How to resist Gadget effects?

[BadCatMan]

A Minyan doctor PC and I been trying to create a Minyan Pacifier from Underworld (a peace gun, essentially) as a Gadget. We used the Engram Eraser as a base, except the Pacifier deletes aggression rather than memories.

I wondered if others could resist this effect (a very bad failure could produce the love effect that Leela suffered, for example). The same goes for other Gadgets - resisting the memory deletion of the Engram Eraser, or disbelieving the Psychic Paper, and so on.

I presumed the Psychic trait that these have would provide a good starter: say the Gadget makes a Resolve + Awareness + 4, and the target resists with Resolve + Ingenuity + other bonuses that might apply.

But then, what are the attributes of the gadget, or would it be powered by the user? (Seems a bit unlikely, though.)

Thanks for any advice.

[allivingstone]

Jan 3, 2010 2:36:02 GMT BadCatMan said:

A Minyan doctor PC and I been trying to create a Minyan Pacifier from Underworld (a peace gun, essentially) as a Gadget. We used the Engram Eraser as a base, except the Pacifier deletes aggression rather than memories.

Since Gadgets aren't limited to taking Gadget Traits, a 'peace gun' sounds to me like a Gadget based on Hypnosis instead. The Hypnosis Trait does exactly what you describe and the resistance mechanism would then be from the 'Being Possessed' rules.

Hope that helps.

[BadCatMan]

A Minor Hypnosis could work, thanks.

But that brings me back to the question of what to use for the Pacifier's stats, now being an issue of Resolve and Convince. Or would it just be an automatic +2 bonus to the user's attempts to calm someone down? (Which isn't really how it worked in the episode, with Orfe being not involved in the argument when he zapped Leela.)

[allivingstone]

Jan 4, 2010 1:59:57 GMT BadCatMan said:

A Minor Hypnosis could work, thanks.

But that brings me back to the question of what to use for the Pacifier's stats, now being an issue of Resolve and Convince. Or would it just be an automatic +2 bonus to the user's attempts to calm someone down? (Which isn't really how it worked in the episode, with Orfe being not involved in the argument when he zapped Leela.)

I'd suggest looking at the situation in terms of the overall result.
If I'm reading you right, the example social conflict involved Leela arguing with a Minyan. Another Minyan then brings the Pacifier to bear against Leela, ending the argument.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you propose giving a bonus to the Minyan who is actually making the roll for the conflict.

[BadCatMan]

Specifically, a stand-off ensues between Leela and Herrick, both armed with blasters, after Herrick threatened the Doctor. Orfe then used the Pacifier on Leela. She instantly develops a crush on Orfe, and is easily disarmed. When Herrick continues to threaten the Doctor, Orfe pacifies Herrick (no crush, but Leela's reaction is said to be extreme, perhaps she has low Ingenuity), who is then given other orders by the captain.

Later, the Doctor talks her out of it, though it backfires when she briefly has an even greater rage against him and then Herrick, before settling down.

There really wasn't any attempt to talk anyone down here, so I think I might just go back to the Delete (aggression) trait.

I suggested it as a joke, but the PC quite liked it. It would be a fun non-lethal option for a medical doctor character, and can change potentially lethal encounters back to talking or an opportunity to take prisoners instead.

Anyway, this is getting off-topic. I didn't really want to build it, but to get some guidelines on giving attributes to gadgets (they seem to be treated like mini-characters after all). There ought to be a chance to resist, so what difficulty do I give it? (Same goes for the Psychic Paper, too.)