Psionicism for the Masses!

[sacac]

Take them into the desert after you knock them out. That way, they can say they are in the room, but where?
Put them in a tent and beat them up a little more.

[jhunter]

Opposite of what jmordetsky is saying, I actually think the fact that anyone could be Waying anyone else at any time really adds to the suspense and intrigue of Armageddon.
While it'd be nice to have some way of preventing a psionic message from escaping, I'm not sure it should be something anyone could do, and I'm not sure if another psionic skill would be the way of doing it. I mean, would some one use this in their everyday lives, like they might use contact or barrier? Also, I think force-feeding is something that could be roleplayed out and, in neccesary, wished up for, so my favorite so far is the poison.

I agree with this.

[Tamarin]

I don't care.  I still want to be able to knock someone out and tie them up while they are unconscious.  You never know if someone will play along.  You never know if there is going to be an imm who can answer your wish.  You just never know, and I'd rather know.

Maybe I don't want to have to drag them out into the desert.  Maybe I want to have them gagged and bound in the balcony in the Bard's Barrel.  Maybe I want to have them up on the roofs in Tuluk.  It's easy to say "oh just do this," but coded support would be so much more dynamic.

And you wouldn't need a poison anyway.  You can just use really strong alcohol to make someone pass out.  And if they happen to have a strong drink skill, oh well.  You are fu-ucked!

[Armaddict]

I don't see why all of these effects to hinder or block psionics during a kidnapping would have to be rare or extremely short duration.  Nor do I see a reason for the cure to be extremely common, or known about at all.

Poisons are at least -somewhat- difficult to get at this time.  When they are -easily- available, there is still the problem of manipulating it into a useable form reliably.  You don't want an amateur screwing it all up after you actually take the time to wander out into the wastes, or pay some of your hard earned money to get it.

As a matter of fact...I think one poison already in game would pretty consistently cause some serious confusion and perhaps affect the skill of psionics, if so desired.

And as for force feeding...what's with all these ideas I've presented in the past suddenly being nice?  I asked to be able to 'force feed' someone incapacitated from hunger a long time ago.

[sacac]

I like the idea of force feeding and force drinking.
I like the idea of poisons to incapcitate Psi. And the tieing up.
Just not the psi ability to block other psi things.

[nameless]

What if at a certain number of hp points have been lost, say maybe 40% of ones health gone, the pain would keep most except the most dominantly willed (mind bender) from having the concentration to use the way.  As I see it, if it's enough to mentally stress you till you are knocked out, then pain would be a big distracter.  Keeps people from messaging all their warrior and magicker friends to come save their sorry ass.

I'm thinking that "the way" requires mental concentration, if you're under moderate physical pain I can see that pretty much being hard to do.  Maybe add a "torture" command? Have it take away health slowly, maybe like 5 points each time.  So you could hurt them enough to keep them from waying everybody but control how much and how fast.  No reason to make it more then "you start torturing character" then the rest is just emotes.  That also deals with twinks being full power after being tortured by your character, giving you coded support.

[JohnGalt]

I suggested about a half a year ago that "mindworms" be added into the game as a tiny little creatures that act as parasites, which feed upon psionic energies within a host.

They are inserted into the ear, and they wiggle into the victims head (target must be subdued and have nosave on, or be unconscious/sleeping to do this) and begin draining their victim's stun down to around 15, and keeping it there, making it nearly impossible to use the Way.  

The cures for the parasite can be herbal, magickal, or require some other more clever means of removing the creature.  Anyway, what do you all think about that?  Seems a bit more creepy then just another poison, and seems like a useful tool for *keeping* someone from using the Way long-term.  That way people could be kept prisoner for more than the duration of some poison, and I see potentially interesting other uses which I will leave to all of your imaginations to determine.

[proxie]

*thoughtful pause*
Okay... so WHAT if Jimbob the Ranger contacts everyone and their dog saying that the UberHouse of Doom's got him locked up. Or even the Aide for the Lord UberHouse? Everyone on Zalanthas has their price, and even a so called undying friendship isn't worth more than a year or two's pay.

If I was locked up and needed rescued, I sure wouldn't contact my friends! I'd contact my employer, my greatest nemesis (does she really want someone stealing the joy of killing me personally?) or someone I owed a lot of money to. (Or someone who owes me a lot of money.) Realistically, unless I"m someone important or rich... what can my friends do to save me? And the flip side of that is... if I'm important or rich.. can I be assured that people will want to save me?

It's kindof a cute idea that you contact your buddies and they go tell Lord Templar Fancipants who calls a pair of hg guards and storms off, sword blazing in the righteousness of his King... And maybe that's what your pc can entertain themselves when I've got you locked up in my sekret dungeon of doom. But it's not a very Zalanthan idea, now, is it?

When I started playing, definitely, but that was years ago.  The world has changed since then, and I delight at it, because it's a lot more dangerous. We need to remember that when we're plotting our dirty evil deeds. People just don't care nearly as much as they used to, and if they do... well, that'll evolve out in a few more PC generations.

Something else here... There ARE things to hide your identity completely in game. You have to find them. (Perhaps some could be a bit more accessable, but hey, that's what money is for.) Be creative.

That said. I *DROOL* over the thought of a psionically inhibiting tablet, spice, poison, or other substance. I also drool over the idea of being able to forcefeed said substance to a subdued pc. Though, if you're subdued and someone emotes shoving a tablet down your throat... maybe you should consider not going all Braveheart and spitting it out again. And yeah, your first kneejerk reaction might be to contact everyone. But, that means people's kneejerk reaction in response might be to just go for the kill instead of the kidnap.

Take a moment... have flee typed in, but don't hit return. See what roleplay will get you... Like in KODT (Knights of the Dinner Table) parlay with the gazebo instead of wasting it with your crossbow.

</ramble>
Proxie

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Well.

I do think that the Way is too powerful to be realistic. And yes, we don't really deal with realism in Zalanthas, but still. The poison is a great idea, the more common availability of feature hiding items are a great diea, and add to this, I think, blindfolds and bonding, and the Way will be balanced out.

Right now, as somebody said, you just can't kidnap someone with any sort of degree of success. If you can't see them because you have them tucked in a dark room so that they can not be contacted, that sucks for RP. If you have to keep knocking them out for the same reason, we have the same result of 'sucks for RP'.

Let's find a solution.

[Spoon]

Maybe you could somehow beat people, lowering *edit* STUN points like the brawl code. Exactly like the brawl code, in fact, but without the bar-themed echos.

[Bogre]

Yes, but people wake up.  And if you need to be hijacking someone for an extended period of time, it sucks to constantly have to whap them over the head. Realistically the person would end up with a concussion after a few taps on the head, leading to brain damage and stuff.

yes, but it would be very realistic to have to keep that noble unconscious so he can't Way to anyone.

[Cyrian20]

Something I used to do with a raider I had (I moved a few slaves from the north to the south way way way back in the day) is the second I caught them they had a quick moment to reach my mind I told them to or die if they didn't reach my mind quickly or pass out trying they died. once they reached my mind I told them to keep a touch on my mind or I would kill them. It seem'd an ic way to know thier mind is occupied on you that way you could do your whole kidnapping scene.

[sacac]

Great idea.
Then you can say "Report!"
And they would say something into your mind.