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Quertus
2015-10-14, 10:12 AM
If you could choose to have the powers of a character from any system, what system and what powers would you choose?

For example, would you choose the powers of a D&D Cleric, because you love the idea of animating or raising the dead? Would you choose Mutants & Masterminds, because you love the idea of duplicating yourself, and taking advantage of the facts that the duplicates need not be identical, to be able to commit crimes? Or Mutants & Masterminds, because you love the idea of duplicating yourself, then having all your duplicates summon, so you can throw *millions* of creatures at any problem?

JeenLeen
2015-10-14, 11:20 AM
If we can go as broad as a 'cleric' (meaning having spellcasting and turn/rebuke powers thereof), as opposed to just one power/spell, I suppose I'd go with a World of Darkness mage. Have magic to help out when important, and could augment my income with creating diamonds via Matter to sell at thrift stores or using Entropy to win at gambling. (I'd still keep a mundane job to look normal.)

Pex
2015-10-14, 11:46 AM
If you could choose to have the powers of a character from any system, what system and what powers would you choose?

For example, would you choose the powers of a D&D Cleric, because you love the idea of animating or raising the dead? Would you choose Mutants & Masterminds, because you love the idea of duplicating yourself, and taking advantage of the facts that the duplicates need not be identical, to be able to commit crimes? Or Mutants & Masterminds, because you love the idea of duplicating yourself, then having all your duplicates summon, so you can throw *millions* of creatures at any problem?

I find it interesting the examples you chose are about creating undead and doing illegal acts.

:smallbiggrin:

ZamielVanWeber
2015-10-14, 12:29 PM
I would definitely go with reality control from the Marvel Rpg (the one with the cards). It is strong, flexible, and can be very subtle and is not overpowering like magic from DnD.

Tyrrell
2015-10-14, 01:23 PM
I'd be an Order of Hermes magus from Ars Magica. They have just about the most convenient collection of magical abilities that you're going to find.

Also characters in the game begin apprenticeships as young as age eight and they continue to work diligently on their magical arts well into their 200's when there is no overriding reason for them to do so. If you've put in a good hard century at the study of the Hermetic arts there isn't anyone on earth who can afford to not take you seriously. You'd be just fine sitting back on a beach and sipping fancy drinks while hanging out with pretty girls. You can still break the world over your knee even if you don't ever put more sweat equity into your suite of spells and enchanted devices. Yet they all still head back to the laboratory and the library every single season they can, every single magus or maga. From this I deduce that being a magus has got to be more fun than darn near anything.

Jay R
2015-10-14, 01:41 PM
You need to define some kind of limits, or we'd just choose any high-powered character who can do anything:

1. A high-Chutzpah, low-Smarts Toon character, who can convince anybody of anything, and can do anything impossible just by failing a Smarts roll.

2. Somebody with a Cosmic Power Pool from Champions.

3. A 17th level Magic-User from original D&D, who can cast a Wish every day, without it costing XP or money.

noob
2015-10-14, 01:57 PM
One Minions and master mind hero with an power array with 1024 powers(costs the cost of the most costly power +10) and take stuff like the ability to create universes.
The worse is that it would cost only 80 points.
The other possibility would be the power to cast dnd3.5 wish as a SLA for after getting one item giving all the powers at infinite CL.

Mr.Moron
2015-10-14, 02:29 PM
I'll take one omnipotence please. Barring that any high-level time manipulation, that allows me to both travel back/forth through time and control my own aging. Barring that any run of the mill ageless will do. Barring that I guess I'll just take the worlds highest Charisma/Wealth scores possible.

Amphetryon
2015-10-14, 02:45 PM
Marvel Super Powers (FASERIP), chart #3, Incredible Intelligence, Hyper-Intelligence at Incredible level. That should do nicely.

HolyCouncilMagi
2015-10-14, 03:16 PM
I'd probably go with the power of a Solar Exalted. If I get bored with doing something else on this list but better, I'll just switch to a better version of someone else's choice. Including omnipotence. :smallwink:

Honest Tiefling
2015-10-14, 03:22 PM
I probably should go with the whole immorality or omnipotence thing, but then I remember that Spelljammer exists and how hilarious it is. The temptation to introduce in space owls and see people freak out about them is far too high.

Mr.Moron
2015-10-14, 03:24 PM
I probably should go with the whole immorality or omnipotence thing, but then I remember that Spelljammer exists and how hilarious it is. The temptation to introduce in space owls and see people freak out about them is far too high.

If you're Omnipotent you can introduce all space owls you want. Plus also make an entire planet made of Ice Cream.

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-14, 03:26 PM
I've always wanted to be able to make copies of myself, like Michael Keaton in Multiplicity.... although it might be hard to convince myself that he (I) only exists to do homework and go to family reunions.

Honest Tiefling
2015-10-14, 03:40 PM
If you're Omnipotent you can introduce all space owls you want. Plus also make an entire planet made of Ice Cream.

A very good point, indeed. Somehow using another setting to create Spelljammer seems oddly appropriate.


I've always wanted to be able to make copies of myself, like Michael Keaton in Multiplicity.... although it might be hard to convince myself that he (I) only exists to do homework and go to family reunions.

You need some sort of mind magic or memory altering stuff, clearly, for this to work.

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-14, 03:41 PM
That's inadvisable.... if I had the power to cloud men's minds and the power to make perfect copies of myself, how would I ever be certain I wasn't the copy....

Honest Tiefling
2015-10-14, 03:45 PM
That's inadvisable.... if I had the power to cloud men's minds and the power to make perfect copies of myself, how would I ever be certain I wasn't the copy....

Probably none. But you could make yourself the BEST copy. Perfect hair, great teeth, a literal photographic memory, a run speed to make cheetahs weep...As long as you are in the one in charge, who cares?

YossarianLives
2015-10-14, 03:51 PM
A D&D 3.5 level 20 sorcerer. I wouldn't have as many spells as a wizard but I would still ludicrously powerful and I wouldn't have to spend hours poring over a spell book.

goto124
2015-10-14, 09:08 PM
I would go with something that's less combat-based and more social- or comforts-based.

Instead of being able to throw fireballs and bring down lightning, which is of little use IRL, I would rather be able to Create Delicious & Nutritious Food and Drinks, as well as conjure a comfortable mansion I can take around with me. Perhaps I could get the equivalent of having 80 Cha, and get to succeed at Diplomancy and Bluff checks all the time. Pretty sure it's rather powerful in RL, though for some reason I can't come up with any examples at the moment.

Reality-warping is cool though :smalltongue:

ThinkMinty
2015-10-15, 06:16 AM
I'd want the dark arts. Not because I wanna be evil or take over the world or even be that much of a ****, I just want the means to get things done that I wanna do, and the dark arts always have some kind of answer.

Elderand
2015-10-15, 09:48 AM
Telekinesis, there is litteraly nothing that cannot be done with sufficiently powerful and precise degree of telekinesis. Nothing.

Kelb_Panthera
2015-10-15, 12:23 PM
StP Erudite; all the power of the top 3 of the big 6 at a thought. Reality is my bitch.

I'm not power mad or anything but the ability to tweak.... anything.... at a thought means that whatever problems I have, aren't problems.... ever.

Food, 7pp.

Weather's bad, 13pp

I need to be on the other side of town right now, 9pp

I need to be here and there at the same time, 13pp

Some pig-headed moron won't stop bugging me, 3pp and he can't perceive my existence.

Spell version telekinesis says stuff moves for me and tk force says I can break just about anything if I lay down enough power while mending and the repair damage spells say I can fix anything.

Self healing powers say that injury is a non-issue and healing spells say I can patch up my friends and family.

It's way, way overpowered for a game but it makes life a mental exercise you can crush, no problem.

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-15, 04:25 PM
Telekinesis, there is litteraly nothing that cannot be done with sufficiently powerful and precise degree of telekinesis. Nothing.

You'd get fat!

ThinkMinty
2015-10-15, 04:39 PM
You'd get fat!

You could work your muscles out with the telekinesis. A telekinetic who's read comics knows that tactile TK is a valuable trick to pick up.

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-15, 04:49 PM
You could work your muscles out with the telekinesis. A telekinetic who's read comics knows that tactile TK is a valuable trick to pick up.

You'd get clumsy!

Elderand
2015-10-15, 07:18 PM
You'd get clumsy!

Nope, there's no reason why you couldn't exercise your fine motorcontrol via telekinesis, you might even improve it by optimizing the distribution of nerves throughout your body/rearrange the neurons in your brain.

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-15, 07:24 PM
Nope, there's no reason why you couldn't exercise your fine motorcontrol via telekinesis, you might even improve it by optimizing the distribution of nerves throughout your body/rearrange the neurons in your brain.

You'd develop myopia!

Fiery Diamond
2015-10-16, 12:27 AM
There are really only three powers I need to be satisfied:

1) Perfect, at will, error-free, unlimited-range, take-along-with-you-anything/one-you-touch-without-weight-or-size-limit teleportation. (If I could only have one, this would be it.)

2) Temporal distortion ability: turn eight seconds into eight hours for a good sleep anytime I want, turn several hours into several seconds so I can basically skip forward in time, go into "bullet time" whenever actual bullets are present, etc. (SUPER convenient, and also a safety measure.)

3) Controllable healing factor - I don't want to be ageless, I just want to not be hurt. This way I can go into dangerous situations without fear.

So, anything that grants me those three powers. But some nice bonuses to have, since we're including things like omnipotence...

A) Perfect, finely-controllable, programmable telekinesis. Useful for doing manual labor, fun, or flight.
B) Ability to create and control variable-property fire: it only burns what I want and contorts itself however I want.
C) Creation of objects (even small, like clothing, will do).
D) The effects of the D&D 3.5 Prestidigitation spell.
E) The ability to heal others.
F) And maybe the ability to make magical fuel to replace fuel sources.


This would be my full power set if I were a superhero. I've given it a lot of thought.

Elderand
2015-10-16, 06:22 AM
You'd develop myopia!

Nope, manipulate the eye structure to correct for it, or if you're feeling like showing off, adjust photons path until things resolve clearly.

Raimun
2015-10-16, 08:37 AM
Mutants & Masterminds 2nd edition, no doubt. I'm not sure exactly what I would choose but I would certainly come up with something.

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-16, 12:14 PM
Nope, manipulate the eye structure to correct for it, or if you're feeling like showing off, adjust photons path until things resolve clearly.

You'd get dazzled!

Elderand
2015-10-16, 01:08 PM
You'd get dazzled!

Nope, use telekinesis to redirct the majority of photons away from my eyes therefore preventing dazzling.

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-16, 02:21 PM
Nope, use telekinesis to redirct the majority of photons away from my eyes therefore preventing dazzling.

You'd be distracted!

Elderand
2015-10-16, 02:28 PM
You'd be distracted!

Unless I used telekinesis to optimize my neurons pathway toward multitasking !

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-16, 02:37 PM
You'd get stupider!

Draconium
2015-10-16, 02:47 PM
You'd get stupider!

Considering you'd be doing all of the above with your mind - and therefore, exercising your mental abilities, I have a hard time believing that. If nothing else, you could probably use your telekinesis to manipulate your gray matter to be more receptive to information and input.

Telekinesis would be a really fun power, but I'm not personally a fan of those "be-all, end-all" powers. There should be limits somewhere.

Piedmon_Sama
2015-10-16, 02:52 PM
I think it's time to admit it's impracticable and that my idea of strongarming myself into doing my own homework and talking to girls was best.

Draconium
2015-10-16, 03:12 PM
The main problem with using telekinesis to solve everything, though, is you have to have knowledge of what you're manipulating, or else it could go horribly wrong. If you try to manipulate your nerves without knowing anything about neurobiology, you could cause irreparable damage to the nerves. Same with any sort of bodily function, really.

And good luck trying to manipulate photons - as fast as the speed of thought it, I'm pretty sure the sperm of light is faster. :smalltongue:

Shalist
2015-10-16, 04:23 PM
Telekinesis, there is litteraly nothing that cannot be done with sufficiently powerful and precise degree of telekinesis. Nothing.Could you use telekinesis to create a rock so heavy that even a sufficiently powerful and precise degree of telekinesis couldn't lift it?

---

My vote is for whatever gets me the closest to 'free at-will wishes.' To be clear, while technically 'free at-will fishes' fulfills this request, I think we all know that's not what I'm looking for.

I'd use them to boost my mental faculties considerably (particularly wisdom), spend some quality timelessness edu-macating myself (I swear that's not as naughty as it sounds) (well, maybe a little...), and figure out from there a reasonable path to improving the world.

ThinkMinty
2015-10-16, 08:04 PM
Could you use telekinesis to create a rock so heavy that even a sufficiently powerful and precise degree of telekinesis couldn't lift it?

Probably not, because it's a paradox. You get bonus points for using an omnipotence paradox, more specifically, the paradox of the stone.

Tyrrell
2015-10-16, 08:44 PM
My vote is for whatever gets me the closest to 'free at-will wishes.' To be clear, while technically 'free at-will fishes' fulfills this request, I think we all know that's not what I'm looking for.

Hero system is a point buy system where you have lots of freedom too design whatever powers you want and then use the rules to assign a cost to the power you designed. There is an option to spend your points to have a pool of free points to spend as you wish when ever you wish and change it at will. This is as close as I've seen to your free at will wishes. (I'd imagine that Mutants and Masterminds works similarly)

Traab
2015-10-16, 10:21 PM
I think I would choose to be one of those crazy prepared standard wizard types. It would make life just so darn easy, and I would live in what amounts to absolute safety as there is almost nothing in the real world that could truly stop a wizard prepared to protect his life with all available means. But first I have to get my hands on some bat guano...

Fable Wright
2015-10-17, 12:36 AM
Powers of any one character from any one system? I think I'd go with Schrodinger, from Hellsing. I exist where, when, and if I choose to. Including mental or fictional realms. (Also the power to believe away any injuries, plus immortality.)

Sure, it's not omnipotence. But it's also not likely to draw me too many enemies, and the ability to take a break from existence (while being able to return) seems rather nice. I've got limits to what I can do, so the struggle's still in life. All in all, seems like my favorite choice.

If we're restricting it to gaming systems... I don't really know. Maybe make a GURPS interpretation of Schrodinger and run that? Feels a bit lazy, but it works.

Lord Raziere
2015-10-17, 01:08 AM
Hm.

I think I'd be the GM.

[/thread]

Cackling Poop
2015-10-18, 11:59 PM
I'd be a 20th-level Rogue from D&D 3.5, complete with all the benefits that brings.

ThinkMinty
2015-10-19, 06:04 PM
Powers of any one character from any one system? I think I'd go with Schrodinger, from Hellsing. I exist where, when, and if I choose to. Including mental or fictional realms. (Also the power to believe away any injuries, plus immortality.)

Sure, it's not omnipotence. But it's also not likely to draw me too many enemies, and the ability to take a break from existence (while being able to return) seems rather nice. I've got limits to what I can do, so the struggle's still in life. All in all, seems like my favorite choice.

The funny part is Alucard ended up choosing Schrodinger's powers instead of his old ones.


Hm.

I think I'd be the GM.

[/thread]

Well wouldn't that be like being God, except you're also the narrator?

Traab
2015-10-19, 06:18 PM
The funny part is Alucard ended up choosing Schrodinger's powers instead of his old ones.



Well wouldn't that be like being God, except you're also the narrator?

Wasnt the alucard thing less chosing schrodingers powers and more, "These are the only powers I need since now I cant be killed and run out of lives. But also cant afford to absorb more lives or else I will get confused and vanish again."?

dream
2015-10-19, 06:46 PM
Precognition. Because I win every time.

My PC sees what would happen beforehand and, thus, could plan for it. There's no power or skill that can overcome it. The PCs can move planets and read minds and have tons of informant minions? So what? I can see what they do before they do it, so I can find a way to counter their abilities before they do it.

As a GM, it's ugly having an NPC who can do this, but it ensures the NPC will 'win'. By using the PCs as unintentional minions.

Steampunkette
2015-10-19, 07:01 PM
Mutants and Masterminds.

Sonic and Light control. Impervious Toughness. Superstrength with both Reach and Indirect.

Call the Indirect Reach "Displacement" and punch someone from behind them while standing in front of them using light-bending holograms. Add in some power stunts or alternate effects to the Superstrength to create an awesome ground-punch that ripples outward in cones or PBAoE knockdown and damage

Add in the "Unique Features" of perfect sonic control and hearing as well as sight and light manipulation.

Become a Dubstep Superheroine who creates sound and light shows mid-combat while immune to bullets and superstrong fighting capabilities.

Then create a steady crescendo during the fighting of crime for awesome battling coolness and when it's time to end the fight: Drop the Bass with a ground-punch that puts an end to the fighting.

Throw in some low grade superspeed/superjump for getting around town and blow the rest of my points on skills and wealth advantages.

Drynwyn
2015-10-19, 07:13 PM
Sorte, from 7th Sea, definitely.

It consists of seeing and manipulating the strands of fate themselves. It's got the following two critical traits:

-You can see the relationships between people as visible strands. They come in four colors depending on the nature of the relationship (blue for passion, red for physical or emotional conflict, yellow for commerce, and green for authoritarian or status-based.) You can't tell what's going on beyond who the relationship is with, the strand color, and how strong the relationship is, but you can learn a hell of a lot from that.

-Having seen these strands, you can alter them, strengthening or weakening them, increasing the chance of failure or success for literally any action, or even cut them entirely or create new ones. It's important to note that this is NOT mind control- if you create a blue strand between yourself and someone, they don't suddenly magically love you- events will conspire such that they develop a friendly or romantic relationship with you. Similarly, cutting strands doesn't magically end the relationship, it merely causes circumstances to arise such that the relationship ends.

Magically being able to tell how people feel about each other would be useful all on it's own- being able to change that, in such a way that the people involved legitimately changed their feelings on their own (for a given value of "on their own")? That's priceless.

Lord Raziere
2015-10-19, 07:50 PM
Well wouldn't that be like being God, except you're also the narrator?

Nope, I'm the Narrator, except I'm also god. I'm not only omnipotent, I can determine whether or not omnipotence exist for other people in the setting or not! godhood is inferior to narratorhood, because I can determine whether or not godhood is a thing or not.

ThinkMinty
2015-10-19, 07:59 PM
Nope, I'm the Narrator, except I'm also god. I'm not only omnipotent, I can determine whether or not omnipotence exist for other people in the setting or not! godhood is inferior to narratorhood, because I can determine whether or not godhood is a thing or not.

Your brain is fun. Are you one of those narrators the characters occasionally interact with? If so, one of them should try to bum smokes or cab fare or some other kind of very small favor.


Wasnt the alucard thing less chosing schrodingers powers and more, "These are the only powers I need since now I cant be killed and run out of lives. But also cant afford to absorb more lives or else I will get confused and vanish again."?

I guess, if you wanna be all technical about it. I'm wondering how he's going to eat, though. Is he past it, or does he have to make sure his food's alive when he's done?


Precognition. Because I win every time.

My PC sees what would happen beforehand and, thus, could plan for it. There's no power or skill that can overcome it. The PCs can move planets and read minds and have tons of informant minions? So what? I can see what they do before they do it, so I can find a way to counter their abilities before they do it.

As a GM, it's ugly having an NPC who can do this, but it ensures the NPC will 'win'. By using the PCs as unintentional minions.

You can does not by any means mean you will. Knowing is only half the battle. Just because you know it's coming doesn't mean you can necessarily stop it. You're over-rating your own power there, and that kind of unthinking arrogance is a recipe for defeat.

Or you try to fight someone who isn't so predictable and the parlor trick stops working. It'll make for a great story, though.


Mutants and Masterminds.

Sonic and Light control. Impervious Toughness. Superstrength with both Reach and Indirect.

Call the Indirect Reach "Displacement" and punch someone from behind them while standing in front of them using light-bending holograms. Add in some power stunts or alternate effects to the Superstrength to create an awesome ground-punch that ripples outward in cones or PBAoE knockdown and damage

Add in the "Unique Features" of perfect sonic control and hearing as well as sight and light manipulation.

Become a Dubstep Superheroine who creates sound and light shows mid-combat while immune to bullets and superstrong fighting capabilities.

Then create a steady crescendo during the fighting of crime for awesome battling coolness and when it's time to end the fight: Drop the Bass with a ground-punch that puts an end to the fighting.

Throw in some low grade superspeed/superjump for getting around town and blow the rest of my points on skills and wealth advantages.

That sounds like Dazzler, but if Dazzler was cool. I approve.


Sorte, from 7th Sea, definitely.

It consists of seeing and manipulating the strands of fate themselves. It's got the following two critical traits:

-You can see the relationships between people as visible strands. They come in four colors depending on the nature of the relationship (blue for passion, red for physical or emotional conflict, yellow for commerce, and green for authoritarian or status-based.) You can't tell what's going on beyond who the relationship is with, the strand color, and how strong the relationship is, but you can learn a hell of a lot from that.

-Having seen these strands, you can alter them, strengthening or weakening them, increasing the chance of failure or success for literally any action, or even cut them entirely or create new ones. It's important to note that this is NOT mind control- if you create a blue strand between yourself and someone, they don't suddenly magically love you- events will conspire such that they develop a friendly or romantic relationship with you. Similarly, cutting strands doesn't magically end the relationship, it merely causes circumstances to arise such that the relationship ends.

Magically being able to tell how people feel about each other would be useful all on it's own- being able to change that, in such a way that the people involved legitimately changed their feelings on their own (for a given value of "on their own")? That's priceless.

To be that guy for a moment, you're still subverting people's free wills by playing with them like that. It's quite useful, but you're still as culpable for your actions regardless of how goldbergian and contrived your manipulations are. The indirectness will help you sleep at night precisely until someone points this out.

...

The more I read what I'm about to post, the more I think I'd make a decent consigliere.

Traab
2015-10-19, 08:50 PM
He will probably destroy any soul he takes in from now on so he doesnt get lost and confused. He also could easily drink blood bags for sustenance and just tear out throats to kill stuff. Now, could he pull off his info grabs like he did to millenium still? Absorb the info, kill the soul and be fine?

Drynwyn
2015-10-19, 09:12 PM
To be that guy for a moment, you're still subverting people's free wills by playing with them like that. It's quite useful, but you're still as culpable for your actions regardless of how goldbergian and contrived your manipulations are. The indirectness will help you sleep at night precisely until someone points this out.


I pointed out that it wasn't mind control not for reasons of culpability, but because it doesn't change how people act, or leave other tell-tale signs of supernatural influence- nobody can notice someone's acting strangely or doing something they wouldn't normally and sniff out something fishy.

That said, I do love a good discussion of ethics. Whether or not manipulating people would make it hard for you to sleep at night... that depends on how you look at it. You could say you're depriving them of free will or unduly imposing on them, and that doing so is inherently wrong.

However, you could also argue that you don't deprive people of free will- you (or rather, your Sorte power, since you aren't consciously aware of what creating or destroying a fate strand will cause), simply knows exactly how the person in question will react to a given set of circumstances, and then bring those circumstances about. No different from working to change someone's viewpoint through totally mundane means- just a whole lot more expedient.


Given my choice of power, I should think it's obvious where I fall at the moment, but I could be persuaded... provided you don't consider that unethical, of course. :smalltongue:

(A nice bonus to Sorte worth mentioning: in the 7th sea system, enough skill in Sorte will let you look and feel like you're 25 until the day you die, since aging is within the realm of fate.)

Steampunkette
2015-10-19, 10:42 PM
That sounds like Dazzler, but if Dazzler was cool. I approve.


Dazzler is the basis of that character, yup. Though when I played her in Mutants and Masterminds she was also a heavy duty cyborg with replacement bits all over supplying the abilities.

I think in function I'd look more like Fetch from First Light using the Dubstep Gun from Saints Row 4.

... a game DLC which really upset me...

By not being 50+ hours long. And I sort of had issues with how easy the game got once you picked up certain powers. But the Aesthetics were just freaking incredible.

First Light, not SF4, Obviously.

ThinkMinty
2015-10-24, 05:58 AM
I pointed out that it wasn't mind control not for reasons of culpability, but because it doesn't change how people act, or leave other tell-tale signs of supernatural influence- nobody can notice someone's acting strangely or doing something they wouldn't normally and sniff out something fishy.

That said, I do love a good discussion of ethics. Whether or not manipulating people would make it hard for you to sleep at night... that depends on how you look at it. You could say you're depriving them of free will or unduly imposing on them, and that doing so is inherently wrong.

However, you could also argue that you don't deprive people of free will- you (or rather, your Sorte power, since you aren't consciously aware of what creating or destroying a fate strand will cause), simply knows exactly how the person in question will react to a given set of circumstances, and then bring those circumstances about. No different from working to change someone's viewpoint through totally mundane means- just a whole lot more expedient.


Given my choice of power, I should think it's obvious where I fall at the moment, but I could be persuaded... provided you don't consider that unethical, of course. :smalltongue:

Having a freethinking dialogue is vastly, vastly different from manipulating the fabric of reality to deprive people of voluntary agency, even if you're hypnotizing the universe/causality/fate instead of the person themselves. Trying to persuade someone with words is different from not giving them a choice in the matter.

Or, more simply, hiring an assassin isn't any better than doing the wetwork yourself, after all. Indirect chicanery and direct chicanery are both equally chicanery.

You could argue that you're not depriving them of free will, but the kind of people who don't want to be an mesmerist's puppet don't want someone playing puppeteer with their fate-strings, either. I'm not saying it's not an interesting idea, I'm just saying the free will question still exists because you're making their decisions for them, even-and-especially if they think it's of their own volition. Clever wordplay doesn't let you side-step the ethical issues of puppetmaster powers, and that kind of nonlinear word choice indicates you're trying to rationalize away possible blame with some sophistry, which is exactly the kind of thing a mind-bender would say.

That, or I lack a fate so I can't be threaded with. Take your pick.