1 June 2019

Simple Psionics

Psionic powers are normally gained as a mutation. Nearly all powers allow a Save to resist the effects. Powers that are not instantaneous last until your concentration breaks. Each psionic power takes up a Memory slot.

Mental psionics target living, thinking creatures - droids are immune and invisible to mental psionics, while replicants (synthetic humans) and cyborgs are highly resistant (and thus have advantage on their Save).

Every time you use a psionic power, roll an Intelligence check to retain the power. On a failed roll, the power manifests normally but you cannot use it again until you take a daily rest.
 

d30 Psionic Powers
  1. Biokinesis: Your mind can alter living flesh. Heal 1d6 hp with a touch.
  2. Brain Lock: As long as you stare into someone's eyes, they are paralysed.
  3. Charm: A creature regards you as a good friend for the rest of the day.
  4. Disruption: Tear at the molecular structure of the target, dealing 2d6 damage and disintegrating them into dust once they reach 0 hp.
  5. Dominate: Until you loose concentration, the target is forced to act according to your will.
  6. Electrokinesis: Control the flow of electricity, power up electronic devices, or deal 1d4 electric damage with a touch and force a Save vs stun.
  7. Empathic Projection: Alter emotions of creatures you see, though it must be within the limits of sanity (no berserk rages).
  8. Empathic Reading: Read emotions of creatures you see (and incidentally always know when they are lying).
  9. ESP: Sense nearby minds.
  10. Hypnosis: Force a nearby creature to sleep.
  11. Invisibility: With concentration, warp the perception of nearby foes until they cannot see nor hear you.
  12. Kindle: Object or creature you stare at must Save or catch aflame.
  13. Kinetic Blast: Fire a blast of telekinetic force, dealing 1d8 damage and forcing a Save vs knockback.
  14. Kinetic Shield: Reduce damage taken from a physical attack by 1d12.
  15. Levitation: With concentration, hover slowly above the ground.
  16. Memory Manipulation: Read memories, erase memories or plant false memories. This power takes a while to use.
  17. Mind Blast: The target is stunned on a successful Save and knocked unconscious on a failed Save.
  18. Mind Block: Automatically succeed on a Save vs mental psionic power and cause the manifester to fail her check to retain it.
  19. Precognition: Examine the future to tell if a straightforward choice will likely result in imminent physical injury or mental distress.
  20. Psychic Imitation: Once you have seen a psionic power, you can imitate it for the rest of the day or until you fail the check to retain it.
  21. Psychometry: Touch an object to see its past. The most important or interesting events of its history are shown first.
  22. Pyrokinesis: Control existing fires, move or extinguish them.
  23. Sense Location: Sense the location of objects and creatures related to a focus item.
  24. Sixth Sense: You cannot be surprised. Roll the check to retain the power every time it warns you about an ambush or trap.
  25. Suggestion: A creature will act as if one sentence you tell them was their own idea.
  26. Synchronicity: Alter probabilities in your favour. You may choose the result of a single die roll.
  27. Synesthesia: Create false sensations that creatures perceive as real.
  28. Technopathy: Interface with any cybernetic device through touch and read computer data directly.
  29. Telekinesis: Lift, move or hurl up to person-sized object. You don't have complex control.
  30. Telepathy: Read surface thoughts of creatures you see, and talk in thoughts with willing targets.


Psionic Treasures

Psicrystal
Slowly formed in brains of powerful psions and extracted after their death, it contains the psychic imprint of a psionic power. Anyone can use it to manifest its power, but once the roll to retain the power is failed, it blackens and falls apart.

Yes, it's a sci-fi scroll.

Psionic crown
Artifact of a bygone era, made of ridiculously complex tech and powered by raw quintessence. When you fail a check to retain a psionic power, you may choose to loose a different power instead.

You need at least two psionic powers to make any use of it.

Psychic stimulant
Psi-drugs, brain fuel, miracle sugar. Delivered as (d4): 1) an eyedrop, 2) a transparent pill, 3) a serum injector, 4) a sniffed powder. All of your powers are refreshed and for 1d6 minutes, you can use them without rolling to retain their use. Highly addictive.

Sensory deprivation tank
A soundproof coffin, its inner walls painted vantablack, filled with gel that numbs your body as you float in nothingness. The range and precision of your powers is vastly increased while locked inside.

Some powers are simple to enhance - telepathy lets you probe deeper into the mind, operate with greatly extended range, or access mass mind, the world-wide telepathic network. But even powers that would normally seem useless while locked in a tank should have some use, so don't be shy about inventing something that could be an extension of the base power.

Kinetic shield could be enhanced into a large inertia dampening field. Sixth sense might allow you to guess the location of all nearby points of interest. Biokinesis might let you regenerate lost limbs or reverse ageing through sheer power of will.

4 comments:

  1. Yes. Good. This is *exactly* what I am here for.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do you have any recommended 'things that might give you random psychic powers' ideas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ask and ye shall receive:

      https://attnam.blogspot.com/2019/06/what-to-do-if-you-have-no-psychic.html

      Delete