GURPS 4th edition. Psis

35 Pages·2010·1.3 MB·English

by  Jason "PK" Levine

P
TM
SIS
Written by JASON “PK” LEVINE
Edited by SEAN PUNCH
Illustrated by DAN SMITH
An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS®
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
®
Stock#37-0137 Version1.0–May2010
C
ONTENTS
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . 3 ProbabilityAlteration..........25 Telepathy....................31
UsingThisSupplement.........3 PsychicHealing ..............26 Teleportation.................32
RecommendedBooks ..........3 PsychicVampirism............27 BulkCompensation ...........33
AbouttheAuthor..............3 Psychokinesis................29
TelekineticCheatSheet.........29 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
1. BUILDING PSIS. . . . . . . 4
CharacterConcept.............4
PsionicPower.................4
About GURPS
Visibility......................4
PSYCHICTRAITS...............5
SteveJacksonGamesiscommittedtofullsupportofGURPSplayers. Our
Advantages ...................5
addressisSJGames,P.O.Box18957,Austin,TX78760.Pleaseincludeaself-
Disadvantages.................5
addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We can also be
Skills ........................7
reachedbye-mail:[email protected]:
Psi-FlavoredSkills..............8
New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow – see what’s
2. PSYCHIC TEMPLATES . . 9 newatwww.sjgames.com/gurps.
UnusualBackground(Psi).......9 e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adventures, play aids, and
Celebrity .....................9 supportinPDFform...digitalcopiesofourbooks,plusexclusivematerial
Child .......................10 availableonlyone23!Justheadovertoe23.sjgames.com.
Criminal ....................11 Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid). Our monthly PDF magazine
Experiment..................12 includesnewrulesandarticlesforGURPS,systemlesslocations,adventures,
Power-BasedDisadvantages.....13 andmuchmore.Lookforeachthemedissuefrome23!
Investigator..................13 Internet.VisitusontheWorldWideWebatwww.sjgames.comforerrata,
Manipulator .................14 updates,Q&A,andmuchmore.TodiscussGURPSwithourstaffandyourfel-
Mythbuster..................15 lowgamers,visitourforumsatforums.sjgames.com.TheGURPSPsisweb
Parapsychologist..............16 pageiswww.sjgames.com/gurps/books/psis.
SecretAgent .................17 Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies, and
Soldier......................18 we’reputtingthemonline–withlinkstoletyoubuytheresourcesthatinter-
Soothsayer ..................18 estyou!Gotoeachbook’swebpageandlookforthe“Bibliography”link.
NormalJanesandJoes.........19 Errata.Everyonemakesmistakes,includingus–butwedoourbesttofix
our errors. Up-to-date errata pages for all GURPS releases, including this
3. PSIONIC PACKAGES. . . 20
book,areavailableonourwebsite–seeabove.
Anti-Psi .....................20
AstralProjection..............21 Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Basic
OverlappingAbilities...........21 Set,FourthEdition.PagereferencesthatbeginwithBrefertothatbook,not
Ergokinesis..................22 thisone.
ESP ........................24
Being a telepath means you’re special and rare and valuable.
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C 2
ONTENTS
I
NTRODUCTION
TemplatesmakeGURPScharactercreationabreeze–pick (p.32).Withtheplayers,heshouldalsodiscusswhethertem-
afewoptionsandmakeacoupleofchoices,andyou’vegota platesand/orpsipackagesaremandatoryforthecampaign.
useful, playable, personalized hero. But some options go It’s possible to allow freeform character design but restrict
beyondsimplechoices,andpsiisoneofthem.It’sonethingto psionicgiftstothepackageshere,ortorequiretemplatesbut
say what skills a secret agent ought to take . . . but which leavepsitotheplayers.
psionicpowersandabilitiesshouldhehave?Ateleportingspy Players designing PCs freeform will still find the notes on
makesjustasmuchsenseasanergokineticone,afterall! traitsonpp.5-8andunderPower-BasedDisadvantagesuseful.
GURPS Psis answers this with a two-pronged approach. They may wish to skim the templates for inspiration – or to
First, it offers a set of templates for character concepts that makesurethey’renotomittingsomethingimportant!Andeven
shouldfitanypsioniccampaignwithoutbeingtiedtospecific playerswithleavetodesigntheirownabilitiesmightpreferthe
psychicabilities.Second,itincludesover100different“grab- speedandsimplicityofpsipackages.
n-go” psionic packages built with the streamlined abilities
from GURPS Psionic Powers. Each package comprises a
mixofabilities,perks,skills,andpsitechniques,allcarefully
chosentoworkwelltogetherandbundledinto25-,50-,and
100-pointoptions.
Whether you’re playing a low-powered game and can’t
figureouthowtobuildaneffectivepsiwithonly25points
of abilities, or have so many points available that you can’t
figureoutwheretostart,Psishasasolution–almostasifit
readyourmind...
U T S
SING HIS UPPLEMENT
Ifyou’rerelativelynewtoGURPS–andespeciallyifyou
werestillfiguringouttheGURPSBasicSetwhenyourGM
sprungGURPSPsionicPowersonyou–you’llfindGURPS
Psis handy. First, read p. 4 to get a handle on several “big
picture” issues for psionic campaigns. Next, review
pp. B258-260 to learn how character templates work, and
thenjumptoChapter2andpickatemplatethatlooksfunto
play.Yourtemplatemayrequireyoutochooseskillsordis-
advantages; if you get stuck here, Psi-Flavored Skills (p. 8)
andPower-BasedDisadvantages(p.13)offerplentyofsugges-
tions.Finally,skimChapter3andselectone50-pointpackage RECOMMENDED BOOKS
ofpsicapabilitiesortwo25-pointones,followingtheadvice
in your template’s Customization Notes section or simply The GURPS Basic Set and GURPS Psionic Powers are
goingwithwhatsoundscool! required to make full use of this book. The character tem-
Fornow,don’tworryaboutallthestats.Justbesuretocon- plates, general advice for building psis, and new options for
sult with your GM at each step. Ask if his campaign has any existingtraitswillbeusefultoreadersusingotherapproaches
“requiredtraits”(likeUnusualBackground),whetheryouhave topsionics,butallreferencestopsionicsrulesandpsiabilities
extrapointstospend,andwhich–ifany–psiabilitiesareoff- here are to Psionic Powers. GURPS Psionic Campaigns
limits.Alsohavehimapproveyourpsipackagesandwalkyou offers advice for psychic character concepts and themes that
throughOverlappingAbilities(p.21),ifnecessary. wouldalsobeusefultoanyoneplayingapsi.
Ifyou’reanexperiencedgamer,thenallthatisoldnews–
butyoumightappreciatea“cheatsheet”onwhat’shere.The A A
BOUT THE UTHOR
GMhastoruleonwhetherpsishaveSocialRegard,Unusual
Background,Secret,and/orSocialStigma(pp.5-7);consider JasonLevine,morecommonlyknownas“Rev.PeeKitty,”
how psi interacts with Exorcism, Gambling, and Photo- haswrittencountlesswordsaboutpsioverthepastfewyears,
graphy (pp. 7-8); make several decisions discussed under despitebarelybeingabletoreadhisownmind.Helivesona
PowerLevelandUnusualBackground(Psi)(p.9);pickwhich large patch of land in the middle of nowhere where he, his
unusualproblemsinPower-BasedDisadvantagesareavailable wife,andtheirsmallmenageriecanhidefromtheworld.He
to psis; think about how strictly he wants to apply works as the assistant GURPS line editor and in his spare
Overlapping Abilities; and of course decide what psi abilities time, he plays games, collects toys, and runs the website
exist,payingspecialattentiontoTK(p.29)andExoteleport www.mygurps.com.
I 3
NTRODUCTION
C O
HAPTER NE
B P
UILDING SIS
Games that feature psionics differ somewhat from other and unrelated talents! But some synergy between skills and
campaigns,especiallywhenitcomestocharactercreation.The psionic abilities can help improve in-game effectiveness. To
most obvious change is the availability of cool new powers; make this easier, the templates in Chapter 2 offer advice
evenifthesettingattachesdrawbacksandangsttotheseabil- regarding appropriate powers. When using a different tem-
ities,mostplayerswillenjoyreadingmindsandfloatingpen- plate–orcreatingapsifromscratch–it’shelpfultoconsider
cils.Buttheexistenceofpsialsomeanstheexistenceofrelated the role the psychic will play, based on his skills and advan-
things:newskillsrelatedtopsychotronicsandparapsychology tages, and choose a power that complements this. For exam-
areavailable,someadvantagesdevelopa“psychicflavor,”and ple, a thoughtful, knowledgeable scholar might have ESP,
certaindisadvantagesgainimportanceasawaytoreflectthe whileanactive,impulsivescoutshouldconsiderTeleportation.
socialissuesthatgohand-in-handwithpsi. Afterchoosingthepower(orpowers–seebelow),allthat
Thus,buildingapsirequiresagoodcharacterconcept(role, remainsistopickabilitiesthatworkwelltogether.Ifusingthe
personality,powers,etc.),butalsoknowledgeoftheeffectthat premadepsionicspackagesinChapter3,thishasalreadybeen
psionicshavehadonthegameworld–especiallywhichtraits accounted for. Otherwise, picturing the psi in action may be
areimportant,whicharemandatory,andwhichareforbidden. usefulwhendeterminingwhetheroneabilitycomplementsthe
CheckwiththeGMforspecifics.(PsionicCampaignscanhelp other.Ofcourse,themostimportantruleistoselectabilities
theGMdecidehowtoincludepsisinthecampaign.) thatwillbefuntoplay!
Depth vs. Breadth
People need hard times and Apsiwithmultiplepowershasawiderrangeofoptions–
onewhocanteleport,readminds,andsetthingsonfirewon’t
oppression to develop psychic muscles.
findalotofsituationswherehisgiftsareuseless.Butapsychic
who focuses on a single power can afford to buy as much
– Emily Dickinson
TalentastheGMwillallow.Thissignificantboostinskilltrans-
latesdirectlytoeffectiveness,yieldingapsiwhoseabilitiesare
morepotentforthesamenumberofpoints–evenifthey’renot
quiteasversatile.
C C
HARACTER ONCEPT Whichisbetter?That’sfortheplayertodecide.
Thefirststepincreatingamemorablepsiiscomingup
withaconcept.Inmostcases,thismeanschoosingatem-
plate.Chapter2providesadozendifferentideasforchar-
Visibility
actersthatwillsuitmostcampaignsthatfeaturepsionics
–althoughyoumighthavetotweakthemsome.Inaddi-
Mostpsionicabilitiesaresubtle.Ifthere’sarolltonotice
tion to those, setting books often contain templates that
them (Psionic Powers, p. 11), it’s often at a penalty – and
are easily adapted for psis; see Normal Janes and Joes
even if the subject succeeds, he’ll rarely figure out who’s to
(p.19)forguidelines.
blame.Thisletsthepsiusehisabilitiesfreely,despitenearby
Templates are designed to be adjusted, of course – if
witnesses.
one doesn’t quite capture the spirit of the desired hero,
However,afewabilitiesareblatant...likeusingTKGrab
changeit!It’seasytoscaledowntheofferedtraitstomake
to pick up a lamp, or blinking away with Combat Teleport.
roomfornewones,ortoshiftaroundpoints.SeeAltering
Witnessesmayrubtheireyesinamazement,butthey’lldefi-
CharacterTemplates(p.B258)foradvice.
nitelyrealizethatsomethingbizarreandpossiblysupernatu-
Ifnothingpremadecomesclosetothedesiredconcept,
raljusthappened.Ifyourpowersareasecret,thenusingsuch
then any gamer with a solid understandingof the Basic
abilitiesisaquickwaytoendupexposed–andevenifyou’re
Set can crack open that book and create a psi from
alreadyaknownpsi,youcankisssubtletygoodbyeifit’sobvi-
scratch.Eventhen,borrowingbitsandpiecesfromPsis
ousthatyouareresponsibleforwhat’shappening!
cansavesometime.
Thus,there’sabuilt-in“safetynet”inchoosingonlysubtle
abilitieswhencreatingapsi.Thisdoesn’tmeanthatblatant
PSIONIC POWER abilitiesaren’tworthwhile!Theysimplyrequireextraprepa-
rationandcautiontouseunnoticed.
Apsi’spowerdoesn’thavetomeshwithhisothercapa-
bilities. After all, the world is full of people with diverse
B P 4
UILDING SIS
P T
SYCHIC RAITS
The following traits aren’t intended for creating psionic Mostpeopleknowaboutpsi:From0points(ifpsisareeven
abilities.Theyrepresenttheotherpartofbuildingapsi:social fairlycommon)to15points(ifpsisareextremelyrare).
and mental considerations that are especially relevant in a
Thesevaluesareonlysuggestions.TheGMshouldfeelfree
worldwithpsychicpowers.
toadjustthemtosuitthecampaign.
A
DVANTAGES Wild Talent
Howcommonthesetraitsaredependsheavilyonthecam- seep.B99
paign. What’s off-limits in one game may be mandatory in
Ifyouknowapsionicskill,thenyoucanuseWildTalentfor
another–alwaysasktheGM.
oneofitspsitechniques!Thisremovesthetechnique’sdefault
penalty,allowingyoutouseitatfullskill.
Patrons
seep.B72
Many settings feature psionic institutes (see Psionic All psychics transfer
Campaigns,p.10)–placesoflearningwhereonecanimprove
existingpsipowersandpossiblydevelopnewones.Depending healing energy, even
on the campaign, this study may be the only way to gain or
improvepsychicabilities.AsaPatron,suchaninstituterequires
those who are unaware
theSpecialAbilitiesenhancement.Ifattendanceallowsstudents
to use the normal rules for improvement through study, then
add Special Abilities, +50%. If the facility has the means to they have the ability or
bestowpsi (e.g., remarkabledrugs andprogramsthatcan add
newpowersovernight),thenthat’sSpecialAbilities,+100%. appear to have no other
Social Regard psychic talent.
seep.B86
TheGMmayrequireknownpsis–oratleastthoseabove – Betty F. Balcombe,
someminimumpowerlevel–totakethisadvantagetoreflect
the average person’s fear or respect. Feared is appropriate if The Psychic
psisarerareandmistrusted,butconsideredfartoopowerful
forevenagroupofregularpeopletochallenge.Respectedfits
Handbook
campaignswherepsisconstituteasociety’srulingclassorare
otherwiseconsidered“better”thantherestofmankindbythe
worldasawhole.
Talent D
ISADVANTAGES
seep.B89
Some of these disadvantages may represent social draw-
ForgeneralrulesgoverningTalents,seetheBasicSet.New backsthatapplytoallpsis.SeeChapter2formoreonadding
TalentsgermanetoPsisare: thesetothetemplatesthere.
Craftiness: Acting, Camouflage, Disguise, Holdout,
Shadowing,andStealth.Reactionbonus:none!5points/level. Addiction
Parapsychologist: Electronics Operation (Medical, Psy-
seep.B122
chotronics, or Scientific), Expert Skill (Psionics), Hypnotism,
In many settings, the most potent psychotronic drugs are
Occultism, Physics (Paraphysics), and Psychology. Reaction
alsoeitherpsychologicallyorphysiologicallyaddictive.While
bonus:psisandtruebelievers.5points/level.
rarelyincapacitating,theyareoftenexpensiveandhaveannoy-
ingsideeffects.
Unusual Background
It’s also possible to become addicted to telepathic contact.
seep.B96 Thiscostsnothing,butrequiresthetelepathtospendamini-
mumofonehoureachdayindirect,mind-to-mindcommuni-
Unlesspsiisbothcommonandopenlyknown,it’slikelyto
cation with another person; it’s highly addictive but legal in
require an Unusual Background. For detailed guidelines on
setting a value, see Psionic Campaigns (p. 13). Alternatively, most settings, for a final cost of -5 points. Being addicted to
deep telepathic contact is similar, but requires the psi to shut
usetheseguidelines:
outtheoutsideworldcompletely,becominglostinthetangle
Psiisasecret:From5points(ifpsisareextremelycommon) ofminds;thisbringsthevalueto-15points.
to25points(ifpsisareextremelyrare).
B P 5
UILDING SIS
Chronic Pain CodeofHonor(Psychic’s):Neveruseyourpsipurelyforper-
sonalgain.Neverharmanotherpersonwithyourpsiexceptin
seep.B126
self-defense. Never psychically invade someone else’s privacy
This disadvantage is very common for psis in fiction, and (includingeavesdropping)withouthisknowledge.-10points.
usually represents the strain that psychic powers place upon
the mind. If you suffer pain only when using your abilities, Compulsive Behavior
then either add the Backlash limitation (GURPS Powers,
p. 104) to your abilities or take Chronic Pain with Power- seep.B128
Activated(below). Anyone,notjustpsis,mayhavethefollowingdisadvantage–
Toensurethatthisremainsavaliddisadvantage,youcan- althoughonlypsychicabilitiescanjustifythe“invasive”version:
notaddthePower-Activatedlimitationunlessthetotalpoints
CompulsiveSnooping:Youcan’tseemtorefrainfrominvad-
you’ve spent on supernatural powers (abilities, Talent, and
ing others’ privacy. You’ll eavesdrop on conversations, go
skills)exceedsthepointsthatChronicPainwouldgrantwith-
throughmail,peekindesks,andsoon.Youwon’tdothisifthe
outthelimitation.Forexample,ChronicPain(Severe;4hours;
person(orsomeoneyouknowwillreportyou)isstandingright
12orless;Power-Activated,-80%)[-6]wouldbea-30-pointdis-
there,butyoumustmakeaself-controlrolltoavoiditother-
advantage before the limitation, so you must have spent 31+
wise–evenifyouknowthatyoumaygetcaught!Thisdisad-
pointsonpowerstotakeit.
vantage is more serious if you have telepathic abilities and
must roll to avoid invasive snooping (e.g., reading thoughts
Special Limitation
andstealingsecrets).-5points*(-10points*ifinvasive).
Power-Activated: Your Chronic Pain stays dormant as long
asyoudon’tuseanyofyoursupernaturalpowers.Themoment
Delusions
youusethem,though,youmustimmediatelyrollagainstyour
disadvantage’s frequency of appearance – and you must con- seep.B130
tinuetodosodailyuntilyou’vegoneafulldaywithoutusing
Thisisespeciallyappropriateforapsiwhoseabilitiesdevel-
any abilities. Thus, if you use them just once, you must roll
oped spontaneously and who thus knows nothing about the
immediatelytodayandthenoncemoretomorrow.-80%.
sourceofhisabilities.Insuchcases,Delusionslike“Iama
wizard!”or“Iamanalien!”arefitting.
Dependency
seep.B130
This disadvantage rarely suits human psis. Reliance
on a particular drug is better represented using
Addiction(p.5).Considerthistraitonlyifyourpsychic
was genetically engineered to require a particular sub-
stancetosurvive–perhapsasasecuritymeasuretodis-
couragehimfromrunningaway.
Easy to Read
seep.B134
If Easy to Read (Psychic Only) is particularly com-
moninthesetting,thentelepathswillhaveamucheas-
iertimegettinginformation,wideningthegulfbetween
“psi”and“non-psi”considerably.
Special Enhancements
Psychic: In addition to your physical “tells,” you
project your thoughts uncontrollably. Your resistance
rollsagainstspellsorabilitiesthatreadyourthoughtsor
Chummy emotionsareat-8.Aswell,ifyou’reexperiencingahighlevel
of emotion or stress, you must roll vs. Will (a roll of 14+
seep.B126 alwaysfails)toavoidprojectingyourthoughtsandfeelingsso
ChummyandGregariouscanrepresentatypeoflow-level loudly that they’re picked up automatically by all nearby
addiction (p. 5) to the mental presence (for telepaths) or life mind-readers! Assume that any telepath can “hear” such
force(forhealersorvampires)ofothers. thoughtswithinskill¥3yards,or(IQ+Talent)¥3yardsifnot
using psi skills. You cannot learn the Mental Strength or
Code of Honor MindBlockskills,andtheMindShieldadvantageislikewise
off-limits.+100%.
seep.B127
Psychic Only: As for Psychic, but you only project your
A special Code of Honor is appropriate for any psi whose thoughts–yourbodylanguageisnoeasiertoreadthanany-
abilitiesallowhimtoaffectorspyonothers: bodyelse’s.+0%.
B P 6
UILDING SIS
Enemies Youreceive-1toreactionsfromnormalfolk;insomesettings,
this includes even other (non-telepathic) psis. The reaction
seep.B135
penalty becomes -2 from anyone who has a reason to believe
Ifpsiisrare,thenknownpsismayhavepowerfulorgani- that you may use your telepathy on him. If the campaign
zations – perhaps even the government – as a formidable requiresallpsistohaveanotherSocialStigma,orSocialRegard
Enemy (Watcher). More dangerous Enemies are certainly (Feared),thenyoumayhavethattrait,too.-5points.
possible.Ifpsiisunknown(orpsissimplylackbasicrights),
then there may be a number of groups out to kidnap psis.
Victims may be forced to work for the organization, and
“Split brain motivation,”
mightevenbeexperimentedupon!
“psychotronics,” and “psionics” may
Flashbacks
sound like so much “mumbo jumbo,”
seep.B136
but, in reality, they are easy to apply
Whentakenbyanesper,thismaymanifestasareactionto
attitudes that will give you unheard of
powerfuldivinations(RetrocognitiveFlashbacks,Visions,etc.).
If so, it can represent the psi becoming lost in the vision, as capabilities in the area of ESP, time
opposedtobeinglostinmemoriesorrandomhallucinations.
travel, bi-location, and enable you to
Mundane Background contact outer space kingdoms and
seep.B144 invisible life forms all of whom God
Apsiwho’smerelyunawareofhisabilities(andthususes created to assist you!
them only subconsciously) may still purchase psionic skills.
Thisrepresentsaninnatefinesse,evenifhe’sunawarethathe – Advertisement, Weekly
hasit.ApsiwithMundaneBackgroundmaynotdothis,how- World News, Feb. 5, 1991
ever;hemightstillexploithisabilitiessubconsciously,buthe
usesallofhispsionicskillsatdefaultwhiledoingso.
Overconfidence
S
KILLS
seep.B148
Atrulyversatilepsiwillwanttobeskilledwithmorethan
Some psis (especially those who see themselves as Homo
just his abilities. Certain skills are especially valuable to psy-
superior)mayberespectfulofotherpsis,butcockyanduncon-
chicsandthosewhoworkwithoraroundthem.
cernedwhendealingwith“normalhumans.”Torepresentthis,
addAccessibility,NormalsOnly,-20%toOverconfidence.
Brainwashing
Secret seep.B182
seep.B152 Telepathic brainwashing can be especially effective,
as part of the process involves “getting inside the victim’s
This disadvantage is usually mandatory in any campaign
head.” Successful use of any Telepathy ability – with the
where the generalpopulace is unawareof psi. To accurately
exceptions of Borrow Skill, Mind Clouding, Mind Shield,
gaugethevalueofSecret(Psi),totalthepointsforallofthe
MindSwap,Telecontrol,TelepathySense,orTelescan–gives
disadvantages that a person would gain were his psi uncov-
+2toBrainwashingskill.
ered(Enemies,SocialStigma,etc.),includinganyadvantages
thathe’dlose(e.g.,StatusorWealth).Thenhalvethetotaland
Dreaming
roundtothenearestvalueofSecret:-5,-10,-20,or-30points.
seep.B188
Social Stigma
IfyourDreamingskillishigherthanyourWill,youmayuse
seep.B155 ittoresistStealDreams–andtoopposeanyDreamControlor
Telepathyabilityusedagainstyouwhileyou’resleeping.
Known psis often face fear or similar prejudice from the
restofsociety.Ifthisisthecase,thenaSocialStigmamaybe
Exorcism
mandatory.Second-ClassCitizenfitssettingsinwhichpsishave
full rights in theory, but are restricted in their actions and
seep.B193
rarelygiventhebenefitofthedoubt.MinorityGroupappliesif
UnlesstheGMrulesotherwiseinhiscampaign,youcanuse
psychics are openly discriminated against and repressed.
Exorcismtodriveoutapsiwho’scurrentlyusingNetrunning,
Monster should be reserved for worlds where psis are driven
Mind Swap, or Telecontrol to occupy a host. The psi resists
awayfromsocietyandattackedonsight!
with his skill, however, not with ST or Will. Victory ends the
Onenewoptioncanbeusedalongsidetheexistingones:
abilityimmediately,muchlikeInterruption.
Telepath:You’reaknowntelepath.Peoplebelievethatyoucan YoumayuseExorcismwithoutthe-4forlackofholytraits
read and control minds, regardless of your actual capabilities. ifyouknowSpiritCommunication.
B P 7
UILDING SIS
Expert Skill (Psionics) Hypnotism
seep.B193 seep.B201
This is a useful catchall skill for almost anything dealing Hypnotism can help a subject with subconscious psionic
with psionics. It improves your chance of detecting psi abilitiescometotermswithhisgifts.Ingameterms,itcanact
use(PsionicPowers,p.11),allowsyoutotestforlatentabil- asjustificationforapsitobuyupalatentabilityorremovethe
ities (Psionic Campaigns, p. 7), and can be used to help UnconsciousOnlylimitation.
restoreacrippledabilityorpower(PsionicPowers,p.6).It’s This skill can also be used to help a victim of the Mental
alsothe“go-to”skillforunderstandinganypsionicphenom- Surgery or Mindwipe ability, or the Amnesia psi technique,
enon.TheGMmayallowarollagainstExpertSkill(Psionics) recover his memories. Treat this as a Regular Contest
toansweranyquestiondirectlyrelatedtopsi,withanappro- betweenthehypnotistandthepsi’sskill,rollingonceperday
priatepenaltyfordifficultquestions. oftreatment.
Finally, a friendly hypnotist can help a psi (or anyone!)
Gambling focusonalongtask.Treatthisasimprovedconcentration,per
theAutohypnosisskill(p.B179).Usingbothskillsdoesn’tgive
seep.B197
acumulativebonus.
Gambling is tied very closely to luck – and thus to Luck.
Asanoptionalrule,anyuseofLuckorSecondChanceona Mental Strength
Gambling roll allows three rerolls instead of the usual two,
choosing the best of four results. However, if the GM has seep.B209
declaredthatthisruleisinplay,youcannotrerolliftheorig- Inadditiontohelpingresisttheabilitiesmentionedinthe
inal Gambling roll critically failed! That’s just the way of BasicSet,MentalStrengthisgoodagainstmentaleffectscon-
LadyLuck... testedbyascoreotherthanWill,suchastheabilitieslistedin
PsionicPowers.MakeaDX-,IQ-,HT-,orPer-based
MentalStrengthrolltoresist,asappropriate.
Psi-Flavored Skills Mind Block
Someskillsareanespeciallygoodfitforcampaignsthatfeature seep.B210
psionics.Theymaymakesenseonlyinsuchgames(e.g.,skillscon- Anyone expecting to face telepaths should con-
cerningpsychotronics)ortheymaysimplytakeonnewdimensions siderspendingatleastapointonthisskill.Theabil-
when psi exists (e.g., Psychology). Encouraging heroes to choose itytostopmind-reading(and,withsomedifficulty,
theseskills–andbuildingNPCswhotakeadvantageofthem–isa emotion-reading) – even after failing to resist – is
waytoaddanother(subtle)levelofpsi-focustothegame. veryuseful.
Autohypnosis, Dreaming, Electronics Operation (Psychotron-
Photography
ics),ElectronicsRepair(Psychotronics),Engineer(Psychotronics),
Exorcism, Expert Skill (Psionics), Fortune-Telling, Hidden Lore seep.B213
(Astral or Psis), Hypnotism, Mental Strength, Mind Block, In some settings, Kirlian photography may be a
Occultism,Photography,Physics(Paraphysics),Psychology(Para- valid way to capture psychic energy, usually as a
psychologyorunspecialized). blurry, colorful aura. This can be used to identify
spiritsortheactiveuseofpsi–andpossibly(atthe
GM’s discretion) even psis who aren’t currently
using their abilities! This involves preparing special
Hidden Lore filmandlensfilters,andgives-4toPhotography,whichmaybe
boughtoffasanAveragetechnique.
seep.B199
IfKirlianphotographyisbunk,it’sstillpossibletoattemptit
The Conspiracies specialty includes knowledge of any
(andwastepointsonthetechnique!),buttheaurasitproduces
psionicconspiracies.Someadditionalspecialtiesareappropri-
dependsolelyonthecolorsinthebackgroundoftheshot.
ateincampaignsthatfeaturepsi:
Astral: You know the details of the inner astral plane Psychology
(Psionic Powers,p.28),includinglittle-knownlocationsand
seep.B216
whatever passes for the political climate. You’re also familiar
Psychology(Parapsychology)isanoptionalspecialty.Itmay
witheverynon-uniqueformofastraldenizen–andwithsev-
beusedtounderstandthementalprocessbehindpsi,todiag-
eralofthe(morepowerful)uniqueones!
nosepsionicproblemsandmentalblocks,tohelppsisrecover
Psis: You know all sorts of psionic secrets. This includes
fromcrippledabilitiesorpowers(Psionic Powers,p.6),and
detailsaboutundergroundinstitutes,whothefactionsare(and
toperformpsychicaltesting(PsionicCampaigns,p.7).
theiragendas),andwhichfamouspeoplearesecretlypsis.
IfPsychologyissplitintotherequiredspecialtiesofApplied
Tricks: You know the tricks, props, and routines used to
andExperimentalinthesetting,thenParapsychologybecomes
foolaudiencesandmarks,whetherdonebystagemagicians
athirdspecialtythatdefaultstoeitheroftheothertwoat-5.
or street hustlers. This doesn’t allow you to perform these
ThisraisesitsdifficultybacktoHard.
routines!Rolltorecognizeanymagictrickforwhatitis;this
isn’taQuickContest.
B P 8
UILDING SIS
C T
HAPTER WO
P
SYCHIC
T
EMPLATES
Psicanbedroppedintoalmostanysetting;thus,there’sno disadvantages–e.g.,Secret(Psi)orSocialStigma–maybe
waytoanticipateeverypossiblecharacterconceptthatmight mandatory, and thus must be added to every template. The
make sense in some campaign, somewhere. These templates pointsgainedfromtheseextradisadvantagesmaybeusedto
describecommonprotagoniststhatshouldsuitthevastmajor- reinforce existing traits or to buy advantages and skills not
ity of campaigns with psi, however. For details on character foundonthetemplate.Thelatterwilloftenproduceamore
templates,seepp.B258-260. interesting,personalizedindividual.
Power Level
Thesetemplatesareconstructedon150points,placing Unusual
them squarely in the middle of the “heroic” power level
(p. B487). However, it’s important to realize that they’re Background (Psi)
built as 100-point adventurers with another 50 points in
psi,whichproducesdifferentresultsfromspendingall150 Noneofthetemplatesinthischapterreservepointsfor
pointsonthesameconcept.Forexample,a150-pointsol- UnusualBackground(UB).WhetheraUBisrequiredtobe
dier will be a much more focused warrior than the apsi,anditsvalueifso,arethingstheGMmustdetermine
150-point“psionicsoldier”onp.18,whilethelatterwillbe forhiscampaign;seeUnusualBackground(p.5)forsugges-
talentedinotherwaysduetohavingsupernaturalpowers. tions.Becauseofthis,it’srecommendedthattheGMsim-
There are two ways to boost a template’s power level plyaddanyUBcosttothesetemplatesand“bumpup”the
foralarger-than-lifecampaign.Eachtemplatecomeswith campaign’spowerlevel;e.g.,ifa10-pointUBisrequiredto
a 50-point “Talented” lens that expands its mundane beapsi,thenaddittothe150-pointtemplatesandruna
traits, increasing its power level in a non-supernatural 160-pointgame.
way. As well, the GM can easily increase a template’s Ifthisisn’tacceptable–perhapsbecausethepartywill
psioniccapabilitiesbyraisingthenumberofpointstobe contain both psis and non-psis – the GM can free some
spentonpsionicpackages.(Forsimplicity,thetotalspent pointsfromthetemplatestoaccommodatetheextracost.
onpsishouldbeevenlydivisibleby25.)Forexample,ina These generally shouldn’t come from the points set aside
225-pointgame,theGMmightsay,“Buildyourcharacters forpsi,ifonlybecausethatwoulddefeatthepurposeofthe
usingtheTalentedlenses,andtake75pointsinpsiinstead psi packages in Chapter 3; e.g., if the GM cuts 10 points
of50.” frompsi,thenthere’snoeasywaytospend40pointson25-
and 50-point psi packages. Instead, consider getting the
necessarypointsbyremovingmundaneadvantagesor,per-
Psionic Abilities
haps more easily, by adding disadvantages (see Chapter1
The advantages for each template include “50 points forsuggestions).
fromthepackagesinChapter3.”Thismaybesatisfiedwith
a single 50-point package or two 25-point ones. Note that
thesepackagesalreadyincludethenecessaryskillstousethe
abilities, despite coming out of the template’s “advantage C
ELEBRITY
points.”IftheGMisn’trequiringthegrouptosticktothepre-
made abilities in GURPS Psionic Powers, then the players 150points
mayinsteadusethesepointstodesigntheirownpsionicabili- You’re famous! This may be due to talent (as an actor,
tiesandselecttheirownpsiskills. singer, artist, magician, etc.), activities that keep you in the
spotlight (e.g., activist, politician, or reality-show winner), or
Disadvantages simplybeingbornintoapositionofinfluence.Yourconstant
contact with the public has kept you up to date on the latest
Everytemplateincludes-50pointsindisadvantages.The
gossipandhonedyoursocialskills,thoughyoucanoftenget
GM may allow players to take additional disadvantages (up
whateveryouwantonnamerecognitionalone.Intruth,your
to another -20 points would be reasonable) and should
greatestskillisthatofself-promotion.
encourage them to take quirks. In some campaigns, certain
P T 9
SYCHIC EMPLATES
Attributes:ST10[0];DX10[0];IQ13[60];HT11[10]. Gambling,HiddenLore(Psis),Merchant,orScuba,all(A)
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP IQ-1 [1]-12; Swimming (E) HT [1]-11; or Skating or Ski-
10[0];Will13[0];Per13[0];FP11[0];BasicSpeed5.00 ing,both(H)HT-2[1]-9.
[-5];BasicMove5[0].
*Multipliedforself-controlnumber;seep.B120.
Advantages: 50 points from the packages in Chapter 3. • 20
†OnlyifMusicalInstrumentwaschosenasaprimaryskill.
points chosen from among Reputation [Varies], Status
[5/level], or Wealth [Varies]. • Another 20 points chosen
Lens
fromamongtheprevioustraitsorDX+1[20],HT+1[10],
Talented(+50points):Spendatotalof40pointstoincrease
Administrative Rank [5/level], Appearance (Attractive,
DX[20/level]and/orIQ[20/level].• Add10pointschosenfrom
Handsome,orVeryHandsome)[4,12,or16],Charisma1-4
thetemplate’sadvantageoptions.
[5/level], Cultural Adaptability [10], Ecstatic Psi (any) [1],
Fashion Sense [5], Honest Face [1], Luck [15], Patrons
Customization Notes
[Varies],PenetratingVoice[1],SmoothOperator[15/level],
Social Chameleon [5], Voice [10], or additional Talent for Properlyexploited,Statuscanbeaverypotentasset–butbe
your psionic power(s) [5/level]. • A further 10 points cho- suretotakeenoughWealthtosupportit(p.B265)!Somesort
sen from among the previous traits or Allies (Staff, fans, of Reputation is ubiquitous among celebrities, from local
etc.) [Varies], Business Acumen 1 [10], Contact Group councilmembers(Reputation+1(Upstandingcitizen;County
[Varies],Contacts[Varies],Favor[Varies],GiftedArtist1-2 residents) [2]) to world-famous movie stars (Reputation +4
[5/level], Languages [2-6/language], Musical Ability 1-2 (Talentedactor;Everyone)[20]).IfyoutakeabadReputation
[5/level],orVersatile[5]. as well, remember to total all Reputations into a single trait
before determining if you have a net advantage or disadvan-
tage(MultifacetedReputations,p.B28).
Don’t hesitate to choose a different primary skill; people
Everything about this girl
becomefamousforawidevarietyofreasons.Forexample,an
ecologicalactivistmighttakeBiology(Ecology)(H)IQ[4]-13.
is extraordinary, Mr. Forsyth.
Inagamewherepsiisopenlyknownandappreciated,it’seven
possible to be famous for being a talented psi! In that case,
– Ocean Girl #2.17 choosejustone4-pointprimaryskillandusetheremaining4
pointstoraiseoneormorepsionicskills.
It’s best to look for synergy between your profession and
yourpsi:MagiciansandescapeartistscallforPsychokinesisor
Disadvantages: -15 points chosen from among Chummy [-5] Teleportation,stageperformerscanbenefitfromErgokinesis,
andmentalistsneedESPorTelepathy.Artists,photographers,
or Gregarious [-10], Jealousy [-10], Obsession (Become
and other out-of-the-spotlight stars can use Probability
world-famous) [-10*], Odious Personal Habit (Glory
AlterationforbigbreaksorTelepathytobetterhandleimpor-
Hound) [-5], or Selfish [-5*]. • Another -15 points chosen
tantinterviews.
fromamongtheprevioustraits,Power-BasedDisadvantages
(p.13),orAddiction[Varies],Alcoholism[-15],Compulsive
Carousing [-5*], Compulsive Gambling [-5*], Compulsive CHILD
Spending [-5*], Enemies (Rivals, stalkers, etc.) [Varies],
Gluttony [-5*], Lecherousness [-15*], Reputation [Varies], 150points
Secret[Varies],Stubbornness[-5],orWorkaholic[-5].• A You’re an exceptionally bright, nimble, and precocious
further-15pointschosenfromamonganypreviousoption, youth. While most adults are locked into their comfortable
Combat Paralysis [-15], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism worldview,youkeepyoureyesopenandarealwayswillingto
[Varies],Post-CombatShakes[-5*],SenseofDuty[Varies], learn new things. You aren’t as skilled or experienced as the
orXenophilia[-10*]. oldermembersofthegroup(ifany),butyoumakeupforthat
Primary Skills: Savoir-Faire (High Society) (E) IQ+1 [2]-14. withnaturaltalentand(ofcourse)psychicpower.
• TwoofSleightofHand(H)DX[4]-10;Performance,Pho-
Attributes:ST10[0];DX12[40];IQ12[40];HT12[20].
tography, Poetry, Politics, Public Speaking, or Writing, all
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP
(A) IQ+1 [4]-14; Artist (any) or Musical Instrument (any),
10[0];Will12[0];Per12[0];FP12[0];BasicSpeed6.00[0];
both(H)IQ[4]-13;Singing(E)HT+2[4]-13;SexAppeal(A)
BasicMove6[0];SM-2,-1,or0.
HT+1[4]-12;orspend8pointstobuyjustoneat+1toskill.
Advantages: 50 points from the packages in Chapter 3. • 30
• ThreedifferentspecialtiesofCurrentAffairs(E)IQ[1]-13.
pointschosenfromamongST+1or+2[10/level],DX+1[20],
Secondary Skills: Six of Dancing (A) DX [2]-10; Escape (H)
IQ+1[20],Per+1or+2[5/level],AcuteSenses(any)[2/level],
DX-1[2]-9;Makeup(E)IQ+1[2]-14;Acting,Fast-Talk,Her-
Allies (Siblings, gang, etc.) [Varies], Animal Empathy [5],
aldry, Leadership, or Propaganda, all (A) IQ [2]-13; Diplo-
Daredevil[15],Fit[5]orVeryFit[15],Flexibility[5]orDou-
macy,Finance,orMusicalComposition†,all(H)IQ-1[2]-12;
ble-Jointed[15],HonestFace[1],Intuition[15],Languages
Carousing(E)HT+1[2]-12;MindBlock(A)Will[2]-13;or2
[2-6/language],LightningCalculator[2],Luck[15]orRidicu-
pointstobuyanyunchosenprimaryskillat-1toskill.
lous Luck [30], Night Vision 1-4 [1/level], Patrons (Parents,
Background Skills: Five of Bicycling (E) DX [1]-10; Climb-
gang,etc.)[Varies],PerfectBalance[15],Pitiable[5],Rapid
ing,Riding(any),orSports(any),all(A)DX-1[1]-9;Com-
Healing[5],Serendipity1-2[15/level],Versatile[5],oraddi-
puter Operation or Current Affairs (any specialty not yet
tionalTalentforyourpsionicpower(s)[5/level].
chosen), both (E) IQ [1]-13; Connoisseur (any), Disguise,
P T 10
SYCHIC EMPLATES