Psionics
The Basics
Psionics are mental abilities, generated by the minds and will of some creatures. They're only available to certain kinds of creature and even then aren't inherent to most of them. This makes them comparatively rare across the worlds, and psions inspire a wide range of reactions from people and societies that are aware of them. The societies that cultivate psions have a pretty stable set of effects that are safe to use (by which we mean they don't cause any harm to the wielder or any unforeseen side effects). Some monsters (to use the term loosely) have much stronger or weirder effects; some of those can be taught, some rely on alien physiology, some could be taught but require so much power that they're guaranteed to kill cross-trained users.
For day to day purposes, Psionics resemble energy-driven skills. The skill itself costs some number of Skill Points and activating it costs some number of Psionic Points. Every Psionic skill you learn gives you two Psionics Points free of charge. Your psion can have as many as ten distinct psionic skills (and thus, 20 psionic strength points to fuel them) without any exceptional training or effort. These are things that are easy to self-teach or commonly taught in places that cultivate psionics. As your psion encounters other psions, you may or may not be able to learn powers from them or teach your powers to them, with or without some consequential side effects. As strictly mental powers, Psionics enjoy a bit more latitude in deployment than magic; psionic skills can be activated regardless of restraints or silence, although they require you to be conscious and in control of your own actions. Psionic skills pass cleanly through magical barriers - wizard locks, Imprison cages, Circles, and similar magically-generated structures. Psionics are generally packet-delivered and called as "Psionic <effect>", making them comparatively quick to use. Some are voice-delivered and these'll be noted in the relevant skill description.
Common, stable psionic skills include:
| Power Name | Skill Point Cost | Use Cost | Prerequisite Powers |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | |||
| Empathic Thoughts | 2 | 1 | None |
| Awaken | 2 | 3 | Empathic Thoughts |
| Psionic Shield | 4 | 3 | Awaken |
| Clear | 5 | 5 | Psionic Shield |
| Psionic Guard | 4 | 5 | Psionic Shield |
| Psionic Blast | 3 | Variable | None |
| Psionic Lance | 3 | Variable | Psionic Blast |
| Psionic Slay | 5 | 8 | Psionic Lance |
| Psionic Charm | 4 | 3 | Empathic Thoughts |
| Psionic Command | 5 | 5 | Psionic Charm |
| Psionic Enthrall | 8 | 10 | Psionic Command |
Psionic Skill Descriptions
Empathic Thoughts: This power allows the character to read the thoughts of another creature they are in contact with. To use the ability, the character must be in contact with the target and must expend 1 Psionic point. This allows the characters to have an OOG conversation and is completely Role-Play. Alternately, it can be used to detect sentient creatures near them; this is called as “Everyone in the sound of my Voice Detect Sentient”. Fully-trained Psions (those with 10 purchased Psionic skills) can expend 5 Psionic Points to ask a question that must be answered truthfully out of game.
Awaken: This will end the duration of Silence and all Mental effects on the target save for: Enslavement, Feeblemind, Horrify, Nightmare, Thrall and Slumber. (This is a psionic-vector Awaken effect, copied here for ease of reference).
Psionic Shield: Psionic Shield passively protects a character from the next Mental or Psionic effect that lands. (Mental and Psionic have high overlap but aren't interchangeable). This can be used on other characters.
Psionic Guard: Psionic Guard acts as a Resist Mental or Resist Psionic, chosen at time of use. This can be used on other characters.
Clear: Clear immediately ends the duration of all negative mental effects on a character, regardless of source.
Psionic Blast: Psionic Blast is a telekinetic punch, delivering 5 points of normal damage per Psionic Point spent in its activation. This is called as "Psionic X Normal"; while it may seem underwhelming, remember that it can be used while confined, missing all your limbs, silenced, hanging upside or whatever - it lacks for the power of a Spell Pool but compensates in ease of delivery.
Psionic Lance: This is the more traditional telekinetic brain bleed. Psionic Lance is called as "Psionic X Body" and delivers 2 points of Body damage from every Psionic Point spent activating it.
Psionic Slay: The (current) pinnacle of psionic violence, Psionic Slay inflicts the Slay effect on its target. (This effect deals 100 points of damage to the target.)
Psionic Charm: Inflicts the Charm effect on the target.
Psionic Command: Inflicts the Command effect on the target.
Psionic Enthrall: Inflicts the Thrall effect on the target.