04.08 Rd6 Extranormal Skills

Extranormal: Magic
Magic is one possible Extranormal attribute. For specific information on Magic, see its chapter in this book.
Alteration
Alteration governs magic involving change. Change means taking something that exists and modifying it or mutating it into something else. A magic spell used to increase a character’s Strength attribute would be an alteration spell, as would one that converts a simple flame into an exploding fireball. Alteration could enhance, reduce, or restrict
a character’s existing skills.
Alteration must work with things that are already there. An alteration spell can only modify existing characteristics. It could be used to change a person into a bat, but it would not give the person the ability to fly; conjuration would also be necessary to give the character the Flight Special Ability, something he didn’t have before.
Apportation
Casting spells involving movement.
Apportation governs magic involving movement. For example, a telekinesis spell, by which a character could grab an object and move it using magic, would be an apportation spell. Calling a dagger from a box at home to your hand is apportation, as is teleporting yourself to another place. Apportation can also cause a person or creature to move from one place to another under its own power. Spells that restrict movement would also be apportation spells.
Apportation is not Conjuration – the object or the creature summoned is in existence at the time the spell is cast, the apportation spell simply calls the object or creature.
Characters or creatures may either be apported by compulsion (and come under their own power), moved by the spell’s power, or teleported. When the apportation spell uses compulsion, the skill total is compared to the target’s willpower or Presence in much the same way a persuasion attempt would be used — the target’s attitude toward being apported must be assessed, and the spell works as if it were persuading the target.
The target can resist a Apportation spell by making a Strength: Athletics – Lifting as an opposed roll against the Spell Skill Test (as a Free Action) . If the apportation total is equal to or higher than the
weight value, the character is teleported. This goes for self-teleportation
as well (though the character is not likely to resist).
Conjuration
Conjuration magic involves producing something from nothing. A spell that produces gold out of thin air is conjuration, as is one that imbues an inanimate object with animate features (such as creating a stone man and giving it the attributes of a person). Conjured items and characteristics remain in existence for the duration of the spell.
Conjuration is used for only one purpose: creation of something out of nothing. For example, if you wanted to animate a plant and give it the power of speech, you would use conjuration – you would have to create in it the ability to talk and the Knowledge and Perception necessary to speak. Conjuration is not used to bring things from one place to another — that is apportation.
Divination
Divination governs magic involving obtaining knowledge. For example, scrying spells, far-sight spells, and speak with the dead
types of spells are all covered by divination. Spells that block the obtaining of knowledge are also divination spells.
Extranormal: Psionics
Psionics is another possible Extranormal attribute. Typically the character has one or the other and not both.
Astral Projection
The ability to leave one’s body, Astral Projection allows a Psionic to slip into the astral dimension – considered the binding force of the universe where all of the universe truly becomes one. Since it is always nearby, a Psionic can enter it easily. Basic astral travel requires Psionic to leave their body completely and requires a trance.
The difficulty of the skill test depends on the circumstances (largely the haste of the entry into the astral protodimension). If a mystic is at peace and calm, the task is Easy and takes 30 seconds. If the mystic is wasting no time getting into the proto-dimension, the task is Average and takes 15 seconds. If the mystic is in a hurry, the task is Difficult and takes five seconds. If the mystic is emotionally upset (angry. sad, alarmed, etc.) the task is one level more difficult.lfthe mystic is affected byvblentemotion (panic, rage, extreme grief, blind fear, etc.) the task is twO levels more difficult. Once in the astral proto-dimension, mystics can journey far from their bodies. Re-entering the body and regaining control is accomplished just like regaining control from a trance (since that’s exactly what the mystic is doing). No matter how far mystics travel in the astral proto-dimension, their bodies are just a thought away, via psychic link. This link appears in the form of the classic “silver cord”-it doesn’t really exist, being merely a mental reference in the existence of the astral proto-dimension. But other travellers in that proto-dimension can see it, too. Astral travel allows a mystic to accomplish several effects normally associated with other psychic powers. For instance, mystics can mimic clairvoyance simply by sending their astral form to the appropriate place and observing. Post cognition and psychometry are duplicated by linking on to the mind of someone in the past and by following the psychic vibrations of the object in question back through previous time, respectively. Precognition is-for some reason not understood by mysticsnot possible; psychic vibrations seem to hit a “wall” and stop in the direction of the future. See the astral proto-dimension, below, fa’ more on the properties, perils, and mechanics of the astral proto-dimension. “Third Eye” is not a separate skill, but a trick of Astral Travel. The mystic slips into the astral protodimension for a short time, allowing such persons to look into the astral proto-dimension and the real world without turning their neck. The uses of this ability include parlor tricks such as blindfolded mystics seeing beyond the blindfold, describing items behind them, etc. Another less frivolous use is maintaining an astral watch-many Dark Minions resonate strongly in the astral proto-dimension, particularly those closely associated with “magic.” Dark Minions without physical form, such as bleaks, ghosts, poltergeists, and so on, primarily exist in the astral proto-dimension, intruding on the “real” world to wreak their havoc. Such strong psyches cannot hide when viewed through astral eyes. The Third Eye trick does require some skill. Slipping into the astral proto-dimension for a moment is no problem, but oscillating back and forth between the proto-dimension and one’s body in order to maintain consciousness is. As stated earlier, if a mystic divorces mind from body for more than three seconds, the body loses all power and collapses. And if the mystic stays in the astral protodimension using the Third Eye for over 10 seconds, that person has to re-enter the lxx:ty as if recovering from a trance, at one level of difficulty higher than normal. In order to maintain a semblance of conscious control while using the Third Eye, mystics have to pass a normal Astral Travel test each time they pop back into the astral proto-dimension, modified as per the circumstances. Failing the test means that they didn’t make it into the astral proto-dimension, and they are stunned for five seconds (one combat phase). The Third Eye cannot be done while in a trance. Popping into the astral proto-dimension while in a trance is really Astral Travel.
Empathy
The ability to sense emotions.
Far-sensing
The ability to use one’s senses at a distance.
Healing
The ability to heal injuries with the mind.
Medium
The ability to speak with the spirits of the dead.
Protection
The ability to psychically defend against injury.
Psychometry
The ability to sense information about a person, place, or event by looking at an object connected to it.
Strike
The ability to psychically cause injury.
Telekinesis
The ability to move things with the mind.
Telepathy
The ability to read thoughts