Psionics

Every human being has some level of sensitivity to the unseen world of otherspace. When you Attune, you try to tap into that sensitivity and harness something that dwells deep within the human mind. Some might call it relying on their instincts or trusting their gut; others would talk about the human quality of empathy, the unexplored potential of the human subconscious, or even refer to the guiding hand of spirits or gods.

If you chose The Psion as a playbook during character creation, you have much more than a latent sensitivity. Whether through training and meditation, corporate experimentation, or transformative trauma, you have unlocked the ability to consciously open your mind to the unseen world, allowing you to perceive things beyond your mundane senses and make contact with the living beings around you. Using this power, you might:

• Telepathically communicate with another person whom you can see.
• Read the surface thoughts or sense the emotions of a nearby person.
• See the otherspace echoes of recent events, rippling forwards through time.
• Feel the ghost of strong emotions, or even bear witness through the eyes of the departed.
• Risk peering beyond the veil of rationality to gain mysterious insights about their current situation.

The psionic potential can develop in many different directions, with the proper training. Depending on which talents you pick up, you might gain the ability to communicate with non-human minds, to psionically influence the thoughts and feelings of others, or even to twist your gift into a weapon that can be used against others.

Example Consequences

If you’re trying to communicate with telepathy, you might be rolling against the risk of:

• Failing to reach the target, if they’re far away or if you don’t know them well.
• Making contact with the wrong person, if they’re far away or if you don’t know them well.
• Repulsing or upsetting the target, if they aren’t aware of your powers.
• Being blocked out, if they’re aware of your powers and don’t welcome the intrusion.
• Being sensed, if there are psionics in the area who might notice your actions.

If you’re trying to read minds or skim emotions, you might be rolling against the risk of:

• Failing to reach the target, if they’re far away or if you don’t know them well.
• Making contact with the wrong person, if they’re far away or if you don’t know them well.
• Being detected, if you’re trying to read their mind surreptitiously.
• Disclosing your thoughts or emotions to the target, instead of the other way around.
• Being blocked out or even misled, if the target is aware of your powers and knows to still their mind.
• Being “infected” with the negative emotions of the target, causing you to suffer a condition.
• Becoming “enraptured”, drawn into a trance as you become lost in another person’s thoughts or emotions.
• Being sensed, if there are psionics in the area who might notice your actions.

If you’re trying to tap into the events or emotions of the past, you might be rolling against the risk of:

• Getting drawn into a “vision” of the past, from which you cannot be roused until it releases you.
• Becoming overwhelmed or overloaded by the cacophony of echoes, inflicting a condition or even an injury.
• Glimpsing the past or feeling the emotions of those around you, such as your crew or other allies.
• Accidentally sharing your own past or emotions with those around you, such as your crew or other allies.
• Alerting the subject of your inquiry or someone close to it, even in the form of an unexplainable “gut feeling” or intuition.
• Being sensed, if there are psionics in the area who might notice your actions.

If you’re trying to glean mysterious insights from beyond the veil, you might be rolling against the risk of:

• Drawing the curiosity of a vague and inhuman intelligence that dwells in the deeper reaches of otherspace, with unknown consequences.
• Scorching your mind by opening it to the unfiltered maelstrom of otherspace, inflicting a condition or even an injury.
• Being shown something that is unrelated to the subject of inquiry; exactly how it’s significant is unclear.
• Being transported against your will through time and/or space, bringing you into direct contact with the subject of your inquiry.
• Alerting the subject of your inquiry or someone close to it, even in the form of an unexplainable “gut feeling” or intuition.
• Being sensed, if there are psionics in the area who might notice your actions.