Psi-stalkers and their ability to feed on P.P.E.

[darthauthor]

So I'm looking at the Psi-Stalker R.C.C.

Playing it and also being the GM and using a Psi-Stalker NPC or villan.

So the REAL question is: Can a Psi-Stalker cut a mage or psyhic and drain their power with the cut?

In a straight fight that cut wound not come until all the M.D. had been destroyed.
Armor of Ithan and such would make that like a normal fight.

BUT if the Psi-Stalker surprised the mage/psychic and cut their hand or face or such would the Psi-Stalker be able to drain all their P.P.E.?

Last book I read said something about "physically capture the prey" but I don't know what the standard is for that.
Hands tied?
Knocked unconscious?
Knocked out?
Surrenders?
Wrestling?
In a jail cell?
Tag! Got you! Your it!

The question is if a Psi-Stalker who gets lucky and cuts a guy without armor (Before they cast Armor of Ithan or such) do they get the guys P.P.E. so their victim has none to cast spells?

The defense against this would be:
P.P.E. Shield (10)
A psionic defense that can be used to prevent P.P.E. vampires,
psi-stalkers, and mages from siphoning off one's psychic energy. The
shield works similarly to a Mind Block, only it prevents others from
draining one's P.P.E.

[darthauthor]

Reflecting on my question, I feel:

Since P.P.E. Shield Super Psionic Power exists, a Psi-Stalker can drain a mage/mystics P.P.E. if they cut them.

Conditions:
1. The Mage/Mystic has to be cut, which means it won't work until their Armor of Ithan or whatever is destroyed.

2. Unless that attack is perfected stopped / absorbed by the mages armor it is going to kill (or at least maim) them.

3. So the only sort of table turning great advantage a Psi-Stalker can have in situations like these is if they lay in ambush or prowl and sneak attack a mage before they can armor up. IF the mage is a S.D.C. being, it is possible for a Psi-Stalker to roll to strike (assuming the mage does not dodge or parry) and they hit, so long as they do at least 1 S.D.C point of damage and they bleed even on drop of blood the Psi-Stalker may drain ALL but 1d6 P.P.E. from their mage victim.

I consider that the alternative, under these conditions, is that a Psi-Stalker (or anyone for that matter) could just kill a mage by shooting or stabbing them with a Mega Damge weapon or even just an S.D.C. gun to the head. The difference between that and what the Psi-Stalker does above is that the Psi-Stalker leaves their mage victim alive. And where there is life there's hope.

When a player wants to play a "Good Guy" who takes the bad guy mage alive these is the approach he would want to take. It will take away the mage's sort of ammo supply of P.P.E. so the mage can't cast "Call Lightning" or something.

From this point of view, "physically capture prey" includes surprise or "capturing" them off guard or paralyized in fear (horror factor) in the first attack of a melee round so the mage need not have their hands tied. Also, the mage's willing submittion (like the "tap" in wrestling) or surrender.

I image players will want to try this out and start playing a Psi-Stalker with this feat on their bucket list.
They will start making elaborate plans of how they can sneak up on a mage and catch them off guard. How they can cut the mage with a pin or a small pocket knife or something.

But isn't that what Psi-Stakers try to do anyway?
They are hunters.
Stalking their prey and sneaking up on them before they strike sounds exactly what a predator would do.
This way, they don't kill the mage.
I'm not against that.
Plus, it makes it a challenge for the player to pull off.
As a GM, I'd award an extra experience point bonus varying on the difficulty level and hoops they had to jump through.

[Killer Cyborg]

So I'm looking at the Psi-Stalker R.C.C.

Playing it and also being the GM and using a Psi-Stalker NPC or villan.

So the REAL question is: Can a Psi-Stalker cut a mage or psyhic and drain their power with the cut?

In a straight fight that cut wound not come until all the M.D. had been destroyed.
Armor of Ithan and such would make that like a normal fight.

BUT if the Psi-Stalker surprised the mage/psychic and cut their hand or face or such would the Psi-Stalker be able to drain all their P.P.E.?

It only works if the prey is captured.

Last book I read said something about "physically capture the prey" but I don't know what the standard is for that.
Hands tied?
Knocked unconscious?
Knocked out?
In a jail cell?

Yup.

Surrenders?

Only if also physically captured.

Wrestling?

Yes.

Tag! Got you! Your it!

Nope.
Tag, counting coup, etc. wouldn't count as Capturing. The mage would have to surrender or to be rendered helpless somehow, long enough to be cut and drained.

Psi-Stalkers probably like TW Net Launchers and such.

[Killer Cyborg]

Reflecting on my question, I feel:

Since P.P.E. Shield Super Psionic Power exists, a Psi-Stalker can drain a mage/mystics P.P.E. if they cut them.

Nope.
That's there because:
a) Mages could originally drain people's PPE without permission.
b) Various creatures (and probably classes) function as PPE vampires.
c) It will prevent psi-stalkers who capture you from draining you.

Conditions:
1. The Mage/Mystic has to be cut, which means it won't work until their Armor of Ithan or whatever is destroyed.

Not all mages have Armor of Ithan or whatever. Those that do, well, you tie them up and it'll wear off eventually. For that matter, Armor of Ithan is literally just a suit of invisible, weightless magic armor created by the spell; if you subdue somebody, you can probably cut them through it.
IIRC, it has an Armor Rating in SDC settings, which means it can be bypassed under certain conditions.

2. Unless that attack is perfected stopped / absorbed by the mages armor it is going to kill (or at least maim) them.

If your psi-stalker wants to feed on a SDC creature, don't use mega-damage force.
There's a reason there's no Bazooka Season for hunting deer.

3. So the only sort of table turning great advantage a Psi-Stalker can have in situations like these is if they lay in ambush or prowl and sneak attack a mage before they can armor up. IF the mage is a S.D.C. being, it is possible for a Psi-Stalker to roll to strike (assuming the mage does not dodge or parry) and they hit, so long as they do at least 1 S.D.C point of damage and they bleed even on drop of blood the Psi-Stalker may drain ALL but 1d6 P.P.E. from their mage victim.

The books specify "physically capture."
Nowhere in anything has "snuck up and stabbing/cutting" been described as "physically capturing" somebody.
It might be a prelude to capturing them, but it's not a capture. It's a cut or stab.

From this point of view, "physically capture prey" includes surprise or "capturing" them off guard or paralyized in fear (horror factor) in the first attack of a melee round so the mage need not have their hands tied.

House-rule however you like, but this would definitely be a house rule.

Also, the mage's willing submittion (like the "tap" in wrestling) or surrender.

If the Psi-Stalker physically has hold of the mage, then that would count.
It would also count if the mage refuses to surrender, but cannot break free, and cannot prevent themselves from being cut by the Psi-Stalker.

[darthauthor]

I'm trying to imagine the sort of typical circumstances in which a spell casters loses to a Psi-stalker without the Psi-Stalker killing the spell caster with a gang or a energy weapon. I guess they just shoot them like anyone else.