Psi powers from other versions

[Spinward Scout]

Going through the Psi section in MgT, I found a few powers were missing from previous versions. I'm going to update them to MgT when I get some time. I'll post where I found them.

Here's the first:

Clairvoyance

Direction
(This is the ability Direction from T4 modified for MgT)

The ability to obtain the direction of an object or person sought. Sometime known as dowsing or seekersense. The character will only know the target’s general direction unless the target is at Close range. With exceptional success, the character knows the target’s exact location.

Clairvoyance, Psionic Strength, 1 second, Easy (+4).
Costs 1+Range

 

[ThunderChilde]

I'd lay long odds that this and many other things are addressed in the upcoming Psions book. Nice of you to share anyhow Spin, but that is what I am waiting on.

 

[Spinward Scout]

When I was done with the previous Traveller versions, I was going to move on to Conspiracy X's Shadows of the Mind, LUG's Star Trek, and Fading Suns. I guess I should wait for the Psion book, so I don't duplicate things...

 

[ThunderChilde]

Always nice to mine whatever else you have at hand. I have been sorely tempted to see if I still have a copy of Bureau 13. If I still do, I can see a few utterly odd storylines emerging from it. Just have to give love to any game that introduces a skill just for destroying evidence and ubfuscating a scene to any investigators who follow you.

I know nothing about Shadows of the Mind, what is it?

 

[Spinward Scout]

I know nothing about Shadows of the Mind, what is it?

Basically, they took a bunch of the modern conspiracies about Psi (Army remote viewing, Russian psi assassinations, MKULTRA, etc...) and RPG'd them.

 

[ThunderChilde]

Thank you for the answer, succinct and complete. After you get get yer mitts on Psion, feel free to post any mods or ideas, I will be to be sure.

 

[fiat_knox]

Something I was working with ...

Centering

The use of psionic powers exerts an often severe drain on a Psion's mental strength. This is reflected in the expenditure of Psionic Strength Points, and the subsequent reduction of the Psion's current Psionic Strength characteristic DM.

Some Psions have learned a technique called Centering. Through certain exercises, both physical and mental, a Psion can stabilise his mind and focus more of his will behind a Psionic power. The result is a reduction in Psionic Strength expenditure - a lessening of the drain.

In game terms, in any non-combat situation the Psion extends the time frame for use of the desired power by at least 1 (so, for instance, a power requiring 1-6 seconds now takes 10-60 seconds) and makes a Psionic Strength characteristic check after activating the desired power, but before spending the Psionic Strength points.

In a combat situation, the Psion may instead choose to penalise his initiative score by at least a -1 DM, and makes a Psionic Strength characteristic check after activating the desired power, but before spending the Psionic Strength points.

A positive Effect on this characteristic check offsets the Psionic Strength point expenditure. Psionic Strength expenditure on a given power's activation may not be reduced below 0 - in other words, the Psion may not gain Psionic Strength from centering while using a Psionic power.

Of course, there is a risk - that of a negative Effect, which adds to the Psionic Strength point expenditure, reflecting the cost to the Psion's psyche as latent psychological complexes bubble up to the surface, disturbing the Psion's calm and concentration.

For example, Shrupa Morvery has Psionic Strength 9 and wishes to activate Tactical Awareness over Medium range - requiring expenditure of 3 Psionic Strength points.

She extends the timeframe for activating this power by 1 factor, taking 10 - 60 seconds to activate, and makes a roll of 10 on the characteristic check. The Effect of +2 is offset against the cost, meaning that Shrupa only needs to spend 1 Psionic Strength point.

In a combat situation, Shrupa could instead have penalised her initiative score by -1 to allow the activation of this option when activating her Tactical Awareness power.

Extending the time frame further than one step, or accepting a heavier penalty to initiative, grants further DMs to the characteristic check: each extra step of timeframe extension or additional initiative penalty grants a +1 DM to the characteristic check Effect.

To continue the example, Shrupa decides to accept a -3 initiative penalty in a combat situation. She now has a +2 DM to the Psionic Strength characteristic check to offset the costs of using any Psionic power she wishes to activate, for as long as she continues to accept the initiative penalty.

New Skill: Meditation

By training in advanced meditative techniques, a Psion can in effect learn to centre her mind. This skill replaces the Centering technique above, and has the following use:-

Offset Psionic Strength point expenditure, Meditation, Psionic Strength, Special, Average(+0)

The Effect of this task check is used to offset Psionic Strength Point expenditure when activating a Psionic power. The time frame for this task check is equal to the Psionic power being activated, extended by one step. Thus, for instance, the Meditation task check for the Life detection Telepathy power has the base time frame of 1-6 minutes, including the time taken to activate the Life detection power.

New Gear: Meditation Kit

As simple as a prayer mat or set of rosary beads, or as complex as a full shrine, meditation kits allow a Psion to set aside a place for his mind to achieve stillness. This grants positive DMs to all Meditation task checks and centering checks.

Small Meditation Kit (rosary beads, small amulet) : +1 DM : 200 g : 5 Cr.

Large Meditation Kit (prayer mat, temple gong, large incense burner ) : +2 DM : 5 kg : 150 Cr.

Meditation Shrine (all the above, plus a small altar incorporating meditation symbols, data wafers of soothing music etc.) : +3 DM : 50 kg : 500 Cr.

 

[Spinward Scout]

I like that, fiat_knox. It takes the Psionic power and makes it more of a ritual. I've seen something similar in other systems - D&D mostly, for ritualistic spells. I don't think I've ever seen it applied to a psionic system. That's pretty cool.

After you get get yer mitts on Psion, feel free to post any mods or ideas, I will be to be sure.

I definitely will be. I'm going through Alternity's Mindwalker book this week.

 

[fiat_knox]

Did I just kill this thread?

 

[Spinward Scout]

I don't think so. Why?

 

[fiat_knox]

It seems awfully quiet. I felt that dumping my little bit of MTU crunch into the middle of it came like the awkward silence at a party, and all you hear over the silence is "- go and stuff his head in a blender!"

 

[Spinward Scout]

Psionics is a topic that either gets a lot of attention at once or no attention at all. I'm waiting for the Psion book to come out before I type up more powers.

 

[fiat_knox]

Understood.

In that case, fair enough. I do have some ideas of my own for Psi - related powers and activities, but I'll just wait to see what else Loz will publish.

It's not so much the tech toys and powers of the Psi I care about: it's the potential for Psi - centred adventures, not to mention adventures in which non-Psis can get themselves thrust into.

 

[Commander Truestar]

IMTU Psionics is both more prevelant and less at the same time.

It is more prevelant because I chose to have psions in secret societies or politically protected colonies after teh whole psycohistory fowl up. So there are psions out and about but either they are rogues, criminals, spies, work for psi-desiring parts of the government or they are innocent latents who's power have begun to manefest(IE: ill fated PC's). They are less prevelant because I am picky where I put Psions and those players who's characters are psions wil have to "live through" the acendance of their powers in-game(muhahaha)
As for my Psionic rules, I based much of the points on the Mena point system developed so many decades back for D+D.
As for my "powers", I continue to update the broad categories(Telepathy, Telekenisis,...) but keep to the method of "standard categories plus special categories" as laid out in CT. As well, I allow for cross polination if you will. What I mean is that a psion may develop after spending a lifetime in the Commando career field with a back story of having been a sniper. The character may have always had an extraordinary record for no apparent reason. But when tested, we find that character has a special talent. So we blend by making their special talent one that allows for Hyper-visualization of the target, or the various factors of interference. I had a Doctor who developed a special and her talent manefested in the ability to both visualize inside her patient and then "phase" her hands to reach into the body of the person she was treating. At a point where she had her hands in the correct positions, she could then phase the object(organ/intruding weapon round) her hands or fnigers are touching and draw it out without deep surgical cuts and then phase thread and needle to sew the wounds. Another item I stole came from Darkover novels(before Marion went off the deep end...). That was the concept of a circle of psions as well as those who are no talent but still have powerful psionic strength reserves. When they come together, the psions may share either their energies or their talents such that all the psions in the group are, for the time teh circle exists, melded into one psionic energy form able to use all the shared abilities and all the circle's energy. The nonPsions would be excluded from the mental link unless a psion in the group specifically brought them in through telepathic link, otherwise they are there as "batterys".

As for Focusing, centering, concentration...
That has always been a basic component of my psionic systems. Simple efforts require the barest minimal concetration to raise and use the needed force while significant efforts require the character to spend hours, if not days, reaching deep inside themselves to center and balance the forces at play before harnessing the power organized and directing it. As a result, a circle of powerful psions who meditate in a circle for a day or two while being served foods rich in energy(candies and the like[Also stolen from Darkover novels]) may weild truely monsterous powers.

Of course, as MTU is also pretty close to the OTU, doing such things can be mighty dangerous. Sitting in meditation for hours or days may well get you discovered...as will otherwise unexplainable things. IMTU people like Duke Norris have psi-able attendants. As a result, Psi-renegades and/or adventurers always have to be on the look out for psi-detectors.

Marc

 

[Spinward Scout]

I think you'd like the Julian May Galactic Milieu series. Psionics based thru and thru.