Creative uses of Psionics

[Mack]

Never underestimate Telekinesis. Even dragons don't like an unexpected poke in the eye.

Plus there's practical applications...
- Yank the e-clip out of someone's weapon
- Pull the pin on your opponent's grenade
- Unbuckle your opponent's armor
- 300 lbs of force makes for a pretty good body block

You get the idea.

[Killer Cyborg]

One of the single most under-utilized psychic powers is Ectoplasm. Most people don't seem to really get what the power is even supposed to be, and consider it to be a weak form of telekinesis, but it's not.

Like most of the psychic powers in Beyond The Supernatural, Palladium did their research into real-world paranormal lore, and ectoplasm is one of the things that they used.
Mediums claimed that they would ooze ectoplasm from their body during seance, and that it was ectoplasm that gave the spirits the physical form that they manifested during these rituals.
Basically, the psychic would contact the spirit of a dead person, then ectoplasm would come out of their body and form various things, typically a floating head or miniature form of the dead person they were trying to contact. Other times, it would form a body part like an arm, or simply mist.
One school of thought was that all ghostly manifestations were caused by ectoplasm- the spirit itself is invisible; that semi-transparent figure floating in front of you is made of ectoplasm, and ectoplasm is all that you're seeing.
Without ectoplasm, ghosts could not directly interact with the real world.

In writing BtS, Palladium went with the schools of paranormal thought that did NOT include actual ghosts. The idea was that ectoplasm was something generated and controlled by the psychic, or by other-worldly entities that weren't spirits of the deceased, but sometimes posed as them.

How this ends up working in the game is this:
Your psychic can use ectoplasm to summon "ghosts" and ghostly apparitions.
You can try to use ectoplasm in combat, but more often it's usefulness occurs outside of combat, any time you're dealing with the superstitious.

Sample Scenario:
You are captured by the enemy. You use Telepathy to scan the guard's mind and discover that he often thinks about his poor dead wife. You explain to the guard that you are detecting a spiritual presence that is trying to contact him, somebody that he once knew. You toss out some vague clues, "Somebody you were once closed to. She liked flowers, I think..." and so on. Basic John Edward stuff. Then you manifest the "ghost" of his dead wife (using images plucked from his mind, which you can gain by telling him that he has to focus on her in order for her to manifest), and she tells him "I love you" and "I'm happy here" etc. etc.
Oh, also, "Please let this poor psychic go free! Help him/her escape!"

Basically, the power's main effect is one of deception. You can make people think you're much more powerful than you are, that you're battling demons/ghosts on their behalf, that you're their only link to a dead loved-one, that you're a minion for a very powerful demon or God that channels commands through you, or any number of other things.

General Information:

Spoiler:

http://www.angelsghosts.com/ectoplasm.html

Charles Richet created the word ectoplasm to first describe physical manifestations that appeared from psychic mediums during the late 1800's while in trances. Ectoplasm was purportedly secreted from the medium's orifices, such as the ears, nose or mouth.

Today, ectoplasm has come to represent physical manifestations of mists believed to be ghosts.

Today, ectoplasm in ghost investigations may still be described as any unknown physical substance, such as a slime, attributed to a haunting; but mostly photographic and video evidence of mists and vapors captured during ghost investigations are being called ectoplasm. When a mist is present that cannot be attributed to moisture, fog, smoke, cigarette smoke, steam, or breathe in cold air, the vaporous cloud can usually be attributed to being a physical manifestation of spirit. Ectoplasm is also called ghost mists, ghost fog, or ghost vapors by paranormal investigators.

http://www.sgha.net/articles/ectoplasm.html

It is supposedly a flowing, formless material that streams from the orifices of a medium during contact with the "other side." Ectoplasm most commonly appears during seances, and was prevalent during the Spiritualist craze of the early 20th century.

A seemingly lifelike substance, solid or vaporous in nature, which allegedly extrudes from the body of a medium and can be transformed into materialized limbs, faces or even entire bodies of spirits. Ectoplasm often appears milky white in color and smells like ozone.

Ectoplasm allegedly must be released from the medium's body before MATERIALIZATION may occur. GUSTAVE GELFI, head of the INSTITUTE METAPSYCHIQUE INTERNATIONAL in Paris, described ectoplasm as an externalization of decen- tralized energy in solid, liquid or vapor states. This decentralization expended great vital energy, which could manifest through rapping, phosphorescence, telekinesis or the production of ectoplasm. Complete materialization was the final product of the ectoplasmic process. WILLIAM J. CRAWFORD, of Queen's University in Belfast, opined that ectoplasm was the basis of all psychic phenomena. It gave consistency to all physical structures during the seance and gave these structures the ability to come into contact with ordinary forms of matter, thereby forming hands and faces. He also found ectoplasm responsible for direct voice phenomena.

In order to materialize spirits, the medium projects ectophsm from her own body and draws it magnetically from the bodies of the sitters. The spirit is then clothed in this astral substance and appears. If the transformation is incomplete, the medium takes the spirit drapery and assumes the part of the spirit, a process called transfiguration.

After forming, the ectoplasm often assumed faces or shapes, some resembling President Wil- son and other popular government or historical figures....
...She also materialized a tiny naked woman, eight inches high, with long flowing hair.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ectoplasm.htm

Serving as a physical medium of that spiritual energy, ectoplasm is said to be the more or less tangible plasma residue that helps to give ghosts some degree of physical presence.

[Killer Cyborg]

Telepathy is incredibly powerful.
It "only" lets you read surface thoughts, but that's all you need.

You capture somebody that you need to get information from. You activate Telepathy before interrogating them.
Just asking them a question will make them think of the answer, bringing it to the surface of their mind.
It doesn't matter if they say it or not.
And they don't get a saving throw unless they think that you're trying to read their mind, and are actively concentrating on stopping you.
It's the ultimate interrogation tool.

Also, great for haggling.

[dark brandon]

Psychic FF + Carpet of adhesion

[rat_bastard]

I have a Mind Melter I've just started playing recently and was looking for a bit of inspiration for psionic abilities. Namely their creative uses. So what are some of the things you, the players and game masters, can think of now or have done in the past?

Speed reading, literacy and total recall: Read every computer reference library you can get your hands on, activate total recall to get +5% or base level skill at any skill that can have a computer reference library.

Speed reading, total recall and Telemechanics: Telemechanics gives you more or less the complete schematics of any tech device, total recall allows you to remember it as blueprints and speed reading helps you sift through data faster, this makes you the ultimate industrial spy.

[lather]

Alter Aura.

The machine psionics can be quite useful.

[Killer Cyborg]

@Killer Cyborg, you, sir or madam, are a veritable wealth of information. I like the idea of ectoplasm and I do have it as one of my chosen psionics. I have never really considered it for the purpose that you speak of, but now that you've brought it to my attention... well, it just became so much more useful.

I suggest you read the book The Legend of Hell House, by Richard Matheson. It has interesting notions on ectoplasm and ghosts in general, and may provide some inspiration.
Also, the movie "Witchtrap," which give some interesting takes on how psychics interact with ghosts.

Telepathy is another one I do not often use. I should think out of the box more. :3

For some reason, most people seem to under-utilize that power.

One of the coolest moments we had in a game was when the party encountered some Arkhon on Mars, and the party telepath read the head Arkhon's mind and discovered that the Arkhon was reading HIS mind too.
Then everybody started shooting.

Thanks for the great ideas, anyone else?

I'll let you know.

(and it's "Sir," fyi. )

[Mack]

And it goes without saying the Bio-Manipulation is probably the single most useful psychic power.
- If you're trying to outwit someone, use Stun.
- In combat, Paralysis can be way overpowered.
- Blind and Deafness have a variety of uses, both in- and out-of combat.
- Mute... OK, not really that useful except for messing with mages and shutting up guards.
- Pain, good for interrogations, etc.
- Tissue Manipulation... requires a bit more finesse, but works great with Killer Cyborg's "spooky" scenario.

And all of them can be used to create a distraction. (Put Blind on someone at the bar while you slip out the back door.)

[Mack]

Astral Projection. Another "got to have" power, mainly due to this:

A character traveling the Material Plane via Astral Projection may use any psionic powers that do NOT require physical contact.

So most of the things we already mentioned (Telepathy, Bio-Manipulation, Telekinesis, all of the Telemechanics powers...) can be used without your victim knowing you're in the room.

This power is ripe for abuse though. By the book, you could Astral Project yourself into someone's bedroom, use Telekinetic Acceleration Attack and obliterate them in their sleep.

[Bood Samel]

My mystic knight and his crew were briefly captured by the NGR while we were an over seas jaunt. My mystic knight was in Germany trying to see if wewelsburg castle was still standing because of an idea he had in regards to apotheosis that he needed the famous ritual chamber there for. So while in a cell he used astral projection to get to the hanger room where all their mechs were. In astral form he used ectoplasm and his demolitions skill (at a minus but he still made the roll) to set off the missiles inside a robot suit to cause a good distraction for a break out. We made it home.

[The Baron of chaos]

One creative use of telekinesis is to shot with guns.
One could say tha toyu can't aim the gun with telekinesis and this is true, but you can move the gun at POINT BLANK and THEN shot it. Is cool, and very effective.

Ignore mind bolt. Is worthless.

A simple metallic wire is the most vicious tool a telekinesis using psionic could ever wish for. Oh the things you will do with a metallic wire.

[Killer Cyborg]

Mind Bolt isn't useless, just limited.
It doesn't to much damage, and the cost is too high (these days), but it's got good range on it (100'/level) and it can be cranked up to +8 to strike.
Not a bad sniping tool.

And it's a way that you can inflict MD naked, in a vacuum. You don't need other objects around, you don't need oxygen for fire, etc.

Overall, I'd say that being able to think a bus into pieces isn't that bad of an ability.

[Shark_Force]

on the other hand, if you start considering that there isn't really any legitimate reason for super TK to not have a tear/pry damage value...

[The Baron of chaos]

Mind Bolt isn't useless, just limited.
It doesn't to much damage, and the cost is too high (these days), but it's got good range on it (100'/level) and it can be cranked up to +8 to strike.
Not a bad sniping tool.

And it's a way that you can inflict MD naked, in a vacuum. You don't need other objects around, you don't need oxygen for fire, etc.

Overall, I'd say that being able to think a bus into pieces isn't that bad of an ability.

Well Mind Bolt is a sore point. As if you have TK super WHY rely on Mind Bolt? It has the same range and you could use anything as weapon, included part of your oppoents (stop beating yourself! AHAHAH). And last longer.
Mind Bolt is...well...hmm yeah as sniping tool is ok I suppose. And if you find naked in space could be funny to deliver MEgadamage. ALbeit most spce setting that allow megadaamge, inply opponents who can dish out meteorites and radiations just by being alive( 2d4 MDC won't scate the most basilar Phase word space suit).
OPn side note being naked in vacuum imply a series of problem for the psionic way much above the simply dishing 2d4 megadamage
Perhaps is not worthless, but surely it hardly classify as super psionic, at least as it is written. Sorry but is true. You know it.

And thinking a bus into pieces? Hmm sure can be done, but only at Higher level and not istantly.(oh wait you were talking with Mind BOlt, as Mid Bolting an SDC bus with a MD mind bolt?.....weeeeeellll don't know. It would depend on the bus. Some could have more than 800 SDC.

I've used TK to throw swords/weapons, but not to shoot guns. I am curious about what you would use the wire for outside of a S.D.C. environment.

TK with guns is rarely thought as viable but is actually quite easy once you get it.
Step a) telekinetically move the gun toward target. Silently, and trying to move it unnoticed.
Step b) move it behind your target head
Step c) pull the trigger
NOTE trigger don't necessary need to be pulled by Telekinesis, in case of high tech energy weapons, you can use telemechanics or electrokinesis to do that, as the trigger is electronical rather than mechanical. Also energy guns have a barely audible sound and no recoil, dislike bullte weapon that oculd be more complicated.

Another trick is to telekinetically lift and point MORE than one gun at same time and SHOT them(TK super allo such shehanningans at higher level). As above this is better suited for electronically triggered weapon, as mechanical trigger count as an extra TK action/movement

Think Levitation as a turret, in this peculiar case.
LEvitation by itself do not allo Horizontal movement. It just keep an object at given height for given time.
BUT nothing say you can't use Telekinesis or even ectoplasm to move stuff horizontally(Levitation take care of the gravity pull so there is less force to fight for TK or ectoplasm). In that case levitation become a floating platform you push around.
Key is to combine properly the psionics

As for the wire. A megadamage wire could be used to : Entangle, whip, disarm, chocke, blind, hogtie, lift easily multiple object(tie them together and TK move the wire), trip, crawl it inside a small crack or kink in the armor. Make it TK stiff and use it a leverage(physics Telekinesi best friend ), surprise attacks, climbing.

Interesting variant is using a blanket made of Megadamage material, imagine Linus VanPeld blanket made of Megadamage kevlar, and you got an entire new universe of options.

[Killer Cyborg]

Well Mind Bolt is a sore point. As if you have TK super WHY rely on Mind Bolt? It has the same range and you could use anything as weapon, included part of your oppoents (stop beating yourself! AHAHAH). And last longer.

Part of the problem is that in the main book, Super TK only inflicted 1d4x10 SDC per 100 lbs, so you'd need to spent something like 200 ISP in order to whap somebody with a 2000 lb object if you wanted to inflict the same damage as Mind Bolt.
But Super TK got power crept so that it can now hurl a 100 lb object for 10x the original damage.
Mind Bolt didn't, so it's relatively low-powered in comparison. That doesn't mean that Mind Bolt sucks, it means that Super TK is super-powerful (one might even say that it's over powered).

Even now, though, Mind Bolt has its uses.
There's not always stuff lying around, and whether you could use your parts of your opponent against himself/herself/itself would be up to the GM.
And Mind Bolt can have +8 to strike, versus TK's +3.

Also, it inflicts partial damage against vampires (and presumably other semi-invulnerable creatures) without relying on wood or silver lying around to pummel the target with.

I agree that Super TK is overall the more useful power (after the x10 boost from the original), but that doesn't mean that Mind Bolt doesn't have any advantages over it under any circumstances.

Perhaps is not worthless, but surely it hardly classify as super psionic, at least as it is written. Sorry but is true. You know it.

Actually, it qualifies as a Super Psionic because only Super Psionic powers can deal ANY mega-damage.
The lesser powers can't.

(Well, minor TK technically could, I guess, if you pump enough ISP into it, but you'd need to spend something like 32 ISP and use a 240 lb object to have a shot at inflicting even 1 MD, and your range would only be 15')

It would depend on the bus. Some could have more than 800 SDC.

True: you might have to think twice.

[Killer Cyborg]

on the other hand, if you start considering that there isn't really any legitimate reason for super TK to not have a tear/pry damage value...

It depends on how the power works, actually.

As stated, the power lets you move objects, not apply force to them in any other ways.

But I have allowed players to inflict that kind of damage before.
IIRC, I calculated it by taking the max weight of the TK being used, finding the Supernatural PS that it would take to lift that much, find the punch damage, and cut that in half.

[taalismn]

Always the dread TK Wedgie.

[The Baron of chaos]

There's not always stuff lying around

Sure if you're fighting in the void of space completely naked. A really common event. Albei I said ther ewould be othe rproblem in that case other than your opponent.

it inflicts partial damage against vampires (and presumably other semi-invulnerable creatures) without relying on wood or silver lying around to pummel the target with.

W-w-wait WHAT?!? Where it is written and why no one told me!!! I knw about Hydrokinesis and Psi-sword but mind bolt is a surprise.

Actually, it qualifies as a Super Psionic because only Super Psionic powers can deal ANY mega-damage.

Hmm i think here the problem is the neither me nor you DO actually know how psionic powers are classified. After all Hydrokinesis do not deal megadamage and is a superpsionic, as well as P.P.E. Shield(uh? for Psionic only Mystic could truly enjoy...) and hypnotic suggestion(it is a psionic power that i don't know, sincerely, how to judge, if is powerful or lame. I don't know. For REAL!! .)

True: you might have to think twice.

And meditate for 40 hours afterward to recover for the psychic strain(40 ISP took 20 hours of meditation to recover at rate of 6 ISP per hour.). Would have been easier to just show a fireball or use electrokinesis or smash to pieces with psi-sword. All cheaper thant Mind Bolt.

[rat_bastard]

Always the dread TK Wedgie.

Or the simple e-clip release or firarm safety flick.

[GaredBattlespike]

Greetings!

My GM allows the use of Super TK on one's self, to fly as is Wingless Flight, but the Psychic's ME is used for the Speed of flight. So when my Mind Melter use Super TK to fly, he is moving at an effective Speed of 20 (his ME) instead of his Running Speed Attribute of 25. This may seem foolish, but it tends to even out as people on the ground have to contend with terrain obstacles, whereas flyers just move straight over the trees, shrubs, swamps, ruined houses (350 years old but still in the way of folks on the ground) ECT...

Also my GM allows me to swap-out Biomanipulation's PAIN, for PLEASURE! Same stats, but for the opposite reason. OK, we know that pleasure shouldn't be a Stop-Them-Against-All-Common-Sense as PAIN is, but it's soooo HARD to WANT to fight off Pleasure....After a few uses, a certain CS Grunt can become a regular customer (and informer) if I can get him/her to see reason. Not too hard for a Mind Melter w/ Empathic Transmission, and Biomanipulation: Pleasure... How did Tolkeen NOT know all the CS plans again??? *sigh*

Good Gaming, GaredBattlespike

[Killer Cyborg]

There's not always stuff lying around

Sure if you're fighting in the void of space completely naked.

Or if you're in a building without any furniture, or in an open field/prairie/desert, or if you're on or in the water.
There's actually a lot of places where there aren't a lot of heavy things to throw.

A really common event. Albei I said ther ewould be othe rproblem in that case other than your opponent.

That there would.
Well, for most characters anyway.

it inflicts partial damage against vampires (and presumably other semi-invulnerable creatures) without relying on wood or silver lying around to pummel the target with.

W-w-wait WHAT?!? Where it is written and why no one told me!!! I knw about Hydrokinesis and Psi-sword but mind bolt is a surprise.

VK 34
The Mind Bolt also inflicts Hit Point damage (rather than SDC) but at half damage.

Silly me, I was thinking that it would do 1d4 damage, half of the 2d4 MD that it inflicts.
But rereading that section, you could use the 6d6 SDC for 20 ISP setting instead.
Which would work out to 3d6 HP damage per 20 ISP. 30 ISP, if you want the extra strike bonus.
Double damage on a nexus.
That's not too shabby.

Actually, it qualifies as a Super Psionic because only Super Psionic powers can deal ANY mega-damage.

Hmm i think here the problem is the neither me nor you DO actually know how psionic powers are classified. After all Hydrokinesis do not deal megadamage and is a superpsionic, as well as P.P.E. Shield(uh? for Psionic only Mystic could truly enjoy...) and hypnotic suggestion(it is a psionic power that i don't know, sincerely, how to judge, if is powerful or lame. I don't know. For REAL!! .)[/quote]

Inflicting MD is restricted to Super Psionic powers, but not necessarily a requirement for them.
So all MD-inflicting psionic powers are Supers, but not all Supers inflict MD.

I think this came up back when Psyscape was new, because it had TK Acceleration Attack as a Physical Skill, but it was later corrected in later books and moved into the Super category.
IIRC, the MD rule was the reason given.
Or maybe it was just intuited.

True: you might have to think twice.

And meditate for 40 hours afterward to recover for the psychic strain(40 ISP took 20 hours of meditation to recover at rate of 6 ISP per hour.).

Well, that depends. RUE states that Meditation recovers ISP at the rate listed under each OCC, or at 6 per hour.
Under the RUE Mind Melter, there is no listed ISP recovery rate (not that I can find), so technically they'd only recover 6 per hour.
But in earlier books, they could always recover 12 per hour of meditation, so I believe that RUE simply forgot to mention it.
It's hard to believe that they'd deliberately cripple Mind Melters.
In which case, you could recover all the lost ISP (and more) in 7 hours.

Also, I think your math is off even at the 6 ISP/Hour rate.
40 ISP should only take about 6.5 hours to recover, not 20, meaning that 80 spent PPE could be recovered in 13-14 hours.

Which still seems like quite a rest, but how long does it take YOU to recover after destroying a bus with your mind?
Personally, I can think all day at a Matchbox car, and not even dent it.

Would have been easier to just show a fireball or use electrokinesis or smash to pieces with psi-sword. All cheaper than Mind Bolt.

If you happen to have those powers, then sure.
But then again, those powers have been boosted over time as well. Originally, the damages weren't listed as MD.
So that Pyrokinetic fire ball only inflicted 6d6 SDC damage.
Again, the problem isn't that Mind Bolt is weak, it's that other powers have been drastically boosted over time through power creep.
We could boost Mind Bolt to compensate, of course, but that's how power creep happens in the first place.

[rat_bastard]

Bio Manipulation: Pleasure is officially the best super psychic power ever.

[Killer Cyborg]

Greetings!

My GM allows the use of Super TK on one's self, to fly as is Wingless Flight, but the Psychic's ME is used for the Speed of flight. So when my Mind Melter use Super TK to fly, he is moving at an effective Speed of 20 (his ME) instead of his Running Speed Attribute of 25. This may seem foolish, but it tends to even out as people on the ground have to contend with terrain obstacles, whereas flyers just move straight over the trees, shrubs, swamps, ruined houses (350 years old but still in the way of folks on the ground) ECT...

Kev once answered a question about this (Collected MOPs) and said that you could use TK to fly, but only at a speed of 7.
(Not that you need to abide by this, just FYI)

Also my GM allows me to swap-out Biomanipulation's PAIN, for PLEASURE! Same stats, but for the opposite reason.

Yeah, I do that too.

I think I got the idea after reading Christopher Stasheff's Quicksilver's Knight.

[taalismn]

Always the dread TK Wedgie.

Or the simple e-clip release or firarm safety flick.

Or flip the light switch in the room. Pull the pin on that grenade on the guy's combat webbing. Or draw the blade from that shoulder scabbard he's wearing and resheath it in his neck.

[dark brandon]

Always the dread TK Wedgie.

Or the simple e-clip release or firarm safety flick.

Or flip the light switch in the room. Pull the pin on that grenade on the guy's combat webbing. Or draw the blade from that shoulder scabbard he's wearing and resheath it in his neck.

As players...how do you all feel when GM uses these tricks on you?

Personally, I hate them...same when the GM uses a magic net or CoA on my characters. In my mind, some of these "ideas" when used against players just seem dirty and poor.

So...how do you guys feel when the GM does this stuff back at you?

[taalismn]

As players...how do you all feel when GM uses these tricks on you?

Personally, I hate them...same when the GM uses a magic net or CoA on my characters. In my mind, some of these "ideas" when used against players just seem dirty and poor.

So...how do you guys feel when the GM does this stuff back at you?

If the GM does use similar tactics, then he has created truly memorable and dastardly opponents for our PCs. We shall honor his thoroughness, hard work, and commitment to roleplaying by raging at his underhandedness, howling at his cruelty, denying him any more pizza, and performing the ritual sacrifice of his personal transportation device to the Gods of Travel.

[The Baron of chaos]

MODERATED for violating the profanity rules. Mack

Foul language will not be tolerated unless all letters of the word are replaced by substitute characters. If you would like to censor a word, use symbols to cover it up completely. That means every letter must be masked. For example, $#!^ is acceptable. $h!t is not. In no way should there EVER be letters or numbers used. Please do not engage in prolific foul language use, such as "#*()$% ^!*()# *^() it all to #@**," regardless of covering up the entire word. In other words, please do not be excessive. If it takes that many symbols to cover up what you need to say, just don't bother saying it. Remember, families, parents, and children visit these boards and we want all people/gamers to feel welcome and comfortable. So please be courteous and use self- restraint. Thank you.

[The Baron of chaos]

hmmm I think i've to excuse me for the use of some bad words ..(the rules had become more strict than I remebered )

don't know that it is 'hate' so much as not wanting it to be over powered.

Well It won't be that bad, If wasn't limited only to Psionic(overpowered compared to who?, to what? To Dragon? Vampires and Cyborgs all wielding weapon that can disintegrate at least 100 or so autobus?.)
Sorry but there are many flaw in the psionic system(albeit is simply that is outdated with the changes of Rifts, in term of new magic and new technologies. Need some further tweak and Mind Bolt , well nothing will make me like it anyway, so is not that important)
And again sorry for using foul language. I did not knew the rules had become more tight.

[Killer Cyborg]

hmmm I think i've to excuse me for the use of some bad words ..(the rules had become more strict than I remebered )

don't know that it is 'hate' so much as not wanting it to be over powered.

Well It won't be that bad, If wasn't limited only to Psionic(overpowered compared to who?, to what? To Dragon? Vampires and Cyborgs all wielding weapon that can disintegrate at least 100 or so autobus?.)

Compared to other psionics, for one thing.
One of the problems with power creep is that it cheapens everything else in comparison.

Also, you're for some reason assuming that a psychic shouldn't be wielding weapons that can disintegrate at least 100 or so autobus.
Psychics can, should, and DO use the same guns as anybody else.



Of course, I don't know what exactly was said that got censored, so I don't know for sure what this conversation is about.

For that matter, I'm not sure what an autobus is.

[Killer Cyborg]

My mind-melter doesn't use exactly the same guns as everyone else, but they are close enough. Strength requirements and all that fun stuff.

As long as you're strong enough to lift a Wilk's 457, you can keep up pretty well with anything that doesn't launch a lot of missiles.
A NG-P7 isn't bad either!

[Dead Boy]

I have a Mind Melter I've just started playing recently and was looking for a bit of inspiration for psionic abilities. Namely their creative uses. So what are some of the things you, the players and game masters, can think of now or have done in the past?

There are a few tricks I've been thinking of to optimize the Mind Melter's advantage.

Psychic Surgery - Riddle me this. How do you get a supernatural creature or nasty D-Bee to cooperate with your party? KO him by alternate means and then insert a small fusion block rigged with a remote detonator inside his abdomen. In fact, any number of small items can be inserted in the body via psychic surgery without leaving any scars, going in or out, for a wide variety of purposes.

Ectoplasmic Disguise - The ultimate way to conceal a weapon, small bomb, or other item while keeping it easy to still get a hold of. Want to smuggle in that [item x]? Just put on a little ecto fat-suit to give yourself a ponch with a little something special hidden inside. Make it reasonably small and you can walk around in a "skin" tight shirt and no one will think the wiser.

Total Recall - Say you need to keep some information secret, and need to make sure it stays that way; what do you do? Have someone write it down, scan the page with your eyes (but don't read), then burn the paper. And if you did read it, or have to write it down yourself, then do everything in your power to distract your mind to prevent it from being remembered correctly. Should you get caught, and interrogated, there's only so much you can reasonably remember. So if you talk (damn bamboo shoots under the fingernails!) or are being interrogated by someone with Telepathy, there's very little they can get out of you. The more material there is... the more complex and exact the information is... the longer ago it was looked at (or read)... the more impossible it is to forcibly extract the info from you, because you don't recall. But when it comes time to deliver or use the info, use the power of Total Recall to conjure up the "visual information". And remember, the effects of Total Recall are not fleeting, they're permanent! So once you recall it, it's in your brain perfectly forever (though you may have to use the power more than once since there's only a 50% chance of getting the desired results).

Electrokinesis - Scenairo: Your psychic is up against ten well-armed bandits, and they've got you cornered. You've got one action before they open up firing-squad-style and reduce you to a blob of molten burnt spam. What do you do?
Solution: Use electrokinesis's sub-power of Manipulate Electrical Devices to deactivate a critical component in every one of their weapons simultaneously, and then open up with your own gun! Now they have a handfull of useless plastic and/or metal to your fully functional mega-damage weapon. How is this possible? Because "the character does not need to see the devices..." (RUE 178), only be aware they are there. As such, to pull off this trick some sort of skill (or combination of skills) may be required by your GM, like basic electronics and/or field armorer and/or jerry rigging (don't ask me why Palladium still hasn't fixed the name of that skill... it is NOT "jury rigging")

Psi-Shield - Scenario: Your and your party of adventurers are in a fire fight. Everyone has the common sense to take cover because if you go out in to the open, it won't take long for your armor to be stripped clean like a bloody cow in piranha infested waters. What do you do?
Solution: Conjure up a psi-shield in a jiffy and use it as mobile cover as you either cross from one spot of cover to the next to get a better shot, or charge one the nearest bad guy's position to take the fight to him. True, it's difficult to parry energy blasts and bullets (and impossible to do so without the WP Shield skill), but you can proactively put it between you and the shooter to use as cover. So while the cover gets chewed up while you run, your armor may only take one or two hits from baddies to the sides who have a more clear line of fire. Also, since the shield only takes one hand, any weapon that can be operated with a single hand can be fired as a Wild Shot as you run and gun towards your target. The down-side is that it limits your weapon options, so plan ahead.

Also my GM allows me to swap-out Biomanipulation's PAIN, for PLEASURE! S

Oh, I like that! Kind of like Chevy Chase in the movie Modern Problems.

VK 34
The Mind Bolt also inflicts Hit Point damage (rather than SDC) but at half damage.

Silly me, I was thinking that it would do 1d4 damage, half of the 2d4 MD that it inflicts.
But rereading that section, you could use the 6d6 SDC for 20 ISP setting instead.
Which would work out to 3d6 HP damage per 20 ISP. 30 ISP, if you want the extra strike bonus.
Double damage on a nexus.
That's not too shabby.

Well, by that logic, since 20 ISP will loose a bolt doing 3D6HP against a vamp, then the 40ISP bolt should virtually annihilate them where the vamps stand, doing 1D4x100HP after the MD to SDC conversion. In that instance, I could see a STRONG argument for the usefulness of Mind Bolt.

[Killer Cyborg]

Well, by that logic, since 20 ISP will loose a bolt doing 3D6HP against a vamp, then the 40ISP bolt should virtually annihilate them where the vamps stand, doing 1D4x100HP after the MD to SDC conversion. In that instance, I could see a STRONG argument for the usefulness of Mind Bolt.

I thought of that. Due to the funky rules of Rifts, though, it would probably only do 2d4 HP.
Or, if they wanted to balance it more reasonably, 1d4x10 HP.
Which still isn't bad.

On the other hand, since it wouldn't KILL the vamps, maybe 1d4x100 HP could work out okay.
Maybe I'll try that sometime.

[Shark_Force]

For that matter, I'm not sure what an autobus is.

not entirely sure what the baron's first language is (it is pretty obviously not english, no offense baron), but in french at least, 'autobus' is the word for bus.

it's pronounced something closeish to "owe-toe-boose" ('boose' is pronounced like 'loose' as in "the knot is coming loose")

so, i'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that the baron is natively a french speaker, or possibly some language similar enough to french to have some of the same root words. and in his language, the word for bus is 'autobus'

[Killer Cyborg]

Electrokinesis - Scenairo: Your psychic is up against ten well-armed bandits, and they've got you cornered. You've got one action before they open up firing-squad-style and reduce you to a blob of molten burnt spam. What do you do?
Solution: Use electrokinesis's sub-power of Manipulate Electrical Devices to deactivate a critical component in every one of their weapons simultaneously, and then open up with your own gun! Now they have a handfull of useless plastic and/or metal to your fully functional mega-damage weapon. How is this possible? Because "the character does not need to see the devices..." (RUE 178), only be aware they are there. As such, to pull off this trick some sort of skill (or combination of skills) may be required by your GM, like basic electronics and/or field armorer and/or jerry rigging (don't ask me why Palladium still hasn't fixed the name of that skill... it is NOT "jury rigging")

I feel a little slow now. I've had electrokinesis for a few sessions and have never thought to use it like that. I'd like to think I would have figured that out eventually, but I'm not really sure. Love the idea and will be making use of it.

Does it say he can manipulate multiple devices in one attack/action?

[The Baron of chaos]

For that matter, I'm not sure what an autobus is.

not entirely sure what the baron's first language is (it is pretty obviously not english, no offense baron), but in french at least, 'autobus' is the word for bus.

it's pronounced something closeish to "owe-toe-boose" ('boose' is pronounced like 'loose' as in "the knot is coming loose")

so, i'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that the baron is natively a french speaker, or possibly some language similar enough to french to have some of the same root words. and in his language, the word for bus is 'autobus'

I'm Italian actually (but is so noticeable? I think I've to practice more) And yes I meant bus.

Also, you're for some reason assuming that a psychic shouldn't be wielding weapons that can disintegrate at least 100 or so autobus.
Psychics can, should, and DO use the same guns as anybody else.

Weeeeeellll yes. In rifts earth they have to, I suppose. Is too bad that in their description is said they won't like to do so and prefer to use their psionic mostly.
Plus some psionic classes (and i'm talking to the -kineticist classes), are kinda weird, becasue the very nature of their power make use of weapon, not very practical (burster as example, for the chronicle I think their damage rate should grow with experience).
It is too bad there are not many fictional example of psionic using weapon as support (ok cable but its because his psionics got weakened). But that's is because psionic in fiction is treated more as superpower than something that consume mental energies to work (on side note I think HU superpowers should get some exahustive effect, ME or PE related...)

I was not talking about 'psionics' as a whole, just TK or Super TK. I agree that Mind Bolt does a relativley low ammount of damage and I have not in the past used it very often. Perhaps there is a sourecook on the horizon for psionics. If they do, let's hope they include something along the lines of 'Psionic Flight'

Mind Bolt is quite confusing and little disappointing as psionic power, even in SDC universe. Also if one see old Palladium games one can't help noticing there have been a significant drop in the power level of some psionic while Magic got widely "pumped" and there have been a certain over production of tech book( GUNS GROW FROM THE VERY SOIL OF RIFTS EARTH!!! People bleed flecchete and puke plasam blast!! Power Armor are like second skin!!
Glitter Boy and SAMAS armors reproducing like rabbit!!! Mech Armor filling the skys like swarm of locust!! Thousand and thousand of robots and absurdely giant vehicles - If is smaller than an hill Triax won't think about it like armored vehicle-If does not have a ridiculous pirate them Coalition won't pay for it- If don't look something you dream from an acid trip angel of death won't even think it as viable robot- And not forget Rune and TW weapon..Atlantis is LITERALLY made of that!!). Also in Rifts earth if you fly trought non technological mean you're SLOW. I wish that was more along the line of Splicer or AtB were at least one could reach 160mph without a jetpack.

[Mad Cow Milk]

I have a Mind Melter I've just started playing recently and was looking for a bit of inspiration for psionic abilities. Namely their creative uses. So what are some of the things you, the players and game masters, can think of now or have done in the past?

Speed reading, literacy and total recall: Read every computer reference library you can get your hands on, activate total recall to get +5% or base level skill at any skill that can have a computer reference library.

Speed reading, total recall and Telemechanics: Telemechanics gives you more or less the complete schematics of any tech device, total recall allows you to remember it as blueprints and speed reading helps you sift through data faster, this makes you the ultimate industrial spy.

I once developed my own psychic power called Telemech-Photography. It allowed me to have super photographic memory while in a computer, granting a +5% bonus to any skill I had a instruction manual for on my computer when using the Speed reading, total recall, and Telemechanics; this skill combo also allowed me to gain add new secondary skill every level (GM approved). The % bonus was reduced to +3% if I used the Speed Read, literacy, and total recall combination (which also granted +5% for a total of +8%).

[ZorValachan]

Always the dread TK Wedgie.

Or the simple e-clip release or firarm safety flick.

Or flip the light switch in the room. Pull the pin on that grenade on the guy's combat webbing. Or draw the blade from that shoulder scabbard he's wearing and resheath it in his neck.

As players...how do you all feel when GM uses these tricks on you?

Personally, I hate them...same when the GM uses a magic net or CoA on my characters. In my mind, some of these "ideas" when used against players just seem dirty and poor.

So...how do you guys feel when the GM does this stuff back at you?

My group has always used what I originally heard as the "molotov cocktail rule". Started in fantasy RPing, when people tried to mix stuff together to make a bomb/grenade type projectile (from a true molotov cocktail, or just as simple as stuffing a rag in a bottle of whiskey). The rule is basically the GM will not do things like this, until the party does them. Sometime, sooner or later, no matter how careful the characters are, someone will see it done, or deduce how it was done and it WILL come back to be used against them. Over times, it has come to encapsule things like the debate over if someone can teleport a rock into someone's brain for an insta-kill, etc. So it leaves it up to each of our parties/groups to determine how far we take the rule. Even in the same group (different games), we've done and not done some of these 'dirty tricks'.

[Shark_Force]

One creative use of telekinesis is to shot with guns.
One could say tha toyu can't aim the gun with telekinesis and this is true, but you can move the gun at POINT BLANK and THEN shot it. Is cool, and very effective.

Ignore mind bolt. Is worthless.

A simple metallic wire is the most vicious tool a telekinesis using psionic could ever wish for. Oh the things you will do with a metallic wire.

mind bolt is a gamebreaker in cities. if u cant strut around in ur pimped out armor & u cant carry ur big buns with u then a psychic or a mage with an mdc attack is an unstopable secret superweapon. Id never use it in a gunfight but its worth buying mind bolt if ur in a game where most towns & cities make you disarm at the gate.

also psi sword. everything about mind bolt applies to psi sword. also psi sword + sdc buildings = instant renovation . its great for cuttin ur way out for a quick escape or causin buildings to collapse.

except that super telekinesis is pretty much better than either of those powers when you're in a city.

in fact, i'm not even convinced mind bolt is better for situations where you need accuracy most of the time... telekinesis may only have a +3 to hit, but you get to make most likely well over 15 attacks with it. unless you really really really absolutely 100% need to hit on the first shot, i'm not convinced mind bolt is ever even worth it from an accuracy POV, as it stands.

[GaredBattlespike]

Greetings!

In regards to Mind Bolt, this has been hashed and re-hashed ad nauseum. The long and short is this: Some people will take this Power because they like it/can find uses for it. Other people will NOT take it. For myself, I MIGHT take it, but only if I do a LOT of Astral Projection. In the Astral, you need Ectoplasm Power instead of TK, because there is NO physical objects to TK-just Ectoplasm. That's it for Mind Bolt from me. We now return to our regularly scheduled Thread, already in progress...

Good Gaming, GaredBattlespike

[Killer Cyborg]

The long and short is this: Some people will take this Power because they like it/can find uses for it. Other people will NOT take it.

For myself, one reason I might take it is simply because I like to roll randomly for powers sometimes.
People don't always get to choose their genetic mutations.
Also, different characters have different personalities, and some fit Mind Bolt better than TK. Or vice-versa.


But yeah, some people will use it, some won't.

[The Baron of chaos]

But yeah, some people will use it, some won't.

Yes, thats absolutely true.

[rat_bastard]

Bio Manipulation: Pleasure is officially the best super psychic power ever.

i choose to fail my save!

Its really the sort of thing that addiction rules where made for.

[The Baron of chaos]

Since we are here....
Do you think is possible to combine Telekinetic punch and either Telekinetic acceleration attack or TK Super to deliver Megadamage punch?(TK punch is another psionic that simply I do not get, at least not completely. Very Good for SDC combat, but much less agains tarmored opponent.....
Ya know I suddenly had a quite weird question, no one had ever thought before(except perhaps regarding Wormwood). If two humans in full MDC armor brwal barehanded without weapon how it will end. If will never end

[Shark_Force]

Since we are here....
Do you think is possible to combine Telekinetic punch and either Telekinetic acceleration attack or TK Super to deliver Megadamage punch?(TK punch is another psionic that simply I do not get, at least not completely. Very Good for SDC combat, but much less agains tarmored opponent.....

as written, no. however, logically if you grab a person and smack something else using that person for, say, 10 MD, the person should likewise be taking 10 MD (since they are not built for hitting things with, so they don't have the proper structure to not get pulverized when used as a weapon). this isn't *explicitly* stated or anything, but it's the only logical way to see it... if you drive a car into a person, the car will damage the person, but the person will also damage the car. if you TK a person into the ground, the person will damage the ground... but the ground will also damage the person.

Ya know I suddenly had a quite weird question, no one had ever thought before(except perhaps regarding Wormwood). If two humans in full MDC armor brwal barehanded without weapon how it will end. If will never end

body flip/throw should still work fine, logically. but then again, *logically* so should falling damage, and that's got all kinds of stupid rules for use in mega-damage armor (something ridiculous like 1d6 damage per 70 feet, as i recall, to a person inside a suit of MDC body armor).

so probably it's more along the lines of the best grappler. once you have someone pinned, you pop their helmet off and then start smacking them in the face with MDC durable gauntlets, which i imagine would be quite painful.

[dark brandon]

i play a lotta mage so i _expect_ the gm to be as creative as us about screwin everyone over with creative uses of kewl powerz.

why? were u goin somewhere with this?

Just curious. In talking about it, many people seem to be ok with it. Remove a pin from the grenade, or unlock an Eclip, shoot 10 guns...ect...In actual play though it can be frustrating and even seem unfair and some people will say one thing, assuming actual theory but in actual play will get frustrated feel cheated.

Personally, I see one or two ideas get tossed in here and think "I'd never allow it in my game, and I'd fight to all heck to make sure the GM I was playing with didn't allow it either" simply because I wouldn't want it to happen to my character. No real defense, somewhat simplistic so your average MM could do it and he wouldn't be "genius" for doing it. Of course I have a growing intolerance for RPG's in general and actually sitting down and thinking about it, I spend more time being frustrated than enjoying myself. So, instead of crying about it, I focused on what I thought was wrong and why I felt the way I did and what I can do to fix it.

ZorValachan has probably the best way to go about it, generally speaking. It won't be used till the players use it.

I wonder, would something like "removing an eclip, shooting a gun, removing the pin from a grenade" fall under that rule, or because they would be "obvious" the GM has the ability to use it?

[Shark_Force]

for buildin redecoration psisword is hella up there with superTK. its a megadamage effect that lasts for a looooot of attacks & does way more damage in a single hit than most sdc walls & doors can handle & its instadeath for any sdc dude who comes near u even if theres nothing u can throw at him & u can go to town on MDC vehicles while nobodys looking

with super TK, you don't need anything to throw at the guy, so long as you have something (such as the ground) to throw the guy at.

[dark brandon]

I can see where you are coming from, but my GM actually 'taught' me that little trick by having it performed on one of my other characters. He had a bandoleer with three grenades on it and the main villain at the time, a Mind Melter, simply pulled the pins and had him destroyed. Taught me never to wear grenades where someone can see them.

Honestly, I would have asked the gm not to do it for 2 reasons.

1) It's cheap. As a player I would feel cheated and pissed. There is no positive gain by doing this. This is strickly a "xxxx with the player" thing. Dieing can be made fun at least it can be done in a way that the player doesn't feel cheated.

2) I don't want to do this to other people/NPC's. Once again...it's cheap. I'm better than that.

[dark brandon]

You're right, it is cheap, and sure you may be better than that, but is the Mind Melter that has been going around terrorizing people and kidnapping children better than that? Maybe not.

I was referring to game play, not IG morality. By "cheap" and "better than that" meaning that I think it makes a game overall less fun for both players and GM's. A player may use it to get some quick kills, but they don't strike any real creative cord or insight, thus the "better than that". If a GM uses it, it's a quick meaningless death that usually brought about no fun so I refer to it as "cheap".

So, in this case, if the MM is controled by the GM and he's doing this, I'd say the GM is being "cheap".

Like I said, don't read too much into this, as it's my own problem with gaming.

I'm still curious as to what the rest of the people who are posting ideas would feel if used against their characters, and how they felt and how they go about afterwords.

[Killer Cyborg]

Telepathy is incredibly powerful.
It "only" lets you read surface thoughts, but that's all you need.

You capture somebody that you need to get information from. You activate Telepathy before interrogating them.
Just asking them a question will make them think of the answer, bringing it to the surface of their mind.
It doesn't matter if they say it or not.
And they don't get a saving throw unless they think that you're trying to read their mind, and are actively concentrating on stopping you.
It's the ultimate interrogation tool.

I really like this clever use of Telepathy. I liked it better where it was originally presented, however, the AD&D Dark Sun novel trilogy Tribe of One.

Never read it.
Never too keen on the Dark Sun setting.

Worked well in the book but I don't think everyone is automatically thinking of the answer to the question so you can probe it with Telepathy. I'd say there's a chance of it but its not guaranteed. The victim could be thinking about anything, really.

Not really.
If they're aware of the question, that awareness will make them think of the answer.
It's part of the process of comprehending the question.

A person can try to block this impulse, or hide it, or cover it up in some way, if they think somebody's reading their mind.
That would be the saving throw.

[Killer Cyborg]

If they're aware of the question, that awareness will make them think of the answer.It's part of the process of comprehending the question.

Gotta disagree, man. If someone asks you a question, and all you can do is automatically think of the answer and never think of anything else, not even something peripheral to the question, it might be time to talk to a neurologist.

I still say there a good possibility of it, but its not automatic. Needs a dice roll for the sake of realism and fair play.

Again, it's part of the process of comprehension.
The only way to avoid it is to not comprehend.

It's like the old "don't think of an elephant" bit; by the time you're done reading the word "elephant," you've already thought of it.