[Mgellis]

My understanding is that you do this...

1) Buy the power you want (e.g., Telesend)

2) Buy whatever enhancements and limitations are appropriate for the variation of the power you want

3) Include an appropriate power modifier (e.g., Telepathy, -10%)

4) Buy the appropriate skill (IQ/H). This represents your fine control of your ability.

5) Once you have a skill, the appropriate Talent will modify it (like Magery for spells) and you can purchase special techniques, which default against it.

The good part of all this is that there are rules for fine-tuning psionic abilities. The bad part is that it is a bit more complicated, and you really need to have Psionic Powers as this lists the various skills, techniques, etc.

To avoid this, I imagine that one could simply design different powers that do not use skills. It looks like the default for the main powers (chi, psionic, super, ets.) will be that they use skills. But little-known variant powers might not need them. For example, there is no reason why a world could not have Mind powers along with Psionic powers. Mind powers can be disrupted with countermeasures, etc., so they have a -10% modifier, like psionic, but they do not use skills. This means one can only rely on the raw power of the mind (IQ, Will, etc.). One can use a Talent to improve the overall control, but without skills, there is no fine-tweaking of the abilities, no techniques, etc.

Or, use "Wild" advantages, which do not have power modifiers, etc. However, a wild advantage will have no talents, no skills, no special techniques, etc. It operates "as is" from the Basic Set. Everything would be rolled against IQ, DX, Will, Innate Attack, etc. This would be the case with creatures who have innate abilities like dragons.

Anyway, that's my take on it. I hope this helps.

Mark