Psion question

J

Jak Nazryth

Mongoose
I have one player who is playing a Psion out of the sell-named book. He rolled it up at the table with all the other guy's and said the rules allowed his character to join an institute at the age of 16, prior to his "traveller career".
He started out as Zondani, but then fled into an underground group to finish off his character. I am pretty familiar with the Psion career in the core book, but I just got the new Psion Book. Over the weekend I tried to look up the "age of 16 thing" without luck, but I did find the statement "prior to a Traveller career". You can learn a talent every 4 month etc...
Anyway, I was wondering if there were people who knew more about the specific Psion Rules than I do, and if it sounds like he's doing it correctly. We start the "official" game next week. At what age do you start "in school" for psions? Psionic Harry Potter anyone!?" ;)

Thanks for any input! :)
 
Sounds like he wanted to maximise his chances of getting a high Psionic Strength. I don't blame him either.

Let him. His character will get enough stick from the regular folks around him for (i) being a Zho by birth; (ii) being a "dirty psion."
 
I guess the phrase I'm hung on is "prior to a Traveller career"
Now I admit that I did not get to fully review the rules (working on a family farm most of the weekend since my Dad has been so sick) but I was just curious if there is an "official" school term/semesters within Mongoose Rules that predate the "official beginning" at the age of 18.
If there is, I'm completely fine. If not, I gotta really look his character over to make sure he's not got the skills of a 50 year old and the age of a 30 year old! :)
 
Jak Nazryth said:
... I was just curious if there is an "official" school term/semesters within Mongoose Rules that predate the "official beginning" at the age of 18.
Click to expand...
Not in the form of a well defined term, but in the form of an undefined
time period when the character learns his education skills before he be-
gins the first term of one of the defined careers. I do not know the rules
from Psion, but I think a character could well have joined an institute at
age 16 instead of, for example, gaining a science skill as an education
skill. However, I am not sure whether I would allow both, psionic training
and education skills, before the first term.
 
The Psion book states in the section on Psionic Training (page 7)...

Having realised psionic potential and caclulated Psionic
Strength, the characteer is now in a position to be formally
trained in psionics, developing his talents and powers...

...This section presupposes one of two things:

* Psionic potential is being realized before the character
embarks on a formal Traveller Career, as detailed in the
Psionic Careers chapter
...or...
* Psionic potential is being realized after the career process
has finished and the character is actively travelling and
adventuring.
Click to expand...
The decision as to when a character's Psi potential is realized is completely up to the GM, not the player. If you and the player agree that it occurs before the character entering any official career, well and good but you as the GM have the final word.

Now, speaking as someone who's run a Psi 15 Zho/Darrian hybrid in the Imperium since the original release of the CT Zhodani supplement as well as a GM, keeping tabs on a powerful psionic character roaming within the Imperium is very, very easy. Surviving as a powerful psi roaming within the Imperium is extremely challenging if the player isn't very, very careful.
 
He's a dirty stinkin Psion and a no good Zho. Get the local mob round and have a good old fashioned witch burning :lol:

If you want to let the dirty stinkin witch live then just say that at the begining of his first term ( IE aged 18 ) he can get tested so PSI is 2D - 0 since he has served no terms. He will have a debt of KCr100 ish which will need to be paid off, treat it like an outstanding medical bill.

Or just hire a rent a mob, provide free pitchforks, burning brands and marshmallows and have a witch roast :twisted:
 
*Reads Captain Jonah's response*

See what I mean? Keeping a tight leash on a powerful psi within the Imperium is easy.
 
alex_greene said:
No, Traveller doesn't cover careers prior to age 18.
Click to expand...

The core doesn't. Although there is an exception if you count Judge Dredd where the judges start considerably younger.
 
AndrewW said:
alex_greene said:
No, Traveller doesn't cover careers prior to age 18.
Click to expand...

The core doesn't. Although there is an exception if you count Judge Dredd where the judges start considerably younger.
Click to expand...
And the upcoming release of the Zhodani supplement will likely cover pre-career development of psi skills since such rules existed in the original CT version of the supplement.
 
SSWarlock said:
And the upcoming release of the Zhodani supplement will likely cover pre-career development of psi skills since such rules existed in the original CT version of the supplement.
Click to expand...

Well, there is mention of training at an early age in there. Though all the careers start at the usual 18.
 
AndrewW said:
The core doesn't. Although there is an exception if you count Judge Dredd where the judges start considerably younger.
Click to expand...
As currently being played out in the pages of 2000AD, where a young rookie Judge Cadet Cassandra Anderson is being put through her paces.
 
Just got back from seeing X-Men First Class. Good movie.


Just had a thought about my friend who is running a psi-cop.
Normally Psionics are illegal but the Emperium does have an official psi-corp to hunt down rogue psions and keep an eye on any Zondani agents. One of my friends became a psi-corp agent. (out of the Psion book)
When he decides to leave the corp, will an Imperial Psi-corp simply "let him go?"
We discussed this and had two ideas.
1) The Emperium plants a chip inside his head that is a tracking device and might be able to "switch off" his abilities if he is deemed a danger.

2) He is treated kinda like a scout ship, which can be recalled back into service if they need him for any reason.... "Son, you really never leave the corp, we just let you go on extended leave..." If I (as the GM) roll an 11 or 12 he (and the party) are recalled to do services on behalf of the corp.

Normally (in the case of an NPC) I would suspect that the Emperium would suppress a psion's ability through drugs, surgery, or what ever if and when an psionic agent leaves the corp.

Any ideas on how I should handle character who play a psion "in an official capacity... psi-cop.... within the Emperium?
 
Jak Nazryth said:
When he decides to leave the corp, will an Imperial Psi-corp simply "let him go?"
Click to expand...
Yes, but a few days later he will have a fatal grav car accident. 8)

The only chance to avoid this would probably be to no longer be a psion
and to have forgotten that something like the Psi Corps exists.
 
rust said:
Jak Nazryth said:
When he decides to leave the corp, will an Imperial Psi-corp simply "let him go?"
Click to expand...
Yes, but a few days later he will have a fatal grav car accident. 8)

The only chance to avoid this would probably be to no longer be a psion
and to have forgotten that something like the Psi Corps exists.
Click to expand...


:lol:
Yeah.... but that would kinda defeat the use of the Psion Rule book! 8)

Maybe I should state that my game is "almost" cannon. Psionics are still highly illegal in the Emperium, but yes psionics still do exist. The Emperium does (IMTU) operate the Imperial Psi-Corp (think Babylon 5) So if one of my character does want to be a Psion within the Emperium "out in the open" the only option is to join the Psi-corp. They are used for reasons in my previous posting.

I will not have my player go through an out of game, character pregeneration phase of creating their character, only to have the Emperium strip them of their abilities "once the game begins". In the cases of most ex-agents within the Emperium (NPC's) suppression drugs, prison, "accidents" will most likely happen as you correctly suggest, but PC's will be handled differently. So I think a combination of 1 and 2 is appropriate.

First and foremost, I am running this like a fun science fiction game, and less like a hard core science-future uber realistic game.
I want my friends to have fun, but I WILL make them pay for stupid actions. :twisted:

I have between now and Tuesday evening to nail down a rule of thumb and for now I'll just wing it and stick to what I've thought of. Any other ideas?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Making a competent Psion in MgT2e+
Replies
16
Views
905
MasterGwydion
M
T
Thought someone might like to try this Pre-Gen
Replies
1
Views
646
To Tha Moon!
T
A
PSION and new Career term
2
Replies
24
Views
2K
To Tha Moon!
T
Yenaldlooshi
Psion Career pg229: Considering a House Rule about new attempts for Talents
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
Tom B
Tom B
S
Interpretation of Psiconics
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
rinku
R
Back
Top