Psionics is, in essence, mental magic. It covers thing like telepathy, telekinesis and more. The users are considered by many to be the equivalent of mages and spellcasters, able to control forces that others can barely understand. They can be feared, respected or hunted down as abominations in seemingly equal amounts.
One thing that is a universal truth in USFG (Unnamed SciFi Game) is that those who can command the powers of “mental magic” are more common than people think. Around 1 in 10,000 sentient beings are classed as a Tier 1 Psyker. 1 in ten thousand people can be classed as a T1. of those, 1 in a thousand can be classed as T2. Of those T2’s one in a thousand could be a t3 and so on and so on. There is no known upper limit to the teirs.
- These people might have above average luck, may have an “edge” but they have zero control or have abilities that might be considered to be normal until you investigate further. It is believed that some top athletes, business owners or highly charismatic people are in fact a tier 1 psyker.
- This is where controllable psyker abilities begin to manifest, although they are still unreliable. You may be able to move objects an inch or so, guess what people are thinking and get the answer right more than you are wrong. You can, if careful, still pass off your abilities as dumb luck, but others, especially other psykers can tell you have the gift right away. You may be asked to register your abilities and can be monitored.
- For many authorities and governments, a T3 is the level at which you become a “True” psyker.
- Each tier increases the range, power, and control of the psionic abilities. Some powers are only safe to use at higher tiers, although there is nothing stopping the lower tiers from trying to use them. This is something the more experienced users advise against, as it is risky, not only for yourself but for those around you if you try to use an ability that is classed as too high for your tier.
The psionic abilities can be broken down into several categories:
- Clairsentience – Sometimes referred to as the “Discipline of knowing” – Allows you to see or know things your mundane sense can’t reveal.
- Metacreation – You can create objects or even other lifeforms from what appears to be “thin air”
- Metapsionics – A relative new psionic disciple, this allows the user to boost, alter, control or even negate other psionic abilities
- Psychokinesis – The art of controlling existing things with just the power of your mind. You can move things, or even blast them away.
- Psychometabolism – You alter the properties of something, from an object or even your own body
- Psychoportation – Move yourself, another or an object around through the space-time continuum
- Telepathy – Connect with another beings mind and see what is there, communicate or even, quite literally, change their mind.
