Aberrant 2.0 Psion Rules

Psion Character Generation

Psions use the standard baseline character generation but generate their post-Prometheus Chamber statistics slightly differently.

Step 1

Baseline: As a normal Aberrant 2.0 Character, with a few exceptions:

• Psions start at Willpower 5 rather than 3.
• Psions may not possess the Node, Attunement, or Eufiber backgrounds.

Step 2

Psion: A Character's Starting Psi is (Stamina + Wits + Charisma)/2, unlike Psiads, who start at 2. Minimum is 2.

A Character then gets 20 Psi Points to spend in the following fashion:

Additional Psi: 5

Psi Modes: 4

Auxiliary Psi Modes: 6

Attributes: 2 per point

Abilities: 4 per point

Backgrounds: 3 per point

Mental or Social Mega-Attributes: 2 (rating is capped at 2 by default, no Mega-Appearance)

Mega-Attribute Enhancements: 1

Willpower: 1 per point

A Psion's starting Psi pool is equal to (Willpower + [Psi * 2]). I.e., min 9, max 30.

Psi

Psi is the colloquial name for noetic force, the universal subquantum force which Psions harness for their powers. Psi is a more subtle force than Quantum, but far less disruptive. Psi has a few permanent benefits.

• Quantum Resistance: A Psion adds (Psi/2), rounded up, to all resistance rolls against Quantum powers, or his bashing/lethal/aggravated soak against Quantum powers.
• Increased Toughness: Psions are rebuilt on the genetic level for the stresses of channeling Psi, adding (Psi/2) -0 HLs, rounded up.
• Sensing: A Psion can roll Psi to sense nearby Psions, Aberrants, and baseline humans. Sensing is can be done up to a range of 5/20/75/750 meters for Psi scores 2-5, and 15/100/1,000/50,000/1 million kilometers for Psi scores 6-10. The difficulty of this roll is +3 to pick up baselines, low-Psi Latents, or Novas with Taint 1-3, +2 to pick up Psions with Psi 2-3 or Novas with Taint 4-6, +1 to detect Psions with Psi 4-6, and normal difficulty to detect Novas with Taint 7-10 or Psions with Psi 5+. Prime Threats and Proxies are automatically detected. This is not a precise radar scan, it gives vague directional information without additional threshold successes.
• Formatting: A Psion can format Bioware to himself, adding improved functionality to said bioware. A Psion may not support more bioware than his Psi score.
• Dice Pool: The Dice Pool for most Psi powers is (Psi).

Psi Modes

All Psi Modes have one permanent benefit and do things as the freeform system does. Most of these benefits involve things like additional soak, or sensory augmentation, or whatever. In general, these permanent benefits don't match the passive powers a Nova can have, but they are what you get to work with. Permanent benefits are listed below.

Biokinesis

Biokinesis generally improves a Psion's physical integrity. A Biokinetic innately gains the ability to speed his healing, multiplying his healing rates by (1 + highest aptitude).

• Adaptation: Pattern Integrity. A Biokinetic specializing in Adaptation innately reinforces his noetic pattern against harm, adding his path rating to lethal, bashing, and aggravated soak.
• Psychomorphing: Body Redundancy. A Psychomorpher can improve the body's tolerance to massive trauma, adding (Psychomorphing) -0 Health Levels.
• Transmogrify: Inhuman Capability. A Biokinetic who specializes in transmogrification can increase his physical attributes to inhuman levels, adding an effective +1 to any physical attribute per dot of Transmogrify. This is assigned when the points are purchased and generally cannot be rearranged.

Clairsentience

Clairsentience overall improves the character's sensory ability. A Clairsentient innately is extremely perceptive, adding (Clairsentience) to his Attunement ranges and dice pools.

• Psychometry: Psychometry allows a Psion to read auras and see the past as if it was the present, adding (+Psychometry) to Investigation rolls or other rolls to examine objects.
• Psychonavigation: Psychonavigation enables a Psion to much more accurately and quickly judge distances and track persons, adding (+Psychonavigation) to rolls to chase people, navigate a vehicle, or otherwise plan/make trips. In certain circumstances (freerunning or sniping, for example) it can add to even Athletics or Firearms or other rolls.
• Telesthesia: A Psion with Telesthesia's senses are inhumanly acute, adding (+Telesthesia) to all Perception rolls.

Electrokinesis

Electrokinesis manipulates electromagnetic forces. Electrokinetics are naturally capable of sensing electromagnetic forces in use, allowing them to reflexively roll (Perception + Electrokinesis) to track or monitor the travel of power or signals.

• Electromanipulation: Electromanipulation allows a Psion to alter his own electrochemical responses to stimuli, reducing wound penalties by (Electromanipulation) and adding (+Electromanipulation) dice to resist Sway based on physiological responses.
• Photokinesis: A Photokinetic Psion can reflexively adjust lighting and decohere optical weapons used against him, adding (+Photokinesis) to soak against laser weapons and to stealth rolls.
• Technokinesis: A Technokinetic Psion has an innate understanding of technology, adding (+Technokinesis) to rolls to understand, use, or modify technology.

Psychokinesis

Psychokinesis manipulates the world around the Psion as a blatantly obvious form of action. Psychokinesis by default allows the Nova to (do what?)

• Cryokinesis: A Cryokinetic Nova is immune to high extremes of temperature, and additionally
• Pyrokinesis: A Pyrokinetic Nova is immune to freezing temperatures or below, and additionally gains
• Telekinesis: A Telekinetic Psion can increase the speed and precision of his blows, bullets, and other methods of attack, adding (+Telekinesis) to the accuracy or damage (a Psion can split this improvement to accuracy/damage as desired) of any physical attacks he makes, including any bullet fired at a target within Attunement range.

Telepathy

A telepathic Psion is skilled in manipulating the mind, or resisting such manipulations. Telepathic Psions gain inhuman reserves of will and resistance to unwanted mental influence, adding (+Telepathy) to their willpower for all purposes. This gives them additional Willpower points to spend as well.

Quantakinesis

The forbidden Aptitude, Quantakinesis allows a Psion to replicate Nova powers via psionic means. The Chitra Bantu were wiped out because of the association with Aberrants, as well as for the simple reason that Quantakinesis is a really scary ability in the right hands. As a permanent advantage, a Quantakinetic reduces the effective Permanent Taint of any Nova within (Psi) meters of him or her by his highest Quantakinetic aptitude rating. This does not remove aberrations, but it can greatly reduce their power.

• Enhancement: Inhuman Capability. A Quantakinetic with this mode can purchase up to (Enhancement) levels of Mega-Attributes as if he was a Nova. He substitutes (Enhancement - 1) for Quantum to calculate the maximum rating he may have in any Mega-Attribute.
• Energetics: Mitigate Damage. Like a Nova, a Quantakinetic with this mode may pay Psi to mitigate damage. Each point of Psi reduces damage by 1 level, and a Quantakinetic may pay up to (Energetics) points of Psi to activate this.
• Transmutation: Matter Sense. A Quantakinetic with this mode can reflexively roll Psi, difficulty (5 - Transmutation) to analyze material. One success is enough for chemical makeup and basic properties (Gold is lustrous and ductile, Iron oxidizes, Primium blocks magical attacks, etc), while more successes add more information.