Psionics in the 3I

[Trent]

What, exactly, is the 3I's policy towards psionics? Suppose someone just happens to be born with telepathy? Is he automatically a criminal? Is he allowed to live? What happens? Discrimination? Harassment? Not allowed on certain planets? Can someone give me a good idea of how a psionic would be treated in the 3I in the canon traveller universe? I assume they're too civillized to just extreminate psionics, but what about making it hard for them to find any job other than, say, working for the imperium in some way like a spy or law enforcement agent?

 

[G. Kashkanun Anderson]

From a strictly canonical (CT) perspective, ALL humans are born with some psionic ability; but NO humans are capable of using whatever ability(ies) they possess without receiving some form of outside training. Not even the Zhodani are "natural" psionics -- no matter what they may say on the subject -- their advantage is in the early screening and training processes that they provide for their population. So going strictly by the rules, your situation is not going to happen; but YTU results may vary, of course.

The Droyne, on the other hand, are natural psionics (even Chirpers). Imperial policy and/or attitudes towards Droyne populations is not standardized, as far as I know, and ranges from benign neglect to mutual interdiction.

There are also a few references to human worlds in the Imperium that have been mutually interdicted due to some deep-rooted practice of psionics in their culture. I think they come from DGP sources, however, so I can't vouch for the canonicity of them.

 

[far-trader]

In (most of) the rules the only way to become psionic is to be trained. So no one is "born" a telepath. And it's the training, through the Psionic Institutes, that is banned and outlawed in the Imperium.

As far as what happens when one is found to be a Psionic in the Imperium there's a "fun" little random penalties list:

Roll 2D: 12+ lobotomy; 10+ lynching; 8+ tar and feathers; 6+ prison; 4+ deportation.

I generally figure the prison sentence is life in solitary in a psi-proof cell.

And deportation may mean exile outside the Imperium.

The others are pretty much a death sentence. And you roll a new character in almost each case anyway, unless the ref plays god and grants you an escape clause.

But then again the book says 1 in 36 NPCs the players encounter will have psionic training despite this, and there is also a 1 in 36 chance that NPCs the players encounter will be informants trying to entrap the players into confessing they have or are seeking training or practitioners. Even showing interest can be enough to get you in very hot water.

 

[Trent]

From a strictly canonical (CT) perspective, ALL humans are born with some psionic ability; but NO humans are capable of using whatever ability(ies) they possess without receiving some form of outside training. Not even the Zhodani are "natural" psionics -- no matter what they may say on the subject -- their advantage is in the early screening and training processes that they provide for their population. So going strictly by the rules, your situation is not going to happen; but YTU results may vary, of course.

The Droyne, on the other hand, are natural psionics (even Chirpers). Imperial policy and/or attitudes towards Droyne populations is not standardized, as far as I know, and ranges from benign neglect to mutual interdiction.

There are also a few references to human worlds in the Imperium that have been mutually interdicted due to some deep-rooted practice of psionics in their culture. I think they come from DGP sources, however, so I can't vouch for the canonicity of them.

But then how did humans develop psi powers in the first place? I've got what I read in GT, and wanted a character with a couple psi powers that he just started developing around puberty.

Hmm, maybe he found some old books on psionics, and found out he had it as a child and now it's developed, or his planet didn't suppress psionics until it was taken into the imperium....

 

[Trent]

In (most of) the rules the only way to become psionic is to be trained. So no one is "born" a telepath. And it's the training, through the Psionic Institutes, that is banned and outlawed in the Imperium.

As far as what happens when one is found to be a Psionic in the Imperium there's a "fun" little random penalties list:

Roll 2D: 12+ lobotomy; 10+ lynching; 8+ tar and feathers; 6+ prison; 4+ deportation.

I generally figure the prison sentence is life in solitary in a psi-proof cell.

And deportation may mean exile outside the Imperium.

The others are pretty much a death sentence. And you roll a new character in almost each case anyway, unless the ref plays god and grants you an escape clause.

But then again the book says 1 in 36 NPCs the players encounter will have psionic training despite this, and there is also a 1 in 36 chance that NPCs the players encounter will be informants trying to entrap the players into confessing they have or are seeking training or practitioners. Even showing interest can be enough to get you in very hot water.

Is that xhart for real or were you joking?

 

[far-trader]

It's for real, in CT, and I think MT. Not sure about the rest.

As for how Psionics developed in the Imperium that goes back a few hundred years to when they were openly practiced. Then something happened to change the public acceptance and the Psionic Suppressions were waged. A war on Psions and the Institutes within the Imperium, driving the survivors underground and into secrecy.

 

[Border Reiver]

It's for real. :smirk:

 

[Trent]

Hmm, Ok, thanks. I may rewrite the character BG a little then to have him come from a planet that was not a member of the 3I but on the border, until a massive Zuchai crystal deposit was found. Soon megacorps were getting involved, and when the local government wouldn't let them basically plunder the crystals on their terms they worked to destabilize the economy, cause trouble, foment unrest until the 3I declared the planet a protectorate, which meant letting the megacorps come in and rape the place for the Zuchai.

So the kid went from a society where psionics were tolerated to one where they were not. Ok, that works too, thanks.

Still, one must assume that uncle cleon has a stash of psionics somewhere, using them as undercover agents and such to ferret out ine givar and the like, and expose zhoad agents. I mean, you can bet there are psionics working in the intelligence and upper echelon law enforcement.

 

[G. Kashkanun Anderson]

As far as what happens when one is found to be a Psionic in the Imperium there's a "fun" little random penalties list:

Roll 2D: 12+ lobotomy; 10+ lynching; 8+ tar and feathers; 6+ prison; 4+ deportation.

Hooo yeah ... I forgot about that little table. But then again, since psionics is used so rarely (if ever) among the PC's IMTU, I've never had occassion to refer to it.

But then how did humans develop psi powers in the first place? I've got what I read in GT, and wanted a character with a couple psi powers that he just started developing around puberty.

GT's treatment of Traveller psionics is one of the areas where it diverges the most from other TU's. It's also one of the bigger problems I have with that universe. Not that I dislike GURPS or the GTU by any means; but there are some parts of it that do cause me discomfort as an OTU grognard.

But going back to the question at hand: since all human populations possess psionic abilities (even the "wild" Terran ones), I presume it evolved naturally on Terra. IMTU it's something that appeared fairly early in the mammalian branch of Terran fauna; but that's not official by any means. Others might make a case for the Ancients having a hand in it -- although I think there's a greater case that it was Humaniti's inherent psionic potential (and/or perhaps the nature of that potential) which piqued the Ancients' initial interest in the fauna of our planet.

Still, one must assume that uncle cleon has a stash of psionics somewhere, using them as undercover agents and such to ferret out ine givar and the like, and expose zhoad agents. I mean, you can bet there are psionics working in the intelligence and upper echelon law enforcement.

That point of discussion shows up all the time on the GT board. If you haven't already been there, I'd suggest you go over there and dig around if you want to look up more information about it.

You could also check out the New Era threads on this board for more info, I'm guessing. Psionics plays a greater role in Post Apocalyptic Traveller than it does in any timeline outside of the GT.

 

[mike wightman]

Still, one must assume that uncle cleon has a stash of psionics somewhere, using them as undercover agents and such to ferret out ine givar and the like, and expose zhoad agents. I mean, you can bet there are psionics working in the intelligence and upper echelon law enforcement.

Yes, the Imperium still maintains it's own very secret psionic training establishments. NI uses them for one.

 

[aramis]

The 2 we know about being Terra and Regina. The one at Regina is at the University of Regina...

 

[Trent]

Yes, the Imperium still maintains it's own very secret psionic training establishments. NI uses them for one.

NI? Sorry, must have missed the book that was in. I do remember reading an article in the excellent "Challenge" magazine (Damn I miss it!) about an out fit called IRIS, the Imperial Regency of Intelligence Services.

 

[BlackBat242]

Is that xhart for real or were you joking?

CT: LBB Book 3; page 46; section titled Public Prejudice.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

It must be possible for untrained psionics to develop their powers naturally, otherwise nobody would know they existed. It should be very rare, though, and they'd need training to use them properly.

It would take a particularly stressful experience to cause the powers to manifest - ie, probably the worst possible time for it to happen

 

[G. Kashkanun Anderson]

Certainly possible, but apparently so rare as to be practically a non-issue from a cultural development perspective. The Zhodani, for instance, apparently had no inkling of their psionic potential until they came into contact with the Chirpers on the other continent of their homeworld. Psionics were of apparent interest to pre-contact Solomani (i.e. "us"); but little if any progress was made in the area until post-contact, despite reams of research on it.

Psionics seems to be like the jump drive of psychology. It takes more than just having the ingredients lying around in order to figure out how it works; you have to have someone who's able to come up with an otherwise dramatically unintuitive way of putting them together in order for it to happen.

 

[Trent]

Certainly possible, but apparently so rare as to be practically a non-issue from a cultural development perspective. The Zhodani, for instance, apparently had no inkling of their psionic potential until they came into contact with the Chirpers on the other continent of their homeworld. Psionics were of apparent interest to pre-contact Solomani (i.e. "us"); but little if any progress was made in the area until post-contact, despite reams of research on it.

Psionics seems to be like the jump drive of psychology. It takes more than just having the ingredients lying around in order to figure out how it works; you have to have someone who's able to come up with an otherwise dramatically unintuitive way of putting them together in order for it to happen.

LKW has always maintained that terrans discovered the jump drive on their own without outside aid.

 

[G. Kashkanun Anderson]

LKW has always maintained that terrans discovered the jump drive on their own without outside aid.

You're reading more into my answer than I actually said. Here's what I wrote:

It takes more than just having the ingredients lying around in order to figure out how it [jump drive] works; you have to have someone who's able to come up with an otherwise dramatically unintuitive way of putting them together in order for it to happen.

... and here's what I was referring to, taken directly from Marc Miller's seminal article on jump drive technology, back in the old JTAS #24:

A Motivated Genius: The theory and the achievement of jump drive is not obvious. Consequently, discovery of jump drives seems to depend as much on a single motivated genius as on the other technological prerequisites.

I hope that clears things up.

 

[Darkhstarr]

My wife's Bette Noire character was trained at a temple outside the Imperium. Suppressed her abilities when she entered the Imperial Naval Academy. Then, she also encounter the Zhodani & found their reliance on psionics made them lazy. That made her even more reluctant to use her teleport ability. Still there has been times...

IMTU, I created the League of Sophonts, which among being defenders of the rights of all sophonts, also protect the psionically endowned. If they find a active psi user, they will try to smuggle them out of Imperial Space.

 

[Trent]

You're reading more into my answer than I actually said. Here's what I wrote:


... and here's what I was referring to, taken directly from Marc Miller's seminal article on jump drive technology, back in the old JTAS #24:



I hope that clears things up.

OK, I thought you were saying that no one could invent jump independently, while LKW said terrans did.

 

[kafka47]

Answerin have an an answer

The Answerin solution...have a culture whose psionic culture is so deeply rooted in mysticism and superstition that it barely registers on the Imperium's awareness. The Answerin have an implant that they have been using for ages that inhibits fear but because of the value of Answerin Marines have to the Imperium. Similarly, there can mystic priestess who pray to a sacred flame...95% this is bogus but the rites and ritual teach a psionic discipline for those who have the talent. The Imperium is convinced that the ritual is 100% bogus, as the 5% has been able to conceal themselves within the Church hierarchy and escape detection.

Maybe there is something like the Tomorrow People at work within the society.