Rolling For Psionics Question

[thepugilist]

I realize a lot of this is YTU dependent, but the careers in Psion seem to be, uh, a little light on actually expanding Psion abilities.

If you use psionics (if not no point in posting) do you allow the check for talents before, say, entering the Psi-Agent career? Do you allow rolling for advanced talents?

Also, if you are running a Time/Dimensional/Psi-Ship game, how are you supposed to get your required talents to 7 or above? Those requirements seem to render the careers rather pointless, unless I am missing something.

And I have not had to chance to play or run MGT, so I very well could be.

Thanks!

 

[dreamingbadger]

A lot depends on the sort of campaign you are running, if you are running a main-stream traveller campaign (e.g. little or no Psi) then i thend to think of Psion as "npc" generator...

If the game hasmore Psi or has a Psi focus in it I would let the player roll the PSI up front.

 

[thepugilist]

Also, if you are running a Time/Dimensional/Psi-Ship game, how are you supposed to get your required talents to 7 or above? Those requirements seem to render the careers rather pointless, unless I am missing something.

I know I am quoting myself here, but the more I think about it the more this bothers me. Maybe something is missing or this should be errata?

Is this supposed to be like the advanced careers in High Guard (i.e. if you have the talent at 7+ you automatically get in)? Or is that supposed to be Psi Strength or Psi Strength + Talent?

It really doesn't make any sense to me to have a talent of 7+ requirement to get into the career. I know it is certainly possible to get a skill/talent that high at chargen, but its not likely.

Can any mongoose folks clarify?

Thanks.

Pseudo-Edit: Or I'm just dumb and these are treated like every other enlistment/qualification check (7 is the TN). This seems to be the most likely choice.

 

[dreamingbadger]

I don't work for mongoose; but my guess is they are all at gencon

each of the careers has an enlistment roll (MGT pg 8 Qualification)... it is not an absolute strength number..

For the temporal agency career roll 2d6 add your Temporal Manipulation skill to the roll (if you are feeling nasty you could add the -3DM for unskilled use) add 1 if your Edu is 10 or over.

If the total you rolled plus the dm's is greater than or equal to the enlistment number (7) you get in...

 

[Sevya]

If you use psionics (if not no point in posting) do you allow the check for talents before, say, entering the Psi-Agent career? Do you allow rolling for advanced talents?

It kinda implies on p. 13, in the introduction to the new careers, that you roll psionic strength and starting talents before starting the career. It sounds like it's referring to the core book careers, but it only really makes sense to me for the Psion careers.

Also, if you are running a Time/Dimensional/Psi-Ship game, how are you supposed to get your required talents to 7 or above? Those requirements seem to render the careers rather pointless, unless I am missing something.

When it says "Enlistment: Temporal Manipulation Talent 7+", it means you make a Temporal Manipulation Talent check, and on a roll of 7+, you succeed in enlisting and may progress in that career. Therefore, if you had a Psionic Strength of 7, and the talent at 1, you would need to roll 6+ on 2d6 to join that career.

Sevya

 

[thepugilist]

Thanks for the quick responses. I feel kind of dumb for not realizing that sooner.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Also, per the Core Book, before you enter the Psion Career, you are Tested and can choose to go through Basic Training (which costs 100,000 cr and takes 4 weeks) and gives you Level 0 in any powers you rolled.

So, before entering any Psion Career, a character would have been tested and gone through Basic Training where they would have rolled for their powers (including any advanced powers at the Referee's discretion).

 

[alex_greene]

I always wondered about getting Level 0 in psionic Talents during Psion Basic. That makes them unusable, since you need Level 1.

IMTU, new Talents come at Level 1 as standard, not Level 0.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

NO, Talent-0 means that you have that ability, but are not skilled with it.

Since you cannot use a Talent that you have no training in, that Level 0 skill is how you show what talents a Psion has.

In MGT, Level 0 skills are very useful and usable.