The rules in this chapter concern psionic characters in worlds where psi powers are possible. If you are not creating a psi, you can safely ignore this material.
“Psionics” (or “psi powers”) are paranormal mental abilities such as telepathy and ESP. They might be mutations or gifts possessed by a rare few individuals; powers common to an entire civilization, race, or other large group; or the result of deliberate experimentation.
The GM decides whether psi exists in his game world – and if so, who can have psionic powers. If psi powers are rare, he is free to require an Unusual Background.
antipsi: The power to interfere with other psi powers. Also used to describe a psi who possesses this power.
ESP: Extrasensory perception – the power to see, hear, or know things that the ordinary five senses cannot detect.
esper: A psi who possesses ESP.
latent: Someone who possesses a psi Talent but no actual psi abilities. Psis whose abilities have the Unconscious Only limitation might appear to be latent.
PK: Psychokinesis – the power to affect matter with the mind.
psi: The generic term for superhuman mental powers. Also used to describe a person who possesses such powers.
psionic: Of or pertaining to psi powers.
psychic healing: The ability to heal injury and illness with the mind.
screamer: An uncontrolled antipsi. Also called a “jammer.”
Talent: An advantage that makes it easier to use all psi abilities of one type.
telepath: A psi who can read or influence the minds of others.
telepathy: The power of mental communication and control.
teleportation: The power to transport objects across space, time, or dimensions instantaneously.
Psi and magic can achieve many of the same effects, such as healing injuries. However, they are different. A spell that detects magic cannot reveal a psi effect, nor can a drug that neutralizes psi powers affect a mage. Psi power comes from unique advantages that can be powerful even if used without Talent, while magic is built around learning individual skills (spells).
However, purely physical or mental effects of the two disciplines can interact – or even cancel. If a psychokinetic creates a fire, it is like any other fire, and water magic can extinguish it normally. And if a mage casts Mind-Reading, a telepathic Mind Shield will resist it.
Magic can produce a more diverse range of effects, at a lower point cost, and the average wizard knows far more spells than the typical psi has advantages. So is magic better? Not exactly. Spellcasting requires energy and time, whereas psi abilities, like other advantages, usually need little or no concentration. Psi powers don’t require rituals and are not dependent on mana levels, making a psi effective even if he is bound and gagged, or operating in an area without mana. In the end, both have strengths and weaknesses – and anyone mastering psi and magic will be formidable!
The six basic psionic powers are Antipsi, ESP, Psychic Healing, Psychokinesis (PK), Telepathy, and Teleportation. Other psi powers exist in some settings. Three things define each power:
You possess a given power if you have at least one of its psi abilities. You may spend earned points to add new psi abilities within any power you already possess, but you may not buy psi abilities associated with new powers without the GM’s permission.
If you possess a particular psi power, you may start out with its psionic Talent. You may also spend earned points to add or improve this Talent later on.
You may also start with a Talent and no psi abilities. In that case, you are a “latent” – you have potential but no actual power. You may spend earned points to buy psi abilities within the power with which you have Talent.
Finally, you may take psi abilities as potential advantages (see Potential Advantages), in which case they will function as if they had the limitations Unconscious Only and Uncontrollable until fully paid for.
All psi abilities have a special limitation called a “power modifier.” Each psi power has its own modifier, generally worth -10%. An advantage with a power modifier becomes part of the associated power, and is subject to the restrictions under Using Psi Abilities. This is a limitation because it converts an ability that would otherwise be impeded only by specific countermeasures into one that is susceptible to interference from anything that affects the entire power or all psi powers.
Each power has a psionic Talent; e.g., Telepathy Talent. Talent represents natural or learned ability to control that psi power. You may have Talent without psi abilities (that is, you are a “latent”) or psi abilities without Talent (you have raw power, but little flair for directing it).
A Talent gives a bonus to any roll to activate or otherwise use that particular psionic power; e.g., Telepathy Talent 2 would give +2 to use any of your telepathic abilities. This most often modifies IQ, Will, and Perception rolls.
Most Talents cost 5 points/level. You may not buy more than four levels of a given Talent without the GM’s permission.
Like other advantages, psi abilities may have enhancements and limitations (see pp. 101-116). All psi abilities, by definition, have a power modifier. The GM might rule that certain other limitations are intrinsic to the way psi works in his game world, in which case these are mandatory as well.
A psi may customize his abilities with additional limitations; Costs Fatigue, Emergencies Only, Nuisance Effect, Unconscious Only, Uncontrollable (especially for children and teenagers!), and Unreliable are common in fiction.
If you want to start with many psi abilities, consider taking severe limitations such as Emergencies Only, Unconscious Only, and Unreliable. You can purchase your abilities cheaply, but you can’t use them effectively – perhaps you don’t even realize you have them! Later in your career, you can buy off these limitations and add Talent to improve your capabilities. If a psi ability comes in levels, it is legal to buy some levels with limitations and others without, provided all have the power modifier. For instance, you could have Telekinesis 5 with no extra limitations, plus another 20 levels that are Unconscious and Uncontrollable!
You may use earned points to “buy off” any limitation the GM feels practice could negate; e.g., Uncontrollable or Unreliable. You cannot buy off a power modifier, though, or any limitation the GM deems fundamental to the way psi functions in his game world.
You can use earned points to add enhancements to your psi abilities, or to buy higher levels of abilities that come in multiple levels. You can also buy additional Talent with any power you possess. Finally, if you already have a psionic power or Talent, you may buy new abilities within that power.
However, like most advantages, psi abilities are inborn. Under normal circumstances, you cannot add abilities in powers you do not possess. The GM might allow you to gain new powers through dangerous superscience experiments, divine intervention, etc.
A psi ability is an advantage with a modifier. It functions just like the ordinary form of the advantage, with a few exceptions.
Someone with the advantage Resistant to Psionics (see Resistant, p. 80) has a bonus to all rolls to resist psi abilities, whether he is the target or merely caught in the area of effect. This advantage has no effect on abilities that do not allow a resistance roll.
The advantages Neutralize (p. 71) and Psi Static (p. 78) can interfere with psi abilities. These traits may be part of the Antipsi power (below) or have other origins.
Other advantages, technology, etc. specifically noted as affecting psionics in general or one power in particular can also impede psi. For instance, technological mind shields that only affect telepathy are common in sciencefiction settings.
Six sample psi powers appear below. The abilities listed for each are only guidelines. The GM is free to modify these lists, or to permit players to do so themselves.
This is the power of interfering with other psi use. Some psychic researchers think unconscious, uncontrollable Antipsi might be common . . . which is why psi is rarely noticed. If you have this power, you might not believe in psi, because it won’t work near you! Psis tend to shun uncontrolled antipsis (called “jammers” or “screamers”).
There is no Antipsi Talent, since most of these abilities work passively.
The following advantages can be Antipsi abilities: Neutralize (p. 71); Obscure (p. 72) vs. Para-Radar or any psionic Detect; Psi Static (p. 78); and Resistant to Psionics (p. 80).
Power Modifier: None, since Antipsi abilities cannot themselves be blocked!
Extrasensory perception (ESP) covers a variety of “sixth sense” abilities. These are among the most commonly reported types of psi phenomena.
The GM makes all ESP skill rolls in secret. The better the roll, the more accurate and useful the information he gives. On a failure, the GM says, “You learn nothing.” If a Psychometry or Precognition roll fails by more than 5, the GM lies!
You have a natural talent for ESP. You get +1 per level to use any ESP ability. You can use earned points to acquire new ESP abilities, even if you did not start with them.
The following advantages can be ESP abilities: Channeling (p. 41); Clairsentience (p. 42); Danger Sense (p. 47); Detect (p. 48), for psis, psionic activity, etc.; Medium (p. 68); Oracle (p. 72); Para-Radar (see Scanning Sense, p. 81); Penetrating Vision (p. 74); Precognition (p. 77); Psychometry (p. 78); Racial Memory (p. 78); and See Invisible (p. 83).
Power Modifier: ESP. The advantage is a psi ability within the ESP power. Anything that blocks ESP will block it, but it can benefit from ESP Talent. -10%.
This is the ability to heal injury and illness, and more generally, to channel “positive” psychic energy to ensure your own or others’ wellness. A “faith healer” might have this ability, even if he believes he’s channeling divine power.
You have a natural talent for Psychic Healing. You get +1 per level to use any Psychic Healing ability. You can use earned points to acquire new Psychic Healing abilities, even if you did not start with them.
The following advantages can be Psychic Healing abilities: Detect (p. 48), for disease, poison, etc.; Healing (p. 59); Metabolism Control (p. 68); Regeneration (p. 80); Regrowth (p. 80); and Resistant (p. 80) against most noxious physical effects.
Power Modifier: Psychic Healing. The advantage is a psi ability within the Psychic Healing power. Anything that blocks Psychic Healing will block it, but it can benefit from Psychic Healing Talent. -10%.
This is the power of mind over matter, most often manifesting through telekinesis: the ability to move objects with the mind. Many parapsychologists connect PK to poltergeist phenomena, levitation, and fire-raising (pyrokinesis). PK is sometimes linked to disturbed children or teenagers, for whom the Uncontrollable limitation is common.
You have a natural talent for PK. You get +1 per level to use any PK ability (this does include DX rolls for PK abilities). You can use earned points to acquire new PK abilities, even if you did not start with them.
The following advantages can be PK abilities: Binding (p. 40); Damage Resistance (p. 46), with the Force Field enhancement; Enhanced Move (Air or Water) (p. 52); Flight (p. 56); Innate Attack (p. 60); Super Jump (p. 89); Telekinesis (p. 92); Temperature Control (p. 92); Vibration Sense (p. 96); Walk on Air (p. 97); and Walk on Liquid (p. 97).
Power Modifier: Psychokinetic. The advantage is a psi ability within the PK power. Anything that blocks PK will block it, but it can benefit from PK Talent. -10%.
Telepathy is the power of mental communication and control. In most settings, it only works on living, sentient beings such as animals or humans. If for some reason you try to use a telepathic ability on a recording, dummy, etc., your attempt automatically fails.
In most accounts of telepathy, range is highly variable. Telepaths might send signals across the world or even across interplanetary space. The emotional connection between sender and receiver is far more important.
You have a natural talent for Telepathy. You get +1 per level to use any Telepathy ability. You can use earned points to acquire new Telepathy abilities, even if you did not start with them.
The following advantages can be Telepathy abilities: Animal Empathy (p. 40); Empathy (p. 51); Invisibility (p. 63); Mind Control (p. 68); Mind Probe (p. 69); Mind Reading (p. 69); Mind Shield (p. 70); Mindlink (p. 70); Possession (p. 75); Speak with Animals (p. 87); Special Rapport (p. 88); Telesend (see Telecommunication, p. 91); and Terror (p. 93). An Affliction (p. 35) or Innate Attack (p. 61) can also qualify if it has the Malediction enhancement (p. 106) and only causes fatigue, stunning, incapacitation, a temporary mental disadvantage, or a DX, IQ, or Will penalty.
Power Modifier: Telepathic. The advantage is a psi ability within the Telepathy power. Anything that blocks Telepathy will block it – in particular Mind Shield – but it can benefit from Telepathy Talent. -10%.
This is the power of mentally moving yourself – or other things – across space, time, or dimensions without traversing the distance between.
You have a natural talent for Teleportation. You get +1 per level to use any Teleportation ability. You can use earned points to acquire new Teleportation abilities, even if you did not start with them.
The following advantages can be Teleportation abilities: Jumper (p. 64); Snatcher (p. 86); and Warp (p. 97).
Power Modifier: Psionic Teleportation. The advantage is a psi ability within the Teleportation power. Anything that blocks Teleportation will block it, but it can benefit from Teleportation Talent. -10%.
The GM is free to create new psi powers. To do so, simply give the power a name, list the associated advantages, and assign a Talent and a power modifier.
This procedure also works for nonpsionic powers; see Advantage Origins (p. 33) for ideas. Talent should cost 5 points/level, except for very broad powers. The power modifier depends on the rarity of countermeasures against the power. If they are common, the modifier is -10% if they include variants of Neutralize and Psi Static that can defeat the power, or -5% otherwise. If they are rare, there is no modifier. And if they are nonexistent, the Cosmic enhancement (p. 103) applies.
Example: Comic-book supers often possess powers that encompass attacks (e.g., Binding or Innate Attack), defenses (e.g., Damage Resistance or Resistant), movement powers (e.g., Flight or Permeation), and special senses (e.g., Detect or Scanning Sense) associated with a specific force or element. Each is blocked by an “opposite” power (for instance, Ice Powers can block Flame Powers). And all super powers are susceptible to variant forms of Neutralize and Psi Static.
This is the end of the file.