This entry, The Morrow Project: A New Method for Morrow Project Character Psychic Ability Determination, was from my original web page in 1994. In it, the principles I outlined became the basis for the HiBRiD psionic system that I use to this day.
Please enjoy this little insight into my past as a break from the HiBRiD character creation rules...which I shall again be posting shortly over the next few weeks
Foreword
The Morrow Project is founded on a great gaming
premise. While not fond of the system’s numerous charts, tables, and complex
combat systems, I know other people do like them, lumps and all. But the
incompleteness and brevity of its rules with regards to psychic capabilities of
characters are cursory and ill defined. The rules presented here are offered as
a substitute for those provided in the Morrow Project game book TM 1-1.
Section 1: Important Attributes for Psychic Abilities
For the most part, the attributes in these rules are the same as listed in TM 1-1, however there are two main differences.
Reconsidering an Old Attribute: PSI
The first difference, under these guidelines, lies in
what the PSI attribute represents. PSI is still considered an inherent
Attribute in all characters. It is not only used to represent a character’s
potential to possess psychic abilities, but also his ability to defend himself
against psychic attacks.
If your character possesses psychic abilities, the PSI
Attribute also represents the total capacity of all of his psychic
abilities. If your character possesses 2 or more psychic abilities, you need to
divide this PSI between all of his psychic ability Force Values (which
will be explained shortly), though you may do so in any way you choose.
Unlike many of your character’s other attributes, your character’s PSI Attribute cannot be improved.
Adding A New Attribute: Perception (PERC)
One thing of importance lacking in the Morrow Project
rules is an attribute representing your character’s Perception (hereafter
noted as PERC). Perception represents your character’s physical and mental
ability to perceive his surroundings accurately. Perception is the attribute
that determines how hard it is to sneak up on your character, his ability to
sense poisons or chemicals, and his ability to observe distances when
determining such things as ranges for both direct and indirect fire weapons.
Perception also determines how far away your character can accurately discern
one distant object from another. Your character’s range for visual acuity is
designated as 5 meters times your character’s PERC. (Thus, with a PERC of 10,
your character can discern between a target and a non-target on a clear day
from 50 meters away.)
Perception is also an important attribute for your
character if he possesses psychic abilities, as it helps to determine his
initial Control Value (see below) with his these abilities as well as the range
over which they may be used. These will be explained in Section 3 more
thoroughly. Like his PSI Attribute, your character’s PERC Attribute cannot
be improved.
Determining Your Character’s Attributes
Morrow Project is a role-playing game, and you should
be able to play the role of a character you enjoy rather than one that has been
designated by dice rolls. Rather than randomly rolling for your character’s
Attributes, you may simply assign 85 Points among your character’s attributes
(INT, STR, PSI, PERC, LUCK, DEX, CON, CHAR). You should still follow the
maximum and minimum limits as outlined in the Morrow Project TM 1-1 Rule
Book.
Section 2: Creating Your Character
For the most part, the process for making a character
is not changed from that described in TM 1-1.Besides the differences in
determining Attributes mentioned above, use the following rules for determining
your character’s psychic abilities rather than those listed in TM 1-1.
Step 1: Determine if your character possesses psychic abilities
To determine whether or not your character possesses psychic
capabilities, add your character’s PSI and Luck Attributes. This determines the
percent chance your character possesses a psychic ability. If you roll this
number or less on a d%, your character possesses psychic abilities beyond those
required to defend himself.
Step 2: Determine the number and type of psychic
abilities your character possesses
Once you have determined that your character possesses
psychic ability, you need to determine how many and what type of abilities your
character possesses. Tables are included here for those of you who like tables
and want to determine all character psychic abilities randomly. If you want to,
however, and the Project Director agrees, you can just use the first chart to
determine the number of abilities your character gets and then move on to Step
3.
Kinetic Abilities-These abilities allow your character to manipulate matter
and/or energy on the atomic or quantum level by mere thought.
Mentalic Abilities-These abilities represent the ability to perceive and
manipulate the mental processes and infinitely
subtle electrical patterns of any creature with any
sort of neuro-biological function.
Correspondent Abilities-These abilities represent the ability to perceive and
manipulate an object’s distinct and absolute position in both time and space.
Unlike kinetic abilities, which generate force to move or affect objects or
energy through space on a given timeline, correspondent allows your character
to literally break down these barriers, and hop from space to space on a given
timeline, or between two different timelines in a given space.
Table 1: Ability Type
Table
01-25 One
Kinetic Ability
26-99 One
Mentalic Ability
00 Unique
Ability (Roll on Table 2)
Table 2: Uniqueness
01-45 Two
Kinetic Abilities
46-90 Two
Mentalic Abilities
91-99 One
Kinetic and One Mentalic Ability
00 One
Correspondent Ability
Step 3: Determine the specific psychic abilities
Once you have determined how many and what type of
abilities your character possesses, you need to determine which specific
ability your character possesses. Again, the tables are provided if the
Project Director wishes to use them, otherwise, simply choose from the 14
abilities listed below.
Table 3: Correspondence
Abilities
01-75 Place
76-00 Time
Table 4: Mentalic
Abilities
01-25 Emotions
26-50 Thoughts
51-75 Perceptions
76-85 Dreams
86-95 Drives
96-00 Memories
Table 5: Kinetic
Abilities
01-30 Telekinesis
31-60 Thermokinesis
61-85 Biokinesis
86-90 Electrokinesis
91-95 Photokinesis
96-00 Sonokinesis
Step 4: Determine each ability’s starting Force Value and Control
Value.
Once you have determined which specific psychic
abilities your character possesses, you need to determine how powerful your
character’s ability is(as measured by a value known as the ability’s Force
Value) as well as how much control he can exert when using his abilities (As
measured by a value known as the ability’s Control Value.)
The Force Value
The total amount of force (or the extent to
which your character can use a psychic ability) is determined by a number known
as that ability’s Force Value. If your character possesses one such
ability, then that ability’s Force Value is simply equal to your character’s
PSI attribute. Because the PSI attribute represents the total amount
of psychic ability your character possesses, if your character possesses more
than one ability, then his PSI attribute must be divided between the two
abilities, however you are free to do so as you see fit. Once you assign an
ability’s Force Value, it remains that way throughout the rest of your
character’s life.
The exact definitions and capacities that the Force Value represents in game terms are described more specifically in Section 3.One common feature to all telekinetic abilities, however, is that each ability’s Force Value represents the amount of damage the ability can directly cause to a living target in a single combat round.
The Control Value
The amount of accuracy and control your character possesses with a psychic ability is called its Control Value. Your character’s initial Control Value is determined by adding his Luck and Perception Attributes. This determines his percent chance of successfully using or controlling the ability, depending on the ability’s description. Your character’s control value is increased just as any other ability in the game.
Section 3:Psychic Ability Descriptions
The Kinetic Abilities
Telekinesis
This ability represents the classic mind over matter telekinesis of literature and legend. It allows your character to perform any number of tasks, anything from throwing a switch on a far wall to flinging things about to creating inertial barriers that cushion blows or stop relatively slow missiles.
Your character can manipulate a number of kilograms equal to his Force Value without having to make a roll to control the power. If the power is used to manipulate a mass greater than Force Value, or he uses the ability to cause damage to an opponent, he must make a Task Roll to see if he succeeds. Invasive use of this ability does one point of damage to the target for every point of Force Value your character possesses with the telekinetic ability.
Electrokinesis
This ability allows your character to control the flow
of electrons through various substances. As a result, any natural phenomenon
based on the flow of electrons from one place to another can be initiated and
controlled by this ability. Examples of such phenomenon include photosynthesis,
magnetism, the rusting of iron, and the generation and flow of
electricity.
When using this ability to rust or magnetize iron, your
character can affect a total mass of iron equal to his Force Value. It takes
ten minutes to affect this much mass. Rusting occurs evenly throughout the
substance being rusted, however a Task Roll can be made to control the point
where the rusting occurs. A successful Task Roll indicates that at the end of
one Action Round, only the specific spot desired by your character is oxidized.
Iron objects only remain magnetized as long as your character maintains his
concentration.
Using this ability to generate electricity allow your
character is able to generate enough electricity to generate a number of Volts
of electricity equal to his Force Value. In order to affect living creatures, a
Task Roll is required to target the electrical energy and send enough current
through at one time to damage the target. Such an invasive use of this ability
does one point of damage for every point of Force Value your character
possesses. When used on non-living targets, this ability can be used to short
circuit primitive electrical systems or control the functions of more
complicated electronics systems. With enough ability, your character may even be
able to control a computer's functions or shatter fragile crystals.
Thermokinesis
This ability allows your character to increase (Pyrokinesis)
or decrease (Cryokinesis) the vibrational movement of the molecules within a
target to the point where its temperature starts to rise or fall, and will
continue to rise or fall for as long he concentrates. Once concentration is
terminated, the object’s temperature will take as many rounds to cool down to
its normal temperature as it did to heat up.
When used invasively, this ability may be used to either burn one specific area on the target's body or to generate a large amount of heat throughout the creature's body water. Using this ability in either of these ways does a number of points of damage per round equal to your character's Force Value. In non-living targets, this ability’s effectiveness is dependent on the nature of the material being affected. Both of these invasive uses of this ability require a successful Task Roll in order to perform them.
Photokinesis
This ability allows your character to perceive light
in all wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the infrared spectrum with not only
his eyes but also his entire body as well. Task Rolls are required to sense
light within the UV and IR regions.
This ability also allows your character to alter the
intensity of light within the range of his Perception. He can make lit areas
darker to the point where shadows may actually be created or destroyed as well
as areas of intense light. He can move shadows or patches of light (known to
some photokineticists as “light shadows”) about in willed shapes if he
maintains concentration. Once your character ceases to concentrate, the image
disappears.
This ability also allows your character to alter the
path or wavelength of light around any object or person within the range
determined by your character’s PERC attribute. Any target so cloaked is
undetectable by normal senses when immobile, and when mobile, a Critical
Success is required on a Task Roll to perceive the target object or
person.
Finally, this ability allows your character to manipulate light to such an extent where the wavelength may be made uniform and the intensity powerful enough to create a laser powerful enough to burn holes in steel given enough time and a strong enough light source. This requires a Task Roll to successfully create the laser beam. Such a beam from a strongly illuminated room can burn through 1 mm of metal per round of concentration and cause one point of damage to living creatures for every point of Force value your character possesses.
Biokinesis
This ability gives your character an intimate knowledge of the relationship between his mind and his body. As a result, he is able to voluntarily control functions of his body that normal people cannot.
The first thing a biokinetic character can do is
elevate one or more of his attributes for a short period of time. He may
increase an Attribute by one for every point up to the number designated by his
biokinetic Force Value. It takes an entire minute of concentration to initiate
this ability, however it is unlike other kinetic abilities in that it may be
maintained without concentration for 1 round per day for every 10
points of Control Value. The amount of time your character wishes to maintain
may be designated before initiating this Attribute elevation or consciously
terminated by spending a round concentrating, and may be split up between
several uses of the ability.
A character with this ability is able to heal one
point of Sp/Bp on his person for every 10 points of his Control Value per hour
of meditation.
This ability also allows your character to attune his
body to that of another and actually take on the wounds sustained by that
person, leaving the other creature fully healed. Your character may absorb one
point of Sp/Bp per round from any animal or human for every point of Control
Value he possesses.
Finally, this ability allows your character to regenerate an amputated limb in 25 days minus one day for every point of Force Level he has in the ability.
Sonokinesis
This ability allows your character to pick up sounds
not only with his ears but with his whole body as well. It allows your
character to determine the distance and direction of any sound, or to pick up
sounds beyond his normal perceptual range (in the super and subsonic
frequencies) with a successful Task Roll.
This ability also allows your character to manipulate the intensity of any perceived sound in range, either dampening it or making it louder. He can also sustain a sound at a given loudness as long as he actively concentrates on doing so. Additionally, this ability allows your character to manipulate any perceived sound’s frequency and timbre, to change it into a different sound that he has heard before, with a successful Task Roll.
Finally, this ability allows your character to manipulate the intensity and frequency of a given sound to the point where it is just a loud noise that fluctuates between dissonant cacophonies and resonant piercing tones to disrupt the bonds within matter, thus decreasing the molecular bond integrity for the time the character concentrates upon it. The character may thus permanently change the molecular structure and matrices of the object even after concentration is terminated. The character may affect all objects living and nonliving mildly in the area within a radius determined by the character’s PERC range, or may be targeted on one target with rather severe effects. This invasive use of this ability does one point of damage for every point of Force Value your character possesses.
The Mentalic Abilities
Dreams
This ability allows your character to always sleep
restfully even when under the assault of another character. Your character can
control or alter his dreams as well as his nightmares. This ability also
provides insight into dreams as described to them by other people. Such
insights might well tell whether a dream is psychic or mundane in nature, and
what types of things are on a person’s mind to the point of a sort of dream
psychotherapy, to help other characters to lead more happy and productive
lives.
This ability can also used invasively by your
character to attempt to actually enter the dream of another and observe the
dream as either the cameraman or as if he were actually part of the dream
itself. Target characters view the invading character as he is in real life,
whether or not the target knows the invader personally. This type of action
requires a Task Roll to succeed.
Finally, your character can also use this ability to catalyze,
control, or alter any dream he is able to perceive, as well as create,
recreate, or destroy dreams of the past. Naturally, using this ability in such
a manner is invasive and requires a Task Roll to succeed, unless the target is
a willing participant.
Drives
Character drives include the primal motivations that
cause a character to seek out gratification of the most basic, fundamental
needs. Such drives include but are not limited to lust, hunger, sleep, and
thirst.
This ability allows your character to control his own
drives when unopposed, and to defend himself more effectively when another
tries to control them. It also allows your character to perceive the drives of
any living creature in the animal kingdom that are at the forefront of the
creature’s mind at that moment without requiring a Task Roll.
A Task Roll is required to use this ability invasively
to do such things as catalyze drives already on the verge of manifesting
themselves, as well as completely altering drives or replacing one drive for
another.
Emotions
This ability allows your character to have an affect
on the emotions of a creature. Emotions include attractions or aversions, awe,
fear, self-esteem, deep concern, and anxiety. This ability allows your
character to control his own emotions and resist active manipulation of his
emotions when an attempt to affect them is made by another. It also allows your
character to perceive the emotions of any living creature in the animal kingdom
that are at the forefront of the creature’s mind at that moment without
requiring a Task Roll.
A Task Roll is required to use this ability
invasively. Such uses of this abilityinclude any attempts to catalyze, control,
or alter the emotional state of a target creature’s mind to bring about changes
in the target’s emotional state.
Memories
This ability allows your character to catalyze or
retrieve memories and allows him to resist active manipulation of his memories
by another. It also allows your character to perceive the memories another is
experiencing.
When used invasively, this abilityallows your character
to implant, remove, or alter the memories of others. This can be especially
insidious, as the target may not notice such tampering until the memory being
manipulated is accessed. This ability can be used to interrupt a character's
train of thought. ("...What was I talking about?…")
Perceptions
This abilityallows your character to tap into the
current perceptions of others as well as resist others tapping into and
manipulating your character's perceptions. In order to perceive what the target
perceives, your character must possess the same perceptual abilities as the
target. Thus if the target has a mentalic ability and is reading the emotions of a creature,
in order to perceive exactly what the target is perceiving, your character must
also possess a similar ability to read the emotions of the creature in a
similar manner.
When used invasively, this abilityallows your character
to actually manipulate what the target perceives.
Thoughts
This ability allows your character to use his mentalic ability to
perceive the surface thoughts of others. It also allows your character to send
his thoughts to another target creature, so long as the character is a freely
willing recipient.
As with the any other mentalic ability, a Task Roll is
required to use this ability invasively. Such uses include any attempt by your
character to send thoughts to an unwilling target creature, to alter, implant
or eliminate the thoughts of a target creature, or probe more deeply into the
intimate thoughts of a creature (Including such things as secrets and
strategies).
The Correspondent Abilities
While these Abilities may seem to cause all sorts of
potential problems such as paradoxes, time is considered an entity where the
future of a single timeline cannot be changed. Since a Time point can have an
infinite number of Time lines going through it, it can be seen that what
actually happens is that the character merely changes directions at a given
Time point, effectively leaving one time line and entering another
simultaneously. Likewise, the Place ability follows the maxim that
matter cannot occupy the same space. Any attempt to teleport that
would result in teleporting into an object results in a failed teleport, and
losing a number of damage points equal to 100 points minus a number of points
equal to your character’s current Control Value.
Place
This ability allows your character to teleport. He can
teleport 10 meters for each point of his Force Value. A
successful ability roll allows your character to successfully
teleport. A failure on the Control Task Roll drains your character
of a number of damage points equal to the number of percentage points your
character fails his roll by, in addition to not allowing your character to
travel through time.
Time
This ability allows your character to travel through
time a number of rounds equal to his current Control Value. Your
character can remain in that time period for a number of hours equal to his
Force Value. A failure on the Control Task Roll drains your
character of a number of damage points equal to the number of percentage points
your character fails his roll by, in addition to not allowing your character to
travel through time.
Section 4:Using Psychic Abilities
Range and Perception
Psychic abilities require your character to perceive a
target in order to affect it. This is why your character’s initial Control
Value is strongly influenced by Perception. But your character’s Perception also
has an effect on the range over which many of the abilities can be used.
A restriction on all of the Kinetic Abilities (except
Biokinesis) as well as the Mentalic abilities is that they can only be used
when your character gains a clear line of sight with a target. A line
of sight cannot be gained if a target is outside of your character’s
visual range of acuity as determined by his Perception Attribute, or if your
character is unable to directly perceive the target in some other
manner.(Because Correspondent abilities affect reality directly, different
restrictions are placed on the ranges and durations of these abilities.)
Biokinetic abilities may only be used to affect your
own character or when your character is touching a target. In such cases where
your character is attempting to affect a target, you need to make a Perception
check in order to get in tune with the target’s body.
Psychic Combat
Whenever your character attempts to read or affect the
mental patterns of target possessing no mentalic abilities, the
target will be completely oblivious to the attack. If your character attempts
to read or affect the patterns of another character with mentalic
abilities, the target will know of the invasion automatically, and the attack
is considered an automatic failure until the two mentalically able characters
resolve the situation through mentalic combat.
In order to resolve mentalic combat, both characters
simply make opposing Task Rolls. The character that succeeds to a
larger degree is the winner, and remains the dominant combatant for a number of
rounds equal to the winning character’s Force Value.
Well, that is about it for psychic
combat. Good luck, and may your character’s head not explode…
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