Difference between revisions of "Telekinesis"

Latest revision as of 15:24, 8 April 2016

Back to Chapter 8: Psionics

The action-oriented Adept

This focus deals with the manipulation of matter and energy with nothing more than the Adept’s mental focus. Since air is matter, and heat is nothing more than the motion of atoms, a skilled telekinetic can also manipulate such things as sound and create fire or freeze objects. They can also erect various mental shields that can block or interrupt matter or energy. The most powerful Telekinetics can even power a small starship and boost the output of TISA engines. One advantage that Telekinetic adepts enjoy is that since most of their focus revolves around manipulating matter rather than the minds of others, psionic nulls generally enjoy no added protection against them.

Level 1—Mass Movement/1, Levitate/3, Flight/5

Mass Movement
CT cost: 1
Activation #: 12
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Mastery
This is the basic talent of the Telekinetic adept. It allows him to move a singular object with the power of his mind. Each level in Psi Focus: Telekinesis allows a maximum of 100 kg to be moved. This is then multiplied by the Mastery level (A psion with 5 points in Psi Focus: Telekinesis and 3 levels of Level 1 Mastery would be able to move up to 500 x 3 = 1500 kg). The actual mass being moved will affect the CT cost and activation number; if you are attempting to move half the mass, the activation number will be halved (to 6), round fractions up. Moving small objects will generally be trivial, but it will still cost CT to move them. If you are attempting to move the full load allowed by your Telekinesis level, the only way (besides ability card modifiers) to lower the activation number is to increase CT spent to improve the activation roll. Once the object is aloft, 1 CT/round will allow you to keep moving it. Without a PK crystal, the max speed of objects is 1m/round. Each bump allows the psion to move the object and additional number of meters equal to his Essence die type. With a PK crystal, objects can be moved as many meters per round as the adept’s Essence die type. Mass Movement does not work on sentient beings or their belongings; the presence of the target’s mind interferes with the psion’s telekinetic hold (so no lifting enemies into the air and dropping them to instantly kill them!)

Levitate
CT cost: 1/1
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 0
Dice Pool: Focus
Levitation allows the psion to turn the mass movement talent on himself. It allows for upward or downward motion against the acceleration of the local gravity well. As such, levitation is useless in zero G environments. Lateral movement is not possible with this talent, but pushing off objects such as a wall is possible. Use the zero G skill to determine lateral movement while levitating. Speed of movement is essence die type in meters per round (1m per round without a PK crystal), with each bump yielding extra results as described for Mass Movement. Duration is 1 round. If the psion has learned the more advanced talent of Flight, levitation becomes much easier and more efficient, and the duration is one minute.

Flight
CT cost: 1 (jump)/2 (sustainted)
Activation #: 5/7
Speed/Delay: 0
Dice Pool: Focus
This talent allows the psion to apply mass movement to himself horizontally and laterally, allowing for “true” flight as though he was wearing a contragrav harness. Movement speed is 24 (12 for a half-move). A flight-assisted jump lasts one round and is considered a movement action (you can activate Flight to take a half-move of 12m and still act on that step). Sustained flight lasts for one minute per activation and flight speed is about 160 km/h (100 mph). Wide-open spaces are more conducive to telekinetic flight; if trying to fly in cramped conditions, use the psion’s Personal Flight Systems: CG Harness skill to avoid hazards. Each bump to the activation roll doubles the max distance for a jump or the speed of flight for one minute.

Level 2—Manipulation/1, SoftSpeak/3, Disorient/5

Manipulation
CT cost: 1
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Focus-Dexterity
The psion can use his powers of telekinesis to act as his own hands at range, allowing him to do such things as flip switches, knobs, levers or type at an old-fashioned keyboard; any small task that the psion could complete with his fingers. He must be able to see what he is manipulating, either by direct vision, binoculars, video feed or even some other psionic means. Each activation of this talent allows for one task (flip a switch, unlock a deadbolt, type a short command into a terminal and hit “enter”). Range is 50m x Essence die type.

SoftSpeak
CT cost: 1
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1
Dice Pool: Focus
This talent allows the psion to vibrate the air or materials around him in a very precise manner to produce sound waves. These can be used for the simple purpose of making a distraction, or it can be fine-tuned and focused to produce “whispers” in another person’s ear. Softspeak does require some concentration, so the psion cannot perform other combat actions while using this talent. If talking to one person, others will not normally be able to hear it (anyone nearby with advanced hearing can make an Acuity check). The sounds produced by Softspeak are not very loud (conversational volumes at most), so if the psion wishes to speak to more than one target at the same time, they will need to be relatively close (around 10m or so). Range is 50m x Essence die type. Duration is one minute.

Disorient
CT cost: 1
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Mastery
This attack allows the psion to interrupt the target's actions for a short time by disrupting cochlear input. On a successful attack roll, the target makes an Acuity check to resist. If the target fails to resist, results depend on what the target is currently doing. If the target is in the middle of a multi-action procedure or waiting for a delay (such as firing a speed 2 weapon, aiming, or waiting for a psi ability with a delay to activate), the action is interrupted and stopped. If the target has not acted yet, they lose their highest action card. Each bump eliminates an additional action card. If the target has no action cards, he gains "disorientation counters" that must be removed by playing action cards in later rounds before he can act again. Range is 20m x Essence die type.

Level 3—TK Blow/1, Stress/3, TK Bullet/5

TK Blow
CT cost: 1
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Mastery
This talent allows the psion to propel a small object (1kg-10kg mass) with enough speed and force to hit a target with the force of a club for 1d6 + Essence damage. Since the objects deliver damage largely on their mass rather than speed (like a bullet), a TK Blow can be blocked or deflected like a normal melee attack, but subtract 1 from the defender’s defense skill (to a minimum of 0) to determine the attack TN; blocking a random object flying at you is a bit more difficult than blocking a regular strike. Each bump increases the telekinetic portion of the damage by 1d6. Range is 1m x Essence die type.

Stress
CT cost: 2
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Focus-Acuity
The psion learns to perceive weaknesses in inanimate objects, or set up weaknesses by placing objects under telekinetic pressure. This talent can be used to break bonds (flex-cuffs, ropes, handcuffs), improve demolition tasks or even help penetrate personal armor. Successful use of this talent will allow the psion to break normal bindings on himself or others with his bare hands (hardened or exotic bindings like manacles or tanglewebs will require an activation # of 9 to break). If used in demolitions, the psion can (or can aid another) reduce the TN for a demolitions check by 2. Each bump reduces the TN by another 2, to a minimum of 3. When targeting the stress points in armor, the psion’s next 2 attacks with a meele or ranged projectile attack will act as one die type higher when it comes to reducing damage. Each bump increases the die type once more (1 bump would increase a rifle from d8 damage to d12 damage; heavy armor with a rating of 3 which would normally see a rifle round bounce off of would still be penetrated by d6 damage). Range is 5m x essence die type.

TK Bullet
CT cost: 1
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Mastery
This talent allows the psion to propel an object with the mass of a pebble or coin at such speed that it can strike with the force of a large-caliber magnum handgun round for 3d6 damage. Each bump increases the damage by 1d6. Armor will mitigate this attack. While this attack will not have the same report as a gunshot, it is by no means silent. The object launched will reach supersonic speeds, and as such there will be a small sonic “boom” akin to the cracking of a whip. Range increments are equal to the psion’s Essence die type.

Level 4—TK Screen/1, PulseField /3, Mind Shield/5

TK Screen
CT cost: 2/1
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Focus
This talent allows the psion to project an invisible shell all around his body. The TK Screen acts as level 1 armor, and stops all physical attacks (unarmed, melee, projectile & most explosives). Each bump to the activation roll will increase the level of protection by 1. It will not stop energy attacks or flame attacks. It will add to the protection of any worn armor (using a TK Screen while wearing level 2 armor will stop attacks up to d8). Every time the TK Screen is hit by any attack, it drains 1 CT from the psion. Duration is one minute.

Pulse Field
CT cost: 5+/1
Activation #: 9
Speed/Delay: 2/0
Dice Pool: Focus
With the Pulse Field talent, the Telekinetic begins to harness the pure energy of the material universe. This talent allows the psion to project a shell around him that strips the energy from electronic circuitry and acts like an EMP field. The PulseField will also repel the most harmful charged particles from nuclear radiation, creating a temporary “clean zone” around the psion. When activated, this talent depletes 4 CT, plus 1 CT per 10 meters of effect radius. Each bump to the activation roll allows the Psion to add 10m to the effect radius if he chooses. All unshielded electronic devices within the effect area suffer simple breakdowns (TN 3 to restart/reboot) with no permanent damage caused in most cases. Duration is 1 minute. Maintenance is 1 CT/minute.

Mind Shield
CT cost: 2/1 (active);1 (passive)
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Focus
Active use of this talent allows the adept to project a psychic shell around his mind that renders him nearly impervious to telepathic talents for 5 minutes per activation (The adept defends as a Null would). Passively, every 2 levels act as one level of the mental conditioning skill.

Level 5—Motion Scan/1, Pyrokinesis/3, Cryokinesis/5

Motion Scan
CT cost: 1
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Focus-Acuity
The psion can detect the presence of living beings or moving objects through their disturbances to the environment. He is able to pick up on heat sources, vibrations (sound) and air displacement (movement) as part of the psion’s growing, innate understanding of the matter around him. In most respects this talent functions similarly to the Telepath’s talent of Life Sense, but Motion Scan will also reveal the location of psionic nulls as well as active robots and vehicles. As such, it may be possible for a telekinetic psion to pick up “false positives,” but with one bump (or two or more uses of this talent), enough information can be gathered to eliminate these anomalies. Successive uses of this talent can be used to determine (1) the number of contacts, (2) a contact’s nature (living being, animal, robot, vehicle) and (3) the general direction and range. Each bump tells the psion another level of information. Detection range is Essence die type x 50m. Duration for each activation is 5 minutes.

Pyrokinesis
CT cost: Varies (see description)
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1/3
Dice Pool: Mastery
This talent allows the psion to rapidly vibrate matter at the molecular level to produce heat, even to the point of igniting materials and melting metal. If used as an attack, the CT cost is 2, with damage and effects of a flamer pistol. While the attack is charging (delay of 3), it will be visible to others as the air around the psion’s hands begins to glow and ignite. If used to cut or melt metals, this talent allows the psion to use his fingers like a cutting torch or welder for 1 CT/minute of use. This talent can be used to start fires at touch for 1 CT, and in cold conditions can be used to warm the psion to a comfortable temperature for 1 CT with a duration in minutes of the psion’s essence die type plus the level of Psi Focus: Telekinesis.

Cryokinesis
CT cost: Varies (see description)
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 1/3
Dice Pool: Mastery
Like Pyrokinesis, this allows the psion to move matter at a molecular level, but to slow matter down and in effect, lower its temperature. He can lower the temperature of a mass equal to that which he could move with the Mass Movement talent to nearly absolute zero. Each increment of 100 degrees C costs 1 CT. This talent can be used to induce cryostasis on mortally wounded or recently deceased persons for later attempts to revive them. This costs 5 CT/24 hours. For 2 CT the psion can attempt to quick-freeze an opponent. The target must check his Fortitude trait against the attack roll. Failure means they are temporarily incapacitated as though failing a stun check. In hot conditions, the psion can also cool his own body to survive extremely temperatures, such as walking through a burning building or shrugging off a flamer attack. This costs 5 CT and the duration is the psion’s Essence die type in minutes. All Cryokinesis talents are touch range only.

Level 6—Liquefaction/1, TK Burst/3, TK Grenade/5

Liquefaction
CT cost: 4
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 2/0
Dice Pool: Focus
This talent allows the psion to subject normally solid ground (dirt, sand) to the kind of forces one might see during an earthquake, where the soil disassociates and “liquefies” even in the absence of water. On successful activation, the psion can turn roughly a 10m x 10m patch of earth into a swampy pit about one meter deep. Personnel caught in the muck will need to make a TN 5 strength check each round they attempt to move, otherwise they are immobile for that round. The driver of a vehicle will need to make a TN 7 driving roll to avoid the vehicle being bogged down. People on foot will only be able to move at crawling speeds, and vehicles will only be able to move at approximately 10% of their speed. The area affected doesn’t need to be a perfect square, but should be a regular shape (a circle that covers 100 square meters, a column 2 meters wide and 50 meters long, or a 5 meter by 20 meter rectangle are acceptable examples). Metal, concrete and rock are not affected by this talent. Personnel will suffer 1d4 CT each round they attempt to move through the morass to reflect the strain and fatigue of the endeavor. Range is 20m x Essence die type. Duration is the psion’s essence die type in minutes.

TK Burst
CT cost: 5
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 2/0
Dice Pool: Mastery
This potent attack allows the psion to take a small handful of objects (coins, pebbles, nuts and bolts, etc.) and propel them like a TK Bullet either all at once like a shotgun blast, or one after the other like the stream of fire from an automatic weapon. As a shotgun blast, the attack does 2d8 + 3d8 damage, with range increments of 5m and each bump adding 1d8 to the base damage. As an automatic, the attack can be spread over multiple targets (see the Combat & Adventuring chapter, page XX). It does 2d8 per shot with a burst fire rate of up to 10 and range increment of 10 with each bump increasing the number of hits on target by 1 (up to the maximum number launched at any particular target). Both attacks have the suppression effect. If there is nothing suitable in the surrounding area to use for this attack, it cannot be attempted. Some psions may carry a pouch of coins, ball bearings or even pea gravel for this very reason.

TK Grenade
CT cost: 5
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 2/3
Dice Pool: Mastery
This talent allows the psion to cause a small object (about 1kg) to detonate, filling the air around it with shrapnel like a grenade and causing 3d12 damage with AoE increments of 5m (every 5m from the blast, the damage is reduced by one die). The target object cannot be in contact with a living being; their psychic emanations will interfere with the energy buildup in the object. Each bump to the activation roll increases the damage by 1d12. This attack produces no fire or flame, but when the psion targets an object, there is a delay of 3. During this time, the object will begin to vibrate and hum as it nears detonation, which may give those nearby a chance to run or take cover. The psion must be able to see the target object, either visually or through some other mundane or psionic means. Range is 20m x Essence die type.

Level 7—Energy Screen/1, Battle Screen/4

Energy Screen
CT cost: 6/2
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Focus
This talent allows the psion to project an invisible shell all around his body. The Energy Screen acts as level 2 armor, and stops all energy attacks (lasers, blasters, fusion, stunners, disruptors and powered melee weapons such as force blades, laser swords and light swords). Each bump to the activation roll will increase the level of protection by 1. It will not stop projectile attacks or most explosions. It will add to the protection of any worn armor (using an Energy Screen while wearing level 1 armor will stop attacks up to d8), but cannot be used while a TK field is in effect. Every time the Energy Screen is hit by an attack that does d6 damage or greater, it drains 2 CT from the psion. Duration is one minute.

Battle Screen
CT cost: 10/3
Activation #: 9
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Focus
This talent allows the psion to project an invisible shell all around his body. The Battle Screen acts as level 3 armor, and stops all energy (lasers, blasters, fusion, stunners, disruptors and powered melee weapons such as force blades, laser swords and light swords), projectiles and explosions. Each bump to the activation roll will increase the level of protection by 1. Like standard battle screens, this talent will not affect unpowered melee weapons and unarmed attacks; those weapons do not have the speed or energy to trigger this talent’s minimum activation threshold. It will add to the protection of any worn armor (using the Battle Screen talent while wearing level 2 armor will stop attacks up to d20!), but cannot be used while a TK field or Energy Screen is in effect. Every time the Battle Screen is struck by an attack that does d8 damage or greater, it drains 3 CT from the psion. Duration is one minute.

Level 8—Power/1, Maneuver Drive/4

Power
CT cost: Varies
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Focus
With this talent the psion learns to pull into our universe the vast power of the Tachyon universe hidden on the other side of his PK crystal. He can channel this power for many purposes. If a weapon runs on energy cells, he can replenish his weapon (1 CT). If a vehicle has an electric transmission system, he can power it (3 CT/hour). If the local planetary power grid is down, he could supply power to a house or building (5 CT/hour). He can even supply enough energy to power some systems such as weapons, screens, life support or tractor beams on smaller starships (<15,000t) in the event of power systems damage (10 CT/hour).

Maneuver Drive
CT cost: 10
Activation #: 11
Speed/Delay: 3/0
Dice Pool: Focus
With total concentration, the psion can channel power directly to the maneuver drives and increase output by up to 25% for one hour. At the end of each hour, check for breakdown. The psion cannot attend to or engage in any other shipboard activities during this time, else he loses his concentration, the drives drop down to normal operating levels, and a breakdown check must be made. Some legendary vessels such as celebrated warships, notorious smugglers or nimble blockade runners have often been rumored to have a telekinetic adept aboard to earn them a footnote in the annals of naval history.