Random idea for a Cutting Edge Scientist invention.
EMP Generator
Night action, affects one target player
Fires off an ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) that knocks out all advanced technology the target may own. Most roles are fairly low tech and won't notice or care, but Scientists and Aliens will find themselves without their precious tools temporarily. When it goes off that night, affected Scientists lose their inventions and get roleblocked if they tried to use one although 1-shot items are not used up. Meanwhile, targeted Aliens lose all inventions AND actions and get roleblocked that night no matter what they tried to do, although again, any 1-shot items or actions they may have tried to use are not used up. To regain their actions and inventions, affected individuals must spend 2 nights fixing their invention/ship (no, you aren't fixing your invention the night it gets EMP'd). Only inventions receiving power care about having a power surge, so broken, already EMP'd, or used 1-shot inventions do not generate messages or get broken when an EMP goes off. Because of the diagnostic nature of repair work, nights spent fixing will have the outward goal of "Find".
All inventions are affected, including any engineered mind shields. If the player had a natural mind shield and bought an advanced one, the pulse will reduce the player to a regular mind shield until it's repaired. Even if the player didn't or can't use their invention the night the EMP goes off at their place, the player will still know their invention is unusable. EMP blasts stop an Alien Scientist's ability to abduct and an Exterminator's ability to kill, but they do NOT free any abducted players! That would just be too mean to Alien Scientists. Then again, they do need a foil of some sort. Another idea is to have the whole ship go down in a big crash, killing all the prisoners on board. Hey, there's only 1 parachute and who do you think the Scientist will give it to?
Basically, I wanted to give town Scientists something they can do about dopp Military Scientist assassin bots. Even though they can spend their time repairing the invention, it'll still be out of comission for a little while and of course, lone dopps can't kill and repair. The idea to also be anti-alien came along later. The idea there is that aliens use their ships for everything, so without their ship, they have no abilities at all. I'm worried about power, of course, but I'd STILL probably take a body double if I didn't want to show off my idea so much.
I'm also thinking about an engineered plague to give to the military scientist so that not everything they have is lethal force, but I'm not sure how fun "you have the flu, you're roleblocked for the next 3 days" or whatever really is.
I dislike the idea that the Alien is roleblocked if they aren't using their invention. So, an Exterminator and Operative wouldn't be roleblocked if they were killing unless the Exterminator was using Combat Camo. Also, this makes the Scientist impossible, as the extra THREE Days they spend being roleblocked and repairing is precious time they need for abducting other people. Perhaps this can be limited to one Day for aliens (The Day it's knocked out) and two Days for Scientists (The Day it's knocked out + 1.)
However, perhaps with that, there should be an item that turns a power role into its team's basic role. Some sort of Limiter Ray or something. It has much potential, since it can turn an AD into a regular Dopp, but also turn a Vig into a Townie. Aliens would be unaffected, as they don't have basic roles. This should either be unlimited uses or two-shot, as it isn't the power of an assassin bot, but it's meant to equal it in power. It also isn't a super roleblocker like Mr.Person was dealing with, as it hurts Town a lot more than it hurts Dopps, who can still Night Kill.
I also believe being redirected to yourself should cause you to action yourself, as being MIND CONTROLLED would leave you completely helpless to the resulting MIND CONTROL! So, if you kill things and get "possessed," and you just happen to believe you're killing things while you're slitting your own throat, I'd believe it. It's also not unbalanced, as currently, it's really lame if you know someone is a killer, as you can only redirect it to... someone else (Who will die, but may or may not be Town.) The only bonus you get now is the extra vote, which is mostly to appeal to Dopps, who end up picking the Body Double in most cases. The proposed change is equivalent to an assassin bot in power, has the potential to roleblock or KILL the target, and protect people from a kill. The extra vote might be much on the power (I think it should be dropped), but this has potentials for Dopps and Town: As long as they are told they aren't redirected, they will imagine they are actioning the person they tried to action. However, they will instead action the other person instead (Which may be themselves.) Dopps can kill Vigs this way without having to be near them and without being potentially killed. You can also confuse cops, role cops, or anyone, really (And seeing as how they could use more things stopping them...) It just makes more sense.
Another invention idea is a Time Warper. Sending someone into the future for an entire Day and Night. If they actioned the previous Night, then their action will be postponed until the following Night, and any actions that happened on them that Night will fail. Seeing as you could pass this off as an Alien Scientist, it can work for Town a lot better than Dopps, but if it is allowed to be used during the Day, it can save a Dopp from being lynched (Or a Town, for WIFOM or to save a PR.) It has several uses and isn't unbalanced. The warped person simply reappears the at the beginning of the following Day or Night.
Doppelganger idea: Thick-skinned Doppelganger. Its hide is built to be more durable than the average Doppelganger, making it resistant to kills (But not lynches.) It cannot be killed. The only thing this Dopp unbalances is the Exterminator, who should I will get to in a second. Seeing as how this can offset a Vigilante who KILLS OFF THE ENTIRE SCUMTEAM, I think it is a good choice.
Exterminator Tech: Disintegration Weapons (Large). Having this weapon, the Exterminator need merely to touch a soul with this weapon and they will breakdown into molecules. This bypasses protection from Doctors (Guards too?) and Thick-skinned Doppelgangers.
Exterminator Tech: Galactic Shopping Channel (Large PLUS Medium). Instead of choosing when they're least needed, the Exterminator can purchase one Medium and one Small Tech at any time. Unbalanced? Not at all. It simply delays the purchase of something (Say people are setting up chain-inspects. Needed an Advanced Holoform Modulator back on Day 1, but need it now on Day 4? Somebody just won't die during the Night and you need an Assassin Bot to keep them from talking? Want to kill those last two with a Deadman Bomb? Buy it now on the GSC!)
Exterminator/Alien Tech: Charismatic Voice (Large). This Exterminator works on a different level of murder: Diplomacy. The Exterminator has an extra vote. (Heck, even this being a Medium or SMALL Tech wouldn't be so bad. It could give some of the other roles access to a way to survive and BARTER for survival.)
These are just a few things I think might help the game overall. And just so it's not so bulky, shortened list:
1. Intelligence Scientist Tech: Limiter Ray, turns target into Vanilla role. Two shots or unlimited.
2. Mind Control Rays are possible to redirect target to themselves. Remove extra vote.
3. Intelligence Scientist Tech: Time Warper, sends target into the future.
4. Thick-Skinned Doppelganger: Immune to night-kills (and assassin bots.)
5. Exterminator Tech: Disintegration Weapons (Large), stops Doctor protection.
6. Exterminator Tech: Galactic Shopping Channel (Large + Medium), allows one Small and one Medium Tech to be chosen at any time.
7. Alien Tech: Charismatic Voice (Unknown size), gives extra vote.
Poll
3 (12%)
Author
Topic: Paranormal Mafia Game - Rules Discussion (Read 134676 times)