Marco Cantin and Ed Stark provided some new psionic powers for use with Shatterzone. Remember that psionics are rare in the Shatterzone universe—inexperienced, or even experienced, runners may decide not to use them at all. Chameleon
Psi Level: 1
Base Difficulty Number: 8
Base Strain: 10
Concentration Time: 3 (four seconds)
Maintained? Yes This psionic power allows a character to use his or her mind to “blend in” to any background. The character becomes unobtrusive and, apparently, even changes his or her coloration to fit into the scene. In reality, this power affects the minds of those watching the character (or trying to find the character). The character generates a psi manipulation total and, if it is over the perception or Intellect value of the watcher with the highest total, then read the result points on the Power column of the General Push Results Table. The result of the push is added to the character’s stealth or Agility (for purposes of stealth only) for the duration. Note that, because of the unique nature of chameleon, the “Multi-Action” rules are not used—if the highest value watcher is fooled, then all will be. Note: It is rumored that some alien species possess this power, even though they do not possess psionics. If so, then it would be a three point Background Advantage, and the character would use his or her base Intellect value instead of psi manipulation. The skill chameleon could also be added for these species only. Discomfort
Psi Level: 2
Base Difficulty Number: 13
Base Strain: 17
Concentration Time: 4 (six seconds)
Maintained? Yes This psionic power can be used to distract a target or just to annoy one. The psi concentrates and, as a result, the target begins to get an itch—you know, back in the place where you just can’t reach. Or, perhaps, there’s a little soreness in that old wound. Or maybe the target sniffs at the air, catching a whiff of an annoying odor. The psi manipulation total of discomfort is read against the target’s willpower or Confidence. The target should not know that he or she is being affected by a psionic power (unless someone tells the target, or the target wants to generate an Intellect total equal to or higher than the current psi manipulation total), but should begin to fidget, itch, etc. The result points versus the target’s willpower or Confidence are read on the “Taunt/Trick” column of the Interaction and Combat Results Table and then reduced by one level, but not below the minimum result level (so the character can never get a “Player’s Call,” but a result of stymied is fairly common). Foretelling
Psi Level: 5
Base Difficulty Number: 11
Base Strain: 26
Concentration Time: 9 (one minute)
Maintained? No This power is similar to intuition (below—read that description first), but it can be consciously controlled by the power user. The character who wants to use the power first decides how far into the future he or she wants to look. That time period is then converted to a value on the Value Chart, and that is the minimal number of result points the character must achieve with his or her psi manipulation total versus the Base DN. Then, the result points of that success are read on the General and Push Results Table to determine how clear the vision is. On a minimal success, the vision is very ambivalent and uncertain. An average success is still very foggy, but discernable people should be fairly clear (if applicable). At a good success, the vision looks as if the character were there, seeing the events unfold. Finally, a superior success makes the vision seem very real and very clear. Note: As with intuition, foretelling is not a certain way of seeing the future. Visions should be expressed by the gamemaster, and questions can only be asked on Good or better successes. Also, visions of the future may never come true—the gamemaster should try to anticipate what is going to happen during the proscribed time period, but the future is mutable; it can change or be changed unconsciously. Example: Vorren K’Raal is a psionic with a skill value of 22. He has just learned the psionic power foretelling, and he has a perfect opportunity to try it out. A terrorist group has seized control of a space station he’s on, and they’ve threatened to blow it up in exactly twenty-four hours if they don’t get what they want. Vorren doesn’t think the owners of the station (who aren’t actually on the station) will give in, so he wants to see if the terrorists are bluffing. Vorren sits down and concentrates. He decides he wants to look twenty-four hours into the future. That’s a time value of 25. So, even though he has to beat the DN of eleven, he has to actually get at least a skill total of 36 (25 plus the Base DN) to get any information at all. But Vorren gets lucky. He rolls high, he spends cards and Life Points, and he ends up with a skill total of 38. That’s two result points over the modified DN of 36, so he has an average success. The gamemaster informs Vorren that he is receiving a lot of emotions and a foggy vision. People are running around, in terror, and there is general feeling of fear pervading his vision. There is something wrong with the fusion reactor of the space station, he hears a voice say, and it is going to overload. Then, the vision ends. From this, Vorren can determine that the terrorists probably aren’t bluffing and they are going to use the station’s own reactor to destroy it. Maybe this will help, maybe it won’t. Only afterwards will Vorren know for sure. Intuition
Psi Level: 1
Base Difficulty Number: 14
Base Strain: 20 (see below)
Concentration Time: 0 (one second)
Maintained? No Intuition is a strange psionic power. First of all, its use is not under the control of the character who has it (even if he decides to specialize in it, which he can). Its use is dictated solely by circumstance. Whenever a character with this psionic power experiences an up or an inspiration, the gamemaster should generate a psi manipulation total for that character. No cards or Life Points may be spent on the total, but regardless of the psi resistance total, no damage from psi strain occurs. If the character achieves positive result points (or even zero result points), read them on the Success Level column of the General and Push Results Table. The character then experiences a “premonition” based on the success level of the skill total. On a minimal success, the character gains some very general knowledge as to what is happening somewhere else (that concerns the character) or will happen in the very near future—but only a brief flash. The gamemaster should reiterate this vision to the character in one sentence or so, answering no questions about the vision. An average success gets a little more information, or a little wider span. The character might get a glimpse into the farther future (say, the next day or so), or might get a much clearer vision of something that is happening or will happen soon. Three or four sentences of description should be given, but no questions are answered. A good success allows the same type of information, and the same description as the average, but the player can ask a few very specific questions (one or two) regarding the vision that the gamemaster will answer briefly, but truly. Finally, on a superior success, the character gains a long, carefully described vision (maybe ten seconds worth of vision) regarding future events (within the next week or so) and the player can ask four or five very specific questions about the vision. There is, however, a down side to intuition. If the character experiences a setback, a confused, or a player’s call (against the character), a more insidious vision occurs. Generate the skill total as above, but, this time psi strain is applied normally. If the character succeeds in the psi manipulation total, then the character sees an evil vision of the future/near happenings, at levels similar to the success levels described above. The vision will invoke fear in the character and, indeed, the psi manipulation total is read against the character’s willpower or Confidence on the Intimidation column of the “Interaction and Combat Results Table” (though no second vision can come as a result of this). The character should see events in the worst light possible (so, even if the character sees something good happening, it actually looks like something evil) and this dread should be roleplayed. Note: Remember, the player character has absolutely no control over this power, save that he or she may develop skill adds in its specialization (as per normal specialization rules regarding psi powers). In addition, the character has no control over what sort of vision he or she has and, more often than not, the vision will be meaningless or unintelligible regardless of the success level. Some gamemasters will decide to force psi characters to take this power as a one point Compensation since it is only sometimes useful and often harmful. It helps balance out the power of the mind.