Post by Annabelle Devonshire on May 21, 2020 1:36:26 GMT -5
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Animal Psychic
While most psychic abilities affect other humans, some psychics use their talent on the “lower” animals. The actual method of communication may vary. Some psychics bark or growl at the animal. Others use dressage gestures, even if the animal has never even seen a trainer before. A few simply speak their native language (or even an imaginary one) and hear the animal speak it back to them. Animals may communicate with the psychic, though the information they relate should be limited by their intelligence and perceptions.
Animal psychics may use their power on any mammal, lizard or bird with no difficulty. In fact, highly intelligent animals (chimpanzees, dolhpins, gorillas) or well-trained animals (dogs, horses, circus or show animals) are more susceptible to Animal Psychics. Fish are harder to control and insect minds are too simple (or perhaps to different) for the psychic to affect.
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Communication: The psychic may “speak” with a single animal, allowing two-way communication with the beast. This communication does not give the psychic control over the animal, though misunderstandings may be explained away.
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Command: The psychic can command the animal to perform for him. The animal will not endanger itself for the psychic. However, it can do any trick the psychic can adequately describe. Under circumstances, an animal will attack for the psychic, though it would be under circumstances where the animal had some proclivity toward attacking in the fist place. A police down might bring someone to the ground, or a hungry tiger might go after a hunter.
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Mass Communication: This power works like the Communication power, though it now works on all animals within earshot. Additionally, the psychic may communicate with multiple types of animals simultaneously.
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Mind Link: With this power, the psychic joins his mind with that of a single animal. Once the link is established, the psychic’s mind and the animal’s mind are linked until the psychic drops the connection. While linked, the psychic can perceive whatever the animal perceives. She can also communicate with the animal, using any of the lesser Animal Psychic powers. The drawback to this is that if the animal is injured, the mental feedback injures the psychic.
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Domination: This ability gives the psychic total control of an animal’s mind. It will do whatever the psychic wishes, even at the cost of its own life. The animal will explicitly follow one command. The command may be conditional (“if somebody attacks me, then kill them”) but can not be conjunctional (“follow the scent of this shirt and attack them”)</li>
Anti-Psychic
Anti-psychic is the rarest psychic talent yet observed. The psychics’ very presence makes even reliable psychic talents weaken of fail. Sensitives, before their powers fail them, describe the anti-psychic as generating a “static” in the mental plane. An anti-psychic cannot have additional psychic powers. Due to the subtle nature of their powers, most anti-psychics remain unaware of their talent until approached or even attacked by other psychics. Anti-Psychic is useful against all psychic abilities, as well as the Mind Sphere (though it provides only a small level of defence against the latter, regardless of the anti-psychic’s power).
The stronger the anti-psychic, the larger the radius affected. Anti-Psychic isn’t “activated” in the fashion of other powers; rather, it always clouds those around the anti-psychic.
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5-yard radius
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10-yard radius
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15-yard radius
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20-yard radius
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25-yard radius</li>
Astral Projection
The power of Astral Projection allows the psychic to split his spirit off from his body. The discarnate spirit can travel very quickly in this form. The spirit intangibly travels across planes of thought while still able to look in on the physical world. While in astral form, the psychic cannot physically affect the real world, though he may use other psychic abilities. However, while away from his body, he cannot perceive what is happening to it. Many out-of-body travelers have nightmares about someone moving or harming their physical self while their spirit is roaming free.
Two astrally projecting characters may affect each other, and some astrally projecting psychics could once perceive ghosts and certain spirits, but most such spirits appear as blurry forms, barely in the realm of perception. In general, an astral spirit can see the material world or other abstract spirits in the realm of thought; ghosts of the dead and the like usually remain imperceptible except to those psychics who also have some mediumship abilities.
Psychics who frequent the astral plane whipser that other entities sometimes intrude there, human or otherwise, and on some occasions find their souls drawn to strange spirit worlds far removed from the mortal plane. A few never find their way back. Caution is the rule when exploring planes unknown to humans.
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With only rudimentary awareness of astral existence, the psychic can shift her senses to feel the astral realm but cannot quite enter it. The psychic sees the astral realm overlaid upon the normal physical world. Some psychics prefer to close their eyes and visualise the astral plane, while others have no difficulty watching both. A psychic may view the astral realm for so long as she maintains her concentration upon it.
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The character can leave her body for a few minutes and, whilst in astral form, she can only perceive by sight and is also limited to travelling approximately one mile away from her body.
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The character can leave her body for under an hour. She gains the ability to hear in astral form and can travel up to 100 miles from her body.
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The psychic can now leave her body for a few hours and travel up to 1,000 miles away. The psychic gains the ability to manifest visually to observers as a translucent, ghostly apparition, though the projector cannot communicate verbally with observers.
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The psychic may astrally travel anywhere in the world, so long as her body remains healthy, and she may use all of her senses normally. The psychic’s form (should she choose to manifest) appears as a blurry and translucent version of her usual physical appearance, somewhat idealised. While manifest, the project can speak, though only in a soft whisper. Like her visual appearance, her speech does not appear on recordings.</li>
Bio-Control
Most psychics turn their paranormal abilities outward, sensing things beyond normal perceptions or controlling them with their wills. Other psychics turn their powers inward. Psychics with Bio-Control regulate their autonomic nervous system with ease that others tie their shoes. Proper use of Bio-Control allows a psychic to shut down pain, regulate his internal organs or even direct the flow of blood and glandular secretions at will. While some otherwise normal people learn basic techniques of biofeedback, the truly talented psychic can perform marvels beyond all but the most dedicated meditative disciple.
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Self Control: The psychic has power over his body to a basic degree. By entering a self-induced hypnotic state, he controls basic functions. He can stop a small cut from bleeding, ignore small amounts of pain or hold his breath longer than he would be able to under normal circumstances. While in this self-imposed trance, the psychic can do nothing else but focus on his body. He remains peripherally aware of their surroundings but can bring himself out of the trance at will.
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Self-Healing: By maintaining his internal focus over a long period of time, the psychic accelerates the healing process. Psychics with self-healing recover at a vastly accelerated rate, as their bodily controls allow them to more efficiently reknit flesh and fight off infections. The character must still spend his time resting comfortably (preferably under some sort of medical care) for the power to work.
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Hysterical Strength: The psychic gains control of his adrenal glands, allowing brief periods of hysterical strength and speed. As the psychic “comes down” from the hysterical episode, his body responds to the excessive stress and pain. (Some psychics see this more as a form of channelled energy than as a scientific methodology and might well have Hysterical Strength without any glandular response. The results are the same.)
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Ignore Pain Response: The psychic has the ability to shut off his pain centres for a brief period of time. This does not heal any damage, though it does let him function under the effects of debilitating agony.
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Mind Over Matter: The character’s control of his body is complete. At will, he can stop his own heart, suspend the need for oxygen, regulate digestive functions, control the immune system and accelerate or suppress cell growth, regeneration or processing. In effect, the psychic can direct her body consciously to perform feats of biology almost as if her cells responded individually to her mind. The psychic can nullify most toxins, though sufficiently large doses (like a quart of mercury) would overwhelm his system. He can fight off just about any mundane disease, allergen or irritant and can even try to counteract severe diseases like HIV or cancer. With pain control (previous), he can flex and contort his body into unnatural positions and slip out of bonds or into tight spaces. He can hold his breath for minutes at a time while remaining active and, if necessary, can actively redirect toxins to other parts of the body - so he might be able to keep his mind and hands working by shunting the effects of poison gas all into his legs.</li>
Channeling
Some psychics have the ability to draw upon the knowledge of those who have passed on. Channelers tap the knowledge and experience of the dead, briefly obtaining skills that they personally lack. Some psychics have a repertoire of spirits they can call on for help and assistance. Others claim that they tap the collective unconscious. While the source of knowledge varies, the effects remain the same.
Note that only one personality may be channelled at a time. Thus, a channeler cannot “stack” additional dots by channelling multiple personalities at a time.
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The character can channel once per day. She has a vague sense of other personalities floating about and of the existence of some sort of consciousness beyond the body, but that’s about it.
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The character can channel two times per day. She also can, depending on the Gauntlet, see briefly into the Shadowlands where ghosts live. She can communicate with ghosts for a few minutes.
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The character can channel three times per day. She can also see into the Shadowlands, depending on the Gauntlet.
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At this level and beyond there’s no limit to how often the character can channel, though the difficulty increases each time after the third until the character sleeps. She also can let ghosts skilled in the arts of possession (called “Puppetry” by wraiths) easily enter her body to use all of her skills. The medium retains full awareness of the wraith’s actions. She can also eject a possessing wraith after a struggle of wills.
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The psychic can channel two disparate personalities at once. As before, there’s no effective limit to how often the character can channel at the point, though successive attempts become more difficult until the psychic has a full sleep cycle. When possessed by a ghost, the channeler often gains some memories from the ghost, beyond what the possessor might do or tell - while a weaker channel might hope that the ghost says or does something significant, the master channeler can access some of the ghost’s own memories and passions.</li>
Clairvoyance
A clairvoyant has the ability to cast his senses away, allowing him to perceive people, places or things at great distances. Though technically Clairvoyance refers specifically to remote sight, some psychics can also cast forth their hearing or other senses as well. Unlike astral projection, the clairsentient does not separate his consciousness from his body; he remains aware of what’s going on around him (though this can be very confusing if the psychic tries to concentrate upon two locations at once). Similarly, the clairvoyant does not travel through the intervening space - he simply perceives whatever happens at the target site as if he stood here.
The degree of familiarity the psychic has with the target may make Clairvoyance easier or more difficult. Once the clairvoyant “locks on” to a target, he can then “pan” his view around, allowing him to see just about anything in the immediate area. The limits of their perceptions are the immediate area in question. If the character wishes to see beyond that area, he must refocus.
For example, a character looking into a room in another house could see anything in that room. However, to switch perceptions into the hall outside would require a second attempt. The clairvoyant cannot perceive anything he could not perceive with his normal senses. Thus, if the target area is completely darkened, remote site does no good.
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The character can see things, though the images are hazy dreamlike. The character can extend his sense into just the immediate area, approximately a mile from his body.
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The character can see clearly through remote sight and can faintly hear. The range of perception is now anywhere in the immediate five to 10 miles.
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The character can see and hear clearly at a distance. He can also “touch” things at the remote site, though his sense of touch is vague, as if he were wearing heavy gloves. (He cannot move things, naturally.) The character’s range expands to a maximum of 50 miles.
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The character can clearly see, hear and touch at range. Additionally, he can detect strong odours. The range is a maximum of 500 miles.
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The character can use all fives senses clearly and can perceive things up to 5,000 miles away.</li>
Cyberkinesis
A relatively new talent, Cyberkinesis is the ability to control electronic machinery with one’s mind. Paranormal researchers believe that Cyberkinesis is a specialised application of telekinesis. The cyber kinetic generates small-scale electromagnetic fields that alter the operating systems of computers and other electronic equipment (stereo systems, burglar arlarms, etc.). However, while the psychic can control the machine, he cannot “read its mind.” That is a separate power: Cyberpathy. For all powers above Level One, he must be able to see what he is doing, generally through a monitor or display readout. In effect, a cyber kinetic can send information to a machine but must read it back normally (or with Cyberpathy)
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Switch: The cyber kinetic possesses the ability to switch computers or easily operated electronic equipment off and on.
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Link: The psychic may operate the electronic equipment without touching it, as if by remote control. This does not give him any override codes or passwords. He could enter a password without typing it at the keyboard, but he could not login to the machine without a valid password.
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Scramble: The character possesses the ability to send microscale power surges through computers, giving them the equivalent of an epileptic seizure. Computers lock up. Video equipment displays snow, and recording equipment picks up nothing but static. The scrambling effects last as long as the cyber kinetic concentrates upon it. When the effect lapses, the machines return to normal operation, though some less robust operating systems will crash.
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Password: The cyber kinetic overrides the operating system of computers, essentially giving himself any password or code he desires. He can force the computer to do anything the normal operating system is capable of performing. He could, for instance, create administrator access for himself, erase data or forge email from anyone with an account on the system.
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Run Hot: The psychic has such control of electronics that he can effectively “reprogram” the computer to exceed its normal abilities. A computer calculates faster, a robot arm lifts more, a laser burns hotter, etc. However, this is not without incurring damage to the machine itself.</li>
Cyberpathy
While a cyber kinetic possesses the ability to control electronic equipment, the cyber path can read the data stored on the computer. Researchers believe that the method for reading magnetic patterns in a computer’s memory or on a hard drive resembles the way telepaths read the electrical impulses of the human brain.
All uses of Cyberpathy require the psychic to be within sight of the computer. Characters using Remote Access do not have to be able to see the remote computers they are linking to, but they must be able to see the machine they’re using as an entry point. This ability can also be used to read the data stored on diskettes, tapes or other digital media. Generally speaking, these powers take 10 to 15 minutes to use, though an experienced cyber path could be able to use them in a reduced amount of time.
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Analyse Structure: At this level, the cyber path possesses the ability to examine the directory structure of the computer. He can see what files are stored on the hard drive but cannot access them. This can be useful to cyber path hackers looking for a specific piece of data.
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Read-Only Mode: The cyber path not only can travel the directory structure but can read the files. Simple text and graphics files are easy to comprehend. Additionally, he can grasp the functions of executable programs. Unscrambling encrypted files remains beyond him at this level.
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Download: The psychic can “copy” a file from a computer to his mind, writing the data in unused sections of his brain. While he can read text files, observe graphics or sound files and understand the nature of an executable program, he cannot “run” the program in his brain. With the Level Two Cyberkinesis power Link, the cyber path can upload the data back onto another computer.
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Remote Access: With this power, the cyberpath connects to any computer that his local computer connects to. The cyberpath has no additional powers beyond the ability to treat a remote computer as if it were sitting on his desktop.
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Decrypt: The cyberpath’s understanding of computers progresses to the point where he can decypt encypted data. The data can be on a computer (either locally or one connected to via Remote Acces) or Download into the psychic’s mind.</li>
Ectoplasmic Generation
Among the more freakish psychic phenomena, Ectoplasmic Generation coalesces the stuff of spirits - plasm - into a tangible form. Through force of will and personality, the psychic tugs on ghostly energies and makes them solid. Most often, this manifest as a mucusy gel, though skilled psychics can disperse it or concentrate it to make oddly glistening webs, sticky vapours and the like. Such creations are rather disturbing and correspond to no known physical chemistry; indeed, ectoplasm tends to “dissolve” into nothingness of the Underworld after a short time and defies scientific analysis.
For wraiths, all ectoplasmic creations are solid. They cannot pass threw ectoplasmic mists. Psychics who attack wraiths with ectoplasmic entities do full damage to the ghosts, although they would need some way of perceiving the dead in their “Shadowlands.”
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The Big Sneeze: The psychic can summon up some strands of snotty material. The ectoplasm created by this power wells out of the psychic’s orifices or follows in the wake of her touch, leaving slimy, glistening trails. This goo is disturbing and nasty but has no deleterious effects. The psychic can also vaguely summon ectoplasmic fog.
The thick white mist boils out of the psychic’s eyes, nose and mouth. This cloud generated is vaguely spherical and has a diameter of about five feet. The cloud hangs in midair in front of the psychic and does not move. The cloud slowly dissolves, leaving oily, viscous goo behind.
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The Mists: The psychic’s control of the ectoplasmic cloud coalesces and the cloud begins to obey the commands of the summoner. The cloud no longer disperses in wind and lasts as long as the summoner concentrates on it. If kept in a sphere, the fog would have a radius of five feet. However, the psychic has rudimentary control over the shape of the fog, though it is merely basic control. No complex shapes can be formed, yet. The cloud initially appears in front of the psychic, though the cloud can move, if the summoner desires. Once the psychic’s concentration lapses, the cloud dissolves.
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“A Fog So Thick…”: By investing a greater portion of her will in the ectoplasmic cloud, it becomes solid to the touch. The cloud itself feels like cotton candy. Attacking the fog with normal weapons rarely does any good. Bullets, blades and fists may shift the solid ectoplasm, but cannot break it down. The fog appears in front of the summoner and does not move. The psychic shapes the ectoplasmic wall at the time of creation and remains solid so long as the psychic concentrates upon it.
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Dream Shaper: The psychic’s greater control of her ectoplasm allows her to mould it into complex shapes. The ectoplasmic creation may look like anything the psychic wishes, though the ectoplasm remains a dull white colour. The dense ectoplasm soaks damage from bullet and cutting weapons with ease, but is vunerable to impacts and fire (or other environmental effects). The creation is a puppet, controlled by the will of the psychic. It cannot travel outside of the psychic’s perceptions or perceive anything the psychic does not perceive. If the psychic’s concentration lapses, the creation vanishes in a puff of smoke.
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Tulpa: By a powerful investment of mental energy, the psychic creates an ectoplasmic extension of his will. Unlike Dream Shape, the Tulpa possess rudimentary intelligence.</li>
Extrasensory Perception
Creator: CJ
The ability to sense things that would normally pass most people by, Extrasensory perception is a tool that can be quite useful, but also quite confusing. Most signs and indications that a user of ESP is able to sense are vague, distant, or cryptic. But, with the proper training and careful use of this phenomena, a psychic can learn things that she wouldn't of known before.
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At the most basic levels, Extrasensory Perception functions purely on instinct. Whenever a psychic enters a relatively close presence (i.e. in the same room) of a supernatural being, she gets a feeling of unease. Unable to focus on the source of this eeriness, the psychic often has unexplainable emotions such as sudden anxiety, fear, or wonderment (often depending on the nature of the supernatural present). These feelings are rarely overpowering, and many are shrugged off as nothing more than a cold chill.
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After gaining some understanding of her newfound gift, the psychic is able to directly identify anybody who registers with an abnormal presence. The exact nature of this presence, or any other such personal facts remain a mystery. Some psychics using this skill have been known to employ their services to others. Acting as mental compasses.
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Once the psychic has become more aware of how her gifted perception views the outside world, she is able to shift this sight in different ways. Now able to focus her senses on a single target, she can mentally glean basic information of the individual. Perhaps a name, a telephone number, (or in rare occurrences) a glimpse into their true nature. Once this skill has been used on an individual once, any subsequent uses on the same person will reveal the same information.
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After the hidden senses have strengthened significantly, the psychic is capable of sensing discernable, intangible patterns flowing off of a target's speech. These patterns always manifest themselves into conscious feelings of betrayal or trust. Effectively allowing a psychic to determine lies from truth. But, the accuracy is not guaranteed. Basing one's assumptions on mere feelings can occasionally lead to a wrong conclusion.
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Upon reaching total control of their Extrasensory perception, a psychic is able to visually see a creature's aura by focusing on a single target. The various patterns of colour and effects that flow off of a being can be quite strange and confusing, but a psychic with this rank is able to interpret most of the rudimentary signs and portents found therein. This skill takes quite a bit of mental focus and the vision is usually interrupted by most deliberate attempts to do so.</li>
Psychic Hypnosis
Many hypnotists promise results. Some even produce them. Psychics with hypnotic powers dwarf the abilities of the best carnival hucksters. Though their abilities lack the speed of a vampire’s mental commands or the effects of the Mind Sphere, hypnotic psychics achieve many of the same results, with enough time and effort.
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Trance State: The hypnotist can place a willing subject into a hypnotic trance. While in the trance, the subject’s memories become clearer. He may also exhibit greater control of his physiology. Though the hypnotist cannot command the subject, the person in the trance automatically becomes relaxed and restful. The psychic may, if she chooses, hypnotise herself. The subject will come out of the trance if shaken or disturbed.
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Sideshow Suggestion: After placing the subject in a deep trance, the hypnotist may command the subject to perform actions while in the trance state. In the trance state, the subject will perform any action he would not be opposed to doing. Additionally, the entranced subject has far greater control of his autonomic responses. A hypnotised person could walk on hot coals, require less oxygen to breathe or even ignore wounds. The hypnotist could also cause the subject to forget previous actions that happened in the trance state. The subject will not come out of the trance until the hypnotist commands.
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Delayed Action: The subject of the hypnotist’s powers now performs actions commanded once the trance has been broken. The psychic implants any command or improved memory recall from the lower levels of hypnosis, but this time, it is programmed to happen at a certain time. The commands are implanted as with Sideshow Suggestion.
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Fast Trance: At this stage, the hypnotist has become so adept at inducing trances, that he, by a powerful act of will, may do so with a glance. While the target is in a trance, the hypnotist can then use any of the other lesser hypnotic powers on the subject.
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Manchurian Candidate: With this ability, the psychic can perform major amounts of brainwashing on the target. With this level of deep programming, the subject will do anything the hypnotist commands, even to the point of death. The target must be placed in a trance, which takes 10 minutes (and may not be done with a Fast Trance). After that, the hypnotist spends an hour per command implanted programming the subject.</li>
Mind Shields
Some psychics’ possess shields that protect their minds from mental attacks, be they psychic assaults, vampiric Domination, magic spells or other ensorcelment. The discipline of the psychic’s mind, the confusion of his thoughts or just some innate talent makes him resistant to outside influence.
This resistance only affects assaults on the psychic’s mind. It would not, for instance, keep a telekinetic from lifting her or a pyrokinetic from burning her. The psychic can lower these defences, though opening them to a friendly psychic leaves her just as open to a simultaneous mental attack. At Level Three and above, the psychic may differentiate between “friendly” and “hostile” contacts and use the shields against some while allowing others to penetrate.
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Can resist rookie hypnotists, fledgling vampires and so forth
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Can resist experienced hypnotists, young vampires and so forth
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Can resist expert hypnotists, neonate vampires and so forth
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Can resist inexperienced mages, ancille vampires and so forth
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Can resist off any intrusion except those by Elder vampires and greater beings</li>
Precognition
One of the rarer psychic talents is that of precognition, and only the singular talent approaches the clarity of vision for accurate prediction. Seeing the future is difficult, as the probabilities shift with each action. The best psychics travel the most accurate probability tracks, but no seer (except for the fabled Cassandra) has been the future with 100 percent accuracy.
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Intuition: The psychic has yet to develop a clear view of future events. However, his perception of what is yet to come begins to take shape. Generally speaking, the power gives him a bit more luck than the average person, making him a good guesser. Predictions for random events (lotto numbers, roulette numbers) can be quite accurate. Additionally, guesses in other situations can be equally accurate. He could choose the shortest route to a place or know that one person is “right” for another.
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Insight: The psychic possesses the ability to induce precognitive dream-like visions. These visions are never literal interpretations of the future but metaphoric impressions of what is to come. An enemy might be revealed as black knight or an evil gunslinger. A new friend might appear as a guide dog. The form of the dream generally depends on the mindset of the psychic. A New Age crystal reader’s visions would differ from those of a Wall Street financier.
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Danger Sense: The psychic’s perception of the future give her a psychic early warning system. This manifests as raised hackles, tingling sensations, flashes of violence or some other system, but it’s usually consistent for a given psychic - one might have flashes while another has cramps, but they both always have the same sign.
This ability remains up all the time, though Anti-Psychic (or certain Time and Mind magics) can suppress or subvert the talent.
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Show Me The Cards: Though accurate predictions of the far future remain out of the character’s grasp, she does have an almost perfect view of the immediate future. If, by knowing the future, the precog changes her plans, then the future is changed, and thus, the character would have to try again to see what new plans would be made. For instance, in the middle of a firefight, the precog ducks behind cover, no longer making herself a target to a sniper. The sniper had announced his intent to shoot at the psychic, but since she is no longer a target, the sniper does not have to keep shooting at an impossible target - the future diverges to a different possibility due to the psychic’s interference.
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Clear Vision: Few precognitive progress this far in their ability to see the future. With Clear Vision, the psychic can accurately predict the most probably one. The future as seen is likely to happen but can be changed by the actions of the precog. The character can elect to see her own future, the future of the immediate surroundings or the future of a person or object touched.</li>
Psychic Healing
Psychic healers are a rare breed, even among the gifted. The ability to heal is both a blessing and a curse. These powers can become a problem for the psychic, though, as she becomes a target to people seeking her miraculous aid or becomes hunted by the medical establishment for practicing medicine without a license. Still, psychic healing does accomplish incredible feats; with contat, the psychic banishes pain and directs the body to speed its natural recovery or even to fight off infections or diseases with intelligent direction.
Many psychics with this talent have a great deal of medical skill, though rarely via formal training. Most also have a strong empathy with other humans and a tendency to feel the pain and differing of others.
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Diagnosis: Though unable to heal at this talent, psychics with this power possess the ability to instantly diagnose disease and injury in a person. This ability to sense what is wrong does not give him the ability to cure the problem, but it does allow psychics with medical training (formal or otherwise) to suggest the most efficient cures. A psychic healer without medical training finds it difficult to explain to doctors what the problem is; for instance, he might see AIDS as “the body does not want to fight the sickness anymore.”
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A Good Night’s Sleep: The psychic has the ability to accelerate the body’s natural healing processes with a touch. This takes approximately a minute, and the psychic generally lays hands on the subject, “aligning chakras” or simply massaging the injured area.
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Basic Healing: The psychic’s ability to knit wounds and cure disease has expanded. The healer can heal bashing damage and cure simple diseases or poisonings.
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Triage: At this level, the psychic can knit broken bones, close serious wounds and cure potent diseases. Such recovery is noticeably swift and unusual, though in the case of a seriously injured patient, it might simply stabilise a critical wound and prevent death.
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Psychic Surgery: The psychic empathically reaches his hands into the body of a person, allowing him to remove cancers or infections from the body. The psychic can also cure life-threatening toxins. The healer can also use this talent to harm as well as heal. This power cannot be used in combat as it takes too long, but the psychic can reach into a healthy body and remove healthy tissue. The psychic simply places his hands against the subject’s flesh and concentrates; in some cases, blood may well out of the flesh or the psychic’s fingers may appear to dig into the body itself. At the end, the psychic is typically left with a handful of bloody tissue.</li>
Psychic Invisibility
Psychic Invisibility could be considered a form of mass hypnosis. The psychic broadcasts to everyone nearby the simple subconscious command “don’t notice me.” This effect does not apply to electronic or other recording media, though people in the area but observing through electronic means (like a TV cameraman looking through the viewfinder of the camera or someone wearing night-vision goggles) will not see the invisible psychic.
This is not true invisibility. If an invisible psychic stands in front of something people in the area will not be able to see what is behind the psychic. Those who expect to see something in a specific area but discover that they can’t might start to notice that something is wrong - or their minds may give up completely and change their attention to a different subject!
Animals, whose minds work on a different level than humans, are unaffected by the invisibility effect unless the character also has Animal Psychics. Being with heightened perceptions actively searching for the psychic may perceive the psychic with their talents, though.
Note that Mind Shields do protect against this very specific form of mental control
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Hide: The psychic’s “don’t notice me” broadcast keeps him from being seen so long as he remains completely still. If the psychic moves, speaks or does anything to give away his position, the effect is broken.
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Slow Movement: The psychic has enough control of his growing talent to attempt to move whilst maintaining the invisibility effect. He also cannot do things that would draw attention to him without losing the effects of the power. The psychic could walks across a room, but he couldn’t punch someone. The act of interacting with the rest of the world cancels the effect.
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Invisibility: At this level, the psychic’s ability to walk about unnoticed is such that he can walk around and behave normally. He can even perform actions that would normally draw attention to him. The only limitation to the power is that he cannot vanish from view while being observed. However, he could create some sort of distraction that would draw another’s eyes away momentarily, giving him that split second needed to vanish.
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Selective Invisibility: The psychic now has enough control of his talent to allow select others to see him while invisible. The character is invisible as in the previous level of the power. The psychic can selectively allow one person to perceive him whilst the rest of the world ignores his presence.
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Forget You Ever Saw Me: The psychic’s talent for going unnoticed is powerful enough to not only “vanish” while in plain sight, but those who did see him forget the psychic was there in the first place.</li>
Psychic Vampirism
Most psychic talents are tools. They can be used for the benefit of others or to harm, depending on the moral character of the psychic. Psychic vampirism is the exception to the rule. Whether the talent shapes the psychic or the psychic shapes the talent is the subject of many late-night discussion among the gifted, but psychic vampirism tends to bring out the worst in people. In addition to the debilitating effects it has on the target, it produces a euphoria in the psychic, a mental rush that nothing else compares to. The psychic literally drains away emotion from his victims, or in some cases actual living energies, converting them into energy for himself. The psychic vampire often becomes addicted to the sensation - feeling a rush from the draw and desiring the extra energy, vibrance and emotion granted.
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Rush: The psychic vampire feeds off strong emotion. The emotions can be positive (joy, happiness, love) or negative (fear, hatred, greed), though the vampire tends to find it easier to generate negative emotions. Whilst it provides no concrete benefit to the vampire, though it provides a rush of power. The psychic must be close to the target (within 10 yards) and able to sense her to feed. The target may feel unsettled by the process, as the effect tends to mute her emotions. However, it does not remove the motion itself and could not be used, for instance, to calm down an angry person. The vampire can use this ability to monitor the emotions of the subject, though he doesn’t have an accurate gauge of the subject’s emotions until he starts the drain.
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Sapping the Will: The drain effect sharpens here. The vampire’s leeching of life energy saps the will of the target while invigorating his own will. This talent can be used at a range of up to 10 yards.
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Energy Transference: The vampire’s ability to leech life energy now allows him to invigorate himself and to heal minor injuries with stolen life force. This requires the vampire to touch the subject for a moment. Each moment causes psychosomatic bruising on the target whilst allowing the vampire to heal bruising of his own.
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Life Leech: This dangerous talent allows the psychic to leech away vital life energies from the target, healing any damage the psychic may have taken and giving an emotional high without compare. The psychic must maintain physical contact with the target and inflicts cutting damage on the target to heal cutting or aggravated damage sustained by the psychic.
•••••
Emotional Vortex: the psychic’s ability to absorb energy has progressed to the point where he can affect multiple targets at once. The psychic must have used one of the lesser powers (or a form of Empathy or Telepathy) on the target once to make the link to the target’s emotional template. After that, the psychic can use the Level One or Level Two powers on the target at will.</li>
NOTE: Psychic vampires find actual vampires the blood-sucking creatures of the night) tasty treats. The strong emotions and hungers of the vampire provide a sharp, almost hallucinatory experience. The difficulty to use any Psychic Vampirism effect on an actual vampire is reduced, however, vampires are a dangerous form of prey, and only the most powerful (or foolish) psychic vampires hunt the blood-drinkers. Many vampires have their own supernatural awareness and won‘t hesitate to feed very literally on someone who assaults them psychically.
Psychokinesis
Psychokinesis (also called “telekinesis”) is a power and potent psychic ability. The ability to move things without touching them has endless possible uses. Though few psychokinetics possess the strength to do more than manipulate small objects, a skilled psychic can remotely exert terrific force or delicately perform various operations.
A psychokinetic must be able to see the object she wishes to manipulate and must use a modicum of concentration to manipulate an object. However, she can split her attention and lift multiple objects. The total weight lifted cannot exceed the psychic’s usual lifting capacity.
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The psychic’s mental strength can lift only a few pounds.
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The psychic’s mental strength is enough to lift anything up to fifty pounds.
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The psychic’s mental strength is enough to lift anything up to a hundred pounds
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The psychic’s mental strength is enough to levitate herself but may only move at walking speed.
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The psychic’s mental strength is enough to lift several times their own weight.</li>
Psychometry
Psychometry is the ability to pick up psychic residue left on objects, places or people. Things exposed to strong emotional signatures hold flashes of information that a psychometric can “read” by touch. Particularly strong or violent emotions, like murder, may even cause sympathetic reactions in the psychic - a feeling of rage, dread or other emotion imposed by the incredibly strong psychic resonance.
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The character gets vague, dream-like impressions of recent activities involving the object or more distant activities involving the object or more distant activities that involved strong emotions. In many cases, the reading gives just the feelings involved with the incident, instead of actual imagery. When imagery does appear, it is figurative and dream-like.
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In addition to the previous information gathered, the psychic gets an accurate mental image of the person most closely associated with the object.
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The psychic receives impressions of the strongest emotional incident involving that object. She receives dream-like images of the incident, including the number of people involved and a description of the area. If concentrating on the object’s power, she can determine the person’s approximate age, emotional state, hints of personality and exactly what the individual felt at the time.
••••
The psychic can clearly visualise the event in question, as well as gathering general impressions of what happened to the object’s owner during the day the incident occurred. As an alternative, the psychic can simply replay the past day of the object, even if there were no strong emotional events concerning the object of that day.
•••••
In addition to a clear picture of the event, the psychic receives clear emotional impressions of the other people at the event, and gains insight into what they were feeling. She receives clear images of the people present. She also can use the object as a psychic link to the owner, allowing her to gain a general impression of where the owner is currently.</li>
Psychoportation
Psychoportation is the ability to teleport oneself and one’s immediate possessions over short distances without physically crossing the intervening space. The psychic simply “disappears” from one place and “reappears” in another. Whether the psychic disassembles and reassembles, warps space, travels astrally or finds some other form of motion, nobody knows - but here one moment, gone the next, the psychic can often leap without a care for the laws of physics.
The teleported can carry himself and a small amount of personal possessions. No psychic has yet been able to jump with more than about 100 pounds of carried material - those trying to carry more tend to suffer some sort of psychic feedback.
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Short Hop: The teleporter can teleport 12 yards as long as they are able to see (with his own eyes or mystical senses) the destination.
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Simple Jump: The psychic’s range for teleportation increases to 20 yards.
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Long Jump: The teleporter can “jump” 40 yards, but can double this distance by concentrating for a moment.
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Very Long Jump: The teleporter’s range has increased to 80 yards but can double this distance by concentrating as described previously.
•••••
Blind Jump: Though the jumper’s distance does no increase at this level, he no longer needs to see the destination. He can teleport to a place he’s familiar with. To memorise a location, the teleporter must choose a stationary location to jump to… one cannot teleport onto a moving train, for example.</li>
Pyrokinesis
Pyrokinesis is, quite simply, the ability to start fires with one’s mind. The talent may well be an extension of psychokinesis - some ability to finely accelerate huge masses of molecules - or perhaps some sort of energy-transfer power. The pyrokinetic simply concentrates, and the temperature goes up… and up… and up… until the object melts or bursts into flames. Pyrokinetics are not immune to their own flames and burn as easily as anyone else.
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Matches: The psychic can produce tiny sparks of flame, generally only enough to light highly flammable items (paper, dry wood, gasoline, etc.). These sparks of flame tend to come from the psychic’s fingers, though some pyros create the sparks in different manners. The sparks light anything the psychic could physically reach, though the psychic does not have to actually touch the flammable material. The sparks are not hot enough to seriously burn people, though having a spark of flame appear can startle people.
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Ignite: By concentrating, the pyrokinetic causes flammable materials to burst into flame. The psychic can affect anything within a short range (less than 10 yards), though some material are easier to ignite than others.
•••
Fireworks: The pyrokinetic’s control of flames has expanded. Now he can create small bursts of flame out of thin air. Psychic researchers believe that these bursts are made up of super-excited air molecules. Tiny amounts of the air molecules become plasma, which will ignite just about anything that can burn, and create bonfire-sized fires.
••••
Pyrotechnics: At this level, the pyrokinetic can not only generate fire, but can control the path and shape of the fire.
•••••
Inferno: The pyrokinetic has immense and exacting control over all forms of flame. He can create large fires at a distance.</li>
Synergy
One of the rarest psychic abilities is the talent of psychic Synergy. Two or more psychics combine their abilities, giving the combined psychic gestalt more power than the psychics using their talents individually. The synergist can link together twice as many psychics in a mental met concert as they have skill in Synergy. The combined psychics must be touching each other to form the link.
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Psychic Sense: The psychic has the ability to sense other psychics. This sense triggers automatically when the psychic touches another psychic, or she can concentrate and use it to sense other psychics in her line of sight. The psychic also has a sense of the strength of the psychic and the nature of his powers. This does not detect mages with the Mind Sphere or other supernatural creatures who possess mental powers.
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Share Will: At this level, the psychic can form basic psychic links. By acting together, a group can use any psychic power of any participant.
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Group Effect: The psychic network has grown such that they can more effectively combine their wills.
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Share Powers: The psychic gestalt now allows the group mind to use multiple powers at once.
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Power Gestalt: Not only many the group use multiple powers at once, they can combine powers. Each member combines powers as before, but they can now combine two or more powers into a single, shared power. For example, a clairvoyant and a telepath could conjoin their powers, allowing them to view a person by clairvoyance and read the subject’s mind at the same time.</li>
Telepathy
In simplest form, Telepathy is the ability to read minds. The telepath must be able to sense the target to read the target’s mind. The power is rarely so simple as reading text from a book, though - rather, a telepath senses impressions and, with experience, learns to pick out subtexts, streams of consciousness, motives and eventually the sort of inner monologue or impulse that often drives a subject.
Some skilled telepaths can not only read minds, but can plant suggestions or speak with a “mental voice” in the mind of a target.
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At this level the telepath can feel basic emotions and sense the current mood of the target. The telepath may be able to send a simple impulse or rudimentary thought to the target. A target could be induced to twitch or make a simple or habitual gesture.
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The character can now read the surface thoughts of people, generally what they’re thinking about at that moment. The telepath can project a single word or simple idea to a person or cause the subject to make one short motion.
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The character can read recent memories or plans for the near future from people’s minds. At this level, the telepath can send full sentences, strong, complex emotions or even streams of memory; with enough success, a telepath might be able to implant a false memory. The subject might be forced to believe false input from his senses or caused to take one unusual action (like dropping a weapon or ducking for over instead of running away).
••••
The character can read deep thoughts and distant future plans. Similarly, the psychic can send several sentences of information, implant memories, cover up a memory or even temporarily seize control of the subject’s body for a while.
•••••
The character can discover the deepest secrets of people, even things unknown to the target or repressed by him. So long as the telepath can somehow sense the target, he can send his thoughts with complete clarity. With enough success, the telepath can seize control of the victim, completely dominating his senses or his physical actions, rewriting memories, altering personality and the like.</li>
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© Copyright White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
Psychic Phenomena
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Animal Psychic
While most psychic abilities affect other humans, some psychics use their talent on the “lower” animals. The actual method of communication may vary. Some psychics bark or growl at the animal. Others use dressage gestures, even if the animal has never even seen a trainer before. A few simply speak their native language (or even an imaginary one) and hear the animal speak it back to them. Animals may communicate with the psychic, though the information they relate should be limited by their intelligence and perceptions.
Animal psychics may use their power on any mammal, lizard or bird with no difficulty. In fact, highly intelligent animals (chimpanzees, dolhpins, gorillas) or well-trained animals (dogs, horses, circus or show animals) are more susceptible to Animal Psychics. Fish are harder to control and insect minds are too simple (or perhaps to different) for the psychic to affect.
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Communication: The psychic may “speak” with a single animal, allowing two-way communication with the beast. This communication does not give the psychic control over the animal, though misunderstandings may be explained away.
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Command: The psychic can command the animal to perform for him. The animal will not endanger itself for the psychic. However, it can do any trick the psychic can adequately describe. Under circumstances, an animal will attack for the psychic, though it would be under circumstances where the animal had some proclivity toward attacking in the fist place. A police down might bring someone to the ground, or a hungry tiger might go after a hunter.
•••
Mass Communication: This power works like the Communication power, though it now works on all animals within earshot. Additionally, the psychic may communicate with multiple types of animals simultaneously.
••••
Mind Link: With this power, the psychic joins his mind with that of a single animal. Once the link is established, the psychic’s mind and the animal’s mind are linked until the psychic drops the connection. While linked, the psychic can perceive whatever the animal perceives. She can also communicate with the animal, using any of the lesser Animal Psychic powers. The drawback to this is that if the animal is injured, the mental feedback injures the psychic.
•••••
Domination: This ability gives the psychic total control of an animal’s mind. It will do whatever the psychic wishes, even at the cost of its own life. The animal will explicitly follow one command. The command may be conditional (“if somebody attacks me, then kill them”) but can not be conjunctional (“follow the scent of this shirt and attack them”)</li>
Anti-Psychic
Anti-psychic is the rarest psychic talent yet observed. The psychics’ very presence makes even reliable psychic talents weaken of fail. Sensitives, before their powers fail them, describe the anti-psychic as generating a “static” in the mental plane. An anti-psychic cannot have additional psychic powers. Due to the subtle nature of their powers, most anti-psychics remain unaware of their talent until approached or even attacked by other psychics. Anti-Psychic is useful against all psychic abilities, as well as the Mind Sphere (though it provides only a small level of defence against the latter, regardless of the anti-psychic’s power).
The stronger the anti-psychic, the larger the radius affected. Anti-Psychic isn’t “activated” in the fashion of other powers; rather, it always clouds those around the anti-psychic.
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5-yard radius
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10-yard radius
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15-yard radius
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20-yard radius
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25-yard radius</li>
Astral Projection
The power of Astral Projection allows the psychic to split his spirit off from his body. The discarnate spirit can travel very quickly in this form. The spirit intangibly travels across planes of thought while still able to look in on the physical world. While in astral form, the psychic cannot physically affect the real world, though he may use other psychic abilities. However, while away from his body, he cannot perceive what is happening to it. Many out-of-body travelers have nightmares about someone moving or harming their physical self while their spirit is roaming free.
Two astrally projecting characters may affect each other, and some astrally projecting psychics could once perceive ghosts and certain spirits, but most such spirits appear as blurry forms, barely in the realm of perception. In general, an astral spirit can see the material world or other abstract spirits in the realm of thought; ghosts of the dead and the like usually remain imperceptible except to those psychics who also have some mediumship abilities.
Psychics who frequent the astral plane whipser that other entities sometimes intrude there, human or otherwise, and on some occasions find their souls drawn to strange spirit worlds far removed from the mortal plane. A few never find their way back. Caution is the rule when exploring planes unknown to humans.
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With only rudimentary awareness of astral existence, the psychic can shift her senses to feel the astral realm but cannot quite enter it. The psychic sees the astral realm overlaid upon the normal physical world. Some psychics prefer to close their eyes and visualise the astral plane, while others have no difficulty watching both. A psychic may view the astral realm for so long as she maintains her concentration upon it.
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The character can leave her body for a few minutes and, whilst in astral form, she can only perceive by sight and is also limited to travelling approximately one mile away from her body.
•••
The character can leave her body for under an hour. She gains the ability to hear in astral form and can travel up to 100 miles from her body.
••••
The psychic can now leave her body for a few hours and travel up to 1,000 miles away. The psychic gains the ability to manifest visually to observers as a translucent, ghostly apparition, though the projector cannot communicate verbally with observers.
•••••
The psychic may astrally travel anywhere in the world, so long as her body remains healthy, and she may use all of her senses normally. The psychic’s form (should she choose to manifest) appears as a blurry and translucent version of her usual physical appearance, somewhat idealised. While manifest, the project can speak, though only in a soft whisper. Like her visual appearance, her speech does not appear on recordings.</li>
Bio-Control
Most psychics turn their paranormal abilities outward, sensing things beyond normal perceptions or controlling them with their wills. Other psychics turn their powers inward. Psychics with Bio-Control regulate their autonomic nervous system with ease that others tie their shoes. Proper use of Bio-Control allows a psychic to shut down pain, regulate his internal organs or even direct the flow of blood and glandular secretions at will. While some otherwise normal people learn basic techniques of biofeedback, the truly talented psychic can perform marvels beyond all but the most dedicated meditative disciple.
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Self Control: The psychic has power over his body to a basic degree. By entering a self-induced hypnotic state, he controls basic functions. He can stop a small cut from bleeding, ignore small amounts of pain or hold his breath longer than he would be able to under normal circumstances. While in this self-imposed trance, the psychic can do nothing else but focus on his body. He remains peripherally aware of their surroundings but can bring himself out of the trance at will.
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Self-Healing: By maintaining his internal focus over a long period of time, the psychic accelerates the healing process. Psychics with self-healing recover at a vastly accelerated rate, as their bodily controls allow them to more efficiently reknit flesh and fight off infections. The character must still spend his time resting comfortably (preferably under some sort of medical care) for the power to work.
•••
Hysterical Strength: The psychic gains control of his adrenal glands, allowing brief periods of hysterical strength and speed. As the psychic “comes down” from the hysterical episode, his body responds to the excessive stress and pain. (Some psychics see this more as a form of channelled energy than as a scientific methodology and might well have Hysterical Strength without any glandular response. The results are the same.)
••••
Ignore Pain Response: The psychic has the ability to shut off his pain centres for a brief period of time. This does not heal any damage, though it does let him function under the effects of debilitating agony.
•••••
Mind Over Matter: The character’s control of his body is complete. At will, he can stop his own heart, suspend the need for oxygen, regulate digestive functions, control the immune system and accelerate or suppress cell growth, regeneration or processing. In effect, the psychic can direct her body consciously to perform feats of biology almost as if her cells responded individually to her mind. The psychic can nullify most toxins, though sufficiently large doses (like a quart of mercury) would overwhelm his system. He can fight off just about any mundane disease, allergen or irritant and can even try to counteract severe diseases like HIV or cancer. With pain control (previous), he can flex and contort his body into unnatural positions and slip out of bonds or into tight spaces. He can hold his breath for minutes at a time while remaining active and, if necessary, can actively redirect toxins to other parts of the body - so he might be able to keep his mind and hands working by shunting the effects of poison gas all into his legs.</li>
Channeling
Some psychics have the ability to draw upon the knowledge of those who have passed on. Channelers tap the knowledge and experience of the dead, briefly obtaining skills that they personally lack. Some psychics have a repertoire of spirits they can call on for help and assistance. Others claim that they tap the collective unconscious. While the source of knowledge varies, the effects remain the same.
Note that only one personality may be channelled at a time. Thus, a channeler cannot “stack” additional dots by channelling multiple personalities at a time.
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The character can channel once per day. She has a vague sense of other personalities floating about and of the existence of some sort of consciousness beyond the body, but that’s about it.
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The character can channel two times per day. She also can, depending on the Gauntlet, see briefly into the Shadowlands where ghosts live. She can communicate with ghosts for a few minutes.
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The character can channel three times per day. She can also see into the Shadowlands, depending on the Gauntlet.
••••
At this level and beyond there’s no limit to how often the character can channel, though the difficulty increases each time after the third until the character sleeps. She also can let ghosts skilled in the arts of possession (called “Puppetry” by wraiths) easily enter her body to use all of her skills. The medium retains full awareness of the wraith’s actions. She can also eject a possessing wraith after a struggle of wills.
•••••
The psychic can channel two disparate personalities at once. As before, there’s no effective limit to how often the character can channel at the point, though successive attempts become more difficult until the psychic has a full sleep cycle. When possessed by a ghost, the channeler often gains some memories from the ghost, beyond what the possessor might do or tell - while a weaker channel might hope that the ghost says or does something significant, the master channeler can access some of the ghost’s own memories and passions.</li>
Clairvoyance
A clairvoyant has the ability to cast his senses away, allowing him to perceive people, places or things at great distances. Though technically Clairvoyance refers specifically to remote sight, some psychics can also cast forth their hearing or other senses as well. Unlike astral projection, the clairsentient does not separate his consciousness from his body; he remains aware of what’s going on around him (though this can be very confusing if the psychic tries to concentrate upon two locations at once). Similarly, the clairvoyant does not travel through the intervening space - he simply perceives whatever happens at the target site as if he stood here.
The degree of familiarity the psychic has with the target may make Clairvoyance easier or more difficult. Once the clairvoyant “locks on” to a target, he can then “pan” his view around, allowing him to see just about anything in the immediate area. The limits of their perceptions are the immediate area in question. If the character wishes to see beyond that area, he must refocus.
For example, a character looking into a room in another house could see anything in that room. However, to switch perceptions into the hall outside would require a second attempt. The clairvoyant cannot perceive anything he could not perceive with his normal senses. Thus, if the target area is completely darkened, remote site does no good.
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The character can see things, though the images are hazy dreamlike. The character can extend his sense into just the immediate area, approximately a mile from his body.
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The character can see clearly through remote sight and can faintly hear. The range of perception is now anywhere in the immediate five to 10 miles.
•••
The character can see and hear clearly at a distance. He can also “touch” things at the remote site, though his sense of touch is vague, as if he were wearing heavy gloves. (He cannot move things, naturally.) The character’s range expands to a maximum of 50 miles.
••••
The character can clearly see, hear and touch at range. Additionally, he can detect strong odours. The range is a maximum of 500 miles.
•••••
The character can use all fives senses clearly and can perceive things up to 5,000 miles away.</li>
Cyberkinesis
A relatively new talent, Cyberkinesis is the ability to control electronic machinery with one’s mind. Paranormal researchers believe that Cyberkinesis is a specialised application of telekinesis. The cyber kinetic generates small-scale electromagnetic fields that alter the operating systems of computers and other electronic equipment (stereo systems, burglar arlarms, etc.). However, while the psychic can control the machine, he cannot “read its mind.” That is a separate power: Cyberpathy. For all powers above Level One, he must be able to see what he is doing, generally through a monitor or display readout. In effect, a cyber kinetic can send information to a machine but must read it back normally (or with Cyberpathy)
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Switch: The cyber kinetic possesses the ability to switch computers or easily operated electronic equipment off and on.
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Link: The psychic may operate the electronic equipment without touching it, as if by remote control. This does not give him any override codes or passwords. He could enter a password without typing it at the keyboard, but he could not login to the machine without a valid password.
•••
Scramble: The character possesses the ability to send microscale power surges through computers, giving them the equivalent of an epileptic seizure. Computers lock up. Video equipment displays snow, and recording equipment picks up nothing but static. The scrambling effects last as long as the cyber kinetic concentrates upon it. When the effect lapses, the machines return to normal operation, though some less robust operating systems will crash.
••••
Password: The cyber kinetic overrides the operating system of computers, essentially giving himself any password or code he desires. He can force the computer to do anything the normal operating system is capable of performing. He could, for instance, create administrator access for himself, erase data or forge email from anyone with an account on the system.
•••••
Run Hot: The psychic has such control of electronics that he can effectively “reprogram” the computer to exceed its normal abilities. A computer calculates faster, a robot arm lifts more, a laser burns hotter, etc. However, this is not without incurring damage to the machine itself.</li>
Cyberpathy
While a cyber kinetic possesses the ability to control electronic equipment, the cyber path can read the data stored on the computer. Researchers believe that the method for reading magnetic patterns in a computer’s memory or on a hard drive resembles the way telepaths read the electrical impulses of the human brain.
All uses of Cyberpathy require the psychic to be within sight of the computer. Characters using Remote Access do not have to be able to see the remote computers they are linking to, but they must be able to see the machine they’re using as an entry point. This ability can also be used to read the data stored on diskettes, tapes or other digital media. Generally speaking, these powers take 10 to 15 minutes to use, though an experienced cyber path could be able to use them in a reduced amount of time.
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Analyse Structure: At this level, the cyber path possesses the ability to examine the directory structure of the computer. He can see what files are stored on the hard drive but cannot access them. This can be useful to cyber path hackers looking for a specific piece of data.
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Read-Only Mode: The cyber path not only can travel the directory structure but can read the files. Simple text and graphics files are easy to comprehend. Additionally, he can grasp the functions of executable programs. Unscrambling encrypted files remains beyond him at this level.
•••
Download: The psychic can “copy” a file from a computer to his mind, writing the data in unused sections of his brain. While he can read text files, observe graphics or sound files and understand the nature of an executable program, he cannot “run” the program in his brain. With the Level Two Cyberkinesis power Link, the cyber path can upload the data back onto another computer.
••••
Remote Access: With this power, the cyberpath connects to any computer that his local computer connects to. The cyberpath has no additional powers beyond the ability to treat a remote computer as if it were sitting on his desktop.
•••••
Decrypt: The cyberpath’s understanding of computers progresses to the point where he can decypt encypted data. The data can be on a computer (either locally or one connected to via Remote Acces) or Download into the psychic’s mind.</li>
Ectoplasmic Generation
Among the more freakish psychic phenomena, Ectoplasmic Generation coalesces the stuff of spirits - plasm - into a tangible form. Through force of will and personality, the psychic tugs on ghostly energies and makes them solid. Most often, this manifest as a mucusy gel, though skilled psychics can disperse it or concentrate it to make oddly glistening webs, sticky vapours and the like. Such creations are rather disturbing and correspond to no known physical chemistry; indeed, ectoplasm tends to “dissolve” into nothingness of the Underworld after a short time and defies scientific analysis.
For wraiths, all ectoplasmic creations are solid. They cannot pass threw ectoplasmic mists. Psychics who attack wraiths with ectoplasmic entities do full damage to the ghosts, although they would need some way of perceiving the dead in their “Shadowlands.”
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The Big Sneeze: The psychic can summon up some strands of snotty material. The ectoplasm created by this power wells out of the psychic’s orifices or follows in the wake of her touch, leaving slimy, glistening trails. This goo is disturbing and nasty but has no deleterious effects. The psychic can also vaguely summon ectoplasmic fog.
The thick white mist boils out of the psychic’s eyes, nose and mouth. This cloud generated is vaguely spherical and has a diameter of about five feet. The cloud hangs in midair in front of the psychic and does not move. The cloud slowly dissolves, leaving oily, viscous goo behind.
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The Mists: The psychic’s control of the ectoplasmic cloud coalesces and the cloud begins to obey the commands of the summoner. The cloud no longer disperses in wind and lasts as long as the summoner concentrates on it. If kept in a sphere, the fog would have a radius of five feet. However, the psychic has rudimentary control over the shape of the fog, though it is merely basic control. No complex shapes can be formed, yet. The cloud initially appears in front of the psychic, though the cloud can move, if the summoner desires. Once the psychic’s concentration lapses, the cloud dissolves.
•••
“A Fog So Thick…”: By investing a greater portion of her will in the ectoplasmic cloud, it becomes solid to the touch. The cloud itself feels like cotton candy. Attacking the fog with normal weapons rarely does any good. Bullets, blades and fists may shift the solid ectoplasm, but cannot break it down. The fog appears in front of the summoner and does not move. The psychic shapes the ectoplasmic wall at the time of creation and remains solid so long as the psychic concentrates upon it.
••••
Dream Shaper: The psychic’s greater control of her ectoplasm allows her to mould it into complex shapes. The ectoplasmic creation may look like anything the psychic wishes, though the ectoplasm remains a dull white colour. The dense ectoplasm soaks damage from bullet and cutting weapons with ease, but is vunerable to impacts and fire (or other environmental effects). The creation is a puppet, controlled by the will of the psychic. It cannot travel outside of the psychic’s perceptions or perceive anything the psychic does not perceive. If the psychic’s concentration lapses, the creation vanishes in a puff of smoke.
•••••
Tulpa: By a powerful investment of mental energy, the psychic creates an ectoplasmic extension of his will. Unlike Dream Shape, the Tulpa possess rudimentary intelligence.</li>
Extrasensory Perception
Creator: CJ
The ability to sense things that would normally pass most people by, Extrasensory perception is a tool that can be quite useful, but also quite confusing. Most signs and indications that a user of ESP is able to sense are vague, distant, or cryptic. But, with the proper training and careful use of this phenomena, a psychic can learn things that she wouldn't of known before.
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At the most basic levels, Extrasensory Perception functions purely on instinct. Whenever a psychic enters a relatively close presence (i.e. in the same room) of a supernatural being, she gets a feeling of unease. Unable to focus on the source of this eeriness, the psychic often has unexplainable emotions such as sudden anxiety, fear, or wonderment (often depending on the nature of the supernatural present). These feelings are rarely overpowering, and many are shrugged off as nothing more than a cold chill.
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After gaining some understanding of her newfound gift, the psychic is able to directly identify anybody who registers with an abnormal presence. The exact nature of this presence, or any other such personal facts remain a mystery. Some psychics using this skill have been known to employ their services to others. Acting as mental compasses.
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Once the psychic has become more aware of how her gifted perception views the outside world, she is able to shift this sight in different ways. Now able to focus her senses on a single target, she can mentally glean basic information of the individual. Perhaps a name, a telephone number, (or in rare occurrences) a glimpse into their true nature. Once this skill has been used on an individual once, any subsequent uses on the same person will reveal the same information.
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After the hidden senses have strengthened significantly, the psychic is capable of sensing discernable, intangible patterns flowing off of a target's speech. These patterns always manifest themselves into conscious feelings of betrayal or trust. Effectively allowing a psychic to determine lies from truth. But, the accuracy is not guaranteed. Basing one's assumptions on mere feelings can occasionally lead to a wrong conclusion.
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Upon reaching total control of their Extrasensory perception, a psychic is able to visually see a creature's aura by focusing on a single target. The various patterns of colour and effects that flow off of a being can be quite strange and confusing, but a psychic with this rank is able to interpret most of the rudimentary signs and portents found therein. This skill takes quite a bit of mental focus and the vision is usually interrupted by most deliberate attempts to do so.</li>
Psychic Hypnosis
Many hypnotists promise results. Some even produce them. Psychics with hypnotic powers dwarf the abilities of the best carnival hucksters. Though their abilities lack the speed of a vampire’s mental commands or the effects of the Mind Sphere, hypnotic psychics achieve many of the same results, with enough time and effort.
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Trance State: The hypnotist can place a willing subject into a hypnotic trance. While in the trance, the subject’s memories become clearer. He may also exhibit greater control of his physiology. Though the hypnotist cannot command the subject, the person in the trance automatically becomes relaxed and restful. The psychic may, if she chooses, hypnotise herself. The subject will come out of the trance if shaken or disturbed.
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Sideshow Suggestion: After placing the subject in a deep trance, the hypnotist may command the subject to perform actions while in the trance state. In the trance state, the subject will perform any action he would not be opposed to doing. Additionally, the entranced subject has far greater control of his autonomic responses. A hypnotised person could walk on hot coals, require less oxygen to breathe or even ignore wounds. The hypnotist could also cause the subject to forget previous actions that happened in the trance state. The subject will not come out of the trance until the hypnotist commands.
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Delayed Action: The subject of the hypnotist’s powers now performs actions commanded once the trance has been broken. The psychic implants any command or improved memory recall from the lower levels of hypnosis, but this time, it is programmed to happen at a certain time. The commands are implanted as with Sideshow Suggestion.
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Fast Trance: At this stage, the hypnotist has become so adept at inducing trances, that he, by a powerful act of will, may do so with a glance. While the target is in a trance, the hypnotist can then use any of the other lesser hypnotic powers on the subject.
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Manchurian Candidate: With this ability, the psychic can perform major amounts of brainwashing on the target. With this level of deep programming, the subject will do anything the hypnotist commands, even to the point of death. The target must be placed in a trance, which takes 10 minutes (and may not be done with a Fast Trance). After that, the hypnotist spends an hour per command implanted programming the subject.</li>
Mind Shields
Some psychics’ possess shields that protect their minds from mental attacks, be they psychic assaults, vampiric Domination, magic spells or other ensorcelment. The discipline of the psychic’s mind, the confusion of his thoughts or just some innate talent makes him resistant to outside influence.
This resistance only affects assaults on the psychic’s mind. It would not, for instance, keep a telekinetic from lifting her or a pyrokinetic from burning her. The psychic can lower these defences, though opening them to a friendly psychic leaves her just as open to a simultaneous mental attack. At Level Three and above, the psychic may differentiate between “friendly” and “hostile” contacts and use the shields against some while allowing others to penetrate.
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Can resist rookie hypnotists, fledgling vampires and so forth
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Can resist experienced hypnotists, young vampires and so forth
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Can resist expert hypnotists, neonate vampires and so forth
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Can resist inexperienced mages, ancille vampires and so forth
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Can resist off any intrusion except those by Elder vampires and greater beings</li>
Precognition
One of the rarer psychic talents is that of precognition, and only the singular talent approaches the clarity of vision for accurate prediction. Seeing the future is difficult, as the probabilities shift with each action. The best psychics travel the most accurate probability tracks, but no seer (except for the fabled Cassandra) has been the future with 100 percent accuracy.
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Intuition: The psychic has yet to develop a clear view of future events. However, his perception of what is yet to come begins to take shape. Generally speaking, the power gives him a bit more luck than the average person, making him a good guesser. Predictions for random events (lotto numbers, roulette numbers) can be quite accurate. Additionally, guesses in other situations can be equally accurate. He could choose the shortest route to a place or know that one person is “right” for another.
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Insight: The psychic possesses the ability to induce precognitive dream-like visions. These visions are never literal interpretations of the future but metaphoric impressions of what is to come. An enemy might be revealed as black knight or an evil gunslinger. A new friend might appear as a guide dog. The form of the dream generally depends on the mindset of the psychic. A New Age crystal reader’s visions would differ from those of a Wall Street financier.
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Danger Sense: The psychic’s perception of the future give her a psychic early warning system. This manifests as raised hackles, tingling sensations, flashes of violence or some other system, but it’s usually consistent for a given psychic - one might have flashes while another has cramps, but they both always have the same sign.
This ability remains up all the time, though Anti-Psychic (or certain Time and Mind magics) can suppress or subvert the talent.
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Show Me The Cards: Though accurate predictions of the far future remain out of the character’s grasp, she does have an almost perfect view of the immediate future. If, by knowing the future, the precog changes her plans, then the future is changed, and thus, the character would have to try again to see what new plans would be made. For instance, in the middle of a firefight, the precog ducks behind cover, no longer making herself a target to a sniper. The sniper had announced his intent to shoot at the psychic, but since she is no longer a target, the sniper does not have to keep shooting at an impossible target - the future diverges to a different possibility due to the psychic’s interference.
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Clear Vision: Few precognitive progress this far in their ability to see the future. With Clear Vision, the psychic can accurately predict the most probably one. The future as seen is likely to happen but can be changed by the actions of the precog. The character can elect to see her own future, the future of the immediate surroundings or the future of a person or object touched.</li>
Psychic Healing
Psychic healers are a rare breed, even among the gifted. The ability to heal is both a blessing and a curse. These powers can become a problem for the psychic, though, as she becomes a target to people seeking her miraculous aid or becomes hunted by the medical establishment for practicing medicine without a license. Still, psychic healing does accomplish incredible feats; with contat, the psychic banishes pain and directs the body to speed its natural recovery or even to fight off infections or diseases with intelligent direction.
Many psychics with this talent have a great deal of medical skill, though rarely via formal training. Most also have a strong empathy with other humans and a tendency to feel the pain and differing of others.
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Diagnosis: Though unable to heal at this talent, psychics with this power possess the ability to instantly diagnose disease and injury in a person. This ability to sense what is wrong does not give him the ability to cure the problem, but it does allow psychics with medical training (formal or otherwise) to suggest the most efficient cures. A psychic healer without medical training finds it difficult to explain to doctors what the problem is; for instance, he might see AIDS as “the body does not want to fight the sickness anymore.”
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A Good Night’s Sleep: The psychic has the ability to accelerate the body’s natural healing processes with a touch. This takes approximately a minute, and the psychic generally lays hands on the subject, “aligning chakras” or simply massaging the injured area.
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Basic Healing: The psychic’s ability to knit wounds and cure disease has expanded. The healer can heal bashing damage and cure simple diseases or poisonings.
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Triage: At this level, the psychic can knit broken bones, close serious wounds and cure potent diseases. Such recovery is noticeably swift and unusual, though in the case of a seriously injured patient, it might simply stabilise a critical wound and prevent death.
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Psychic Surgery: The psychic empathically reaches his hands into the body of a person, allowing him to remove cancers or infections from the body. The psychic can also cure life-threatening toxins. The healer can also use this talent to harm as well as heal. This power cannot be used in combat as it takes too long, but the psychic can reach into a healthy body and remove healthy tissue. The psychic simply places his hands against the subject’s flesh and concentrates; in some cases, blood may well out of the flesh or the psychic’s fingers may appear to dig into the body itself. At the end, the psychic is typically left with a handful of bloody tissue.</li>
Psychic Invisibility
Psychic Invisibility could be considered a form of mass hypnosis. The psychic broadcasts to everyone nearby the simple subconscious command “don’t notice me.” This effect does not apply to electronic or other recording media, though people in the area but observing through electronic means (like a TV cameraman looking through the viewfinder of the camera or someone wearing night-vision goggles) will not see the invisible psychic.
This is not true invisibility. If an invisible psychic stands in front of something people in the area will not be able to see what is behind the psychic. Those who expect to see something in a specific area but discover that they can’t might start to notice that something is wrong - or their minds may give up completely and change their attention to a different subject!
Animals, whose minds work on a different level than humans, are unaffected by the invisibility effect unless the character also has Animal Psychics. Being with heightened perceptions actively searching for the psychic may perceive the psychic with their talents, though.
Note that Mind Shields do protect against this very specific form of mental control
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Hide: The psychic’s “don’t notice me” broadcast keeps him from being seen so long as he remains completely still. If the psychic moves, speaks or does anything to give away his position, the effect is broken.
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Slow Movement: The psychic has enough control of his growing talent to attempt to move whilst maintaining the invisibility effect. He also cannot do things that would draw attention to him without losing the effects of the power. The psychic could walks across a room, but he couldn’t punch someone. The act of interacting with the rest of the world cancels the effect.
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Invisibility: At this level, the psychic’s ability to walk about unnoticed is such that he can walk around and behave normally. He can even perform actions that would normally draw attention to him. The only limitation to the power is that he cannot vanish from view while being observed. However, he could create some sort of distraction that would draw another’s eyes away momentarily, giving him that split second needed to vanish.
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Selective Invisibility: The psychic now has enough control of his talent to allow select others to see him while invisible. The character is invisible as in the previous level of the power. The psychic can selectively allow one person to perceive him whilst the rest of the world ignores his presence.
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Forget You Ever Saw Me: The psychic’s talent for going unnoticed is powerful enough to not only “vanish” while in plain sight, but those who did see him forget the psychic was there in the first place.</li>
Psychic Vampirism
Most psychic talents are tools. They can be used for the benefit of others or to harm, depending on the moral character of the psychic. Psychic vampirism is the exception to the rule. Whether the talent shapes the psychic or the psychic shapes the talent is the subject of many late-night discussion among the gifted, but psychic vampirism tends to bring out the worst in people. In addition to the debilitating effects it has on the target, it produces a euphoria in the psychic, a mental rush that nothing else compares to. The psychic literally drains away emotion from his victims, or in some cases actual living energies, converting them into energy for himself. The psychic vampire often becomes addicted to the sensation - feeling a rush from the draw and desiring the extra energy, vibrance and emotion granted.
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Rush: The psychic vampire feeds off strong emotion. The emotions can be positive (joy, happiness, love) or negative (fear, hatred, greed), though the vampire tends to find it easier to generate negative emotions. Whilst it provides no concrete benefit to the vampire, though it provides a rush of power. The psychic must be close to the target (within 10 yards) and able to sense her to feed. The target may feel unsettled by the process, as the effect tends to mute her emotions. However, it does not remove the motion itself and could not be used, for instance, to calm down an angry person. The vampire can use this ability to monitor the emotions of the subject, though he doesn’t have an accurate gauge of the subject’s emotions until he starts the drain.
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Sapping the Will: The drain effect sharpens here. The vampire’s leeching of life energy saps the will of the target while invigorating his own will. This talent can be used at a range of up to 10 yards.
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Energy Transference: The vampire’s ability to leech life energy now allows him to invigorate himself and to heal minor injuries with stolen life force. This requires the vampire to touch the subject for a moment. Each moment causes psychosomatic bruising on the target whilst allowing the vampire to heal bruising of his own.
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Life Leech: This dangerous talent allows the psychic to leech away vital life energies from the target, healing any damage the psychic may have taken and giving an emotional high without compare. The psychic must maintain physical contact with the target and inflicts cutting damage on the target to heal cutting or aggravated damage sustained by the psychic.
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Emotional Vortex: the psychic’s ability to absorb energy has progressed to the point where he can affect multiple targets at once. The psychic must have used one of the lesser powers (or a form of Empathy or Telepathy) on the target once to make the link to the target’s emotional template. After that, the psychic can use the Level One or Level Two powers on the target at will.</li>
NOTE: Psychic vampires find actual vampires the blood-sucking creatures of the night) tasty treats. The strong emotions and hungers of the vampire provide a sharp, almost hallucinatory experience. The difficulty to use any Psychic Vampirism effect on an actual vampire is reduced, however, vampires are a dangerous form of prey, and only the most powerful (or foolish) psychic vampires hunt the blood-drinkers. Many vampires have their own supernatural awareness and won‘t hesitate to feed very literally on someone who assaults them psychically.
Psychokinesis
Psychokinesis (also called “telekinesis”) is a power and potent psychic ability. The ability to move things without touching them has endless possible uses. Though few psychokinetics possess the strength to do more than manipulate small objects, a skilled psychic can remotely exert terrific force or delicately perform various operations.
A psychokinetic must be able to see the object she wishes to manipulate and must use a modicum of concentration to manipulate an object. However, she can split her attention and lift multiple objects. The total weight lifted cannot exceed the psychic’s usual lifting capacity.
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The psychic’s mental strength can lift only a few pounds.
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The psychic’s mental strength is enough to lift anything up to fifty pounds.
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The psychic’s mental strength is enough to lift anything up to a hundred pounds
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The psychic’s mental strength is enough to levitate herself but may only move at walking speed.
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The psychic’s mental strength is enough to lift several times their own weight.</li>
Psychometry
Psychometry is the ability to pick up psychic residue left on objects, places or people. Things exposed to strong emotional signatures hold flashes of information that a psychometric can “read” by touch. Particularly strong or violent emotions, like murder, may even cause sympathetic reactions in the psychic - a feeling of rage, dread or other emotion imposed by the incredibly strong psychic resonance.
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The character gets vague, dream-like impressions of recent activities involving the object or more distant activities involving the object or more distant activities that involved strong emotions. In many cases, the reading gives just the feelings involved with the incident, instead of actual imagery. When imagery does appear, it is figurative and dream-like.
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In addition to the previous information gathered, the psychic gets an accurate mental image of the person most closely associated with the object.
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The psychic receives impressions of the strongest emotional incident involving that object. She receives dream-like images of the incident, including the number of people involved and a description of the area. If concentrating on the object’s power, she can determine the person’s approximate age, emotional state, hints of personality and exactly what the individual felt at the time.
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The psychic can clearly visualise the event in question, as well as gathering general impressions of what happened to the object’s owner during the day the incident occurred. As an alternative, the psychic can simply replay the past day of the object, even if there were no strong emotional events concerning the object of that day.
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In addition to a clear picture of the event, the psychic receives clear emotional impressions of the other people at the event, and gains insight into what they were feeling. She receives clear images of the people present. She also can use the object as a psychic link to the owner, allowing her to gain a general impression of where the owner is currently.</li>
Psychoportation
Psychoportation is the ability to teleport oneself and one’s immediate possessions over short distances without physically crossing the intervening space. The psychic simply “disappears” from one place and “reappears” in another. Whether the psychic disassembles and reassembles, warps space, travels astrally or finds some other form of motion, nobody knows - but here one moment, gone the next, the psychic can often leap without a care for the laws of physics.
The teleported can carry himself and a small amount of personal possessions. No psychic has yet been able to jump with more than about 100 pounds of carried material - those trying to carry more tend to suffer some sort of psychic feedback.
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Short Hop: The teleporter can teleport 12 yards as long as they are able to see (with his own eyes or mystical senses) the destination.
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Simple Jump: The psychic’s range for teleportation increases to 20 yards.
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Long Jump: The teleporter can “jump” 40 yards, but can double this distance by concentrating for a moment.
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Very Long Jump: The teleporter’s range has increased to 80 yards but can double this distance by concentrating as described previously.
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Blind Jump: Though the jumper’s distance does no increase at this level, he no longer needs to see the destination. He can teleport to a place he’s familiar with. To memorise a location, the teleporter must choose a stationary location to jump to… one cannot teleport onto a moving train, for example.</li>
Pyrokinesis
Pyrokinesis is, quite simply, the ability to start fires with one’s mind. The talent may well be an extension of psychokinesis - some ability to finely accelerate huge masses of molecules - or perhaps some sort of energy-transfer power. The pyrokinetic simply concentrates, and the temperature goes up… and up… and up… until the object melts or bursts into flames. Pyrokinetics are not immune to their own flames and burn as easily as anyone else.
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Matches: The psychic can produce tiny sparks of flame, generally only enough to light highly flammable items (paper, dry wood, gasoline, etc.). These sparks of flame tend to come from the psychic’s fingers, though some pyros create the sparks in different manners. The sparks light anything the psychic could physically reach, though the psychic does not have to actually touch the flammable material. The sparks are not hot enough to seriously burn people, though having a spark of flame appear can startle people.
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Ignite: By concentrating, the pyrokinetic causes flammable materials to burst into flame. The psychic can affect anything within a short range (less than 10 yards), though some material are easier to ignite than others.
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Fireworks: The pyrokinetic’s control of flames has expanded. Now he can create small bursts of flame out of thin air. Psychic researchers believe that these bursts are made up of super-excited air molecules. Tiny amounts of the air molecules become plasma, which will ignite just about anything that can burn, and create bonfire-sized fires.
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Pyrotechnics: At this level, the pyrokinetic can not only generate fire, but can control the path and shape of the fire.
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Inferno: The pyrokinetic has immense and exacting control over all forms of flame. He can create large fires at a distance.</li>
Synergy
One of the rarest psychic abilities is the talent of psychic Synergy. Two or more psychics combine their abilities, giving the combined psychic gestalt more power than the psychics using their talents individually. The synergist can link together twice as many psychics in a mental met concert as they have skill in Synergy. The combined psychics must be touching each other to form the link.
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Psychic Sense: The psychic has the ability to sense other psychics. This sense triggers automatically when the psychic touches another psychic, or she can concentrate and use it to sense other psychics in her line of sight. The psychic also has a sense of the strength of the psychic and the nature of his powers. This does not detect mages with the Mind Sphere or other supernatural creatures who possess mental powers.
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Share Will: At this level, the psychic can form basic psychic links. By acting together, a group can use any psychic power of any participant.
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Group Effect: The psychic network has grown such that they can more effectively combine their wills.
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Share Powers: The psychic gestalt now allows the group mind to use multiple powers at once.
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Power Gestalt: Not only many the group use multiple powers at once, they can combine powers. Each member combines powers as before, but they can now combine two or more powers into a single, shared power. For example, a clairvoyant and a telepath could conjoin their powers, allowing them to view a person by clairvoyance and read the subject’s mind at the same time.</li>
Telepathy
In simplest form, Telepathy is the ability to read minds. The telepath must be able to sense the target to read the target’s mind. The power is rarely so simple as reading text from a book, though - rather, a telepath senses impressions and, with experience, learns to pick out subtexts, streams of consciousness, motives and eventually the sort of inner monologue or impulse that often drives a subject.
Some skilled telepaths can not only read minds, but can plant suggestions or speak with a “mental voice” in the mind of a target.
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At this level the telepath can feel basic emotions and sense the current mood of the target. The telepath may be able to send a simple impulse or rudimentary thought to the target. A target could be induced to twitch or make a simple or habitual gesture.
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The character can now read the surface thoughts of people, generally what they’re thinking about at that moment. The telepath can project a single word or simple idea to a person or cause the subject to make one short motion.
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The character can read recent memories or plans for the near future from people’s minds. At this level, the telepath can send full sentences, strong, complex emotions or even streams of memory; with enough success, a telepath might be able to implant a false memory. The subject might be forced to believe false input from his senses or caused to take one unusual action (like dropping a weapon or ducking for over instead of running away).
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The character can read deep thoughts and distant future plans. Similarly, the psychic can send several sentences of information, implant memories, cover up a memory or even temporarily seize control of the subject’s body for a while.
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The character can discover the deepest secrets of people, even things unknown to the target or repressed by him. So long as the telepath can somehow sense the target, he can send his thoughts with complete clarity. With enough success, the telepath can seize control of the victim, completely dominating his senses or his physical actions, rewriting memories, altering personality and the like.</li>
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