ESP Variant: Telelocation

Hand of Vecna · 13th October 2007, 10:29 AM

I've made mention of this power (from Ultimate Power) many times, and it's high time I've actually made an official proposal.

Quote:

Telelocation
Effect: ESP
Action: Full (active)
Duration: Concentration (lasting)
Range: Extended
Save: Will
Cost: 1pp per rank

You can mentally “search” an area for an intelligent (Int 1+) creature. Your maximum radius is based on your rank on the Extended Range Table. Use the Extended Search guidelines given under the Search skill description (see Search, M&M, page 53). Subjects that do not wish to be found can make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + your Telelocation rank), success means your attempt to locate the subject fails and trying again in the same scene requires extra effort.
If your Search check succeeds, you know the subject’s location, but cannot necessarily communicate or interact with the subject without the use of other effects.
You can “track” a located subject by continuing to maintain your Telelocation power; as long as you do so, you keep track of the subject’s location. The subject gets a new Will saving throw for each interval on the Time Table to “shake off” your mental “lock,” in which case you need to locate the subject again (note that this does not count as a failure nor does it require extra effort).

Rystil Arden · 13th October 2007, 08:40 PM

Okay, so this variant is much cheaper than the regular ESP because regular ESP lets you do this and a lot of other things too. It seems like you're getting the 4 point ESP with an Auto-Track extra and then two action Flaws, the Locate Person only Flaw, and the Saving Throw allowed Flaw.

If someone wanted to use it, I wouldn't have a problem, but unless you're really strapped for points or really want to do Telelocation only, I think regular ESP is usually a better pick.

Hand of Vecna · 13th October 2007, 09:46 PM

You're not getting the 4-point (all senses) ESP, it's just a one-point/sense ESP (mental sense). You can't see/hear what the target's doing, or see/hear their surroundings.

Rystil Arden · 13th October 2007, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hand of Vecna

You're not getting the 4-point (all senses) ESP, it's just a one-point/sense ESP (mental sense). You can't see/hear what the target's doing, or see/hear their surroundings.

I charged for the 4 point "All Senses" because I figured you're basically getting the unspecified 'whatever sense you need to sense this person' sense (for instance, it would work in a place that was totally dark (so it isn't normal vision), and it would work in a place with a mental barrier around it (no Mental descriptor, just Sensory), so basically it isn't really sense-dependent. I decided, thus, to charge for all senses. Of course, you are correct that you don't actually get to use them once you find the fellow; I knew that too. That said, if it really was one-sense only, it wouldn't make sense for its cost (you can already just buy Visual ESP for 2 PP/rank, grab the two action flaws and the tracking thing (which I figure is not worth more than an Extra--I'd actually make it a power feat but making it an extra works better to try to match the UP pricing) and not even give the saving throw, still keeping the same price (1 PP/rank) and you can find anything you like, not just people.

Raylis · 18th October 2007, 07:15 AM

In essence, this is Molly's power from Heroes.

Rystil Arden · 18th October 2007, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raylis

In essence, this is Molly's power from Heroes.

Yep, except no save for Molly's power it seems. Even the most protected enemy gets spotted, even if he notices along the way.

Hand of Vecna · 18th October 2007, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rystil Arden

Yep, except no save for Molly's power it seems. Even the most protected enemy gets spotted, even if he notices along the way.

Or everyone just has a low Will save, to go along with their low Wisdom scores.

(I don't see Molly's Boogeyman being that "protected," he's just hiding out, possibly trying to avoid whoever it is that's killing off the Old Guard, and he's got some sort of Power Control/Power Reflection deal.)

Raylis · 18th October 2007, 06:18 PM

Of course Molly also has the flaw (requires Map)...but I think I've derailed this long enough

It's seems to be just a specialized form of ESP-1pp/rank for Mental Sense, a linked tracking and the various flaws RA mentioned

I don't have a problem with this one

YES

Rystil Arden · 18th October 2007, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raylis

Of course Molly also has the flaw (requires Map)...but I think I've derailed this long enough

It's seems to be just a specialized form of ESP-1pp/rank for Mental Sense, a linked tracking and the various flaws RA mentioned

I don't have a problem with this one

YES

Yeah, it definitely isn't broken. The trouble is that it can't be Mental-Only if the numbers are to add up (it's a bit wonky and clearly overpriced compared to regular ESP, but if it's what you want, then hey, go for it, right?) The only possible problem that this could ever give in a game is if someone silly and petty tried to use Telelocation (which as I showed with the flaws is very overpriced / underpowered for its price) to try to weaken regular ESP with a weird argument like "You can't buy Auditory ESP for 1 point a rank. Yeah I know it says you can in the M&M core book, but Telelocation is a Mental ESP for 1 point a rank with a Full-Round-Action and it gives a save, so therefore you can't."

hero4hire · 21st October 2007, 09:34 AM

The sensory effect seems a bit ambiguous to me. If you succeed on your search check, and the subject fails on his will check you "know" where the subject is but it makes no mention as to "seeing" where he is or receiving any sensory input.

I think this aspect of the power needs to be clarified.

Salix · 21st October 2007, 04:14 PM

I'll hold off in case a good argument against it comes up, but this seems like an easy one to say yes to.