By Urza243457@aol.com
Anyhoo, we got power. A lot of it in fact. We have so much that our bodies have to struggle to contain it all. Each Psychic has two conflicting sides to him: Control, that's how much control you have over your power, and Power, how much control your power has over you. It's never a good idea to be short of one. But, this is tough. Whenever someone's power increases, his control over his power slips. Whenever someone gets firm control over his power, he barely has any to speak of.
Psychic society is split up into five Collectives. They all have a different view of what we should do. More on those guys later.
There's also some bad guys. Doesn't there always have to be? Mostly they come in the form of Psilias. These guys have lost all control of their power forever. Their will is no longer their own. They just go on giant rampages, or the smarter ones will be seeped in evil, manipulating stuff. Either ones are incredibly dangerous, and they love to make others lose control.
I'm gonna teach you the Ways. This is so you don't end up dead. Then, maybe I'll introduce you to my collective; you'll have new contacts. Trust me kid, this is all for the best."
Your character must first decide what kind of psychic they are. The kinds are as follows:
Telepaths: Specializing in all forms of telapathy, they are often the leaders of Psychic society. Many walk softly and carry really, really big sticks.
Telekinetics: Specializing in telekinesis, they can move stuff around and are often the movers and shakers of Psychic society. They're the true partiers.
Pyros: They specialize in Pyrokinesis, the art of controlling fire, heat, and the lack thereof (ice and cold). Some are dangerously unstable; almost all look over their shoulders every five seconds, but many are original and artistic. They are often the ones who ferret out traitors and Psilias from the ranks of psychic society.
Introvertives: They specialize in Introveresis, the art of healing, enhancing one's self, and using one's self as a destructive weapon. Most keep to themselves, and are quiet, but if anything should threaten what they care about thheir rage knows no bounds. They are primarily the healers, caregivers and expert mediators of Psychic society.
Organization: Embracers have almost no organization or so they enjoy having other Collectives believe. They seem disorganized and rag-tag, but are really quite a force when pushed. They usually meet in large nightclubs to discuss matters of grave concern for the Collective. The only thing is that it's not what it looks like. It looks more like good natured partying and drinking than anything else (a drunk Embracer: "I'd like to discuss the... Recent rise in Psilias.....). they often make their meetings in places where nobody would notice them: In open sight. They often shout across the room, and nobody quite understands what they are talking about, or to whom. This makes secrecy abound.
Organization: Crystal Gazers are not as scattered as many would think. Their base of operations are in fact a dense network where all can know what's going on. They often don't meet in large numbers, but small groups will get together to discuss matters of concern. If something dire happens, a psychic wave is sent to All Crystal Gazers where they know something is amiss and they often receive instructiuons on where to meet.
Organization: Hedonistics never elect leaders, nor do they have mass meetings. If something absolutely requires their attention, they often break off into smaller meetings, composing of no more than nine people and vote and discuss matters as quickly (but effeciently) as possible. Once matters are decided on, each committee compares votes and suggestions and soon the entire Collective knows what to do.
Organization: The Secret Order is extremely organized and tightly hierarchical. There is a small council of three Order members preceding over each city, one order member preceding over a single country and 12 order members preceding over the world in their base in Paris.
Organization: The Souls have almost no organization. They meet when they can, go their separate ways when they can't. They often frequent large places like coffie houses, poetry readings, ect. Many of them congregate there at once, and a request from another Soul is almost never turned down. If pressed, they can be quite a force, but their generally too apathetic
After choosing that, they must decide what powers they possess. They get Five points to spread around. In the initial stage, they cannot buy Dots in anything but the type of Psychic ability they chose.
* Emotional Scan: This allows a Psychic to transmit emotions to another person. These must be rather weak emotions (ie Boredom, Apathy). This also allows a Psychic to read someone else's emotions.
** Back Eyes: This allows a Psychic to immediately sense the space around him for sentient mind patterns. He can scan to see if anyone's there, he can get a vague sense of who it is he would be seeing or talking to if contact is made and he can sense the general nature of the person.
*** Collage: This allows a Psychic to read a person's mind directly, but the mind will be a confusing set of images that don't make sense (unless a Perception+Enigmas roll is made [diff. 6]).
**** Psychic Walkie-Talkie: This allows two-way communiaction between two persons. No words have to be spoken, only thought.
***** Open Book: This allows a psychic to invade a person's mind and to discover anything which that person can remember. He can find aything in his head.
* NEE!: This lets the psychic allow the target to be "convinced" to go away through sheer force of will. He will step back three feet for every success. Five success will cause the victim to run away screaming.
** Psi-Blast: This lets a psychic deal one Auric level of damage per success.
*** Drain Will: This lets a psychic to destroy a person's Willpower. Each success takes away one Willpower. If the psychic manages to completely drain away Willpower, the victim is in a coma-like state for a scene and wakes up with one less permanent Willpower.
**** Lose Control: This allows a psychic to cause another psychic to lose temporary control points. Subtract one per success. This causes a psychic to lose one extra temporary control point.
***** Stupidify: This lets a psychic leave the victim a hollow shell of a man. Each success takes away one Willpower. Once all Willpower is drained, the psychic must spend one point of Permanent Willpower to complete the effect. This leaves the victim a dolt, an utter moron, capable of doing nothing but breathing, eating, sleeping and drinking.
* Head-Hop: This allows a psychic to enter another person's head, see through her eyes and hear through her ears. While head-hopping is in effect. the psychic may say things to that person, and they will manifest as thoughts. A Manipulation+Telepathy roll is required to make the person seriously consider what that person is saying. While head-hopping, the body of the psychic is on auto-pilot, and may walk into the street or something.
** Freudian Slide: This allows a psychic to implant a thought or suggestion into a victim's mind. The victim is not inclined or compelled to follow this command, but on a successful manpulation+telepathy roll, the victim will take the suggestion seriously. This can also be used to place emotions in a person's mind or make them think about things she'd rather not.
*** Pavlov's Chant: This allows a psychic to convey simple one-word commands. Examples: Sit, stay, heel, up, fall, vomit.
**** Puppet Show: This allows a psychic to control a person's body, but not their mind. With enough successes, the psychic can make a person do almost anything, but these movements will be stiff and marionet-like. The person is fully aware of what is happening, but his body just won't listen to his mind.
***** Command: This allows a psychic to convey complex commands to a subject. Stuff like "Climb that ladder" or "Pretend your a dog" or to make them believe certain things like "You never saw me, you don't know me, you're an alien" or make them behave a certain way like "You love me, you hate that guy." With enough successes, you can make a subject do anything.
* Small Stuff: The psychic can manipulate objects up to the size of a roll of quarters rather clumsily.
** Kinda small stuff: The psychic can manipulate objects up to the size of a cat rather clumsily. He can manipulate things of Small Stuff pretty well on a good day.
*** Medium stuff: The psychic can manipulate objects up to the size of a TV rather clumsily. Kinda Small Stuff he can manipulate pretty well on a good day, small stuff pretty good most of the time.
**** Big stuff: This psychic can manipulate objects up to the size of an average person. Medium Stuff he can manipulate pretty well on a good day. Kinda small stuff he can manipulate well most of the time. Small stuff, manipulation is almost masterful.
***** Jumbo Size: This lets a psychic manipulate objects up to the size of a Ford Explorer. Big stuff can be manipulated pretty well on a good day. Medium stuff can be manipulated well most of the time. Kinda big stuff can be manipulated almost masterfully. Small stuff, there is no limit to what you can do.
* Ouch!: 1 Health level of damage every 3 successes. Can destroy things like hollow chocolate bunnies.
** OOF!!: 1 Health level of damage every 2 successes. Can destroy things like glass bottles.
*** Ow!!: 1 Health level of damage every success. Can destroy things like six-inch thick 2x4s.
**** AUUGG!!: 2 health levels of damage every success. Can destroy things like steel drums.
***** He's dead, Jim: 3 Health levels of damage every success. Can destroy things like compact cars.
* Flimsy Shield: Can absorb 1 Potential level of damage. Covers a 4x6 area.
** Balloon Animals: Can rearrange shield matter into nearly any shape possible. The more complicated things are, the more successes it takes.
*** Big Shield: Can absorb 3 potential health levels of damage. Covers entire front of psychic.
**** Really big shield: Can absorb 4 potential health levels of damage. Covers entire psychic and anyone who wants to be in the shield as well.
***** Ultra Shield: Can absorb 5 potential health levels of damage. Covers up to one city block (if it covers this must be prepared to need tons of successes.
* Hot flash: This allows a psychic to create small amounts of heat. This can warm up a room by about thirty degrees. This does no real damage except perhaps by dehydration. Each success lasts for three rounds.
** Sizzle: This allows a psychic to create a burst of intense heat concentrated in one very small area. It feels like burning your hand on the stove. Skin contact is mandatory. Does one health level of damage for every three successes.
*** Fireman Bob: This allows a psychic to put out any fire by absorbing it into his being. If the roll succeeds, he takes one health level (or more depending on the size of the fire) of damage. A botch could be deadly.
**** Spontaneous Combustion: This allows a psychic to make a certain object just catch on fire for no reason. Organic matter cannot be affected (but clothes could). If the victim is wet, this automatically raises the difficulty to nine (unless he's wet with oil or gasoline).
***** Firestorm: This makes multiple objects in a room spontaneously combust. The objects that catch on fire are totally random and more than one Pyro has met death by accidentally having his clothes catch on fire. One object combusts for each success.
* Cold flash: This allows a psychic to make the temperature in the room drop up to thirty degrees.
** Feet of Ice: This allows the psychic to simply touch someone and make that area extremely cold. This causes one health level every three successes. If done via touching their feet to someone in bed, the difficulty is -1.
*** Frostbite: This allows a psychic to cause direct harm with cold. Touch is necessary to use this effect. This does one health level of damage for every round contact is sustained.
**** Freezing Blast: This allows a psychic to drain heat from any source and cause it to become extremely cold. Metal will become brittle and break and one health level is taken away for every success.
***** Global Cooling: This allows a psychic to drain heat anywhere in his immediate area. With enough successes, he can make everything frost over with ice and turn it into a miniature ice-skating rink. The more successes, the more the room is affected. The cold originates from the user and radiates outward. Every success extends the area of effect by two meters. Affected people lose one health level per success. From the intense cold, the user loses one health level as well.
* Staunch Blood: This stimulates platelet cells in the blood to prevent blood from flowing from a wound. This effect lasts for one round per success. The flow cannot be stopped forever unless the wound is bound.
** Clean Wound: This allows white blood cells to be on ultra high strung mode. This often reduces the chance for infection. For every success, the difficulty for infection is +1 (this includes Magickal diseases and the Leper Bloodline's Pestilence discilpine).
*** Heal Self: This allows a psychic to heal himself from almost any wound. Minor things like closing cuts, mending bones require about two successes while things like internal hemorrhaging, punctured lungs, severe burns, etc. require at least five.
**** Heal Others: This allows the psychic to heal others like he can heal himself.
***** Un-do healing: This allows a psychic to turn a person's own body against him. He can stimulate his defense systems to attack his body and otherwise harm him in a very direct way. This damage is not aggravated. It deals one health level for every two successes.
* General Stuff: This gives a psychic one extra dice in sensory rolls (perception, alertness, ect) for every point in senschal.
** Voicing: This allows the psychic to hear better than most people can. He can hear better to whatever he wants to hear in his general viscinity.
*** Olfactory: This lets the psychic have an extremely acute sense of smell. He can pick up a trail like a bloodhound, smell a sweater and know who it belongs to, etc.
**** True Sight: This lets the psychic see almost anything, even if blind. He can see in the dark (In green night-vision) see invisible/obfuscated things and can usually find Waldo in less than five seconds.
***** Everything Else: This lets the psychic to use any of the below effects simultaneously. However, at the risk of sensory overload, the psychic must make a control roll every 5-anmount of effects active rounds. If he fails, he cannot act for the scene, trying to collect himself.
* Sense Possession: This allows the psychic to instinctively know when someone's in her head. Nothing may be done about it at this level.
** Stun: This allows the psychic to prevent the invading mind from doing anything. This lasts one round per success.
*** Get Out!!: This allows the psychic to kick out the invading psychic. To prevent this from happening, the invading psychic must make a Willpower roll (diff. 6) and score more successes than the host did.
**** Prisons: This lets the psychic trap another's mind within his head. The psychic that is trapped may not escape and all difficulties for affecting the host are automatically 9.
***** Feedback: This lets the psychic not only kick another out of his head, but harm her severely in the process. This effect will deal an Auric level of damage per success and then kick the psychic out.
When no Willpower points are left, then it is assumed the psychic has Lost It for good and is considered a Psilia. Make a new character. Don't screw up this time.
If he chooses not to become psychic again or has no more Willpower to spend, he is normal and an NPC. Make a new character. Don't screw up this time.
Werewolves and other bete: They generally don't trust each other. However, after paranoia is lifted, they have much in common and can become great allies.
Mages: Mages and Psychics generally get along. In fact, they're more willing to work with a mage than any other supernatual. Psychics however can provide up to ten Tass and this makes psychics a little bit wary around mages. Mages see them as an oddity in human nature and are fascinated by them, escpeially the Sons of Ether. The Technocracy hates them, as any evolving the human race does they want to be in charge of it, not random like it's been.
Wraiths: Wraiths and psychics generally don't know much about each other. They keep away when they can and run away when they can't.
Changelings: Psychics are confused by Changelings. They cannot usually find them and never can understand this thing about Glamour. Changelings see Psychics as uproariously funny and are amused by their attempts to put together their shattered psyches. Psychics generally have Banality of about 7, give or take a few points.
Immortals: Psychics rarely ever meet immortals, but if they do sparks fly as either one or the other start saying "What the hell are you!!??" After the first bout, they are generally more flexible and many immortal-psychic teams have been formed.
Scanners: Psychics and Scanners have a tenuous truce. Each one can pass for the other, but they generally believe the other one to be copycats with no life. It is uncertain just who exactly is the next step on human evolution, but some have suggested that eventually they'll merge into one super-race. These people often get laughed out of the bar by drunks or are drunk themselves.
Demons: Demons and Psychics rarely know about each other. When they do meet, you'll find one of two things: A psychic's entrails or a tiny little charcoal mark on the ground where a Demon used to be.