Sensing
The Sensing Discipline is related to Scanning, but where Scanning involves penetrating a single mind, Sensing allows the telepath to detect disturbances in the local psychic ‘atmosphere’.
Locate Mind
Power Required: 10
Range: Close (P7 Medium, P9 Long)
Action: Standard
Telepathy Check: DC 24
Concentration: Yes
Multiple Subjects: No
Chakra Cost: 20
For telepaths used to abilities that require touch or visual
confirmation, locating one specific mind beyond their
physical senses can prove incredibly difficult. Casting their
mind over a wide area, they can search for specific thought
patterns, honing in on the person they seek. This ability does not require Line of Sight.
A telepath using locate mind must have at least met the person he is searching for in order for this ability to work – simply searching at random for an unknown mind will automatically fail. He will be able to locate the position of the subject to within 30 feet of their actual location and can maintain concentration to continually track them over the course of multiple rounds.
Locate Mind Variations
Sense Cybernetics (DC 24): The telepath concentrates
on the mental wakes within the Mindscape, looking for
presences that cannot be wholly biological. Homing in on
their presence, the telepath can discover the recent passing
or existing location of a cybernetically-adjusted lifeform
within 30 feet of a location in range of the power.
Precision (DC 28): The telepath learns the exact
location of the target mind, instead of only knowing
the location within 30 feet.
Sense Minds (DC 28): The telepath selects a location
within range of this ability and instantly knows if there
are any sentient minds within 30 feet of that location.
Psychometry
Power Required: 15
Range: Close
Action: Full round
Telepathy Check: DC 24
Concentration: Yes
Multiple Subjects: No
Chakra Cost: 30
Strong emotions and traumatic events, as well as powerful
energy discharges, can leave psychic impressions on physical objects. A telepath using psychometry can detect such impressions. This ability is unpredictable and the information gained from it is usually a mess of conflicting emotions, fragmentary memories and bizarre images. Psychometry can be used on a location or an object, although the best results come from having a significant item at the location it was imprinted on.
Psychic impressions tend to fade over time but at uncertain
and unpredictable rates. Hyperspace has been known to
preserve these telepathic echoes, leading to tales of ghost haunted derelicts.
Sense Telepathy
Power Required: 5
Range: Close (P8 Medium, P12 Long)
Action: Standard
Telepathy Check: DC 14
Concentration: Yes
Multiple Subjects: No
Chakra Cost: 10
By using this ability, a telepath will be able to track down
and locate the threads of telepathic fingerprints every telepath
leaves behind when he uses his talent. A telepath using sense telepathy may use the ability in one of three ways.
By casting his mind around his immediate location, the
telepath will be able to tell if anyone has used a telepathic
ability in the area recently. The area covered by this is the
range of the ability (governed by the P-Rating of the telepath
himself ) but it will only be able to tell him if telepathy has
been used in the areas, not what or by whom. The psychic
traces left in an area will remain for a number of hours equal
to the P-Rating of the telepath. By increasing the DC by
+2, the telepath can read the psychic ‘fingerprint’ of the
telepath who used the ability and will be able to recognise
that telepath’s mind if he encounters it again. Sense telepathy does not require Line of Sight.
Sense Telepathy Variations
Analyse (DC 15): By performing a sense telepathy
during a deep scan, the telepath can tell if the target’s
mind has been affected by another telepath (and who
that telepath was, if they have met in the past). The
psychic traces left in another’s mind will remain for a
number of hours equal to the P-Rating of the telepath.
A successful Knowledge (telepathy) check, where
the DC is equal to the Power of the ability the other
telepath used, will determine what that ability was and
how it affected the target. Analyse is a free action.
Assess (DC 16): By directing the power at a specific
individual, the telepath will instantly know whether
they are telepathic themselves and if they are of greater,
equal or lower P-Rating than the sensing telepath.
Precognitive Contemplation
Power Required: 22
Range: Close
Action: See below
Telepathy Check: DC 25
Concentration: Yes
Multiple Subjects: No
Chakra Cost: 44
Thought to be accessible to Seers and
Mindwalkers alone, this ability is only
usable by telepaths of considerable power. By entering a
mental trance that focuses on one person, event, place or
item within range, the telepath searches the Mindscape
for its possible futures. If the initial Telepathy skill check
is successful, the telepath must maintain concentration on
it for 2d6 full rounds before the vision is complete. Upon
receiving a complete vision, the telepath is granted a brief
series of images involving the subject. The telepath may
then ask three questions about the future of the subject
that the Games Master must answer truthfully to the best
of his knowledge. The answers do not have to be clear, but
meaningful answers must be given.
There is a significant level of danger attempting to force
the Mindscape to show a telepath the future. Frequently
the unready mind will get overstressed, resulting in
nosebleeds, migraines and the occasional aneurism. Half
(round up) of the nonlethal damage rolled as a result
of boosting to the Power Required of this ability is
considered to be lethal damage.
Seers and Prophets
Precognitive Contemplation is a powerful tool
that is designed to be very difficult to use
in the hands of common Player Character
Telepaths. The extremely high Power required
often makes it too hard a task for anyone
except the most powerful telepaths with
the most powerful drugs. There are special
telepaths in the Babylon 5 universe however,
that can use the ability with greater ease. The
extinct Narn Mindwalker prophets and the
long line of Centauri Prophetesses and Seers
are attuned to this ability and are able to use
it proficiently.
At character creation, the player of a Centauri
female with a P-Rating of 4 or higher may make
his character a Seer by permanently giving up
access to two other Telepathic Disciplines. In
exchange, the Power Required and Telepathy
Check DCs of Precognitive Contemplation are
reduced by their P-Ratings before they have to
make any boosting or skill check rolls.
Note: Despite their great psychic power,
Vorlons lack any ability to foretell the future.
It is speculated that their ordered minds
are simply unable to process the complex
probabilities that Precognitive Contemplation
requires,