power (telepathy, esp, psychokinesis), but can do a lot with that ability.

Your power does look good as a minor talent, though; consider it swiped and modified to fit.

[luminos]

flesh mask is +2 to social actions that rely on appearance, a hell of a lot more focused than all social actions.  And it has several limiting factors (ripped away in a fight, doesn't work if the person knows what you are). 

[Deadmanwalking]

It does also allow the whole 'flesh pocket concealment' thing, though.

Personally, I'd allow someone to take Idealized Appearance without all the other Flesh Mask stuff as a -1 Power. Now this version looks a bit overpowered (a skill swap AND a +2 under certain circumstances), but the +2 alone (only vs. people you're currently reading) seems about fair if you skip the skill substitution.

[luminos]

who you are reading needs to be more focused.  Wording it that way makes it so you can say you are reading whoever you are applying the action to, which is the same as +2 with no conditions.

[KOFFEYKID]

/shrug, the flesh mask power has something similar to a skill swap in "what lies beneath", letting you use deceit to hide a gun aimed at your opponent for example (instead of stealth). My power has limiting factors that are up to the GM (like the power says, you can read the surface whenever the Gm deems appropriate, and if he deems it inappropriate then tough cookies).