Empathy
Requires the Force-Sensitive feat and/or Latent telepath and Wisdom Talent: Empathy
(latent Telepaths can only use Feel)
The ability to use telepathic power to influence the
feelings and desires of other people has existed for as long
as most cultures have historic records. Although it is a
surprisingly difficult discipline to master, Empathy can be
extremely powerful in the right (or wrong) hands. Similar
to traditional thought-based telepathy in the fact that one
mind sends messages to the other, Empathy is both more
subtle and less precise.
Targets of the Empathy Discipline will probably not know
they were affected by a telepathic ability but might have
reason to question why they suddenly behaved in the
manner they did.
Vree are completely unaffected by the Empathy Discipline
and have no ability to use it themselves. Their alien minds
know only logic and rationality.
Coldheart
Power Required: 10
Range: Close (P7 Medium)
Action: Standard
Empathy Check: DC 16
Concentration: Yes
Multiple Subjects: No
Chakra Cost: 20
This telepathic ability allows a telepath to effectively shut
off the emotional response in any given target, turning
them into an automaton of action and logic. By putting
the emotional centres of the brain into an effective
hibernation, the telepath prevents the target from putting
any of his own personality into anything he does.
While the ability is in effect, the target cannot add
or subtract his Charisma bonus to or from any die roll
whatsoever. He cannot be infl uenced by other skills that
are Charisma-based, and cannot be affected by other
telepathic abilities from the Empathy Discipline while this
one is still in effect. He is unaffected by fear of any kind.
For roleplaying purposes, the target is cold, blank and
tends to calculate his reactions.
Coldheart Variations
5 Internalise (DC 18): The telepath uses the coldheart
ability to hold back the target’s emotions while still allowing
the responses from outside stimuli to manifest internally.
This variation functions exactly as the main version of the
ability, but it only stops the target from using his Charisma
bonus. Others are still free to use their Charisma-based
skills upon the target freely, and should he succumb to
them he will act accordingly. The target is still immune
to other telepathic abilities from the Empathy Discipline,
however.
5 Floodgate (DC 22): The telepath uses the coldheart
ability to create a memory cache for emotional turmoil and
stimuli long enough to create a force too strong for the
mind to handle when it is opened. While the power is in
effect it acts exactly like the normal coldheart ability, but
instead of simply blocking the impulses this ability stores
them. When the telepath chooses to cease concentration
upon the ability all of these stored emotions come rushing
back in the form of an incapacitating blast of mental
anguish. The target suffers 1d3 nonlethal damage for every
round that this version of coldheart was in effect upon him
the instant the ability ceases.
Emotion
Power Required: 14
Range: Close (P9 Medium)
Action: Standard
Empathy Check: DC 18
Concentration: Yes
Multiple Subjects: Yes
Chakra Cost: 28
This telepathic ability is the staple function of the Empathy
Discipline. It allows telepaths to trigger specific emotions
in their target(s), hopefully getting them to perform
in a desired manner. Use of this ability is often
subtle and seamless, with those who have
succumbed to it feeling odd afterwards but
not disoriented. A successful use
of this power brings the desired
mix of emotions to the surface of the target’s mind. This
is very useful for steering someone’s opinion or reaction to
the result the telepath desires. If successful, the telepath
gains a bonus equal to his P-Rating to all Charisma-based
skills with the target while the ability is maintained.
Emotion Variations
5 Hatred (DC 23): The telepath has the ability to
fl ood a target with a tidal wave of seething hatred. This
hatred is not specifi cally focussed but tends to be directed
toward whatever the target last interacted with. If successful,
the target must make a DC 15 Will save. If the save is passed
the target will keep his hatred a conversational matter,
lashing out with words only. If the save is failed however,
the target will escalate immediately to physical violence
and savagely attack the object of his dislike. If unarmed
the target will use fi sts (or equivalent natural weapons) but
if armed the target will use a weapon. It should be noted
that if the target of this power already has a hatred (secret
or not) for someone/something in the general vicinity
(the telepath, perhaps?), he will automatically focus the
augmented hatred upon it and automatically fail the Will
save against lashing out at it.
5 Mollify (DC 20): Telepaths are often the focal
point of mundane aggression due to their gifts but this
ability allows a telepath to protect himself against such rage.
The telepath can shut down angry emotional responses in
his targets, disarming their fury and hopefully making
the situation easier to handle. If the target(s) are hostile
(known or not to the telepath) they receive a Will save DC
15 to keep their choler up and continue their hostilities. If
they fail the save they abandon their current hostilities but
can resume them immediately after the Mollify ceases.
Dulling
Power Required: 8
Range: Medium (P10 Long)
Action: Standard
Empathy Check: DC 16
Concentration: Yes
Multiple Subjects: No
Chakra Cost: 16
This telepathic ability uses underlying emotion to muddle
the ability to focus telepathic talents. Telepathic abilities
used by the target of this ability result in fuzzy contacts
that are often difficult to maintain and often distorted by
inappropriate emotional reactions. It is not as pervasive as
Jamming, nor does it place much stress on the target in
question – it merely makes telepathic abilities harder to
use by the target.
A successful use of this ability adds the user’s P-Rating to
any of the target’s Telepathy skill check DCs for abilities not
found in the Empathy Discipline. If the targeted telepath
passes the base DC but not the adjusted one, they will get a
muted, distorted and emotional version of the power they
were intending to manifest. Such powers are typically more
under the control of their subconscious mind than their
conscious mind.
Dulling Variation
5 Empathic Void (DC 20): The telepath focuses his
ability to push all emotional responses down and keep his
mind clear. Love, lust, happiness and even fear are all set
aside. This use of dulling adds the user’s P-Rating to the
Telepathy skill check DCs of any Empathy powers used
against him for as long as it is active.
Intimation
Power Required: 10
Range: Close (P10 Medium)
Action: Full round
Empathy Check: DC 16
Concentration: Yes
Multiple Subjects: No
With this ability the telepath focuses on the emotions behind
his targets’ avarice and greed. If this power is successful,
the target will have a strong desire to take possession of a
specifi c material object chosen by the telepath. The target
will not go against the nature of his character to do so.
This means that a merchant will pay more than normal for
the object or refuse to sell it but a common thief will take
shortcuts to steal it. Any skill checks made by the target to
haggle or appraise the price of the object will be made at a
–3 penalty and further complications could be imposed by
the Games Master depending on the nature of the target.
Intimation Variations
5 Abstraction (DC 24): The telepath uses the
Intimation ability to make his target want to acquire
something that is not a material object. The telepath instead chooses something
insubstantial, like a specifi c career or perhaps even freedom.
Otherwise this variation functions exactly the same as the
parent ability.
5 Greed (DC 20): This variation does not focus the
target’s need upon a single object but on general wealth
instead. ‘Wealth’ has a rather general defi nition and can
change from target to target. A Human or Brakiri might
want to hoard credits, while a Llort might grab armfuls
of senseless knickknacks. Whatever the target decides is
his idea of wealth, he will do everything possible (without
senseless risk – which is also defi ned by the individual
affected) to acquire it while this ability is in effect.
5 Lust (DC 22): The telepath calls upon one of the
oldest motivational forces in nearly every lifeform across the
galaxy – seduction. By triggering all the right synapses and
pleasure centres in the target’s brain, the telepath uses this
ability to make a target strongly attracted to the telepath’s
desired target. Lust functions just like the parent ability
but allows the telepath to direct the target into wanting
a person instead of a material object. This ability will not
function on a target that has no sex drive but a target that
has no reason to fi nd the telepath’s ‘object’ attractive will
receive a DC 18 Will save to not succumb anyway.
5 Mine! (DC +3): This variation does not create
a desire to acquire something but instead to make sure
others do not. The telepath uses this ability just as he
would for any other reason, but adds three to the diffi culty
in order to make the target go to great lengths to protect
his possessions from outside interaction. The target
will believe that everyone is looking to take the ‘object’
in question from him and will defend it from outsiders.
The exact nature as to how the target will defend his
property is up to the Games Master but targets always
receive a DC 15 Will save to avoid doing anything against
their basic natures