The System
Historically, powers of the mind encompass a whole gamut of supernatural abilities, from mind control to telekinesis to teleportation. The SAMETM specifically limits itself to those abilities that enable a character to perceive and interact with the mental functions of another living creature. Throughout the SAMETM, these abilities are referred to as mentalic Powers and characters possessing one or more mentalic Powers are referred to as mentalists.
In the SAMETM, mentalics are not considered a magical phenomenon, but are a real, scientific phenomenon based on neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, and quantum entanglement. Every human brain possesses a three-dimensional structure of interwoven and interconnected nerve cells, or neurons, numbering in the billions that form a neural net. Each and every function of what humans refer to as “the mind” such as memory, thought, or perception, is created and defined by an electrical impulse that follows a unique path of neurons running through this immensely tangled net. Each of these paths is referred to as a neural trace.
A mentalist has the ability to perceive the electrical functioning of the entire neural net of an individual “target” in three-dimensional space by way of physical receptors. The mentalist’s brain then creates a mentalic image of the detected neural net for itself and maps the various functions in the image to its own. This process, referred to as establishing a sync, once completed, enables the mentalist to interpret the detected neural net and interact with those types of traces described in the Power description.
Default Rule: Species Specific Syncing
Neural traces are created and destroyed throughout life as an organism grows, learns, or sustains neural damage. Those traces defined between the time of an organism’s conception and its birth are selected for in a species’ distant past via natural selection and conserved (remain very similar in shape and function) over time among all the members of a species.
The result of this common ancestry is that mentalic abilities only work consistently if the mentalist shares a neural net similar enough to that of the target. Syncing becomes more difficult and inconsistent as a target neural net deviates from a mentalist’s species. To reflect this fact, the Director may choose to either make the Challenge to sync more difficult or simply rule two species are just too different to mentalically sync with one another.
Default Rule: Perception
All mentalists have a Sixth Sense that enables them to distinguish individual neural nets from one another within their own species and differentiate between those of their own species and those of another species as easily as if using any of the other five senses. A mentalist may detect neural nets within the range of the mentalist as defined by Perception abilities in the Host System.
Default Rule: Synchronization
Once a neural net has been perceived, the mentalist’s mind instantly builds a mentalic image of it, and the mentalist may attempt to establish a sync with it to interpret its activity. Establishing a sync is an Involved Action.
It only takes a few milliseconds to establish a sync, however the amount of concentration required to do so depends on the level of stress being experienced by the mentalist. If not under stressful constraints such as a time limit or immediately perceived physical threat, a mentalist can establish a sync easily. If under such constraints, accurate interpretation becomes more difficult and will require the resolution of A Challenge.
Once a sync has been established, it persists as long as the target remains within range of the mentalist’s Perception, both the mentalist and target remain conscious, and the mentalist does not assert a Power.
Default Rule: Assertion
Any Power that can be used to directly alter the functioning of a target’s neural net, or be asserted, is referred to as an Assertive Power. Powers can only be asserted after the establishment of a sync. Once a Power has been successfully asserted, the sync that was established between the mentalist and the target is instantly disrupted and replaced by the assertion.
The effects of an Assertive Power only last as long as the mentalists concentrates on maintaining the effect. When a mentalist terminates an assertion, the target’s mental status instantly returns to normal. By default, regardless of whether a mentalist or not, a target is unable to detect any assertions after they have taken place.
Mentalic Power Parameters
Following are descriptions of the mentalic Powers available to characters in games using The SAMETM. Each description has five parameters: Name (Qualifier), Initiation, Cost, Grading, and Modes.
Name (Qualifier)
The Name of each Power is listed with a Qualifier of the Power in parentheses. A Power that enables the mentalist to affect the mental functioning of a target in some way is qualified as being Assertive. A Power that is used to make another Power the mentalist already possesses easier to use is qualified as an Optimization. If a power is an Optimization, the player must designate which specific Power and Mode it affects.
Initiation
Some Powers require a mentalist character to concentrate to use them while others are natural abilities that are always in effect. The Initiation parameter lists and classifies each Power as either an Activated or a Constant Power. Activated Powers require the character to take an Involved Action to activate or maintain an effect, whereas Constant Powers do not. The Initiation parameter does not determine whether or not a Power requires a Challenge or a Contest to resolve, merely whether or not the character must make a conscious effort to use it.
Cost
The Cost parameter designates the number of SAMETM points a player must spend to either obtain a Power for their character or upgrade a Power their character already possesses. Powers range in Cost from 1 to 5, with a Cost of 1 reflecting less disruptive Powers and a Cost of 5 reflecting Powers able to cause permanent effects, damage, or even the death of a target creature.
Grading
The Grading parameter determines whether or not a Power always has the same level of effect or possesses varying levels of effect.
Powers that always have the same level of effect and cannot be improved are designated as Ungraded Powers. Ungraded Powers have a “No” listed for this parameter and are assigned a permanent Grade of 0 when purchased for a character.
Powers that can have varying levels of effect are designated as Graded Powers. Graded Powers will have a “Yes” listed for this parameter and are assigned a Grade of 1 when first purchased for a character. After character creation, Graded aspects may be improved, or upgraded, to a maximum Grade of 10 by spending a number of SAMETM points equal to the Cost of the Power. Each upgrade increases the Grade a Power by one.
The effects of each Grade are highly dependent on the Host System being used, but in general, each grade increases the chance any effort is successful by a level of degree.
In Host Systems based on a single die roll, the grade can be used to favorably modify the die roll by a set amount, reflecting somewhere between 5 and 10 percent chance of success per grade as follows:
#Sides Modifier to Die Roll
6, 8, 10 1 per 2 grades
12, 20 1 per grade
30 2 per grade
100 5 per grade
In Host Systems with fewer degrees of effect such those based on a shift in a die-type, a number of successes, or a result roll of multiple-dice, these grades may be reflected in the Host System as follows:
Grade Level of Degree
1-2 +1 success or shift
3-5 +2 successes or shifts
6-9 +3 successes or shifts
7-10 +4 successes or shifts
Modes
Some Powers present a number specific options available when choosing a Power. When a player spends SAMETM points to either obtain or upgrade a Power, one of the specific Modes listed for this Parameter must be chosen, unless N/A (Not Applicable) is listed for this Parameter.
Mentalic Power Descriptions
Automate (Optimization)
Initiation: Activated
Cost: 2
Grading: Graded
Modes: Specified Power
This Power enables the mentalist to maintain an established assertion without having to concentrate on doing so. Once an assertion has been automated, it requires no further concentration to maintain and its effect at the time of the automation remain constant.
An automated sync lasts for up to one minute per Grade and may be discontinued before it expires at will by the mentalist as a Throwaway action.
Ghost (Assertive)
Initiation: Activated
Cost: 2
Grading: Graded
Modes: N/A
This Power enables the mentalist to hide, or ghost, his own neural net from perception by other mentalists by shifting the polarity of its quantum signature out of phase with those within his range of Perception. Using this Power requires A Challenge pitting the Mental Strength and Power Grade of the ghosting mentalist against the Perception of any mentalists attempting to perceive him.
Glint
Initiation: Constant
Cost: 1
Grading: Graded
Modes: Specified Power
This Power extends the mentalist’s Sixth Sense to include being able to discern any detail answerable with either a yes or no about a detected neural net without requiring a challenge or action. Additionally, upon achieving a sync with a target, the mentalist may also obtain a specific detail about either a perceived mentalic image or a Power being asserted within his range of Perception.
Mentalic Surgery (Assertive)
Initiation: Activated
Cost: 5
Grading: Graded
Modes: Awaken, Repair
This assertive power enables the mentalist to perform delicate operations of the type specified by the Mode on the neural net of a patient. Due to the delicacy required to assert this Power, a patient must be unconscious for this Power to be asserted.
Using this Power requires A Challenge involving the mentalist’s Perception and the Power Grade. Regardless of the outcome, the suppression of the patient’s mental activity required to carry out this procedure reduces the patient to a point just short of death per the rules of the Host System. The result of the procedure will not be known until the patient has healed per the rules of the Host System.
The awaken mode of this Power can be used to help a patient meet their psychic potential. A successful assertion of this Power awards the player of the patient one SAMETM point.
The repair mode of this Power enables a character to reverse or counteract any number of mentalic or psychological ailments, so long as the portion of the patient’s neural net responsible for the ailment still functions and has not been physically destroyed or removed. Examples of repairs include identifying and reversing a blazed trace, curing any mental disorder organic in nature, or removing post hypnotic suggestions.
Read Trace
Initiation: Activated
Cost: 2
Grading: Graded
Modes: Dreams, Drives, Emotions, Memories, Movements, Perceptions, Thoughts
This Power enables the mentalist to perceive and interpret any and all active traces of the type specified by the mode once a sync has been established in a target. While the sync is active, the target and mentalist are linked in live time on a quantum level. This enables the mentalist to physically react to any trace he reads at the same moment as the target in live time.
Resist
Initiation: Constant
Cost: 2
Grading: Graded
Modes: N/A
This Power reflects an innate ability of the mentalist’s mind to resist any Powers asserted against it. Any attempt to assert a mentalic Power against the mentalist requires the resolution of A Challenge pitting the asserter against the mentalist. Both will pit their Mental Strength and Power Grade against one another to determine the outcome of the Challenge.
Success by the defender renders the mentalist immune to further assertions from that asserter for one minute per Grade of this Power. Failure by the defender indicates the mentalist has not only failed to defend against the asserter but has been rendered unable to defend against further assertions for one minute per Grade of the Power of the asserter.
Spike Trace (Assertive)
Initiation: Activated
Cost: 3
Grading: Graded
Modes: Dreams, Drives, Emotions, Memories, Movements, Perceptions, Thoughts
This Power enables the mentalist to not only perceive and interpret in a target any and all active traces of the type specified by the mode, but also to generate, or “spike” a trace of the specified type and maintain it. To successfully assert this Power, the mentalist must win A Challenge against the target. The asserting mentalist will pit his Mental Strength and the Grade of this Power against the Mental Strength of the defender.
When spiking the trace, the player of the mentalist must specifically state the trace being projected as a sentence in terms that reflect the trace from the target’s point of view, e. g. “The guard is thinking, ‘I remember this guy now. He is allowed in here...I must have forgotten’”, or “The gunslinger is filled with fear with the underlying feeling of, ‘Man, that woman is badass...I better get outta here!’”.
Streamline (Optimization)
Initiation: Constant
Cost: 2
Grading: Ungraded
Modes: Specified Power
This Power makes actions involving one Power specified by the player easier to perform. Any Involved Action (sync, or assertion) related to the use of the specified Power no longer requires the mentalist’s full concentration to perform. In effect, these “streamlined” actions are considered Standard Actions rather than Involved actions.
Traceblaze (Assertive)
Initiation: Activated
Cost: 4
Grading: Graded
Modes: Dreams, Drives, Emotions, Memories, Movements, Perceptions, Thoughts
This Power enables a mentalist to forcefully implant, or blaze, a permanent neural trace into a target’s mind of the sort determined by the mode. To successfully assert this Power, the mentalist must win A Challenge against the target. The asserting mentalist will pit his Mental Strength and the Grade of this Power against the Mental Strength of the defender.
Once a trace has been implanted, it becomes the driving force for everything in the target’s life, guiding any and all decisions made and actions taken. A blazed trace does not alter the behavior of the target nor become any sort of pathological obsession, nor does it affect the target’s mental functioning or behavior in any other way.
Due to the massive neurophysiological changes created this new trace, the target suffers a massive incapacitating headache that lasts one hour for each Grade of the asserting mentalist’s Power. During this time, the target suffers from other side effects such as bleeding from various orifices or membranes, photophobia, nausea and vomiting, or vertigo and is unable to anything other than sleep. This state is referred to as victims as Being Burned.
Only one blazed trace can exist in a target at one time. A blazed trace disrupts any previously blazed trace and a blazed trace can be only identified and removed by succeeding in using the Mentalic Surgery Power.
Transference (Assertive)
Initiation: Activated
Cost: 5
Grading: Graded
Modes: N/A
This assertive power enables the mentalist to temporarily imprint his complete mentalic image mind onto that of a target. To successfully assert this Power, the mentalist must win A Challenge against the target. The asserting mentalist will pit his Mental Strength and the Grade of this Power against the Mental Strength of the defender.
While a transfer is active, the asserting mentalist's body lies motionless and unaware of its surroundings. A target creature experiences a time loss but no other effects from the transfer when the asserting consciousness “leaves”. Targets may attempt to remember what happened while not in control of their body with the help of someone skilled in hypnosis or possessing appropriate mentalic powers as judged by the Director.
The asserting mentalist brings with him his own consciousness, including his personality, habits, intelligence, and knowledge. Asserting characters may use any obvious physical abilities of the target at the target’s level of ability, and use any other Powers they have in common with the target at the higher level of ability.
If either the target's body or asserting mentalist's body dies during a transfer, A Challenge is required to take control of the remaining body, pitting the Grade and Mental Strength of the asserting mentalist against the Mental Strength of the target. The mentalic pattern of the loser of the contest is permanently annihilated.
