Telepathy duration

[ochd]

How long do telepathic abilities last for? For example, read surface thoughts?

Other skills, such as clairvoyance and telekinesis, give some indication of their duration, but not the telepathic ones.

Thanks,

Dan.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Which rules? In 2nd Edition, it's 1D x 10 seconds. If you're talking about for rounds used during combat, maybe apply Effect like the other powers do.

 

[ochd]

Yes, 2e. But 1D X 10 secs is how long it takes to activate the ability, is it not?

 

[kustenjaeger]

Greetings

Some have a duration e.g. Mind link. I imagine the rest last their casting time - as this e.g. Assault is 1D seconds while Probe is 1D minutes.

Regards

Edward

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I was looking through my book for "casting time." Didn't see nothin'. Double-negative. So, let's say that the 1D x whatever is how long it will take to concentrate on the matter. I do see a "duration" mentioned for two psions communicating with their brains based on their Effect. It looks like duration is used only when it is specifically mentioned. No duration means read surface thoughts all you want, until a rifle butt smacks the back of your head. See game Referee on how to end durations.

 

[ochd]

Some have a duration e.g. Mind link.

Oh, you're right. I missed that.

I imagine the rest last their casting time - as this e.g. Assault is 1D seconds while Probe is 1D minutes.

The problem with that is, if you follow the Going Faster or Slower rule of CRB p.60 then you get a bonus to your roll for increasing the duration, when it should be the opposite.

Seems like, as Shawn said, if duration is not mentioned, then it's indefinite or as long as concentration lasts. Or it's a Rule 0 thing.

Don't suppose the first edition Psion supplement sheds any light?

Thanks,

Dan.

 

[Jeraa]

Don't suppose the first edition Psion supplement sheds any light?

It does not. Classic Traveller (Book 3), however, does. The CT durations are (Mind Link and Suggestion aren't in CT Book 3):

Telepathy
Life Detection - 60 seconds
Telempathy - 60 seconds
Read Surface Thoughts - 60 seconds
Send Thoughts - 120 seconds
Probe - 10 minutes
Assault - less than 2 seconds to occur
Shield - always active

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Don't suppose the first edition Psion supplement sheds any light?

I'll look in the Psion book now...

ADDED:
Duration isn't mentioned all that much in the rules for the newer psionic skills/talents. It is assumed that psionic skill durations last about the time of a major or minor action in a round. Suspended Animation has a duration of one week (the length of time a jump takes). So a Traveller won't need to use a cold-storage pod on a ship. A lot of the new skills use Effect. For example, to determine how much clarity a mental vision had from someone.

I'm still thinking about that faster/slower rule for psionic task checks... I'll have to see what my Traveller Calculator spits out.

MORE ADDED:
It doesn't make sense to have psionic skill difficulties made easier by taking longer to do them (because to me, it would seem that more PSI would be used if you spend an hour on something instead of a minute). I'd say the faster/slower rule doesn't apply to psionics. But I'm thinking more of X-Men style type play, which is what the Psion book is for.

Technically, psionic anything in a game is a Referee allowance thing. So maybe faster/slower would also be a Rule Zero thing as well.

EVEN MORE ADDED:
Did some testing. Since (1D x 10 Seconds) isn't a duration, then the faster/slower rule applies just like for any other skill's Task Check. So PSI isn't being drained more for more time spent on a psionic task to make it easier to do, as my first gut feeling told me otherwise. That's why I have my players telling me where their Traveller is, and what they are doing at all times. So I can get a better fix on things when task checks are needed. In X-Men, teleporting something from one space to another space would be harder to do when the Captain's screaming, "I need it here now! Not an hour from now! Got it!?" But the same PSI is spent regardless of the time spent getting it done, unless the task check fails.

NOTE: That Difficult (10+) teleportation roll (skill of 3) would have to be at least a natural 11 for it to succeed, whether it was a 2D, Boon, or Bane roll.

 

[ochd]

Thanks Jeraa and Shawn.

I think I will go with those durations from CT, converted to their equivalent MgT2e timeframe (with bonus time units per level of effect). So read surface thoughts will be 1d6 x 10 seconds plus 10 seconds per level of effect. Something like that anyway.

Dan.