Draft:Psionics

Psionics and You

Psionics are a recent development (as in they first came to be publicly on August 18th, 2650) from Soteria research that has pushed the boundaries of what the human, alien, and abhuman mind is capable of. This expansion of the power is done through a process that grows a muscle-like brain in the head that contains the power and abilities a psion may use. However, this is not without its drawbacks. While the ability to manipulate objects, project your mind, or create kinetic objects may seem like a straight boon, the act of being a psion does strain the body. A psion's body takes more damage from all sources (about 20% more) and requires a very slight increase in food intake. Equally, some psionic powers may have draw backs, due to how the effect changes the flesh in a way that is direct and in some ways clumsy.

Yet, despite this, psionics are extremely powerful, more so depending on the physical or mental abilities of the psion. Some psionic abilities rely on the physical robustness or toughness of the user, while others go in line with innate skills such as biology or mechanical depending on the application of its effects. Psionic powers contain equal parts utility and offensive ability. For a detailed list, read further below. Becoming a psion requires visiting Soteria between shifts (or having a psion capable of it making you one) while removing your psionic abilities is but one surgical procedure away to remove the enhanced organ. Beware, your body remains weakened even if the organ is removed.

Psions must also always maintain Purity of Body, what is purity of body? It is keeping all mechanical implants, organs, organ modules, or synthetic limbs out of and outside the body. A psion's body cannot be connected to machines in such a way, causing any implants to painfully and viciously be rejected in such a way that it greatly damages the psion. For what reason psions must maintain purity of body is presently unknown, but trying to ascend with any augmentation, including cruciforms, will be hazardous to your health. Of course, this does not apply to bio-implants, which contain no machine parts, nor gene mods, genetic tampering, or biological meddling.

Finally, be aware what is expected of you in regards of the colonie's Laws, as committing a crime with your psionic powers increases the fines and time served. Additionally, be wary of using powers like journey to nowhere, as teleporting an unwilling person is at minimum considered attempted murder.

Becoming a SI Certified Psion

While gaining a psionic organ is usually a trivial process, some psions or even mundanes are capable of applying for, and receiving a psionic organ with the additional benefits that come from being certified as a responsible practitioner of psioncs. Becoming a SI Certified Psion, as they are called is an extremely involved process.

Those who are selected have elected to go through rigourous testing and assaying procedures in order to certify both mental stability and fortitude. These psions are also subject to further oversight from SI and Marshals, in that they are expected to act responsibly and carefully with their newly gained resonsibilites.

Step One: Discrimination

The first component of becoming certified, and gaining the upgraded organ, is that of being psychologically and pyscially asessed for any discrepancies. In the case of existing psions, rejection or abnormal integration is investigated for and if found, disqualifies the individual. Other such things that may disqualify an individual is unstable mental states, physical illness, etcetera.

Step Two: Assaying

Once the discrimination stage is completed, the applicant will then go through a rigourous Assay by an Empath. This Assaying process involves the invocation of a dreamlike state, through use of the empath's cultured organ, where various dreams of the Dreaming King are pushed into the mind of the subject - to which they are instructed to resist. Failure to resist, or an adverse reaction to the dream, will disqualify the applicant.

Step Three: Preparation

Once successfully completing the full assessment process and provided no disqualification have been logged, the subject will proceed to be briefed on the nature of the organ that they will be receiving. They are given details on how they will be subject to oversight going forward, and must maintain a responsible use of the organ as a SI Certified Psion. Provided they consent, they will proceed to the acquisition process.

Step Four: Aquisition

Aquisition of the organ itself is done either directly through surgical implantation. The patient will be given a new psionic organ, which will then be surgically grafted onto the patient's brainstem.

Step Five: Training

After the aquisition of the organ is completed, the second-to-last phase begins. The psion is then run through a gauntlet of largely difficult training courses to ensure they are capable of using the organ, and to hone their abilities further. This process is long and involved, and can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, often leaving quite an impact on the psion. Provided they complete this training sucessfully, they will be released under observation as a certified psion.

Step Six: Observation

Lastly, observation is done for a short duration to ensure no adverse effects occur as a result of this process. While it's of note that nearly all psions who complete the entire procedure are stable due to the vetting process, a few fall through the cracks. This period ensures that no mistakes were made, and if adverse reactions are found, retraining will occur.

Stats and Abilities

How do my stats effect my psionic power?

In the case of specific powers, read below. For general stat effects, your psionics are used by a resource pool you can find in the status menu which shows your current and total psi essence pool.

Your total essence pool is calculated as thus: (Cognition / 10), Minimum 1, Maximum 30, rounded down. So, if you have Cognition 24, you have 2 essence points as 24/10 rounded down is 2. If you have cognition 310, you have essence points 30. If you have -15 cognition, you have essence 1.

Essence points are regained naturally every 10 minutes and can be potentially effected by various perks, stimulants, and items. Your essence will always fill to its maximum capacity without you needing to worry about it. If you wish to increase your psi essence regeneration or maximum psi pool, use of objects such as psi inhalants or chemicals such as cerebrix or drug stims will greatly help you regenerate essence or temporarily increase your maximum psi pool, but come with various side effects.

Your cognition also effects the rate at which you restore your psi essence. For every 20 cognition you have, you reduce the amount of time it takes to restore a psi point by 1 minute, up to a maximum of 5 minutes at 100 cognition. Use of psionic grace can reduce this number even further.

You can make cerebrix by combining 1:1:1 of psilocybin, synaptizine, and cryptobiolin, which creates 3 units. You may further refine the process by combining 40:40:40 cerebrix, water, and silicon to create a cerebrix inhaler, which restores 1 psi point instantly with no side effects and may be recycled for one glass and one plastic sheet.

Powers: Your guide to being a mind wizard

Psionic powers have a description you may view in game at any time under the psionic powers tab. The name of the power and its associated cost are in parenthesis next to it, by mousing over the power in the bottom left corner (below your typing window) you'll see a full explanation of what the power does. Powers are listed here as well, for quick and easy reference.

Lesser Powers

Lesser powers are usually a single point or free to use for a psion, they represent the general abilities any psion can use, though more cognitively impressive psions can use them far more often.

Power Name (Cost)	Effect	Notes
Kinetic Orb (0)	Creates a kinetic orb in hand that functions like a projectile weapon, expending a single psi point per shot to deliver a potentially lethal ranged blast.	Unlike other physical powers, this orb scales off of your cognition. While allowing you to stay at range, it is most costly to use than psychic blade and doesn't get bonus damage from two handing or having high robustness.
Psychosomatic healing (1)	Heal yourself for up to 40 brute AND burn, but you take heavy amounts of agony from the effect and may be stunned.	Toughness may mitigate the effect and allow you to resist both the stun and pain damage, painkillers and racial resistance may help.
Telepathic projection (1)	Project your mind into the thoughts of others, allowing you to send telepathic messages over any distance. This is primarily words, but may include brief, vague snippets of emotions or other sensory information.	This does not work on lesser life forms, people with mind shielding such as cruciforms, or synthetic minds.
Psychic Blade (1)	Create a psionic blade in your hand that functions as a knife, the power of which scales with your robustness per attack. Does not function as a viable tool.	This object is temporary, when it leaves your hand for any reason it disappears. It does not require power and cannot wear down or break. The power of the knife is deceptive, with every attack the damage is actively calculated off your robustness (debuffs mid fight such as flashbangs or defiler venom weaken the weapon). At nine or less, you do the same as a knife. At ten to nineteen you deal the same as a butcher knife. At twenty to twenty nine, you deal the same as a machete. At thirty or higher, you deal the same as a longsword.
Psychic Shield (1)	Create a psionic shield that can block melee attacks, bullets, or energy beams.	Functions exactly like a standard shield.
Psychosomatic Transference (1)	Instantly refill your nutrition to full at the expense of some of your blood and taking some toxins.	You gain 100% nutrition but lose 54 units of blood (10%) and take 15 toxins. Easy to recover from with the right reagents.
Telekinetic Prowess (1)	You gain telekinesis, allowing you to pick up objects and move them around, as well as interact with some objects at range. Careful, as you can hurt yourself and others using this (unless that's what you want).	Can be used to do a variety of things and can only be removed by willingly ending it or through scientific methods. Using this power, once activated, does not cost any psi points.
End Telekinesis (0)	End your telekinesis. You may reactivate telekinesis by spending another psi point.	Useful for if you get tired of picking up random objects or pushing walls when randomly clicking your screen to face various directions.
Telekinetic Fist (1)	Create a one hit use psi fist in your hand which deals damage and knock back based on your current robustness when used.	This is a temporary item that will vanish if it leaves your hand. This power vanishes after one attack, but deals damage that scales the same as the psychic blade while dealing 2/4/6 tile knock-back depending on your robustness.
Pyrokinetic Spark(1)	Expend a single point of your psi essence to create a tiny flickering fire in your hand that will shine light and ignite combustible materials, can be thrown but will extinguish quickly	This can light cobwebs on fire.
Psionic Swarm(2)	Spend two psionic essence to call forth a psionic energy cloud that will rip at foes and protect you for a short time.

Greater Powers

Greater powers are psionic abilities that cost more essence and may not be usable if you lack the cognition to have enough of a essence pool. These powers are much more useful as a result and range from 2-5 in point cost. Greater powers may come with restrictions or other unusual effects.

Power Name (Cost)	Effect	Notes
Telekinetic Omnitool (2)	Create an omnitool which has tool qualities based on 80% of your biology and mechanical skills, allowing it to function as a mechanical or surgical tool. It works at 80% speed and cannot be upgraded.	This object is temporary, when it leaves your hand for any reason it disappears. It does not require power and cannot wear down or break.
Psionic Tool Construction (2)	Using an oddity, you create a permanent tool out of it, sacrificing the oddity to have it randomly become a tool. The oddities stats affect what is most likely to be created, but the choice is still random.	Creates one of six potential tools. The tools are lesser than their high tier counterparts, but have odd qualities and come with themes. Some may be used as weapons but generally are not as effective as actual psi-weapons. These can be modified and upgrade.
Meditative Focus(2)	Expend two psi points of your psi essence to focus your mind and increase your sanity.
Psionic Weapon Construction (3)	Using an oddity, you create a permanent weapon out of it, sacrificing the oddity to have it randomly become a range weapon. The oddities stats affect what is most likely to be created, but the choice is still random. Psionic guns do not come loaded.	Creates one six random guns. All guns are 10% to 20% weaker than than their official versions. All weapons come with a specific style, name, and description that makes them more interesting and reveal their nature. These can be modified and upgraded.
Psionic Melee Construction (3)	Using an oddity, you create a permanent weapon out of it, sacrificing the oddity to have it randomly become a melee weapon. The oddities stats affect what is most likely to be created, but the choice is still random.	Creates one six random melee weapons. They have unusual but crappy tool qualities and are suited better as decent weapons, though are easily outshone end game weaponry. All weapons come with a specific style, name, and description that makes them more interesting and reveal their nature. These can be modified and upgraded.
Psychic Call (3)	You call burrowing creatures from all nearby burrows and cracks. What appears is random. None of the things called are inherently friendly to you, meaning you may call things that are hostile and attack you and your allies.	Useful if you need a distraction, cannon fodder, you're a cht'mant looking to (hopefully) call roaches or spiders to your location. Use at your own risk.
Psychic Banish (4)	You force all burrowing creatures to flee from you, forcing them to go inside their burrows and leave for parts unknown.	Some creatures may actively try to resist the affect. Only works on creatures capable of burrowing and only if a burrow they can reach is nearby. Resisting creatures will still attack if you get close and may give up if they cannot reach the burrow.
Psionic Armor (4)	You create a suit of psionic armor which provides decent all round protection for you. Using this power destroys whatever armor, boots, gloves, and hat you are wearing. The suit enhances your cognition for each piece your wearing but they disappear if you remove it for any reason.	Your suit provides armor 35 in most areas and comes with neat utility bonuses like +20 cognition if you're wearing the full set. The gloves and boots are both insulated and the boots prevent slipping. On top of that, the hood provides a mood setting light and the entire thing is space worthy.
Journey to Nowhere (5)	You teleport yourself, whatever you are holding or wearing, and any person you are grabbing to the nightmare realm known as deep maintenance. You are not guaranteed safety and the effect weakens you on arrival. While you will always land in an empty spot, you may be surrounded by traps or possibly hostile life forms that will rip you limb from limb immediately.	Do not use this unless you are heavily armored, carrying lots of supplies, and prepared. Taking yourself and an unwilling subject is considered attempted murder. Keep in mind, as a psion, if you die in deep maintenance it is unlikely you will be found and rescued.

Job Specific Powers

Job specific powers are linked to a specific job and cannot normally be obtained without playing that specific job. Unlike standard or greater powers, these are generally thematic and may cost lesser or more points than either.

Power Name (Cost)	Effect	Notes
Psychosomatic Restoration (2)	You heal whoever you are presently grabbing for damage similar to psychosomatic healing, but weaker and a little safer.	Heals 30 brute and 30 burn at the cost of double the psi essence. This power, however, doesn't cause pain like its lesser variant.
Psionic Tranquillity(2)	Expend two psi points of your psi essence to calm the mind of another person you are grappling and restore their sanity.
Cerebral Regeneration (3)	Heals the mind of whoever you are grappling or yourself if you are currently grabbing nobody. When used on yourself, the power cost is reduced to 0.	This power heals all brain damage instantly but does not cure the effect that caused the brain damage so additional healing may be needed. Works on people who are unconscious but not dead. The cost is free if used on yourself.
Gift of the Psion (7)	You reach into the mind of another you are grappling and attempt to empower them, giving you different effects based on what they are. This power requires massive amounts of essence to use and its highly suggested that you take the time to provide actual psychological help in the mean time.	When grappling someone this power grants different perks based on if the target is a psion or not. In a psion, they gain psionic grace and in a non-psion they gain mind over matter. Do keep in mind, using this power logs and messages admins, so be sure to employ actual roleplay and try not to game the benefit too much.

Psionic Perks

Psionic powers may be effected by perks, which can be gained by background character options, oddities, or other effects in round. Psionic perks are usually pretty limited towards what they effect, but can drastically change your play style depending on what they do and what you have. Below is a list of perks that psions may potentially have.

Perk	Description	Effect
Psion	You have, through some method you may or may not understand, delved into the secrets of psionic ascension and gained powers beyond your understanding. While your mind has become far stronger, your body has weakened slightly. You take increased damage from all sources and require a bit more food to support the specialized organs you've developed. Additionally, you must always maintain purity of body, any implants, cruciforms, or synthetics will be violently rejected as long as your psionic organ is in your head.	Given by your psion organ. Take +20% brute/burn/oxygen/toxins, very minuscule hunger increase, an additional organ in your head, and all non-organic implants, modules, or body parts are forcefully and painfully ejected from the body.
Psionic Psychosis	You lived a life of unsettled violence. Maybe it was circumstance, maybe it was necessity, or maybe you just liked hurting people. No matter the reason, your mind is attuned to bloody violence and your potential as a psion reflects that. No matter your stats or physical body, you always deal maximum damage when using scaling psionic weaponry you create.	Any temporary psionic item that scales off of any stat deals its maximum damage regardless of your abilities. (Telekinetic fist always deals 33 damage and has 6 tile knock-back, psychic blade deals 33 damage per hit, etc. etc.)
Psionic Harmony	You have achieved inner harmony, your balance of emotion giving you peace of mind and thus expanding your potential as a psion. With this frame of mind, you retain a higher maximum psi pool than others, increasing your capacity by two.	Your maximum psi points increases by 2. This effect stacks.
Psionic Attunement	You have, through practice or innate talent, mastered your psionic abilities to such a degree that you have greater control of the negative side effects of your powers. Whenever you use a psionic power that has negative side effects, you take only half the penalties a psion normally would.	You take 50% less penalty when using abilities like psychosomatic healing, psychosomatic transference. etc. etc. You also remove the cost of using telepathy and telekinetic prowess.
Mind Master	Your training as a Soteria psychologist and understanding of psychiatry has given you a deep understanding of how the mind works. As a result, if you became a psion, you have an expanded set of powers that aid you in your work, with additional essence to use your abilities.	Your maximum psi points increases by 5. This effect stacks.
Psionic Grace	The latent effects of a fellow psion with mastery over the mind has enhanced your abilities. The gifted enhancement allows you to recover your psi essence twice as fast.	The time it takes to recover psi essence is halved.
Mind over Matter	You felt the grace of a psion touching your mind and bringing about a level of peace and perfection you never quite considered. Now, as a result, your body and mind work beyond any potential they once had.	You gain a +10 to all stats for the remainder of the shift. This perk is only available to non-psions.

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