Psion - I Can Kill You With My Brain
Sept 21, 2018 18:15:15 GMT -6
Post by Amanojyaku on Sept 21, 2018 18:15:15 GMT -6
The Warp is the domain of magic and the mind. To master the magic, one must first master the mind. This is best seen in the Aboleth, abominations that can channel the powers of the Warp with little more than their intellects alone. They (along with their Mind Flayer servants) are a product of Pandaemonium, an oppressive Sphere where only by channeling the powers of the Warp in earnest can you actually make the living conditions for its inhabitants worse.
Due to their bizarre approach to spellcasting, the Aboleth were able to catch the races of the Wheel with their metaphorical pants down. They took many slaves, some for use in their armies and labs, and others merely kept in holding cells as livestock. Not many of the victims kidnapped during the War of Monster's Fall made it back home, but the ones that did had their DNA subtly altered in ways that would not make themselves known for millennia.
In the Age of the Imperium, the descendants of those that had been experimented upon by the Aboleth have a small chance of developing psychic powers of their own. This Exaltation often doesn't kick in until a trigger activates, such as a set age or being exposed to external stimuli (ie, something trying to kill you). Their abilities allow them to exert pure mental force on the world around them, without needing to study magic or pray to gods for power.
The civilizations of the Great Wheel call these powers Psionics. Those who wield Psionics are known as Psions, and they are more often than not feared and hated like anything else that crawls out of Pandaemonium. For these reasons, Psions mostly keep to themselves unless pressed into action by a third party. When that does happen, the Psion is a terrible being to behold, capable of rending bodies and souls asunder with little more than a thought.
Tell: The use of Psionics can be incredibly physically taxing. The more a Psion uses their powers, the more it wracks their systems. A miasma of energy streams above their heads, blood drips from their orifices, and their fingers and limbs begin to twitch and spasm wildly. At high enough levels of Psi, the Psion's whole self will become a grotesque display of power. Worst of all, long-term use of Psionics might make you go bald!
Powers
Wild Talent: You gain a free rank in one magic school. You may advance in that school as if it was on your class track. Ignore the Material, Somatic, and Verbal keywords when spellcasting, and add the subtle keyword to non-Evocation spells that don't already have it.
Mind-Hand Manipulation: You gain the Quick Draw feat and can telekinetically manipulate any unattended object within (5*Wisdom) meters of you, substituting Willpower for Strength and Wisdom for Dexterity where applicable. You can only manipulate objects in a simple manner this way -- you can lift boxes and throw switches, but not wield a weapon.
Mindsight: You can detect the minds of intelligent creatures within (10*Ego) meters of you, giving you a vague sense of their location regardless of visibility. You can spend Psi to 'attune' yourself to a number of minds you can sense equal to your Ego, allowing you to communicate with them telepathically (regardless of language) for a scene.
Brainburn: Your body simply wasn't designed with psionic energy in mind. When casting Unfettered or Pushed, take a wound (E-type damage, Head) if you roll any 9s on your magic check. Take another wound if you cast Pushed, period.
Power Stat: Ego: While a sorcerer can use books and mentors to grow in knowledge and comprehension of their powers, most Psions can learn only from themselves. Increasing Ego represents not only the Psion's growing acceptance of their mind's abilities and desires, but actual mutations in their brain as it adapts to handling increasing magnitudes of Psionic force.
Resource Stat: Psi: Psi represents the volatile bursts of mental energy that surge out of the Psion's mind. Psions have maximum Psi equal to the sum of their Constitution + Willpower + Ego. You regain one Psi every hour at Ego 1, and one Psi every half hour at Ego 3.
*Prescience: You can spend 1 Psi to add your Ego in rolled dice to a Dodge or Parry, or any attack benefiting from the Aim action.
**Unnatural Mind: Gain the Strong Minded feat, and add twice your Ego to your Mental Defense. You can spend 1 Psi to force anyone trying to read your thoughts or affect your mind to roll against Fear equal to your Ego.
***Effect Mass: You can perform the Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, and Knock Down actions using telekinesis. Telekinetic grappling works like normal grappling for the purposes of feats, substituting Strength with Willpower and Dexterity with Wisdom as normal.
****Superior Action: When spending Psi to boost a test, you gain a static bonus to the roll equal to the number of Psi spent and an additional +1k0 bonus for every two Psi spent.
*****Mind Crush: You can spend 5 Psi and a Half Action to let loose a torrent of psychic energy in a 20m cone at a 30-degree arc. Enemies within the cone must roll on the Shock table.
Psion Discipline Assets
Environmental
Kineticists are masters of force and motion. You can throw objects (and punches) with your telekinesis, using Willpower instead of Strength for the damage roll. You cannot make opportunity attacks using this power, and you cannot wield actual melee weapons with it until Ego 3.
Manipulative
Ardents worm their way into their victims' hearts and minds, reading them like books and playing them like flutes. You gain a +1k1 bonus to social skill tests made against creatures under the effect of your Enchantment spells or that you are in communication with using Mindsight.
Sensory
Divers make up for the lack of common sense with senses that would make normal people flip the hell out. You gain Darksight and a +1k1 bonus to Perception tests. You can spend 1 Psi to see through
Somatic
Egoists have mastery over their own bodies and, should they get their hands on them, the bodies of others. You gain additional hit points equal to your Ego, and can spend Psi to add your Ego in rolled dice to any physical test.
Subpsionic
Alienists are slightly more mixed up in the head than regular Psions. You can spend a Psi to suppress any degenerations or mental disorders you have for a scene. Anyone trying to read your thoughts without your consent must make a Composure test against TN 10 + (5*Ego) or become confused (as per the Confusion spell).
