Chapter Seven: Psionics Those Who Truly Understand Psionic Powers Need No Explanation
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Chapter Seven: Psionics Those who truly understand psionic powers need no explanation. Those who need explanation will never understand. —Anne McCaffrey The subquantum universe exists alongside the physical universe, constantly touching every point. It is a place of connections, where time and distance often depend on how closely associated two objects are, rather than physical location. The emergence of psions gave humanity the first tools needed to control this universe. All psions harness and manipulate the subquantum universe to affect the physical world. Psi Psi measures a character’s synchronicity with the universe around her. Psionic energy pools in creatures attuned to it, empowering and encouraging them to use it. As they practice harnessing the subquantum flow, psions’ ability to store and command psionic energies grows. Characters with higher Psi exert greater power, versatility, finesse, and control over their effects. Even neutrals have a Psi trait, representing their basic, living connection to the subquantum universe. Though normal humans resonate with the subquantum world, they have no control over it. They possess a single dot of Psi, which generates a weak noetic field that allows them to use and even format some bioware. Most humans with latent psionic potential, and most newly triggered psions, possess two dots of Psi. Particularly strong latents — those who may become teleporters or quantakinetics — must purchase a third dot at character creation to gain those Aptitudes. The greatest psions in the Trinity Continuum — the proxies — each have Psi traits of six or seven dots. While they command powers that most other psions haven’t dreamed of, there’s no barrier preventing any psion from reaching their potential. Anyone with the drive, patience, and resilience to overcome failures and limitations can equal their knowledge and ability. A character’s Psi directly contributes to the dice pool she uses to activate psionic powers, giving experienced practitioners greater control the effects they generate. [TABLE THIS] Psi Description Mode Attunement Target Psi Maximum Range Number points • Normal Human 0 0 8 1 •• Latent/Recently 1*/5 Short 8 5 Triggered psion ••• Strong Latent+ 5 Medium 8 10 or Trained psion •••• Experienced 5 Long 8 15 psion ••••• Veteran psion 5 Extreme (10 8 20 kilometers) ••••• • Transcending 6 Extreme (100 7 30 psion kilometers) ••••• •• Proxy 7 Extreme ^ (1,000 7 40 kilometers) * Latent psions may have one dot in single Mode. They can’t consciously control it and may only manifest the power at dramatically appropriate times, with the Storyguide’s permission. If the character is later triggered into another Aptitude, she keeps this dot as her Auxiliary Mode. Latents don’t have access to Attunement, nor can they access their Psi pool. + Latent quantakinetics and teleporters must have Psi 3 to be powerful enough to obtain these Aptitudes. ^ Multiply Attunement range by 10 for each dot above seven. [STOP TABLING THIS] Psi points Humans are psionic batteries. Even baseline humans retain a portion of the psionic energies that move through them. Psions attract and store even more of this subquantum energy, and can use it to manifest and control their powers. A character’s pool of Psi points depends on her Psi trait as listed in the above table. The minimum Psi point cost to manifest a power is stated in that power’s description. In addition to the minimum activation cost, psions attempting to use powers beyond their dots in a Mode must pay extra Psi points, even if the power is normally free to use. See Activating Psi Powers, p. XX. A character regains her Psi trait in points every 10 minutes (five minutes for psions with Psi of 6 or 7) after ceasing psionic activity. A character who chooses to spend Psi points every nine minutes (or is somehow forced to do so) can drain herself of psionic energies without recovering any Psi points. Attunement Psions have an inherent awareness of the subquantum universe around them. This gives them the ability to sense strong sources of psionic energy as well as to feel sudden, dramatic changes in Psi flows. This Attunement allows a psion to feel these changes at greater distances as her Psi trait increases, as per the table on p. XX. The character may take an ordinary action to concentrate on her Attunement, rolling Psi + her highest Mode. Success tells the psion if any strong Psi sources, such as powerful psions, potent bioware, or psionic powers are being used within the character’s Attunement range. This doesn’t reveal any information about the Psi source, although the character can spend additional successes to discover more, such as the general direction, approximate range, or the strength relative to the psion. The drawback of this sensitivity is that the psion can’t tune out sudden or drastic shifts in the Psi flow. Destruction on a massive scale (hundreds of simultaneous deaths in one location, a moon exploding), or other significant disruptions to Psi (attack squads of powerful Aberrants using their powers) can shock and distract the psion. Smaller, more intimate events — such as the psion’s sister giving birth for the first time — can also have this effect. If such disruptions occur within the psion’s Attunement range, the psion gains the Psychic Shock Mental Status Condition that provides a Complication equal to Psi – Composure (if greater than zero). This Status Condition lasts for the next scene unless someone provides the psion with telepathic Psychbending or vitakinetic Iatrosis treatment capable of removing mental Status Conditions. Noetic Connections & Templates Everything in the physical universe interacts with the subquantum universe in a unique way. This gives a distinctive signature that psions can use to target applicable powers towards specific individuals, objects, or locations. Psions refer to these signatures as having a noetic connection to the target. The table below shows how noetic connections influence the Difficulty of applicable Psi activation rolls and how long it takes to attain. Many noetic connections aren’t static, they fade over time. Material Connections fade after one month. In the time listed below, Familiar Connections fade to Remembered Connections, and after a similar time Remembered Connections fade entirely. Drastically changing the nature of the target degrades any noetic connection far more rapidly. Altering or destroying an object, rearranging the layout of a location, or subjecting a living being to Quantum or psionic powers can hasten it. The Storyguide should feel free to reduce noetic connection as story events dictate. Additionally, every living being, and most complex objects, have what psions call a noetic template. In living creatures, the noetic template defines how it should be. It describes how strong and smart the being is, its health, and details of the shape of its body and limbs. The noetic template defines the limits of what is possible. A power that restores the template brings it back to its usual level. A power that enhances this template usually can’t go beyond the maximum for a member of that species. The following are the different types of possible noetic connections. Psionic Connection: You are currently in a telepathic Network (p. XX) with or using an applicable psionic sense on the target. Formatted bioware always has this level of connection with its user. Sensory Connection: You can directly sense the target with your normal or psionic senses. This is rarely longer than Medium range. Material Connection: A small piece of an object, person, or location, like a lock of hair that is no more than a month old. Familiar Connection: Within the last several years, the psion lived in a location for at least a month, spent one day per week there for a year or interacted with a person for either several hours a day for a week or several hours a week for a month. After several years, this connection fades to Remembered. Within the last month, the psion carried or frequently used an object or vehicle for more than a day. After a second month, this connection fades to Remembered. Sharing the senses of someone who is currently has a Sensory or Direct Connection to the target also counts as a Familiar Connection. Remembered Connection: Within the last several years, the psion spent several days in a location or interacted with a person for several hours. Within the past month, the psion touched or used the object or vehicle for at least a few minutes. Remembered Connections fade to nothing after the listed time. Examining the memories of someone with either a Familiar or Remembered Connection to the target also provides a Remembered Connection. [TABLE THIS] Noetic Connection Table In all cases, only apply the best available noetic connection. Connection Increased Difficulty Psionic Connection +1 Enhancement, no increased Difficulty Sensory Connection +0 Material Connection +1 Familiar Connection +2 Remembered Connection +3 [STOP TABLING THIS] Aptitudes and Modes Psionic abilities are divided into eight themes, called Aptitudes. Each Aptitude expresses one aspect of the noetic totality — a term invented by quantakinetic scientists and quickly adopted by clairsentients to describe the full range of possible noetic powers. Every Aptitude contains three aspects called Modes, giving psions different pathways to explore in developing their command of Psi. Aptitudes overlap at points, expressing similar effects in different ways. For example, electrokinetics and vitakinetics can both temporarily enhance mental acuity, but each uses a different method. Electrokinetics boost the electrical signals in their brains while vitakinetics directly enhance their nerve cells. Activating Psi Powers To a trained psion, using her abilities is as natural as holding her breath. It takes some minor effort, but is simple to achieve. Just like she can expend more effort and challenge herself to hold that breath longer, psions can also push themselves to achieve greater effects than they normally access.