1) How would you handle mind control? One of my players tried to mind control a punchbag that was shooting them. He wanted to make him turn and shot his allies. I did it with Take Down, using all 3 for imposing a mind controlled Critical Condition. Is it correct? What should I use if he’s trying to control an enemy that is not attacking the heroes?
2) how would you handle hacking? One of my players tried to hack the train to stop it. I made him roll Seize Control, but I’m not sure it is correct and how I would handle other hacking situations.
3) the scene was on a speeding train, using Take Down, he used 2 to move him out of the train, effectively neutralizing him. Isn’t this overpowered relative to the 4 actions needed to neutralize him with Conditions?
4) “Reduce the size of a mob by 1” means that with a mob of 3 units of 10 npc you take out 10? 1? How big do you usually make your mobs?
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Hi, I will tell you how I do it:
1) MIND CONTROL. It is one more power and no power should let you bend the rules. So, never let an insta-win with a Seize Control or a Take Down with critical condition.
If you want to get and object or minor NPC, you can use Seize Control and get what you want in one roll.
If you want control over a major NPC with condition threshold, I would not allow Seize Control. Use Take Down to impose conditions like “headache”, “nosebleed”, “voices in my head”, “mental infight”. Once you overcome the condition threshold, the target PC or NPC has lost its agency in the fiction and can be fully mind controlled.
It is possible to squeeze in minor controls. If you impose a minor condition, you could control only 1 action. For example add the condition “shoot your friend X” after a successful take down. Make that friend X roll to Defend or Defy Danger once, right before the minor condition vanishes. If you impose a severe condition “don’t touch me”, then you get +1 for rolls to avoid him touching you. He doubts, fights and it makes it easier for you to dodge him, but he will not stop completely until you defeat his condition threshold.
Use the powers to add color. If you try to hit a mind-powered enemy and do not choose to avoid suffering damage, the EiC can use mind control. The psychic does not punch you in the face to cause you harm, instead you mate does (he controlled him just in time to avoid your aggression and hit you instead).
2) HACKING.
Same thing here. In general it could be just Seize Control to manipulate the system or Defy Danger to avoid being noticed. If the system is special or has some importance to the story, you can make it a full fledged NPC with conditions and moves. Use Take Down in this case.
3) MOVING SOMEONE OUT OF THE SCENE
I’d say you may not remove a threat completely unless you beat his condition threshold. For god’s sake, don’t let them just throw your mastermind through the window in one lucky roll.
That being said, it does not mean they cannot move him. Maybe they are hanging on one hand, maybe the don’t die in the fall and come back.
If you feel like it fits the fiction and it is fun, forget what I said and remove him from the scene. But if they did not beat the condition threshold, you have the right to make him survive somehow.
4) MOB SIZE
It really depends on the type of enemy and the fiction:
A mutant swarm of bees could have 100 NPCs per size unit.
In a zombie apocalypse you can set the amount to 10 per unit and shoot 10 bastards without suffering damage with a 7-9 roll.
I sometimes use 1 NPC per size. Let’s say you face 3 armored security robots and can take them out for 1 point of Take Down each.
Alpo has some great answers here, I’ll just chime in and repeat a lot of what’s been said:
1) Mind Control can be tricky, but having them roll Take Down makes sense since they’re trying to deal with an imminent threat in that situation (other times, they might trigger other moves). Remember that Conditions could be anything, so a Critical Condition of “Enthralled” or ” Friends as Enemies” or whatever would totally work I think. It’s mainly just tricky because it could be powerful, so have to make sure that the opposition can handle it (depending on the level of their powers). Being able to shrug off mental conceit, or make a scene where they’re fighting one another on their mental plane to regain control, all that fun stuff.
2) Seize Control works well for hacking – taking control of a specific thing makes sense, especially since there’s an opposing force there. If it’s dangerous you could have them Defy Danger to up the tension when they do it as well with consequences stated up front – accidentally tripping the alarm, giving away their position, the police on their way, etc.
3) A change of location rarely means winning. They have to beat the Condition Threshold to take a villain out, so make sure they get back in the scene, take a hero with them, or start causing a ruckus somewhere else.
4) This is totally up to you and the fiction – a pulpy, street-level game is going to have a lot less mobs than the Justice League or something, where the heroes are taking out mooks left right and center.