Decerebration [Archive] - Wizards Community

Decerebration [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TygerFish
12-28-07, 03:10 PM Since I've never done a campaign with psionics (well, I'm playing in one with a mindblade right now, but those don't manifest powers), I was going through the powers to get a feel for what was out there. Being a cognitive scientist, I found this power interesting, and a little amusing:

Decerebrate
Psychoportation [Teleportation]
Level: Psion/wilder 7
Display: Mental
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 13

With decerebrate, you selectively remove a portion of the subject’s brain stem. The creature loses all cerebral function, vision, hearing, and other sensory abilities, and all voluntary motor activity. The subject becomes limp and unresponsive. Without extreme measures, such as greater restoration or some other suitable effect of 7th level or higher, the creature perishes in 1d4 days.

Real-life decerebration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decerebration) is a technique that has been used sometimes in experimental psychology and the biological sciences (on animals only, of course!) to disconnect the conscious part of an animal from the rest of its body. That way you can do anything you want to the peripheral nervous system and the animal won't feel any pain. (Although, in the traditional operation, the conscious parts of the brain are still hooked up to the eyes, which has proved unnerving to many a scientist--imagine cutting into something that's watching you as you do it!)

The interesting thing here is that in a typical real-life decerebration, the animal doesn't go limp; its limbs stick out rigidly, as though pushing against gravity with all its might (we know it's against gravity because sloths, who spend their time upside-down, pull their limbs in when decerebrated). If done on a cat, for instance, you can pick the cat up and put it down as though it were a statue, because its legs will stay rigid.

If I'm ever in a campaign where this power is manifested, I'd definitely want to work in this neat neurological tidbit (you should too!). The stiff limbs are easy enough to substitute for limpness, but keeping the ability to see (since the optic nerve is still intact) could affect the balance of the power, but coupled with keeping the ability to think, it could actually be kind of cool for an evil psion; you could make someone watch as you butchered his family or something. The only catching point for an intact mind is manifesting powers. Maybe an offset, like a heavily disadvantaged concentration check, would be enough to balance things out. Maybe Xd6 of damage if the Fort save fails. What do you all think?
InkBlot
12-28-07, 05:46 PM First of all. :gah: EWWWWWWWWWWW! YUCK! ICK! Thanks for the nightmare fuel. :twitch: Seriously, thanks for the interesting (if squicky) facts.

Second, if the conscious mind is intact and can manifest powers, then it could manifest control body (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersAtoC.html#control-body) on itself.

Control Body
Psychokinesis
Level: Kineticist 4
Display: Material
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One Medium or smaller creature with humanoid physiology
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 7

You psychokinetically control the actions of any humanoid (including undead or outsiders with a humanoid physiology) that is within range and to which you have line of sight. Control body doesn’t require mental contact with the subject, since you are actually forcing limb movements independent of the target’s mind. You can force the subject to stand up, sit down, walk, turn around, and so on, but operating the vocal cords is too difficult. You can also hold the subject immobile, rendering it helpless. You cannot force the subject to manifest powers, cast spells, or use any special ability that is not a function of just its body movements. If you lose line of sight to the subject, the effect of this power ends.

If you force the subject to engage in combat, its attack bonus is equal to your base attack bonus + your Intelligence bonus, and its bonus on damage rolls is equal to your Intelligence bonus. A subject of this power cannot make attacks of opportunity. The subject gains no benefit to Armor Class from its Dexterity, but it does gain a bonus to its AC equal to your Intelligence bonus.

Although the subject’s body is under your control, the subject’s mind is not. Creatures capable of taking purely mental actions (such as manifesting powers) can do so.

Augment: For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power can affect a target one size category larger.
CrimsonDeath
12-28-07, 11:49 PM I don't think a Decerebrated creature would be able to manifest powers. In the sidebar on recovering PP, the XPH mentions that the ability to manifest powers emerges from the unity of mind and body, which is why a psion requires rest to recover PP (rather than recharging them gradually over the course of the day). Decerebration would sever the connection between mind and body, cutting off the flow of psychic energy.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TygerFish 12-28-07, 03:10 PM	Since I've never done a campaign with psionics (well, I'm playing in one with a mindblade right now, but those don't manifest powers), I was going through the powers to get a feel for what was out there. Being a cognitive scientist, I found this power interesting, and a little amusing: Decerebrate Psychoportation [Teleportation] Level: Psion/wilder 7 Display: Mental Manifesting Time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./level) Target: One living creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Fortitude negates Power Resistance: Yes Power Points: 13 With decerebrate, you selectively remove a portion of the subject’s brain stem. The creature loses all cerebral function, vision, hearing, and other sensory abilities, and all voluntary motor activity. The subject becomes limp and unresponsive. Without extreme measures, such as greater restoration or some other suitable effect of 7th level or higher, the creature perishes in 1d4 days. Real-life decerebration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decerebration) is a technique that has been used sometimes in experimental psychology and the biological sciences (on animals only, of course!) to disconnect the conscious part of an animal from the rest of its body. That way you can do anything you want to the peripheral nervous system and the animal won't feel any pain. (Although, in the traditional operation, the conscious parts of the brain are still hooked up to the eyes, which has proved unnerving to many a scientist--imagine cutting into something that's watching you as you do it!) The interesting thing here is that in a typical real-life decerebration, the animal doesn't go limp; its limbs stick out rigidly, as though pushing against gravity with all its might (we know it's against gravity because sloths, who spend their time upside-down, pull their limbs in when decerebrated). If done on a cat, for instance, you can pick the cat up and put it down as though it were a statue, because its legs will stay rigid. If I'm ever in a campaign where this power is manifested, I'd definitely want to work in this neat neurological tidbit (you should too!). The stiff limbs are easy enough to substitute for limpness, but keeping the ability to see (since the optic nerve is still intact) could affect the balance of the power, but coupled with keeping the ability to think, it could actually be kind of cool for an evil psion; you could make someone watch as you butchered his family or something. The only catching point for an intact mind is manifesting powers. Maybe an offset, like a heavily disadvantaged concentration check, would be enough to balance things out. Maybe Xd6 of damage if the Fort save fails. What do you all think?
InkBlot 12-28-07, 05:46 PM	First of all. :gah: EWWWWWWWWWWW! YUCK! ICK! Thanks for the nightmare fuel. :twitch: Seriously, thanks for the interesting (if squicky) facts. Second, if the conscious mind is intact and can manifest powers, then it could manifest control body (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersAtoC.html#control-body) on itself. Control Body Psychokinesis Level: Kineticist 4 Display: Material Manifesting Time: 1 standard action Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) Target: One Medium or smaller creature with humanoid physiology Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./level Saving Throw: Fortitude negates Power Resistance: Yes Power Points: 7 You psychokinetically control the actions of any humanoid (including undead or outsiders with a humanoid physiology) that is within range and to which you have line of sight. Control body doesn’t require mental contact with the subject, since you are actually forcing limb movements independent of the target’s mind. You can force the subject to stand up, sit down, walk, turn around, and so on, but operating the vocal cords is too difficult. You can also hold the subject immobile, rendering it helpless. You cannot force the subject to manifest powers, cast spells, or use any special ability that is not a function of just its body movements. If you lose line of sight to the subject, the effect of this power ends. If you force the subject to engage in combat, its attack bonus is equal to your base attack bonus + your Intelligence bonus, and its bonus on damage rolls is equal to your Intelligence bonus. A subject of this power cannot make attacks of opportunity. The subject gains no benefit to Armor Class from its Dexterity, but it does gain a bonus to its AC equal to your Intelligence bonus. Although the subject’s body is under your control, the subject’s mind is not. Creatures capable of taking purely mental actions (such as manifesting powers) can do so. Augment: For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power can affect a target one size category larger.
CrimsonDeath 12-28-07, 11:49 PM	I don't think a Decerebrated creature would be able to manifest powers. In the sidebar on recovering PP, the XPH mentions that the ability to manifest powers emerges from the unity of mind and body, which is why a psion requires rest to recover PP (rather than recharging them gradually over the course of the day). Decerebration would sever the connection between mind and body, cutting off the flow of psychic energy.