When a character gains access to psionic powers for the first time, she immediately learns one basic psionic power of her choice. After that, learning more is simply a question of practice. With each use, the user increases her psionic potential.
In game terms, whenever the character uses a psionic power, she gains a +1 bonus towards a power increase roll, which is made simply by rolling 1d20 and adding the bonus she has gathered. The DC depends on the level of the power she wants to learn. Note that some powers have prerequisites that must be met before the power can be learned.
The user can attempt to learn a new psionic power whenever she wishes. She first makes a Concentration check (DC 15) to attune herself to the psionic energy field, and then studies it in an attempt to learn how to direct psionic energy to achieve the new effect. This takes a number of minutes equal to the increase DC of the power she is attempting to learn, and she can do nothing else during that time. She then makes the actual attempt to learn the power by making the power increase roll.
If she’s successful, there’s a vast surge of psychic energy (felt automatically by every psionic being within a 1-mile radius), she learns the power, and loses the accumulated bonus. A failure results in feedback, and is handled as if she’d rolled a natural 1 on a power activation roll. Failing the roll also means losing half of the accumulated bonus.
All psionic powers must be activated before they can be used — this is the psionic equivalent of a circuit being opened, allowing the power to flow through. This happens instantly and can be done reflexively in case of defensive powers.
When using psionic powers, the player must first make a power activation roll.
Activation Roll: Character level / 4 (round down) + d20. A natural 20 is an automatic success. A natural 1 results in feedback.
Certain conditions make using psionics more difficult and affect the activation roll as follows:
* When in this state, only passive psionic talents, like Psychic Shield, can be used.
When feedback occurs, the character takes the given feedback damage and makes a Will save at the DC given above. If the save fails, the character takes the secondary damage and immediately falls unconscious for 1 hour. On awakening, he is fatigued for 23 hours and cannot use any psionic talents until he recovers. Note that all damage caused by feedback is completely unaffected by all types of damage reduction and energy resistance.
In addition to physical damage, feedback causes the result the character was attempting to achieve to become inverted — for example, an attempt to read someone’s mind results in the target learning the user’s thoughts (and more likely than not, just the ones the character would rather not have anyone else hear), whereas a telekinetic punch might be directed at the entirely wrong target or even the character himself. The more powerful the intended effect, the more catastrophic the result. The exact details are left up to the GM, but the end results are never pleasant and always impressive. Note that whether the character makes his Will save has no bearing on the negative results. At that point he has already lost control of
his attempt and has his hands full staying alive. The magnitude of the adverse effect is mostly determined by how powerful the psionic power in question is and how evil the GM wants to be.
Characters killed by feedback tend to perish in particularly flashy ways usually tied to the nature of the psionic talent they were attempting to use at the time. A failed attempt at telepathy may result in someone’s head exploding in a gruesome fashion, whereas a character trying to avoid an ambush by peeking into the future may actually end up being killed by a bullet that would have killed her counterpart in an alternate timeline. Feedback that doesn’t kill produces less severe (but extremely painful) injuries that manifest themselves as splitting headaches and such. Nosebleeds and increased sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises are not uncommon, and the GM may impose penalties where appropriate.
Psionic Powers
GESTALT
Leadership does not come solely from the ability to have other obey orders, but also from the ability to ease others into working together. Upon gaining psionic capacities, a few natural-born leaders explored the possibility of connecting with friends and subordinates in order to mount an effective defence or act in perfect coordination and harmony. The Gestalt power allows a psionic character to create a single psionic entity out of the minds of all the people he connects. This differs from a hive mind in that the members of the gestalt are not merely pawns of the collective intelligence, but vital components with individuality and personal initiative that enrich the whole.
Level: Basic.
Benefit: Upon activating this power, the character can join a number of willing subjects equal to his level divided by 3 (rounded down, minimum 1). All characters so linked enjoy the highest bonus to initiative checks available among them, although they still need to roll for their actual place in the initiative order. Additionally, all characters in the gestalt may spend the action point allowed to them each round at any time; the bonus they gain as a result can be given to any member of the gestalt to be used once in that round. For example, Manu joins with Ferd, Alick, and Berl in a gestalt. At the beginning of the round, Manu and Alick spend action points even though it is not their turn; Manu’s player rolls a +4 bonus and Alick’s rolls a +2, for a total of +6. The players decide to give a +2 bonus each to Ferd, Alick, and Berl on whatever action they choose to use it for.
The character can maintain the gestalt up to a range of 300 feet per point of Charisma modifier and for as long as 10 minutes per point of Charisma modifier. Characters may leave the gestalt by succeeding at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Charisma modifier). Leaving the union unbalances the gestalt, cancelling all unused bonuses for the round. The psionic character can remove anyone from the union as a free action on his turn with no harmful consequences to the gestalt.
GESTALT, IMPROVED
The character opens her mind wider to the presence of her companions and links with them on a deeper level, allowing them to share their expertise with the greater whole.
Level: Intermediate.
Prerequisite: Gestalt.
Benefit: The character can now include a number of people in an Improved Gestalt equal to half her character level (rounded down, minimum 1). instead of sharing a bonus on initiative checks, characters share the highest initiative result rolled and act simultaneously. If order among them is important, the person with the highest initiative bonus acts first, breaking ties with the highest Dexterity modifier. Instead of rolling action points and sharing the resulting bonuses, character may invest an action pool into the gestalt once per round. Any character in the gestalt may draw an action point from the pool instead of spending one of his own. At the end of the gestalt, all participants of the gestalt roll a Will save (DC 20) for each unused action point they invested, adding the Charisma modifier of the gestalt’s creator as a morale bonus. Success means that they recover that action point.
The character can maintain the gestalt up to a range of 600 feet per point of Charisma modifier and for as long as 1 hour per point of Charisma modifier. Leaving the gestalt has the same consequences as the basic version of this power, but the DC for the Will save is +2 higher.
GESTALT, ADVANCED
The cohesion among the members of the gestalt is complete, allowing them to act as one being with the strengths of all and the weaknesses of none.
Level: Advanced.
Prerequisites: Gestalt, Improved Gestalt.
Benefit: The number of people that the character can include in the Advanced Gestalt increases to match his character level. Participants in the gestalt get the same benefits as the Improved Gestalt power, but the DC for the Will save to recover invested action points is 15 instead of 20; and character may use an action point from the pool in the same round as a personal action point, with the resulting bonuses stacking together. When a character uses a special feat, talent, of FX power with a point of origin originating from her, she can instead make the point of origin anyone in the gestalt. This effect does not include cybernetic of CT attacks, but includes nanotechnology effects. Participants within line of sigh of each other are aware at a subconscious level of all that the other members perceive; and once the first member of the gestalt acts, none are considered flat-footed anymore.
In addition, all the available actions for each character are pooled together, and are usable by any other character in the gestalt. For example, the gestalt shared by Manu, Ferd, Alick, and Berl has twelve acts. Manu relinquishes 1 act so that Ferd gains another attack (1 act), while Alick relinquishes 1 act so that Berl can get up from prone and still have 3 acts available.
The psionic character can maintain the gestalt up to a range of 1 mile per point of Charisma modifier and for as long as 2 hours per point of Charisma modifier. Leaving the gestalt at this level of power has the same consequences as the basic power, but the DC for the Will save is +4 higher.
PRECOGNITION
A character with this psionic power learns to perceive upcoming events in the flow of time. While she can’t exactly tell the future, she does receive quick flashes of possible, immediate future experiences. This has a tendency to be extremely unpleasant. A character about to be ambushed, for example, may fee a cold, steel blade suddenly on her throat. Unpleasant or not, it gives the character an incentive to avoid the situation altogether. Note that Psychic Shield can eliminated the advantages granted by this power.
Level: Basic.
Benefit: Thanks to her ability to receive events a fraction of a second before they unfold, the character with this talent gains a +3 bonus on all Perception checks when attempting to spot hidden, immediate dangers, including surprise attacks and traps. She is never caught flat-footed.
Once activated, this power lasts for 10 minutes per character level.
PRECOGNITION, IMPROVED
The character learns to extend his senses a bit farther down the stream of time, and can now sense potential disaster resulting from his own actions.
Level: Intermediate.
Prerequisite: Precognition.
Benefit: The player may re-roll once any non-combat-related roll that is somehow vital to the character’s survival. For example, a failed Disable Device check when picking a lock would not normally merit a re-roll, but if failing the lock-picking attempt would lead to the activation of the automated defence system’s invincible killer androids, a re-roll would be allowed. This talent must be activated before the first check is made. In the event of a failure, it grants the character a generic understanding of what would happen if he fails the second roll; he does have the option of not attempt the task again. Essentially, the character almost begins work on a task, and then decides against it when he senses a strong potential for danger.
This power can only be used once per given task—the character cannot begin work on a task repeatedly and stop every time if the first attempt fails—the character’s every instinct screams against even attempting the action.
Alternatively, this power may be used in the same way as Precognition, except that the Perception bonus to notice surprise attacks and other hidden dangers is +5.
PRECOGNITION, ADVANCED
The character becomes even more finely attuned to the ebb and flow of time and can sense some indirect dangers.
Level: Advanced.
Prerequisites: Improved Precognition, Precognition.
Benefit: This power works the same as Precognition with the following differences. The character’s Perception bonus for spotting hidden dangers is now +9, and she gains a +3 bonus on Sense Motive rolls when she attempts to determine if someone she’s talking to plans to betray her in the near future (though she doesn’t learn the exact nature of the betrayal).
She also gains a +3 bonus on her initiative, and she will automatically wake up if someone attempts to hurt her while sleeping.
Finally, all Defence penalties for being blinded, cowering, deafened, shaken, or stunned are negated—even if the character is in bad shape and distracted, she still instinctively attempts to move out of harms’s way.
Once activated, this power lasts for 1 hour per character level.
PSYCHIC SHIELD
Characters with this power gain protection against all psionic attacks and effects. Their minds become slippery and hard to grasp for those who attempt to read them, direct telekinetic attacks miss them, and it’s easier for them to surprise characters with precognitive abilities. This protection also extends to items (but not other living beings) in the character’s immediate vicinity, so telekinetics cannot pick their pockets from a distance. Note, however, that Psychic Shield doesn’t offer protection against feedback.
Level: Basic.
Benefit: The character gains basic psionic defence. He gets a +5 bonus on all rolls made to resist psionic effects and a +3 insight bonus to his Defence against direct psionic attacks (this insight bonus also applies to any static DC that the attacker must meet as part of the attack, such as the DC to find information with Improved Telepathy). He may catch precognitive characters flat-footed as per normal rules. Psychic Shield rarely manifests itself physically, though turning aside powerful attacks may cause the character to sport an aura reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis.
Unlike other psionic powers, Psychic Shield is automatically activated when the character is under an attempted psionic attack or influence. The character has no choice in the matter. Thus, a character may end up experiencing feedback even when his friend is simply trying to urgently contact him with Telepathy.
PSYCHIC SHIELD, IMPROVED
The character’s psychic shield becomes stronger.
Level: Intermediate.
Prerequisite: Psychic Shield.
Benefits: As with Psychic Shield, except the bonus on rolls to resist psionic effects is now +10, and the insight bonus to Defence is +6.
PSYCHIC SHIELD, ADVANCED
The character’s psychic shield becomes nearly impervious.
Level: Advanced.
Prerequisites: Psychic Shield, Improved Psychic Shield.
Benefit: As with Psychic Shield, except the bonus on rolls to resist psionic effects is now +15, and the insight bonus to Defence is +9.
PSYCHOMANIPULATION
The character may not be able to read thoughts or gain direct control of others’ wills, but she has little need to; her mind forces a psionic harmonization with others, bringing them in synch with her own point of view and making her extremely likeable. This ability is very subtle—there is no physical manifestation to alert anyone to its use. A psychomanipulator develops a very strong personality than can overbear others.
Level: Basic.
Benefit: When the character activates this power, she envelops herself with an aura of sympathy that makes anyone within 30 feet plus 5 feet per point of Charisma modifier shift one step in attitude for the better (hostile to unfriendly, unfriendly to indifferent, etc.) if they fail a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Charisma modifier). In addition, she gains an effective +2 to her Charisma score while the power is active. The character must make an activation roll every round this power is in effect. Shifts in attitude remain after the power is used (although other actions can affect this attitude as normal; for example, if the character attacks any of the targets, the improved attitude will be lost).
PSYCHOMANIPULATION, IMPROVED
The character’s ability to influence the attitudes of others increases to the point that he can make friends from perfect strangers.
Level: Intermediate.
Prerequisite: Psychomanipulation.
Benefit: The character selects a target in range (30 feet + 5 feet per point of Charisma modifier) who can see him clearly, and makes a Charisma check against a DC equal to 10 + the target’s Will save (including the Charisma bonus granted by this power). If the character fails by 10 or more, the target realizes that someone or something was trying to affect her mind. If the character wins, the target regards him as a trusted friend and ally (treat the target’s attitude as friendly). If the target is actively threatened or attacked by the character or his allies at any time, the effect ends.
This power does not allow the character to control the affected target as if she were an automaton, but she perceives his words and actions in the most favourable way. The character can try to give the target orders, but he must win an opposed Charisma check to convince her to do anything she wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries are not allowed.) An affected target never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders, but she might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing. The character must speak the target’s language to communicate his commands, or else be good at pantomiming.
In addition, the character gains an effective +4 increase to his Charisma score while the power is active.
PSYCHOMANIPULATION, ADVANCED
The character’s presence is so powerful that it acquires an almost physical existence. The character can overwhelm people’s attitudes or focus her attention on a single target to overbear him with the weight of her personality.
Level: Advanced.
Prerequisites: Psychomanipulation, Improved Psychomanipulation.
Benefit: Similar to Psychomanipulation, except that attitudes shift two steps upwards (hostile to indifferent, unfriendly to friendly, etc.), and the range extends to 100 feet + 10 feet per point of Charisma modifier. She receives a +6 bonus to Charisma while the power is active. If she focuses her attention on a single target within 60 feet (chosen on her turn as a free action, and cannot be changed until her next turn), as an immediate action, she can interrupt any action he is attempting by making a Charisma check against a DC equal to 10 + the target’s Will save (including the Charisma bonus granted by this power). An affected target feels queasy and nervous, terrified of incurring the disapproval of the character. The target loses all remaining acts in the round if he is affected by the character’s presence; he stops moving, cancels all powers, and interrupts any action he might have been performing. He cannot use any immediate actions, which includes not being able to make attacks of opportunity. He is not helpless, however, and may defend himself normally.
TELEKINESIS
This power provides the character with the ability to manipulate objects without actually physically touching them. The effect manifests itself as a spectral, glowing pair of hands and a bright, bluish glow upon the character’s forehead.
Level: Basic.
Benefit: The character may now manipulate objects at Close range (25 ft + 5 ft/2 character levels), but he must still have them in sight—he can, for example, operate a keyboard if he can see it from a window, but he can’t open a bolt on the far side of the door. He can pull objects weighing up to 10 lbs towards him, or toss them around at a speed of 50 feet per round. He can also use this ability to attack enemies, using his Wisdom modifier instead of Strength when making the attack roll.
The character may also attempt to disarm enemies; this is handled normally (using the character’s Wisdom modifier in place of Strength), except enemies don’t get attacks of opportunity unless they threaten the telekinetic. If successful, the targeted weapon flies out of the enemy’s hand and into the character’s, or simply somewhere on the ground, depending on his wishes. If the enemy is surprised by the attempt, the character gains a +3 bonus to it.
The character inflicts 1d6 + Wisdom modifier points of lethal damage with a telekinetic attack.
The character must make an activation check every round he maintains the effect.
TELEKINESIS, IMPROVED
Punching things or tossing them around is one thing, but it’s a very straight-forward application. There’s more to telekinesis than that. With this talent, the character gains the ability to psionically project the unbridled torrent of her subconscious mind on an object of her choice, warping and twisting it, and destroying it in the process. More often than not, this power produces extremely disturbing imagery. Doors become strange and twisted forms shaped like human beings; trees uproot themselves and tear themselves apart with their own branches, revealing pulsating flesh and white bones; and vehicles wail with all the terrors of a frightened child before falling apart.
Level: Intermediate.
Prerequisite: Telekinesis.
Benefit: The character may attempt to destroy objects up to Large size. This is handled per normal rules, except the character doesn’t have to touch the object or hit it with a weapon. The character receives a +10 bonus on the roll to break the object, and uses her Wisdom modifier instead of Strength. If the item is held by another creature, this is treated as a sunder attack, except that creature does not get an attack of opportunity unless the character is in reach. In the sunder attack is successful, it inflicts 1d6 + Wisdom modifier points of damage to the object. She can use Improved Telekinesis at Close range (25 feet + 5 feet/2 character levels).
The character cannot control the nature of the imagery. The strange effects only last a single round, and once they fade, things return to normal—except the object in question lies in ruins. Improved Telekinesis cannot be used on living beings.
Alternatively, this power can be used like Telekinesis with a Medium range (100 feet + 10 feet/character level), and doing 2d6 points of damage with telekinetic attacks.
TELEKINESIS, ADVANCED
A character with this power becomes an even more powerful telekinetic.
Level: Advanced.
Prerequisites: Telekinesis, Improved Telekinesis.
Benefit: As Improved Telekinesis, except the character may now attempt to destroy Huge objects, receives a +15 bonus on the roll and has a range of Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/character level). If used as a sunder attack, the damage is now 2d6 + Wisdom modifier.
Alternatively, this power can be used as Telekinesis with a Long range (400 feet + 40 feet/character level), and doing 3d6 points of damage with telekinetic attacks.
TELEPATHY
With concentration, the character may now sense other beings’ surface thoughts. When telepathy is used, the telepath’s eyes emit a clearly noticeable glow, and she see phantom images that correspond to the target’s thoughts floating at the edge of her field of vision.
Level: Basic.
Benefit: The character may make a ranged attack roll against her target, using her Wisdom modifier instead of Dexterity. The target’s Defence against this power is 10 + one half his character level (rounded down), or 5 + one half his character level (rounded down) if the target is a willing subject. If successful, the telepath senses the target’s surface thoughts. Unless the target succeeds in a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 telepath’s character + telepath’s Wisdom modifier), he remains unaware of the intrusion (though he may, or course, notice the telepath’s glowing eyes). Telepathy requires a line of sight to the target, has a range of Long (400 feet + 40 feet/character level), and may only be directed at a single target at any given time. The telepath must make an activation check every round she maintains this power.
Bear in mind that the telepath has no control over the target’s thoughts; a pressing need to go to the bathroom, for example, can easily override other surface thoughts in someone’s mind, even if he’s in the middle of a conversation. However, it may be possible to steer a conversation, and presumably the target’s thoughts, towards a certain subject with a successful opposed Diplomacy check.
TELEPATHY, IMPROVED
The character may now probe deeper into others’ minds, as well as broadcast his own thoughts to others. In the latter case, other characters suddenly receive phantom visions in their field of vision corresponding to the telepath’s thoughts.
Level: Intermediate.
Prerequisite: Telepathy.
Benefit: The telepath must first make a ranged attack roll to gain access to the target’s mind, as with Telepathy. He may then dig deeper into the target’s mind to look for information he is interested in. To find the information, the character makes a Wisdom check. The difficulty for such a search depends on how keen the target is to keep the information secret.
Note that certain facts may not be particularly relevant to the target; she may refuse to tell them to the telepath because she’s not allowed to talk about something in general, or out of spite—for example, a telepath asking a complete stranger to describe her home town’s layout will likely be refused, but the information itself isn’t likely to be very well-guarded in her mind. Unless the target succeeds at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 telepath’s character level + telepath’s Wisdom modifier), she remains unaware of the intrusion.
The telepath may only look for a single piece of information per round (as a 3-act action), and he must make a psionic power activation roll for each attempt, though only one attack roll is required as long as he remains in constant mental contact and maintains line of sight with the target.
Deep probing isn’t without its risks, however; for every attempt, the telepath must make a Will save (DC 10). If he fails the roll, he can no longer distinguish between the target’s mind and his own, and adopts key aspects of the target’s personality and motivations, even the target’s allegiances. The details depend largely on who or what the telepath was in contact with, and are left up to the GM. Interacting with very hostile minds in this fashion can be dangerous, as it may causing the telepath to turn on his friends or even become filled with self-loathing and attempt to harm himself. This effect lasts for 1d10+5 rounds and leaves the telepath shaken for an hour afterwards.
The telepath may also broadcast his own thoughts to others. Willing subjects may receive his thought automatically, but unwilling or unaware subjects must be targeted with a ranged attack roll. The telepath may only direct his thoughts at a single target at a time.
TELEPATHY, ADVANCED
The telepath may now take direct control of the minds of others. The telepath’s own physical features instantly change to echo the target’s features. This effect is temporary and can’t be used as a disguise—if anything, the end result is disturbing and obviously fake.
Level: Advanced.
Prerequisites: Telepathy, Improved Telepathy.
Benefit: The telepath makes a Wisdom check. The DC off the attempt depends on how reluctant the target is to follow the command, and how long it takes to fulfil the task. The target makes a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 telepath’s character level + telepath’s Wisdom modifier). If she fails, she isn’t aware of anyone directing her mind and believes herself to be responsible for everything she does.
If the telepath’s control attempt is successful, the target executes the orders she has received to the best of her ability, as efficiently as she can. If she lacks necessary skills or opportunities, she will end up looking at her objectives with deep feelings of confusion until she is absolutely certain that she cannot complete the task. Even if she is aware of someone controlling her, she cannot delay or complicate matters in any way (such as shouting for help or tripping alarms), though she may certainly attempt to undo whatever she has down as soon as she completes the task.
Advanced Telepathy cannot be used to give unspecific or open-ended orders, nor can it be used for task that require long-term planning or continued obedience to the telepath. “Help us conquer the enclave,” or “Serve me forever,” for example, are not valid orders, but “Kill that man,” or “Enter the compound and turn off the alarms,” are.
The telepath may also implant commands in the target’s mind. In this instance, the DC for the attempt is increased by +5, but now the telepath’s commands will be triggered by a specific, pre-defined condition, such as a phrase, time, or event. The target is unaware of the implanted command, but gets to make the standard Will save when it is triggered to realize that she is acting under external influence.
