Take the role of a Coalition Soldier a hundred years after the near collapse of global civilization. An alternate universe crossover of Rifts Earth and World of Darkness.
No knowledge of either setting required. Many, many changes regardless.
Judgement Day has come and gone, and you're one of many left to enforce order. A hundred years ago to the day, the world men once knew had changed so suddenly, and billions were those who didn't even have a chance to feebly attempt to grasp the magnitude of this shift. Millions more, when faced with the unshakeable certainty that their time had come to meet their maker, took that chance to stand and threw it to the winds as they expedited their arrival.
What should have been a day of celebration, in the year 2098 on Christmas Eve, was instead a time of unparalleled destruction. In the fires of the greatest of men's cities, collapsing as earthquakes many times stronger than ever before experienced devastated structures never designed to withstand them, in the ash spewing out from volcanic eruptions all over the world, filling the lungs and killing man and machine alike, burying millions and darkening the skies, in the waves that crashed far inland, destroying all, men knew this unassailable truth...
They were doomed. For not only did the land itself seem intent on killing them, soon, great rifts formed from the intersecting lines of energy, fueled by the ongoing death and destruction, letting loose from dimensions unknown all manner of terror and horror. Great storms of chaotic energies, awesome in scope and power, devastated all around them, mutilating, destroying, and mutating their surroundings. Demons straight out of some 20th century RPG ravaged the unprepared populace. And indeed, fellow men, driven to desperation and madness in equal measure, chose to drive back the darkness, or join it, harnessing the alien powers and laying claim to their own dominions.
In the United States of America, all men had to make a choice, or have those choices made for them; to choose to fight and survive, or simply die, as so, so many already had in mere days. The government's mandate was simple; restore order. And no matter how impossible that mandate was, how incredible the obstacles and enemies, it was one many soldiers, policemen, firefighters, and citizens all, tried to follow.
As unlikely as it may have seemed at the time, humanity would, indeed, survive. American agriculture, or lack thereof, choked in the ash of Yellowstone, Long Valley and Valles, chilled and frozen by the 40 degree drop in temperature, and starved of sunlight by the sulfates and particulates launched into the atmosphere, would prove to be the greatest killer of men in the years to come following the Coming of the Rifts.
The Federal government, taking swift action, would fight to preserve it's geopolitical center, the American Heartland, and the territories along the Mississippi. Harsh order was enforced in what cities were salvageable and hadn't been overtaken by monsters or the waters, or rendered unlivable by the destruction of nuclear power plants. In Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Central/East Texas, the U.S. established their fortress, from which to eventually rebuild.
Lousiana and Florida were mostly lost beneath the waters of the Atlantic, everything west of Kansas was covered in ash and doomed to die, the East Coast was pulverized by water, and the Great Lakes region was home to the worst of the chaos, with Chicago sitting on a nexus of energy constantly emitting dangerous creatures. All federal forces in Chicago withdrew after a 3 month long battle upon Command's realization that victory was impossible.
The U.S. government's decision to retreat to the Heartland, however, rendered them detestable in the eyes of those they had left behind. Their future efforts to expand their de facto borders a decade later, after the limited restoration of industry and mass construction of greenhouses and hydroponics farms, were stymied almost everywhere they went.
In Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio, a foul organization of sorcerers and magicians, calling themselves the Federation of Magic, killed their soldiers wherever they were found. In the year 12 P.A., they almost defeated the might of the entirety of the U.S., a gravely wounded U.S., but mighty all the same. When they "counterattacked" and destroyed numerous cities, They fought Federal forces to a standstill until the core of their leadership was finally located and bombed. New political entities formed in Minnesota, Wisconsin and northern Michigan, the more successful among them being Tolkeen, Ishpeming and the Manistique Imperium, all of whom rejected any effort to be brought into the fold.
Everywhere, the survivors of the Coming looked at the government meant to protect them, that had failed them, and knew that they could only rely on themselves. Everywhere, kingdoms had formed, drawing upon whatever powers they needed to survive. Everywhere, then, was the enemy, illegitimate governments which refused to recognize the lawful authority of the land, consorting with the same powers and energies that had brought civilization low. The board was set.
Contact was made with the legitimate governments of Canada and Mexico. In Canada, centers of civilization remained in Sudbury and New Quebec, which had formed after Old Quebec and Montreal were sunk due to the massive expansion of the St. Lawrence River (now the St. Lawrence Bay). In Mexico, their government had made a valiant effort to fight back against the monsters of the Rifts, and were able to better establish themselves due to the - relative - lack of damage they had suffered from the eruptions of the 3 super volcanoes to the North, though their coasts were also devastated. The United State of America, the United States of Mexico, and Canada would form an emergency alliance, known as the Coalition of North American States, 40 years after the Coming of the Rifts.
Disaster struck the newly formed Coalition as Vampires, known as the Sabbat, assassinated many government officials and destroyed assets, nearly causing the death of the yet fragile Coalition. Although their shock and awe campaign was eventually defeated, the vampires would find victory in Mexico, establishing themselves openly as Feudal Lords after uncharacteristic preparation and planning. And so, one of the 3 empires of men fell, and a shroud of night took its place, further cementing the hatred of the peoples of the Coalition for all things supernatural and magical.
As if this weren't enough, aliens and dimensional beings, even honest to god dragons, began to make themselves known, as the chaos of the Rifts finally began to calm. Atlanteans from a dimension hopping continent in the Atlantic, insectoid warriors occupying northern Wisconsin, as well as Saskatchewan and Manitoba, dimensional refugees, tribesmen, and raiders enslaving American citizenry, chief among them the Splugorth, all added to the "mere" demons and monsters of the Rifts.
You remember your Oath. To support and defend the Constitution, and the laws of the United States of America. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic. To bear true faith and allegiance to the same. To bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law. That you took this Oath freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
So help me God. Welcome to my first quest. Never done one of these before. Will work things out as they come. For those of you familiar with Palladium Rifts and World of Darkness, I'm cherrypicking what things I'm using, and this is already pretty heavy AU if it were just the Vampires that were different. Knowledge of both settings will be useful, but don't assume things are the same. On with the Quest! CHARACTER GENERATION
What is your name?
[X] - Abigail Dorete
What is your sex? (Affects specific occupation choices) (see PSIONIC POTENTIAL ROLL)
[] - Male (base stats) (likely to be infantry unless you pick up some good technical skills)
[X] - Female (-3 to Strength, +2 to Charisma attributes) (will not be frontline combat, might not save you)
Where are you from? (Vote for state where applicable, voting for a state from a region will still count as a vote from that region, and the most selected state within it will be picked)
[] - The American Heartland (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas)
[X] - The New Frontier (the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma)
--[X] Kansas
[] - The Lone Star of Texas (North, Central, South, East, West)
[] - Ontario and Quebec (Ontario, Quebec, wilderness)
[] - Mexico (Descended from refugees and soldiers who went north after the Sabbat took over)
What was your social class?
[] - Dirt poor. Effects: Penalties to social interaction with those of a higher class, penalties to starting wealth, penalties to education.
[X] - Well off. Effects: No social modifiers, bonus to starting wealth and education.
[] - Rich. Effects: Bonus to influence, education and social interaction.
[] - Elite (If American Heartland or Texas is selected). You come from one of the most powerful and influential families in the Coalition of North American States. Effects: ?????
What did you focus on as a child? Pick 4
[X] - Day dreaming. So many things to think about. +1 Intelligence. Potential insights.
[] - Watching people/animals. Sometimes you even weren't noticed. +1d4 Stealth and Tracking.
[] - "Acquiring" things. Hey, that's mine! +1d4 Trickery.
[] - Exploring. So many cool places to see! Though your parents got worried sometimes. +1d4 Navigation.
[] - Scrapping and fighting. The thrill of the fight! +1d4 to Melee, other effects based on Social Class.
[] - Learning new things. The people around always had interesting stories to tell. +1d4 to Lore of the land.
[] - Socializing for "practice." They never did catch me when I lied to them. +1d4 to Acting.
[X] - Socializing for fun. The other kids always liked me! +1d4 to Social Skills.
[] - Physical activities. The outdoors are fun! +1 to physical attributes, +1d4 to Acrobatics and Climbing and Stamina, +5 Tempo.
[X] - MASTER CLASS PSYCHIC - The exploration, practice and expansion of your Psionic abilities. At the time, you didn't know they were abnormal, or different. +1d4 to use of Psionic Powers. Potential bonus to Willpower.
[X] - Challenging yourself. You love nothing more than to test your skills, especially against a worthy rival. Core character trait.
CAREER OPTIONS (or lack thereof)
[X] - C.S. Special Forces - Psi Operative (Recommended) Will further develop your psionic potential with rigorous testing, greatest effect. Potentially extremely dangerous. Granted special interactions with forces you are attached to. Will rank up fast as Enlisted.
X - C.S. Military Intelligence - Option locked due to being a Master Class Psychic. Viewed with suspicion. Must be assigned there after proving you won't abuse your abilities. You'd do well though, even without specialized Psionic abilities.
X - C.S. Standard Infantry - Option locked due to being a Master Class Psychic. Will only be attached as fire support, medic, or anti-supernatural unit if abilities warrant it. Waste of potential.
X - C.S. Robot and Power Armor (RPA) Pilot - Option locked due to being a Master Class Psychic. Will either be attached or assigned if appropriate abilities are selected. [SYNERGY WITH TELEMECHANIC PSIONIC ABILITIES]
[] - C.S. Officer (Any of the above career fields) - Requires sufficient level of education, depends on background. WIll grant more influence and education, but more responsibility. Succeed too much and you may regret it (or you can just keep winning). I look forward to seeing what choices you guys make. Feel free to discuss and ask questions. The next vote will be about what specific Psionic Abilities you guys have, as you'll be picking up a bunch. I'll close this vote in a couple of days, depending on response and if there's a bunch of clear winners. If any of you guys have quest experience, I also welcome recommendations on things in private.
PSIONIC POTENTIAL ROLL d100 - (QM)
Rolled 100 - first roll, wtf quest
Congrats, you're a Master Class Psychic. The crucible of the Rifts and natural selection have encouraged the expression of natural capabilities in humanity. You are viewed upon with suspicion. You were detected by the Coalition Intelligence Service when you were a child. You have a PSI registration number, and have undergone thorough testing regarding your abilities. 12 abilities of choice as long as you meet the prerequisites, with potential for more. -3 to initial impressions, bonus to intimidation, will be assigned wherever your abilities best suit you. Will hold a vote regarding specific abilities soon.
ATTRIBUTE ROLLS - (QM) 3d6 twice, pick best (human strength is -2, and /2 if not from a physical background)
Charisma: 14 + 2 = 16 (+2 Cha mod)
Constitution: 15 (+1 Con mod)
Dexterity: 16 (+2 Dex mod)
Intelligence: 18 + 1 = 19 (+3 Int mod)
Strength: 9 - 3 = 6 (-1 Str mod)
Willpower: 13 + 3 = 16 (+2 Wil mod) You're beautiful and charming, tough, have exceptional hand eye coordination, are frighteningly intelligent (build a shitty railgun powered by a car battery in your backyard and joke about how the electricity will kill you if you fuck something up kinda intelligent), just barely strong enough to pass your PT tests, and driven to achieve your objectives.
Wow, those are some nice dice. Hope that luck holds out when the quest actually starts.
I'm going to need to do more than skim the prologue after this, but when I started reading the character creation section this idea came to me and I just couldn't shake it, so here we are. Bit of min-maxing thrown in, what with all the social picks and the Int bonus, but I like to think it's true to the concept anyway. I could be persuaded to tweak it, though. "Physical activities" in particular is a bit tempting, even if it won't really help with our low Str immediately-- or will it? Huh, I thought a 9 would give us a -1. Is this something unique to Rifts?
[X] Plan Witch of Oz
-[X] - Abigail Dorete
-[X] - Female (-3 to Strength, +2 to Charisma attributes)
-[X] - The New Frontier (the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma)
--[X] - Kansas
-[X] - Well off. Effects: No social modifiers, bonus to starting wealth and education.
-[X] - Day dreaming. So many things to think about. +1 Intelligence. Potential insights.
-[X] - Socializing for fun. The other kids always liked me! +1d4 to Social Skills.
-[X] - MASTER CLASS PSYCHIC - The exploration, practice and expansion of your Psionic abilities. At the time, you didn't know they were abnormal, or different. +1d4 to use of Psionic Powers. Potential bonus to Willpower.
-[X] - Write-in: Challenging yourself. You love nothing more than to test your skills, especially against a worthy rival. Core character trait.
-[X] - CS Special Forces - Psi Operative (Recommended) Will further develop your psionic potential with rigorous testing, greatest effect. Potentially extremely dangerous. Granted special interactions with forces you are attached to. Will rank up fast as Enlisted.
[] - MASTER CLASS PSYCHIC - The exploration, practice and expansion of your Psionic abilities. At the time, you didn't know they were abnormal, or different. +1d4 to use of Psionic Powers. Potential bonus to Willpower.
Do we pick this manually? Nice on the 100 to psionic bs!
[X] Faustian Bargain Bundle
-[X] - Conan Faust
-[X] - Male
-[X] - Ontario and Quebec (Ontario, Quebec, wilderness)
--[X] Ontario
-[X] - Well off. Effects: No social modifiers, bonus to starting wealth and education.
-[X] - Day dreaming. So many things to think about. +1 Intelligence. Potential insights.
-[X] - Physical activities. The outdoors are fun! +1 to physical attributes, +1d4 to Acrobatics and Climbing and Stamina, +5 Tempo.
-[X] - MASTER CLASS PSYCHIC - The exploration, practice and expansion of your Psionic abilities. At the time, you didn't know they were abnormal, or different. +1d4 to use of Psionic Powers. Potential bonus to Willpower.
-[X] - Prankster. Made some people laugh, pissed some people off. It's just a prank, bro! Bonus to ???
-[X] - CS Special Forces - Psi Operative (Recommended) Will further develop your psionic potential with rigorous testing, greatest effect. Potentially extremely dangerous. Granted special interactions with forces you are attached to. Will rank up fast as Enlisted.
@VagrantHero how's the write in for pranks? What cool, overpowered bonus do I get?
We're not using either the Palladium Rifts system or the Storyteller system from WoD. Instead, we've got a system meant for running low level tribal conflict because I found it to be well suited for this with a lot of tweaking. I'm keeping the rules mostly obscure, so that people just go with what they would do. A 6-8 will definitely get you the -1 you seek though, and it gets worse very quickly.
In regards to training your Psionic abilities as a child, that option does need to be picked to benefit from, yes. Otherwise, you won't go about doing so, and I'll come up with an explanation for why you don't explore your abilities.
In regards to write in for pranks, I'd probably make that a hybrid option, +1-2 to both Acting and Social Skills, as well as giving your character a bit of a reputation. Psionic pranking might go badly though.
In regards to write in for pranks, I'd probably make that a hybrid option, +1-2 to both Acting and Social Skills, as well as giving your character a bit of a reputation. Psionic pranking might go badly though.
"It's just a social psychological experiment, bro!"
Adhoc vote count started by Plausitivity on Jul 1, 2019 at 6:08 AM, finished with 7 posts and 4 votes.
[X] Plan Witch of Oz
-[X] - Abigail Dorete
-[X] - Female (-3 to Strength, +2 to Charisma attributes)
-[X] - The New Frontier (the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma)
--[X] - Kansas
-[X] - Well off. Effects: No social modifiers, bonus to starting wealth and education.
-[X] - Day dreaming. So many things to think about. +1 Intelligence. Potential insights.
-[X] - Learning new things. The people around always had interesting stories to tell. +1d4 to Lore of the land.
-[X] - Socializing for fun. The other kids always liked me! +1d4 to Social Skills.
-[X] - MASTER CLASS PSYCHIC - The exploration, practice and expansion of your Psionic abilities. At the time, you didn't know they were abnormal, or different. +1d4 to use of Psionic Powers. Potential bonus to Willpower.
-[X] - CS Special Forces - Psi Operative (Recommended) Will further develop your psionic potential with rigorous testing, greatest effect. Potentially extremely dangerous. Granted special interactions with forces you are attached to. Will rank up fast as Enlisted.
[X] Faustian Bargain Bundle
-[X] - Conan Faust
-[X] - Male
-[X] - Ontario and Quebec (Ontario, Quebec, wilderness)
--[X] Ontario
-[X] - Well off. Effects: No social modifiers, bonus to starting wealth and education.
-[X] - Day dreaming. So many things to think about. +1 Intelligence. Potential insights.
-[X] - Physical activities. The outdoors are fun! +1 to physical attributes, +1d4 to Acrobatics and Climbing and Stamina, +5 Tempo.
-[X] - MASTER CLASS PSYCHIC - The exploration, practice and expansion of your Psionic abilities. At the time, you didn't know they were abnormal, or different. +1d4 to use of Psionic Powers. Potential bonus to Willpower.
-[X] - Prankster. Made some people laugh, pissed some people off. It's just a prank, bro! Bonus to ???
-[X] - CS Special Forces - Psi Operative (Recommended) Will further develop your psionic potential with rigorous testing, greatest effect. Potentially extremely dangerous. Granted special interactions with forces you are attached to. Will rank up fast as Enlisted.
There are contradicting theories and philosophies regarding the Psychic, from their origins, from where their abilities are derived, and indeed, as little as a hundred years ago, great skepticism as to whether or not such paranormal abilities were even real. Known to Men of Magic as Mind Mages, they are known to be very difficult to learn, but not impossible, for those with magical training. Following modern research, a few things are known for certain about Psionic abilities. Firstly, the energies used are very similar to magic in general, with the main difference being the inversion of where the energies are derived. For the typical wizard or mage, such power is found outside of themselves, with weak personal reserves of energy except in the truly powerful or the supernatural, relying on the immense ambient energies of Rifts Earth for energy. For the Psychic, their primary source of power is from within, however, the Coming of the Rifts greatly increased both the prevalence and the potency of the abilities at the disposal of Psychics, suggesting that for many, such abilities lay dormant. One of the focuses of research in the Coalition States is the awakening and training of Psychics.
There are 4 classes of Psionic Potential that all of humanity may be placed in (5 if distinct lack of potential may be considered a category). In Coalition Society, the more powerful the Psychic, the larger the penalty to initial relationships with other Coalition citizens, and generally the more intimidating unless their abilities are almost completely benign.
(60-85%) A Latent Psychic is one whose potential is so weak and tenuous, it must first be awakened through meditation, trial and tribulation, life changing circumstance, something to change the mental paradigm and unlock that which lies beneath. - Under appropriate circumstances, roll 1d100. 1-85% remain a Latent Psychic. 86-95% becomes a Minor Psychic, 96-100 becomes a Major Psychic. Abilities will be related to cause. Difficult to awaken. Cannot become a Master Class Psychic.
(86-95%) A Minor Class Psychic is greatly limited in what abilities they posses, and their strength will never reach anything truly awe inspiring. However, even basic abilities such as various mind over matter techniques, minor dynamokinesis, precognition, and the ability to detect the supernatural, amongst many others, can provide excellent utility in daily life, though usually nothing to build a specialization from. - Starts with 2 Psionic abilities which can only be selected from the Minor Class from a single category. Low potential to gain more, limited breadth and depth.
(96-99%) A Major Class Psychic is one who relies a great deal on their Psionic abilities, and the beginning of that common conception of the typical Psychic as a flashy Dynamokinetic, dreaded Telepath, or other equally powerful expressions of Psionic might. Their abilities form a core part of their identity, and their worldview is heavily influenced by this. - Type A Starts with 8 Psionic abilities which can be selected from the Minor and/or Major Class from 2 categories. Type B Starts with 6 Psionic abilities which can be selected from the Minor and/or Major Class from any categories. Moderate potential to gain more abilities. Breadth OR Depth is the name of the Major Class Psychic's game. Roughly 50% of each type.
(100%) A Master Class Psychic is the rarest amongst humans, the most powerful, and the most feared. Amongst their number are those who can effortlessly seize the wills of others and bend them to their own, the power to burn entire Vampire covens to the ground with ease, and much, much more. What's worse (or better) is that they never stop growing, new abilities supplementing their original set. -Start with 12 Psionic abilities which can be selected from any Class or Category as long as the prerequisites are met. Guaranteed to gain more abilities with power and experience. Breadth AND Depth is what makes the Master Class Psychic so greatly feared. You're one of these.
Categories of Psionic abilities (According to C.S. categorizations)
Biokinesis - The manipulation of life, from induced regeneration, to more nasty effects such as blindness, disease creation and more. Common amongst Coalition Medics.
Mentalism - Anything from cheap tricks and illusions to mental domination. Telepathy is the biggest draw here amongst others.
Perception - Seeing auras, astral projection, psychic radar, supernatural detection, and more.
Mind Over Matter - Almost completely focused on self empowerment, first from the utilization of all inner reserves, then the drawing in of as much ambient energy as your body can handle.
Telekinesis - Self levitation and empowerment to crushing creature and machine from moderate distances.
Dynamokinesis - More commonly recognized as elementalism at its most powerful extent. Sometimes more fire power means setting yourself on fire and burning everything around you.
Matter and Energy - Conjuring and shaping of pure psionic energy, dimension shifting, and other esoteric abilities, including the opening and closing of Rifts.
Telemechanics - A hybrid category for those abilities which focus on technology.
Specific ability descriptions will be brought up once we get there. Not all powers are equally "powerful," but all have their use. Also, consider consequences for selecting the abilities to mentally dominate and control others for example.
Yeah, totally not going for mental domination. We're already going to be a pariah; let's not make it so that even giving us the benefit of the doubt is grounds for suspicion. Plus, I've already seen how that tends to work out in quests. Personally I'm probably going to try to stick to the theme, but I'd be up for anything else, up to and including body horror.
@VagrantHero Is there any overlap between the ability categories, or anything that might not fit into those ability categories? Also, what attribute do Psionic abilities use (assuming they only use one)? From the character creation options I'd guess Willpower, but it'd sure be nice if we could use Intelligence.
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Clarification on what Psionic Abilities Utilize in regards to Attributes
@VagrantHero Is there any overlap between the abilities, or anything that might not fit into those ability categories? Also, what attribute do Psionic abilities use (assuming they only use one)? From the character creation options I'd guess Willpower, but it'd sure be nice if we could use Intelligence.
In the actual Rifts RPG, all Psychic abilities fall into 3 categories, Physical, Sensitive and Healing. As you may have surmised, I found these categories to be woefully lacking when it comes to building actual archetypes. Telemechanics is one such set of abilities where I was uncertain where to place them, and so, gave them their own category, though as mentioned they are a hybrid set with a lot of overlap with other categories. There WAS a lot a overlap between Biokinesis and Mentalism, to the point where I took pretty much all the self-enhancement abilities that overlapped and gave them the Mind Over Matter category [Edited]. And yes, there will be odd abilities in categories that the case can be made to place them elsewhere, and other hybrids that share 2 or more categories. Abilities that shared 3 or more categories, I cut down to size.
In regards to what attribute Psychic Abilities use, it is overwhelmingly Willpower, with some exceptions (Mind Over Matter is a physical attribute enhancer, but doesn't rely on good base physical attributes). There are some clarifications to be made though:
The Perception SKILL in this game is modified by Intelligence, and the Perception Class of Psionic abilities boosts and relies on it to read the future, detect the supernatural and paranormal, and also benefits from Charisma in regards to the Empathic abilities, which predominantly reside here. Knowing how people respond to you on such a level is quite useful for making them like you...
The Telemechanics Class of abilities grant bonuses to technological skills, such as computers and piloting, and as such benefits from a high Intelligence and Dexterity if you go for more of a "I am one with the machine armor" type build. Also sabotage.
Matter and Energy has Psychic Surgery that uses the Heal skill (catchall for medicine, surgery, etc) which is modified by Intelligence, but it mostly just gives you a bonus to the roll based one your proficiency with Psionics.
Mentalism has a couple of abilities that boost Intelligence (Total Recall [remember everything], Speed Reading [really really speedy], Sense Time [perfect sense of time, overrides others supernatural bullshit, necessary for navigating the Astral Plane, other potential uses], all Minor abilities), and being smart with the abilities available to you is key to success, but ultimately doesn't really get bonuses to rolls due to being a genius.
TL;DR Intelligence is beneficial but not essential for pretty much everything except the Perception Class, and even that gets bonuses from Willpower and your skill level with Psionics. Enforcing your will is what matters. Willing smart things is nice though.
Biokinesis - The manipulation of life, from induced regeneration, to more nasty effects such as blindness, disease creation and more. Common amongst Coalition Medics.
Ooh, nice. Being able to will ourselves, and others, to heal injuries is always nice. Being able to debuff others by messing with their senses could be useful as well. Not that interested in messing with creating diseases though.
Mentalism - Anything from cheap tricks and illusions to mental domination. Telepathy is the biggest draw here amongst others.
Mind Over Matter - Almost completely focused on self empowerment, first from the utilization of all inner reserves, then the drawing in of as much ambient energy as your body can handle.
Flight's always good, and moving/crushing stuff with our mind is a classic
Dynamokinesis - More commonly recognized as elementalism at its most powerful extent. Sometimes more fire power means setting yourself on fire and burning everything around you.
Very nice, I definitely plan to invest heavily in this
Matter and Energy - Conjuring and shaping of pure psionic energy, dimension shifting, and other esoteric abilities, including the opening and closing of Rifts.
The Telemechanics Class of abilities grant bonuses to technological skills, such as computers and piloting, and as such benefits from a high Intelligence and Dexterity if you go for more of a "I am one with the machine armor" type build. Also sabotage.
Aww yea, I am all the fuck over merging with some kickass power armor
TL;DR Intelligence is beneficial but not essential for pretty much everything except the Perception Class, and even that gets bonuses from Willpower and your skill level with Psionics. Enforcing your will is what matters. Willing smart things is nice though.
Oh, this is some really nice stuff to know. My build's going to benefit a lot from Perception and Telemechanics, in that case, with a dip in Mentalism for the boosts (maybe Telepathy and illusions, too, though I'm leery of investing too much there). Hm, I wonder if I should try to go for a childhood focus that boosts Willpower? Book Dorothy has some serious guts, to be fair. @VagrantHero What would something along the lines of this give: [] In fearless pursuit of lofty goals. People you impressed called you driven and ambitious. People you accidentally (or purposely) insulted called you stubborn and foolhardy.
Well, anyway, I was going to go Dynamokinesis + Matter and Energy first, but an engineering type would probably be a better use of our phenomenal Intelligence and Dexterity, and with that Charisma boost we'll make a good empath, too. It'd be a breath of fresh air to play an engineer who isn't a complete social disaster. Besides, we're Master Class so we'll probably have more than enough space to add on the ability to drop a house on unsuspecting mages via tornado.
@VagrantHero What would something along the lines of this give: [] In fearless pursuit of lofty goals. People you impressed called you driven and ambitious. People you accidentally (or purposely) insulted called you stubborn and foolhardy.
Well, it would require some sort of direction, such as what those goals are, but it would definitely set you up for some Willpower increases in the future if you got started early.
Also how do I turn off threadmarks aaaa [edit] okay so i can just manually delete them, but it's auto generating them, weird.
Well, it would require some sort of direction, such as what those goals are, but it would definitely set you up for some Willpower increases in the future if you got started early.
Also how do I turn off threadmarks aaaa [edit] okay so i can just manually delete them, but it's auto generating them, weird.
Hm, okay, that's a good start. Anyone have any ideas? Either for a Willpower boost, or for something specific in terms of those lofty goals? Nothing particularly appropriate is coming to mind right now-- aside from maybe something along the lines of "EXTERMINATUS", anyway, but hard to get started on that particularly early.
also lol sorry i would help but i've never been in the position to do threadmarks
Hm, okay, that's a good start. Anyone have any ideas? Either for a Willpower boost, or for something specific in terms of those lofty goals? Nothing particularly appropriate is coming to mind right now-- aside from maybe something along the lines of "EXTERMINATUS", anyway, but hard to get started on that particularly early.
also lol sorry i would help but i've never been in the position to do threadmarks
Maybe something like "willful" childhood trait from CK2? Basically you could have the kid be all bossy and thinking they're better than others. Could become proud or ambitious.
Hm, okay, that's a good start. Anyone have any ideas? Either for a Willpower boost, or for something specific in terms of those lofty goals? Nothing particularly appropriate is coming to mind right now-- aside from maybe something along the lines of "EXTERMINATUS", anyway, but hard to get started on that particularly early.
Maybe something like "willful" childhood trait from CK2? Basically you could have the kid be all bossy and thinking they're better than others. Could become proud or ambitious.
Maybe something like "willful" childhood trait from CK2? Basically you could have the kid be all bossy and thinking they're better than others. Could become proud or ambitious.
Oh, that could work nicely. QM, what about something like "[] - Bossing the other kids around. Not all of them liked it, but you knew how to make them shut up and listen."? Hm, actually, that seems more like Social or Charisma, though it might be worth picking up anyway if it turns out to be a hybrid. Anything I can think of that involves bossing people around mostly ends up sounding like Social, actually. Just thinking she's better than other people isn't enough either; that's an opinion/personality trait, not actions with a drive or motivation behind them.
On the other hand, giving the "lofty goals" focus a particular direction often makes it feel more like a hybrid trait. Maybe something "close the Rifts forever" or "unite everyone under the Coalition"? That first one is a nice, impossible-seeming goal to grind Willpower on, though it could backfire if we become jaded. Last one might actually be vaguely possible, but only makes sense as a Rich or Elite Officer; a special agent can't affect that as directly. Same for EXTERMINATUS, I think? I don't think SpecOps can do much to influence policy.
Hm... maybe something broader than a specific goal could work better. What about something like "[] - Challenging yourself. You love nothing more than to test your skills, especially against a worthy rival."? Could potentially develop into a kind of blood knight, though the original idea was more along the lines of like "Enigmatic forces that could eat my soul and melt my brain? Time to do some SCIENCE."
Hm... maybe something broader than a specific goal could work better. What about something like "[] - Challenging yourself. You love nothing more than to test your skills, especially against a worthy rival."
You will grow best through strife and conflict, as human psionic potential as a whole did before the might of the Rifts. With a worthy goal to measure yourself against, and suitable challenges, self-inflicted or otherwise, you will quickly develop. It will be more than mere stat gain and boosted numbers. Core part of character definitely.
Oh, that could work nicely. QM, what about something like "[] - Bossing the other kids around. Not all of them liked it, but you knew how to make them shut up and listen."? Hm, actually, that seems more like Social or Charisma, though it might be worth picking up anyway if it turns out to be a hybrid. Anything I can think of that involves bossing people around mostly ends up sounding like Social, actually. Just thinking she's better than other people isn't enough either; that's an opinion/personality trait, not actions with a drive or motivation behind them.
On the other hand, giving the "lofty goals" focus a particular direction often makes it feel more like a hybrid trait. Maybe something "close the Rifts forever" or "unite everyone under the Coalition"? That first one is a nice, impossible-seeming goal to grind Willpower on, though it could backfire if we become jaded. Last one might actually be vaguely possible, but only makes sense as a Rich or Elite Officer; a special agent can't affect that as directly. Same for EXTERMINATUS, I think? I don't think SpecOps can do much to influence policy.
Hm... maybe something broader than a specific goal could work better. What about something like "[] - Challenging yourself. You love nothing more than to test your skills, especially against a worthy rival."? Could potentially develop into a kind of blood knight, though the original idea was more along the lines of like "Enigmatic forces that could eat my soul and melt my brain? Time to do some SCIENCE."
Rivaling/challenging others can go into a more aggressive person, while bossing others and trying to become top dog leads to a more controlling personality?
