Balancing The Omniscient

I'm worried that my Omniscient Hero may be just a little too powerful. His power allows him to see the objective future as according to people's intended course of action. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but he sees the future without range or limit, meaning he pretty much knows everything that can and will be.

As a person, he's manipulative, self-centered and largely uncaring towards the people around him. The reason for this is his ability. Since he's been aware of every worst possible outcome since day one, he's developed into a highly cynical and fatalistic person (which does tend to give off vibes of nihilistic, bratty, self-absorbed teenager) who's main goal in life is to ensure his own enjoyment of it.

The main plot of the story revolves around his cooperation with the FBI to solve a series of bizarre murders, and the antagonist provides a curious exception to his abilities, but beyond that, how could one challenge this character?

My idea was for him to be less a reluctant Big Good and more of a Lovable Traitor who is fighting to see whoever's doing this taken out of the world, but only because doing so benefits him. And there's no reason for him not to lead them along on a string if deception ultimately brings in more gain. In this way, the relevance of him being challenged is sort of nullified.

However, I would very much appreciate your opinions. Usually people around here have better ideas than I.

Face him against someone whose course of action can't be logical and is completely random, to the point of even screwing the objective future.

Or just give him some limit like not being able to use it for more than a minute, something like that.

That's the point of the antagonist, who is the very idea of madness itself, making its intended course of action nigh-impossible to determine.

I just wanted to know if anyone else had any different ideas.

What possible future can he see? Just the one of people around him? Around a certain periphery? The whole world? If it's the latter, I hope he has a very very solid mind, and if he doesn't, I guess he's as mad as his nemesis.

How does his premonition works? You say he can see anything without range or limit, but then how does he choose what to see?

And what kind of strain the future-seeing puts on him? He also can be pretty defenseless when he concentrates on future seeing since it's like living/witnessing a separate life in the future, which means he can't concentrates on the reality, unless he has some split personnality.

He just knows. To him, the future is like a book youread long ago. He knows it all, but may require a brief search for specific information. Beyond that, basically no limitations. Think Dr. Manhattan without the Reality Warping.

No matter how much he knows, the information concerning the entire possible future is pretty fuggin' voluminous. Even a supercomputer have trouble reading fast so much information. Even at the speed of light, trying to reach every posssible information of the whole world takes time, especially if you're searching for something concise.

edited 2nd Jun '11 5:22:22 AM by Delles

It can't be like Dr Manhattan if he can change the future, though. With every action he takes that's not in the script all his memories would change. Repeat three times, and he's crazy.

Things become weird when you're dealing with the future. The main point is that he can see the entirety of the past and future. The future in this case is bound by certain rules. Namely that age-old rule that no matter what you change, the big picture will not be affected. Prevent your granddad from dying in a fire, he dies in a car crash a few days later etc.

...so, he solves a murder, then another inexplicable murder happens because of it? What exactly counts as the big picture? If the villain aims for the stars and is carefull to do only stuff that affects the big picture, the protagonist knows what to do, but is still useless.

I guess all he can do is provide an explanation. He can't change things, but can explain how it happened. Well, that means he's practically a Non-Action Guy mixed with Mr. Exposition then.

Well, that's what he believes. I suppose in-story it's a bit ambiguous whether or not there efforts have meaning.

If he really can't change things, it means he's not really broken since all he does is providing an explanation, and if someone were to kill him, he can't do anything against it.

If he can do something, then it means the future is changed, and you can make it put an enourmous strain on his mind, giving some justification as to why he prefers to not change the future and just act as a witness.

Exactly. I was thinking that his killer would make a good antagonist, but that would destroy the ambiguity you want to create.

I like that. It gives him an excuse to sit back and be the team's Jerkass With An Internet Connection.

edited 2nd Jun '11 8:07:10 AM by KSPAM

Also, if specific deaths are still going to happen then why does he bother trying to prevent them, if he so self absorbed why does bothers.

Also if his hedonism is based off of his worst possible outcome predictions then why does he bother to enjoy himself, how can he? eg: "I threw an orgy and no one showed up" how will he derive satisfaction from soul crushing disappointment?