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LASER WEAPONS

Laser weapons offer the user a range of advantages. They are silent, powerful, and can be recharged from a vehicle or starship Powerplant for free. However, they are also fragile and somewhat temperamental, and require a backpack or belt powerpack which can be an encumbrance. Laser weapons can be defeated by atmospheric conditions, anti-laser aerosols or special armor types. Their military use (other than heavy weapons) is as combination weapon/designators, or for low-g assault troops.

Laser weapons can be directly fed from dedicated sockets (some vehicles and starships have these, to allow defending personnel effectively infinite firepower). If outside power is not available, the weapon must be fed through a cable from a belt or backpack power supply. Belt packs hold 50 “Power Factors” and can feed pistols and carbines; rifles draw too much power and will normally overload a belt pack after 1-5 shots (1 in 3 chance per shot that the pack circuitry melts and must be replaced). Backpack power units carry 100 or 300 Power Factors and can feed any laser weapon. A discharged power pack can be recharged from a ship or vehicle fusion plant for no cost. Laser weapons have no internal power of their own and become inert if the power cable is damaged. A live, severed cable can make a handy tool for desperate self-defense. The connector on an intact laser power supply is designed to prevent fatal shocks, so cannot be used in this way.

Malfunctions with laser weapons are most often simple - power cords, no matter how well secured with the most advanced retaining systems, can find a way to become detached under combat conditions. Other malfunctions are more serious. Beam focussing and collimation systems can be misaligned by a sharp blow, rendering the weapon useless. Worse, damage to the powerpack or electronics failure can result in overheating or even a catastrophic energy discharge. The weapon costs and weights listed do not include powerpacks.

LASER WEAPONS
Pistol: TL: 9 Cost Cr 1000 Weight 1200g Range 36m Damage 2d10 (Laser) Size: S
Carbine: TL: 9 Cost Cr 2500 Weight 5kg Range 45m Damage 3d8 (Laser) Size: S
Rifle: TL: 9 Cost Cr 3500 Weight 6kg Range 60m Damage 3d10 (Laser) Size: M
Belt Power Pack: 500; 500g. 50 Power Factors (Cannot be used with rifle)
Backpack Power Pack: Cr 750; 3kg. 100 Power Factors
Heavy-duty Backpack Power Pack: Cr 1000; 4 kg. 300 Power factors

Assignment?: 1d20 ⇒ 6 Garrison

Promotion DC 10: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 Nope

8000 exp total, Academic 2 | Army 1 25y

Term 2

Re-enlist DC 9: 1d20 ⇒ 10 success

Assignment?: 1d20 ⇒ 14 Internal security

Survival DC 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 Yes

Promotion DC 8: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 Nope

Decoration: 1d20 ⇒ 10 Nope

12000 exp total, Academic 2 | Army 2 29y

Term 3

Re-enlist DC 9: 1d20 ⇒ 9 success

Assigment?: 1d20 ⇒ 18 Counter insurgency

Survival DC 4: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 yes

Promotion DC 14: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 nope

Decoration DC 17: 1d20 ⇒ 6 nope

Exp bonus DC 12: 1d20 ⇒ 7 nope

16000 exp total, Academic 2 | Army 3 33y

Term 4

Re-enlist DC 9: 1d20 ⇒ 9 success

Assignment?: 1d20 ⇒ 14 Internal Security

Survival DC 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Yes

Promotion DC 8: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 Nope

Decoration: 1d20 ⇒ 10 Nope

20000 exp total, Academic 2 | Army 3 37y

A comprehensive examination will take two weeks time, cost Cr5000, and at the end of which the character will be provided with a comprehensive measure of their psionic potential. It should be noted that psionic potential severely declines as one gets older. The earlier someone is tested and trained, the more potential they are likely to have. Some charity is available for the truly indigent who apply (Referee’s decision, then have the character make a Charisma check (DC18) to be given a free examination). Characters being examined by the Institute due to selecting the PSI Training feat have this fee waived. The Examination: The character determines his psionic potential by rolling 3d6, subtracting -1 for every 4 years of age (or fraction thereof) he is over the age of 18. For example, a 54 year old character being tested would roll 3d6-9 to determine his psionic potential (54 - 18 = 36 / 4 = +9).
If a character has previously taken this exam, they do not roll again. Instead simply use the previous potential. If the character has aged a year or more since the last examination, the effects of age still apply and may reduce their potential if enough time has passed.

TRAINING

Once it has been determined that a character has a psionic potential of 1 or more, he must be trained in the use of that potential immediately or it will continue to degrade with age. The only way to avoid the loss in potential with age is to be trained. The Institute of course offers such training for a fee of Cr100,000. The training takes 4 months of intensive study and training, during which time the character will be unable to attend to anything other than his basic needs. Characters attending the Institute by selecting the Psi Training feat have this fee waived. Extremely gifted individuals (Psi score of 12 or higher) may apply for a scholarship if they cannot otherwise afford the training. In such cases, the Institute will take 95% of the character’s assets and possessions and waive the remainder of the fee. Once trained, the character may now record their psionic potential as their actual PSI score, and need no longer worry about the effects of further aging on their psionic ability.

PSIONIC STRENGTH (PSI)

PSI represents the total psionic power a character is able to call upon before become too mentally exhausted to continue using their psionic abilities. Psionic feats, called talents, require a specific cost in Psi to empower its effects. When a talent is used, the cost is applied against the character’s current PSI score. If the cost of using the talent would reduce the character’s current PSI rating to less than 0, that talent cannot be used at that time. If the use of a talent ever reduces the character to exactly 0 PSI points, the character will immediately fall comatose for the next 2d6 hours. The character can make a Will save (DC15) to cut this time in half. It will be impossible to wake the character during this comatose state. After the given number of hours, the character will awaken from the coma on his own, with the effect of having had the equivalent of a full night of rest and recovery. Recovery: A character will recover 1 PSI point per hour of standard activity (i.e. no combat or use of other psionics). A full night of rest will fully restore any expended PSI points. Note: PSI is not an ability score. A character’s PSI score cannot be improved except through the use of psienhancing drugs.

THE fIVE POSSIBLE SPHERES

There are five possible spheres of influence that a psionicist may be capable of manipulating though it is very unlikely that anyone would be capable of activity in all spheres. When the character receives training at a Psionics Institute, it will be determined which spheres the character has an affinity for. A character will always have an affinity for at least one sphere, but which one is not necessarily up to them. The character may list which of the spheres they would prefer to have an ability in, from most preferred to least preferred. If the character is a natural talent and already has one sphere of influence noted, the character will skip that sphere and list the remaining spheres as previously described. Starting with the character’s first choice on the list and consulting the Sphere Affinity table. the character must rolls 1d20 against the DC listed for the appropriate sphere. If the roll is successful, the character may develop talents within that sphere. Continuing down the character’s list, each sphere is similarly checked to see if the character may also develop talents within these spheres. A cumulative modifier of -2 is add to each roll after the checking the first sphere on the character’s list; -2 for the second roll, -4 for the third roll, and so on. If the last sphere on the character’s list is reached and no other spheres have yet to be gained, then this will be the one and only sphere the character has an affinity with. Otherwise, check for affinity normally.

EffECTS Of TRAINING

Psionics is very much a mystical art rather than a precise science. Thus training at the Institute can merely acquaint the character with basic concepts and theories of control over his newfound gifts. As little as the training really is, it provides enough knowledge to allow the character to begin actually developing his abilities. SPHERES Of

INfLUENCE

The talents available to a psionicist are divided into five different spheres of influence: Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Awareness, Telekinesis, and Teleportation. A psionicist develops his capability within a given sphere, but the number of different spheres of influence a psionicist may control limited to those acquired during training at the Institute. SPHERE DEVELOPMENT Once a character has an affinity with a sphere of influence and has been trained, he may list and develop it as if it were a normal cross-class skill, except that the character’s skill rank in the sphere may never exceed his Psi score. For example a character with a Psi score of 8 could not develop any sphere higher than a skill rank of 8, regardless of his actual level. The skill rank of a character within a sphere of influence determines which of the Talent feats the character is eligible to learn. If a Talent feat has a skill rank requirement of 7 and the character only had a skill rank of 6 within that talent’s sphere of influence, the character could not yet select that talent. Note that a character with the Natural Talent feat will always have an effective skill rank of 2 higher than their actual skill rank within their natural sphere of influence.

PSIONIC TALENTS

The things a psionicist can do with his or her mind are called talents. A talent is similar to a magical spell in other d20 games. Indeed, to folks of lower technology levels, psionics may appear to be evidence of real magic. However, a psionic talent has no necessary ‘components’ of any sort. A psionicist merely need to think of doing something and will it to be done, immediately. Each talent must be selected as if it were a normal feat, and the character must have a skill rank in the appropriate sphere of influence at least equal to or greater than the rank of the talent itself before it may be selected. The character must also be able to satisfy any other prerequisites that may be listed for a talent.
USING TALENTS
RANGE
Each psionic talent has a cost associated with the range at which it is used, in addition to the base cost listed for the talent itself. Consult the chart above to determine these costs.

TALENT fORMAT
Each talent follows the same format as described below.
TALENT NAME
Sphere: A character must have at least a skill rank of 1 or higher within the listed sphere of influece for that talent. Prerequisites: Some talents require the possession of other lesser but related talents before they may be taken. Rank: Each talent lists the minimum skill rank that a psionicist must have in order to use that talent. For example, a psionicist trained in the Telepathy sphere with a skill rank of 7 could not use the Probe (Rank 9) or the Assault (Rank 10) talents. Cost: To use a talent, the psionicist must temporarily expend their Psionic Strength (PSI) to empower it. If a psionicist does not have sufficient PSI remaining to empower a talent, he may not use it at that time. Duration: Some talents are immediate in effect, other may last for seconds, minutes, or even hours. Each talent details the amount of time the talent will be remain in effect.
A descriptive text will follow the statistics of each talent.

TELEPATHY SPHERE
Telepathy is the ability to communicate directly with other minds. In its most basic form, telepathy allows a character to detect or project feelings and emotions only. In its more advanced forms, telepathy allows for direct transfer of mental images and thoughts, or even a psychic assault against another mind.
SHIELD
Sphere: Telepathy
Rank: 1
Cost: 0
Duration: Always in effect
Benefit: All Psionicists trained in the telepathy sphere are taught how to erect a mental shield, protecting them against unwanted outside telepathic interference. This shield is in force at all times and requires no effort or expenditure of Psi Strength to maintain it. The shield will stop any type of telepathic talent short of an Assault, when directed against the psionicist. Of course, the psionicist may lower this shield at any time to allow another telepath access to his or her thoughts, if so desired.

LIfE DETECTION
Sphere: Telepathy
Rank: 1
Cost: 2
Duration: Up to 60 seconds
Benefit: The Psionicist can detect the presence of other minds. This ability enables a character to sense the presence of other minds, the number of minds present, the general type of minds (animal, human, Vargr, etc.) and their approximate location.

TELEMPATHY
Sphere: Telepathy
Prerequisites: Life Detection
Rank: 2
Cost: 2
Duration: Up to 60 seconds
Benefit: The Psionicist can sense and communicate emotions and basic feelings. Telempathy allows the character to read the emotions and feelings of both animals and members of their own race. The character may also send emotions such as love, hate, fear, trust, and others to influence other animals and members of their own race.
READ SURfACE THOUGHTS Sphere: Telepathy
Prerequisites: Telempathy
Rank: 4
Cost: 3
Duration: Up to 60 seconds
Benefit: The Psionicist can read the thoughts of other (sentient) individuals. They may read and comprehend the active, current thoughts of a subject who will (if not herself psionically talented) remain unaware of the action. If the subject is psionically talented, their thoughts cannot be read due to their natural shields, and they will immediately be aware of the attempt.

SEND THOUGHTS Sphere: Telepathy Prerequisites: Read Surface Thoughts Rank: 5 Cost: 3 Duration: Up to 120 seconds Benefit: The Psionicist may send thought messages to anyone, though psionically talented individuals may choose to shield out such thoughts if desired.
PROBE Sphere: Telepathy Prerequisites: Read Surface Thoughts Rank: 9 Cost: 12 Duration: Up to 10 minutes Benefit: The Psionicist may question a subject using Probe and easily determine deliberate untruths that may be told (or thought). Probe cannot be used on a shielded mind.

ASSAULT Sphere: Telepathy Prerequisites: Send Thoughts Rank: 10 Cost: 14 Duration: 2 seconds Benefit: An assault against an unshielded mind will reduce the target to 0 Stamina, rendering them immediately unconscious and will additionally inflict 2d6+6 points of Lifeblood damage. Against a shielded mind, the attack must make an opposed PSI check. If the target has the higher PSI check roll, there is no effect from the assault. CLAIRVOYANCE SPHERE Clairvoyance is the ability to sense events occuring or ‘see’ items located out of the direct view of the character. Early ability with this sphere is restricted to vague and basic ‘views’ at very limited range, and grows in range and capability with the increased development.

SENSE Sphere: Clairvoyance Rank: 2 Cost: 2 Duration: Up to 30 seconds Benefit: A character will become aware of the most basic characteristics of a location when using this talent, such as ‘a room containing four dogs’ or ‘an open plain with a single tree’. Generally the most interesting or important features will be sensed.

CLAIRVOYANCE Sphere: Clairvoyance Prerequisites: Sense Rank: 5 Cost: 3 Duration: Up to 30 seconds Benefit: The character can view the activity and features of a specific distant location.

CLAIRAUDIENCE Sphere: Clairvoyance Prerequisites: Sense Rank: 5 Cost: 3 Duration: Up to 30 seconds Benefit: The character hears the any sounds and noises occurring at a specific distant location. COMBINED

CLAIRAUDIENCE AND CLAIRVOYANCE Sphere: Clairvoyance Prerequisites: Clairaudience and Clairvoyance Rank: 9 Cost: 3 Duration: Up to 30 seconds Benefit: Imparts the benefits of both talents. AWARENESS SPHERE Awareness deals with the sense and control of one’s own body.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION Sphere: Awareness Rank: 2 Cost: 5
Duration: Up to 7 days Benefit: The character can enter a state of suspended animation similar to cryosleep, but without the dangers, and remain suspended without need of food and water for up to 7 days. An external stimulus is required to awaken the sleeper, such as an alarm clock, or a friend).

PSIONICALLY ENHANCED STRENGTH Sphere: Awareness Prerequisites: Suspended Animation Rank: 4 Cost: Varies Duration: 60 minutes (peak effectiveness) Benefit: For each PSI point spent using this talent, the Psionicist may temporarily add 1 point to his or her strength score. This effect will last for 60 minutes, after which it will begin to quickly return to normal at a rate of 1 point per minute.
PSIONICALLY ENHANCED CONSTITUTION Sphere: Awareness Prerequisites: Suspended Animation Rank: 5 Cost: Varies Duration: 60 minutes (peak effectiveness) Benefit: For each PSI point spent using this talent, the Psionicist may temporarily add 1 point to his or her constitution score and 1 point to Lifeblood score. This effect will last for 60 minutes, after which it will begin to quickly return to normal at a rate of 1 point per minute.

REGENERATION Sphere: Awareness Prerequisites: Psionically Enhance Strength and Psionically Enhance Constitution Rank: 9 Cost: Varies Duration: Immediate Benefit: For each PSI point spent using this talent, the Psionicist may recover 1 point of Lifeblood damage and 10 points of Stamina damage. Healing occurs immediately. This talent includes the ability to growing new limbs and organs to replace lost ones, and may also be used to heal old injuries suffered before the character was trained. This talent cannot counteract the effects of aging. TELEKINESIS SPHERE Telekinesis is the ability to manipulate objects without physically touching them. There is but one talent associated with this sphere; Telekinesis. How large and object and how long it can be manipulated is based on the PSI rating and skill rank of the character.

TELEKINESIS Sphere: Telekinesis Rank: Varies Cost: Varies
Duration: up to 60 seconds Benefit: A character can manipulate (use) any item or object as if he or she were physically touching it, but is not subject to any physical danger, pain, stimuli, or other consequences that would normally befall anyone in contact with the object.
Weight Rank Cost Duration 1 gram 1 2 60 10 grams 2 3 60 100 grams 3 5 60 1 kilogram 5 8 60 10 kilograms 8 12 60 100 kilograms 10 14 60 1000 kilograms 14 16 60 10,000 kilograms 18 18 60 TELEPORATION SPHERE Teleportation is the ability to instantaneously move from one point to another, without regard to intervening matter. Like telekinesis, there is only one talent within this sphere; Teleportation. How much weight one may move and how far are based on the PSI rating of the character and his skill rank with this sphere.

TELEPORTATION Sphere: Teleportation Rank: Varies Cost: Varies Duration: Instantaneous Benefit: If the Psionicist can see the destination at a distance, is already familiar with the destination, or can have the mental image of the destination implanted into her mind by a telepath, she may use this talent to move immediately to the destination location.

PSI DRUGS

Chemical means are available to enhance a character’s psionic strength on a temporary basis. Booster: The basic psi-drug, available in a small onedose pill. It will temporarily increase the user’s PSI score by 5 if the user is at full psionic strength, otherwise it will only increase the PSI score by 3. The effects will last one hour. Additional doses taken during that hour will have no effect. Double: A more potent form of Booster, available in the same small one-dose pill. Double will increase the user’s Psi score temporarily by +8 (+5 if not currently at full psionic strength). The effects will last one hourAdditional doses taken during that hour will have no effect. Special: The rarest of psi-drugs, special is only available in liquid form and must be taken by injection. Once taken the user’s PSI score will gradually increase to 18 at the rate of one point per hour. It will remain at 18 (if unused) for four hours, and then slowly begin to wear off, again at a rate of one point per hour. There is a danger when using Special, of permanently losing one point from the user’s PSI score (Con save vs. DC5 to avoid this effect)

PITfALLS
The abuse of psi-drugs can lead to the loss of psionic ability and physical debilitation. If a character takes 3 doses of any psi-drug within three days, there is a chance (Con save vs. DC6 to avoid) of an overdose within six hours of the last dose taken. If an overdose occurs, the character becomes seriously ill, lapses into unconsciousness, and takes 3d6 Lifeblood damage from the effects. If the character recovers, they will have permanently lost 1 from their PSI score (Con save vs. DC16 to avoid the loss).