How does Control Thoughts work? Options

[BobChuck]

Okay, thank you for the information.

So, has this... has this actually happened at any point? I mean, during a "missions" game?

If someone pulls something like this in a home game, the "fair play" gloves come off and the character dies rather messily soon after, that much I get - it's the D&D equivalent of stabbing the chest/putting a knife to the throat of the king in his throne room, or the WoD equivalent of trying to light the local Prince on fire in Elysium. When a character does something this monumentally stupid, the structure of the setting comes down on him hard and permanently. Exactly how it should be handled is up to the GM - mild stupidity results in punishment but not "forced retirement", but the really bad stuff means "new character, likely with reduced XP/Gear".

But in a missions game, where there are established shared rules and deviating does not work so well, plus with the players paying to play, things get more complicated. So maybe the official rules need to be expanded? How do we, as wee little internet folk, go about suggesting this?

[Wasabi]

I'm just a player, but am very active with SRM's so I'll say that I think peer pressure, sportsmanship and a mutual desire for courtesy are all thats needed. Most of the points of contention in previous posts stem from either ignorance of how it works by RAW or social problems like selfish, dominating behavior.

[Abschalten]

As a PLAYER, I have only ever used Control Thoughts on another player once, and that was because he pulled a gun on me and was about to blow me away. And all I did was make him throw the weapon away. Overpowered, sure, but I used great restraint with it as well. Responsible use of Control Thoughts should be like that.

Now on NPCs I had no qualms about using Control Thoughts. They're meat puppets. Fuck 'em. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[KarmaInferno]

It's generally frowned on, since it's disruptive to game play on the whole, and I'd encourage Missions GMs not to let groups just kill a fellow PC because they feel like it (I know a few guys who used to sign up for RPGA events as a group, and make it a point to get any strangers that played with them killed. These same tools also used to get a kick out of killing new players who showed up at their Vampire LARP too, because they thought it was funny.).

But, by the same token, if one player is being completely disruptive to the rest of the group, and neither you, your fellow players, nor the GM can get him to settle down and "play nice", then... Yeah, ace him. I know Rush (My Street Sammy) would plant three Thunderbolt rounds in the guys temple in a heartbeat. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bull

I will say that my Missions rigger character has, on occasion, distributed "friend or foe" beacons to his party members "so my drones know who not to shoot at".

Of course what's not stated is that "friend" and "foe" signals can be reversed if necessary, and of course the less mentioned about the hermetically sealed and shielded remote detonatable explosive charges in the beacons the better.

Fortunately, the character has never actually had to use the beacon's secondary features.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)



-karma

[Wraith235]

this is why I urge ppl to read other spells that are similar


Control Actions

the Caster of this spell controls the physical actions of a target like a pupeteer pulling strings. the victims concous is unaffected, but the caster controls the victims body. The Target uses any skills or abilities at the casters orders, but these tests suffer a dice pool modifier equal to the targets Willpower because of the victims resistance to the casters commands. Controlling a target character requires the caster to spend a simple action; when not directly controlled the victim may act as normal
(Mob control follows)

Control Thoughts
The caster siezes control of the targets mind, directing everything the target does. The caster mentaly gives commands with a simple action and the target is compelled to obey
(Mob mind Follows)


now ...Bear this in mind .... I am used to playing game systems where the Rules have to be scrutenized for every detail and then compared to others that are similar, yes I know it makes for a LOT of study

by this Method .... I look at the 2 and analyze .... 1 says that "when not directly controlled the victm may act as normal" now the reason for this is the mind is Free

Think about it this way ..... If you cannot think .... can you control your own actions under normal circumstances
example .... your having surgery ... they Anesthatize you .... once your out ... can you do anything conciously untill you wake up ?

answer is no

now before I go too much further ... I despise thses spells 100% with the exception of Influence ....as that one isnt Game breaking IMHO

Never has there been a game system that has not allowed more checks to shake things off when you do something GROSSLY against your characters interests

by the RAW and the comparison of 2 similar spells .... IMHO once you are affected by the spell ... your a veg untill commanded by your master ....

[Wasabi]

When I re-read the part "directing everything the target does" that makes it pretty clear that Control Thoughts does shut someone down even before telling them 'Do nothing.'

Its needs the errata-bat to change it to "can direct everything the target does" but that isn't currently the case.

[LurkerOutThere]

You can make that determination as long as you like, my read is that if it is a requirement the target sits there and drools that would have been spelled out explicitly.

[Wasabi]

No worries. I prefer it like that anyway so you wont get any fight outta me on it!