[Jack Simth]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
and if the alchemists and psionic's learn that the mage's guild is going to get more powerfull, they may have problems.

way i've been thinking, mage's are most powerfull in this world, but there's no real reason. on the other hand, two guild's just as powerfull, no real conflict...could be a good solution. both other guild's lean on the mage's to forget the whole thing...at least, until they find out a way to boost there power.

Impregnate a structure with enough damping dust and the mages' guild can scarecly do a thing about it. Coat an explosive potion in damping dust and the mages' guild can't touch it nor see it coming magically.

And remember, the process started out as alchemy, with the full release of energy (5% of the mass - that's about five times the release of a normal nuke, per pound of active material) - the alchemists could take out a reactor quite easily, as it uses the principals of alchemy.

Hang on - Psionicists are immune to alchemical defenses; mages have spells that block psionics, and alchemists make powder that neutralize magic. Skilled/powerful of each can get around the restrictions (mage overloads dust, psi catches mage off gaurd, alchemist uses exploding potions), but still - it's a rock/paper/scissors situation, isn't it? That could lead to a balance quite quickly; psionicists aren't a threat to the mages' guild, but the mages' guild will hire them if need be to get the alchemists off their back. The mage's guild has good reason to keep the psionicists available, and aren't threatend by them. The alchemists' guild isn't threatened by the mages' guild, but will hire them if need by to get the psionicists off their back. The alchemists have good reason to keep the mages available. The psionicists aren't threatened by the alchemists, but will hire them to get the mages' guild off their backs if need be, and so has good reason to keep the alchemists available. Hmm....

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
unfortuenatly, the only thing i can think of for psionic's is crystal's and my sense of cliche's doesn't like that.

Some ideas:

Hive mind: similar to a circle of mages, but for telepaths. Increses the functional distance of psionic effects and their power (harder to resist mental influence, more mass can be moved via telekenisis, et cetera), as well as pooling abilities, knoweledge, and skill from those involved in the hive mind.

Mindswap: A forbidden practice used by some skilled telepaths to prolong life. The psi trades bodies with the victim, keeping all abilities of the target based on physiology, but not their skills, memories, nor abilities based on mental ability.

Borrow skill: The psi temporarily borrows a skill from the target. Using the skill requires an active telepathic connection to the target, but it does not inherently alert the target to the psi's presence.

Lend skill: The psi temporarily lends a skill to the target. Using the skill requires an acive telepathic connection to the target.

Learn skill: The psi learns a skill from a target, without the target's knowledge. Requires telepathic contact with the target, but the learned skill is permanent. The time required to learn a skill depends on the complexity of the skill, the skill level of the target, and the skill level of the psi.

Teach skill: The psi teaches a skill to the target. Requires telepathic contact with the target, but the learned skill is permanent. The time required to teach a skill depends on the complexity of the skill and the skill level of the psi.

Rider: The psi can hitch a ride inside another's mind. The psi is limited to their own psionic or magical abilities for information, communication, or action, and does not have access to the target's memories, skills, senses, actions, et cetera unless the psi would be able to do so under normal circumstances via psionics or magic. Hitching a ride on another requires that the target be in telepathic contact with the psi when the ride is hitched; after that, the psi is not present in his/her body, and uses the target as the base for any range determination, including getting back into the psi's original body or jumping to another host.

Borrow senses: similar to borrow skill; the psi sees what the target sees, feels what the target feels, hears what the target hears, et cetera. This is limited to physical senses only; for psionics, see relay.

Lend senses: similar to borrow senses; the target gains access to all the psi's senses that the psi cares to lend.

Relay: allows a psi to act as a relay for another psi's abilities, allowing the distant psi to use their abilities as though they were at the relay's location. Multiple relays can be used. The psi whose abilities are being relayed must be within the relay's range.

Psionic projection: allows a psi to separate from their body, and travel without it. The body is unoccupied while the psi is away. The psi's skill determines how long the psi can go without a body, and how long the psi's body can go without a mind. The psi can rest as a rider, above, if the psi has that ability. While projecting, the psi can only interact with the normal world via psionic abilities or magic, as per rider, above.

Clairvoyance: The ability to see at a distance. Very useful for riders or projectors.

Claiaudiance: The ability to hear at a distance. Very useful for riders or projectors.

Clair(other): Of course there is one of these to match each base sense, but I don't remember all the names....

Psychometry: The art of learning the past of an object, person, or place available to the psi. Skill determines how far into the past the psi can read, power determines how close the target has to be to qualify as available.

Possess: A forbidden practice. The psi takes full control of the target, including the target's senses, skills and abilities (mundane, magic, or psionic). The victim does not remember anything from the moment of possession to the moment of release.

Imprint: The psi can imprint a memory or message into a physical object, which is then easily read by any psi with psychometry (similar to reading and writing, but for psi's only and based primarily on memory; any sense impression or thought can be imprinted).

Dreamwalk: Allows a psi to use any of their abilities normally under concious control while sleeping or unconcious (but not if killed).

[ September 02, 2003, 06:41: Message edited by: Jack Simth ]