Re: [BNW] Telekinesis

["iguana.1031" <iguana.1031@gateway.net>]

Remember - even though Endurance or Fatigue or Power Points aren't used in
BNW, using powers is physically taxing and should tire a lower STR hero
before a higher STR one.  (This is my humble opinion, not a game mechanic.)

Also - Telekenesis is Strength that you can use at range.  Giving it the
same cost and effect as raw STR is unfair to Goliaths, Scrappers and
everyone else who spends the same points but can't lift or hit someone
across a parking lot.


> I am starting a BNW game and am really looking forward to it.  Although
I'm
> not new to superhero types of games, I have a question about the
Telekinetic
> power package.  This question is for anyone, not just Matt, but his input
> would be greatly appreciated as well.
>
> It says in Ravaged Planet that the Telekinetic inflicts damage in combat
by
> using her Smarts rather than her Strength when she attacks using the
power.
> Okay, that makes sense and it is a nice compliment to physical combat; use
Str
> ength for damage with a physical attack, use Smarts for damage with a
mental
> attack.  Given that nice parallel, I'm wondering why that parallel between
> physical and mental strength isn't carried over to lifting objects.  Why
> isn't Smarts used just like Strength for moving objects, rather than
limiting
> the Telekinetic to moving only up to Size 3 objects as it says in Ravaged
> Planet?  In other words, why not just use the rules on page 142 of the BNW
> rulebook for carrying and lifting objects, and instead of using Strength
use S
> marts any time the Telekinetic hero lifts objects with her power?  It
would
> still limit a starting Telekinetic hero to moving only size 8 objects at a
> maximum (maximum starting Smarts of 5d6 +3 for lifting or moving objects
as
> per the rule at the bottom of page 142) which is still weaker than the
> Goliath package.  But (and I don't normally say this because I think
> telekinesis is a very "powerful" power because of the many things you can
do
> with it regardless of how much you can lift) I think doing it this way
makes
> more sense given how physical strength is handled in the game system.  For
> example, it seems a little odd to me that a Strength 5d6 and a Smarts 5d6
> character inflict the same average damage with their respective attacks
> (physical punch vs. telekinetic attack), but the Strength 5d6 hero can
lift
> around 650 lbs. with her Strength while the Telekinetic hero can lift only
50
> lbs. with her power).  I also think that it raises the power level of the
> Telekinetic power package a bit to make it more comparable to other power
> packages, at least on a physical versus mental "brute strength" level.
>
> Maybe I'm missing something here.  I have not used this power package in a
> game yet, so maybe it doesn't need this "helping hand" rule modification
to
> be equal to the other packages.  Maybe it's a "realism" thing in that
having
> to project mental energy out from the body to the object being moved
weakens
> the power of the telekinesis considerably, so therefore the hero can't
lift
> as much weight.  Maybe I'm just too anal retentive and like all my rules
to
> fit together into nice neat packages of consistency too much and I just
need
> to lighten up <laugh>!
>
> Any thoughts?  How does this package "work" in an actual game?  I am going
to
> have at least one PC and probably several supporting characters who have
this
> power, and I think it is a "must" in any superhero game, so I was just
> wondering how it works as is and if other people have modified it at all.
> Also, for those of you who have used this power package, do you think the
> modification that I am proposing is out of line and will greatly unbalance
> the game?  Yeah, yeah, I totally buy all that stuff about this being my
game
> and I can do with it what I want, but I like at least some game balance,
and
> I am not completely comfortable with the "ins and outs" of the system yet
to
> be able to make that judgment for myself totally about whether my
> modification will greatly screw things up.
>
> Thanks for your input.  Long live the Defiance!
>
> Guide Matt