New Psionic Powers

Created by Brett Hegr
[ Return to the Psionic Section ]

The most up-to-date Palladium psionic powers can be found in the Rifts® RPG book (R), the Nightbane® RPG book (NB), Nightbanetm World Book One: Beyond the Shadowstm (NB1), Psyscape® (P), and Heroes Unlimitedtm(HU). Some older, but interesting psionic abilities can also be found in the 1st edition of the Palladium Fantasy RPG® (PFRPG1) and the 2nd edition (PFRPG2). Where I can, I use the terms in parenthesis to indicate which book a power can be found in if it is not one of the common ones - those are always found in NB or in R.


Sensitive Healer Physical Super

Things to Remember

Sleep and total relaxation recovers 2 I.S.P.tm per hour. But I'd suggest a small change to the rules for psychics and magicians. See this for what I suggest.

Sensitive Psionic Powers

Disrupt Psychic Sensing

Sent in by Lee Banning

Range: 80ft +10ft per level of experience.
Duration: 50 minutes plus 10 minutes per level of experience.
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 12
Save Throw: None
Base Penalty: 10% plus the M.E. attribute, plus 2% per level of experience (apply to those attempting detection).
Prerequisite: Mind Block

This psychic power allows its user to scramble other psionic detection powers in order to throw off trackers. It can be used to make a non- psychic target to seem like a psychic or a psychic to seem like a non- psychic, or used to interfere with a variety of sensing powers ('scrambling').


Enhance Mental Acuity

 Range: Self
Duration: 10 minutes per level of experience.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 5
Save Throw: None

This is the mental equivalent of Summon Inner Strength. For the duration of the ability the character gains a +5% on all skill rolls and a +1 on perception. If used to offset the effects of a mental impairement (like a Befuddle spell), cut the penalties in half instead of adding bonuses.


Ether Bolt

Range: 50ft plus 10ft per level of experience.
Duration: The ability lasts one melee per level of experience and each psychic energy bolt requires one melee action to project.
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 12
Damage: 1d6 damage per level of experience.
Save Throw: Dodge
Strike Bonus: +3
Prerequisite: Either See Aura, See the Invisible, or Presence Sense, which must sometimes be used to detect and attack entities that are invisible to normal sight.

A unique psionic power that allows the psychic to project invisible blasts of energy that can harm most immaterial beings, entities, ghosts, astral beings, possessing entities, Dreamstreamtm denziens, haunting spirits, Spectres, and other supernatural energy beings, etc. It is useless against spirits linked to their natural physical body (like living creatures) and is equally useless against non- living beings (which includes everything from artificial intelligences to vampires). This ability is a powerful weapon in the Astral Plane, Dreamstreamtm, and against virtually all psychic entities (found in NB1).

When used against an entity that is possessing a person (or a dead body, if that's the case), the entity takes half damage but the host body physically suffers 10% of the damage that the entity would normally take. Example: A 40 point Ether Bolt used against a possessing entity would do 20 points of damage to the entity and 4 points of damage to the host). It is safer for the host if psychics use Exorcism (or maybe Psychic Energy Disruption) to remove entities before attempting to destroy them with Ether Bolts.


Intuition

Range: Self
Duration: Varies
I.S.P.tm Cost: 5
Save Throw: None
Base Skill: 30% +6% per level of experience, but for every extra 2 I.S.P.tm spent a +1% bonus can be gained (+10 I.S.P.tm = +5% skill bonus).
Special Perception Bonus: For every full 30% of the base skill above, add a +1 to perception. This bonus is avaliable at all times and can be applied to all perception situations.

This psychic power gives the blessing of visionary intuition. Intuition may be generally attempted once per six hours - the process of intuition works very slow and the answer tends to come at the most unexpected time.

By paying the I.S.P.tm cost, a character may ask the GM one question with the same base skill as listed above. The GM should roll this secretly, so that if the roll fails he can give vague but somewhat useful information. Should the roll succeed, the GM should give the player clear information. The GM should also not tell the player the information desired immediately - he should write down the question and answer it when most appropriate in the game.

Intuition is unlike Clairvoyance in its scope. Clairvoyance and Divination are invoked to learn about possible future events and how things might turn out following a certain course of events. With Intuition, a character just 'knows' something about the here and now. No visions, no trips to the Astral Plane, none of that. Just a sensation that something is wrong or right. Intuition is best used in situations like sabotage (can get a good idea of where to look first), bomb threats (can seemingly 'sense' the proper direction to the bomb and helps in disarming it), following a criminal, searching for vital information in libraries, and generally making psychically- enhanced choices on sketchy data.

Intuition would not help in automatically sensing traps or other dangers like Sixth Sense would - but if a psychic were to consider the possibility and then choose to use Intuition then he might be able to extract a fact or two on the subject. A failed roll would tell the psychic nothing. A successful intuition roll would tell the psychic if there was a trap and give him a general idea of what (or who) might be part of the trap. Remember, the answer should come when needed. If Intuition is used when dealing with critical situations (like bombs and similarly nasty stuff) then the intuited answers should be immediate. Alternately, if Intuition is used in hunting down a criminal a psychic might try it six or seven times and then suddenly the psychic connects all the pieces together at once, just like in the movies.

Alternately, a psychic could channel his intuitive abilities into skill performance. A skill bonus can be applied to pretty much any non- Physical skill. This special bonus costs 3 I.S.P.tm per +2% (go by this for invoke trust/ indimidation roll, and charm/ impress rolls too), in addition to the base use cost listed above. Skill bonuses purchased in this manner remain for one half- hour per level of experience, so for a limited time all rolls on the enhanced skill retain the bonus.


Post- Cognition

 Created by Xavier Martin

Range: Self
Duration: Five minutes per level of experience.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10 per hour
Save Throw: None

This sensitive power enables the psionic to watch what happened up to 1 hour per level in the past in a radius of 10 feet around his present location. The psi can not move the area of effect of this power and can not see anything happening out of it.

The psionic can either scroll through the past looking for some event at a speed of 5 minutes real time for 1 hour. Or he can observe a past event using his 5 senses (no psionic or magical improvement) at normal speed. The psionic is just a passive observer and cannot influence the past at all using this power.


Pseudo-force

Range: Self (the astral body, actually).
Duration: One minute per level of experience.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10
Save Throw: None
Penalty: Use requires concentration, which causes the loss of one melee action and a -2 on initiative.
Prerequisite: Astral Projection

By concentrating on the sensations of objects passing through the astral body, the character can cause the energy vibration of his astral body to slow down and drag objects along. The astral body, for the duration, has an effective P.S. equal to half the M.E. attribute plus the character's level of experience - it is possible to grab, push, shove, strike, hit, pinch, swing, and break things. Use all physical combat bonuses, as if the physical body were really there. No telekinetic energy is involved, just very fine observation of energy patterns. The resulting effect is what you would see in the movie Ghost - the astral form partially phases into the objects, then scoops it up and away. Physical attacks do no harm to the astral body, as usual.


Psychic Imprint

Range: Either a single object or a small room (a 10ft radius around the psychic upon imprintation).
Duration: Short - 1d4 days per level of experience, medium - one month per level of experience, or long lasting - 1d4x10 years plus +10 years per level of the psychic.
Length of Trance: 1d4 melees
I.S.P.tm Cost: Short - 5, medium - 15, or long lasting - 30.
Save Throw: None
Prerequisite: Object Read

With this ability, a psychic sensitive can not only read psychic energy but can write it, so to speak. A simple message, vision, emotion, memory, idea, or just about any short block of information can be psychically imprinted on a target object or area. This psychic energy can be sensed and interpreted by psychic sensitives via Object Read, Telemechanics (if/ when a machine is imprinted), and any similar powers.


Repel Entity

Range: 30ft radius around self.
Duration: Two minutes per level.
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 15
Save Throw: Targets get a save throw, but it is made at -2 and targets must roll a save every minute while in the radius of effect.

Quite useful when going up against malevolent psychic entities. The psychic can create a field of disruptive energy that is painful to most immaterial beings including poltergeists, tectonic entities, Specters, intangible characters, astral beings, and anything considered an entity - an intellegent force, usually psychic in nature, that does not possess a physical body. This field affects all entities in the radius of effect - the field can't be targeted at individuals.

Entities that fail the save throw immediately takes double the below damage, suffers double the below penalties for the next minute (whether in or out of the field), and must roll a save vs a horror factor equal to the psychic's M.A. or M.E. (whichever is higher). Failure on the horror factor roll means the entity is driven away, at least to the outer edge of the field. Anything that saves successfully takes 1d4 damage per level of the psychic, is not driven out the mental field, but suffers a -3 on all saves vs psionic attacks, becomes -2 to strike, parry, and dodge (even with psionics like telekinesis and pyrokinesis!), and loses two melee attacks.

Notes: This power is totally useless against any entity that has possessed an individual or an object. Also, use of this power on the astral plane or in the Dreamstreamtm damages everything in the radius of effect (regardless of save throw) but all beings get a +2 to save against it! This power actually disrupts the psychic energy patterns that compose these worlds, so all civilized places in these lands regard it as an act of destructive vandalism and the equivalent of arson. Self defense is a valid use, but still considered a reckless one. In the material world, against astral beings and intangible beings (not true entities) the power does half damage against them and they get a +2 to save vs the effects.


Resist Possession

Range: Self
Duration: Two minutes per level.
Length of Trance: One melee
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10
Save Throw: None
Prerequisite: Mind Block

This simple psionic power creates an intense focus of conciousness in the character's body, enough to prevent a possessing entity from shaking the spirit loose from a host body. The psychic gets an additional +6 bonus to save vs possession, +2 more at levels three and seven, and becoming totally impervious to it level ten.


Sense Energy

Range: 25ft plus 5ft per level of experience.
Duration: Two minutes per level of experience.
Length of Trance: One melee
I.S.P.tm Cost: 8
Save Throw: None
Base Skill: 50% plus 5% per level of experience.

Through feeling the flow of electromagnetic energy in the nearby area, it is possible for a psychic to track and judge the strength of the flow of electricity, power sources/ cells, nuclear reactors, alien power systems, etc. The psychic can sense pretty much the exact location of the power flow and judge its quality (normal, too low, dangerously high). A failed skill roll means only 1d6x10% of the power sources could be sensed (strong ones are never missed)

Note: This power can be used to detect oncoming energy blasts and to sense electromagnetic energy patterns like Alter Physical Structure: Electricity characters. When this power is in use, the character is +2 to dodge any energy, electrical, radiation, or fire/ heat blasts.


Sense Psionics

Sent in by Lee Banning

Range: 160ft plus 20ft per level of experience.
Duration: Five minutes plus two minutes per level of experience.
Length of Trance: One melee
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10
Save Throw: None
Base Skill: 45% plus 4% per each additional level of experience.

Inspired by the Necroscope series of novels by Brian Lumely, Lee sent in this ability. It allows one to specifically detect psychic life forms, not I.S.P.tm or P.P.E.tm The psychic can also determine the main psychic abilities, amount of psionic potential, and the general level of experience of the psychic as per the base skill. People with this ability are sometimes called 'spotters'.

Healer Psionic Powers

Heal Bone

Range: Touch or 3ft.
Duration: Instant/ permanent
Length of Trance: One minute
I.S.P.tm Cost: 5 for a finger or toe, 10 for a rib, forearm, or foreleg bone, and 20 for the skull, spine, hip, or femur bone. Double the cost if the bone is crushed/ shattered and not just broken.
Save Throw: Standard, if resisted.
Prerequisite: Healing Touch

The psychic can instantly and fully heal a broken/ bruised bone or a concussion. The debilitating effects disappear within five minutes, and secondary symptoms (like swelling and internal bleeding) go away in another five minutes. Double these times if the patient doesn't remain still.


Induce Unconciousness

Range: Touch
Duration: Three minutes plus two minutes per level of experience.
Length of Trance: One melee action (can be combined with an attack).
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10
Save Throw: Standard
Strike Bonus: Equal to the character's hand- to- hand strike bonus (this power requires a physical touch).
Prerequisite: Induce Sleep

Use of this power lets a psychic cause a victim to immediately fall unconcious for a short time with a brief touch, usually to the head or to the neck (ever seen a Vulcan Neck Pinch?) It will not work through body armor or force fields. If a victim saves successfully, he still falls unconcious but only for half the normal duration. Physical contact is vital - the touch will work through clothes but not body armor. But then, few are ever completely armored - it just might be a penalty to your strike roll to touch the open spot. Note that I.S.P.tm is drained if the touch connects - the victim could successfully save and the I.S.P.tm would still be used up. The touch doesn't have to be a light one. It can be combined with a punch or kick as long as skin touches skin.

Any being with an accelerated metabolism, be it a mutant with super speed or a Juicertm, gets a +4 bonus to save. If they fall victim to it, they will recover in half the time.


Pain Shock

Range: 50ft plus 10ft per level of experience.
Duration: The ability lasts one melee per level and each psychic energy bolt requires one melee action to project.
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 15
Damage: 1d4 damage per level of experience - against S.D.C.tm beings this is S.D.C.tm and hit point damage and against M.D.C.tm beings it is mega- damagetm.
Save Throw: Dodge, and a save vs pain if the dodge fails.
Strike Bonus: +4, but can be increased to +6 for 5 I.S.P.tm and to +8 for an extra 10 I.S.P.tm per shock.
Prerequisite: Induce Pain (NB) and Stun Bolt.

A unique and torturous healer power that allows a psychic to channel psychic energy through his hands and eyes - and this energy is geared to wrack a victim's nervous system with pain, seizures, and muscle spasms.

Living targets (and only living targets) suffer a cumulative -1 to strike, parry, dodge, and initiative penalty for every save vs pain (14) that fails. Roll this save every time a victim is struck by a Pain Shock. This lasts for 1d4 minutes plus one minute per level of experience, starting from the point of the very last Pain Shock.

If more than 50% of a target's S.D.C.tm or M.D.C.tm is depleted or is suffering a -10 penalty or more, it must immediately save vs coma once every minute - failure means the character is unconcious for 2d4 hours. Alternately, if more than 25% of a target's S.D.C.tm is depleted in one melee, the victim must immediately save vs coma at -10% or falls unconcious for 2d4+4 hours.

Creatures with limited invulnerability or artificially created invulnerability (which covers vampires, werewolves, Juicerstm, Craziestm, mutants with Invulnerability, super soldiers with the Limited Invulnerability super option, etc.) all take half damage from Pain Shocks and recover from the effects in half the normal time. However, the regeneration of this kind of damage takes twice as long as normal!

Note that Pain Shocks have the unique ability to pass through body armor, power armor, some robot vehicles, and some vehicle hulls. They cannot penetrate any kind of force field or electromagnetic shielding.


Resist Pain

Range: Self
Duration: Five minutes per level
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 5
Save Throw: None

Using this power gives the character a +4 bonus to save vs Pain. The debilitating effects of Pain Shocks, Pain Psi- Waves, toxins, and poisons (among other things) are halved. Lastly, the character remains fully concious up to their P.E. below zero in damage and can survive in a coma up to twice their P.E. below zero.


Stun Bolt

Range: 50ft plus 10ft per level of experience.
Duration: The stun effects last for and each psychic Stun Bolt requires one melee action to project.
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: Special
Damage: None
Save Throw: Dodge, and a save vs psionics if the dodge fails.
Strike Bonus: +4, but can be increased to +6 for 5 I.S.P.tm and to +8 for an extra 10 I.S.P.tm per bolt.

Similar to the Pain Shock power described above, but not harmful. Each time a target it is hit with a Stun Bolt it suffers a cumulative -1 to strike, parry, dodge, and initiative penalty per 5 I.S.P.tm spent. If a target is unable to dodge the Stun Bolt and is hit, the victim must also save vs psionics with only standard M.E. save throw bonuses (and any bonuses to save vs stun attacks too). Thus if you got hit with two Stun Bolts, one for 10 I.S.P.tm and one for 20 I.S.P.tm, and failed both save throws you'd be suffering a -6 altogether. Anyone who reaches a -12 penalty is considered unconcious and will remain that way for 1d4 hours.

Beings with a normal P.E. of 30, a supernatural P.E. of 20, or resistance to stun attacks recover in half the time. Beings who are impervious to stun attacks are obviously immune to this power too. Stun Bolts have the unique ability to pass through body armor, power armor, some robot vehicles, and some vehicle hulls, but cannot penetrate any kind of force field.

Physical Psionic Powers


Impervious to Radiation

Range: Self
Duration: 10 minutes per level.
Length of Trance: One melee
I.S.P.tm Cost: 5
Save Throw: None

This power gives the psychic the ability to resist all forms of nuclear radiation. For the duration he will take no damage from the effects of radiation that has been absorbed nor will damage be taken from direct exposure to radiation. Also, the character won't absorb any more radiation and is also lucky enough to only suffer half the normal penalties incurred by any prior doses of radiation. This power does not provide accelerated recovery or healing from radiation, nor protection from the intense heat usually associated with it. The protection extends to the character's aura, so body armor (but not power armor or robots) is also granted protection.


Kinesis Bolts

Range: 50ft plus 10ft per level of experience.
Duration: The ability lasts one melee per level of experience and each psychic energy bolt requires one melee action to project.
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10
Damage: 1d4 S.D.C.tm damage per level of experience. In a Rifts® world this power does equivalent mega-damagetm but requires 20 I.S.P.tm to initiate.
Save Throw: Dodge
Strike Bonus: +3
Prerequisite: Requires one kinesis power as a prerequisite, and must be acquired multiple times to gain multiple kinesis bolts if more than one kinesis power is possessed (the four valid kinesis powers are Telekinesis: Super, Pyrokinesis, Hydrokinesis, and Electrokinesis).

For psychics with the above kinesis powers, this allows them to channel their kinetic talents into offensive capability.

Note that in the case of Hydrokinesis, their powers do normal damage to normal targets and double damage to vampire targets! With Hydrokinesis and Hydrokinesis Bolts, a psychic has the power to unlock the vast energy held in the molecules of water (hydrogen and oxygen!) A psi can create searing blasts of steam and crystalline razors that melt away, as well as cylinders of fast moving hard water!


Mind Bolt (minor)

Range: 50ft plus 10ft per level of experience.
Duration: The ability lasts one melee per level of experience and each psychic energy bolt requires one melee action to project.
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 15
Damage: 1d4 S.D.C.tm damage plus 1d4 per level of experience. In a Rifts® world this power does equivalent mega- damagetm but requires 25 I.S.P.tm to initiate.
Save Throw: Dodge
Strike Bonus: +3

Pretty much the same as the super psionic power, only a little weaker and with much less range and damage.


Psi-Light

Range: 30ft radius around self, but can be focused into a beam of light that can reach up to 150ft away.
Length of Trance: One melee action
Duration: One minute per level.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 2
Save Throw: None

A simple ability that transforms psychic energy into electromagnetic energy. The light is normally spread out over a 30ft radius (about equal to a 60 watt bulb) but can also be focused into a strong beam of light. This beam of light can blind targets as per a first level Blinding Flash spell, but requires a called strike on the eyes (a -6 penalty, use any P.P. bonuses to strike). The light can be changed to infrared or ultraviolet if so desired.


Psychokinesis

Range: Touch or 12ft within view.
Duration: Instant
Length of Trance: Varies, usually just a melee action.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 5 per attempt to alter probability, or 10 per attempt to alter a combat, save throw, or skill roll. Psychokinesis skill rolls cannot be affected.
Save Throw: None
Base Skill: 30% +6% per level of experience, but for every extra 2 I.S.P.tm spent a +1% bonus can be gained (+10 I.S.P.tm = +5% skill bonus).

A psionic power that gives one the power to influence random things like dice, coin tosses, card ordering, Russian Roulette, and all matters of probability in the physical world (so it is a common thing among gamblers with psionic ability!) A -10% penalty is suffered if the psychic cannot physically touch the object(s) he is altering probability around. It is possible to affect random number generation inside a computer or other kind of advanced machine, but the super psionic ability of Telemechanics is required.

A skilled user of this power (3rd level or more) can also slightly misdirect large physical objects. Divide the base skill by 15%, and the resulting number is the bonus or penalty that can be applied to a targeted roll. Thus, at first level, a psychic could impose a +2 bonus or a -2 penalty on an opponent's strike roll, initiative roll, dodge roll, save vs coma, save vs psionics, etc. To boost the bonus/ penalty costs 30 I.S.P.tm per +/- 1.

The psychic (strangely enough) cannot enhance or penalize his own combat and save throw rolls, nor can he influence perception or horror factor rolls. It is not possible to alter any character's skill rolls except in the case of vehicle control rolls, espionage and counter- espionage skills (specifically Pick Locks and Pick Pockets), critical situations, and generally any skill roll situation where a little luck wouldn't hurt. This kind of bonus/ penalty costs 3 I.S.P.tm per +/- 2% (go by this for coma/ death save throws).


Resist Vacuum

Range: Self
Duration: Two minutes per level of experience.
Length of Trance: None - instant.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 8
Save Throw: None

As per the power in the 1st edition of the PFRPG, this protects against explosive decompression and the lack of oxygen. Once used, it cannot be used again until the character has had at least five minutes of normal breathing. This does not protect against direct exposure to the blazing sun and freezing temperatures of outer space.


Super Psionic Powers


Ecto-steel

 Created by Teri Sharp

Range: 40ft plus 5ft per level of experience.
Duration: Four minutes per level of experience.
Length of Trance: Same as Ectoplasm, about a melee.
I.S.P.tm: Steel ectoplasm - 20
Save Throw: None
Prerequisite: Ectoplasm

The psionic can create ectoplasm appendages with the durability of steel. The 'Ecto-steel' has an A.R. of 8 and three times the normal S.D.C.tm (120 S.D.C.tm and 1 hit point). In a Rifts® environment the ectoplasm instead becomes mega- damagetm (and so has 40 M.D.C.tm) In both cases, the ectoplasm doesn't degrade until all the S.D.C.tm or M.D.C.tm is depleted (or the duration runs out). Multiple Ecto-steel constructs can be created.

Restoring the hardened ectoplasm is also possible. One I.S.P.tm point can be spent to recover five points of S.D.C.tm or two points of M.D.C.tm It is not possible to restore more S.D.C.tm or M.D.C.tm than the ectoplasm can possess.

The hardened ectoplasm also has an automatic dodge, but the dodge bonus is reduced to +3. This quick movement can also be utilized to block attacks against the psychic with the ectoplasm, without losing any melee actions. Thus, the ectoplasm can act in its own defense or in its creator's defense.

Ecto- steel's effective P.S. and P.P. are equal to half the character's M.E. - thus it does 1d4 S.D.C.tm per strike, equivalent to a normal human, with an equally normal reaction speed. Ecto- steel can also be used to handle weapons, but suffers a -3 penalty to strike. If Ecto-steel and Ectoplasm are combined to create a replacement limb for the psychic, then the ectoplasmic limb has a P.S., P.P., and Spd. equal to the character's own attributes.

Creating 'ecto- armor' is possible as well. Movement is not restricted in any way by it, but the armor also does not boost physical strength. If used in this way, the armor is the only Ecto- steel construct that can be made.

All other rules that apply to normal ectoplasm apply to Ecto- steel as well.

Note: The file that Teri Sharp sent in was partially botched somehow, so I filled in the gaps of information that I found and added a bit to make the power more 'super.'


Impervious to Energy

Range: Self
Duration: Two minutes per level of experience.
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 15
Save Throw: None

With this psionic power, a character gains the power to prevent all damage from energy attacks attacks for the duration (meaning fire, electricity, laser, ion, and the other varieties of energy). Magical energy attacks inflict half damage. This protection extends to the character's aura, so body armor (but not power armor or robots) is also granted protection.


Mind Bolt

Range: 100ft plus 50ft per level of experience.
Duration: The ability lasts one minute per level of experience and each psychic energy bolt requires one melee action to project.
Length of Trance: Three melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 20
Damage: 1d6 S.D.C.tm damage per level of experience. In Nightbanetm add +3d6 damage. In a Rifts® world this power does equivalent mega- damagetm but requires 30 I.S.P.tm to initiate.
Save Throw: Dodge
Strike Bonus: +4, but can be increased to +6 for 5 I.S.P.tm and to +8 for an extra 10 I.S.P.tm per bolt.

Note: Pretty much the same effect as the super psionic power but with totally different stats to be more cost effective and simpler. I spent several hours just staring at Mind Bolt in the Rifts® RPG book, trying to figure a way to salvage the logic of the damage and I.S.P.tm costs since they're so out of mathematical proportion to the energy projection abilities in the rest of the game world - yeah, I get that analytic with Palladium's stuff. I figured it would be best to just model the power (and all other projection powers, mind you) after the Astral Bolts and Psi- Sword powers in NB1. I also tried to put it on equal terms with everything else. I hate a lot of the super psionic powers in Rifts® - too weak and weird compared to everything else in the game nowadays. Just this site's owner's view...


Mind Shield

 Range: Self
Duration: 10 minutes per level.
Length of Trance: One melee
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10
Save Throw: None
Prerequisite: Mind Block

The character has the ability to generate an advanced mind block. Unlike the standard mind block, the character gains a +2 vs psionic and mental attack and is able to use any non- sensitive psychic powers. Any sensitive powers directed at the character come up blank - he appears to be a normal human. This is like 'shooting blind' for the psychic - he can use his psychic energy to generate physical effects normally, but his natural psionic senses are blanked out.


Necroscopy

Sent in by Lee Banning

Range: One grave in the physical world - in the Astral world any dead person may be contacted.
Duration: Special
Length of Trance: 2d4 minutes per level of experience.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 25 (plus more, occasionally)
Prerequisite: Mediumship or Commune with Spirits

This powers allows a character to talk to the dead, but is a more powerful form of Mediumship in that it actually allows the psychic to learn skills from the dead. The dead differs from other spirits in the fact that they are cut off from this plane and can not interact, but can exist on this plane near the location of where their death occured. The dead also have the ability to continue to improve on one skill or special ability because that occupies their time 90% of the time.

In order to learn a skill from a dead spirit, this psychic must spend an additional 50 I.S.P.tm for an amount of time equal to 1 day plus 10 hours per level of dead person's skill. This skill is then known at a level half that of the dead person's level and is retained for 1d4+7 days. In order to learn it permanently, a Necroscope must spend an additional 25 I.S.P.tm and spend twice as much time with the spirit. The Necroscopes are able to add bonuses for high I.Q. and O.C.C. as well, but only their own and not those of the dead spirit. The permanently acquired skill progresses at the standard rate.

The use is not just for skill acquisition. The dead tend to be friendly and helpful to those who are willing to listen to them. In the books, Harry Keogh asked an army of Tartars (dead for 400 years) to rise up from the ground and help him assault a fortress! GMs should manage that sort of thing very carefully - but it could be fun.

Example: Harry Keogh, the main character in Brian Lumleys' books, is a Necroscope. When he is a child, he is able to learn math from a dead teacher who had taught at his school. Later, that teacher directed him to learn from August Ferdinand Mobius (the discoverer of the Mobius Loop). Harry became a mathematical genius and was eventually able to use his math skill in order to step into to the Mobius Continuum, which he used to travel all over the world and the universe in an instant. This translates into extremely accurate teleportation without error. The difference between Necroscopy and Necromancy, as the author explained it, is that the Necromancer has to torture the dead body, which causes the spirit to feel extreme pain.

Note: I (Brett Hegr) suggest that you read these books! They're a great sci-fi/ horror series. As for skill acquisition, GMs should of course limit the permanent ones, perhaps no more than one or two permanent ones per level of experience, and I'd suggest heavily against allowing characters to acquire Physical skills. Reading the books will give you a good backround for the nature of the world of the dead, but I can sum it up briefly: The dead are just dying (har har) to teach the living all the wonders they have learned! Harry Keogh was protected by the dead and considered a treasured gateway between the living and the dead.


Post- Cognition (Superior)

 Created by Xavier Martin

Range: Self
Duration: Five minutes per level of experience.
Length of Trance: 3d4 minutes
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10 per hour
Save Throw: None

This super- sensitive power enables the psionic to watch what happened up to 1 hour per level in the past in a radius of 10 feet per level around his present location. The psi can not move the area of effect of this power and can not see anything happening out of it.

The psionic can either scroll through the past looking for some event at a speed of 5 minutes real time for 1 hour. Or he can observe a past event using his 5 senses at normal speed. The psionic can also use any sensitive power on himself such as Sense Evil, Presence Sense, See Aura, etc. and throw his sensory abilities back in time. The psionic can't influence the past in any way using this power.


Psi-Aura

 Created by Werner Brandt

Range: Self
Duration: Five minutes per level
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 30

When used, Psi-aura gives:

Psi Resivoir

 Range: Touch
Duration: Infinite
Length of Trance: 1d4 minutes per 10 I.S.P.tm
I.S.P.tm Cost: Special
Save Throw: None

The character has the unique ability to infuse a physical object with psychic energy, turning it into a psychic energy battery. He need only touch an object and concentrate for a melee to infuse an object with a maximum of 10 I.S.P.tm per level. Note that this is the maximum storage capacity. A 3rd level psychic can infuse an object with a maximum of 30 I.S.P.tm, while a 5th level psychic could handle 50. It requires one melee action to draw energy out of such a charged objects.

Three notes on infused objects: The first is that the object must be of (or have embedded or attached to it) some sort of relatively good quality precious metal or crystal. Shoes with a gold trim, wedding rings, and necklaces are good candidates. The second note is that any such energized object will become electromagnetized to some degree, and as such will set off metal detectors and theft-deterrent security systems like one might find at a shop at the mall. The object will also reek of the character's psychic scent, so a Psi-stalkertm or other psychic sensitive could easily lock on to the object and track it. Note that a psychic with this ability could use it to throw off such tracking, by infusing a lot of small baubles with energy and spreading them out to confuse the tracker.

Note: This ability would be quite useful for Techno- Wizardstm in Rifts®. To acquire this power, the player would need to drop two of the character's minor psionic powers (which are Total Recall, Speed Reading, and Mind Block). The character would then have the ability to develop a TW device and infuse it with psychic energy, which would allow the device to be used by a non-magician and non-psychic character. When the energy runs out, the device would stop working. Mental commands and/or a physical switch are all that is required to activate the device, whether it is a magical laser pistol or a flaming sword. Note that stored psychic energy and stored magical energy cannot be placed into the same medium/ container.


Psychic Backlash

Range: Touch or 12 feet.
Duration: Instant, but unconciousness is possible and the penalties can last a while.
Length of Trance: Three melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 30
Save Throw: Standard. Touch contact induces a -3 penalty.
Prerequisite: Induce

This can only be select by psychics who are at or beyond the third level of experience. It is usually seen in Inflicters and Mind Bleeders, but Mind Melters will develop it once in a while. A psychic backlash is an intense sensory overload that induces unconciousness and can seriously impair psychic functioning. In effect, two (sometimes three) save throws must be made. Whenever this power is used, the psychic loses one melee action and is -3 on initiative for a minute afterwards (it is somewhat taxing).

When a victim is initially struck, he suffers 2d6 hit points (or 4d6 M.D.C.tm) of damage. In a Nightbanetm world change this to 4d6 hit points. Further, the victim loses half his attacks, has no initiative, and is groggy and weak (-2 to strike, parry, and dodge). These penalties will last for 1d4x10 minutes, and are cumulative up to three times (-6 penalty). Psionic entities do not suffer the combat penalties, but do take double damage from this power!

Upon being attacked the victim must roll a second save throw, this one being against pain. Success means the character remains concious and suffers the penalties above. Failure means the penalties above don't matter, because the victim falls unconcious for 3d4 minutes. Afterwards, the same penalties stated above will last for 1d4 hours.

If the victim is psionic, a third save throw must be made vs psionic attack with no bonuses or penalties. Failure means the victim loses the use of his psionic powers for one minute per level of the attacking psionic! A successful save means the powers are unaffected, and clearly this shouldn't be rolled if the victim falls unconcious.


Psychic Deterioration

Created by Cheply

Range: Touch
Duration: Special!
Length of Trance: One hour (requires touching contact)
I.S.P.tm Cost: 50
Save Throw: Standard. An extra 25 I.S.P.tm causes a -2 penalty!!!
Prerequisite: Mind Melter level psychic power.
Side Effects: The user of the power permanently loses 1 P.E. point! Also suffers nausea (-2 on initiative and the loss of one attack) for 1d4 days.

Using this highly powerful attack the victims brain actually begins to deteriorate. Every day the victim will lose 1 I.Q., M.A. and M.E. point until he is reduced to 3 in each attribute.

The use of this psionic is considered a psionic ritual. The user must place a hand upon the victims head and concentrate for 1 hour. There is however a shock to the casters system as well - reduce the P.E. by one point.

The victim gets a save vs. psionics at a -6 penalty. If the save is made then the victim loses only one days worth of brain matter. If the save is not made, then his brain will slowly rot until only the stem is left. Obviously causing him to be a complete vegetable.

There is no known cure for this, but modern medicine may find ways to slow the procedure.


Psionic Energy Disruption

Range: Self/touch.
Duration: Two melees per level of experience.
Length of Trance: Three melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 30
Save Throw: Special

A unique ability that allows one to channel nega-psionic energy inside oneself both to instantly disrupt some forms of psionic energy and as a protective measure.

While PED is in use, the character is completely impervious to damage caused by all psychic energy bolts (Kinesis Bolts, Pain Shocks, Mind Bolts, all of 'em). Further, any time a psychic energy weapon is used against the character, the attacker/ creator of it must save vs psionics - or else the weapon is dissapated and must be recreated! Even if the weapon strikes and isn't dissapated, the PED protected suffers no damage. The character also gains a +2 to save against all attempts at psionic domination and mental influence (Empathic Transmission, Mind Bond, Block Breaker, Hypnotic Suggestion, magic spells like Domination and Mask of Deceit, etc.)

Note that when the PED is held within the body for an extended period to provide the above protection, the psychic cannot use it for any of the below purposes. The psychic can choose to instantly discharge the PED being maintained as above to create one of the below three effects. If this is done, the PED must be re-created. It's like an anti- psionic charge that the psychic can store in his body and use when desired (or until it expires).

The first instantaneous use of PED is for disrupting foreign psychic energy in targets - with a touch and 30 I.S.P.tm, (or by the immediate the release of energy stored for the continuous use) the psychic can instantly give a recipient a +6 to save vs psionic attack and an immediate bonus save throw against psionic domination and influence (again, Empathic Transmission, Mind Bond, Block Breaker, Hypnotic Suggestion, Psychic Mirage, telepathic or magic mind control, etc.) Against the psionic power of Possession and classic possession by demon or entity, the effect is instead equal to a psionic Exorcism with a 65% chance of expelling the entity but a 0% chance of returning it to its home dimension - the PED just boots an angry possessing creature out of its host body. Possession might be attempted again, combat might ensue, or the entity might just flee. GM's option.

The second instantaneous use is to disrupt a target psychic's personal energy base! From the continuous use or instant use, either way the psychic can touch an intended victim and drain/ disrupt psionic energy! There is +4 bonus in addition to P.P. and strike bonuses, due to a homing effect similar to a spark of static electricity. Each time a victim is touched by a psychic generating PED, he must save vs psionic attack at a -2 penalty. Success means the PED fizzles - the defender's will was too strong. Failure means that 4d6+6 I.S.P.tm is immediately dispersed (lost) and must be regained by meditation.

If the target was in the process of activating a psionic power at the instant of being nailed with a successful Psionic Energy Disruption attack, then that power activation automatically fails. No I.S.P.tm is lost, except what is normally dispersed - the psionic power is halted before it energy is spent. A PED attack will not disrupt the control of a target psychic's current psionic effects because the I.S.P.tm has already been spent.

The third, and relatively benign use, is that of 'grounding out' the PED to shake loose psionic signatures and emotional energies. The psychic can affect a three radius plus two feet per level of experience. When the grounding is done, the strength/ intensity of the psychic energies polluting the area is cut by 50%. Multiple groundings will always reduce but never totally destroy the existence of the psychic energy marking the area. This grounding can also be channeled through one object to remove/ mask people and events associated with the object. The base skill is 60% +4% per each additional level of experience.


Psi-Wave: Pain


Range: 25ft +5ft per level of experience, plus line of sight.
Duration: One half melee (7 seconds, or two attacks)
Length of Trance: One melee action
I.S.P.tm Cost: 3 per target per half melee (hitting four targets for a full melee would need 24 I.S.P.tm)
Damage: None!
Save Throw: Special! Save vs pain (14, use P.E. bonuses) cuts the penalties by half.
Prerequisites: Induce Pain

The first of the Psi- Wave powers causes a strong but brief tickling of targets' pain receptors. While under the influence of the Pain Wave, the victims suffer a -25% to P.S., -50% to P.P. and Spd., lose initiative, lose two attacks, and are -2 to strike, parry, and dodge.


Psi-Wave: Sleep


Range: 25ft +5ft per level of experience, plus line of sight.
Duration: One melee per level of experience
Length of Trance: Two melee actions
I.S.P.tm Cost: 5 per target
Save Throw: Standard with a -1 penalty.
Prerequisites: Induce Unconciousness

This power allows the character to immediately induce unconciousness in multiple targets. The sleep is a brief one, but can be invaluable.


Psi-Wave: Vertigo


Range: 25ft +5ft per level of experience, plus line of sight.
Duration: One half melee (7 seconds, or two attacks)
Length of Trance: One melee action
I.S.P.tm Cost: 2 per target per half melee (hitting four targets for a full melee would need 16 I.S.P.tm)
Damage: None!
Save Throw: Standard with a -3 penalty.
Prerequisites: None

With this power a psychic can make a group of targets immediately nauseous. This is useful against crazed mobs or Juicerstm who might be able to ignore pain, but less effective. It is also more humane than a wave of nerve twisting pain. While under the influence of the vertigo, targets are -25% to Spd., lose initiative, lose one attack, and are -2 to strike, parry, and dodge.


Telekinetic Fury

Sent in by Nicholas Rivera

Range: Affects a 10ft radius up to 60ft away. The area of effect can be moved once per melee (to do damage to two areas within a melee).
Duration: Special!
Length of Trance: 10 seconds - the energy field begins on the last attack of the character.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 10 to initiate, plus 5 more per 7 seconds that it is maintained (10 per melee).
Damage: 2d4 S.D.C.tm (+2 per level) per 7 seconds (damage is done twice per melee), plus 1 hit point of damage per minute. For Rifts®, the damage is instead 1d4 M.D.C.tm (+1 per level) per 7 seconds.
Save Throw: None (must leave the area).
Base Skill: 83% base level, -3% per per level of experience.
Prerequisites: Telekinesis: Super and Electrokinesis.

This is basically the psionic manifestation of pure anger mixed with TK energy. It takes 10 seconds to charge to basic levels. At this point electricity is literally emitting from the psionicist. All of the energy is focused on one target area. At this point the wielder is in a trance where all there is is the target, and the anger. He or she ignores without exception, any attack or damage (cannot defend onself!) Finally the attack. Electricity and telekinetic force surge from the wielder's mind into the body of the target(s). This is an intense physical onslaught (thus the S.D.C.tm and hit point damage). Even though the anger may vary he or she is limited by psionic ability and only extremely powerful users could hold up under the strain of an hour attack.

The skill goes down because more power is being channeled at higher levels and this is not a power that can be trained but is more like accidently discovered by those that possess high telekinetic and electrokinetic ability. To shut it off, the character must roll under the percentile once per melee - otherwise he remains in the trance and drains his psychic energy on damage. Game masters can decide to let this power erupt uncontrollably from elegible players who you feel are angry enough for the outburst (or who are mentally imbalanced).


Tele-neurotisis

 Created by David Bozarth

Range: 10ft plus two feet per level of experience.
Duration: Two minutes per level of experience.
I.S.P.tm Cost: 30
Save Throw: Standard
Prerequisite: Telepathy

This psionic ability allows a psychic to pull out a fear of a person and manipulate that person's senses into believing that the psychic is that fear. To the victim the psychic is the physical fear brought to life. The psychic now has a horror factor of 18 to that person. The person is also frozen in place and is unable to move for the first minute (due to the overwhelming fear) if the horror factor roll fails. While influenced by the power, the victim's bonuses are all halved when dealing with the psychic (halve bonuses to dodge the psychic's attacks and halve the strike bonuses to attack the psychic, for example).

If the victim lives through the encounter he will develop a insanity about the event unless a successful save vs insanity is made at the end of the experience.