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Full Version: SR5 Control Thoughts vs. Control Actions?
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Knight Saber
What's the difference between Control Thoughts and Control Actions in SR5? The drain codes are the same. Control Actions makes the mage use his own skills when controlling a target, meaning he won't be able to make that heavy machine gunner turn on his friends effectively (Unless he has some grenades, or a railing to hurl himself over).

Control Thoughts uses the target's own skills and requires a "standard action," whatever that is… if it's a Simple one, then there's no reason at all to use Control Actions… and if it's a Complex Action to use, then there's STILL no reason to use Control Actions.

What am I missing here?
Backgammon
Well, the only thing I see is this:

A victim of mental manipulation spell may roll to
notice the magical effect according to the usual rules
for Perceiving Magic (p. 280). Some of the less subtle
mental spells (Control Actions) are pretty obvious, but
more subtle spells (like Control Thoughts) can be pretty
insidious.

So, using Control Actions means the guy is pretty much automatically aware he's being manipulated, but not necessarely so for Control Thoughts. So, really, that just lends to your argument there is no situation you'd want Control Actions. My thought would be the drain code on Control Actions is wrong and should be lower. If it's not - no use in this spell.
DMiller
The two time I could see Control Actions used rather than Control Thoughts:
1. You need the target to do something for which she doesn't have the skill, but the spell caster does.
2. You want the target to know they are being manipulated.
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