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