The "Psionic" tradition (SR4)

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Catharz
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The "Psionic" tradition (SR4)

Post by Catharz »

This is probably going to go on Dumpshock once I can post. I thought that maybe I could get some feedback here first, and give another route for people who don't frequent the SR boards.

While all of the cool kids are making Ritual magic sandpaintings, controlling people with double-chambered cedar flutes, or calling on Loa with flour-drawn veves, hard-working parapsychological researchers are trying to understand the 'real' truth of psionics!

The Psionic 'Tradition'~

According the the psionic tradition, magic is completely explainable in rational scientific terms, *and* has nothing to do with religion, ritual, or mysticism. Psions are almost always Adepts or Mystic Adepts.
Psions (e.g. Awakened) are thought to usually be gifted in one of four fields: Clairsentience ('ESPer'), Psychokinesis ('TK'), Psychometabolism ('Shifter'), or Telepathy ('Telepath').
Clairsentience involves any sort of sensory ability which the user does not physically posess, so long as that sense isn't Telepathic. It also involves the few powers which directly work to counter such senses.
Psychokinesis is any sort of physical manipulation at a distance.
Psychometabolism is any sort of biological change in the psion or within others at a touch, not including Telepathy.
Telepathy is any sort of mind-influencing effect at a distance, as well as any language-based mental effect.

Ability in more than one field is thought to be exceedingly rare. One popular theory is that those with abilities in more than field find their abilities difficult to control. This theory is supported by the example of so-called 'summoners.' Summoners are capable of generating powerful manifestations of multiple disciplines at once, but are then forced to 'negotiate' with their own creations, which are subconsciously rather than consciously controlled.


Psionic tradition Spells~

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[br]Clairsentience:[br] Detection[br]  Analyze Magic[br]  Analyze Object[br]  Astral Clairvoyance[br]  Catalog[br]  Clairaudience[br]  Clairvoyance[br]  Combat Sense[br]  Detect Magic[br]  Detect [Object][br]  Mana Window/Astral Window[br]  [Sense] Cryptesthesia[br]  Spatial Sense/Extended


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[br]Psychokinesis:[br] Combat[br]  Punch/Clout/Blast[br]  Ram [Object]/Wreck/Demolish[br]  Shatter/Powerbolt/Powerball[br] Illusion[br]  Chaff/Flak[br]  Chaos/Chaotic World[br]  Improved Invisibility[br]  Physical Camouflage[br]  Physical Double Image[br]  [Sense] Removal/Mass[br]  Silence[br]  Sound Barrier[br]  Stealth[br]  Trid Entertainment[br]  Trid Phantasm[br]  Vehicle Mask[br] Manipulation[br]  Alter Temperature[br]  Animate/Mass[br]  Armor[br]  Bind/Net[br]  Catfall[br]  Control Actions/Mob Control[br]  Deflection[br]  [Element] Aura--Sound [br]  [Element] Wall--Sound[br]  Fix[br]  Fling[br]  Ignite[br]  Interference[br]  Levitate[br]  Lock[br]  Magic Fingers[br]  Physical Barrier[br]  Poltergeist[br]  Reinforce[br]  Shape [Material] 


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[br]Psychometabolism:[br] Combat[br]  Death Touch[br]  Knockout[br]  Lightning Bolt/Ball Lightning[br]  One Less [Species][br] Detection[br]  Diagnose[br]  Enhance Aim[br]  Hawkeye[br]  Night Vision[br]  Thermovision[br] Health[br]  Alleviate Addiction[br]  Alleviate Allergy[br]  Antidote[br]  Awaken[br]  Crank[br]  Cure Disease[br]  Decrease [Attribute][br]  Decrease Reflexes[br]  Detox[br]  Enabler[br]  Fast[br]  Heal[br]  Healthy Glow[br]  Hibernate[br]  Increase [Attribute][br]  Increase Reflexes[br]  Intoxication[br]  Nutrition[br]  Oxygenate[br]  Prophylaxis[br]  Resist Pain[br]  Stabilize[br] Illusion[br]  Physical Mask[br]  Stink/Stench[br] Manipulation[br]  Gecko Crawl[br]  Makeover[br]  Preserve[br]  Shapechange 


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[br]Telepathy:[br] Combat[br]  Manabolt/Manaball[br]  Slay [Species]/Slaughter[br]  Stunbolt/Stunball[br] Detection[br]  Analyze Truth[br]  Borrow Sense/Animal Sense/Eyes of the Pack[br]  Detect Enemies[br]  Detect Individual[br]  Detect Life/Extended[br]  Detect [Lifeform]/Extended[br]  Mindlink[br]  Mindnet[br]  Mind Probe[br]  Thought Recognition/Area[br]  Translate[br] Health[br]  Stim[br] Illusion[br]  Agony/Mass[br]  Bugs/Swarm[br]  Camouflage[br]  Confusion/Mass Confusion[br]  Double Image[br]  Dream[br]  Entertainment[br]  Forboding[br]  Hot Potato[br]  Hush[br]  Invisibility[br]  Mask[br]  Orgasm/Orgy[br]  Phantasm[br] Manipulation[br]  Alter Memory[br]  Astral Armor[br]  Calm Animal/Pack[br]  Compel Truth[br]  Control Animal/Pack[br]  Control Emotions/Mob Mood[br]  Control Thoughts/Mob Mind[br]  Influence[br]  Mana Bind/Net[br]  Mana Static


Psionic Tradition Adept Powers~

Many adepts are thought to be low-level psions, in that almost all of their powers are used subconsciously to augment normal abilities. The psionic reserarcher knows that psionics are merely an extension of natural human abilities, and so sometimes is is difficult so say when a power is great enough to be considered "psionic." There is also some argument as to whether certain powers, especially those use by adepts of unarmed combat, are Psychokinetic or -metabolic. Extensive testing has shown that they are usually TK, but some experiments have demonstrated significant changes in muscle composition/mass and concentrations of certain chemicals.

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Clairsentience:[br] Astral Perception[br] Blind Fighting[br] Cloak[br] Combat Sense[br] Counterstrike[br] Magic Sense[br] Motion Sense[br] Piercing Senses[br] Three-dimensional Memory[br][br]Psychokinesis:[br] Critical Strike[br] Elemental Strike[br] Freefall[br] Gliding[br] Great Leap?[br] Killing Hands?[br] Missile Mastery[br] Missile Parry?[br] Penetrating Strike[br] Power Throw[br] Quick Draw[br] Rooting[br] Smashing Blow[br] Spell Resistance[br] Traceless Walk[br] Wall Running[br][br]Psychometabolism:[br] Analytics[br] Attribute Boost[br] Berserk[br] Cool Resolve[br] Distance Strike[br] Eidetic Sense Memory[br] Empathic Healing[br] Enhanced Perception[br] Facial Sculpt[br] Flexibility[br] Great Leap?[br] Improved Physical Attribute[br] Improved Reflexes[br] Improved Sense[br] Iron Lungs[br] Kinesics[br] Melanin Control[br] Metabolic Control[br] Multi-Tasking[br] Mystic Armor[br] Natural Immunity[br] Nerve Strike[br] Nimble Fingers[br] Pain Relief[br] Pain Resistance[br] Rapid Healing[br] Sustenance[br] Temperature Tolerance[br] Voice Control[br][br]Telepathy:[br] Animal Empathy[br] Commanding Voice[br] Enthralling Performance[br] Iron Will[br] Linguistics


For the most part psions don't use magical items. Fetishes and foci are generally viewed as crutches for the supersticious. Some psions, however, have managed to create "psionically active" technology/biotech, which act as various types of magic items.


And...that's it for now. Nothing with the normal "tradition" stuff, as psionics isn't a real Tradition. It dosn't really matter which spirits are bound to which spell types, as the only psions calling up spirits are using semi-uncontrolled talents and are therefore by nature both varied and rare.
The drain-resisting attribute used, similarly, may vary from psion to psion. The best bet is to go with your min/maxing little heart and choose the highest.

One of the (probably the) primary aims of the field of parapsychology is to 'activate' the latent psionic abilities present in every unawakened character. Given the value of such a discovery, some research facilities are still very well funded despite the general contempt parapsychologists are viewed with. This can lead to all kinds of fun adventures with inhumane experimentation, insane Awakened, and possibly cybermancy.
Username17
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Re: The "Psionic" tradition (SR4)

Post by Username17 »

There's a formatting problem that makes this hard to read. Regardless, I think that you are way over thinking this. In the Shadowrun context, Psionic use of magic is very easy. For example, here's how I'd do it:

Psionic Constructs

Those who have Psionic powers can create temporary constructs with their mind. These semi-transparent entities in many way resemble living creatures, but are obviously manifestations of their creators will rather than separately extant creatures. Resemblances to the "Id Monster" from Forbidden Plkanet have been noted and taken as evidence that Psionics may have functioned before the Awakening at least to a limited extent.

The constructs that a Psionic can create are derived from sections of their own psyche, consciousness and subconscious. Commonly categorized types known to parapsychologists are:
  • Obstinance Constructs: Physically powerful, destructive, and literally made out of stubbornness, the obstinance construct is a force of destruction. Commonly materialized when a Psionically active individual is upset or confronted with data which she cannot accept. Nearly completely transparent, the presence of this destructive force is immediately sensed by all living creatures. Parapsychologists theorize that this is because of "psychic Leak" caused by the overflow of strong emotion wrought by the Obstinance Construct.

    Akashic Construct: Unique amongst the Psionic Constructs, the Akashic Construct is intriguing because it draws upon practical knowledge from the whole of metahumanity rather than the Psion specifically. With an appearance as muddled and patchwork as the source material, the very existence of the Akashic Construct is taken as proof of the existence of the collective unconcious from which it is prsumably derived.

    Feral Construct: The animal nature of metahumanity is not seriously doubted by Parapsychologists and the Feral Construct is ample reason why. Resembling an ape or a giant shrew, the Feral Construct is a tie to our ancient evolutionary heritage. Able to synchronize the desires of the Psion with animal kin, the Feral Construct is also deeply in tune with the formation of the body and is a good source of information about how Psionics can be used to heal and aid.

    Dream Construct: As much aspiration as nightmare, the Dream Construct is a capricious and dangerous creation. Sowing confusion and madness, the Dream Construct is perhaps more than any other construct deeply in tune with the source of the Psion's abilities. A Dream Construct is sometimes able to utilize the Psionic powers of the Psion as if the Psion himself was using them.

    Champion Construct: Representing the Psion's personal ideals, the Champion Construct is a force for change to transform the world around her into the Psion's idealized world. The Champion Construct is alternately a warrior and a builder, forged of the hopes of the Psionically active. With appearances that vary from a simple idealized form of the creator to a childhood hero, the Champion Construct appears perfect and realistic only to its creator - to all other observers it is a mockery.


Game Information

The Psionic Tradion is a materialization tradition which uses Logic and Willpower to resist Drain. The spirits available to the Psionic Tradition are:

Earth: Combat
Task: Divination
Beast: Health
Man: Illusion
Guardian: Manipulation

-Username17
Catharz
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Re: The "Psionic" tradition (SR4)

Post by Catharz »

Frank, sorry that it's an eyesore. I can't figure out how to make scrollboxes. And you're totally right: I am way over thinking this.

But that's kinda my point about psionicists in Shadowrun. They think they're right, they have faith in their principles, they have a logical [mostly] self-consistant theory. And they're wrong.

Magic isn't ordered into four 'psionic fields.' Mages don't usually specialize in one field. Most mages cherry pick whatever spells will serve them best. Mages that do specialize usualy do so in one or two of Combat, Divination, Health, Illusion, or Manipulation. Spirits are, in fact, entities in their own rights.

The psionist refuses to see that. The psionist tries to force magic into his 'scientific' theoretical framework, and when it doesn't fit he does something insane (like ignore it, come up with elaborate rationalizations, or get angry at whatever isn't working the way he wants it to).

So I was serious when, at the bottom of my post (which I don't blame you for not getting to), psionics is not a real tradition. It's just a wrong-headed way of 'studying' magic, or (for the awakened) limiting yourself. Anyone could join the psionic tradition at any time just by going, 'Hey, that makes sense.' And maybe psionics is a way to get some cool magitech...
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Re: The "Psionic" tradition (SR4)

Post by Username17 »

The thing is that if you want to do someone who "doesn't get it" in Shadowrun, you give them a lower skill. You don't need to give them funky rules or weird lists of positive and negatives, just give them a lower skill and move on.

There is no reason why people couldn't have a personalized scientific magic that worked - that's the entire point of the Hermetic Tradition after all. If you focus your inner mind to move rocks that is no less valid a path to magical power than consorting with the devil or prostrating yourself before the Loa.

Their magical theory may or may not be "right" but it sure as hell "works". The only question game mechanically is what happens when they call for help. There are lots of traditions that believe that spirits are constructs that are created by the magicians - and their conjuring still functions.

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Catharz
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Re: The "Psionic" tradition (SR4)

Post by Catharz »

I'm pretty sure I get what you're saying, but I'm not trying to add any new game mechanics. No random small bonuses or penalties, no min/maxing to be done. The point is to create a guide for anyone who wants to make a character or organization which views magic in a significantly different fashion than it is layed out in the rules.

So being a psion means that you artificially restrict yourself to one or two disciplines rather than cherry-picking. Or that even if you go for the polymath, you arrange your abilities along certain lines. This might even be a geas.

It means that, as you say, you hold very stange beliefs about your contructs, assuming you can summon at all.

It might even mean that you start with a geas which restricts you from using most magic items, becase it is an integral part of your belief system that they don't actually do anything.

But it's all just fluff.
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