I really need to post more than twice a week. As I mentioned in the last (non-Traveller) post, I've seen a couple of other Traveller bloggers who have linked to my site. It's only right that I return the favor, so I've added them to my links sidebar.
Alright, on to the next page of psionics, specifically Telepathy powers. A final note on the Life Detection ability is mentioned: If the telepath finds a person he knows with this power, he will automatically recognize them. I assume that means that a person's mental pattern is unique, like a finger print or a retinal scan. If this power could be used in a technological device like a brain scanner, it would be an effective tool for identifying people who have disguised their fingerprints.
Moving on, we have Telempathy, which is sensing people's emotions and basic feelings. It's good for dealing with animals, since they don't operate much above this mental level anyway. But it's also good for using on humans as a psychological weapon. Because it's not just sensing their emotions, it's also projecting them. So, if you're telempathically sending fear to someone, they're going to react to it. Of course, everyone reacts differently to emotional stimuli, so you won't always be sure what they're going to do. Still, it's a useful ability. It's a level 2 ability, and requires 1 PSP to use, for up to 60 seconds.
Next is Read Surface Thoughts, which I think is what most people consider 'telepathy' to be. Basically, you're just able to know what someone nearby is thinking. It's only surface, current thoughts that are readable; this power doesn't go into memories and the like. Still, if the person you're reading isn't a telepath, they won't know what you're doing. Unless you're staring creepily at them with your hands pressing on your forehead, of course. Then they'll think you're weird. This is a level 4 power, requiring 2 PSPs plus range costs. Again, it's got a 60-second time limit.
The other 'standard' telepathic ability is to send thoughts. This is Professor X instructing the X-Men from miles away. And the recipient doesn't need to be a telepath to hear them, which is handy. Telepaths can close their minds to this sort of intrusion, though. This transmission power can last up to 2 minutes. It's a level-5 ability, costing 2 PSPs plus range costs.
Next is Probe, which is the memory-fisher power. It's level 9, and costs 8 PSPs to use. It lasts for up to 10 minutes, which should be enough time to dredge the bottom of their brains. Leading questions can make it easier to find out what you want to know, steering the target's thoughts in the desired direction. It's also a great lie-detecting power. Shielded minds can't be probed.
The final one on this page is Assault, which is basically mind-rape. Unshielded minds are either unconscious or dead, taking 2D+6 in damage as their minds shut down. Shielded minds, however, turn this into a brain-fight. The attacker's PSR is compared to the defender's PSR, and the difference is the DM for the attack. It's a 7+ roll to successfully assault a shielded mind, modified as above. So, someone with a 12 PSR attacking someone with a 5 gets a +7 to their roll, which is an instant success; the attacker shatters the defender's mind shield and wrecks their brain in the process. This is the most powerful telepathic ability at level 10, requiring 13 PSP to perform. It's pretty much instantaneous, but only the most powerful telepaths can do it. What's scary is that only the most powerful telepaths can defend against it.
More on this next time as we finish up the telepathy and move on to Clairvoyance. Look, a preview of what's coming next!
No comments:
Post a Comment