Not so Nice Psi

[McPerth]

Psionic clairvoyance may be using the x-ray or gamma ray part of the ems - it may well use dark radiation ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_radiation ) for all we know, or it may involve perception via the psionic dimensions.

X-ray or gamma ray would need an emiter to allow to see through them (Superman vision notwithstanding)...

Abaut psionic dimenisons, whatever they might be, as you hint we have no information, but nowhere (AFAIK) is explained (or refered) that clairvoyence might be used to see in darkness (e.g. to offset darkness modifiers), neither clairaudience to hear other soundwaves than usually allowed (though I must admit neither is said anything agains it, again AFAIK)...

 

[mike wightman]

X-ray or gamma ray would need an emiter to allow to see through them (Superman vision notwithstanding)...

Background radiation includes gamma.

Abaut psionic dimenisons, whatever they might be, as you hint we have no information, but nowhere (AFAIK) is explained (or refered) that clairvoyence might be used to see in darkness (e.g. to offset darkness modifiers), neither clairaudience to hear other soundwaves than usually allowed (though I must admit neither is said anything agains it, again AFAIK)...

TNE was going to link psionics with higher dimensions in much the same way as jump space dimensions.

 

[McPerth]

Background radiation includes gamma.

True, but not enough as to see through a human body. See that to perform a radigraphy we need an X-ray emiter, and the photographic film used (now changed by electornic sensors) are quite more sensible than human eye...

 

[mike wightman]

But it's not the eyes detecting them - it is the psionic receptors in the brain

How about psionic clairvoyance taps into neutrinos or any number of particles we can not detect with our machines or normal senses but psionics allow access to.

 

[Condottiere]

What is clairvoyance?

If it's the capability of getting a point of view in another location, it seems a form of copying and teleportation of photons as information, which would be tapping quantum physics.

 

[mike wightman]

Your brain receives nerve signals from receptor organs which it then converts into what you think you see, hear, feel etc.

Stimulate those same brain locations and you see, hear, feel and your brain makes up the rest.

Psionic receptors in the brain send nerve impulses to the brain which the brain interprets as vision, sound etc, depending upon which region of the brain the psionic receptors are plugged into, but as to what the psionic receptors are actually stimulated by/reacting to you can hand wave the mechanism of your choice.

 

[McPerth]

What is clairvoyance?

If it's the capability of getting a point of view in another location, it seems a form of copying and teleportation of photons as information, which would be tapping quantum physics.

This is the usual definition about clairvoyance. Traveller definition (TTB, page 118) is:

Clairvoyence: This specific ability allows actual viewing of a situation at some displaced point. It may be performed outright, or to allow elaboration of some situation sensed

As I understand this, it allows you to see as if you were there. But if you were there and it wsa dark, you'd see nothing...

Can you read a document on a table or when someone else is reading it? sure, as you could read it if you were there

Can you read this same document while in a deawer or vault (so deprived of light)? I don't think so, as even if you were inside the drawer or vault, you'd have no light to read it.

Your brain receives nerve signals from receptor organs which it then converts into what you think you see, hear, feel etc.

Stimulate those same brain locations and you see, hear, feel and your brain makes up the rest.

Psionic receptors in the brain send nerve impulses to the brain which the brain interprets as vision, sound etc, depending upon which region of the brain the psionic receptors are plugged into, but as to what the psionic receptors are actually stimulated by/reacting to you can hand wave the mechanism of your choice.

Well, of course my knowledge on psionicollogy is not good, but I find quite illogical that, while to psionically teleport yourself you need to abide some phisics laws (most pertinent here is the conservation of energy and momentum), for clairvoyence you can ignore the need of light to see...

Of course, YMMV, and you'll sure be as right or wrong as I am, as I guess none of us really understand psionics (at least, I don't).

 

[Timerover51]

Going back to the idea that psionic is no more powerful than technology I agree - but it depends on how much high TL augmentation or high TL toys you allow the PCs.
. . . . . .
Teleportation - personal jump drive

Ok, some of them may be a teeny weeny bit beyond Imperial TL

Jumping inside of a gravity well. That does sound a bit beyond standard Imperial Tech Level.

 

[mike wightman]

Can someone who is blind be clairvoyant?

You are not using your eyes - the reference to viewing is the way your brain interprets the clairvoyant experience. Your brain thinks it is viewing, but it doesn't involve your eyes so has no need of light.

Where's the equal and opposite reaction to telekinesis etc.

 

[McPerth]

Can someone who is blind be clairvoyant?

I guess yes, but if he's blind from birth probably cannot interpret he images.

You are not using your eyes - the reference to viewing is the way your brain interprets the clairvoyant experience. Your brain thinks it is viewing, but it doesn't involve your eyes so has no need of light.

Have any reference of that in rules, adventures or any other Traveller source or is ust your interpretation?

Don't you think hat if clairvoyance could be used to avoid darkness modifiers this would have been specified, important as it is for play?

Where's the equal and opposite reaction to telekinesis etc.

Telekineses does not involve high acceleration (in CT it cannot be used to attack, in other versions this changes), so it is easily compensated by the own mass (though as a House Rule, I applied it as energy consumed, so being fatiguing and even able to even lower the body temperatura if forced too much).

This aside, Gravitics show this equal and opposite reaction is not always true, as the ship's drives are reactionless...

And, before you say, also as House Rule I always increased the food intake needed to regenerate through awareness (or the caracter risks starving).

 

[flykiller]

One thing I have thought since I posted this is, does clairvoyance allow to see in the dark?

does clairvoyance involve seeing with the eyes?

 

[kilemall]

I would think the brain feeds images to the eyes as kind of a graphics card subprocessor sort of thing, so blind people wouldn't see per se.

Even if one didn't buy my neurology guess, they wouldn't necessarily have imaging like a sighted person, but likely would have the ability to build mental pictures just like they have to for auditory and touch clues to navigate space.

 

[flykiller]

but don't all players want their characters to be favorably overpowered?

Depends how much of a munchkin they are, I suppose. I mean overpowered in terms of game balance - is it too hard to Ref a party or character that has this ability.

well the available equipment is fairly unbalancing - consider tech 13 law level 0 efate, quite the player character destination what? - so I don't see how restricting psionics to tech effects balances it. seems to me the better way to balance a game is, not to restrict it, but up the game to the level of the player character party.

 

[whartung]

If an ability (psionic or otherwise) can be replicated with a piece of equipment or in some other way, then it's not overpowered (at least in terms of game balance in the rules). For example, a psionic attack could be as powerful as a gun without causing problems with game balance because an equivalent effect can be achieved by a character with a gun.

All well and good, save there's a lot of work that went in to the detection, and prevention of getting pieces of equipment in to secure areas. A Psi doesn't suffer, necessarily, that disadvantage of having to smuggle the equipment through security. Obviously it depends on how psi-aware the security service is. But, in general, in the imperium, due to its rarity, I'm not sure how common it is. That can make a psi-assassin more empowered than a gun-assassin in a particular scenario.

Read surface thoughts isn't intrinsically overpowered as the Referee can have the target thinking about anything (i.e. it's unreliable).

It makes questioning something particularly effective though, even casual questioning.

Similar analysis could be applied to various other Psi abilities, and the exact nature is really a function of what Psi powers you want and how ubiquitous you want them to be.

The less ubiquitous psi is, the more powerful it becomes as fewer and fewer take precautions against it. As awareness grows, its use gets more marginal.

 

[nobby-w]

All well and good, save there's a lot of work that went in to the detection, and prevention of getting pieces of equipment in to secure areas. A Psi doesn't suffer, necessarily, that disadvantage of having to smuggle the equipment through security. Obviously it depends on how psi-aware the security service is. But, in general, in the imperium, due to its rarity, I'm not sure how common it is. That can make a psi-assassin more empowered than a gun-assassin in a particular scenario.

It's an advantage of the Psionic that the abilities are intrinsic. However, a non-metallic body pistol will evade 'most standard detectors'. If you were in a James Bond or Mission Impossible type mission then it would make a difference. However, as a Referee, you always have the option of giving the Villain a beautiful, mysterious psi-talented henchman that bears a striking resemblance to Diana Rigg.

It makes questioning something particularly effective though, even casual questioning.

At a plot level, a more-or-less equivalent effect could be achieved by a character with a high Interrogation skill, or even Carousing. It is an advantage (you can do it more quickly) but it's not a game changer. In effect, this is something like a 24 Hours situation - a hypothetical scenario that doesn't actually happen in real life. I can't think of any occasions where I've seen a party in a situation where this would matter. In fact, I think it could make quite a good plot device.

 

[nobby-w]

well the available equipment is fairly unbalancing - consider tech 13 law level 0 efate, quite the player character destination what? - so I don't see how restricting psionics to tech effects balances it. seems to me the better way to balance a game is, not to restrict it, but up the game to the level of the player character party.

No argument there - the most frightening adversary in a Traveller universe is a semi-skilled mook with a Gauss Rifle. Under Book 1 rules a panic fire attack is quite likely to result in a TPK.

 

[ShapeShifter]

I normally would not have them in my campaign, but only on a highly-restricted basis, as Psions are (AFAIK) rare in the Dumarest series (the model for my CT campaign). On the whole I think Traveller does a better job with the psionics rules than D&D did. :nonono: However, if a new player was dead-set on playing one, I'd allow it, but impose some rules of morality. For example, I would say that the PC was trained from childhood to hone his ability(-ies), and had to follow a strict code of ethics when using them. That would lead to a very interesting set of adventure ideas, such as track down the rogue Psion and neutralise him or bring him in to stand trial (e.g. the must-see Scanners). Also, they would have to stay pretty much under-the-radar lest the Big Bad Nefarious Organisation (as the Cyclan), would very much like to capture him, cut his brain out to study how he does what he does.