Chronomantics

Power Required: 8 Range: Close (P10 Medium)

Action: Standard Telepathy Check: DC 18

Concentration: No Multiple Subjects: No

Chakra Cost: 16

This telepathic ability is used to baffle targets with aquick burst of telepathic impulses designed to scramble the target’s perception of time. The impulse is like a short circuit of visual and auditory sensations that will likely throw the target off quite a bit. The basic use of the ability sends a mixture of sensations into the target’s mind, making him confused and disoriented for as long as it takes the mind to recover. The successful use of Impulse will cause the target to stutter and twitch uncomfortably, as if having a minor seizure, as soon as the ability takes effect.

This effect will continue until the target can overcome the synaptic impulse with a successful Will save DC 18. Once the ability has ceased the target will have no idea what has happened; it will be as though he lost those seconds/minutes to a blackout.

Impulse Variations

5 Déjà vu (DC 20): The telepath’s impulse grabs a piece of the target’s recent memories and forces that repeatedly to the experiencing part of the brain. This variation acts exactly like a regular Impulse other than the fact that the telepath gets to choose the memory from a short list of minor thoughts to replay every round in the target’s mind – which he will remember with a strange sense of déjà vu.

5 Feedback Loop (DC 22): The telepath uses the impulse as a blocker for the completion of a specific task, forcing the target to continue re-living the action he was taking when struck successfully with the ability. Instead of just twitching, if the target was flipping a soy burger he would continue flipping nothing until the impulse passes.

Some actions, like firing a pistol, could be very dangerous if left in the feedback loop.

Power Required: 15 Range: Close (P12 Medium)

Action: Full round Telepathy Check: DC 25

Concentration: Yes Multiple Subjects: Yes

Chakra Cost: 30

A powerful ability to cause others to perceive the flow of time as much faster or slower than it really is. By slowing down or speeding up the memory cache that a mind creates, the telepath can force his target(s) to react in a dramatically different manner to normal. When this power is used, it can be used to make all affected targets perceive time moving faster than it really is, or it can make all affected targets perceive time moving slower than it really is.

Targets who think that time is moving faster than normal quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the suddenly accelerated pace of events. They cannot take 10 or 20 on rolls, always act last in each combat round, and cannot apply their Dexterity, Intelligence or Wisdom modifiers to any kind of check except Will saves. Any skill check which takes longer than a round cannot even be attempted without a DC 18 Concentration check first.

Conversely, targets who think time is moving slower than normal have more time to think about what they are doing.

At any time they would normally be permitted to ‘take 10’ they may ‘take 15’ instead. In addition, they may add their Intelligence modifi er to all skill checks, and attack rolls in personal or vehicular combat. This power cannot affect starship-scale combat unless the telepath has the power to affect the entire crew of a given ship.

Synaptic Flow Adjustment Variations

5 Passing the Time (DC 20): The telepath can use synaptic flow adjustment to alter a target’s perception of the passage of time. To the target, the next 2d6 hours pass ‘in no time at all’. This power is useful for combatting boredom on long journeys and aiding research (giving a +4 bonus to Knowledge checks if research is possible). If something important (such as combat) happens during the 2d6 hours, the target will immediately snap out of his fugue and act normally.

5 Sandman (DC 24): The telepath uses the ability to prolong a target’s slumber, forcing his brain to think that no time has passed when hours might have. So long as the telepath concentrates successfully upon the target and nothing unforeseen happens to prematurely wake them, they will naturally sleep as though exhausted.

Power Required: 13 Range: Close (P10 Medium)

Action: Full round Telepathy Check: DC 22

Concentration: Yes Multiple Subjects: Yes

Chakra Cost: 26

This ability allows the telepath to force his targets’ nerve impulses to take long and redundant routes along the nervous system in order to perform the actions they are signaling for. This general re-routing of constant signals places the target in a strange state of slow motion for all who witness it, which feels like some kind of fugue or trance to the target.

If the telepath is successful in getting the target’s nerve signals re-routed, the affected target suffers an immediate –10 penalty to their Initiative rolls (or current score). Also, all of their movement rates are halved (round up) while the telepath continues to re-route the nerve impulses in this way.

While under the effect of this ability, the target does everything at roughly half speed. Walking, talking, eating, etc. are all slowed down to a comical level of sloth-like motion. In combat, all standard and move-equivalent actions are considered full-round actions, and all free actions are considered standard actions. The target loses all positive Dexterity modifiers to Defense Value and attack rolls, and suffers a –2 penalty to Defense on top of that.

Signal Detour Adjustment Variations

5 Rapidity (DC 24): The telepath can use signal detour to choose faster routes for nervous impulses instead of the standard ‘safe’ ones the brain normally chooses. The target begins to speed up significantly, at some cost to their muscle integrity and stress to nerve fibres. The target gains a +2 bonus to Initiative, adds 5 feet to his Speed, and performs all activities as though they were on some kind of chemical stimulant. Additionally, every round the ability speeds them up this way the target suffers a point of nonlethal damage that cannot be prevented in any way.

5 Dead-End Synapse (DC 28): The telepath canuse signal detour to block certain nerve impulses that drive essential bodily functions long enough to cause significant damage to the target. By blocking the reflexive nerve impulses that cause the heart to beat or the lungs to draw air the telepath can infl ict terrible damage, perhaps even fatally so, upon the target. Every round this ability affects the target they must pass a DC 20 Fortitude save or suffer 1d2 points of Constitution damage. When a telepath uses this ability variation, it loses the Multiple Subjects trait.