Page 1 of 1
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:11 pm
by Library Ogre
I'd allow using TK to disarm. They could either use a wielded item or, if the target was long enough, pure TK force. I'd say a base of +3 (same as bonus to strike) wouldn't be unreasonable.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:22 pm
by dark brandon
Depends, but sure.
TK basically equals 1 ISP per 1 Pt of PS.
So, basically, the psionic would decide how much ISP he's put into it then try to pull it. It would be his ISP + D20 roll vs. opponents PS + D20 roll
Normal TK is basically 8 ISP for a PS of 2.
Super TK is basically 10 ISP for a PS of 10
Just add 1 more ISP to increase the PS by 1.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:01 pm
by Khanibal
Maybe with an upper limit of the character's M.E. attribute?
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:28 am
by dark brandon
Khanibal wrote:Maybe with an upper limit of the character's M.E. attribute?
Personally, I wouldn't, because I enjoy the more free-form of it...but that's not a bad idea.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:48 am
by Library Ogre
FWIW, I made the maximum PS of TK ME+level in my kinetics article in #44.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:04 pm
by Library Ogre
Rogue_Scientist wrote:Mark Hall wrote:FWIW, I made the maximum PS of TK ME+level in my kinetics article in #44.
You made it regular strength? That...sucks. And completely does away with the whole "spend more ISP to lift more weight" theory.
Imo, GMs and game developers alike tend to try to to neuter or reign in TK. It's a ******** approach, imo, especially when Psionics in Rifts are rather underwhelming in general.
Regular TK is regular strength. Super TK is Supernatural Strength. You can spend up to your maximum, but you can spend less than your maximum if you wish.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:45 pm
by dark brandon
Rogue_Scientist wrote:The strength used to grip a weapon is considerably less than their total strength. Besides, any attempt to disarm is likely to use tangential force, which puts the defender at a significant disadvantage.
While this is true IRL, for ease of game play, I'd choose to ignore reality, and just go with the simplistic strength, and would give the defender a fair chance.
Some may opt differently, as is their prerogative, but I tend to go ease of play route, this way there is never any question.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:47 pm
by dark brandon
Mark Hall wrote:Rogue_Scientist wrote:Mark Hall wrote:FWIW, I made the maximum PS of TK ME+level in my kinetics article in #44.
You made it regular strength? That...sucks. And completely does away with the whole "spend more ISP to lift more weight" theory.
Imo, GMs and game developers alike tend to try to to neuter or reign in TK. It's a ******** approach, imo, especially when Psionics in Rifts are rather underwhelming in general.
Regular TK is regular strength. Super TK is Supernatural Strength. You can spend up to your maximum, but you can spend less than your maximum if you wish.
The only reason I didn't do the maxiumum was because of SN strength. I can't remember what we made the equivilant conversion, but it went something like
1 PS=10 Augmented
10 augmented=1 robotic
10 robotic = 1 sn.
Definatly not by the book though.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:40 pm
by Library Ogre
My view of TK is psychic force acting directly on the aura of the object; you're not lifting the clipboard so much as lifting the aura of the clipboard, which takes the physical item with it. As such, it allows a saving throw when used against things inside a substantial aura (living and/or intelligent, and objects within that aura).
Ectoplasm, by comparison, is taking an aura and infusing it with psychic energy in order to make it semi-solid. The basic power takes your own aura, which is why it can feel pain and causes damage to you when destroyed.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:29 pm
by dark brandon
Flint wrote:You THINK you saw that SOMEPLACE. Thank you for that wonderful help. Now I don't have the page right here but dosen't the first Palladium book describe TK as invisble tentacles reaching out from the psionicist? Now, every post and discussion that I have seen/had seems to take it for granted that TK is invisible, almost like how air is invisble. Hense the sonar comment i made in my last post, so whereas I did not say that it couldn't be dodged or blocked I said that almost no-one would be able to see it coming so almost no-one would be even be aware that an attack was coming or from where which I think that most people would agree is probally pretty important when trying to avoid something. Or maybe it's just me, I don't know I don't have the whole 'I THINK I saw my knee-jerk opinion SOMEPLACE' skill to fall back on, so I can't roll it and so I had to go through all the effort to actually come up with a real argument.
No, the first palladium book does not describe it as "invisible tentacles". Ectoplasm vapor form is described as an invisible tenticle.
As such, there are no right and wrong answers.
I say (and this is simply my opinion) that if it can be used on someone it is a visible force. It gives a +3 to strike when using TK, though this is with the object. As such, an invisible or even a hidden attack would probably garner a much higher bonus to strike (most invisible attacks have a 8-9 penalty to dodge invisible attacks). So, with a +3 to strike, the person who is going to be hit must be aware before hand the object is coming somehow. I simply view it as an object glowing.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:41 am
by dark brandon
gadrin wrote:I'd just say as a GM I'd be loathe to give the players a "this always works power" because they're liable to do it, over and over and over...
Then, of course you start doing it to them
>
I really dislike this type of idea. A PC group can do it a lot...while NPC's maybe not so much. After all, if you(the gm) always have a psychic (In every battle) with TK who tries to disarm someone in the group every "battle" this begins to get old. Personally, I like to keep things on a somewhat even scale.
Re: Telekinesis to disarm?
Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:00 pm
by dark brandon
Flint wrote:Whoah whoah whoah fellas, let's not get carried away. This is not an always works power by anymeans. And for every action is there not an equel (and sometimes bloodier) reaction? Yes TK can be very nice, it can also be very draining. And what are you a bunch of Nancies that will let your players bully you like little school girls that went down the wrong alley after school? YOU ARE GMs!!! You must rise to this occaision, yeah sure they get a nice little trick, Boo Hoo, quit your crying, you don't have to use it back at them over and over again. That's jsut cheap, go ahead, let them rely on that trick, let them get mentally weak, lullled into complanecy, let several of them build phycic cbabies that cling to their TK blanket to keep the big bad monsters away while they suck on their nooks. That's when you have them, after their all nice and cozy, lazy and fat. Then drop them in a fight with a psi-nullifier and company, see if you can't get a TPK becuase of the lack of real fighters, or pop them with Blind warrior woman, or elementals. Something that is too big to be hit with TK, or that attacks from underneath the ground, uses natural weapons with MDC. There has to be a 1000 ways to slap a unimaginitive TK sissy down. And if several of them used it more the better, start letting them carve those PC kills on your GM screen for you. You just provided the situation, they are the ones that got lazy and didn't plan for it. It is YOUR game, you play too, and your part is not be heavy handed but let them hang themselves with it, to challenge them to continually improve. Not to belly-up in submission at the first sign of a challenge. Now go out there and make them quiver!!
You...are here |..........................................................................| I'm right here.
It seems more to me that you're willing to belly-up, and allow something like this that would be easily abused able just so you can get some ego boost when you smack them down for becomeing comfortable in allowing something you used.
I play rifts... a game. I don't get jollies from PC kills and I don't get jollies from "letting my players become fat and unimaginative" nor do I get jollies from using tricks and gimicks when I play a character.
I play a game. And my players...also know they play a game. The general consensus of our group is..."it's a game". Meaning things like "little tricks" that can be easily fixed with a little rule is pretty much group wide.
I dunno, maybe you enjoy that sort of thing, but I tend to nip things in the bud before they become a problem. I like scale.
I haven't forgotten this is a game...maybe you should review it for yourself, and remember that it is just a game. Just because you "can" do something, doesn't mean you "should".