The Book of Psyche

[Yodaking]

This is what I think of when talking about a fight on the Astral Plane in comics:

YouTube

Strange is fighting on the Astral Plane, and his Material Plane body is out of commission. He's only active on one plane or the other, not both.

As I mentioned a few days ago, same thing happened in the X-Men book I was reading. Shadow King pulled a bunch of the X-men into the Astral Plane where they fought their inner demons, their real life bodies fell into a coma and had to be protected during this fight. Pyslocke tried to use her mental powers to assist them in those fights and guide them back to their bodies, allowing them to escape.

So for me, the idea that you can fight on both planes at the same time doesn't match my experiences. I don't know if it's different in DC or some other comic book.

[IAmBatman]

I think it's important, for the sake of fun, to let players just have their figures attacked on the Astral Plane and not necessarily respond. Maybe once they activate their Manifestation that stops them from taking any more turns on the other battlefield for the rest of the round or something?

I also realized I used Linked Consciousness for the power title here and on the other one, so I need to fix that. Maybe while I'm at it I'll stop Telepaths from getting to do both at once. Maybe they can just seamlessly move from projecting to not projecting, whereas if a different figure wants to activate their Manifestation, it costs them a round in the real world?

[IAmBatman]

How about this? Can attack someone's mind and they just sit there and take it, or they can choose to fight back, but it comes at a (non-gameplay crippling) cost?

LINKED CONSCIOUSNESS
Instead of taking a turn with its Tether, you may take a turn with this Psyche. If you do, for the rest of the round, its Tether cannot move or attack, and only this Psyche can use any special powers on its Tether's Army Card. If the special power refers to the chosen figure or the chosen figure's card, it refers to this Psyche or its card instead. If its Tether would be removed from the battlefield, you must first remove this Psyche and its Tether Marker from the game. If this Psyche is destroyed, its Tether receives three automatic wounds.

[Yodaking]

Easier to get a better feel on how it works once some games are played, but it could work out and be more on theme.

[IAmBatman]

Yeah, for sure. I think that's the problem I'm having. Need to have something that feels "settled" to get it into initial testing and need to do some testing to settle things.

I think I'm just going to pull a Tornado and do some non-official, pre-initial testing to help me figure this stuff out.

[IAmBatman]

OK, I'm going to update with that change, sleep on things, and might set up for some informal testing this weekend.

[IAmBatman]

Actually, I'll put a note that it's a pending change. Still in the breathing period for this one.

[Lord Pyre]

Atom Eve is also a marker remover.

[tcglkn]

Also the Lantern I am currently designing

[IAmBatman]

OK, well they get to untether and then destroy Manifestations quickly, which definitely counters this (and, like, a lot of things).

I've been simmering on Yodaking's comments about more of an upside for the people whose Psyches are trapped. I should have an update in a bit here that addresses that.

IF I have energy tonight (huge if) I'll toy around with some informal testing of the three pieces of this. Otherwise, it'll probably be more next week.

[IAmBatman]

OK, added this power to the SP:

RESTORATIVE BOOST
This Psyche rolls adds one to its defense if its Tether is adjacent to one or more Telepaths or figures with the Magical Defense special power. If this Psyche destroys an enemy Manifestation, remove its Tether marker from the game.

The idea is that friendly Telepaths or Magic Users can help your Psyche fight back and if your Psyche overcomes the enemy, the threat passes (your tether marker is removed, thus making your figure no longer a tether, thus letting it avoid any of the downsides).

[Yodaking]

You know I dig it, so I'll let others comment.