The Psi Sourcebook

Rarification

Prerequisites: Enhanced Attribute (Intelligence) 2 or Intelligence 12

This is a searching path designed to awaken parts of the psychic's mind that are still sleeping. This does not grant new psychic abilities, nor does it make the psychic smarter, instead it makes the brain activate sections that are not normaly used, allowing the character to take better advantage of their mind than the usual 5-15% that we're normaly stuck with.

This Path is unique in that it may be taken by non psychics. However, people without the psychic advantage must pay the style cost to buy it. Similarly, psychics can buy this path beyond their psychic rating, again at the style cost.

  1. Speed Reading - The Psychic can read at an enhanced pace with the same degree of comprehension and retention. The increase is one time per level of Rarification. So at level 6 Rarification, the character can read seven times as fast as normal. This skill is cumulative with the speed reading skill.

  2. Lightning Calculator - The psychic can now do any mathematical computation that they were capable of in almost no time without aid (but if you need a time 2-4 APs for really intense problems like calculus or high-end trig).

    Due to the mathematical nature of nearly all codes and cyphers, this power grants a +3 to all cryptography attempts.

  3. Night Vision - The part of the brain that process the information that the rods inside the eyes send becomes more refined. This is identical to the Advantage Nightvision. As a side effect, the character's eyes become noticiably brighter, but still with the realm of human, so it's only likely to be noticed by people who already know the character.

  4. Vision - The cones inside of the eyes of the psychic become more sensitive, extending vision into the infared and ultra-violet spectrums, allowing them to see in what would otherwise be complete darkness with a range of 40'. A side effect of this is that the iris's color become noticably more intense (blacker, greener, bluer, hazeler (is that a word?) etc.)

  5. Enhanced Learning - Skill that are judged to be mostly mental (GM's descresion, but be generous. This is a level 5 power, after all so just about any remotely feasible should be allowed.) are improved at a cost of 2 times per level. New mental skills (level 1) cost 2 experience points. Exceptional skills are 3 times per level. This does not help disciplins, maneuvers, styles, etc., nor does it help during character creation.

  6. Speed Thinking - The thought process becomes much faster once this level of Rarification is achieved. Purely mental tasks, such as researching or Computer Programming have their time divided by the level of Rarification +1 they would have normaly. Tasks that require physical abilities as well, such as Auto Mechanics or just about anything that takes a deft hand, have their time divided by (Rarification/2). This does not grant more APs, but the character automaticaly with initiative ties against opponents who lack this power (or something similar). This replaces the level one power of Speed Reading.

  7. Photographic Memory - The psychic's brain is able to store memories nearly perfectly. Even advanced physics and stock prices can be recalled with perfect accuracy, if not comprehension. Despite the name, everything is recalled not just what has been seen.

    To recall a specific piece of data roll 1d10+Intelligence+Rarification and subtract it from 35. This is the number of rounds it takes to dredge up that particular piece of information, with a minimum of one round (that's a lot of info to wade through).

  8. Multi-Tasking - The Psychic may now temprarily (Intellignece/2 hour(s) a day) sub-divide the mind in to hind-brains, secondary brains that take some of the burden off the main brain, allowing the Psi to do many things at once without penalty. A specialized example of this is Bobby Fisher, who could play twenty seven games of chess simultaneously against different opponents.

    The Psi makes an Intelligence + Rarification roll with a difficulty equal to 5 times the number of hind-brains made. Thus, three hind-brains would have a difficulty of 15. Each sub-division takes one turn to create.

    Each subdivision allows the psychic one action per turn, however these actions must be purely mental, such as a tricky philisophical problem or diferential calculus. Additionaly, no aids, like pen and paper or a calculator, can be used. These subdivisions can not do anything physical, include push a pencil or a button or even turning a page, these require the main brain, but not including semi-autominus functions like eye movement or breathing.

    Except for continuious powers, such as lightning calculator and speed reading, no psychic ability or maneuver may be used while the brain is sub divided. Fortunatly it is a simple matter to remerge the subsections into the main brain, not even taking any actions.

    The main mind is completely unimpaired, and is still capable of physical activities (like combat).

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