Psionic Youth

PSIONICIST (#16/30, #168/365) [POT]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 10

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: See below

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Dungeons, Ruins, Caves, Forests, Mountains, Deserts, Hills, Wilderness

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: See below

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Neutral-Unfriendly

INTELLIGENCE: High

Although possibly not suitable for every campaign, Psionics can be a key element of many, being the use of the mind itself with which to manipulate the world at large and can be a fantastic aid to the Heroes. It can also be a dangerous threat if a Psionic enemy challenges them. A psionicist will belong to one (and only one) psionic Tradition. These psionic Traditions are:

• Academic Psionicist
• Dark Power 
• Mental Healer
• Physical Adept
• Wild Psionics.

A Tradition defines both how the psionics abilities are learned and what the abilities can do. To determine a psionicist's type of Tradition, roll on the table below:

Die Roll Psionicist Type 

1 Dark Power

2 Physical Adept

3-4 Academic Psionicist

5 Mental Healer

6 Wild Psionics

Psionicists tend to live more on the margins as outsiders, and thus carry little in the way of possessions. However, what they do carry may be valuable, so roll on the Rich Humanoid column of the Creature Treasure table (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 30). Other than that, the psionicist will just have the clothes on their back and a backpack with 1-6 Provisions. For determining the psionicist's weapon, roll on the table below:

Die Roll Weapon Type

1-2 Dagger

3-4 Staff

5-6 Unarmed (Human Fist)

To determine the number and nature of psionicists that have been encountered, roll on the following table:

Die Roll Encounter Type

1 A Novice (The average Novice has a PSIONICS score of 1-3, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 1-2, with 4-10 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition)

2-3 An Adept (The average Adept has a PSIONICS score of 6-8, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 2-4, with 16-24 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition)

4 An Adept (The average Adept has a PSIONICS score of 6-8, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 2-4, with 16-24 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition) and 1-6 Followers (The average Follower has a PSIONICS score of 1-3, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 1-2, with 4-10 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition). All will follow the same Tradition.

5 A Cabal comprising 2-4 Adepts (The average Adept has a PSIONICS score of 6-8, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 2-4, with 16-24 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition) and 2-7 Followers (The average Follower has a PSIONICS score of 1-3, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 1-2, with 4-10 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition). All will follow the same Tradition

6 A Tainted One (The average Tainted One has a PSIONICS score of 7-9, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 3-5, with 20-28 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition)

The Tradition of a psionicist also tends to define their background to some extent. An Academic Tradition psionicist will learn their abilities at a Magical College or University, though there are few of these on Titan. The various schools of magic in cities such as Royal Lendle, Chalannabrad, Salamonis, Kaynlesh-Ma, and Ximoran are probably the only places offering such opportunities. The abilities taught at these colleges tend to be “classic” abilities such as telepathy and precognition.

A Mental Healer may have learnt their psionic abilities in the same way, or they may have been instructed by a village wise-woman, or even self-taught. Conversely, the use of the Dark Power Tradition usually indicates Chaos mutation or possession by demonic or Undead spirits. It unfortunately is also practiced actively by some races such as Brain Slayers, or much-feared magical orders like the Mindbenders, who are identified by their purple headbands and long purple gowns with raised collars.

A Physical Adept may belong to a mystical sect who dwell in isolation, or a hermit who has honed their mind and body to their fullest potential. Wild Psionics, however, are normally self-taught and are generally destructive and unfocused abilities. 

It is down to the Director to decide which Traditions are available in their setting. Some campaigns might have a single Tradition while others might have two or even three different Traditions, which may coexist peacefully or be rivals.