In the various Power Boons, Control may be the most flexible option, or tied alongside Alter. Control allows a hero to manipulate a chosen thing, forcing it to act based on how it aligns with their own intentions, assuming it has intentions. Control also has a lot of implied functions that, if the Power doesn’t include them by default, may end up costing heroes some series Willpower when push comes to shove. Let’s look at some examples.
Control: Fire: a classic that lets the character tell a fire what to do, this can change the direction of a flame, cause it to stand still, but what you might be wondering, does it let you throw it at someone? The answer is, it can, but only if you have the other related Boons, namely Role: Offensive This doesn’t have to be in the power itself, but when the hero wants to attack someone they will need to add this using the Power Trick Willpower Feature, representing the added effort to use this as an attack.
That’s an easy one though. How about this?
Control: Cars: This is more likely Control: Machines, but let’s talk about cars because I’m going to ram someone with it. Being able to Control a car would allow the character to turn it on, off, and work as an alternative to a Vehicle Talent roll to drive the vehicle. What other Boons might be necessary? If the hero uses cars to block attacks, GMs might ask for this to be a Barrier. However, I am more inclined to call this Cover (Metahumans Rising, Pg. 112) unless this was used to directly counter an attack, i.e. in lieu of an Active Defense. As for hitting someone with the car, it could be used as an Offensive Role, but what if we combined the two? Using Control: Cars to narratively justify Backup? Tecnica (Metahumans Rising, Pg. 195) does exactly that, well not exactly she turns ambient technology into robots, but the principle is still the same.
Now for the big one…
Control: Minds: In the Control: Cars example we discussed using the Control to narratively justify Backup. So, do you need Backup or a Power Trick for Backup when controlling others, and the answer is, it depends. Taking control of a character in the heat of the moment, would generally not require extra Power Boons. However, a standing army of mind controlled people would. The reason why is because trying to create a Backup for every possible character the character might control would be exhausting, and cost prohibitive. If we know that they always have a number of mind controlled servants though, this is more in line with the spirit of Backup, or possibly even Allies.
One more example.
Control: Telekinesis: At its most basic level, telekinesis can be treated as an alternative form of Strength; allowing the hero to pick up and manipulate objects accordingly. Heroes can use this Control as an alternative means for things such as lifting rolls in addition to all the other uses for being able to manipulate objects, presumably at range. As such, it provides a narrative vehicle for a host of Power Boons from Armor or Barrier to Suffocating or Trapping as the hero uses their Control in fun and unique ways. When developing a telekinetic character the player may want to really consider how their hero understands their power, and how they come to use it, as one telekinetic’s style may be radically different from others. Mock (Metahumans Rising, Pg. 145), has a basic suit of psychic powers. He will commonly add the Blast using a Power Trick to keep foes off guard, and will occasionally push himself to create telekinetic clones using Backup (Metahumans Rising, Pg. 65 (yes that’s Mock)).
In summary, Control is a flexible and fun Power Boon with a ton of uses. Players and GMs should keep in mind when using a control when it’s appropriate to require other Power Boons, or when Control is just fine on its own. Don’t make things too complicated, and remember to have fun with the power.
