Psionics, a handbook in the making.

Psychic powers are often feared as they bypass most magic defenses, even though they are in fact more limited and weaker then spells. While both are will made manifest, the difference is that casters use magic as a medium, both as a tool and a power source, while psykers connect directly with their target. As such, psionics are instinctively grasped and often even accidentaly manifested by people unaware of their potential, but they come from a finite mind with finite energy while a caster has in theory infinite knowledge and power to draw from.

The advantage of psychic abilities is thus that they can be trained without the need of arcane study--though they require the same mental training as a spell caster--that a psyker can readily shift and shape their powers to suit the situation, and that there is no magic involved which can be detected, blocked, or even absorbed. In any other aspect however, magic is superior. Any psychic power can theoritically be duplicated and even improved on with magic. Whether or not a magic user ever grows to the level that a psyker rapidly reaches is another question entirely.

Psychic disciplines.

Even more so than spell casters, psykers are usually specialists excelling in one or only a few "themes" of powers. This is because each psychic discipline requires a certain type of training and well, discipline, so it is easier by far for a psyker to learn multiple powers from one discipline then try to learn from another. Often each new power builds upon one previously learned, with different disciplines being new branches on a mental tree.

The basic disciplines are Telepathy and Telekinesis. These two both build upon the simple principle of mentally connecting with the target. Telepathy is to make an empathic link, while Telekinesis is to translate thought into force.

From Telepathy stem forth two other branches, Divination and Biomancy, though Divination is so intertwined with Telepathy that they are often considered the same. Divination is Telepathy connecting with...nothing. Just keeping oneself open to the possibilities while keeping a focus in mind, often the question to which one seeks an answer. However, with this we come to the danger of psionics.

Telepathy is an intimate act, more personal and affecting in some ways than any petty communion of the body. To slip into the consciousness of another is a disturbing and disorienting task, for no two minds are alike and there is no telling what a telepath may find within another’s psyche. Unwilling targets of telepathic acts are apt to conceive of a deep loathing for the invading psyker, in some cases bordering on a psychopathic hatred for the telepath.

Aside from making enemies for herself, the telepath also risks mental contamination when she enters another person’s mind. It is all too easy to take on the personality traits of another, or worse still be infected by the putrid pus of their madness. Psykers who are promiscuous with their powers often find their original personalities much altered, or even completely eroded, by continuous contact with foreign minds. Sad indeed is the fate of such lost souls.

When divining, the psyker is open to ALL intrusions. This is both a risk and an opportunity, as depending on just who and what might try to contact you, you might be attacked by lingering negative emotions, ghosts, disembodied demons, but also divine forces both gentle and protective. To commune with nature, to interact with spirits, and to perhaps even channel divine power is all possible. This last ability is sometimes referred to as Deamonology, or Theosophamy depending on which forces you contact, though both use most of the exact same techniques.

Biomancy is to influence the body with the mind. By manipulating certain parts of the brain, or the meridians where energy flows through, psykers can heal and mold flesh, or poison and cripple.
In some cultures, Biomancers are believed to control nature--either the weather or by turning into animal like forms.
Channeling excessive energy through the body can cause sparks and streams of lightning, converting the target's melanin into another substance causes sunburns, while forcing the heart to pump at dangerous speeds can cause the blood to "boil". Experienced biomancers can boost the body and even reshape it. Growing claws and wings, heightening senses, increased strength and immune system, Biomancy is an awesome and versatile power even without the possibility of disguising as another.


The other side of psionics is Telekinesis. By exerting physical force with the mind, psykers can levitate objects, or use pure will as a tool and weapon. There is finesse to be learned, or brute strenght. Some telekines can lift boulders but not pull a handle, while others can pick a lock from a distance but not pick up a key. It is possible to imitate flight, protect with kinetic shields, or wield edges only a molecule thin.

Just like Telepathy, there are 2 sister schools that branch from Telekinesis, though they are even more intertwined so they'll both be grouped as Pyrokinesis. Also commonly referred to as Pyromancy in places where magic is unheard of, it is actually a very precise form of Telekinesis, involving the manipulation of energy caused by friction or magnetizing of molecules. Often seen as the most common, unsubtle, and limited of all psychic disciplines, it has a surprising amount of depth and potential.

((I shall write an in depth list of techniques if this idea is accepted.))

(I hope this comes through good. The text box is messed up on my Wii U's browser.)

I like the amount of detail and thought you put into this, but part of me isn't sure on placing such strict definitions on the powers Felarya writers can give their psionics. I've experimented myself with giving definition to the magic side by making an index of ideas for spells, but nobody was greatly interested, suggesting that it's something that should be left to the writers' imaginations (along with guidelines on not making mary sues or OP OCs, I guess). In my case, I'd really not like to have to change my OC Kahina's psionic abilities due to a new rule that a psionic can only have telepathy or telekinesis, of which she uses a mix.

Speaking of which, I didn't know biomancy was a thing! That perfectly describes one of the main aspects of her powers! I'll have to add that into her bio. Thanks for informing me! ^_^

Anyway,my criticism of being too rule-bound, provided that was even your intention which I'm not sure it even was, aside, I do like the idea of having a better description of different psionic powers for writers to have as guidelines or suggestions, but without the implied limit to one branch or the other.

Nyaha wrote:

Anyway,my criticism of being too rule-bound, provided that was even your intention which I'm not sure it even was, aside, I do like the idea of having a better description of different psionic powers for writers to have as guidelines or suggestions, but without the implied limit to one branch or the other.

Thank you for the praise and feedback, and there really isn't any limit to how many branches you learn. All I said is that you need to adjust your way of thinking to use another branch, so it's much easier to just build on what you have.

If this was a game, then the rule would be: When you level up, either select N amount of new powers from disciplines you already know, or learn a basic power from a new discipline.

Another way of visualizing this is to think of the training. If I can already make a flame appear in my hand, then it's easy to learn how to make it burst in a flash, be thrown, shape into a sword, etc. But if I never did any telepathy, then you can't expect me to spontaneously restore someone's memory.

Anyway, this is why I describe them all branching of the same tree. If Biomancy is a specific form of telepathy, then it stands to reason that a biomancer can also detect thoughts or something like that.
((To be honest, my branded witch, Zane, did the Sylar thing and mind raped other psykers to copy the memories of them training. Her powers were weaker, but she knew about 64 different ones, and some didn't even belong to the aforementioned disciplines but to elite soldiers. She was one messed up bit*h afterward, though. Set herself on fire to take down a demon and disappeared in obscurity. In my mind, she lives on and retired in Felarya.))

Psychic Transparency
Psionics are an art, not a science, and therefor techniques can often be classified as belonging to multiple disciplines, as psykers may deploy radically different methods while still reaching the same goal. Increasing your awareness of the surrounding dangers could be done by sharpening the senses, the mind, or using precognition, which would make it Biomancy, Telepathy, and Divination, respectively. This handbook contains guidelines and not hard rules about how psioninics work, as for all their diversity there are certain trends and classifications that seem universal, no matter the world or race where psionics are observed.
Creating an energy sword would be Pyromancy, but if pyromancer skills center around burning gas in your setting, then perhaps it functions like a cutter flame, or it's a Telekinesis technique where the vibrating molecules ignite as a side effect? It might even be Telepathy which manipulates the surrounding magic to create a tangible illusion and even detects as magic?


Biomancy

Not only is it alphabetically the first discipline, it is also the most diverse and flexible discipline of all. Most Biomancers are viewed with no small amount of envy as they freely feast and drink, yet maintain a toned and healthy physique, possess a keen mind, and shape and direct their bodies to their will.

Their powers are not limited to their own bodies, as they can manipulate bio-electric energies and cellular structures to knit together grievous wounds, or cause great agony while warping the flesh. In primitive cultures they are believed to command the forces of nature, as they heal, make crops grow, call down lightning and fire, or run with the beasts of the wilds. The best way to describe these psykers is to call them Druids, and often, they learn enough telepathy to interact with animals, though in reality their power comes from themselves and not nature.

Note that many Biomancy powers require physical contact, and are quite exhausting if they use up a lot of the bodies' resources. Plenty of biomancers carry nutrients with them.

Accelerate growth

The biomancer can stimulate spontaneous growth and ageing into animal and plant. The effects of this ageing process, while awe-inspiring in plants, are utterly terrifying in sentient creatures.
Vegetable targets: it will grow as normal but must have enough soil in which to spread its roots. Note that tree roots are easily capable of splitting solid rock or other solid substances.
Animal targets: ageing works different in creatures than it does in plants, and is a lot harder to do. With the functional immortality of Felaryan habitants, it is not possible to use this power on anything but children. They will increase physically, but still retain the mental capacity of their original age. Because of the horrifying nature, and excruciating physical pain of accelerated growth, system shock is possible in both the target and bystanders.


Agony
Psychic powers roils along the target's nerves, setting them aflame with debilitating pain.


Bio-hazard
By debilitating the immune system, or physically engineering the bacteria within the body, the victim falls prey to disease.


Bio-lightning
Referred to as Storm of Lightning by druids, life force is channeled through the meridians of the body, causing your form to crackle with living energy. You may direct this energy against a single target within about 30 feet. With training, additional bolts may be cast at an even greater distance.

Some learn to create a constant current in order to electrify their weaponry, or charge batteries.


Blood Boil
Often accompanied with a rhythmic, crushing gesture, the biomancer reaches into the target’s body with his mind, rapidly accelerating the pulse and pushing blood pressure to near-lethal levels. Often, blood vessels near the victim’s skin rupture, causing spontaneous hemorrhaging. The most spectacular results involve the heart and brain literally exploding, spraying those nearby with bone and tissue, though usually fatiguing the target is the only combat application, but the heat caused by the friction inside the body may result in the blood clotting.

Armour is no defense, though toughness and size are.


Blood Freeze
This works in exactly the same manner as Blood Boil, but pulsing of the heart is lowered, rather than raised. Death tends to result from oxygen starvation and internal tissue damage.


Bone Snapper
The biomancer weakens part of a target’s skeletal structure, weakening the bone with a possibility of causing bone to crumble and splinter.


Breath Of Life
While ressurection is impossible in Felarya, a biomancer can imbues a corpse or dead plant with the energy needed to reanimate for a short period of time, measured in minutes or hours at the most. Recently deceased creatures retain most of their memories from life, although the longer the creature has been dead, the greater the neural decay and loss of memory. Even though they remember their life, and may act upon these memories, they cannot relate to the world around them in any emotional manner. A reanimated animal or person will have no personality (this left with the creature’s soul), acting only on instinct. The biomancer can attempt to give orders to the reanimated corpse, but this may have no success. When the duration of the power comes to an end, the subject dies again.


Cellular Control
You learn various ways of transcending your body’s natural limitations by balancing your humors, modifying cellular structure and meditating upon the meridians of your body. This power enables you to achieve any one of the following effects, as long as you maintain the technique:
• Gain immunity to all poisons.
• Ignore the effects of extremes of temperature.
• Increase any characteristic, such as strength or reflexes.
• Gain immunity to fatigue.
• Resist being digested (though you still need to breathe).


Choke / Constrict
With a word, thought or gesture, you can command the flesh of your target to sharply contract. The target’s windpipe closes, choking them and cutting off their breath. Alternatively, the legs may be targeted to floor the victim.


Dehydrate
Thanks to the biomancer’s massive over-stimulation of the target’s sweat pores, the target immediately feels seriously dehydrated, and begins suffering the effects of dehydration. This lasts for several hours, and no amount of drinking can replace lost fluids (the sweating increases the more water is taken in). Someone killed by this power will literally have sweated to death.
Alternatively, the power can be used to cause a plant to wither and eventually die, although hardy plant varieties will probably recover if the duration of the power was less than a day or so.


Delouse
The biomancer makes him or herself, or a single other animal or person that he touches, utterly repellent to a single type of parasite (e.g. bed bugs, fleas, ticks, alien mind-control parasites). Any parasites in the subject will immediately leave (possibly infesting people nearby).

This is one of those powers where it is apparent that it's actually belonging to another discipline. While this should be classified as Telepathy, most parasites' minds are so hidden by the bodies' presence that it would take a highly skilled telepath to perform this technique, while it is cantrip level for a biomancer. A telepath may perhaps perform this technique more easily by holding a parasite in hand as a template?


Enfeeble / Drain Vigour
The biomancer saps the vigour from the target’s body, causing fatigue and loss of strength or even consciousness.


Enhance / Heighten Senses
The biomancer enhances his or her senses to the acuity of a hunting animal or bird of prey, performing impossible feats of sensory activity that are only rivalled among humans by the Magically enhanced. Overuse may cause the sense organ involved to become strained as it is pushed past all normal limits; the eyes weep and grow hugely dilated, skin flushes red, the nose drips mucus and so on.


Hammerhand
Biomancers who have learned to channel the fierce power of their mind into their limbs can eventually master the art of letting energy flow unhindered through their body, phenomenally increasing their fighting capabilities. Your body becomes a lethal engine, capable of shredding flesh and bone as if they were tissue paper. Such power comes at a cost though, for there is no subtlety to the Hammerhand. While this power is in effect, your muscles bulge and are at peak performance, doubling as body armor with their hardness--except in the head, as there are few large muscles there--and even allowing for great jumps. However, it is hard to wield any weapon save for your bare hands (not that you need any!). The name of the technique comes from the natural tendency to ball your hands into fists while effected by this current through your flesh, and most mundane items can not withstand the pressure you inflict on them in this state.

Gutsy Hammerhand users do take to carrying a weapon which is capable of being wielded while under the effect. This may cause them to look ridiculous, as if they are overcompensating for something.


Immune
The biomancer fortifies his resistance to poisons and disease, granting him resistance against diseases, toxins (including gases) and animal venom.


King Of The Woods
The biomancer can create plant life where there was none before. This miraculous ability is common amongst so-called ‘elementalists’ in primitive cultures, who believe they are drawing on the energies of the earth, rather than the power of their own minds.
Vegetation erupts from the ground around the biomancer’s feet, spreading outwards in a carpet of green. The vegetation will be of a type native to the area, and will spread a distance measured in yards. The growth takes place within but half a dozen seconds, taking the plants to full maturity within that time. The dense vegetation hampers anyone of medium size within the area (except for the psyker, for whom the plants will part).
This power cannot be used in an area where plants could not possibly exist, like the depths of space, although it will work in urban environments where there is a heritage of plant life – even the streets of city buried under the ash of a volcano could sprout with long-extinct native vegetation.
If the plants do not receive nutrition (water, fertile soil etc.), they will wither and die within a day or so.

While not effective in hindering giant predators, they might make for a great hiding place. That, or for growing medicinal herbs and weed. Good stuff, though low quality unless you use specifically prepared soil and nutrients.


Mask of Flesh
No mere illusion, the psyker alters their flesh to change their physical identity, by changing facial structure, eye and hait colour, voice, and skint one, and may even alter build, apparent aga, etc. With the help of a detailed image, or the person being present, specific people may be imitated, though psychic probing, fingerprinting, retinal scans, DNA tests, voice patterns and so on will always reveal the fake.

Only a member of the same species or sub-species can be imitated, so a Caucasian is possible, but not a Neko. It should be noted that imitating a creature does not necesarily give you access to their biological abilities. If sharp senses, poisons, reflexes, are not part of your regular body, then this falls outside of the purview of this power, but see below.

The biomancer is able to maintain the transformation for a number of hours, though it can be dismissed at will. The transformation may be physically painful and puts a lot of stress on the body, causing fatigue though most psykers push this away until after the technique is over.

It is possible, but very difficult, to apply greater changes. First, detailed cosmetic changes such as tattoos, brands, or tiger stripes. Next, mass may be varied by up to 50%, and cosmetic mutations may be imitated, such as a third eye or arm. Finally, gender and apparent humanoid species may be altered. A human could become a Neko or even a small Naga, however, these changes offer no biological function unless this form is made permanent and slowly refined over time.


Mind Boost
The biomancer alters the physical makeup of his own mind, increasing his intelligence, language skills and blocking certain feelings, such as fear.


Mutation
The biomancer distorts the victim’s biological makeup in some unnatural manner, causing the spontaneous development of a mutation, though the effects are random and range from cancer to strange growths--which won’t grow back if amputated--to actual beneficial effects such as extra limbs and senses, hardened skin, or perhaps even psychic potential.


Regenerate
One of the pinnacles of a biomancer’s abilities, this power allows you to knit your flesh back together at a phenomenal rate, letting you swiftly overcome any non-fatal injury. This is a hard ability to master, but the rewards are great—Regenerate can eventually regrow lost limbs and organs. First it will restore you to perfect health, then once all damage is removed, you begin to regrow lost organs, limbs, and so on. Limbs and organs replaced by implants and protheses do not regrow unless removed first.


Rot
The biomancer causes any single piece of dead organic matter to decompose into dust or sludge. This can be the handle of an opponent’s pistol, clothing, leather armour, food, a wooden fence, a corpse, and so on. Living creatures cannot be harmed by this power. The largest item that can be affected by this power is a one-yard cube.


Seal Wounds
You focus your power to repair your damaged flesh or that of any person within a short range. Ragged wounds fuse and cuts vanish. Broken bone knits together, and burnt skin sloughs away as fresh tissue grows beneath. The patient does need nutrients, and one risks the body cannibalizing the muscles if it needs to.

Differs from regenerate in that it is much easier, but less extensive though it can be used on not just yourself.


Shape Flesh
Shape Flesh is the point where your flesh and will become indistinguishable—the goal of many a biomancer. Shape Flesh allows you to twist your physical frame in nearly any way you can imagine. Unlike Mask of Flesh, this effect only lasts as long as you maintain it consciously, but it is much more versatile and can give you the natural traits other species.

Each manifestation of this power produces one of the following effects:
• Gain any one of the following traits—Burrower, Crawler, Dark Sight, Flier, Hoverer, Natural Armour, Natural Weapons or Quadruped.
•Assume the appearance of any one creature. You may form a disguise.


Shocking Blow
The biomancer’s fists are enveloped in crackling bio-electricity. Any touch can neutralise an opponent in the same manner as a shock weapon.

Just a more basic version of Bio-lightning, same for the power Spark.


Spark
A spark of bio-electricity leaps from the biomancer’s fingertip. This spark is not powerful enough to cause more then a little damage. It can also be used to jump start engines, set light to flammable materials, and so on.
This power can only be used against targets in physical contact with the biomancer, and is great for when grappled, need to restart a heart, or even during massages.


Split
The biomancer can cause organic structures to split open. The structure can be made of wood, bone, flesh or any other organic material, but not substances like metal, stone, brick or concrete. The rupture in the structure is a few yards in diameter.
Structures attacked with this power may collapse.


Sunburn
The biomancer temporarily converts the target’s melanin into some other substance, making the target’s skin visibly paler and incredibly susceptible to damage from ultra-violet light. For the duration of the power, the target suffers burns on every area not protected from sunlight or other UV sources. It is not wounding, but painful and may cause permanent scarring or skin cancer in particularly bad cases.
Note that this power is of limited use indoors, and is virtually useless at night.


Thermal Control
The biomancer raises or lowers his body temperature beyond levels that would normally be fatal. The biomancer is not harmed in any way. A biomancer with a significantly raised temperature can be used as a source of heat. A cooled biomancer will not register on heat sensors or infra-red visors.


Toxic Siphon
You draw poisons from the flesh. This has the same effect as taking a dose of de-tox, which does not neutralize a poison but makes the toxin expels itself from the body naturally. Quite disgusting, actually.


This is all on Biomancy. Any suggestions for the next? Divination is next in the alphabet, but it's the biggest one to write. If one thinks up more powers, just tell me.

Lots of detail, and some humor, too. You, sir, must have a great deal of free time on your hands. XD

I have a suggestion for biomancy, but it is somewhat similar in effect to some things you've described already, however, different in concept. It's kind you a mix between cellular control and mind mastery. Basically, the psyker (as you seem fond of calling them; traditionally called psions in Felarya, IIRC) weakens the brain function that limits how much she can exert her muscles (in part or in full), allowing her to access a wider range of strength based on her natural build (though the more she weakens that inhibitor, the greater strength she can access). The downside is that it puts physical strain on her body, and she would need to be careful not to over exert herself lest she break her own limbs with the sheer force of her muscles.

I also think increasing pain tolerance should be mentioned somewhere in that list of powers. I.e, she doesn't actually increase her skin's toughness or defensive ability, but just makes it so she doesn't feel it until the morning.

As for which discipline you write out next, personally, I think they should be ordered not alphabetically, but in order of relevance/obscurity, with the more well-known disciplines like telepathy and telekinesis first. Also, you could attempt to make a table of contents with links to each discipline's post in your first post, which IS ordered alphabetically, for easy reference.

Nyaha wrote:

I have a suggestion for biomancy, but it is somewhat similar in effect to some things you've described already, however, different in concept.

I shall add Kahina's techniques. You also reminded me that there are no party-friendly buffs yet, such as releasing adrenaline.

Nyaha wrote:

the psyker (as you seem fond of calling them; traditionally called psions in Felarya, IIRC) first.

It's short for 'psychicker', and has been around since at least the 80's. I had never heard of the term 'Psion' until 3.0 D&D named the psionic version of the wizard a psion, which is ironic as I'm trying to keep all D&D influence out of this. Writing 'psion' just doesn't feel right to me.

Hm, I just read a manga about a doctor inject insulin into heathy people to lower their sugar level, temporary disabling them. I wonder if this works for your biomancer's concept too?

Some other suggestions:

Cell Static Store & Discharge (electric-based attack), 
Hiberation (use to save energy in some situations), 
Sense Seal (disable senses of someone), 
Magnetic Body (attract metal), 
Blood Weapon (create weapon from iron inside blood), 
Corpse Burst (like the name said, exploding a corpse)

While some ideas sound cool enough, do you think that stuffs like buffs and debuffs resistance agaist diseases would be render unuseful in Felarya for its disease-ward nature, unless you somehow remove this default positive effect.

tkh1304 wrote:

Hm, I just read a manga about a doctor inject insulin into heathy people to lower their sugar level, temporary disabling them. I wonder if this works for your biomancer's concept too?

It does, and it's one of the ways to perform Enfeeble /Drain Vigour.

And I completely forgot there are no diseases in Felarya. *facepalm* As soon as I sit down to continue working on this, probably this weekend, then I'll add some of yours. While electrical attacks are already included, Hibernation, Corpse Explosion (from Diablo 2), and Sense Seal will be added. I'll think up some cool Blood Weapons, and venom perhaps. Then again, Hammerhand trumps puny little blood knife. Hammerhand smash!

Are magnetics not based on like attracts like? Wouldn't it attract other red blooded creatures?

That's what I've overlooked! Pheromones! Seizures! Bodybuilding! Bone Pulse!

Telekinesis Discipline

Telekinesis allows a psyker to manipulate the material universe, breaking the laws of physics to move themselves and other objects around. The main difference between different telekinetics is the level of control they have over their powers – some can lift heavy objects, but will be unable to telekinetically press a button, while others can pick locks from a distance, but be unable to lift a key.

Telekines are fond of using Kineblades, which are razors too fine too wield with bare hands, and can be directed anywhere within range and line of sight. While it is risky to block and parry with such delicate blades, they can easily fly past defenses and shred opponents. Manipulating several such in spinning arcs around you make for an impressive display of 'swordsmanship', and once you get the hang of forming a razor disc with them, it is even more intimidating to pinned opponents. Ishala from the artic norths form decorative snow-flake structures with these.

Basic Telekinesis / ghost hand
Telekinesis is the ability to use the strength of one’s will to move physical inanimate objects around, and can be used in several ways. You may lift or move any object within range. You may move the object anywhere within your effective range. Once you cease concentrating on the object, it falls to the ground.
As a more agressive move, lighter objects can be accelerated with greater speed and force to 'throw' it, which allows to you extend your effective range.  
Lastly, the psyker can direct a sharp way of force against a target, either in a wide spread to shove it away, or a focused 'punch'.


Catch Projectiles
You can use your telekinetic abilities to catch incoming projectiles, causing them to immediately stop and hang in the air. When this power ends, they fall harmlessly to the ground.
This power only works against solid projectiles and so energy attacks and direct magic get through normally.
((Neo style.))


Chaos Storm
This power unleashes psychic potential to manifest an uncontrolled storm, raising a tumult of squalling winds from nowhere and causing small objects to topple and tumble, glass to shatter, eletrical contacts to short out and spark, flames to leap, radios to spit gibberish, and other distracting phenomena. Anyone other than the manifesting psyker suffers to concentrate in this chaos, making it hard to do anything from attacking, to casting spells, in addition to whatever damaging effects this psychokinetic storm has on the surrounding environments.
Anything delicate will be broken, trees will be denuded, and poor quality books will often be torn apart. Especially effective in areas with debris, crockery, ornaments, sand, twigs and so on, or in high-tech environments.

Often attributed to Poltergeists, this power is known to accidentally manifest during times of stress, and perhaps the first sign of a budding "witch"'s potential. The stress caused by believing your house to be haunted only increases the frequency this event happening.

Some psykers have learned to use this power from a distance. "Jinx", as they call it, is not only a great distraction, but can be crippling when used on vehicles and computers, both mundane and magical.


Death Grip.
Using the power of her mind, the psyker is able to create a telekinetic grip on a living creatures' vital organs, and squeezes them. Needless to say, as it's hard to train and increase the toughness of something not consciously controlled, this is hard to resist and can cause anything from stunning to immediate death.

In order to use this power effectively, the psyker is well served by at least a novice understanding of the target's biology. It is hard to use against giants...especially if the target has multiple hearts. The brain is the hardest to affect, but targeting the brain of a predator is often enough to deter them--migraines and epileptic attacks, if not brain damage, are possible.

Surprisingly, this power has benign uses, such as CPR or working the stiffness out of muscles.


Fine Tuning / Precision Telekinesis
If Telekinesis is a sledgehammer, then Precision Telekinesis is a scalpel. This ability allows you to achieve far more subtle effects with telekinetic force. The telekinetic can accurately manipulate any one object.  Essentially, with this power, you can manipulate objects as if you were physically handling them.
This ability can be used on visible parts of a machine, such as a weapon’s trigger, pulling the pin on a grenade, turning a key in a lock, or taking the handbrake off a parked car,jog triggers, and direct small projectiles to deadly effect, but any hidden parts cannot be telekinetically operated. It is also possible to animate a willing, dead or unconscious creature – including paralyzed limbs.


Fling / Impel
You can telekinetically lift an unattended object from the ground and fling it at a target. This is a stronger but specialized version of the basic telekinetic force push.


Force Bolt
Use this power to hurl a burst of tangible mental force at your opponent. With greater power, more precise, stronger, or piercing bolts can be unleashed. Alternatively, as
Force Barrage,
to fire a storm of small projectiles resembling a missile battery or a full-automatic gun.


Force Crush
Direct telekinetic power directly against opponents, wrapping them in bands of force that constrict and crush the life out of them. Alternatively, to grapple and grip them. By infusing it with reserve power, temporary shackles can be created that do not need conscious concentration to maintain.

A great way to show how disturbing you find people's lack of faith.


Ghost touch
Telekinesis can also be used as a sensory organ, feeling and analyzing objects as if you were physically handling them, without the risk of being burned or poisoned.

Immature practitioners have quickly found that if the touch is light enough, the target is not aware of being felt up. Often used in class, or to tease lovers.

Levitate
The psyker is able to call upon her telekinetic abilities to lift herself up into the air. By the time she learned this, she is able to maintain her delicate concentration to block outside distractions and keep her focus on the task at hand. This power is strong, but slow, and very suited to transporting heavy objects, or adapted to achieve a method of flight.


Machine Curse
A single piece of equipment with moving parts is rendered useless as it is trapped in restrictive psychic force, or forced in ways it was never meant to handle. If done correctly, this 'curse' is permanent, and the item must be repaired before it can be used again.


Machine Empathy
The telekinetic has a level of control suited to operating machines by remote control. This power is commonly associated with machine-mentors and engineers.
This power can be used to operate machinery, open or lock mechanical doors, fire weapons, drive vehicles and so on. Naturally, one must have the ability to operate the machine efficiently under normal circumstances.
The parts of the machine being directly manipulated need not be visible to the telekinetic – for example, the inner workings of a lock are hidden, but the telekinetic can still unlock the door.


Psycho-Kinetic Mist
The psyker is able to conjure up a psycho-kinetic material shaped from nothing but movement and intent, that can be shaped by the mind. It manifests as a gauzy, white vapour that obscures vision of all within its area, including those that sense or see magic. This mist can be moved, otherwise it will stick to its creator and simply follow the psyker--who might have other means of navigating than sight. Once the power expires, the mist evaporates.

((This is a homage to the Eldar from Warhammer 40k, who refine this stuff into 'psychic plastic', and make anything from it: spacecrafts, clothes, weapons, cities, etc. Even robots controlled by their dead ancestors. They call it Wraithbone, and refer to it's shaping as being 'sung' by the Bonesingers.))


Psycho-Kinetic Shield
A psycho-kinetic mist mentally shaped into a barrier capable of withstanding not only physical, but also energy, psychic, magic, and daemonic attacks. However, it only protects a 90 degree arc and must be moved 'manually' to protect from another side. It's possible to place it around another person within a few meters. It evaporates once you stop sustaining it.

Some creative uses are to temporarily plug holes in a ship, hold it above one's head as an umbrella, flip it horizontally as a disc to carry stuff, or to imbue it with kinetic force to ram an opponent.


Psycho-kinetic Armour
The psyker erects a field of telekinetic energy about her. This field functions as a force shield, and protects like a less stronger Psycho-kinetic Shield, except that it does protect the entire body. One may opt to cause the Telekinetic Shield to vibrate at a colour frequency of choosing (golden yellow, skull white, ice blue, and so on). Note that whatever its hue, the shield only produces a gentle shimmer in the air. It is not opaque and cannot block an opponent’s line of sight. It also means that the chances of spotting the telekinetic are doubled.


Psychic Blade
A phenomenally complicated ability to master, this power allows you to project your will as a blade of psychic force. Because the blade is formed of psychic energy, it can be formed almost impossibly thin, as little as a molecule thick. A Psychic Blade can thus shear through almost any physical object with ease, and is capable of cutting through most forms of armour as if they were made of cloth. The Psychic Blade is a terribly dangerous weapon to use, though, for any stray thoughts can misdirect it with devastating effect.

As like attracts like, the aforementioned stray thoughts often cause this terrifying power to cut into the user if distracted.



Telekinetic Weapon
Shaping the force of the psyker's mind into a blade of destructive force, this handheld weapon is a powerful manifestation of the iron will of a psyker. Light-weight, easy to learn, and fast to form, this is a perfect weapon to achieve mastery in. It is physical enough that it can block and parry.

Since this weapon is basically nothing but movement going outwards from a central line, it is always shaped like an edge. The most effective form however, is done by making this edge spiral or rotate. In effect, you gain a drill or a chainsaw like weapon.


Thunder Clap
The telekinetic turns a small region of air into a vacuum, and then allows atmosphere to rush back in. Although the power is too imprecise to be used offensively, the loud bang produced by the air rushing back into the vacuum is enough to shock and distract anyone within close proximity.

This is often used as a way to interrupt spell casting, or to signal for help...which you really shouldn't in Felarya.


Water Sculptor
The telekinetic has the ability to manipulate the flow of liquids, creating air pockets, waterspouts or even parting a body of water to allow passage. The effects of water sculpture are very beautiful and often used in competitions.


Zen Warrior / Avatar of War
One of the pinnacles of this discipline, psykers using this power are living manifestations of their will, manifesting several powers together as a whole. Cloaked in armour of force, and lashing out with weapons straight from their mind, these warriors fly over the battlefield while blasting anything out of reach. In this form, there is little that can stop them as their armour ripples and rejects attempts to hold them, as if trying to hold a slippery snake.

With a mere gesture their grip reaches far beyond their physical length to fend off obstacles while going for their target. A popular attack in this form is to take in air and pressure it to realease gale winds. Not even gaseous attacks or lack of air affect them then, as clever psykers hold this pressured air in their armour.

((I am looking for a great name for a power that allows you to float graciously through the air, like a wired actor in a Japanese martial artist flick. Feather Fall? Mind and body?

*Edit* I think I'll go with Acrobatics.))

I'm shocked I haven't seen this yet as I am very interested in Psionics. I actually came up with an interesting advanced technique you might be able to add under Biokinesis. 

Although before I get to that I might make a suggestion with the Cellular control. I toyed around with a very similar idea once where you could speed up or slow down your body. The only real difference between the two ideas is that mine had a slight danger. Speeding or slowing yourself too much could result in death. For example, say you used Cellular Control to try and speed yourself up to four times your normal speed. Well, the stress on your body would be too great and your heart would literally pop. Now, you might already have that implied, but you may wanna think of some of the drawbacks and limitations.

Now, for my idea I had, look below:


Viskinesis: The ability to manipulate and redirect forms of energy through the body and into another object or substance. this is almost purely a combat technique.

Viskinesis More Info:

Also, while it may be a little bit old, you may want to check out this thread. 
https://felarya.forumotion.com/t3319p15-on-psionics?highlight=psionics

There's a small list of various techniques there that would help to compliment your list, as well as some thoughts as to the strengths and weaknesses of a Psion.

Darth_Nergal wrote:

I toyed around with a very similar idea once where you could speed up or slow down your body.

you may wanna think of some of the drawbacks and limitations.

Ah, like Kiritsugu from your signature. Yes, this sound like a great application.

While a hard limit should be up to the individual author, it's not a bad idea to describe some possible risks. It's weekend so I should be working on this. The goal of this article is to provide inspiration after all.

Darth_Nergal wrote:

Now, for my idea I had, look below:

Viskinesis: The ability to manipulate and redirect forms of energy through the body and into another object or substance. this is almost purely a combat technique.

Very detailed, and with your permission shall be added to Pyrokinesis.

I know that Pyromancy isn't really a good name for the discipline that involves energy direction, but each discipline has some basic "science" behind it, to differentiate it from magic. Redirecting or absorbing energy is related to Thermodynamics, the branch of physics concerned with internal energy, entropy, and pressure--even radiation.

Or to put it another way, this page is what opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities: Fire is a reaction, and flames are just a result of magnetism.
Periodic Bombardment. OOTS 423.

More imaginative and inspired powers. I like how this manual is turning out. There are a few criticisms, however.

Death Grip is a scary power. I really think there should be some note on the difficulty of its use or mastery, and maybe a possibly drawback or side effect.

I think you need to specify a little more about the Telekinetic Shield like you did with Psycho-Kinetic Shield. What makes them different, in terms of functionality? Is one waker than the other? Are there things the former can protect against that the latter cannot?

Telekinetic Weapon needs a little more imagination, too. How easy is it to perform, ie. what level of mastery is generally needed to pull it off consistently and at will? Does it have to be a blade? Is it effective at guarding or parrying attacks?

Now for an idea of my own. You don't seem to have any powers that combine the use of telekinesis with the effects of biomancy. For example, using telekinesis to perform CPR or remove water from someone's lungs, or simply enhancing the force of your muscles with telekinesis, letting you run faster, jump higher, or punch harder. Oh, and for that matter, here's a morse specific idea.

Ghost Puppet
Using the power of telekinesis, a psyker can manifest an invisible limb a fixed distance away from their body, which mimic the movements of a limb of their own. This can be used a number of ways, for example, lifting and placing a faraway object (but not bringing it closer), or kicking a person in the shin from around a corner.

A skilled psyker may even manifest an entire ghost body, which can prove extremely useful in combat situations, allowing the psyker to engage in close combat from a distance. This power does have one drawback, however, in that the ghost appendage can be interacted with, and whatever happens to it also happens to the psyker's actual limb, hence the "puppet" part of the name. For example, if a dog bites a psyker's ghost hand, their real hand will bleed.

Ah, and here I was fearing that I was being redundant by listing off other uses. I'll get back to adding these little extras then.  Personally, I like them and love reading battle journals where players boast about creative uses of old "spells".

Defining Telekinetic Shield has caused me some trouble, as I fear authors rejecting hard limits. In my opinion the basic shield, as it is just telekinesis, would stop only physical objects as it is nothing but "movement". The second one would protect against all form of direct attacks as it does not try to affect the attack, but instead maintains a construct of force. It's a technique that builds upon the Psycho-kinetic Mist, and creates temporary matter. Think we could do some Green Lantern stunts with it like forming bullets or hammers, while keeping it Psionics and not Magic?

And I cannot believe I forgot to mention Death Grip's limited effect on giants.

Now about Ghost Puppet. I had that reserved as a Telepathy power, Spirit Manifestation, and figured that people would just use basic telekinesis for punches ((Ghost Hand)), and Fine Tuning/ Precision Telekinesis as a remote limb. Still, I might as well make it more official and a telekinetic version of Hammerhand. Perhaps with the ability to stretch out your limbs as well? A sort of Telek Armor?

Well, the main point which I perhaps didn't stress well enough is that the psyker can be affected through their projection. Ie, if someone were using that power to fight you from a distance, you could still theoretically fight back by estimating the position of their projection and punching it in the face. I don't know about stretching limbs or armor, though the latter sounds quite promising.

I hope inneffectiveness against giants won't be the only drawback on death grip?

He he, still editing since my last reply.

Hmm. Question: why would someone use a double-edged move when they can use regular telekinesis--with Ghost Touch you can already feel through your TK. So what you are suggesting is more a simulacrum, a projection that is as if your limb or even your head is really there. That could be a way to further the range of your power or work around a corner, and justify the use of such a risky move. I could always add that this power is also used by Telepaths.

About Death Grip. What other drawbacks would you add besides being hard to do? My current edited version adds this:

In order to use this power effectively, the psyker is well served by at least a novice understanding of the target's biology. It is hard to use against giants due to their sheer size...especially if the target has multiple hearts. The brain is the hardest to affect, but targeting the brain of a predator is often enough to deter them--migraines and epileptic attacks, if not brain damage, are possible.

Surprisingly, this power has benign uses, such as CPR or working the stiffness out of muscles.



*Edit* What do you think of this as a pinnacle power?

Zen Warrior / Avatar of War
One of the pinnacles of this discipline, psykers under effect of this power are living manifestations of their will, using several powers together as a coherent whole. Cloaked in armour of force, and lashing out with weaponized thoughts, these warriors fly over the battlefield while blasting anything out of reach. In this form, there is little that can stop them as their armour ripples and rejects attempts to hold them, as if trying to hold a slippery snake.

With a mere gesture their grip reaches far beyond their physical length to fend off obstacles while going for their target. A popular attack in this form is to take in air and pressure it to realease gale winds. Not even gaseous attacks or lack of air affect them then, as clever psykers hold this pressured air in their armour.

((I think I'll add the pressured air as a regular power too. Everyone should have a gas mask in Felarya.))

Scryangi wrote:

Ah, like Kiritsugu from your signature. Yes, this sound like a great application. 

While a hard limit should be up to the individual author, it's not a bad idea to describe some possible risks. It's weekend so I should be working on this. The goal of this article is to provide inspiration after all.

Lol, you're the first person to realize where I got my inspiration from. X3 And yeah, you don't want to set a super hard limit, but as you said its not a bad idea to describe some of the negative effects. =3

Scryangi wrote:

Very detailed, and with your permission shall be added to Pyrokinesis.

I know that Pyromancy isn't really a good name for the discipline that involves energy direction, but each discipline has some basic "science" behind it, to differentiate it from magic. 

Oh, you have my full permission to use it. And Pyrokinesis seems like an excellent spot for that ability since it deals in energy manipulation. Hmm, I find going ahead and using a Latin mix helps with making names for techniques and disciplines. Maybe grab a Latin word meaning energy in general? Then pyrokinesis could be free to be used as a name of a sub-discipline.

Darth_Nergal wrote:

Lol, you're the first person to realize where I got my inspiration from. X3

Heh, if I had to list my every source of inspiration...while I try to stay away from D&D there is Jack Vance, Metroid, Spyro the Dragon, Warhammer 40K, Green Lantern, Avatar, Naruto, Ranma 1/2, Changeling the Lost, and Fate Stay Night of course. I have to thank you as well for linking Ensign Sue Must Die. That was a great read.

Darth_Nergal wrote:

Maybe grab a Latin word meaning energy in general? Then pyrokinesis could be free to be used as a name of a sub-discipline.

And this is why Pyromancy is actually the perfect name. It means "asking the flame"--to learn from it. All we know about energy and how to use it started with observing fire. It's not an element, but a reaction. It's easy to link it to lightning, magnetism, wind, frost, spirituality, healing, etc.

I'm getting existential again. I was going to do Telepathy next, but maybe I should just tackle Pyromancy instead.

I don't like that Avatar of War thing. It's far too powerful and we don't need something like that in this setting. If a writer wants to give their character a power like that, they'll do it without the inspiration.

For Death Grip, I don't think that's enough. I think you need to give a better sense of just how well-trained in psionics the user has to be in order to competently and effectively use such a potentially dangerous and powerful technique, and even then it should sound more difficult to perform than you've made it sound. Perhaps stipulate that it would be more useful as an assassination technique using stealth, involving precise energy manipulation that takes the better part of a minute to perform, rather than a technique that can simply be used at the psyker's convenience.

Yes, you're probably right about the Avatar. Would making these into individual powers be okay?

And what about making Death Grip close range, like 10 feet at the maximum? Unless done very stealthy and slow, then the target feels the energy entering their body and has a few seconds to respond?

Individually, they should work. Though I still think you need to work on getting a sense for giving particularly strong powers negative traits to offset their beneficial ones. That Avatar of War should have come with some major drawbacks for its power, yet none were mentioned, so you may want to keep an eye out for that in the future.

That seems like a decent trade-off for Death Grip, yes. At least, for now.

[quote="Nyaha"]Individually, they should work. Though I still think you need to work on getting a sense for giving particularly strong powers negative traits to offset their beneficial ones. That Avatar of War should have come with some major drawbacks for its power, yet none were mentioned, so you may want to keep an eye out for that in the future.[quote]

Heh, I usually assume that people would know that strong powers are exhausting and an all-or-nothing attacks, but yes I should. Not everyone has the same sense of game balance as you, Nyaha.

Of course, I am partly to blame as well as I would like to make a watered down version into a sort of 'battle mode', like suiting up. Maybe state that by dividing power and attention among several powers, you can manifest a watered down version of them simultaneously?


Now for Death Grip. I shall clarify that the target feels energy entering their body, flowing through their meridians until it wraps around an organ, and that it then starts to constrict. Like strangling someone, this is not an instant death and if the target endures the pain then they can even use this time to attack you which will probably break your concentration.

The brain is the hardest to affect, since it hidden by the skull and just like the spine it is made to conduit power so your TK most likely just flows off harmlessly when used there. Same with the eyes and ears as they are so close to the brain. The heart, being a muscle, is also very resistant.

The best targets would probably be the stomach, balls, kidneys, or lungs. The lungs are partially covered by the ribs, just like how the head is protected against foreign energies, and could be collapsed.

So, in short: it's a technique best done from stealth or on a trapped person. It's not an I-win button, but is an effective killing technique when kept up for a while.

Just to quote a bit of something i found regarding to this topic.

Anonymous wrote:

The way it's typically used in some games (DnD), it's functionally no different then magic. The way it's used in other games, it's supposed to be synonymous with "real" psychic abilities. Note that many people don't believe in "real" psychic abilities. Nevertheless, it's a useful distintion. For the most part, you don't find anything in the psychic literature about people shooting disintigration rays from their eyes, blasting lightening from their fingertips, or lobbing fireballs at people. So, psychic abilities are usually of a subtler lot, generally focused on the mind and/or body. Things like: telepathy, empathy, object reading, premonitions, seeing the future, psychic surgery, healing by laying on hands, hypnotic suggestions, resisting heat/fire, resisting the elements, floating/levitation, holding one's breath an inordinate amount of time, mild telekinesis (moving a pencil, etc), and so forth. Also, see The Force, in Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back (although lifting an X Wing out of the muck might be overboard by some sources of the literature, but not nessisarily by all). Return of the Jedi probably went overboard w/ The Emperor's Force Lightening, and the prequils are pure rubbish (but not just for how the portrayed The Force or Jedi).

So bringing that point. Stuff like the death grip or The avatar thing shouldn't be given an exact range or power level. You should really explain it in a way that it depends how much the individual has unlocked their mind and how their mind reacts and grows to these inherent doors of capability. So for stuff like the death grip, rather than saying it's hard to learn (since you learn with magic from external forces) Rather say that it's harder to try and unlock the potential to manipulate that. (Unlocking the mind). Now this does bring a question i've been concerned with. Do you think people have a "maximum. or rather not maximum, but a...Straining point of how much their mind can take before it starts resisting the urge to unlock a mental door or makes the person frustrated to the point becoming mildly (or heavily psychotic) with the different power. Or can all psionics just learn these potentials and not reach a personal handicap before the harder powers become more difficult?

ravaging vixens wrote:

You should really explain it in a way that it depends how much the individual has unlocked their mind and how their mind reacts and grows to these inherent doors of capability. So for stuff like the death grip, rather than saying it's hard to learn (since you learn with magic from external forces) Rather say that it's harder to try and unlock the potential to manipulate that.

I am always afraid that as soon as I make a limit, people will object. No power here should be stronger than what magic could do, as I think that psionics inability to be detected and defended against is already enough of a selling point. I wish that I could depend on people's respect for game balance to not break the story, as then I could just write: Hey kids? Do you know what other cool things you can do?

On the other hand, I could easily do some kind of tier system, or show which powers build on each other. I've already heavily implied that many are advanced versions, or even combinations, of lesser techniques. This could then be used for training montages, or to show that your character is not a Mary Sue just because she now has a new power--she had been working on it even without knowing, perhaps.

Ravaging Vixens wrote:

Or can all psionics just learn these potentials and not reach a personal handicap before the harder powers become more difficult?

I would say that having reached a high level in one discipline would not help much for another. It's like learning different martial arts styles. In theory, you can learn them all, and there is little difference between hand-to-hand and sword fighting. In practice, most people simply do not have the time or drive to dedicate themselves to more then one discipline, and there is a world of difference between Karate and sniping.

Therefor, I would say that as long as you stick to one discipline, eventually each technique of it will be available to you. Like with martial arts, you need to develop different kinds of mental muscles and reflexes to really master it. There are muscles that are needed for strong styles, while others are only used in soft styles.