Established Psionics Institutes in Traveller

[PeterFdH]

Hi, has Mongoose published any information on psionics institutes in the Third Imperium? Before trying to create my own I'd prefer seeing if there was anything already written down somewhere. A quick search of the Traveller Wiki doesn't raise anything.

 

[Subzero001]

PG9 1st ed Mongoose Psionics book:

Psionics Institute

Institutes fall into two broad categories:

• Universities where study of psionics forms a core competency

• Dedicated institutes where only psionics are studied and

developed

it goes into if its legal in your universe or illegal

 

[PeterFdH]

PG9 1st ed Mongoose Psionics book:

Psionics Institute

Institutes fall into two broad categories:

• Universities where study of psionics forms a core competency

• Dedicated institutes where only psionics are studied and

developed

it goes into if its legal in your universe or illegal

Thanks. I was more looking for actual examples within Charted Space lore rather than a rules overview. Not looking to create something new.

 

[Sigtrygg]

The Imperium has no psionic institutes. The practice of psionics was outlawed centuries ago and anyone practicing psionics within the Imperium is liable to arrest or worse.

That's the official line.

The truth is the IN maintained a couple of psionic institutes post pogrom, and there are still underground institutes - likely with connections to the Zhodani

 

[PeterFdH]

The Imperium has no psionic institutes. The practice of psionics was outlawed centuries ago and anyone practicing psionics within the Imperium is liable to arrest or worse.

That's the official line.

The truth is the IN maintained a couple of psionic institutes post pogrom, and there are still underground institutes - likely with connections to the Zhodani

Thanks. I like the potential connection to the Zhodani. Looks like I'll create something but will use that idea...😁

 

[Vormaerin]

Officially, there are two secret Psi institutes run by the Navy. One's on Terra and the other is in the Spinward Marches, but I forget exactly where. But then you are in the Army (or Navy or whatever) now. Otherwise, there's secret ones on many Pop 9+ worlds.

I'd have to look through stuff to see where those locations were made explicit. Might have been GURPS Traveller, rendering its canonicity up in the air.

 

[PeterFdH]

Thanks. We're generating characters for a Spinward Marches campaign so anything there, canon or not, would be useful.

 

[Vormaerin]

The GURPS Traveller book "Psionics Institutes" has a lot of detail on this sort of thing.

 

[Geir]

The Spinward Marches one is on Wypoc.
That's off the top of my head, so I could be hallucinating (no wait, that's ChatGPT) .

 

[Sigtrygg]

The GURPS Psionics Institutes book is possibly the worst book they ever put out. The author had no clue that psionics are outlawed in the Imperium. Avoid it.

 

[Vormaerin]

So, yeah, if you want to ignore Psionics Institutes because some of it is definitely alternate reality, then there's essentially zero information in print. No one has made any canon compliant book about how psionics work in the Imperium. Mongoose' 1e book Psion is not canonical, either. It has a lot of stuff that doesn't apply to the 3I setting.

I am not aware of any adventures that feature a psionics institute in a meaningful way, either. Not beyond "okay, you talk to someone from the Psionics institute and then you leave" level of detail.

So you can venture into the non canon stuff and pare it back down to what fits your vision of the Third Imperium or you can just make it all up from the get go. Your choice. Pretty much the only canon guidance is that they only generally exist on worlds that are Pop 9+.

 

[GypsyComet]

Pretty much the only canon guidance is that they only generally exist on worlds that are Pop 9+.

The two that were quietly kept open after the Suppressions in the early 800s are from information that goes way back. Others are going to be elusive on purpose. Failing a roll to find one means nothing except that *you* didn't find it.

I also read the Suppressions a bit differently, based on the original Classic rule regarding what happens to Psions when they are discovered. The Imperium cancelled charters, meaning the many official Institutes lost their Imperial protection. Local law and the frightened mobs took over. Psionics are NOT an Imperial crime, but solely a local one.

 

[Vormaerin]

Elusive "in game" and elusive to the referee are two very different things. No one has, to my knowledge, provided any examples of how to do a psionics institute in the Imperium post Suppressions without going off into non canon territory.

 

[Sigtrygg]

The Traveller Adventure includes a scenario where the PCs seek out a psionic institute...

 

[Vormaerin]

Yeah, but I don't recall it having much in the way of actual information other than "okay, they'll take the mind parasites off your hands because they are nice like that". But its been a while since I read it.

 

[Geir]

The one from the Traveller Adventure was on Junidy.
I generally liked that book, but it has what I consider to be the most annoying adventure ever: the bureaucratic form scavenger hunt on Zila.

 

[Vormaerin]

Yeah. But all it says about the Psionic Institute itself is that it exists hiding in the University of Junidy because the psions were in charge of the suppressions so they just forgot to suppress themselves other than saying "oh, yeah, we don't exist anymore."

 

[GypsyComet]

Yeah. But all it says about the Psionic Institute itself is that it exists hiding in the University of Junidy because the psions were in charge of the suppressions so they just forgot to suppress themselves other than saying "oh, yeah, we don't exist anymore."

Sounds about right, to be honest. Every Institute is going to have its own tale to tell of, and after, the Suppressions.

 

[GypsyComet]

... without going off into non canon territory.

Campaign Compatible takes priority. Canon Compatible is nice.

Canon is only mandatory for the writers.

 

[Vormaerin]

Campaign Compatible takes priority. Canon Compatible is nice.

Canon is only mandatory for the writers.

I am aware of that. I'm not the one saying "don't buy the only published material on the subject because its bad at canon". That fragment of my post you quoted was a qualifier I put in specifically because the topic of canonicity of sources been raised regarding the GURPS publication on the subject. I mentioned Psionic Institutes as a source after the OP said they wanted info, canon or not. That later post you replied to was my pointing out that there is no canon source to recommend instead.