Psionic Abilities - Jags

V1.0 copyright © 2001 by Marco Chacon 

Psionic Abilities 

Psionics are the “scientific” term for 

mind reading, telekinesis, 

precognition, etc. Unlike stage 

magicians, you can really do these 

amazing feats. 

Three Major Disciplines 

There are three major disciplines in 

JAGS Psionics: Telepathy (mind 

reading, mind control, etc.), 

Telekinesis (mind over matter, 

moving objects with your will), and 

ESP (Extra Sensory Perception). The 

usual path is for a character to buy 

one or more of these disciplines and 

then purchase some “aspects” 

(which are bought separately and are 

‘tricks’ or non-standard abilities that 

your character can perform with his 

discipline. 

Ex1: Anyone who buys Telepath can communicate with other’s 

mentally. However, the Mind Control power “Puppet” (the ability 

to take over someone’s body) is a separate aspect, which costs 

16 points. Any character with Telepathy who also wants the 

Puppet ability must buy both. 

Minor Disciplines 

Outside of the three major disciplines, there are some considerably 

simpler powers like Astral Projection, Gimmick, Empathy, etc. These are 

purchased as separate abilities. 

Combining Abilities 

There is no prohibition on combining abilities or disciplines. In fact, in a 

psionic campaign, characters without at least Level 1 Telepathy may feel 

left out. The intent is for there to be different types of psionics and to 

have psionics well suited for different types of games. 

Character Types 

Although the range is great, the “classic” Psionic campaign involves a 

conspiracy of Psionic groups (quite possibly hunted by the government 

and each other). Some suggested point totals: 

• 50-75pt Normal characters, 24pt Psionics (low powered 

“beginning” psis) 

• 50-75pt Normal characters, 32pts Psionics (decently powered 

psionic characters) 

• 100pt characters (divide points up as you wish) 

• 125-150pt characters (this can make world-class psionics) 

The Ultimate Potential of the 

Mind: 

Psionics, as a genre tends to deal 

with government projects, medical 

accidents, and conspiracies. This 

is simply good fiction in one 

respect: it’s easy to set up 

enemies. However, it doesn’t 

have to be that way. 

In science fiction games, humans 

may be trained in the mental arts. 

In some games, Psionics may coexist 

with normal society … or 

even magic. 

Throughout these side-bars, we’ll 

explore some of the implications of 

psionics in campaigns and how 

the worlds might be effected. 

Remember that a government 

dealing with telepaths, 

precognitives, and clairvoyants will 

have more reason to be paranoid 

than normal. Similarly, large 

corporations that don’t integrate 

psionics into their security and 

planning sections may get left 

behind.


Mental Initiative 

Just because your psionic character has a low REA doesn’t mean he’s 

necessarily slower with his PSI blast than a gun-slinger. Mental Initiative 

rules allow psionic characters to get their combat attacks off quickly 

without having to have high REA’s. This is an optional rule and can 

make things more complicated—don’t play with it until you’re comfortable 

with the game. 

Declaration of Psionic Initiative 

Any time the GM calls for Initiative Rolls, a psionic character can 

declare their initiative to be ‘Mental.’ In this case instead of rolling 

against REA, roll against RES. This is your initiative score. 

These are the restrictions: 

• Only psionics can be used on a turn where Mental Initiative 

has been declared. The character stands still. 

• Under “straight” rules the character gets no AGI bonus and 

can’t physically dodge or block. This, however, may be 

crippling against physically dominant opponents. 

• The GM can allow a “Mixed” Initiative: you make one 

initiative roll. You may take physical actions when you 

normally would if you applied that roll to your REA. You may 

take Mental actions as though that roll was applied to your 

RES. Thus you may use mental attacks earlier than physical 

ones (assuming your RES is higher than your REA). 

• If this Mixed rule is in effect, you get your blocks, dodges, 

and movement, however: any physical REA point you spend 

deducts from both Initiative scores (so if 

you have a 15 RES and a 10 REA and 

take two 5 REA punches, you have 5 

Mental action points left and 0 physical). 

Extra Mental Initiative: It isn’t 

uncommon for characters to be a 

good deal faster mentally than 

they are physically. The GM may 

permit the following: 

+2 Mental “REA”: 4pts 



Guns vs. Telepaths 

A problem with the current system is that if, say, two 

telepaths are facing off, since they both have to 

spend a couple of turns breaking through each 

other’s Mind Shields, it’s easier and simpler for them 

to just shoot at each other. 

Against normal characters (those with no mind 

shields) it’s not so bad: a telepath can use his Psi 

Blast or Mind Control or whatever directly. But if the 

most efficient way for two Psi’s to fight is to gun each 

other down, that’s a problem. Here are some 

solutions: 

• No Mind Shields: this makes psionic combat 

fast and dangerous even for accomplished 

psis. 

• Freeze in combat: when a psi acquires Lock- 

On, both targets are frozen (this makes 

having seconds very effective but will 

encourage 1-on-1 combat). 

• Code of honor: maybe it’s hard to get guns or 

for some reason even on opposite sides of 

the conspiracy psionics don’t gun each other 

down.


• Death Scream: when a telepath dies, he emits a “death scream” 

which haunts any psionic who ‘hears’ it and is especially bad for 

the psi who killed him (the GM can make this as bad as 

necessary). Thus you can burn your opponent’s mind out … or 

bludgeon them into unconsciousness … but don’t kill them. 

Modifications 

Psionics are common in science fiction, conspiracy theory, postapocalypse 

mutant scenarios, etc. Here are some suggestions for 

integration into those games. 

• Space: Usually Psionics will be at a low level if you aren’t 

allowing other unusual abilities (if you don’t and let the players 

spend as they wish, many more than you might want may 

choose to be psis). Limit points to 16 total points on psionics. 

• Chi Marital Arts: Mixing the two is dangerous since the Iron Will 

enhancement makes stunningly powerful Psis. Under control it 

might be allowable. Also: the Chi Focus training makes hypermartial 

artists almost impossible to control: add each point of Chi 

Focus above 10 can add to WIL for purposes of defending 

against Chi attacks (or in telepathic combat). 

• Magic: It’s okay to mix magic and psionics—they’re similar in 

some respects. A Mage-Block will not stop a psionic attack (but 

mages are usually pretty well defended with high WIL stats). 

• Mutations: If you want to include a “Psionic” Mutation in a 

campaign, you may want to choose a “Physical Frality” limitation 

for 4 points (this would be: -1 point of STR, CON rolls or ‘become 

ill’ in heavy weather, -4 Endurance, Seizure Prone). This will 

prevent physically superior mutants from exploiting some of the 

combat Telekinesis (but this may not be much of a problem 

anyway). 

The Murder Mystery: One of the 

games which most quickly gets 

dismantled by psionics (other than 

telekinetics) is the detective game 

or murder mystery. 

If a telepath can show up and, with 

a surface probe, spot the 

psychopath, it gets hard to have 

any drama or surprises. Even 

worse, ESPers with Oracle can 

just ask “who did it” Object 

reading can discern the owner of a 

murder weapon, empathy can spot 

the person who has something to 

hide. 

While it is possible to construct a 

series of games where everything 

isn’t as it seems, even to the 

telepath, a better suggestion is 

that if you want to run a “psychic 

detectives” game focus more on 

the action and less on doublecrosses. 

Note: It is quite possible for 

powerful telepaths and other 

psionics to conceal their work. A 

telepath can mind-control targets 

to do his work for him. There may 

be “mental fingerprints” but a 

Level 3’s fingerprints won’t be 

discernable to a Level 1 or 2 

detective (and so on). 

See the rules for “stealth” under 

the Minor Aspects and the sidebars 

for ESP.


Telepathy 

Telepathy is the power of mind-to-mind communication. Telepaths have 

an incredibly advanced brain that can detect other minds, link to them, 

and even lash out in combat using Telepathic techniques. A Telepath 

first purchases the desired level of Telepathy and then buys optional 

aspects of that power to customize it. 

Telepathy 

Telepathy has several basic abilities revolving around mind-to-mind 

contact. For a full description of Telepathic combat, see the section at 

the end of the chapter on Major Disciplines. The basic Telepathic 

package includes the following abilities: 

The Science of Telepathy 

Although the GM may determine that Telepathy works any way he wants 

(or he may choose not to specify how it works at all) these rules are 

specified here to aid in the gaming of Telepathy. These terms are used 

to help in gaming with a ‘scientific’ background to the discipline of 

Telepathy. 

Mental Signature is the unique signal each mind emits. Intelligent Minds 

all exert an influence on the Telepathic Aether around them and 

Telepaths can pick this up to detect, lock on to, and interact with others. 

While a Mental Signature is a bit like a fingerprint, it is also a bit like the 

“sonar signature” a submarine makes (which allows listeners to 

determine things about it just from the sound). In general heightened 

emotional states or extraordinary power or intellect lead to larger and 

more visible signatures. 

The Telepathic Carrier Wave is the active Telepathic signal a telepath 

sends out. When trying to attack, scan, probe, or communicate, the 

telepath emits a Telepathic Pulse that, if it strikes its target, places the 

two minds in contact. This can be seen by any Telepath who chooses to 

use his abilities (so a character under active mind control will be 

apparent to another telepath). 

Telepathic Lock On is the state of having a Carrier Wave locked onto 

your brain. This can come as a line of sight (i.e. the observer ‘sees’ the 

carrier wave coming from one brain to another) or as a reception point 

(where one brain is emitting a global pulse that is tuned specifically to the 

receiver’s brain). In the last case, one of the telepaths may not be 

anywhere nearby (but the pulse can be tracked back to its source). 

Psyche: When a close look is taken at a mind, the telepath can see all 

sorts of structures and forms there. Things like mental aberrations may 

be seen as black cancers or emotional states may exist as sparkling 

diamonds in the mind form. A telepath can become adept at interpreting 

these and can detect evidence of telepathic meddling and the like. Each 

person has a unique Psyche. Usually a telepath must Scan a target to 

get that information.


Basic Telepathic Abilities 

The below abilities are part of the basic telepathic package. 

Communication: The ability to open a mind-link with a target. 

There is no roll to hit, although establishing contact is a 5 REA 

Medium action (it is considered a wide-angle Carrier Wave 

Pulse). Communication can be established either with one 

person or a group. 

Scan: A scan is an examination of a target’s Mind Form. A 

Surface scan is passive and does not give away the telepath’s 

ability. A Deep Scan actually uses a pulse to take a deep look 

into the target’s mind (and if another telepath is nearby he’ll 

notice). This does not read minds, rather it tells about the state 

of the mind (Enhancements and Defects, general INT score, etc. 

are all detectable with a Scan). 

Probe: A probe is the equivalent of breaking and entering on 

another person’s brain. It is ‘mind reading’ and it is not subtle. 

When a person is being probed the target will feel the telepath 

rummaging through their brain looking for data. A Surface Probe 

is less easily detectable but will only get surface (current) 

thoughts. A Deep Probe is a more lengthy process of cracking a 

person’s mind open and going for data they are actively trying to 

hide. It is often considered the legal equivalent of rape. 

Detection: A general and very useful ability of telepaths is the 

ability to detect intelligent minds within a radius. This is a 360- 

degree radius scan that detects nothing else (so it will tell where 

everyone is in a building but give no clue as to the floor plan). 

Usually little is known about the minds (but a telepath might be 

able to distinguish sleeping minds from waking ones, for 

example) and the telepath will recognize people he knows. In 

passive Detection is merely ‘listening’ and does not give away 

the telepath. An active Detection uses a ‘sonar-like’ pulse to 

give the telepath greater range and more detail but will give 

away his ability and position to any present telepath. 

Mind Strike: A pulse can be focused to do damage and even 

kill. A Mind Strike only affects living, intelligent minds and does 

damage as a blow (Impact damage). It is fired as a 5 REA 

Medium action and damage is based on the attacker’s telepathic 

power. Armor doesn’t protect against a Mind Strike as it is 

directed against the entire nervous system of the individual. The 

character must effect Telepathic Lock-On as described in the 

Telepathic Combat section at the end of this chapter. 

Mind Shield: Telepaths and even normal people (to a degree) 

are able to defend themselves telepathically. A Mind Shield is 

the natural defense that a brain has against telepathic assault. 

This can be trained and enhanced.


Four Levels of Telepathy 

Level Cost Power Communicate Scan Probe Detect Strike Shield 

Level 1 8pts +0 Basic Surface Surface Active +3 +5 

Level 2 16pts +1 High Speed Surface/Deep Surface Active/Passive +5 +10 

Level 3 32pts +2 Image/Sound Surface/Deep Surface/Deep Active/Passive +7 +20 

Level 4 64pts +4 Thought-Link Surface/Deep Surface/Deep Active/Passive +12 +30 

Power: Power is added to the Telepath’s WIL score for any attempt at 

telepathic action. This is not added to general WIL rolls or other WIL 

based operations. At telepath’s Power is WIL + Power (so a L3 Telepath 

with a 13 WIL has a 15 Power). 

Communicate: The ability to perform a mind-to-mind communication 

link. Any party can break or refuse telepathic communication at any time. 

The effects and ranges are as listed: 

Basic: Words and ‘telepathic gestures’ are communicated at a 

normal rate. The range is [ Power 2 ] yards and the telepath 

must see the target when the communication lock is established. 

High Speed: The telepath can communicate at 4x normal speed 

with a range of [ Power 3 ] yards. Communication can be 

established with line of sight or an Active Detection (i.e. the 

target is pulsed and then communication is established). 

Multiple telepaths can transmit data through them so that minds 

which are far apart can communicate through the use of 

intermediaries. 

Image/Sound: The targets can see/hear whatever the telepath 

wants him to. This is not a sensory over-ride. It is, at most, as 

annoying or distracting as a TV in the same room. It is a good 

way to transmit volumes of data. Range is [ Power 2 ] miles. 

Thought Link: A thought link lets two characters share all kinds 

of sensory and thought data. A thought link can be verified so 

that the telepath can’t lie over it (the thoughts come from the 

source). Communication rate is 16x normal. 

Scan Mind: A Surface Scan has a range of [ Power ] yards and requires 

direct line of sight. A Deep Scan has a range equal to the detect or 

communicate ability and can be performed if the target is in contact with 

the telepath or if the target has been detected by the telepath. Deep 

Scans (which give away the telepath to other telepaths) are rolled at +3 

to the Power roll. 

• Power Roll +0 to +4: INT stat, WIL score, presence of L3 

RES or MEM skills, the presence of extensive martial 

training, and the presence of 4pt or higher Intellect Defects 

or Enhancements.


• Power Roll +5 or more: As above but the scanner will also 

detect what RES and MEM based skills the target has as 

well as any Intellect Enhancements or Defects. Emotional 

state will be detected if the target is not deliberately evasive. 

‘Loud’ thoughts may be detected (if you could read it on the 

target’s face the telepath will get it clearly). 

Probe: A Probe is a Power vs. WIL roll against the target (resisting 

telepaths use their Power instead of WIL). Range for both attacks is [ 

Power x2 ] yards. 

Surface Probe: There is no roll to hit with a Surface Probe but it 

is an 8 REA Long action. Other telepaths will immediately 

recognize this. Specially trained non-telepaths get a WIL or RES 

(whichever is higher) against the Power roll to detect this. The 

telepath makes the roll and gets the following information: 

• Missed: Each successive attempt within 24 hours is at –3. 

• +0 to +3: Telepath reads surface thoughts, loud thoughts, 

and can hear what the target is thinking about. If the data is 

considered a secret this will be very soft and usually another 

Perception roll must be made at –4 to get all the data. 

Successive attempts within 24 hours are at –2. 

• +4 to +6: Telepath can hear secrets the target is thinking 

about clearly. Successive attempts within 24 hours are at – 

1. 

• +7 or more: Telepath can hear the target’s internal dialog for 

[ Power ] minutes. There is no negative for successive 

attempts. 

Deep Probe: The Deep Probe is an 8 REA Long action that 

leaves the target with no doubt about who is attacking him and 

what is happening (if he never believed in Telepathy, he will 

now). A deep probe gives the answer to one question. That 

question may be formulated after the roll is made. The telepath 

makes a Power roll (but there is no roll to hit). 

• Missed: no information and further attempts in the same day 

are at –3. 

• +0 to +3: A yes or no question will be answered. Further 

attempts in the same day are at –2. 

• +4 to +6: A short sentence can be gained (usually less than 

800 words) or a Memory Read can be performed for the last 

[ Power ] hours (a detailed question can be asked about the 

subjects current events). Further attempts in the same day 

are at –1. 

• +7 or more: Detailed data on a specific topic can be 

extracted conversationally (at a normal rate—so the target 

must be restrained). The target can’t lie. This lasts [Power] 

minutes. After this the target is at –1 for successive attempts 

for the rest of the day. A Memory Read covers [ Power ] 

days. 

Detect: A Passive Scan detects all minds in a [ Power x 10 ] yard 

radius. An Active Scan detects all minds in a [ Power 2 ] yard radius. 

The GM should require a POWER roll to get all the minds. If made by +5


or more the scan is complete (unless someone is using special stealth 

abilities). If made by +0 to +4 approximately 10% of the minds are 

missed. If the roll is missed altogether 20% of the minds are missed. 

The telepath can continuously Active Scan (starting is a 5 REA Medium 

action). This will give away his location but he can track minds easily. 

To keep a continuous Passive Scan requires an 8 REA Long action of 

concentration each turn. 

Strike: A Telepathic Strike does Impact damage (ignoring all armor). It 

hits with RES (instead of COR) as a ranged attack. 

Mind Shield: This is the number of points that must be overcome 

against an attack. A 5 REA Medium action will enforce it will recover 20% 

of an eroded shield. This won’t break a Mind Grapple if one is 

established but will keep others from being applied. 

Telepathy Aspects 

These are telepathy aspects that can be applied to any character with 

the appropriate level of Telepathy. To purchase a Level of an Aspect 

you must have an equal or greater level of Telepathy. 

Enhanced Mind Shield [ 2, 4, 8, 16 ] 

The character has a stronger than average Mind Shield. Each 

level adds +2, +6, +12, or +24 respectively. 

Improved Range [ 1, 2, 4, 8 ] 

The character’s range is improved. The character adds +2, +4, 

+8, or +16 to his Power for purposes of Range only. 

Absorb Mind [ 16, requires L3+ Telepathy ] 

The character can retrieve entire minds (only from the 

dying/dead and willing, usually). The process takes 1 turn, 

leaves the recipient in a Daze for 1 hr per point of the other 

person’s WIL (unless the target was well known) and requires 2 

days to put him ‘back together.’ At that point, the other person’s 

mind retains its own will but cannot control the body and has no 

telepathic abilities. The held mind may be retained or discarded 

for another. If the character starts with a mind, he gets 12 points 

of skills using the target’s RES or MEM (which the mind has) and 

a constant voice in the back of his head. A Held mind provides 

+4 points of Mind Shield. The GM is invited to make a person 

with a mind experience all kinds of strange effects (sleep 

walking, unusual Freudian slips, weird episodes, etc.) 

Stealth Mind [ 2, 4, 8, 16 ] 

The character is hard to detect psionically. The character is hard 

to Detect and may not be uncovered by a scan or probe. 

Telepathic Invisibility [ 12 ] 

The Telepath can make himself “invisible” to other characters. 

This doesn’t work on cameras, detection systems, etc. (it’s 

purely mental). It is an 8 REA Long action to go invisible. If the


character is being watched, he must make a distraction or win a 

POWER vs. WIL roll of each on-looker by 4+. If the 

onlookers/searchers know the character is around, they get a 

WIL vs. POWER roll (plus any modifiers for keen senses) each 

second to pick up the character. If the Invisible character is using 

Stealth, he can try to beat their standard Perception Rolls (this is 

a separate set of rolls) and get +1 for Level 1, +2 for Level 2, +4 

for Level 3, and +8 for Level 4 to his effective POWER. A 

character using this form of invisibility can’t open doors, attack 

anyone, or otherwise interact with the environment without giving 

himself away. 

Multiple Personality Order [ X, 4, 8, 16 ] 

The character has a ‘back-up’ personality that is under his 

control. This personality should be significantly different (but not 

adverse to the character). Activating the MPO requires a Power 

Roll and an 8 REA Long action. The MPO is an NPC and is by 

definition ‘unstable’ in some fashion (the GM should liberally 

twist the character’s normal demeanor). The MPO offers some 

interesting options. 

• The MPO will not be subject to mind control that the 

character was operating under and will not have suffered 

Brain Burn (loss of Power) which the character suffered. 

• The MPO is just as psychic as the character. 

• When activated the MPO is in charge for at least 24 hours 

(make a Power roll each day thereafter to recover). The 

MPO will still act in what it perceives to be the character’s 

best interest but is often far more extreme than the 

character. 

• The MPO has 2x the number of [MPO Cost] in skills the 

character does not have. 

• There is a chance, each time that the MPO is activated, that 

when the character returns to ‘normal’ he will retain a 1 to 3 

point Intellect Defect associated with the MPO that will last 

for three weeks (make a Power roll at –5 and for each point 

missed by up to 3 assign a point of defect). 

Mind Web [ 4 ] 

If this power is available, there exists a “world wide” Telepathic 

Network which the Telepath has been trained to receive. This 

can be seen as sort of a “computer network” in that the character 

has an account, can “log on” and chat with other Telepaths. At 

Level 1 Telepathy, only Telepaths within the same WIL Miles 

who are currently connected are aware of each other. At Level 2, 

it’s WIL 2 Miles. At Level 3, WIL x 100 Miles, and at Level 4, 

World Wide. Similarly, Telepaths of a higher level may shield 

themselves from those of a lower (so the Level 4 Telepaths don’t 

have to worry about “chat requests” from lower-levels. The GM 

can flesh this out (there may be ways to “download images,” 

store data, and otherwise work conspiracies. 

Body Control [1, 2, 4, 8]


The character’s advanced mind has great control over its flesh. 

• Level 1: The character can change his body temperature 

and lower heart and breathing rates with a WIL roll. This is 

the equivalent of Level 2 Meditation. The character gets +1 

Damage Point. 

• Level 2: The character can fake his own death with a Power 

roll at –2 (vs. the observer’s Medical skill roll). Additionally 

the character gets +2 DP due to firm control over his own 

bio-systems. 

• Level 3: The character gets +4 DP. 

• Level 4: The character gets +8 DP. 

Psi Bolt [ X, 8, 16, 32 ] 

The character can throw one Psi Bolt per turn as a 5 REA 

Medium action. The character’s POWER is his telepathy Power. 

The character need not have Lock-On to use a Psi Bolt. Any 

Mind Shield will stop a Psi Bolt (it must be knocked down before 

being used against another Telepath). 

Mind Blast Level 2 Table 

Effect 

Result 

Minor Effect 

Target loses 1 WIL 

Standard Effect 

Target loses 1 WIL and is stunned. 

Major Effect 

Critical Effect 

Catastrophic Effect 

Target loses 2 WIL and is dazed. 

Target loses 2 WIL and is immobilized (recover as per dazed) 

Target loses 2 WIL, is unconscious, and suffers POWER / 3 damage. 


Effect 

Result 

Minor Effect 

Target loses 1 WIL and is stunned 



Major Effect 



Target loses 2 WIL and is immobilized (recover as per dazed) 

Target loses 2 WIL, is unconscious and suffers POWER / 3 damage. 

Target loses 3 WIL and suffers a dying result. 


Effect 

Result 

Minor Effect 

Target loses 1 WIL and is dazed 



Major Effect 



Target loses 2 WIL, is unconscious, and suffers POWER / 3 damage. 

Target loses 3 WIL and suffers a dying result. 

Target receives a dead result, head may explode(!) 

Mind Vault [ 1, 2, 4, 8 ] 

The character has been trained to hold thoughts in a secure 

place (this may be had even by non-psis if such training exists). 

Data in the Mind Vault must be specific (my password, what 

happened on my 16 th birthday, etc.). Once placed inside it is 

secure barring some sort of special mental trauma (methods for 

cracking a Mind Vault exist but are not detailed here). 

Furthermore, if going into an interrogation the subject decides to 

forget it, the data is irretrievable even to the character until the


‘intelligence’ in the Vault determines the danger is passed. The 

vault may hold 2, 4, 8 or 16 pieces of data. Putting data in the 

vault is a 1-hour mediation action. Normally the character may 

use the data but no psionic probes will detect it (they’ll get 

cryptographic garbage). 

Polygraph Scan [ X, 4, X, X ] 

It’s hard to lie to a telepath if they’re trained to detect it. A Deep 

Scan while someone is talking to you will tell if they’re lying with 

a Power vs. RES roll. 

Vertigo [ X, 8, 12, X ] 

The character creates a sense of disorientation and acrophobia 

(fear of heights) in the target. At Level 3 this can be done to all 

targets within a 4 yard radius of the PSI. It may be used once per 

turn as 5 REA Medium action. 

Effect 

Result 

Minor Effect 

Target is Stunned for 1 turn 


Target is Stunned for Power / 4 turns (WIL roll to recover) 

Major Effect 



Target is dazed. 

Target is dazed for Power / 4 turns 

Target is dazed for Power / 4 minutes 

Telepathic Weapon [8, 16] 

The character visualizes a HTH weapon and strikes with it. It 

has a Medium range (one yard reach). The Level 1 version (8pt) 

allows the character to strike without Lock-On. The strike is a 5 

REA Medium action, but has a +1 REA Swing and a +2 REA 

Back-Swing. The Level 2 version does +6 Damage. Only targets 

that can be affected by a Mind Strike are effected. 

Puppet [16] 

You can enter another’s Mind and take control of his body. This 

is a PWR vs. STAT attack, with the effects listed below. The 

target will be instantly aware of the attack. The attack is an 8 

REA Long Action. Once a target is controlled, you must pay 3 

REA per turn to control him. The target can try a “Break Control” 

attempt when allowed. This acts like Grappling. Use his WIL + 

POWER vs. your WIL + POWER on the Grappling chart. If he 

wins, the control is broken. 

While under control, an unwilling target makes rolls at the listed 

negative (if any). 

Permanent Control: If you win [Target’s WIL +1] Control rolls, 

the target is yours forever (another Telepath can break the 

control by linking to the target and then using his WIL + POWER 

against yours. You get a +2 POWER home-court advantage). A 

permanent puppet costs no REA after permanence is 

established but the puppet won’t do anything unless you 

command it to. The person “inside” at that point is “asleep.” 

‘I won’t do THAT’: Any time you make someone do something 

they’re really opposed to, they may get a WIL bonus. Note that


attacking your friends in combat doesn’t apply unless the 

character has some kind of “extreme loyalty” or a target is a 

loved one or saved his life (in a dramatic fashion). However, 

zealots are hard to control. If the GM rules that you’re having the 

puppet do something that is especially against his nature, he can 

assign a +1 to +8 resistance bonus. 

Effect 

Result 

Minor Effect 

Target is Dazed—WIL roll to recover (no control but you battle with him) 


Target is Controlled. Rolls at –2.Break out once per second. 

Major Effect 



Target is Controlled. Rolls at –1. Break out once per 5 seconds. 

Target is Controlled. Break out once per minute. 

Target is Controlled. Break out once per hour 

Charm [24] 

Similar to puppet but different: Charmed targets do as 

commanded but they do it because they think they want to. A 

Charmed target isn’t just a body acting under mental orders, the 

character will use all his abilities to accomplish the result. You 

need a really good result to get anywhere with this so it’s not 

uncommon for a Telepath to use PSI Blasts to “burn down” a 

target’s mind before Charming them. Other rules apply as per 

Puppet. 

Effect 

Minor Effect 


Major Effect 



Result 

Target is Stunned 

Target is Dazed (WIL roll to recover) 

Target is ‘convinced’ 

Target is Charmed. 

Target is Slaved 

Convinced: A convinced target will do 1 action the Charmer 

commands. This can be moderately lengthy (WIL x 10 minutes). 

It may not be a combat action or something which will greatly 

imperil the target. Examples: Give me everything in your bankaccount. 

Tell me who you work for. Go deliver a message, etc. 

Charmed: The target does as mentally commanded by the 

Telepath. Charmed characters will fight along side their masters, 

and otherwise behave as an agent. The character gets a roll to 

“break out” once every WIL hours. This will be big plusses if the 

things the Telepath are having him do are against his nature or 

best interest. For all practical purposes, the target is an ‘Agent’ of 

the telepath (a person ordered to commit murder might do so, 

but will take steps to insure that neither he nor his master are 

caught). This will wear off after 20-WIL days if the target is not in 

mental contact with his master. 

Slaved: The target is not just an ‘Agent’ but actually worships 

the Telepath. A Slaved character will not get pluses against all 

but the most dramatic actions (i.e. being ordered to kill a loved


one). Most importantly, a Slaved character will willingly die for 

the telepath. 

Influence [8] 

You can “Telepathically Whisper” to make targets do as you tell 

them. Unlike Puppet or Charm, the target will not even perceive 

the Influence as an assault. However, if it doesn’t work the first 

time, other attempts are at a cumulative –2 for the day. You must 

speak to the target(s) and make your proposal. Then roll and see 

the result. 

With Influence you can’t order someone to shoot themselves or a 

friend. You can’t ask someone to take all the money out of their 

bank account and give it to you … people won’t injure 

themselves because of Influence. 

However, you can ask guards to “let you pass” without 

inspection, persuade someone already doing business with you 

to take a really bad deal once in a while, convince someone to 

give you their nice parking space, etc. This is subtle and must be 

well played to be really effective. 

The GM should moderate this: the character’s request will 

determine what level of success is required. Unlike Charm and 

Puppet, burning the target’s mind with Psi Blasts won’t work (a 

character in combat won’t be Influenced). This usually only 

works out of combat but is considered a 5 REA Medium action. 

Effect 

Minor Effect 


Major Effect 



Result 

No Effect 

Target is inclined 

Target is highly inclined 

Target is obedient 

Target is highly obedient 

Inclined: The target will say “yes” to any ‘reasonable’ request 

(i.e. a few bucks to get home with, coming in to use the phone, 

etc.) Even if it’s against the target’s better judgment but not 

obviously stupid or dangerous (they won’t let a heavily armed 

character in ‘to use the phone’) 

Highly Inclined: The character will take a moderate loss or risk 

to do as the character asks. The character will neglect his duty 

(but not if it is unquestionable that he’ll be caught). 

Obedient: The character will do as asked so long as it doesn’t 

hurt the target or his friends. A guard will let a character out of a 

cell. A man on the street might let the character ‘borrow’ his car 

(but wouldn’t sign over the pink-slip), etc. 

Highly Obedient: The target will agree to really weird requests 

(kinky sex when the target is straight, etc.) The target still won’t


hand over everything he owns or get into combat … unless the 

target is so inclined (asking soldiers to come with you would 

work and they’d probably fight). 

Memory Overwrite [16] 

You can re-write the target’s memories. How deep this goes and 

what you can replace them with are determined by your success. 

This is an 8 REA Long Action. 

Short Term: Short Term memory is considered to be the last 

MEM minutes (of the target). 

Long Term: Long Term memory is all memory longer than short 

term (i.e. MEM+1 minutes) 

The character should indicate the memory he is trying to implant 

and then roll. If the GM rules he didn’t get enough, nothing 

happens (but the target is aware of the intrusion). Whatever the 

case, the rule is that the Psionic determines the memory and the 

target defines it. The memory might be “I’m your brother.” The 

definition might be “You’re my brother and I haven’t seen you for 

years, you bastard!” The Telepath should get some kind of idea 

what the definition will be and try to work with the GM to iron it 

out: you can’t change someone’s character with this, but you can 

screw them up pretty badly. 

Memory Leak: Altered Memories aren’t permanent (usually). 

The GM should rule that the truth … or at least confusion leaks 

back in over time. 

Effect 

Minor Effect 


Major Effect 



Result 

Alter Short Term (non-major) 

Erase short term, alter short term (non-major) 

Alter short-term (major). Alter long term (non-major) 

Alter short-term (critical), alter long term (major) 

Alter short term or long term critical 

Non-Major Short Term Modification: Non-Critical modification 

means that the target, if he thinks about it, will remember some 

subtle detail as different. This will not apply to “who just attacked 

me” or “how much did I just pay for that car.” It might apply to 

what the character looked like (if the meeting wasn’t dramatic) or 

how much money the guy just handed you (if the denominations 

involved aren’t high). 

Major Short Term Modification: With this modification the 

target may be confused as to what just happened to a major 

extent (same as Erasing). The GM can treat this as though the 

character is Dazed but must make a WIL roll at –2 to recover. A 

Major Modification might include: instead of a late model car 

driving up and opening fire, a group of 1920’s Gangsters came 

up on the running boards of a 1920’s car and fired Tommy guns. 

A Major Modification might make a target forget that he just saw 

the character’s commit a crime (unless the crime was against 

him). Since this isn’t major, the GM should prevent complex


scenarios or very unlikely ones (the target’s friends open fire on 

him). 

Critical Short Term Modification: The target will remember 

literally anything happening. The character may not believe it, 

but he’ll remember it. In combat the character will be Dazed with 

a WIL roll at –3 to recover (changing someone’s mind to make 

them remember things that didn’t happen won’t be likely to make 

them fight on your side—they’ll likely just be really confused). 

Long Term Modification: Minor points can be things like old 

addresses, a false memory of meeting someone long ago, etc. 

At the Minor Level the memory might be “I was in your class at 

school.” At the Major Level “I was a friend in high-school.” At the 

Critical Level “You’ve been married to me all these years.” 

Freeze [8] 

A relatively straightforward attack, the Telepath mentally orders 

the target to freeze in place. This is a 5 REA Medium action, it 

may only be attempted once per turn against a given target. 

Usually any further attack (except at the Catastrophic Level) will 

snap the target out of the freeze if it does damage. The GM 

should discourage “friendly fire” to snap a character out of a 

Freeze (1 or 2 points of damage won’t do it). The Freeze lasts 

WIL minutes. 

Effect 

Minor Effect 


Major Effect 



Result 

Target is Stunned 

Target is Dazed (WIL roll each turn to recover) 

Target is Dazed (WIL roll at –2 each turn to recover) 

Target is Immobile unless attacked again 

Target is Immobile even if attacked 

Beguile [8] 

Similar to Charm, but not as useful: the target is drawn to the 

Telepath. Although it is a 5 REA Medium attack, the target, 

unless a Telepath or Esper, won’t usually be aware of the attack. 

This usually can’t be used once combat has started (but a 

Critical or Catastrophic effect will still work). 

Effect 

Minor Effect 


Major Effect 



Result 

Target is interested 

Target is intrigued 

Target is entranced 

Target is ensnared 

Target is enraptured 

Interested: The target feels an unnatural curiosity about the 

Telepath. They may feel they have know the telepath before or 

have some other strong desire to interact with him.


Intrigued: The target acts as though the Telepath were 

extremely attractive or otherwise a very good catch. Some 

characters will throw caution to the wind, others won’t be so 

easily manipulated (up to the GM). 

Entranced: The target will, even if it’s obviously a bad idea, 

approach the Telepath. This effect lasts about 45 seconds 

(enough to get the target into the telepath’s car, arms, hotel 

room, etc.). If the telepath does anything aggressive or scary the 

spell is broken. 

Ensnared: The target comes to the telepath. The target won’t 

attack for 3 seconds (no matter what). Once reaching the 

telepath, the target will remain docile and attempt to stay close 

(maybe acting as though attracted, maybe just “curious”). If the 

telepath has attacked the target or others, after 3 seconds the 

spell is broken. 

Enraptured: The target will come to the telepath and then 

remain docile and obedient for WIL minutes. The telepath can 

order the target to come with him, hold things, get doors, etc. 

The character will be essentially sleep-walking and can’t do 

things like sign over possessions, participate in combat, etc. 

Telepathic Combat 

When a Telepath wishes to initiate Telepathic Combat, he must set up a 

link with the target mind. This is a 5 REA Medium action and uses a 

basic RES roll to hit, unaffected by range, speed, or size of the target. 

The maximum range that this works at unless otherwise specified is 

POWER x 25 yards range. The roll to hit is at –1 per point of WIL the 

target has above 10 (or +1 for each point the target’s WIL is below 10). 

For all “ordinary” telepathic attacks, the target must have a normal 

biological mind. Robots, walls, animate statues, and many undead are 

unaffected by Telepathic attacks. 

A Psionic can have lock-on with 1 mind per point of POWER he has. 

Each lock-on attempt is a 5 REA Medium action. 

Once Lock-On is established, both minds will feel and be aware of each 

other even if the target is not Telepathic. Once a Telepathic link is 

established, both minds can also attack each other and can “hold on to 

the link” even if the initial party wishes to break it. 

To break a Psionic Link either both parties must agree (in which case it is 

a 0 REA Medium action) or win a Grapple Roll where the Grapple Scores 

are the POWERs of the characters involved. 

Ex1: A L2 Psionic with a 12 WIL attacks a Zen Master with a WIL 

of 17. He achieves Lock-On because the Zen Master allows 

himself to be hit (the attempt would be at –7 otherwise). Now, 

both minds are linked. The Psionic hits for 2 + 1 + 5 = 8pts of 

damage. The Zen Master strikes for 7, almost as much!


Quickly realizing it’s much more of a battle than he thought, the 

Psionic tries to break off. His Psionic Grapple Score is 3 (2 for 

WIL, +1 for being Level 2. The Zen Master has a Grapple Score 

of 7. To break the link, the Psionic must either move out of range 

(in this case 175 yards since it’s based on what the Zen Master’s 

range would be). He must roll a 6- to break free . . . he realizes 

he’s in over his head. 

Mind Strike 

The basic Mind Strike hits using the character’s RES roll. This is not 

modified by the target’s WIL-10 (unless the target uses a Mind-Block, 

see below) as Lock-On has already been established. Damage is [WIL 

– 10 + POWER Bonus + Strike Bonus]. 

Ex1: As described above, the Psionic has a 12 WIL, a 10 RES, a 

+1 POWER bonus (for being Level 2) and a +1 Strike Bonus 

(again, for being Level 2). This means that he does 2 + 1 +5 = 

8pts of damage. He hits each turn on a 10- (or his Psionic 

Combat skill, see below). 

The Zen Master has a 13 RES and a 17 WIL (he has the Iron 

Will enhancement from the Chi Martial Arts section). 

Mind Shields 

An advantage that Psi’s have over most people is a Telepathic Mind 

Shield. This shield deducts from damage taken and goes away as it is 

battered down. The Shield comes back at POWER points per second of 

concentration (an 8 REA Long action). Before the Psionic takes any 

damage, the shield must be destroyed. 

Ex1: In the example above, while the Zen Master probably has 

no mind shield (since he’s not telepathic) the Psionic does. He’s 

Level 2 so he has 10pts of shield. His POWER is 3 so he gets 

back 3pts of Shield if he decides to recover it. 

The Zen Master has no shield. 

The Zen Master strikes the Psionic, getting a +2 Damage 

Modifier and doing 9pts of damage. The shield is reduced to 1pt 

but the Psionic suffers no damage from that strike. 

Common Shield Rule: In a Psi-heavy world, the GM should 

allow a 2pt Enhancement (either native or available through 

training) to grant a “natural” Psi shield equal to ½ WIL (this adds 

to any existing Psi shield if a telepath is trained. If the GM is 

using separate points for psionics and ‘normal’ stuff, this 

enhancement may come from either pool. 

Psionic Block (“Mind Evasion”) 

Although a link is established, a character may elect to try to block or 

evade a Mind Strike. In this event, the character pays 3 REA (like a 

normal block) and gets an RES (or Telepathic Combat skill) roll against 

the attack. Additionally, and this is very important, the roll to hit is at – 

POWER to hit since the target is “evading.”


Ex1: Although the Zen Master cannot hope to match the 

Telepath’s raw power, he has a strategy to evade the strikes. 

When he does so, not only does he get an RES roll against the 

incoming attacks, but also gets a staggering –7 to be hit in the 

first place. Sweat runs down the Psionic’s brow. 

Special Psionic Moves 

There are some special Telepathic Combat moves that anyone can try to 

employ. Depending on what skills or talents are available. 

Math Wall: A character with L3 or L4 Mathematics or Physics 

can use the extremely trained computational power of his mind 

as a defense. A 8 REA Medium action and a roll at –3 or –0 

(Level 4) will give the character [+Skill-10] to his POWER for 

purposes of Evasion or Breaking a Grapple on that turn or the 

next (one attempt). 

Shared Pain: If a person is under psionic assault and suffers 

extreme pain, the character linked to him may suffer as well. 

When a character in a Telepathic link suffers damage from a 

non-telepathic source (i.e. a gun shot) the [amount of 

damage/2] may be added to his WIL for purposes of Breaking 

Lock-On or a Mind Strike. This applies to the turn that the 

character suffers the damage or the one immediately after. 

Philosophical Loop: A highly trained Philosopher (L3 or L4) can 

evade strikes more easily. The character’s Philosophy skill-1 

may be substituted for a Mind Block roll. At Level 4, the block 

costs only 2 REA. 

Meditation Sphere: A character with Meditation, Combat 

Meditation, or Tai Chi (at L3 or better) can affect a “Sphere of 

Calm.” This costs 8 REA (Medium action) to set up and takes a 

roll. The character gets [Skill-10] points of Mind Shield. The 

shield only lasts so long as the character is in a meditative state 

(so you can’t walk around with it up). This sphere can be “seen” 

by Telepaths with a probe or scan (surface). If the character has 

Level 4, double this number. 

Mind Storm: Combat Meditation allows the character to strike 

better as well. Each 2 full points of L3 Combat Meditation above 

10 add to Mind Strike damage. At L4 the character adds Skill-10 

to damage with a Mind Strike. 

Ex1: The Zen Master has Meditation at Level 3 on a 17-. During 

the battle, he takes an 8 REA Medium action to give himself a 

7pt Mind Shield.


Psychokinesis 

The character can manipulate objects with his mind. A very powerful 

and flashy Major Discipline, it lacks some of the versatility that 

characterizes the others. 

Telekinesis 

The character has a force with a STR equal to Power. This operates 

semi-invisibly (it appears as a ripple in the air or, perhaps, as glowing 

energy fields . . . or possibly not at all). Telekinesis has the following 

abilities and limitations. 

TK Strike: The basic ‘force strike’ is the primary form of TK 

attack. It hits for Power Impact damage. The character uses 

COR to hit (as a ranged weapon). This is a 5 REA Medium 

action. 

TK Grab: The character’s Offensive/Defensive Grapple score is 

equal to his TK’s Power. He may grab as a 5 REA Medium 

action. If successful the target is treated as grabbed but the 

telekinetic isn’t. Holding a TK Grab costs 2 REA at the start of 

the character’s turn but, if the telekinetic plans to attack the 

target this cost need not be paid (it is considered part of the 

attack). 

TK Grapple/Hold: As an 8 REA the telekinetic can grapple a 

target. Continuing to hold that target is a 5 REA action that is 

paid at the start of the character’s turn. If the character cannot 

pay the hold dissolves. Depending on what the grapple is won by 

the effects are as follows: 

• Minor Success: The target is slowed: he loses half of his 

movement and two points of AGI bonus. 

• Standard Success: The target cannot take Move or Dodge 

actions and is at –2 to hit, -2 to block, and –2 to Damage 

Mods against all targets. He has no AGI bonus. 

• Major Success: As above but all modifiers are at –4. 

• Critical Success: The target is completely immobilized. 

TK Block: The telekinetic can try block any attack he is aware of 

(instinctively). This applies to incoming lasers as well as arrows 

or bullets. The roll is RES – 3 (but can be improved with combat 

skill). The block is a 3 REA short action as normal. It can be 

applied against HTH attacks at RES – 1. 

Levitation: Objects may be lifted in the Telekinetic Vortex and 

moved. The rate of movement is usually Power / Mass yards per 

second (if Mass is greater than Power then the object doesn’t 

move). The object does not accelerate but hovers along at that 

rate. The character can pick himself up as well. 

Grabbing Moving Targets: If the damage the object would do in 

an inelastic collision is greater than the Power of telekinesis then 

the object is ripped out of the TK grip. Otherwise the object


stops (and takes the damage). The Telekinetic is not moved 

with the object. 

Level Cost Power Block 

Level 1 8pts [WIL –10] +3 Slow Missiles [ COR-2] 

Level 2 16ts [WIL –10] +6 Fast Missiles [ COR-1] 

Level 3 32pts [WIL –10] +12 Fast Missiles [COR] 

Level 4 64pts [WIL –10] +24 Fast Missiles [COR] 

Psychokinesis Aspects 

PK Shield [ 4, 8, 16, 32 ] 

The character has a defensive PK field that he can erect with a 3 

REA short action. 

• Level 1: 2 Armor, 4 Power Field 




Telekinetic Tentacle [4] 

The TK Tentacle allows one grab/grapple per tentacle costs 2 

less REA to maintain. It has Long Reach (3 yards) and 

otherwise uses standard combat skills. 

TK Shield [X, 2, 4, 6] 

Acts as a Small, Medium, or Large shield (uses the shield rules) 

but can be used to block Fast Missiles. Creating the shield is a 5 

REA Medium action at Level 1, a 3 REA Short action at Level 2, 

and a 0 REA Short action at level 3 or more. 

TK Hammer [8] 

The Hammer is a powerful short-ranged attack. It hits at Long 

Reach (3 yards) but is fired as a ranged attack. It gets a +2 

Large Weapon Bonus to hit and hits with Ranged Weapon skill. 

It is slow, however, and may be blocked as a ranged attack. It 

may be used only once per turn and it does +6 damage. 

PK Wall [4] 

The character can throw up a wall of Telekinetic force. It is a 5 

REA Medium action to create and the wall appears at the 

beginning of the next turn. It has Power / 4 (round down) points 

of armor, POWER x2 Damage points, and may be Power /2 

yards on a side. It must have a physical anchor (it won’t float). If 

used as a bridge it will support Power Mass in weight. If a 

character uses TK through the wall (or any TK attack) it is 

reduced by Power points of Power (so a character must use the 

wall at reduced level to be able to fire through it). The wall takes 

all damage as penetrating damage and costs 3 REA per turn to 

maintain.


Pyrokinesis [2, 4, 8, 16] 

The character can excite molecules with PK to cause sudden 

temperature changes in an object. The character must first lockon 

to the target (a ranged attack for a 5 REA Medium action). If 

successful, for each additional 5 REA the character puts Power 

points of “heat” into the target. This heat is built up, but, at some 

point (a 0 REA Medium action) the character ‘detonates’ the 

charge. At this point the target takes damage equal to Power / 

Mass. This is done through all armor. The telekinetic must be 

able to see the target to detonate it. The TK must be purchased 

at level equal or less than the character’s PK level. If the 

character has PK of a level higher than his Pyrokinesis, he uses 

his Pyrokensis at that lower level. The maximum charge that 

can be built is equal to [ WIL /2 ] levels of effect. The target can 

feel the heat growing and will understand who is doing this to 

him (and feel an appropriate sense of alarm if he believes in PK). 

Bubble [2] 

You can surround yourself with a Telekinetic Bubble. The Bubble 

will hold air and water, is up to WIL yards in diameter, and 

reduces POWER/2 from any damage going through it (either 

way) While in use, the Tekelinetic’s POWER is reduced by ¼ 

total points. The bubble can’t hold people: moving through it is 

like moving through viscous fluid. 

TK Leap [2] 

A Telekinetic Leap is an 8 REA action. The character gets 

POWER / MASS yards added to his straight-up leap (2x that 

jumping across). 

TK Battle Staff [4] 

The character can create a “Force Staff” using Staff Skill and 

striking for STR + TK POWER +4 damage. The staff is semivisible 

and takes a 5 REA Medium action to create. 

Cling [2] 

The character can stick to walls or ceilings. Climbing is done at 3 

yards per second. 

TK Bomb [4] 

A nasty trick: the character creates a small “ball” of force which is 

stable for a little while but then decays rapidly in a sudden pulse 

of force. The Bomb takes POWER seconds to create and does 

POWER x2 damage (point-blank) with a RAD of 2 yards (so it 

does POWERx2 damage from 0-2 yards, [POWERx2]/4 at 2.1 to 

4 yards, [POWERx2]/9 from 4.1 to 6 yards, etc. The Bomb will 

last POWER minutes or less (declare when creating). It is visible 

as a small baseball sized glowing object. The higher the 

damage, the brighter the glow.


Mind Over Matter [4] 

This is a collection of abilities related to the molecular 

configuration of matter. 

Reshape: The telekinetic manipulates the molecules of an object 

to make in malleable. This takes 10 seconds and works on 

objects of up to POWER x5 pounds. All of an object must be 

effected (a rule for things like doorknobs is that if the element 

comes off with a screwdriver or simple tools, it’s a separate 

object. If it’s glued on, it’s all part of the same thing). 

Reduce Weight: The telekinetic can make an object weigh less. 

It takes POWER minutes to reduce the weight of an object by up 

to POWERx5 lbs. This will make objects weigh effectively 0, but 

not less. A character can have 1 object of 0 weight per point of 

POWER devoted to keeping it weightless. This effect turns off 

when the character is asleep or unconscious. 

Bond: The character can stick items together. This is done by 

manipulating the object at the molecular level. The objects just 

seem to stick. Once done this is “permanent.” The force of the 

“glue” is 75lbs of pull per point of POWER. It takes 1 second to 

stick an object. You can’t stick objects to living beings and 

sticking an object doesn’t make it harder to break. You can unstick 

objects but it takes 10 minutes of work.


Extra Sensory Perception 

Extra-Sensory Perception covers a wide range of psionic senses and 

abilities. Characters of this type may be called many different things from 

“espers” or “precogs” to a more general “seer.” Espers have a unique 

position as they are often the only form of psionics allowed in a game. 

Scenarios where the GM allows only a few, questionable abilities are 

well suited to espers who may not know where their power comes from 

or exactly how to use it, but are still privy to unusual sorts of information 

and experiences. 

Buying ESP 

In the case of Psychokinesis or Telepathy there is a single major 

discipline followed by a list of aspects. In the case of ESP there are 

several major disciplines. A character may have more than one major 

discipline if he wishes (just as a character can have both Psychokinesis 

and Telepathy) and buying any of the major disciplines gives the 

character the right to buy any of the aspects. 

Realism 

In “realistic” games, some of these abilities may exist and may be seen 

as an extension of the normal character attributes in the basic book. 

Where this is applicable, it will be noted with each discipline. 

The Third Eye 

The Third-Eye is the term for the paranormal sense the character 

possesses. Using the Third Eye is done with an RES roll. A character 

can increase the roll as though buying a Normal skill (there is no Level 

cost). 

Burn Out: Over using the Third Eye can cause burnout of the 

ability (this is temporary). If the character keeps asking 

questions about the same thing (or, the GM declares, similar 

things) each successive roll is at –2 for a day (or, possibly more 

in the case of Far Precognition). If the roll is blown by 5-9, the 

character’s extra-sensory perception is burnt out for that many 

days. If the roll is failed by 10 or more, it’s burnt out for that 

many days x 2. 

Curse: Overuse of these abilities (especially the further reaching 

ones at Level 3 or 4) can cause the universe to “curse” the 

character. In many games there will be a concept of “Karma” or 

“Standing.” A character who uses his or her “gift” for money or 

personal gain may lose it … or even be punished. The nature of 

this is varied (characters may serve an “evil” cause without any 

problem but use of the abilities for greedy purposes may be 

discouraged). The GM should let the player know when he or 

she has accumulated a “Karma” point. At a certain level (say 4) 

the GM should enact consequences. A certain amount of time 

(say 1 week or 1 month) will eliminate a Karma point. If the 

character keeps accumulating them … or does something really


wrong, the GM can assign more than 1 point (i.e. if the character 

goes for a big score on the stock market). The GM should feel 

free to assign a Karma point any time the player annoys the GM 

or interferes with the campaign’s flow (as in demanding the 

power solve a murder mystery … which the GM has decided 

they’ll have to solve on their own). 

Interference and Warnings: When a character is probing 

certain areas they may find “warnings” or “static.” These can take 

the place of unexplained negatives (the Ambassador’s 

assassination is at –5 to examine and there’s a warning 

associated). If the character ignores the warning, there is usually 

some consequence. This can be a disease, loss of an ability or 

the character’s POWER, etc.) These curses should be 

temporary. 

Sometimes a powerful Esper or Telepath can set up interference 

concerning an event or question (i.e. “Questions about me have 

a warning and a curse—the asker gets cancer.”). While this 

should be reserved for the most powerful characters, it is a good 

way for the GM to maintain control. 

Power Usage 

Many of the abilities have a concept of POWER cost. When a character 

is using his POWER (for visions) the rules work as follows: the character 

recovers his full POWER each turn. If the character exceeds his POWER 

use in a given turn (by accessing a vision that requires more power than 

he has) he is in “Overload.” In this condition he will lose endurance and 

even take damage. 

Overload: When a character’s vision requires more POWER than 

he has, he has a choice: not take the vision or pay the difference 

in POWER in Damage Points or Endurance. Up to WIL points of 

POWER may be paid in Endurance, after that you must pay 

Damage Points. The GM should not allow more than a Major 

Wound to be taken this way.


Precognition 

Realism: Does not exist in “Realistic” games 

Precognition, the ability to see the future, is the most common form of 

ESP. A character’s view into the future is often hazy and uncertain or 

even misleading or cryptic. What the character sees is probabilities and 

not, with this power, absolutes. Thus, what is seen may be changed. For 

this reason precogs are extremely valuable to organizations. 

There are two types of Precognition that a character gets when he 

becomes a precog: Far Precognition (the ability to see days, hours, or 

even years into the future) and Combat Precognition (the character’s 

ability to reflexively see a second into the future and react to it). 

Oracle is a third aspect of Precognition that a character may choose to 

buy. Either it costs extra points (at the level wished) or it may be 

substituted for Far Precog or Combat Precog for no points. 

Hiding From Precognition and 

Oracle: 

Trying to get away with things is 

difficult in a psionic world. You 

have a few choices if you want to 

take on a cadre of precogs. 

1. Learn the Obscure 

aspects or be a person 

who is naturally hard to 

catch on precognition 

(Persona Obscura). 

2. Work in unexpected ways 

and leave little evidence 

of what you did (if they 

aren’t asking the right 

questions they might not 

get the right answers). 

Far Precognition 

Level Cost POWER Oracle Cost 

Level 1 8pts [WIL-10] +4 

Level 2 16pts WIL/2 (round up) +8 

Level 3 32pts WIL +12 

Level 4 64pts WIL x 8 +16 

Far Precognition 

When using Far Precognition, the character uses his power to 

see deep into the future. Contrary to what you might expect, it is 

easier to see years into the future than seconds. The reason for 

this is two fold: firstly, projections far into the future assume little 

change from the present and simply assume things will continue 

as they have (mostly). Secondly, for play balance reasons, it is 

often better to see what is about to happen rather than some 

potential outcome days, weeks, or years down the road. 

To use Far Precognition, the precog asks a question. Questions 

are usually of the type listed below: 

1. Seeing a person’s future, asking about a specific event or 

relationship. 

2. Seeking danger in the future time chosen. 

3. Tracking the future of business ventures, the stock market, 

etc. 

4. Seeking answers to current questions in the future. 

5. Knowing the outcome of some event. 

6. Asking what is ‘about to go down’ 

7. Knowing the repercussions of some action. 

The character can also specify a time-range (optional). Then a 

roll is made against the Third Eye score (a perception roll to look 

into the future) and the POWER cost of the vision is computed. 

The POWER cost for the question is determined by multiplying 

Here are some other suggestions: 

Throw a wrench in the works: If 

you are up against powerful 

precogs, the GM may allow you to 

gain some protection by being 

unpredictable. Buy a Tarot Deck. 

Shuffle. Don’t do your mission until 

the Empress (or other card) 

comes up. Turn over 1 card per 

day. This makes it hard for a 

precog to get the timing right. 

Because any given time your 

actions are random, it could give a 

–1 to –3 to the precog’s roll. 

Don’t Tell Anyone: This is a 

strange rule, but it’s good for 

gaming: the fewer people who 

know about, or observe whatever 

the questions are being asked 

about, the harder it is to find out. If 

your plans are secret, the GM 

might apply a –1 or –2 to rolls. The 

GM can rule that if more than 2 

people know the plan it gets no 

protection. Again, this is optional, 

it’s strange, but it works for 

gaming.


Time x Clarity. Because the clarity is determined by a roll, the 

character can declare a “cut-off” value where he will not get more 

clarity than asked for. 

Use the below chart: 

Time into 

Future 

Power 

Cost 

Clarity Roll Power 

Cost 

Minutes 12 Complete 10 

Hours 10 Vision +10 5 

Days 8 Murky Vision +5 to +9 2.5 

Weeks 4 Riddles/Strong +1 to +4 1 

Feeling 

Months 2 General 0 .5 

Feeling 

Years 1 Random Data -1 to -4 .1 

Unknown .5 Bad Data -5 or less 3 

Ex1: A seer is asked to check the prospects of a stock on Wall 

Street. The person asking the question wants to know when the 

stock will be highest in the next 3 weeks. The GM determines 

that this is a fair and well-posed question and the seer makes a 

roll against her Third Eye score of a 14-. She rolls a 9, making it 

by 5. This gives a Murky Vision which has a POWER cost of [ 4 x 

2.5 = 8 ]. The Seer is a Level 2 Precog and has a POWER of 6. 

She is over-budget in terms of POWER (see the effects of this 

below) but has a murky vision. The GM determines that she sees 

the Wall Street Journal page on a table in a coffee shop with a 

stock value of $32 a share. She reports this and while the man 

does not know the exact date, he does know the highest closing 

value of the stock. 

Ex2: Mark and Ted are waiting for a criminal to walk into a bar. 

Ted is a Level 2 Precog and wants to know if the man is coming 

armed or with friends. He will be there in a few minutes. Ted 

declares that he is looking for a “Strong Feeling” or less. His 

question has a value of 12 (for time) x .5 for general feeling. The 

roll is made by 3, which is good enough for a Strong Feeling or a 

riddle (if the GM has one in mind). Since Ted declared a 

“General Feeling” the cost is 6pts. He pays it and gets a feeling 

of being watched. They deduce that while the man might come 

alone, he has a friend in the bar watching or people outside 

watching (the actual case is that the criminal is being followed by 

the police and the GM determines that a strong feeling would 

have been one of paranoia of being followed). 

Drama In Visions: It’s all to easy 

to treat Precognition like 411. The 

medium sits down, barks out some 

questions, and then gives the 

answer. The GM can do that if the 

game treats psionics very matter 

of factly. Here are some “better” 

suggestions: 

1. Asking questions can “piss 

off” the cosmos. The medium 

should be very careful with 

the power being used. Too 

much meddling with fate can 

have very dire consequences. 

2. The character is in contact 

with a higher/lower power. 

The medium may not just be 

sending his/her mind into the 

future, there may be another 

party involved. That party may 

want payment for answers. 

3. Vision Aids: maybe visions 

only work under powerful 

drugs, with massive seizures, 

or other dramatic trappings. 

4. The Other Side: the more 

time a medium spends “in the 

future” the more he or she 

loses touch with the here and 

now. The GM may rule that a 

person’s life gets stranger and 

stranger as they ply into the 

mysteries of the future. 

Whatever the case, these rules 

will help insure that good mediums 

are hard to find and may want 

more than a few dollars for their 

services. 

Ex3: A character wants to know what the world will be like in 100 

years. The GM determines that this is far too open-ended a 

question and denies it. The player then asks whether or not the 

president will be assassinated. The GM declares that he hasn’t 

decided this so he makes a secret roll assuming that on a 6- the 

president is in a likely assassination situation and gives the 

character a shot at it. The GM rolls a 12 and the character gets a 

vision of the president as an old man. This does not insure that


the president won’t be killed; it just means it’s unlikely given the 

state of affairs at this time. 

Meddling with the Future: Once the characters have 

information about the future they will, of course, want to use it. 

This has a dangerous repercussion in that using data gained 

through precognition to change the future makes their activities 

more visible to other precogs. When the characters get data 

about the future and attempt to change the outcome of 

something (or, in the GM’s opinion, wildly capitalize on it) the ½ 

POWER of their vision is added to another precog’s attempt to 

view the same or related information. Furthermore, when 

another precog gets the POWER bonus he will get some 

information about who else is acting on it. 

Ex1: Ted uses his power to determine that UltraCorp is going to 

have a break-through and become a multi-billion dollar 

conglomerate. Since UltraCorp makes bio-weapons, Mark and 

Ted decide they’d better sabotage it before it can become an evil 

multinational. Their plan involves staging a disaster during the 

company’s acquisition of a smaller company that they think is 

related to the future rise. Their vision was a 10 POWER vision. 

UltraCorp’s own psychic council is able to determine that two 

people whose faces are seen is a vision are planning to blow up 

some fuel tanks during their buy-out to create massive negative 

publicity. Questions along these lines get +5 POWER to the 

investigating psychics. 

Combat Precognition 

Combat Precognition is simply a set of honed reflexes that a 

precog uses instinctively in a fight. They involve evading 

damage at the lower levels and striking and fighting more 

effectively at the higher ones (knowing where one’s opponent will 

be or will block is a huge advantage). 

Combat Reflexes has the following effects at the listed levels: 

Level Ability Block Initiative Bonus Combat Bonus 

Level 1 Duck +0 +0 None 

Level 2 +1 +2 -2 TBH, -2/+1 DM 

Level 3 Block-Ranged +2 +3 -3 TBH, -3/+2DM, +1 to-hit 

Level 4 +3 +5 -6 TBH, -4/+2 DM, +2 to-hit 

Duck: Once per turn the character can execute a Precognition- 

Enhanced dodge. This dodge is at +2 and can be used against 

surprise attacks with the character’s full AGI bonus. The Duck 

move has no negative against ranged attacks. 

Damage Modifier: A precog’s combat movement is based on a 

reflexive foreseeing of the future. This gives a negative damage 

modifier in combat. It is applied vs. HTH and ranged attacks and 

the negative is applied before checking for a Penetration hit by 4 

to double.


A positive damage modifier is applied to the character’s attacks if 

he hits a target. 

Negative To-Be-Hit: In addition to a negative Damage Modifier, 

the character is also harder to hit. This negative is applied 

against HTH and ranged attacks to the same degree (unlike AGI 

bonus) and may be used at any time instead of the character’s 

AGI bonus. 

Precognition Block: The character has better blocks due to his 

view of the future. A precognitive block is at some positive to 

block and costs +1 REA. 

Initiative Bonus: The character’s sense of timing is improved. 

The bonus is added to Initiative rolls, not REA. 

Bonus To-Hit: If the character’s combat-precog level gives a 

bonus to-hit, the character gets that bonus applied to all skill 

rolls. This also gives a positive damage modifier (treat the attack 

as though the character’s skill roll to-hit was improved by that 

amount). 

Block-Ranged: The character can apply his dodge or block, unmodified, 

against a ranged attack. If the GM rules that the 

character has a suitable weapon, with a +1 REA block made by 

+3, the character can either grab a slow missile (arrow or spear) 

or even hit to reflect a fast missile (reflecting a blaster shot with 

some sort of HTH energy weapon). 

Oracle 

The Oracle ability is somewhat different from Precognition. It 

may be purchased along with Far Precognition and Combat 

Precognition for an extra cost or it may be substituted for one of 

the two. 

When the character uses Oracle, he is asking questions of the 

cosmos. The answer may be about the past, about events that 

will never be, or about philosophical questions. The GM must 

reject badly formed questions and monitor this. Fishing in the 

cosmic intellect is not without risks: if the character abuses this, 

the GM should see that nasty things start happening to him. 

Question Asks For 

Power Cost 

Complete Data 16 

Yes or No to simple question 12 

Partial Data (missing important chunk) 10 

Yes or no to complicated question 8 

Sliver of data 4


Procedure: The character asks a question and makes a clarity 

roll. The POWER cost is determined by the amount of data the 

character is asking for times the clarity on the roll. 

Because the amount of data is specified, the Clarity is less 

important than it is in Far Precognition. The cost, however, is 

usually much higher. Usually a Clarity of Riddles/Strong Feeling 

will give the character most of what he needs towards the 

answer (especially in the case of a yes or no answer). The 

character can specify a maximum clarity when making the roll so 

as to prevent an awesomely high POWER cost. 

Ex1: Will our spy betray us 

Complete Data: He will take actions that seem to be a double 

cross to you because he knows he is being watched. When he 

has his enemies confidence, he will give you the data you need. 

The POWER cost is 16 x the Clarity gained. 

Yes or No to simple Question: No. POWER cost is 12 x Clarity 

Partial Data: see either him giving assistance to them or you, but 

not both and without context. The POWER cost is 10 x the 

Clarity. 

Yes or No to complicated: Yes (because you will think he is 

betraying you). The POWER cost is 8 x the Clarity. 

Sliver of data: see him being questioned by the enemy. The 

POWER cost is 4 x the Clarity. 

Clairvoyance 

Realism: Level 1 may exist in “realistic” games. 

Clairvoyance (commonly called ESP, as well) is the power of remote 

sensing. The character can know things, or project his senses. This is 

the ability that some government agencies will use to spy on their 

enemies or locate armies or submarines in action. It is the ability that 

characters may use to find water, oil, or gold. It is the ability people on 

TV use to see what is inside envelopes. 

Clairvoyance 

Level Cost Remote Viewing Dowsing Object Reading Other 

Level 1 8pts Low Power Low Power Low Power Dreams 

Level 2 16pts Medium Power Medium Power Medium Power Danger Sense 

Level 3 24pts High Power High Power High Power Detection 

Level 4 48pts High Power High Power High Power 

Remote Viewing: The character projects a “vision-like” sense at a 

range. At the lower levels, this is not quite “seeing” but is instead 

“knowing.”


Low Power: The character has a Range of WIL 2 miles but gets 

only general feelings or visions. The GM should make a roll at – 

4 against the character’s Third Eye skill and then, based on the 

type of attempt, give the appropriate information. 

Attempt/Question Example Data 

Find a person the Finding 0-3 Knows if the targets are in the area 

character does not lost 

4-6 Has vision of the targets, knows 

know in WIL 2 mile campers 

direction (within 60 degree arc) or some 

radius. 

within the 

piece of pertinent data (color of car the 

• +3 If the seer radius. 

person is driving). 

knows them. 

7-9 Can lead a party there, but knows only 

• +3 if the seer Finding 

direction and some idea of distance. 

has a beloved kidnapped 

possession. victims 

10+ Knows exact direction and distance and 

has vision of current events and 

• +1 if the seer 

conditions. 

has a 

photograph. 

“See” what 

someone has in 

an envelope or 

case within WIL 

yards. 

• +2 if the 

character 

takes a few 

minutes and 

touches the 

envelope. 

Performing 

“magic 

tricks.” 

Reading a 

person’s 

ATM PIN 

number 

from far 

away. 

0-3 Gets it “partially right” (50% of numbers, 

a general idea of the picture). 

4-6 Gets it “mostly right” (75% of numbers, 

very close picture) 

7-9 Gets it “right” (90% of numbers, identical 

picture) 

10+ Gets it dead-on. The character knows 

everything. 

Finding something 

out about a 

location or building 

in a WIL 2 yard 

radius. 

Is anyone 

inside a 

building 

(+0 to roll) 

Is the 

object 

we’re 

looking for 

in there 

(-3 to roll) 

0-3 Weak “correct” feeling (a miss will give a 

weak incorrect feeling). 

4-6 Strong “correct” feeling (a really bad 

miss of –5 or more will give a strong 

incorrect feeling) 

7-9 Vision about the person or object (i.e. 

you see a letter on a table) 

10+ Exact data in a vision (location, place, 

etc.) 

POWER Cost: The power cost for “Low Powered” remote 

viewing is 3 points per usage. Each time this is used the 

character loses 1 point of POWER for the next 10 minutes. 

Medium Power: The character can project a sight-sense a few 

yards. Using the vision is an 8 REA Long action that requires 

concentration. Going into the trance takes 10 – [WIL-10] 

Seconds. Coming out, takes the same (you are vulnerable while 

using Medium Power Clairvoyance).


Your “Sight Nexus” is then projected in a straight line. This 

presence can go WIL x 2 yards, and can use all the character’s 

senses from that point. It will use them normally (i.e. if projected 

into a dark room it won’t see but will hear). 

Any character with ESP or Telepathy will immediately detect the 

use of this ability. Psionic attacks may be used as though the 

“sight nexus” was the character but the Clairvoyant character 

cannot attack through this Nexus (so if attacked he must retreat). 

The POWER cost of Medium Precog is 1 per yard projected. 

High Power: High Powered Clairvoyance is the same as 

Medium Power but the “Sight Nexus” can move and Telepathic 

attacks can be launched through it (this can be very unfair!) The 

Nexus moves at [WIL-10] yards per second, the character must 

be in concentration. A Telepath will know where the body is 

located. 

Using this is “Noisy.” Characters under surveillance will feel 

watched. Paranoid characters will shut up—even if they are 

unfamiliar with Psionics … they’ll know someone is listening. 

After using this ability, the character will get –5 to Persuasion 

rolls due to a “creepy feeling” (this can have other role-playing 

disadvantages … police won’t trust the character, etc.) 

The POWER Cost is 4 for the first minute and +1 per minute 

after that. 

Dowsing: The character can detect water or other valuable objects 

nearby or by using a map. The most common use is by using a 

“Dowsing Rod” (a forked stick) to find water. In practice, the character 

walks around, making Dowsing rolls and “scanning the area.” The 

character must be concentrating (i.e. must not be disturbed) and gets 

approximately 1 roll per 10 minutes. 

Low Power: The POWER cost is 2 points. The character can 

find: 

o Underground Water (at no negative) 

o Can find buried treasure by walking over it(make a roll at –3 

since someone was trying to hide it). 

o Can locate buried bodies or other large items by walking 

over them (roll at –1). 

o Can, in a room, find valuables (if they’re hidden, roll at –2). 

o Can, in a house, find “an object” or “person” (roll at –2). 

Medium Power: The POWER cost is 6 points. The character 

can find: 

o Resources by scanning a map (a roll made by 5 indicates a 

“good find”). This should take about 5 days per roll to cover a 

100 square mile area. Bad rolls will indicate false readings. 

Rolls by +0 to +4 may or may not recoup the cost of drilling. 

This should be a moderately good way to find oil or some 

valuable resource—not the best way.


o Can, with no negative find a person, a hidden object, or 

valuables in a house. 

o Can, using a map, find crime-scenes (i.e. missing persons, 

buried bodies, etc) 

High Powered: The POWER cost is 12 points. The character 

can find: 

o Resources very effectively (a successful roll and a week 

should find a site which will turn a profit. A roll by 5+ 

indicates a good profit) 

o The character can use satellite maps to find hidden 

headquarters, missile silos, submarines, and other strategic 

resources. 

o “On the ground” the character will feel a “ping” if there is 

anything buried, valuable, or hidden within WIL miles. 

o The character can, in a house, find all valuables, hidden 

rooms, etc. 

Object Reading: The character touches an object (or piece of an object) 

and can tell something about the owner, or the last persons to touch it. 

Low Power: The POWER cost is 2 points. The character can 

get a “vague feeling” from the object. If an object was owned by 

a single person and was used for some task the GM feels has 

“imprinted” it the character can “read it.” Examples: 

o A gun might give the character flash visions of the people it 

killed. 

o A gun owned by a mad-man might give the character a 

vision of a few seconds view through the person’s eyes. 

o A gun in a pawn-shop handled by a psycho-killer the 

character is looking for might “give off” vibrations and let the 

character know the man was here … and approximately how 

long ago (and, with a roll by 5+ how he was dressed, etc.) 

Medium Power: The character can track a target by his 

“psychometric” vibrations. Even on a sidewalk or other hard 

surface the character can be followed with a roll. Moving through 

crowds makes this at –1 to –8 (depending on how emotionally 

charged they are—cutting through a foot-ball game will lose 

almost any tail). 

In a room or area where something highly emotionally charged 

happened (a murder) the character will get a sense of it. 

Touching the walls or floors for several minutes may produce a 

vision (make a roll by 4+). 

When handling an object the character can do the following: 

o Sense what happened to the object in the last WIL minutes. 

This does not give the object “eyes” but the character will get 

a good sense of what has recently transpired. 

o What the object is used for … what it was used or misused 

for … who the character’s most predominant owner is, etc. 

o Read a password off a computer’s keyboard if the user had 

used it often for several days. 

o Tell something about the state of mind, current location, or 

appearance of the last person to read a book.


High Power: The character can gain frightening amounts of 

information from handling an object someone else has used. The 

GM should figure out what information an object might contain 

(usually it will contain facts about it’s owner, lots of data about 

how it was used), and maybe even have a “link” to current data 

(“He now lives in Wisconsin and manages a general store!”) 

Dreams: The character has strange and sometimes prophetic dreams. 

This is a very open-ended ability and can exist quite easily in “normal” 

campaigns. The GM may choose to give away any information he 

chooses in a dream (it may be good, bad, misleading, ironic, etc.) 

If the character is being stalked (especially by a paranormal entity) the 

dreams can become terrifying). If two characters with Dreams are 

intertwined they will often dream of each other even if they’ve never met. 

The GM can feel free to misrepresent any information for purposes of 

drama (i.e. you dream of a man named Maxwell who controls a rival 

corporation … you talk to him, make deals, argue, etc.) In reality the 

genders are reversed: it is a woman named Maxine and she thinks of 

you as the opposite gender. 

Danger Sense: When a character has Danger Sense (Level 2 or higher 

Clairvoyance) they are hard to fool. This is similar to Intuition and more 

or less supersedes it. The character gets a roll to detect any surprise 

attack, know if he’s being followed, or if something he is about to do is 

really dangerous. 

Detection: At the Detection level, you get rolls to know when someone is 

plotting against you. The GM should run this as a roll (usually at –1 to –6 

based on how far away they are, how secret something is being kept, 

etc.) [Rules to be defined later: this is how powerful ESPER’s keep one 

or more steps ahead of their enemies.] 

ESP Aspects 

Post-Cognition [ 8 ] 

The character can use their “pre-cognitive” sense to look into the 

past as well. The character uses the same rules as Far Precog 

to look into the past some distance (same rules still apply but 

instead of “what is the outcome of this action” the question 

would be “what was the cause” 

Obscure [ 8 ] 

The character is adept in manipulating the “precognitive ether” in 

such a way as to hide information. This is mostly useful against 

Postcognitive scans (i.e. “who did this”) but can also be used to 

hide from people trying to ask Oracle questions or discover what 

the character is up to. The character takes POWER hours of 

meditation and adds +[POWER/2] to the POWER cost to scan 

ask a specific question. This is the strongest “block” (other 

questions which are less directly related have lower POWER 

blocks—the difference is up to the GM). A Precog can usually tell 

when something is blocked but if the block is from a character


two levels higher than the asker, the information may simply 

come back wrong.


Minor Disciplines 

Emotional Vampire [ 2, 4, 8, 16 ] 

The character is an unsavory emotional vampire. The character 

can actually suck energy and ‘life-force’ from a target. 

• Level 1: A chosen target will gain a –2 Defect (Depressed) 

and the Emotional Vampire will get +1 to CON rolls (and the 

equivalent of a day’s meals) if they’ve spent 8 hours in that 

person’s company that day. An EV may only choose one 

target to drain at a time. The EV will have to stoke the 

person’s misery after a while (2 weeks) to keep getting the 

sustenance. 

• Level 2: As above but the EV gets +2 CON and +4 DP and 

the target suffers a –3 Defect (which means that on a 7- roll 

they are ineffective for that day). 

• Level 3: The EV can choose two targets (as above) getting 

+2 CON but +8 DP. There is a chance that a target will 

commit suicide on a 4- each month. 

• Level 4: The EV can milk eight targets for +16 DP. Suicide 

rolls are 5-. The character can perform an Emotional Drain 

attack that acts as a POWER vs. STAT attack. Thralls 

(those being drained) get a –1 to their resistance roll for 

each point of Defect they have. Using the Emotional Drain 

ability is subtle in that it is not obviously paranormal but more 

looks like a vicious glance after which the target usually 

retreats from the vampire. 

Emotional Drain 

Effect 

Result 

Minor Effect 

Target is depressed but suffers no combat effect 


Target loses Power Endurance 

Major Effect 



Target collapses. Gains –3 pt Defect for 1 year. 

Target collapses. Gains –5pt Suicidal for 1 year. 

Minor Disciplines aren’t Minor: 

The reason they’re in this section 

is because we wanted to have 

some very complicated powers 

(telepathy, telekinesis, and ESP) 

as the focus of the Psionics rules. 

It’s quite possible to run a game 

where no one uses the major 

disciplines at all. 

Target is emotionally and physically exhausted (sleep if out of combat) 

If an Emotional Drain attempt is missed by 5 or more, 

however, the target will realize what is being attempted 

and will be emotionally neutralized. The combination of 

the two is likely to create a cold blooded killer with every 

reason to want to snuff the Emotional Vampire. 

A game where all the characters 

are Astral Adventurers or where 

they hunt Emotional Vampires, for 

example are all very legitimate 

psionics games that don’t require 

that anyone read minds.


Astral Body [ 2, 4, 8, 16 ] 

Your essence can leave your body and travel through a “parallel 

reality” known as the Astral Plane of Existence. While doing this, 

you are usually immobile and unable to physically interact with 

the “real world.” Furthermore, there may be specific dangers 

inherent with Astral Travel that are not present for normal, 

physical people. 

There are a great number of possible campaign-specific rules for 

Astral Travel, not all of which will be covered here. This form of 

Astral Body and a few possible modifications are intended as a 

starting point if a GM wishes a campaign based heavily on Astral 

Travel. 

The GM must determine what rules the campaign will use and 

then charge accordingly. 

Basic Astral Body 

The character’s Astral Avatar (astral projection of self) works as 

follows: 

A character’s Astral Body usually is immune to poisons, doesn’t 

age, doesn’t bleed (but can take damage), and doesn’t breath. 

It’s a projection of the character’s WIL. 

An “Astral Avatar” uses the character’s RES instead of STR, 

MEM instead of BLD, and WIL instead of CON. The Level and 

POWER of the character’s Avatar may improve these stats. 

Controlled Descent and Astral 

Adventures: 

Astral Travel is most scary in 

gaming as a method of gathering 

intelligence. Astral Projections can 

learn almost anything they want 

about a non-psionic target with no 

danger. That’s why time-limits and 

navigational hazards exist. 

If the characters aren’t interested 

in the “real world” but instead are 

adventuring in the “Deeper Astral 

Realms” (i.e. where you go when 

you are Lost) then this isn’t a 

problem. 

If an astral traveler wishes to go 

directly to the deeper realms, 

ignore the Time and Range limits: 

the character undergoes a 

“Controlled Descent.” There, it’s 

still possible to be lost, but its 

more like being lost in the woods 

than being adrift in the ocean. 

Lost: Astral Travel can be hard to 

control. If you get lost the GM has 

to determine how to handle the 

situation. 

Level Cost STR CON Safe Range Time 

Level 1 8 +0 +0 WIL x 10 yards WIL Minutes 

Level 2 12 +2 +0 WIL x 100 yards WIL x 5 Minutes 

Level 3 16 +4 +1 WIL miles WIL hours 

Level 4 24 +8 +2 Indefinite Indefinite 

Astral Navigation and Dream Space 

A character in Astral Form is invisible and can “fly” from place to 

place (or even seem to teleport). They are easily detectable to 

characters with Telepathy or any degree of ESPer ability. The 

only thing that prevents a character from learning all his enemy’s 

secrets is that Navigation is difficult (and possibly dangerous). 

A character can make short excursions in Astral Form while 

remaining in “Reality.” Movement is at WIL yards/sec. In this 

mode the character is effectively invisible, insubstantial, and can 

fly. Telepaths can easily track an Astral projection back to it’s 

body (there is said to be a “silver thread” that connects them). 

Beyond that range, or for more than the listed time period, the 

character may become lost and slip into Dream Space. Dream 

Space is a “deep Astral Plane” which can be the realms between 

those of the living and dead, a surreal, often changing 

landscape, a place similar to reality but in some ways very 

different and eerily empty, etc. When a character exceeds his 

The easiest way to get back 

someone who’s lost is to perform 

a “Controlled Descent” and get 

them back. The GM should assign 

a number of hours and search 

rolls to find them. The real danger 

is that: 

• A lost character may not be 

found before his body starves 

(not too likely if there’s a 

search team) 

• The cahracte may be 

attacked by an astral entity. 

• The character may suffer 

mental trauma as a result of 

being adrift in the lower 

realms. 

The GM should insure that being 

Lost is unpleasant and being lost 

too often fatal … but being lost 

once in a while shouldn’t be too 

bad.


time/range, he must make WIL rolls at a cumulative –1 each WIL 

minutes or become lost. Once lost, the character must make WIL 

rolls at that negative to get back to his body (i.e. if the character 

becomes lost on a 6- WIL roll, he has a 6- chance to get back). 

After WIL failures, the character is permanently lost and 

someone has to go in and “get him.” 

Computer Telepath [ 8 ] 

You can psionically interface with computers! This makes you an 

excellent hacker and allows skilled computer operators a great 

degree of control over the machine. In a campaign where 

psionics are known, government systems (and those of 

corporations, etc. can be hardened against psionics). The GM 

may rule that some systems (esp. military) are safe anyway due 

to defense against nuclear weapons). 

• You can read data off a disk within WIL/2 yards (the only 

protection is encryption). 

• You can act as an operator (i.e. do anything you could do if 

you were at the computer) from WIL x 5 yards. 

• You can scan for computers (or embedded systems) within 

WIL yards. 

• Embedded systems can be controlled from WIL/2 yards 

away. A RES, Computer Level 2 roll, or Security Systems 

roll against the “complexity” of the system will allow the 

control of the device. A standard security system is –2. 

Complicated systems might be –3 to –8. 

• You can use a phone system to dial into a computer or the 

internet if you have an account (i.e. you are the computer). 

• You can read what’s on a screen from WIL x 5 yards (if 

someone puts in their password, even if it isn’t on the screen 

you’ll know it (you can read it off the keyboard buffer). 

• You can crash a computer from WIL x 10 yards with a RES 

or Computer skill roll. If you make it by 5 (Level 2, 3, Level 3, 

or 0 at Level 4) you can “smoke” the system, destroying it. 

• You can write code and otherwise program at +2 to the 

Computer skill roll and at 4x the normal speed. 

• If a Cyborg has a built-in computer, you can use the 

Telepathic Freeze power against him at WIL POWER. 

Empath [ 4 ] 

You are adept at reading feelings and emotional states. You can 

also, psionically, “take on” emotions and sensations of a target. 

This can be useful in healing or figuring out an enemies moves. 

• You get a perception roll in the case of any violent or 

extreme emotions nearby (assassins in crowds, an ambush, 

etc.) this usually has a range of WIL x 10 yards. 

• You can make a RES roll to determine emotional state (this 

gives advantages in poker, negotiations, etc.) the GM should 

determine how the target is doing and give him a WIL vs. 

WIL roll to hide his feelings. The Empath rolls at +3. If the 

Empath wins, there should be an appropriate +1 to +3 

modifier for knowing the stress level of the opposition. Some


skills (meditation, gambling, etc.) will help a target hide his 

feelings. Usually a Lvl2 skill gives +1, Lvl3 gives +2, and Lvl4 

gives +4 in the right circumstances. 

• With the laying of hands, the Empath can take on the pain of 

the target. This gives comfort (the Empath makes WIL rolls 

at +2 … with some negative for the severity of the pain). This 

gives the target +3 to CON rolls. 

• In a social setting, the Empath can detect lies, determine 

who’s an enemy, etc. with WIL rolls. These are against the 

WILs of characters trying to disguise their intent. The 

Empath rolls at +3. 

• An Empath can be vulnerable to painful emotions. The GM 

should rule that if a character nearby is extremely distraught, 

the Empath must make a WIL roll at +1 to –4 (depending on 

severity) or be Dazed (and sick). The duration of the effect is 

up to the GM—the Empath may not be functional in 

situations like a riot, a tragedy, etc. Usually (but not always) 

this doesn’t apply to combat. 

Visions [ 4, 8, 16 ] 

The character receives visions. This isn’t so much a precognition 

ability as a sort of random link to the cosmos. The character gets 

visions (which take the form of seizures in the extreme case) and 

remembers them. They may be cryptic, stunningly clear, or even 

totally bogus. 

Although not specifically “divine” in nature, the visions often have 

actions and agendas associated with them. A character might, 

when shaking hands, realize the person he’s met is going to be 

killed soon and have to do something about it. Often Visionaries 

seem to be agents of some “higher” power. 

At Level 1, the Visionary gets sudden strong feelings. These 

incapacitate him for 1 to 3 seconds and may make him dizzy, 

sick, etc. They usually deal with the “aura” of a place or person. 

At Level 2, the Visionary gets visions that may incapacitate him 

for a minute or two (he may fall down and then be ill and dizzy). 

They may be of a warning nature, they may concern his or 

other’s futures. Often they may dictate a strange course of action 

with no real explanation: “I have to tell the woman in the red hat 

that someone is looking for her!” 

At Level 3, the character may have full-blown seizures that last 

several minutes and may lay the character up for hours (or not, 

that’s a worst case scenario). The character may get great 

insight into some event, be compelled to take action for odd 

reasons, and otherwise know things that he shouldn’t. After a 

seizure, the character may make MEM rolls to “remember” things 

that are important for the next WIL days (the character is ultraaware 

for these days and may be receptive to whatever’s going 

on).


Sensitive [ 4, 8 ] 

You are tuned to mystic energy. Sensitives will get a perception 

roll to detect ghosts, magic, the presence of the supernatural, 

etc. Often they will get a feeling as to whether the phenomena is 

good or bad. The GM should play this as a somewhat fickle 

ability and one that is prone to give the character nasty scares (a 

house where someone died badly, years ago might be a 

nightmare for a powerful sensitive but completely normal to 

everyone else). 

At Level 2, the character has greater clarity than at Level 1. The 

GM should consider the character to have a moderate 

understanding of the phenomena. Sensitive characters can 

detect a person under mind control, may have a clue if someone 

is sick (even if it isn’t obvious), feel cold around psychotics, etc. It 

can be a catch-all psychic perception. 

Nature Link [ 4, 8 ] 

You have a psychic connection to the ‘earth mind.’ Commonly 

called Gaia, the mind is a sort of sleeping mother-figure which 

controls the entire natural living world. Animals will communicate 

with the character (they may not speak, but conversation can be 

shared by gesture, making noises, etc.) The character has a 

natural knowledge of survivalist and won’t starve in the wilds. 

At Level 2, the character is an agent of the world mind. If she is 

threatened (by corporations, aliens, whatever) the character will 

know something is wrong and will be called on to help. In return, 

the natural world will work for the character. Animals will be 

friendly and will come from afar to help the character. In the 

woods, pursuers will be lost and the characters trails will be 

impossible to follow. Finally, Gaia grants her agents a second 

CON roll at +3 vs. any Dead, Dying, or Internal result (if made, 

shift the result to Unconscious). 

Gimmick [ 8 ] 

You have a strange relationship with machines. You can make 

them operate when they otherwise won’t or shouldn’t. Your 

Gimmick roll is WIL based. This roll will allow you to: operate a 

broken machine. If made by 3+, it will work as long as the 

character uses it … otherwise for WIL minutes. It will allow you to 

open locks (roll at –1 to –6 against safes or vaults). It gives +3 

to any attempt to repair a machine with Mechanics (it doesn’t 

help design them … or even understand them). 

A 5 REA action and a WIL roll will jam a gun (-3 vs. revolvers). 

Against Cybernetics, you must roll at –4, but a success will 

freeze a weapon or limb. 

Persona Obscura [ 8, 12 ] 

You don’t show up on ESP, Pre-Cognition, or Oracle (at least not 

well). Questions about you have a +6 or +12 POWER cost. 

Questions about things you’re involved with have a +3 or +6 

POWER cost. 

Hard Mind [ 4, 16 ]


You have a Mind Shield even though you aren’t telepathic. This 

is equal to 2x WIL above 10. Telepaths can’t take this. At the 

16pt level you are immune to telepathic assault (the GM can 

determine whether or not a properly trained Level 4 can crack 

your mind … but for Level 3 and below probes, scans, and 

attacks won’t work). 

Teleportation [ 16, 24 ] 

You can instantly teleport from place to place. Teleporting is an 8 

REA Long action. You can go a distance of WIL x 10 yards at 

Level 1, WIL x 100 yards at Level 2. If you teleport to a place 

you can’t see, but remember, a MEM roll will let you “land 

safely.” For each point the roll is blown by, the GM should pick a 

random direction to “deviate” you by 10% of the distance 

traveled (so a roll blown by 10 deviates you 100% of your 

distance in a random direction). 

Generally, if you teleport into something accidentally, nothing 

happens (i.e. if there is a chair where you are “landing” you 

appear on the chair). However, if you teleport into thick solid 

stone or otherwise make some huge error, you suffer a Major 

Wound (DP drop to 0 and roll on the Major Wound table). 

You can carry with you 10lbs per point of STR above 10, with a 

minimum of 50lbs. 

Healing [ 4, 8, 12, 16 ] 

You can repair bodily damage in yourself and others. You may 

heal WIL-10 times per 6 hours. The total healed in any one 

healing is: 

Level Amount Healed Other 

Level 1 WIL – 10 (min 1pt) 

Level 2 [WIL – 10] x 2 (min 2pt) Cure Sickness 

Level 3 [WIL – 10] x4 (min 4pt) 

Level 4 [WIL –10 ] x 8 (min 8pt) 

Cure Sickness: The Healer can substitute the character’s CON 

roll for his WIL+Level (so a Level 4 healer gives his WIL+4 to the 

sick person). This requires about 4 hours of care each day.

Psionic Abilities - Jags

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