Self-Awareness
Only the most gifted of Adepts can be true masters of the self. This focus allows the Adept to hone every aspect of their being, both physical and mental, to a razor’s edge. With that mastery comes an innate understanding of their own physiology, and they can enter a state where physical repair of the body is possible with the powers of the Adept’s mind. Highly skilled Adepts can even affect the bodies of others, mending wounds, curing diseases, and if stories are to be believed…even raising the dead. This is the stuff of fiction in the cold eyes of science.
Level 1—Strength/1, Fortitude/3
Strength
CT cost: 1
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0 (Reflexive)
Dice Pool: NA
The adept can focus his energies to allow his physical body to perform well beyond its normal capabilities. Mastery levels 1-2 allow the Adept to shift his trait value one column to the right (per level) for one action. If the increase would raise the dice pool above V, then each level beyond adds +2 for a skill check/task. For a trait check, each level beyond would shift the result down one row (V2 becomes V3). Mastery level 5+ allows the adept to raise Strength or Fortitude by an additional level.
Fortitude
CT cost: 1
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0 (Reflexive)
Dice Pool: NA
The adept can focus his energies to endure stresses far beyond his normal capabilities. Mastery levels 3-4 allow the Adept to shift his trait value one column to the right (per level) for one action. If the increase would raise the dice pool above V, then each level beyond adds +2 for a skill check/task. For a trait check, each level beyond would shift the result down one row (V2 becomes V3). Mastery level 5+ allows the adept to raise Strength or Fortitude by an additional level.
Level 2—Reflexes/1, Dexterity/3
Reflexes
CT cost: 1
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0 (Reflexive)
Dice Pool: NA
The adept can focus his energies to react and move with lightning-quick speed. Mastery levels 1-2 allow the Adept to shift his trait value one column to the right (per level) for one action. If the increase would raise the dice pool above V, then each level beyond adds +2 for a skill check/task. For a trait check, each level beyond would shift the result down one row (V2 becomes V3). Mastery level 5+ allows the adept to raise Reflexes or Dexterity by an additional level.
Dexterity
CT cost: 1
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0 (Reflexive)
Dice Pool: NA
The adept can focus his energies to almost slow his perception of time, allowing for far greater precision in tasks of hand-eye coordination. Mastery levels 3-4 allow the Adept to shift his trait value one column to the right (per level) for one action. If the increase would raise the dice pool above V, then each level beyond adds +2 for a skill check/task. For a trait check, each level beyond would shift the result down one row (V2 becomes V3). Mastery level 5+ allows the adept to raise Reflexes or Dexterity by an additional level.
Level 3—Acuity/1, Knowledge/3
Acuity
CT cost: 1
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0 (Reflexive)
Dice Pool: NA
The adept can focus his energies to hone his senses to a razor’s edge. Mastery levels 1-2 allow the Adept to shift his trait value one column to the right (per level) for one action. If the increase would raise the dice pool above V, then each level beyond adds +2 for a skill check/task. For a trait check, each level beyond would shift the result down one row (V2 becomes V3). Mastery level 5+ allows the adept to raise Acuity or Knowledge by an additional level.
Knowledge
CT cost: 1
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0 (Reflexive)
Dice Pool: NA
The adept can focus his energies to allow much better recall and accuracy with mental processes such as mathematical calculations and spatial awareness. Mastery levels 3-4 allow the Adept to shift his trait value one column to the right (per level) for one action. If the increase would raise the dice pool above V, then each level beyond adds +2 for a skill check/task. For a trait check, each level beyond would shift the result down one row (V2 becomes V3). Mastery level 5+ allows the adept to raise Acuity or Knowledge by an additional level.
Level 4—Presence/1, Essence/3
Presence
CT cost: 1
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0 (Reflexive)
Dice Pool: NA
The adept can focus his energies to calm his own nerves, project confidence, and generally command the attention of others. Mastery levels 1-2 allow the Adept to shift his trait value one column to the right (per level) for one action. If the increase would raise the dice pool above V, then each level beyond adds +2 for a skill check/task. For a trait check, each level beyond would shift the result down one row (V2 becomes V3). Mastery level 5+ allows the adept to raise Presence or Essence by an additional level.
Essence
CT cost: 1
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0 (Reflexive)
Dice Pool: NA
The adept can focus his energies to channel greater control of his personal essence. Mastery levels 3-4 allow the Adept to shift his trait value one column to the right (per level) for one action. If the increase would raise the dice pool above V, then each level beyond adds +2 for a skill check/task. For a trait check, each level beyond would shift the result down one row (V2 becomes V3). Mastery level 5+ allows the adept to raise Presence or Essence by an additional level.
Level 5—PainStop/1, PainTouch/3, DeathTouch/5
PainStop*
CT cost: 2
Activation #: 5 (self)/7 (other)
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Mastery-Fortitude
This talent allows the adept complete control over the mechanisms of his mind that transmit sensations of pain. It renders the adept immune to physical torture, eliminates the need to make stun checks in combat, and negates the effects of pain-related mental attacks. This ability can be used on others by touch. Duration of the effect is 1 hour per level of Mastery.
PainTouch
CT cost: 2
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Mastery
The adept is able to deliver a contact-only mental attack equivalent to PainBlast (see Telepathy, page XX). This attack cannot be negated by tech-based thought screens.
DeathTouch*
CT cost: 3
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: 2/0
Dice Pool: Mastery
The adept is able to deliver a contact-only mental attack equivalent to DeathBolt (see Telepathy, page XX). This attack cannot be negated by tech-based thought screens.
Level 6—Mend/1, Detoxify/3, Regeneration/5
Mend
CT cost: 5
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 2/0
Dice Pool: Mastery-Fortitude
The adept is able to mend his own tissues and return his organic systems to a better working order. A successful activation will heal 1 wound from the body location with the highest wound level. Mend can only treat up to serious wounds; repairing critical wounds requires the Regeneration talent. Each bump will heal an additional wound. If more than one location has the same number of wounds, the adept can choose which location is healed first. An adept may only use this talent once per day. These curative effects are nearly instantaneous; in the middle of a fight, others might see lacerations seal closed, bruises fade, bones snap back into place or bullets pushed out of the adept’s flesh.
Detoxify
CT cost: 10
Activation #: 9
Speed/Delay: 2/0
Dice Pool: Mastery-Fortitude
The adept can innately analyze at the cellular level, any disease he has contracted or poison, toxin or drug he has been exposed to and neutralize it if he chooses. With one bump, the adept is also successful in determining the nature or mechanism of the disease or toxin, which may aid him and others in preventing exposure or finding a cure or antidote. With two bumps, the adept is not only cured, but permanently immune to that particular disease or toxin. If the adept cures the disease or neutralizes the toxin he has been exposed to and is exposed again in the same day, he can attempt to cure/neutralize it again, however, if he fails, he must wait until the next day before he can make another attempt. If the disease or toxin proves fatal before he can make another attempt, he must have the Regeneration talent to survive, otherwise he cannot recover.
Regeneration
CT cost: Special
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: Non-combat only
Dice Pool: Mastery-Fortitude
While unconscious, the adept channels his psi energies to recover from the most grievous of injuries. This is a passive talent, and will automatically trigger when the adept sleeps while suffering from a critical wound or is knocked unconscious/”killed” (up to once per day). On a successful activation, the adept heals one critically wounded location to a serious wound. Once the healing process begins with Regeneration, however, Mend or regular healing will not benefit the adept. Each bump to the activation roll will heal an additional critically wounded body part or remove an additional wound. When all wounds are removed from the location, it is fully healed, even if it was previously crushed, mangled, broken or even severed. The adept can survive critical damage to the head up to critical + 5 wounds. At that point, trauma to the brain is finally so severe that the adept’s psionic link is broken, and there is no possible recovery. If the adept is “killed” (suffers critical damage to the torso or head), he will not regain consciousness until the torso and/or head are healed. In the extreme case that the head is severed, an adept with Regeneration may recover from it in the fullness of time; treat all body locations as though they suffered critical wounds. When the adept has repaired all his body locations, he regains consciousness. Regeneration will allow an adept killed by disease or toxins to survive until he can Detoxify himself. The regeneration process will not begin until the adept has successfully neutralized all diseases or toxins infecting his system.
Level 7—Heal/1, Cure/3, Revive/5
Heal
CT cost: 5
Activation #: 5
Speed/Delay: 1/0
Dice Pool: Mastery-Acuity
The adept can analyze the bodies of other beings and heal most wounds. This talent works like Mend. The range of the effect is touch only. The adept may heal a being only once per day, but he may heal any number of beings limited only by his available CT.
Cure
CT cost: 10
Activation #: 9
Speed/Delay: 2/0
Dice Pool: Mastery-Acuity
The adept has the ability to use the Detoxify talent on other beings.
Revive
CT cost: Special
Activation #: 7
Speed/Delay: Non-combat only
Dice Pool: Mastery-Acuity
The adept may attempt to revive other beings suffering from mortal wounds, or revive the recently deceased. The adept must lay hands on the decedent and enter a trance state to begin the process. This trance takes the place of the adept’s normal sleep, and must continue for 6-8 hours per day. At the end of the trance, the adept makes his check at TN 7. If the check is successful, one wound to the head or torso is healed. Each exceptional success heals an additional wound. When the head and/or torso have had all wounds healed, the decedent comes back to life, and healing (natural, medical or psionic) can begin to repair the patient’s remaining injuries. While the adept is psychically tied to the decedent and attempting to return him to life, his max CT is reduced by 5 until the decedent regains consciousness or he abandons his attempt. Every hour that passes before the adept begins attempts to revive the decedent increases the TN by 1 for the entire process unless the decedent is cryogenically frozen or treated with preservation drugs within the first hour after death. For the process to work, the adept must not interrupt the daily trances. Doing so will revert all progress to the decedent’s original state, and the process must begin again. Unlike Regeneration, this talent will not repair maimed limbs, and an adept is powerless to revive a being who has had their head severed from their body. The ability to revive another can be a monumental responsibility, and may put the adept in difficult positions at times. He can only revive one individual at a time, and some people may resent the adept if he chooses not use his talent when they demand it of him.
Level 8—Transcendence
Transcendence
CT cost: Special
Activation #: NA
Speed/Delay: 0
Dice Pool: NA
Transcendence is the ultimate mastery of the psionic arts. This represents the point at which an adept is becoming more in tune with the alternate universe from which he draws the energies to fuel his powers. As he attunes his own mind to this power, the energy begins to fuel him, as well, in the material universe the adept and everyone else inhabits. Starting down the path to transcendence carries multiple benefits:
- At level one mastery, the adept no longer needs to sleep. Any trauma his body suffers may still render him unconscious, but he will not grow weary or tired and be forced to rest.
- At level two mastery, the adept no longer needs to eat or drink to keep his physical body sustained. He may still consume food or drink for pleasure or to fit in, but he will never starve; his abilities have allowed him to convert psi energy into fuel for his every bodily function.
- At level three mastery, the adept no longer needs to breathe. He can survive indefinitely underwater, and can survive in many toxic or hostile environments. Airless environments (such as space, depressurized starships or the surfaces of some planets, moons or asteroids) will still be hazardous, as the extreme cold/heat and low pressure will eventually cause damage to the adept’s body.
- At level four mastery, the adept no longer needs to speak to be understood by those around him. He can transmit his words directly into the minds of others around him (albeit, only at normal speaking distances) and be understood perfectly regardless of any language barriers. He can also understand the words spoken by any being around him, as he lifts the meaning behind the words directly from the mind of the speaker. This effectively gives him the ability of being a universal translator. This ability does not work on/with psionic nulls.
- At level five mastery, the adept has become exceedingly proficient at channeling the power of the tachyon universe into ours, and can activate all his abilities with much greater reliability. The activation TN for all talents is reduced by one.
Additionally, each level of mastery allows the adept to choose one talent from the first four Self-Awareness focus levels to enhance. When one of these talents is enhanced, the CT cost is raised to 2, but the effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to the adept’s Essence trait value.
