Modifications to the GURPS psionics system...
Johnny1A
necessary to modify the GURPS psionics system, sometimes just in the
details, sometimes in basics.
In my world, you don't have _a_ psi Power, you either have all of them
or none of them. They are inextricably linked together. However, you
most certainly can be very strong in one Power and very weak in
another. Furthermore, even the people with 'none' actually have them
at _very_ latent, weak levels of Power.
I've modified the basic Powers as follows:
ANTIPSI: You _can_ have Antipsi and the other Powers. It's a
question of levels of skill to permit one to keep one's own Antipsi
from interfering with the other Powers. In fact, this factor is one
of the reasons the vast majority of people never show a hint of psi
power: their psionic faculties have a distinct tendency to be
self-canceling.
ASTRAL PROJECTION: This looks more like magic to me than something
natural. For the purposes of my background, it doesn't exist.
ELECTROKINESIS: This doesn't exist as a _separate_ Power, though some
of the skills assigned to it are available as subsets of Psychokinesis
and other Powers.
ESP: It exists, but the skills operate differently than in the
standard ways.
PSYCHOBIOETICS: This Power takes the place of Healing, and includes
most of the Healing skills, but enables some other skills as well.
PSYCHIC VAMPIRISM: The ability to Steal Life Energy falls under the
previous Power (Psychobioetics). The other PV skills look to me, like
Astral Projection, more like magic than a natural phenomenon. For the
most part, PV doesn't exist in my background world.
PSYCHOKINESIS: Basically the same, with some changes in detail. One
major detail change: the lift-strength of telekinesis goes on
doubling with each level, just like telepathic range, instead of
switching to +250 lbs per level at Power 17.
TELEPATHY: Mostly standard, though Mind Shield is now a skill that
_anyone_ can learn, defaulting not to telepathic Power but to Will and
IQ.
TELEPORTATION: This exists, but it works _differently_. It's also
one of the hardest powers to master and use successfully and safely.
MORE LATER.
Johnny1A
> For the purposes of my background world, I decided that it would be
> necessary to modify the GURPS psionics system, sometimes just in the
> details, sometimes in basics.
>
>
>
> one of the hardest powers to master and use successfully and safely.
>
In my background world, psionic teleportation exists. However, it's
harder than it is in the GURPS default, and more complex.
AUTOTELEPORT-This works just about the way in does in the default.
This is the classic 'blink' teleport, that carries the psion, his/her
clothes and gear, and maybe a weapon from point A to point B.
In my world, autoteleportation works at lightspeed. That's close
enough to instantaneous for everyday purposes.
The difference is that it's much _harder_ to blink long distances in
my background world, because of quantum indeterminacy, the 'friction'
of spacetime, the difficulty in keeping track of the thousands of
factors involved (done subconsciously, but still takes processing
power), and the difficulty of dealing with differences in vector
motion.
For a range below 5 meters, it works pretty much the way it does in
the GRUPS default. Any 'blink' over a distance of a about five meters
is at -5 to skill for ANY psion, and automatically costs a minimum of
1 Fatigue point. If conditions are adverse, or the psion is tired,
etc, penalties are greater. That's for a _success_. A failed roll
doubles the Fatigue cost, and causes the psion to arrive disoriented
and out of position. A critical failure leaves ALL the psion's powers
'stunned' for 1D6 _hours_.
For a 'blink' over 10 meters, double Fatigue cost and skill penalties,
and ANY failure is counted as a critical failure. An actual critical
failure leaves ALL psi abilities out of action for 1D6 DAYS. At 15
meters, double Fatigue cost and skill penalties again, and continue
doubling them at every 5 meters. The 'stun time' is the GM's call,
but penalties should be high.
You can't 'blink' the substance orichalcum _at all_, it won't work.
Obviously, while autoteleportation is very useful in battle or to get
past locked doors, long-range autoteleportation is not very viable.
EXOTELEPORT-Like autoteleport, up to 5 meters range this works
normally. At higher ranges, similar penalties apply, save that if the
mass is smaller, the strain is lower, and so the psion is less likely
to lose all access to his/her powers if things go wrong. The higher
the mass, the more the penalties start looking like those of modfied
Autoteleportation.
So...is Teleporation above Power 5 wasted points? No.
SPACEGATE-In my background, the same psionic power that enables
spacetime to be manipulated to allow 'blinking' can be used, at higher
levels of Power, to directly bend and fold spacetime to produce
_gateways_. These gateways take the form, to the eye, of spinning
vortices of brilliant, rainbow-colored light, through which a psion
can step, jump, fly, etc, to emerge from the matching psigate
elsewhere.
This method of travel is _not_ limited by lightspeed, though psions
with sufficient Power to bridge interplanetary or interstellar
distances are going to be very, very, very, very, very, very rare.
Range matches the standard Telepathy Range Table, save that a minimum
of Power 5 is necessary to even _try_ to create a psi-gate.
To open a gateway, a psion must roll vs skill. A normal success
creates a psi-gate Power meters in diameter or less (at the psion's
discretion), which lasts for Power minutes. (The psion can close the
gate at any time.) It takes 5 seconds for the gateway to form and
stabilize, after which _anyone_ small enough to fit, or _anything_
(with a few special case exceptions) small enough to fit, can pass
through the gateway in either direction.
On a critical success, the gateway will remain open for 1D6 X Power
minutes, and range is increased by 1D6 X Power.
On a normal failure, nothing happens, the gateway doesn't manifest.
The psion can try again at the usual skill penalties, of course.
On a _critical_ failure, the gateway forms, but goes somewhere other
than the psion wanted. The GM can use his/her discretion as to where,
or roll again to determine how bad the news is. The old saying 'Out
of the frying pan and into the fire...' might be relevant here.
Travel by psi-gateway is incredibly effective and convenient, but not
altogether without associated risks. Another psion with Teleportation
Power of 5 or more can try to deliberately disrupt the gateway at any
time, forcing the originating psion to roll again vs skill to maintain
it. If the originating psion makes his/her skill roll, the gate
remains stable. If he/she fails, the new psion has disrupted it, and
it collapses.
On a critical failure of the defense roll, the attacking psion has
taken _control_ of the gateway, and can close it or hold it open at
will, regardless of the originating psion's intentions.
Some natural phenomena can also disrupt a psi-gate. A lightning
strike could probably do it, or a good-sized explosion nearby _might_
do so. Trying to carry unshielded orichalcum through a psi-gate is
unwise, since on any but a critical success roll, it will disrupt the
psi-gate _violently_, resulting in an explosion that will do 3D6
damage to everything in the immediate area. To transport orichalcum
by psi-gate safely requires special preparations.
A psion _could_ try to 'blink' through a psi-gate, or exoteleport
something _through_ the gate, since it brings distant points close
together in space. On a critical success, it works fine. On a
success, the psion 'bounces', reappearing where he/she started from.
On any failure, the psi-gate is fatally compromised, with the matching
explosion as if orichalcum had been passed through the 'gate'.
Telepathy _does_ work through a psi-gate, at -2 to skill, since the
gate brings distant points close together. The only range that counts
is the total distance between telepath and subject on either side of
the psi-gate. Psychokinesis does _not_ work, it tends to fatally
disrupt and detonate the gate if someone tries to use it _through_ the
gate. It's safe to use it near the gate, though.
Appropriate psionic technology can be combined with Teleportation.
For ex, a Transport Anchor (more later) can be used to stabilize and
_maintain_ a psi-gate created by a psion, creating a semi-permanent
connection. Other psi-tech concepts might also be applicable.
The requirements and penalties for familiarity when creating a
spacegate are about the same as the for long-range teleportation in
the GURPS default. Attempts to open a gate to somewhere totally
unfamilar almost never work right.
Note that gate-travel is a very 'noisy' psionic effect. Almost any
psion with any sensitivity at all will perceive it if they are close
by, ESPers can feel it for miles even at low Teleportation Power
levels.
Shermanlee
Charles Frederick Goodin
Johnny1A <sherm...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> For the purposes of my background world, I decided that it would be
>> necessary to modify the GURPS psionics system, sometimes just in the
>> details, sometimes in basics.
I thought these modifications were interesting and gave a definite
different "flavour" to the Psionics, but I did have one tiny quibble...
>To open a gateway, a psion must roll vs skill. A normal success
>creates a psi-gate Power meters in diameter or less (at the psion's
>discretion), which lasts for Power minutes.
So, high powered psis, the kind that can make gateways between planets,
could make Really Big gateways. Is that what you were looking for? I
mean, 25 meters in diameter is really pretty large.
--
chuk
Johnny1A
Well, basically yes, but here's why:
The range of the psi-gate skill is based on Teleportation Power, using
the Telepathy Range Table in GURPS Psionics. This doubles the range
with each level of Power. Even so, it takes a _lot_ of Power to cross
interplanetary distances.
To open a psi-gate from Earth to Luna, which is the shortest
interplanetary trip you can make starting from Earth, you'd need
Teleportation at Power 32! To go from Earth to Venus, when the two
planets are at their _closest_ requires Power 39!
These levels of Power, in my background, are rare, rare, rare. I'm
not sure any humans even have them yet, though a few _might_.
It seems reasonable to me that a psion so powerful that he or she
could make a gate to the Moon or beyond probably _should_ be able to
make psi-gates that large (32 meters or so). Remember, too, that the
psion can make his/her gate as much smaller as desired, the Power
meters limit is the upper bound.
A strong human psion with experience and good powers might have
Teleportation at Power 16, a really exceptional psion might have Power
18 unaugmented. The majority of those who have useful Teleporation in
my background would run closer to Power 14. Psi-gates 14 to 18 meters
wide are manageable.
There are a very few humans who are stronger teleporters than that,
and the alien-human-bioroid 'hybrid/symbiotic' beings I've mentioned
before have _much_ stronger powers, but there are only a handful of
them.
I think, myself, that for my system, any Teleportation Power above 20
should cost more, too. I think maybe 10 pts per level for Power
20-30, and 15 pts per level for Power 31+. I haven't made up my mind
there yet, though.
A couple of other things I should clarify:
The only things that usually make a psi-gate explode dangerously are
unshielded orichalcum, or someone trying to 'blink' through it without
a critical success. Other things can cause a psi-gate to collapse,
but not explosively.
The critical success range boost should have been: "Power PLUS 1D6"
not Power TIMES 1D6.
Shermanlee
Johnny1A
>
> I've modified the basic Powers as follows:
>
> ANTIPSI: You _can_ have Antipsi and the other Powers. It's a
> question of levels of skill to permit one to keep one's own Antipsi
> from interfering with the other Powers. In fact, this factor is one
> of the reasons the vast majority of people never show a hint of psi
> power: their psionic faculties have a distinct tendency to be
> self-canceling.
In the GURPS default, Antipsi is the loner power. If you've got
Antipsi, you can't have any other psionic powers.
For my background, all the Powers go together, though not necessarily
at the same intensities. So all psions have Antipsi.
If used without skill, Antipsi does indeed interfere with all uses of
psionics in the vicinity, both by others and by the psion himself.
Since everyone has at least a tiny seed of psionic power in my
background world, that means everyone has Antipsi.
Of all the Powers, Antipsi is the easiest to use without practice or
training. This means that most people, even though with a modicum of
stronger psionics than the average, never realize it, since their own
Antipsi is shorting out their other Powers. The reason Antipsi is so
easy is that it serves as a defense in nature against other low-level
psi power.
The GURPS defaults skills for Antipsi work pretty much as given.
At skill levels in excess of 16, Antipsi (Neutralize) can be made
_selective_. The Antipsion can use it to temporarily reduce a
*specific* power, such as Psychokinesis or Teleportation, leaving the
other Powers untouched, on a successful skill roll.
Likewise, at skill 20 or higher, the Psi Static skill can be made
selective as well, interfering globally with all use of a specific
Power.
Shermanlee
Charles Frederick Goodin
Johnny1A <sherm...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> I thought these modifications were interesting and gave a definite
>> different "flavour" to the Psionics, but I did have one tiny quibble...
>>
>> >To open a gateway, a psion must roll vs skill. A normal success
>> >creates a psi-gate Power meters in diameter or less (at the psion's
>> >discretion), which lasts for Power minutes.
>>
>> So, high powered psis, the kind that can make gateways between planets,
>> could make Really Big gateways. Is that what you were looking for? I
>> mean, 25 meters in diameter is really pretty large.
>
>Well, basically yes, but here's why:
>
>These levels of Power, in my background, are rare, rare, rare. I'm
>not sure any humans even have them yet, though a few _might_.
Okay. I somehow got the impression that people were going to be making
gates to other planets and solar systems...not sure why I thought that.
Personally, the whole "range" scheme in GURPS Psionics doesn't really fit
my conception of how psi-powers "should" work. I don't think Telepathy
should have a range (or, if it does, it should be really big automatically
-- maybe you could have an advantage that let you go solar system wide and
another that let you go galactic) -- it should be based more on your
connection to the subject.
--
chuk
Johnny1A
> In article <b3030854.02101...@posting.google.com>,
> Johnny1A <sherm...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> I thought these modifications were interesting and gave a definite
> >> different "flavour" to the Psionics, but I did have one tiny quibble...
> >>
> >> >To open a gateway, a psion must roll vs skill. A normal success
> >> >creates a psi-gate Power meters in diameter or less (at the psion's
> >> >discretion), which lasts for Power minutes.
> >>
> >> So, high powered psis, the kind that can make gateways between planets,
> >> could make Really Big gateways. Is that what you were looking for? I
> >> mean, 25 meters in diameter is really pretty large.
> >
> >Well, basically yes, but here's why:
> [snip power level suggestion]
> >
> >These levels of Power, in my background, are rare, rare, rare. I'm
> >not sure any humans even have them yet, though a few _might_.
>
> Okay. I somehow got the impression that people were going to be making
> gates to other planets and solar systems...not sure why I thought that.
Well, some people may be, eventually...at least between Earth and Luna
(I have big plans for Luna...)
The 'demigods' the Eldren/human-bioroid hybrids I've mentioned before,
do have the potential for Teleportation at such high levels, for ex.
Note, too, that just because a psion _can_ open a portal that wide,
doesn't mean he/she has to. There are likely to be many cases when a
smaller gate is desirable.
>
>
> Personally, the whole "range" scheme in GURPS Psionics doesn't really fit
> my conception of how psi-powers "should" work. I don't think Telepathy
> should have a range (or, if it does, it should be really big automatically
> -- maybe you could have an advantage that let you go solar system wide and
> another that let you go galactic) -- it should be based more on your
> connection to the subject.
Take a look at GURPS Lensman, it has a discussion of range
enhancements for the three levels of intellectual power in the old
'Doc' Smith Lensman fiction.
Shermanlee
Johnny1A
>
> PSYCHOBIOETICS: This Power takes the place of Healing, and includes
> most of the Healing skills, but enables some other skills as well.
Also called Biopsi.
In my background, psionics is more than just the 'power of the mind',
it also derives from the body and from the basic essence of biological
life. This also enables certain psi powers to be used to influence
the performance of the biological frame they operate in. The Healing
skill is one limited example.
In my backgroud, though, Biopsi can do more, including the following
skill:
Bioamplification: This skill enables a psion to use psionic power to
increase his/her own _physical_ abilities. At least one round of
TOTAL concentration is needed to make the skill role, two rounds adds
an additional +1 to the roll. A successful skill roll enables a psion
with this skill and Power to add:
+1 to DX (and all DX-based skills are affected),
+2 to ST (ditto)
+1 to HT (ditto)
for every 2 levels of Biopsi power. The effect is temporary, lasting
Power rounds, or (Power * 2) rounds on a critical success. Nothing
happens on an ordinary failure, on a critical failure one 'trips
oneself up' and DX, ST, and HT all suffer -1 for Power rounds.
At Power 10 or higher, additional gains to DX, ST, and HT level off,
but duration becomes (Power * 2) on all ordinary successes, and (Power
* 3) for a critical success, up to Power 20, which is the practical
ceiling of this skill/Power for unmodified humans. Power can go
higher yet, but this particular skill can't do much with it. Other
Biopsi skills exist, however.
Note that this means that a psion can gain up to +5 on DX and HT and
+10 on ST for short periods. This can be a very effective and useful
skill!
Shermanlee
Joseph Michael Bay
>sherm...@hotmail.com (Johnny1A) wrote in message news:<b3030854.0210...@posting.google.com>...
>>
>> PSYCHOBIOETICS: This Power takes the place of Healing, and includes
>> most of the Healing skills, but enables some other skills as well.
>Also called Biopsi.
Isn't that when you take out a tissue sample and examine it?
--
Joseph M. Bay Lamont Sanford Junior University
www.stanford.edu/~jmbay/ DO NOT PRESS
Johnny1A
> sherm...@hotmail.com (Johnny1A) writes:
>
> >sherm...@hotmail.com (Johnny1A) wrote in message news:<b3030854.0210...@posting.google.com>...
>
> >>
> >> PSYCHOBIOETICS: This Power takes the place of Healing, and includes
> >> most of the Healing skills, but enables some other skills as well.
>
> >Also called Biopsi.
>
> Isn't that when you take out a tissue sample and examine it?
LOL!
You know, until you pointed that out, I hadn't caught it!
Shermanlee