Help with a 12th level Dolphin Pneuma-Biform

[Curbludgeon]

This is my first post!

I'm rekindling personal interest in this game after 20 years, and am looking for a little help in character building, with a focus on mechanical optimization. This is for a game with a CB1( ⃠ R) superpowered Vagabond and a Demigod Obsidian Spell Thief, so the character being 12th level with Major Psionics and equipment options isn't out of place.

Please accept as given for the purposes of this thread that the Pneuma-Biform's R.C.C. Related and Secondary skills options on pg 53 of WB7 are to be combined with those of dolphins on pg. 77. The effect of this is that the PB-Dolphin has access to dolphin-specific power armor, and incidentally Basic Math. The rationale for such is that the PB-D description repeatedly asks the player to refer to the dolphin description for things like standard abilities, as well as the PB having access to Pilot Related skills. Additionally, the description of the Man-o-War class armor on pg. 82 states that it is popular with PB.

The game mechanical choices for this character are Whale Songs, Ocean Magic, Psionics, Skills, and Equipment. What of the following could be changed to increase the character's potency?

10 Whale Songs:Song of Fear, Song of Life, Song of Protection, Song of Strength, Song of Summoning , Song of Weaving, Sonic Boom, Sound Blast, Sound Spike, Stormsong

12 Ocean Magic Spells: Air Swim, Armor of Neptune, Grow Tentacles, Healing Waters, Impervious to Ocean depths, Invisibility: Superior, Magic Net, Sound Sponge, Speak Underwater, Speed of the Snail, Strength of the Whale, Whirlpool

7 Sensitive Psionics: Astral Projection, Clairvoyance, Mind Block, See Aura, See the Invisible, Sixth Sense, Telepathy

5 R.C.C. Related Skills (+1@4,8,12): Hand to Hand:Expert(Upgraded from Basic for W.P. Paired Weapons)
Robot Combat Elite: Man-o-War (treated as RUE's RCE: Flying Armor, unless there's an example of RCE:light/medium aquatic PA I don't know of)
Prowl, Literacy:American, W.P. Sword, Boxing, Computer Operation, Lore of choice

5 Secondary Skills: Radio:Basic, First Aid, W.P. Energy Pistol, W.P. Energy Rifle, W.P. Trident
W.P. of choice: W.P. Heavy Mega-Damage Weapons (for when riding inside a vehicle)

Equipment of note: access to Man-o-War PA, Crustacean (or maybe Chitin?) Bio-Armor, Stonecaster Rifle, Shark Tooth Trident.

Thanks in advance for any constructive comments.

[Axelmania]

Please accept as given for the purposes of this thread that the Pneuma-Biform's R.C.C. Related and Secondary skills options on pg 53 of WB7 are to be combined with those of dolphins on pg. 77. The effect of this is that the PB-Dolphin has access to dolphin-specific power armor, and incidentally Basic Math.

The rationale for such is that the PB-D description repeatedly asks the player to refer to the dolphin description for things like standard abilities, as well as the PB having access to Pilot Related skills.

Additionally, the description of the Man-o-War class armor on pg. 82 states that it is popular with PB.

The skill list on page 52-53 doesn't include the potential to get Math or Piloting the way Dolphins do... never noticed that! I guess I would've if I'd gotten around to trying to make one of these as a character, always wanted to...

I'm not sure that simply merging the skill lists is the way to go though, seems exceedingly complicated. There are some other more-canonical approaches we could use to get them access to these skills, so as not to nerf the normal dolphins.

1) use the Dual OCCs rules: http://www.palladium-megaverse.com/inde ... Itemid=200 a Pneuma-Biform who advances to 2nd level can begin using their experience beyond that to learn an OCC which does give access to piloting skills. Perhaps the Tritonian Sea Wolf? We know this must be possible because page 56 says the vast majority of the Whale Singer OCC is dolphins / pneuma-biforms / whales.

2) page 51 describes them as a union of human and dolphin, and they are able to mate with either species. Page 96 of world book 13 (Lone Star) allows humans to roll on the "Number of Abilities Table" giving potential access to the "Human Special Abilities Table". The 2nd paragraph of "68-74 Insatiable Desire to Learn" allows an option to select from any skill category ("even those not usually available to that O.C.C./R.C.C")

3) page 93's of Rifts Ultimate Edition's new "Storyteller and Teacher" special OCC ability for the Rogue Scholar allows them to teach secondary skills to anybody, and it doesn't mention they need to fall under their normal selection restrictions. Presumably the Rogue Scholar needs to know the skill themself though, so this would make Cowboy and advanced Electronics/Espionage/Horsemanship/Mechanical/Medical/Military/Pilot/Physical/WP off-limits unless the Rogue Scholar somehow had the skill through Dual OCCs.

4) the level 5 spell "Instill Knowledge" (Rifts Book of Magic page 108) could be used to give piloting skills to those who don't have them for 30min/level, plenty of time for combat or to run short patrols. You could double that duration with the Spell Booster spell, or multiply it further by initiating it at a ley line or nexus. It might be popular to make talismans of this spell for the skilled to pass on piloting knowledge to the unskilled. Shifters or Temporal Wizards who have access to higher-level spells at 1st level could be a good ally here.

5) pneuma-biforms have the same psionics as normal dolphins, per page 80 this means 3% of them are Master Psionics with access to Super Psionics. If they select "Mind Bond" they could borrow piloting skills for a minimum of 3 hours for a mere 10 ISP. I'm not sure how much ISP they'd have, at least as much as the standard for Major Psi randomly rolled I figure.

[Curbludgeon]

Please accept as given for the purposes of this thread that the Pneuma-Biform's R.C.C. Related and Secondary skills options on pg 53 of WB7 are to be combined with those of dolphins on pg. 77.

Pretty please?

[Axelmania]

Power Armor piloting skills are not available to Cyborgs, City Rats, Rogue Scholars, Vagabonds, Wilderness Scouts, Elemental Fusionists, Mystics, Shifters, Bursters, Dog Boys or Wild Psi-Stalkers, just looking at RUE, so I don't see why Pneuma-Biforms should have immediate access to them unless they take "Insatiable Desire to Learn" from Lone Star.

Otherwise, needing to gain an OCC, be taught by a Rogue Scholar (who in turn would need to learn the skill from outside since Scholars cannot gain it inherently!) or benefit from Mind Bond / Instill Knowledge seems like good hoops to jump through.

You already seem to have optimized it pretty well. You could increase psi from Major > Master or give them a bonus OCC.

[Curbludgeon]

None of the RUE O.C.C.s make repeated both ex- and implicit function calls to another inextricably related R.C.C.. While I assume the phrase "hoops to jump through" to be an attempt at levity, it's hard to not find more laughable varying definitions of "exceedingly complicated." It, regardless, is outside the purview of this topic, which unlike Palladium's editing process was stated clearly and politely.

I am looking, as I asked, specifically and only for suggestions on a limited number of selections made from a series of pools, ideally predicated upon personal experience. As an example, later R.C.C. related skill selections could be better utilized as physical skill selections, to mitigate their being at a lower level. Radio:Basic and First Aid, rather than being seen as de minimis technological capabilities expected from party members, might be consensually seen as not rising to that standard. Perhaps the psionic powers related to dimensional anomalies/portals are generally seen as more useful than Clairvoyance, or the spell Speak Underwater not something to be bothered with when one has access to transforming bio armor with an independent air supply. W.P.:Net might be all the rage due to some item in a Rifter.

These are the sorts of concerns held by someone getting back into a game from a decades-long absence. One is forced to consider if a willful disregard for a request on such, to instead pound on a matter explicitly stated as a non-issue, is in fact emblematic of a forum culture interested in using the word "canon" as a bludgeon at the expense of running off new posters.

[RockJock]

The way dolphin PA piloting is setup it is pretty intuitive. If the bioform has a dolphin to show them they should be able to learn it without a lot of trouble. This is NOT a normal PA piloting or mecha combat kinda skill.

Just my two cents.

[Axelmania]

On one hand, I think unless we're told otherwise, power armor is assumed to require the basic piloting skill to use.

On the other hand, back in 1990 the Create Zombie ritual mentioned dressing zombies up in power armor and back then I can't think of any way you could have given them the piloting skill via Rogue Scholar tutelage / Transfer Knowledge.

I guess there was always Mind Bond or using the rules for gaining OCCs from Palladium RPG.

[dreicunan]

On one hand, I think unless we're told otherwise, power armor is assumed to require the basic piloting skill to use.

On the other hand, back in 1990 the Create Zombie ritual mentioned dressing zombies up in power armor and back then I can't think of any way you could have given them the piloting skill via Rogue Scholar tutelage / Transfer Knowledge.

I guess there was always Mind Bond or using the rules for gaining OCCs from Palladium RPG.

the assumption with the zombies was likeky that they nust moved around in it without using features or getting bonuses.

[RockJock]

The Dolphin PAs are not exactly normal Power Armor.

[Axelmania]

No PA is classified as "normal" power armor, far as I know.