Ranger wrote on Aug 28
th, 2012 at 1:18am:
No
I would not allow a player to use Lightning Control in that fashion. I would just assume that something so precious and unique as a Android body or high tech Armor would have safeguards built into it to prevent such a thing.
This power was created before the Internet existed. There was no way Jeff and Jack could have seen the potential for abuse of this power.
Pseudo-logic and rationalizations aside ... No ... it's easy and simple.
LOL. There is a lot of ...debate and some 'somewhat' justified frustration and anger about how this power can be used and potentially abused.
As there is no 'official' errata or addenda to what the power can do you could consider this...
1) Not all technologies will necessarily be powered by electricity. True almost ALL modern terrestrial tech IS powered and driven by electricity but there are fiber optical alternatives, chemical reaction, or megnetic driven tech in the pseudo-reality of comic physics where alien tech, other dimensional devices that use different physics, or magic could potentially power a device.
2) As presented with the power, No. There is no reason a enterprising character could not do just as you described above. There is no "official" - 'Cyber-Telepathy' or 'Computer-Control' power that would be used
instead of Lightning Control to control every computer, device, electronic data {internet or otherwise} on a electronic powered device withing range of the power user. Magnetic data or Optical data 'of course', would not be subject to Lightning Control {cassette tapes, CD's}.
Now on to your questions and some hopefully helpful suggestions...
F.I.S.T. -
1) Yes, technically F.I.S.T.s armor could be taken control of but it is certainly a 'unfamiliar device'.
As per the write-up of Lightning control...
"Because of his ability to control electricity, the character may attempt to take control of or short-out electrical and electronic circuitry. This requires a successful special hint on the device, plus the following:
"To Take control: PR=4 per attempt. Save vs. Intelligence on 1d20 to gain control, plus save vs Agility o 1d20 to avoid mishap every time an attempt is made to make the device do something (this can be ignored if the character becomes skilled in controlling that particular device). Range of control= 2xE, and each use of the controlled device may cost movement or an action (GM's Option)"- The character would have to keep trying to control the powered armor as the wearer would likely continue issuing the device different orders from the Lightning Controller. This will get expensive in PR real fast.
- The device weilder need only get out of range as the Lightning controller must use a movement 'minimum' or a action to keep contesting to attempt to control a device. Unless the powered armor is too heavy {'a RP' thing as there is no weight to battlesuits - their weight is assumed into the characters total weight} moving out of range could end all attempts to control the powered suit.
- The Agility save to avoid mishap could just as likely be a temporary power boost to the suit's abilities or weapon damage from a failed mishap roll. The mishap is a mishap for the lightning Controller... not necessarily the possessor of the device.
2 & 3) Technically yes. You could consider each and every function of the powered armor its own separate device that would require a Lightning Control attempt. I would consider grouping things into subsystems to make the power not completely useless...movement systems, sensors systems weapons systems...etc..
4) Perhaps the most limiting of the options available to the Lightning Controller he could just paralyze the armor...but again it would be constantly opposed by the wearer issuing other commands to the power armor.
Turning the armor off is possible and yes that would end his control but he could just turn it back on just as easily with lightning control.
As the Devil's advocate, F.I.S.T. could remove his suits power pack and it would end all easy control of his suit as the Lightning Controller would have to be extremely familiar with his suit to power an unpowered device to opperate it as he does not know the exact circuitry of the device and has no ambient electrical flow to manipulate and must provide the power himself. A Creative GM could make all sorts of mishaps in this case or just plain control roll penalties due to unfamiliarity. If F.I.S.T. made his armor and was familiar with the discrete individual devices within the suit he could use the component devices as if separate gadgets with charges.
- Also, Lightning control allows the character to control a device... it does not give instant knowledge of all that a device CAN do.
Mocker-
I think your option to mind control the device at a increased amount of cost in PR would be appropriate. Also keep in mind the restrictions and limits of Lightning Control I mentioned above. Just because the Lightning control can control a device or yes even temporarily the actions of a android it does not give instant understanding of every function the device is capable of performing - without time and familiarity of course.
2) Remember a Lightning Control can control a electronic device, but its little more than a remote control... meaning the Lightning Controller cannot make a device do something it was not designed or capable of doing in normal use. This is very important to remember!
Hornet-
A simple way of handling this is to simply say hornets eyes are powered by his own natural neural electricity or body heat. Organic power sources are not electronic devices and as such not subject to this power. Though the lightning controller could shut the eyes off the owner of the eyes would just turn them back on... at best temporary blindness round to round contested would be what it would gain him. Though something much more subtle and difficult for Hornet to realize would be the ability to implant false images to his eyes that are electronic devices the eyes do not 'see' light but they do convert optical patterned to electronic data that is transmitted to Hornet's brain... that could be manipulated. Or course the Lightning controller would have to know that Hornet's eyes are artificial and the eyes would NEVER be familiar devices.
I have pondered all these things as I have a Magnetic and Lightning controller - Thunderbolt and yes it is a VERY powerful combination... one I did not realize exactly how powerful until I got him into play.
To note I do not have ANY other source of information or data on V&V other than my single Revised Edition Rule book. I do not have F.I.S.T., Mocker or Hornet to look at personally to read their history or understand the origin of their powers to consider how Lightning Control would or could interact with those specific characters.
I would prepose that you should closely consider the character's origin as I doubt Lightning Control would work the exact same way every time with every character with electronic devices... but the above is a good rule of thumb to remember.
I hope this helps a little.