RPing Mind Reading, Spiritual Journeys etc

Greetings,

As an RP nub I'm still often confronted with concepts I don't know how to RP. Usually when that happens I find myself googling and talking to more experienced RP'ers on how to handle such things. Oddly enough, there isn't always a good answer. I guess we all have to learn some things, I suppose. Anyways, I've been confronted with concepts such as mind reading, spiritual journeys, seers, mind control, mental torture and what not... Sadly these are often metagamed which, while fast, is quite sad from an RP perspective.

This has made me think how this can be RP'd ICly. I lack experience, so maybe I'm thinking too far out the lines or reinventing the wheel... but I recall reading introductions on the concepts of tabletop RP and thought this could apply to such situations. In this case, the two interacting players could launch themselves in a private session (either whisper or party chat for example) where one is GM and one is an actor in the virtual world.

For example, person X reads the mind of Y. Obviously, the mind (world) belongs to Y so he becomes the GM. The GM then describes the mind or world as if it were a dream wherein X tries to find his way to get exactly that which he needs to know or manipulate. This interaction would allow person Y to express his character on a new level and allow X to actually play the mind manipulator. Furthermore it would not eliminate the aspect that person Y's mind has to be 'read and interpreted' or it may take time to break through the thoughts of a man.
Mutual agreement is somewhat forced through this interaction but it brings the concept to the front of an RP session rather than to the metagamed background.

I checked this idea with some experienced RP'ers and so far the feedback is quite positive. Positive enough to feel I should share this, at the risk of reinventing the wheel.
Ideas? Thoughts?

JP

"Sinclair" of The Cult of Shadow appears to be very good at IC Mind Torture.

You should ask Shrogan about mind fucking techniques or mind scape trips. He has experience and masters both to an extremely elaborated and well planned level.

JP for Council Leader, now.

The idea is great; Although, if the person X is much stronger mentally than person Y (Example, priest and peasant), Y can act as an invader and thus become the "master", so to say.

In WoW we call it Mind Control.

But yes, I am very positive about this as it opens new level for (Tim Burton inspired?) roleplaying.

I'm not planning on becomming a mind reader/manipulator myself but since this would require a good interaction from both sides I was just intruiged by how this would be played out. The victim plays an important role in how I laid it out.

*starts his search for Shrogan*

Hello there. Looking for me?

I'll explain how I usually pull off my Mind-control/reading RP sessions later today. However, if you wish, you can also ask me for my contact and I'll guide you through one myself.

Mind reader!! Indeed I was looking for you and I eagerly anticipate your explanation.
I'd rather not have my mind read, if I have the choice.. nobody can know about my hidden obsession for.. ugh.. nvm.

Us belfs got a mind reader aswell.

Kristeas Sunbinder wrote:Us belfs got a mind reader aswell.

I heard he/she goes around with it rather carelessly. I'm amazed none of you has gotten any mental issues ye-...
oh wait >_>

Lini has been into this whole mind reading thing for ages now.
I usually handle all sorts of mind reading/manipulating sessions in whispers with the other player describing the mind scape.

Personally I find the concept of mind reader/manipulator/etc a bit difficult to play as the correct level of power and influence is difficult to portray. It's a fine line between god-emoting and weakening the influence to lower than what it actually is. I imagine people wouldn't be too happy if you demanded that their characters would constantly have to reveal their thoughts and relinquish the control of their actions to someone else.

If I am a warrior and I see a priest trying to mind control me, what do I do?



There goes your godemote.

Hirp, I'll join the other mindwogglers on the thread.
I usually just whisper something like "You feel a dark presence trying to do X" and then see how it goes. Still, your idea sounds good for those sessions that are all or mostly about the adventure that is the mind.

I usually give quite little power for the mind trawl, it suits Thenkar better to subtly rouse emotions or twist memories. I try to steer away from things that can lead into god emoting or such. Wholesome mindreadings I save for interrogations or when Thenk has an upper hand (like another cultist helping n.n).
I haven't RPed that much with you other mind readers (atleast in a mindbending competition!), so cannot say how much this differs from you others. Still, I'm taking pointers! ;p

Hmm, what'll happen, if two would mind control eachother? Bodyswap?

Edit: My favourite mindjourney: I was trying to interrogate Jomir about dwarven army positions and only got a vision of a fat dwarf with a cigar. n.n Those were the days...

Impossible to mind read dwarves, as we are always to intoxicated to make any sence.

Yes well... any power can be abused. A session like this, on the other hand, feels more appropriate to me in the sense that the victim is the GM of his own mind scape. This means that the mind reader should orient himself in that world, not just go "Reader forces you to tell the history of X".
Think "The Cell" or "The Fall" or something of that sort.

In the end, RP on your own faction only is limited to what you can pull off with mutual consent. Make the RP fun for both sides and maybe more things can work.

Jeanpierre/Jeanclaude wrote:Yes well... any power can be abused. A session like this, on the other hand, feels more appropriate to me in the sense that the victim is the GM of his own mind scape. This means that the mind reader should orient himself in that world, not just go "Reader forces you to tell the history of X".

This is precisely how it's done properly

I tend to ask permission OOCLy, and then limitations if they agree.

Always get the other partys concent and keep them on the infomation flow of what your gonna do next and you won't have any issues.