Psychometry

(Int) Advanced

Psychometry is an Advanced Skill. It is the innate ability possessed by small numbers of Humans, called scryers. It is a difficult skill to master, and many Scryers suffer great anguish due to their gifts. Using the Skill, a Character can receive visions and sensations relating to a recent event or another person’s unspoken thoughts. The Skill is based on Intelligence, and to use it a scryer must either be in a place associated with an event, touching an item associated with an event, or touching someone whose thoughts they seek to read.

Consult the table on page 48 whenever making a Psychometry Skill Test. The first column gives general advice. The second relates to a specific example of making the Test whilst in the presence of a person accused of committing a burglary. The person is a witness to the crime but is frightened to talk for fear of suffering retribution from local racketeers.

For the purpose of the Test, a piece of information would include such things as: time, number of people involved, a sensation experienced by one of the participants during the event, an important preoccupation of one of the participants, an item used in the event, the appearance of a participant, a strong smell or taste associated with the event, and whether or not a person is speaking honestly.

Scrying requires a great deal of mental and physical effort. Every time a Character makes a Psychometry Test, regardless of the result, they must make an Average (+20) Endurance Test or gain a Fatigued Condition.

Beware the Witch!

Given the potential for Psychometry to cut short investigations, GMs should consider the Skill’s impacts on mystery-heavy stories. The Skill should take a lot of practice to develop, even in those with the ability to use it. To represent this difficulty, a Character can take the Psychometry Skill at character creation if they give up a random Species Talent. Furthermore, the Character would have to begin as or enter one of the following Careers before they can spend Experience Points on advancing the Skill:

• Mystic
• Hedge Witch
• Nun
• Priest
• Scryer
• Warrior Priest
• Witch
• Wizard

These limitations do not apply to Characters who generate a Scryer as their starting Career. Only Human characters may take the Psychometry Skill.

SL	Result	General	Burglary Example
+6 or more	Astounding Success	At least three pieces of information are received; one is of significant pertinence.	The Scryer feels a pronounced sense of fear. They see a group of loutish folk break a window. A voice speaks ‘You ain’t seen nothing, got it?’.
+4 to +5	Impressive Success	Two pieces of information are received.	The Scryer sees one of the racketeers approach a window with a rock in their hand and feels unable to speak.
+2 to +3	Success	A piece of information is received.	The Scryer hears glass breaking.
+0 to +1	Marginal Success	Vague impression of the event. A piece of information is revealed metaphorically.	The Scryer sees a fish swimming in water. The gang of racketeers belong to an organisation known as ‘the Fish’.
–0 to –1	Marginal Failure	No information is received.	The Scryer fails to read anything useful.
–2 to –3	Failure	A vaguely misleading piece of information is received.	The Scryer understands that the victim was afraid of someone entirely unconnected with the crime.
–4 to –5	Impressive Failure	The Scryer receives disturbing and misleading impressions.	Emotions and images flood the Scryer’s mind, but nothing stands out as relevant.
–6 or Less	Astounding Failure	Overwhelmed by nightmarish impressions. Gain a point of Corruption.	The Scryer is overwhelmed by feelings of fear, impotence, and shame and gains a point of Corruption.

Intelligence