The Book of Psychic Projection

[IAmBatman]

OK SP updated, back to proposing for an initial here! Needs to wait on the Psyche as well for testing, but that's OK. Might as well have it ready.

[IAmBatman]

Toying with this update to the last power (since it needs renaming anyway):

ASTRAL FOCUS
Instead of taking a turn if its Tether, you may take a turn with this Projection. This Projection may 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 Projection or its card instead.

There was a feel that folks shouldn't be actively projecting if they were also taking a real world turn, which seems fair.

[Yodaking]

I like how your real world powers can transfer over to the Astral Plane fight. Telepaths double turns might be too good, not sure, but I do like that they are better at that fight.

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

I like how your real world powers can transfer over to the Astral Plane fight. Telepaths double turns might be too good, not sure, but I do like that they are better at that fight.

Yeah, I ninja edited that double turns part out. I didn't want to block (or figure out) the design space if a Telepath had Frenzy.

I was worried about Astral Plane battles slowing things down too much, but it'll still feel fast because it's a super small battlefield and everyone has flying. Nobody's running away and Telepaths can hit a bit harder. Also, everyone has lower life.

[IAmBatman]

I ran a few quick games with this. Professor X, Psylocke, Jean Grey, Psyche (x3), and Psychic Projection (x2) beat up on the Fantastic Four twice, then Professor X, Psylocke, Jean Grey, Angel, Armor, Psyche (x1), and Psychic Projection (x1) beat up on the Justice League Trinity once.

Learned that Master Martial Artist is really good on the Astral Plane. I'll call it the value of mental focus. I learned that the advantage goes to the figures with Psychic Projections instead of those stuck with Psyches, because they really dictate the terms of the combat and can mostly get those auto wounds in if they invest the right resources.

I also learned that Psychic Knife and Psychic Defense X is just a nasty combination and I'm not sure any of their opponents would've beaten Professor X and Psylocke even without the Astral Plane involved.

Since the armies that bring the Astral Plane into play seem to have a big advantage
already, I'm cutting the Order Marker part on the Psychic Projections. I forgot about it in the first round I played and quickly realized it just wasn't needed. The team that brings the Astral Plane into play has every reason to be an aggressor on it.

[IAmBatman]

And, after thinking about it, given the advantage the Telepaths have in setting the terms of the battle, I'm going to go ahead and not give them quite as much of an advantage on how the cards work. This should also help consistency. I'm going to use the Linked Consciousness power on both cards, so now Telepaths can't just flip in and out of the Astral Plane. If they're projecting, they're fully there for the round, and their bodies are vulnerable.

[IAmBatman]

SP fully updated with the version I want to test. I'm going to run checklists in the morning and then propose for the initial.

[IAmBatman]

I propose we move to initial playtesting!


COMPETITIVE REVIEW BOARD CHECKLIST

Spoiler Alert!

Efficiency- Check to see if your design is providing armies with turns/moves/etc. to a degree that would make it difficult or impossible for an opponent to keep up with your output.

1. Does your design allow itself or figures to move/attack/take a turn/etc. instead of/in addition to your normal turn for revealing an Order Marker? Is it granting these benefits to too broad a range of units? Does it combine with other powers to create overly long or powerful chains of actions?
It allows instead of turn activations on the Astral Plane. I found it to not slow down the game at all too far. The Projections are restricted on units. The Psyches are restricted by opponent choices.
2. Does your design allow you to take actions during an opponent's turn? Can it combine with other powers to create tediously long reactions to enemy actions or a restrictive environment?
No.
3. Does your design allow you to rearrange your Order Markers or otherwise bypass the costs of Order Marker requirements on the special powers of other figures?
No.
4. Is your design doing anything outside of a player's turn, at the start or end of the round? Is the effect too powerful by itself or when combined with other powers?
No, other than the Psychic Projections boosting initiative. But that can be countered on the Astral Plane or on the normal battlefield through engagement.
5. Does your design have any powers that trigger anytime it moves as opposed to only when it moves normally on its turn? Will it be too efficient when combined with figures that grant extra moves to figures?
No.
6. Is your design adding or subtracting from initiative rolls? Will it pair too easily with other figures that alter initiative or have powers triggering on the results of initiative rolls?
Yes, but not to a concerning level, IMO. See above.

Potency- Check to see if your design is wounding/removing/etc. enemy figures, increasing the chances of other figures in your army doing so, or otherwise directly effecting the number of figures available to players to a degree that would make it difficult or impossible for an opponent to recover from.

1. Does your design have a chance to inflict wounds or destroy figures? Is it getting these chances too frequently or having to high a chance of success? Is the power balanced against expensive targets that can cause a massive swing in the game when destroyed?
Auto wounds are the biggest effect of this combination. This will be a focus in testing to make sure it is balanced and fairly costed. This is unlikely to result in figure destructions by themselves as they both only have the potential to inflict 3 wounds on their Tethers.
2. Is your design adding to the stats or 20-sided die rolls of other figures in your army? Is it a boosting a broad enough range of units effectively enough to become a 'mandatory' draft or inhibit future design space? Can it be combined with other boosts too easily?
No.
3. Will your design benefit from stat boosts or other enhancement to an overpowering degree? Will it restrict future growth within its faction or point cost by limiting available boosts to others?
No. It’ll benefit about the regular amount, I think.
4. Does your design take control of enemy figures permanently or temporarily? Is it too difficult to for your opponent to regain control of their figure or recover from the losing the figure? Does the method of taking control expose the enemy figure to the powers of other figures in your army that can easily destroy it?
No.
5. Can your design heal itself or others or revive itself or others? Is it doing so in a way that an opponent cannot hope to overcome in certain scenarios?
No. Not by itself.
6. Does your design place enemy figures on its card or otherwise have an unconventional method of temporarily removing enemy figures from play? Will it guarantee your victory against a single remaining enemy figure?
No.

Chicanery- Check to see if your design is preventing your opponent from taking actions with too much ease or is otherwise causing negative play experience through tactics that make your opponent feel you're 'not playing fair'

1. Does your design restrict the movement of enemy figures, or allow you to move enemy figures? Can it do so in a way that results in an unwinnable scenario for your opponent if they are down to one figure, posses only figures with a range of 1, etc.? Can your design easily combine with other figures to greatly impede enemy figures or otherwise gain an excessive advantage?
No.

2. Does your design effect/change the placement of an enemy's Order Markers, or remove their Order Markers entirely? Can it force Order Markers to go onto cards that have no figures on the battlefield? Can your design easily combine with other figures to completely dictate the placement of an enemy's Order Markers or remove all of their Order Markers?
No. I decided the Order Marker removal was too much.

3. Does your design inhibit your opponent from attacking your figures or make attacking a losing proposition? Are there scenarios or combinations that make your opponent totally unable to harm your figures through attacking?
Yes, but only as an optional thing.
4. Does your design directly negate the powers of enemy figures or otherwise ignore them in a way that can completely disrupt the opponent's strategy or leave them feeling like they are stuck playing figures without special powers?
No, unless they choose to let that happen. It can certainly GOAD them into doing so, but even then they’re just transferring the power usage to a new location.

5. Does your design become overly powerful in a podded group of figures, or provide significant benefit to your army without leaving your Start Zone?
No. It is never even in the start zone. It benefits from podding about as much as anything else.

6. You can attack your own figures in Heroscape, does your design have any powers that will trigger off of doing so or otherwise wounding/destroying your own figures? Is this intentional on your part? Will the design be too efficient or potent when doing so?
No powers trigger off of attacking your own here, other than you could technically KO your own Manifestations and auto-wound your own Tethers. But that doesn’t seem beneficial.

CONSISTENCY CHECKLIST (SHORT FORM)

Spoiler Alert!

Consistency Concerns
Name and Identity
Verify character is named in a way that is clear, accurate and feels consistent with the way other characters are named.
All good.
Uniqueness and Type
Verify that the power text reflects the listed uniqueness and type, that the uniqueness fits the character, and that squad size is listed for squads.
All good.

Left Box
If the character's species, class or personality is reused, verify that the character feels thematically consistent with other figures that have that species, class or personality. If they are not reused, verify that there is no pre-existing species, class or personality that would make more sense.
All good on the Psychic Projection. I’m switching out Vulnerable for Tormented, as Tormented hits the same theme notes and is a reuse.
Size and Height
Verify that the listed size and height are accurate. Standing the mini up next to a stack of tiles, and a few other minis of various sizes, is encouraged.
This is a work in progress as minis aren’t 100% settled on for both designs, but based on the constructs I’m looking at, Medium 4 is right.
Super Strength and Flying
Verify that these special powers are present if they make sense, and not if they don't.
All good.
New Powers - Names
Verify that any new powers are not using power names identical to, or very similar to, pre-existing powers. Verify that any new powers are actually new and not old powers with new names.

New Powers - Effects
Verify that the effect and timing of all new powers is clear. Verify that any logical immunities, benefits, or weaknesses (whether those be necessary for thematic or mechanical reasons) are implemented: consider whether defensive powers that work against normal attacks should also work against special attacks, whether or not a power has an elemental component that some figures should resist, and whether or not unliving figures (such as Undead and Androids) should be affected.
All good.
Reused Powers
Verify that the design is reusing powers in place of creating new ones, where reused powers could implement the same theme and mechanics with no differences or only trivial differences. Verify that any reused powers have the correct text.
All new powers here.
Power Level
Verify that the character's movement, attack, range, and defense (in conjunction with any special powers that enhance those stats) feel consistent with the capabilities of characters with analogous powers and abilities. Verify that the character falls into a similar point range to characters with comparative powers and abilities.
All good.

[LordVenoc]

Yea

[MrNobody]

Yea

[Tornado]

Yea

[tcglkn]

Yea