NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

This is a place for G.M.s and GM wannabes to share ideas and their own methods of play. It is not a locked forum so be aware your players may be watching!

Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones

User avatar
Snuffy
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Prospect, Connecticut
Contact:

NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Snuffy »

Rifts RUE

I have an idea for a character that has had their mind wiped and replaced with false identity.

I don't believe this could be done with technology, but perhaps using magic and/or psionics.

How would you guys handle this? Multiple options would be great.

There is a character from the past of this playing group I would like to have this NPC "think" they are as a person. I believe it could make for some interesting RP sessions.
User avatar
Glistam
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 3631
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2005 2:09 pm
Comment: The silent thief of Rozrehxeson.
Location: Connecticut
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Glistam »

Snuffy wrote:Rifts RUE

I have an idea for a character that has had their mind wiped and replaced with false identity.

I don't believe this could be done with technology, but perhaps using magic and/or psionics.

How would you guys handle this? Multiple options would be great.

There is a character from the past of this playing group I would like to have this NPC "think" they are as a person. I believe it could make for some interesting RP sessions.


The psionic power of Mind Wipe, followed by the psionic power (available in Palladium Fantasy, page 175) of Insert Memory, would do the trick.

For magic, the first thought that comes to mind is a Level 15 spell from Nightbane Book 3: Through the Glass Darkly (page 63), called "Someone Makes Them."
Zerebus: "I like MDC. MDC is a hundred times better than SDC."

kiralon: "...the best way to kill an old one is to crash a moon into it."

Image

Temporal Wizard O.C.C. update 0.8 | Rifts random encounters
New Fire magic | New Temporal magic
Grim Gulf, the Nightlands version of Century Station

Let Chaos Magic flow in your campaigns.
User avatar
Alrik Vas
Knight
Posts: 4810
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:20 pm
Comment: Don't waste your time gloating over a wounded enemy. Pull the damn trigger.
Location: Right behind you.

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Alrik Vas »

I by no means find it surprising that there is a mechanic for making someone into someone else via psionics. I'm pretty sure Palladium authors make abilities like those with these exact ideas in mind.
Mark Hall wrote:Y'all seem to assume that Palladium books are written with the same exacting precision with which they are analyzed. I think that is... ambitious.

Talk from the Edge: Operation Dead Lift, Operation Reload, Operation Human Devil, Operation Handshake, Operation Windfall 1, Operation Windfall 2, Operation Sniper Wolf, Operation Natural 20
User avatar
Snuffy
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Prospect, Connecticut
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Snuffy »

Thanks Glistam!

Any other ideas?
guardiandashi
Hero
Posts: 1437
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:21 am

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by guardiandashi »

Snuffy wrote:Thanks Glistam!

Any other ideas?

I am sure you COULD do it with tech, but it would most likely be complicated and time consuming. It would most likely involving drugs and techniques similar to training.

basically you use drugs, nano stuff or similar to suppress existing memory /personality.

you then implant the new personality by "telling them what you want them to believe.

the big problem as I see it is that the brain is apparently difficult to truly "erase" and tends to bring back or reconnect to the old information (memories) at inconvenient times.
User avatar
Severus Snape
Hero
Posts: 1214
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:46 pm
Comment: You ought to be careful. People will think you're....up....to something.
Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Severus Snape »

If it's an NPC, does it matter how it was done?
User avatar
Snuffy
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Prospect, Connecticut
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Snuffy »

Severus Snape wrote:If it's an NPC, does it matter how it was done?

It depends on your approach. If it is just a flavor character that will be passing by a certain amount of hand wavium would be okay to myself, but anything more involved should have some depth to the creation.

guardiandashi - Thank you!
User avatar
Glistam
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 3631
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2005 2:09 pm
Comment: The silent thief of Rozrehxeson.
Location: Connecticut
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Glistam »

Page 96 of World Book 13 has a paragraph or two talking about "Personality Implants," but there's no detail there, just that Desmond Bradford has a team working on it.
Zerebus: "I like MDC. MDC is a hundred times better than SDC."

kiralon: "...the best way to kill an old one is to crash a moon into it."

Image

Temporal Wizard O.C.C. update 0.8 | Rifts random encounters
New Fire magic | New Temporal magic
Grim Gulf, the Nightlands version of Century Station

Let Chaos Magic flow in your campaigns.
User avatar
Snuffy
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Prospect, Connecticut
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Snuffy »

Glistam wrote:Page 96 of World Book 13 has a paragraph or two talking about "Personality Implants," but there's no detail there, just that Desmond Bradford has a team working on it.

Ever think about changing your screen name to Wikipedia? :D

Thanks Again! And fun game last night.
User avatar
Rimmerdal
Knight
Posts: 3962
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:24 pm
Comment: Official Member of the 'Transformers don't need Humans Club'

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Rimmerdal »

Funny you mention this I have PF character who was a slave and Mind mage and did this...she ended taking a vow silence till she could some how redeem her self.
As Des...is like a honeybadger...what Des wants, Des gets.
taalismn wrote:
Rimmerdal wrote:mmm Rifts street meat..


Flooper. Fried, broiled, or chipped.
It's like eating Chinese.
FLOOP! And you're hungry again.
User avatar
say652
Palladin
Posts: 6609
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:32 am
Comment: Avid Cyborg and Braka Braka enthusiast.
Location: 'Murica

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by say652 »

Keep the characters powers at the "old" level and assign new skills for whatever occ he thinks he is. Maybe keep skills that mesh and start them at level-0 in their "new" occ
User avatar
Svartalf
Champion
Posts: 2817
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:39 pm
Comment: Beware of the Friar Tuck type putting on the French Maid outfit!
Location: Paris, France
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Svartalf »

I'm pretty sure the Angel of Death from Germany/Mindwerks could do that without breaking a sweat.
Image
Svartalf - Flamboyantly Fresh Franco of Freedom Freakin' Fries : Shadyslug
Embrace the Darkness, it needs a hug - Cherico
PC stands for "patronizing cretin" G'mo
I name you honorary American Subjugator & Ratbastard
User avatar
glitterboy2098
Rifts® Trivia Master
Posts: 13389
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:37 pm
Location: Missouri
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

Svartalf wrote:I'm pretty sure the Angel of Death from Germany/Mindwerks could do that without breaking a sweat.

not sure it counts if it literally involves swapping brains though..
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70)
Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project)
Image
* All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.
* Good sense about trivialities is better than nonsense about things that matter.

-Max Beerbohm
Visit my Website
User avatar
random_username
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 295
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 7:41 pm
Comment: Just an old dude Gamer (GM and Player) who had the honor of gaming with several great groups of folks over the years.
Location: Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada.
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by random_username »

Just a few examples:

The Splugorth do this to their Bio-Borgs (W21 Splynn).

The AI for one of the Australian Tech cities can do a personality adjustment eliminating one insanity and shifting alignment one step towards/further good. (W19 Australia). Just some basics from long-standing advanced human tech limited to focusing on reforming criminal citizens.

Set (W4 Africa) was even able to wipe a good portion of Isis' memory/self-identity (see her human form for Gathering of Heroes vs the Apocalypse Demons).

And of course the ultimate version of such an effect is Thoth (just can't seem to get rid of those pesky old ones).

The Azlum effect (W2 Atlantis) can have several personality change combinations.
If something makes the RPG experience better that's great. If not don't use it.

If not overly informative hopefully it was at least mildly amusing. Munchkin Clown Away! <fwoosh... honk, honk>
User avatar
Snuffy
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Prospect, Connecticut
Contact:

Re: NPC Character Idea - How to make it legit?

Unread post by Snuffy »

Thanks random_username!
Locked

Return to “G.M.s Forum”