Forums of the Megaverse®

I have a Psytech in my game who took the TK Shield as it's Double up super weapon.

The players are level 7 and this is putting out like 300MDC Shield the players can use as cover.

This in it's self isn't an issue as it just makes combat longer.

The Biggest Problem i have with the psytech is any tech at all he can copy take over or just turn off. Example Achie Bot. Using the shield he puts it around the bot, gets into 5 feet and turns it off. And turns off the AutoDestruct. Giving him access to Achie Tech and he can make more.

How do you deal with Psytechs?

Do you mean that yout PsiTech is from Psyscape and has the training that allows him to get the 300MDC TK Force Field instead of 150 MDC at 7th level?

With any character that is uber-strong in a given field you need to put him in situations that put him off balance. Limit the tech that he is exposed to, he is unable to affect cybernetics or bionics that are attached to a living creature. If you are hell bent on having an ARCHIE 3 adventure, then you could say that ARCHIE robots use biosystem component that "fool" psychics into thinking that they are borgs. Not canon but a plausible solution.
Put him up against flesh and blood monsters, spell casters, long range opponents, psychics or anything that doesn't rely solely on tech. I believe TW items are immune to most telemechanic powers also and remember that ARCHIE robots are advanced Neural Intelligences and can be considered sentient machines which are immune to said telemechanic psionics.

Anthar wrote:Do you mean that yout PsiTech is from Psyscape and has the training that allows him to get the 300MDC TK Force Field instead of 150 MDC at 7th level?

With any character that is uber-strong in a given field you need to put him in situations that put him off balance. Limit the tech that he is exposed to, he is unable to affect cybernetics or bionics that are attached to a living creature. If you are hell bent on having an ARCHIE 3 adventure, then you could say that ARCHIE robots use biosystem component that "fool" psychics into thinking that they are borgs. Not canon but a plausible solution.
Put him up against flesh and blood monsters, spell casters, long range opponents, psychics or anything that doesn't rely solely on tech. I believe TW items are immune to most telemechanic powers also and remember that ARCHIE robots are advanced Neural Intelligences and can be considered sentient machines which are immune to said telemechanic psionics.

Yes he is a Psitech from Psyscape. And selected the TK Force Field has it's Super Super Psy Power.

Not giving him tech isn't the issue it's that all tech is useless. Not to mention just about every NPC gets a bubble around them perventing them from even moving (If they aren't tech and have long range) those that do have tech and have long range he uses a Sealth suit to get close to and poof, control or bubble. Keep in mind this is just one player.

Plus he is wanting to build things like bigger guns, better guns, extend the range, damage, Etc etc.

Wear him down, all those psionics cost ISP. Some NPCs can fight back from behind a TK force field (Psionics and certain Magic) and the PsiTech will have to drop the dome to attack them. As for the upgrades, make it as difficult or as easy as you like. After scrapping some expensive equipment through some not so succcessful attempts at some upgrades the PsiTech will become more cautious about what they do to their equipement. If they are tinkering with tech give them some penalties to the die rolls, check out HU for penalties on construction/fabrication not to mention the resources required to do his work.

Anthar wrote:Wear him down, all those psionics cost ISP. Some NPCs can fight back from behind a TK force field (Psionics and certain Magic) and the PsiTech will have to drop the dome to attack them. As for the upgrades, make it as difficult or as easy as you like. After scrapping some expensive equipment through some not so succcessful attempts at some upgrades the PsiTech will become more cautious about what they do to their equipement. If they are tinkering with tech give them some penalties to the die rolls, check out HU for penalties on construction/fabrication not to mention the resources required to do his work.

Check the psiTech rules, he can't fail LOL.

Against lone dumb bots this might work, but generally speaking the Archiebots travel in packs/squads with more backup nearby, and/or are AI advanced enough to make trying to take control much harder. And remember that they are loaded with bugs and transmitters so they'll have to try hard to get it away or work on it before A) The time limit on the power ends, or B) Swarms of Archiebots descend upon them.
And after the first time it has been tried they'll start self destructing while trapped in the field when the player tries to close in. Added bonus: Even if the shield holds, that just focuses the explosion downward, blasting the approaching character with MD blasted superheated earth and stone.
Also, what are you having the player roll to snare these things in a forcefield?

Nomadic wrote:I have a Psytech in my game who took the TK Shield as it's Double up super weapon.

The players are level 7 and this is putting out like 300MDC Shield the players can use as cover.

This in it's self isn't an issue as it just makes combat longer.

The Biggest Problem i have with the psytech is any tech at all he can copy take over or just turn off. Example Achie Bot. Using the shield he puts it around the bot, gets into 5 feet and turns it off. And turns off the AutoDestruct. Giving him access to Achie Tech and he can make more.

How do you deal with Psytechs?

As soon as the bot is captured it should self-destruct. It takes actions and time to get within range to "psi" it off and deactivate the auto-destruct.

Shang Li wrote:

Nomadic wrote:I have a Psytech in my game who took the TK Shield as it's Double up super weapon.

The players are level 7 and this is putting out like 300MDC Shield the players can use as cover.

This in it's self isn't an issue as it just makes combat longer.

The Biggest Problem i have with the psytech is any tech at all he can copy take over or just turn off. Example Achie Bot. Using the shield he puts it around the bot, gets into 5 feet and turns it off. And turns off the AutoDestruct. Giving him access to Achie Tech and he can make more.

How do you deal with Psytechs?

How many TK sheilds can he maintain at once and still move? What's he do about the target's buddies? What's he do about the target's allies that are on the way after being called via radio? Where's the psy-tech getting his raw materials, factory, and energy? (last time I checked none of the psi-tech powers let them make stuff from thin air) just because the guy is a psi-tech does not necessarily mean he can't fail at creating the item, just that he understands how it's put together - still need the right skills to actually do the work.

I don't see anything in the psi-tech rules that says he can't fail - Telemechanics is only 85% and that's for operation, not customization., Item 2 even specificly states that (still needs to use/roll for specific skills or psi powers.)

His current ISP, 5 shields. being called via radio? He controls all tech. Imagine a big No tech Allowed Sign for a 5 mile range around this guy. The Dragon of the group can teleport him anywhere in LOS near perfectly. Or he can use his perfect camo suit to sneak up near the people and poof, bubble, control all tech. it's not funny watching a Sammus Pilot slam into a shield at 300MPH thus killing the pilot instantly. or watching as some poor grunt tries to fire his gun just to have it power off.

And as for his roles, well they are level 7 now and he has 98% in just about everything. Raw mats come from anywhere he wants them to. Don't have a part? Walk into a CS base and take them. Just by himself he managed to take over 2000MDC in combat before choosing to leave. I don't know what kind of NPC's you have in your game, but I don't make NPC's outside the rules. 2000MDC is enough to sit an entire melee round with 3 GlitterBoys pounding down on you. I'm not sure many classes can do that. I send a fairly sizable force after him and the group. 20 CS Grunts with an Armor Column and just watched them shutdown one by one as they blasted away at the shield. As for parts... well nothing I seem to throw at the group can stop them.

Just exactly how much ISP does this guy have any way?

I had a player use a PsiTech in a Phase World game to the same effect. The catch is that even though he has Telemechanics, it does not provide him with the necessary skills to always utilize what he has learnt. In the example with the Archie bot, if he wanted to capitalize on the bot's design, then he needs to have Robot Mechanics, Robot Electronics and at least Computer Programming or Artifical Intelligence to even start building upon the bot's schematics. And add on top of that the cost, the time and facilities to even build it in the first place.

And any technology beyond the norm such as force-fields, MOM implants, bionics, etc require different specialized skills not covered by Mechanical or Electrical Engineer. Just a note

Just read the CS engagement.... exactly how did he disable their tech? I am fairly familiar with the PCC and the available powers and this sounds to be off the scale. Each of the telemechanic manipulation powers are per machine and paralyis costs 20 ISP. Since both of them require 1 attack to maintain, I could only see maybe 4-5 machines being shudown at any one time, while the PsiTech is within 40'. If he leaves, 1D4 seconds they're back on line.

And 2000MDC how? It can't be via the TK Force Field, since it states it can't move. I think a good re-read of the powers might reveal a few player firthies.

Long Shadow wrote:Just read the CS engagement.... exactly how did he disable their tech? I am fairly familiar with the PCC and the available powers and this sounds to be off the scale. Each of the telemechanic manipulation powers are per machine and paralyis costs 20 ISP. Since both of them require 1 attack to maintain, I could only see maybe 4-5 machines being shudown at any one time, while the PsiTech is within 40'. If he leaves, 1D4 seconds they're back on line.

And 2000MDC how? It can't be via the TK Force Field, since it states it can't move. I think a good re-read of the powers might reveal a few player firthies.

While I do thank you for answering, I have read the powers, and I said nothing about him moving in that statement. he bubbles the baddies.

The Fields are placed around the bad guys, and the Psitech has 9 Attack's / Melee.

Anthar wrote:Just exactly how much ISP does this guy have any way?

200+ I don't recall right off the top of my head.

sleekjag wrote:send some supernatural stuff at them.

Thats what I've been doing, but even guns fall prey to the long arm of a PsiTech

Long Shadow wrote:I had a player use a PsiTech in a Phase World game to the same effect. The catch is that even though he has Telemechanics, it does not provide him with the necessary skills to always utilize what he has learnt. In the example with the Archie bot, if he wanted to capitalize on the bot's design, then he needs to have Robot Mechanics, Robot Electronics and at least Computer Programming or Artifical Intelligence to even start building upon the bot's schematics. And add on top of that the cost, the time and facilities to even build it in the first place.

And any technology beyond the norm such as force-fields, MOM implants, bionics, etc require different specialized skills not covered by Mechanical or Electrical Engineer. Just a note

He has all of those skills. But AI design, which is were I stopped him.

So this is what he is trying to do now.

While in the Astral Plane Time passes at a different rate. So it's like weeks to mins. He can be gone for 70 weeks and only an hour would have passed in game time.
I don't know much about it, but I don't other items can pass back and forth between planes can they? He wants to goto the gate and take all his tech back with him for 70 weeks while working on all this and pop out an hour later so the group can be armed and ready to go.

I have nothing for this guy, so I turned to you all.

Sounds like a tough customer...

On the bubbling baddies, like you said he has about 200 ISP, that's going to be 7 bubbles total. Simple tactics of not clumping all the baddies together to get encased would do.

As for the Astral Plane I do have good news. If he simply Astrally projects, then he can't take anything with him unless it's astrally configured, and that process is held by few psychics and the cost is not worth it. Even if he opens a portal intothe astral plane, same thing. The only way he could get around it would be to find someone with an astral domain where the rules are the same as the real world. Highly unlikely and the rent would be prohibitive.

Not much more advise to give. For my PsiTech player, time and finances were the killer. He ended up making another character for when his Psi-Tech was building.

Also as the CS is involved, the level at which he is whooping will definitely bring a lot of attention. One hit on the scale you descibed will get him a big bounty. Any more than one and you might be seeing psi-battilian operative on his tail. A few close shaves might make him keep a low profile.

Nomadic wrote:

Long Shadow wrote:I had a player use a PsiTech in a Phase World game to the same effect. The catch is that even though he has Telemechanics, it does not provide him with the necessary skills to always utilize what he has learnt. In the example with the Archie bot, if he wanted to capitalize on the bot's design, then he needs to have Robot Mechanics, Robot Electronics and at least Computer Programming or Artifical Intelligence to even start building upon the bot's schematics. And add on top of that the cost, the time and facilities to even build it in the first place.

And any technology beyond the norm such as force-fields, MOM implants, bionics, etc require different specialized skills not covered by Mechanical or Electrical Engineer. Just a note

He has all of those skills. But AI design, which is were I stopped him.

So this is what he is trying to do now.

While in the Astral Plane Time passes at a different rate. So it's like weeks to mins. He can be gone for 70 weeks and only an hour would have passed in game time.
I don't know much about it, but I don't other items can pass back and forth between planes can they? He wants to goto the gate and take all his tech back with him for 70 weeks while working on all this and pop out an hour later so the group can be armed and ready to go.

I have nothing for this guy, so I turned to you all.

I'm sitting here, double checking the PCC and the powers, and the main impression that I'm getting is that the player is taking you for a ride.

First up: Telemechanic Mental Operation, and Telemechanic Paralysis are, per RUE, completely useless against AI so Archie bots and Skelebots are pretty much riding free against him, they are immune. Both powers also cause the character to lose one attack and -5% to skills for each target he maintains the power against. If he loses concentration (like getting shot at a lot), or leaves the range (flat 40' for Paralysis, 55' for Operation at level 7), he loses control and it gets back to business withing 1D4 seconds.

Next up: Telekinetic Force Field, at level 7, for 30 ISP can grant 175 MDC shield (350 doubled) up to 70' diameter at a max of 280' away (560' doubled). It cannot move and takes an action to create. Player needs to roll to strike and opponent dodges at a -6, and believe me by this point they know it is coming. Don't forget to apply moving target penalties to strike as well.
Optional note regarding TK forcefield: It is noted many times how transparent and easy to see through the field is, and the description does not mention lasers in the example of things it stops, in my own game I tend to rule that a comparatively invisible kinetic field does not stop lasers.

Third: By 7th level, if the character had an ME of 30 and rolled maximum, the most he should have is 190 ISP (+36 maximum possible roll from Third Eye). If the player has anywhere near this, regard him very suspiciously. If he exceeds it, outright accuse him of cheating.

Fourth: How exactly does the character have 9 attacks a round at level 7? Assuming he has Boxing, with Basic he's at 6 attacks, with Expert he's at 6, Martial Arts he's at 6, Assassin leaves him at 7. Psi-Tech will give him another +1 only when he is piloting another vehicle, and remember that psionics can't reach through vehicles.

Fifth: The Coalition has Psi-Techs too. Remember that. And he has pissed the Coalition off. I want you to think of every trick he's pulled that turns out to be legal, take some of those experienced 10th level personnel from Psi-Division Alpha, and make him regret every trick he's ever introduced to you.

Sixth: Bring it all together, watch the ranges, his distance changes, the size of the bubbles (particularly given that he can make bubbles far larger than he telemechanic range), and position of units whenever he wants to get pushy with those powers. Don't forget the actions it takes to preform his powers, and the actions he loses every round to each maintained attempt. On the Coalition side, you ruin his day with superior psychics, on the Archie side he can't do **** except attempt Telemechanic Possession against one guy while leaving his body comatose.

I hope this has been of help to you bringing things back under control.

Armorlord wrote:I'm sitting here, double checking the PCC and the powers, and the main impression that I'm getting is that the player is taking you for a ride.

First up: Telemechanic Mental Operation, and Telemechanic Paralysis are, per RUE, completely useless against AI so Archie bots and Skelebots are pretty much riding free against him, they are immune. Both powers also cause the character to lose one attack and -5% to skills for each target he maintains the power against. If he loses concentration (like getting shot at a lot), or leaves the range (flat 40' for Paralysis, 55' for Operation at level 7), he loses control and it gets back to business withing 1D4 seconds.

Next up: Telekinetic Force Field, at level 7, for 30 ISP can grant 175 MDC shield (350 doubled) up to 70' diameter at a max of 280' away (560' doubled). It cannot move and takes an action to create. Player needs to roll to strike and opponent dodges at a -6, and believe me by this point they know it is coming. Don't forget to apply moving target penalties to strike as well.
Optional note regarding TK forcefield: It is noted many times how transparent and easy to see through the field is, and the description does not mention lasers in the example of things it stops, in my own game I tend to rule that a comparatively invisible kinetic field does not stop lasers.

Third: By 7th level, if the character had an ME of 30 and rolled maximum, the most he should have is 190 ISP (+36 maximum possible roll from Third Eye). If the player has anywhere near this, regard him very suspiciously. If he exceeds it, outright accuse him of cheating.

Fourth: How exactly does the character have 9 attacks a round at level 7? Assuming he has Boxing, with Basic he's at 6 attacks, with Expert he's at 6, Martial Arts he's at 6, Assassin leaves him at 7. Psi-Tech will give him another +1 only when he is piloting another vehicle, and remember that psionics can't reach through vehicles.

Fifth: The Coalition has Psi-Techs too. Remember that. And he has pissed the Coalition off. I want you to think of every trick he's pulled that turns out to be legal, take some of those experienced 10th level personnel from Psi-Division Alpha, and make him regret every trick he's ever introduced to you.

Sixth: Bring it all together, watch the ranges, his distance changes, the size of the bubbles (particularly given that he can make bubbles far larger than he telemechanic range), and position of units whenever he wants to get pushy with those powers. Don't forget the actions it takes to preform his powers, and the actions he loses every round to each maintained attempt. On the Coalition side, you ruin his day with superior psychics, on the Archie side he can't do **** except attempt Telemechanic Possession against one guy while leaving his body comatose.

I hope this has been of help to you bringing things back under control.

This is what happens when I don't eagle eye my players down. One question tho. How do you doge an area of effect? And I disagree that they know it's coming. But everything else is valid. Looking like I'm going to have to pull out ye old ban hammer. I know for a fact he has over 200 ISP.

I think I'm going to throw a Nega-Psyic in a small group of mercs and have the RPA's wipe the floor with him.

Nomadic wrote:This is what happens when I don't eagle eye my players down. One question tho. How do you doge an area of effect? And I disagree that they know it's coming. But everything else is valid. Looking like I'm going to have to pull out ye old ban hammer. I know for a fact he has over 200 ISP.

I think I'm going to throw a Nega-Psyic in a small group of mercs and have the RPA's wipe the floor with him.

As far as knowing it's coming, it is more of a fame issue given their exploits. Against a group that hasn't heard of them and isn't prepared for the tactics might not realize the attack coming the first couple shots, but start moving evasively afterward. As for dodging and area of effect, it works for missile blasts and is how the power is written, now the player might try to make the area bigger than the subject could avoid, but then he runs the risk of making it large enough for the target to keep out of range of his Telemechanic tricks.
As for ISP, yeah he'd have to max roll just about everything to break 200. ME+3D4x10 base, 10 per level, 6D6 for Third Eye. With Third Eye and max rolls that's ME+196, the low being ME+106.

Edit: Added note, I didn't comment on the Astral aspect, but Long Shadow has the right of it. He can't take jack with him. Also, spending that much time in raw Astral Plane he's going to stand out and be attacked many times over 70 weeks, particularly with high ISP. I mean there are campaigns that are shorter than the subjective time he's floating in the wilds of the Astral Plane, and that's still ignoring that he can't bring anything with him.

Armorlord wrote:

Nomadic wrote:This is what happens when I don't eagle eye my players down. One question tho. How do you doge an area of effect? And I disagree that they know it's coming. But everything else is valid. Looking like I'm going to have to pull out ye old ban hammer. I know for a fact he has over 200 ISP.

I think I'm going to throw a Nega-Psyic in a small group of mercs and have the RPA's wipe the floor with him.

As far as knowing it's coming, it is more of a fame issue given their exploits.

He has the Nurni Cloak Armor. And rarely if ever can tatics change that fast. I allow 15 secs for reaction time. That might be a big hole in how I run, but it takes about that long to explain a new tactic over comms when you don't know what hit you. IE a grunt is going to have no idea whats wrong and why he can't move past a invisible wall. ETC. Now I know a higher level may, just using it as an example. I'll see what I can work out tho without being unfair.

Nomadic wrote:

Armorlord wrote:

Nomadic wrote:This is what happens when I don't eagle eye my players down. One question tho. How do you doge an area of effect? And I disagree that they know it's coming. But everything else is valid. Looking like I'm going to have to pull out ye old ban hammer. I know for a fact he has over 200 ISP.

I think I'm going to throw a Nega-Psyic in a small group of mercs and have the RPA's wipe the floor with him.

As far as knowing it's coming, it is more of a fame issue given their exploits.

He has the Nurni Cloak Armor. And rarely if ever can tatics change that fast. I allow 15 secs for reaction time. That might be a big hole in how I run, but it takes about that long to explain a new tactic over comms when you don't know what hit you. IE a grunt is going to have no idea whats wrong and why he can't move past a invisible wall. ETC. Now I know a higher level may, just using it as an example. I'll see what I can work out tho without being unfair.

Really with invisibility as common as it is in Rifts I find it hard to believe that trained soldiers would be so thrown off by it's presence on the battlefeild. They've probably got a simple term like "I've got a spook." or something simpler like emergency 10 codes like "10-00 incoming" with tactics dealing with such thing like throwing smoke grenades to ruin line of sight needed to use psionics and watching for breaks in the smoke to use concentrated fire or explosive grenades.

Nomadic wrote:He has the Nurni Cloak Armor. And rarely if ever can tatics change that fast. I allow 15 secs for reaction time. That might be a big hole in how I run, but it takes about that long to explain a new tactic over comms when you don't know what hit you. IE a grunt is going to have no idea whats wrong and why he can't move past a invisible wall. ETC. Now I know a higher level may, just using it as an example. I'll see what I can work out tho without being unfair.

I meant fame as in seeing any member of their team and going OH CRAP, or just being paranoid in general if there's been sighting of them and/or similar attacks in the area. Then again, in my games no one ever just stands in one place in a firefight, that's deadly! As a further aside, if you are running those fields as completely invisible and undetectable, that I would definitely suggest you start shooting lasers through it freely.
That said, after the first person gets trapped in a field, it isn't going to take 15 seconds for everyone else to do something. That's like saying when missile falls from the sky and strikes a guy, that it takes everyone else 15 seconds before they can coordinate that taking cover would be a great idea. As for how effective their response is, that depends more on the group and their cleverness/attitudes. CS group would be more prone to laying down covering and clearing fire across the area when encountering suspected unseen supernatural opponents, a side note to that is that the cloak wouldn't hide him from Dog Boys, or psychic powers. A clever group that knows to expect this sort of thing may even begin firing missiles targeted dangerously near their comrade to drop the field and keep things away, while the trapped one lays down covering laser fire. If a whole group is mostly captured, the last may very well call down long range support down on their position. Nothing ruins a capture run like a volley of long-range missiles.

Edit: Just as one more note, Anthar's comment about smoke grenades/missiles is an awesome suggestion, and usuable by any high-tech force against magic and psionics.

Nomadic wrote:He has the Nurni Cloak Armor.

I'm not sure how this armour is a tactical advantage unless used exclusively for guerilla attacks. If you read the description, they only have a 40% chance or a +5% to prowl to remain unnoticed (not unseen) if they stand stock-still. I've also had characters try to use this armour as an invisibility suit but frankly it is only a sophisicated ghille suit. Even the spell Chameleon has a better percentage for being unnoticed.

Once the firefight starts there is no chance that the character will be unnoticed during combat.

Anthar wrote:

Nomadic wrote:

Armorlord wrote:

Nomadic wrote:This is what happens when I don't eagle eye my players down. One question tho. How do you doge an area of effect? And I disagree that they know it's coming. But everything else is valid. Looking like I'm going to have to pull out ye old ban hammer. I know for a fact he has over 200 ISP.

I think I'm going to throw a Nega-Psyic in a small group of mercs and have the RPA's wipe the floor with him.

As far as knowing it's coming, it is more of a fame issue given their exploits.

He has the Nurni Cloak Armor. And rarely if ever can tatics change that fast. I allow 15 secs for reaction time. That might be a big hole in how I run, but it takes about that long to explain a new tactic over comms when you don't know what hit you. IE a grunt is going to have no idea whats wrong and why he can't move past a invisible wall. ETC. Now I know a higher level may, just using it as an example. I'll see what I can work out tho without being unfair.

Really with invisibility as common as it is in Rifts I find it hard to believe that trained soldiers would be so thrown off by it's presence on the battlefeild. They've probably got a simple term like "I've got a spook." or something simpler like emergency 10 codes like "10-00 incoming" with tactics dealing with such thing like throwing smoke grenades to ruin line of sight needed to use psionics and watching for breaks in the smoke to use concentrated fire or explosive grenades.

THIS IS WIN!!! BREAK LOS WITH SMOKE! THIS IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN!!

Just looking at TK force field:

The notes say that it has to be created on solid ground. Probably not effective against flyers then.

The short ranges of his powers indicate that he'd be shot to heck long before he got close enough. the stealth aspect is pathetically unhelpful, and bots are going to be able sense targets through a variety of ditsnaces and probably attack at range easilly.

That said, a simple hardwired code in any machine can be used to circumvent this. a seperate subsstytem that checks to see if routine orders are being met. if a percived violotaion of code is noticed, then a small charge seperates the power cells from the rest of the bot. Your friend can't make the machine do something it cannot normally do so...

* Bot get's posessed/gontrolled.
* autonomous subsystems note that the bot has gone off book. issues retreat protocols.
* bot fails to retreat. Bot power source disconnects and broadcasts repair request.

If it helps, think of the subsystem as a completely different and seperate machine. like using masking tape to secure a smoke detector and a toaster together. they are still different machines, but the smoke detector will respond if the toaster burns a muffin. likewise, a default 'emergency setting' that triggers autonomously or autonomously reports activity can sidewind his activities

also to note, he can trap machines, but telemechanics has a range of a measly 5 feet. if his field is big enough, he can't get close enough to the trapped machine.

alternatively you can get some shielding. I've seen shielding that protects people from unwanted psi. perhaps a telemechanic mind block device? I know the CS have something similiar.

Also to note. his body is helpless when he posesses a machine. just a thought.

To add a '+1' to the above, a smokescreen blocks line of sight easilly,and should be a standard battle field tactic. he is still limited by skills, and the ability to perform them (time, materials, tools). His attacks per melee round seem suspect, as does his ISP count.

If the players use a shield, they have to drop it (or teleport out I guess) to get out of it, offering as much protection to the enemy as to themselves (it's cover you can see through so it's only marginally more usefull than having regular cover.

your sample archiebot is immue to mental operation (has AI). against paralysis it gets a saving throw (by implcation, it is neither a mindless machine -which cannot save- nor is it bionics which is immune, so it must exist in a middle ground that can save) and he has to be within about 40 feet to shut it down, an act that leaves him open and vulnerable. posession is easier, and has a longer range but leaves him much more vulnerable.

Total recall is 50% effective, and only refers to small blocks of information at a time and it costs 3 ISP per block. exactly how much IS he has to spend to memorise the entire blueprint, plus if it takes any time is your call as GM.

a device that activates self destruct autonomously in response to prolonged involuntary deactivation (like a hardwired timer) is a relatively cheap install.

Other than that, take no guff from players and remember the golden rule. Whoever has the gold, makes the rules.

Iczer wrote:Just looking at TK force field:

The notes say that it has to be created on solid ground. Probably not effective against flyers then.

The short ranges of his powers indicate that he'd be shot to heck long before he got close enough. the stealth aspect is pathetically unhelpful, and bots are going to be able sense targets through a variety of ditsnaces and probably attack at range easilly.

That said, a simple hardwired code in any machine can be used to circumvent this. a seperate subsstytem that checks to see if routine orders are being met. if a percived violotaion of code is noticed, then a small charge seperates the power cells from the rest of the bot. Your friend can't make the machine do something it cannot normally do so...

* Bot get's posessed/gontrolled.
* autonomous subsystems note that the bot has gone off book. issues retreat protocols.
* bot fails to retreat. Bot power source disconnects and broadcasts repair request.

If it helps, think of the subsystem as a completely different and seperate machine. like using masking tape to secure a smoke detector and a toaster together. they are still different machines, but the smoke detector will respond if the toaster burns a muffin. likewise, a default 'emergency setting' that triggers autonomously or autonomously reports activity can sidewind his activities

also to note, he can trap machines, but telemechanics has a range of a measly 5 feet. if his field is big enough, he can't get close enough to the trapped machine.

alternatively you can get some shielding. I've seen shielding that protects people from unwanted psi. perhaps a telemechanic mind block device? I know the CS have something similiar.

Also to note. his body is helpless when he posesses a machine. just a thought.

To add a '+1' to the above, a smokescreen blocks line of sight easilly,and should be a standard battle field tactic. he is still limited by skills, and the ability to perform them (time, materials, tools). His attacks per melee round seem suspect, as does his ISP count.

If the players use a shield, they have to drop it (or teleport out I guess) to get out of it, offering as much protection to the enemy as to themselves (it's cover you can see through so it's only marginally more usefull than having regular cover.

your sample archiebot is immue to mental operation (has AI). against paralysis it gets a saving throw (by implcation, it is neither a mindless machine -which cannot save- nor is it bionics which is immune, so it must exist in a middle ground that can save) and he has to be within about 40 feet to shut it down, an act that leaves him open and vulnerable. posession is easier, and has a longer range but leaves him much more vulnerable.

Total recall is 50% effective, and only refers to small blocks of information at a time and it costs 3 ISP per block. exactly how much IS he has to spend to memorise the entire blueprint, plus if it takes any time is your call as GM.

a device that activates self destruct autonomously in response to prolonged involuntary deactivation (like a hardwired timer) is a relatively cheap install.

Other than that, take no guff from players and remember the golden rule. Whoever has the gold, makes the rules.

I'm not good at picking quotes apart so I'll address the issues as they are written.

Thank you for the Solid Ground this is something I re-read as well and didn't realize it until after the game session was over.
His powers aren't very short range.

I will have to add to this later... I have been taken for a ride and I'm not very happy right now. He's been doubling all Telemechanic powers.

You might consider me a newbie gm however I've been running for 15+ years, but I never read the Psyscape book. I took his word for it, and he will be out of my game (I have 12 players). And 4 other people waiting for a spot to open up. I took a players word for it because I don't have time to build every single character from scratch and I guess you get people like this every now and then.

1) Still his Range for Tele:MO. Is 20+5 per level. I thought is was 40+10 per level(As I was told by him). So there is one point I'm going to use on him.
2) His ISP is way off the charts, so that is something I would use...

So show I just ban him? Or force him to reroll his character step by step infront of me.

Nomadic wrote:I will have to add to this later... I have been taken for a ride and I'm not very happy right now. He's been doubling all Telemechanic powers.

You might consider me a newbie gm however I've been running for 15+ years, but I never read the Psyscape book. I took his word for it, and he will be out of my game (I have 12 players). And 4 other people waiting for a spot to open up. I took a players word for it because I don't have time to build every single character from scratch and I guess you get people like this every now and then.

1) Still his Range for Tele:MO. Is 20+5 per level. I thought is was 40+10 per level(As I was told by him). So there is one point I'm going to use on him.
2) His ISP is way off the charts, so that is something I would use...

So show I just ban him? Or force him to reroll his character step by step infront of me.

That comes down to a personal decision regarding your game, but if your game is popular enough that you have a waiting list of other players, I might suggest simply bumping him to the back of the queue as a temporary ban and play with another person. As circumstances work their way around, he may end up back in again someday if he wants, and then see how his second chance goes. Depending on the person he'll either be flying right, or looking to troll your game for 'revenge', though that would apply to any second chance whether now or later, some people take being corrected worse than others.

[quote="Nomadic]

I'm not good at picking quotes apart so I'll address the issues as they are written.

Thank you for the Solid Ground this is something I re-read as well and didn't realize it until after the game session was over.
His powers aren't very short range. [/quote]


they are in comparrison to the range of energy weapons

I will have to add to this later... I have been taken for a ride and I'm not very happy right now. He's been doubling all Telemechanic powers.

before you get too cross, I seem to recall that psychics from psyscape have extra ranges, though I'm fuzzy on the specifics.

You might consider me a newbie gm however I've been running for 15+ years, but I never read the Psyscape book. I took his word for it, and he will be out of my game (I have 12 players). And 4 other people waiting for a spot to open up. I took a players word for it because I don't have time to build every single character from scratch and I guess you get people like this every now and then.

I don't consider you a newbie GM. I hardly know you. I do feel a overwhelming sense of solidarity though (we GM's have to stick together).

1) Still his Range for Tele:MO. Is 20+5 per level. I thought is was 40+10 per level(As I was told by him). So there is one point I'm going to use on him.
2) His ISP is way off the charts, so that is something I would use...

200+ for a seventh level psytech? Not unbeliveable. the average is 155 so he is not too far off. not including ME he could have 190.

So show I just ban him? Or force him to reroll his character step by step infront of me.

depends if he's a friend or not I guess. I, as a rule, turf cheaters asap. It's a game about fun and co-operation. the thinking man's game is easilly ruined by the wrong thoughts. If he's retooling the system for his own ends he's spoiling it for those who play fair.

Batts

12 players! Wow, congratulations!

You can easily toss anyone out who isn't making the game fun for everyone, including the GM.

Heck, if you only had 3 players, I'd still suggest tossing him for being a munchkin.