[Psionic Powers] Low level psis: 25 points or less of Psi abilities

[PK]

I hope you'll forgive my self-promotion here, but this topic is exactly the reason I spent half of GURPS Psis on premade power packages starting as low as 25 points. Of the 100+ psi packages in that book, 51 of them cost exactly 25 points.

I was very aware of people saying, "Psi in Fourth Edition seems expensive! If I only have 25 points to sink into psi, am I just useless?" I wanted to show that psi can be a powerful tool at all power levels, especially when you're able to take advantage of the synergy between certain abilities.

So if you're looking for potent, low-level psi, I definitely suggest checking that book out if you haven't already. I think you'll find it rather useful.

(It's worth noting that Pyramid #3/29: Psionics added five more 25-point packages as well.)

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by PK

I hope you'll forgive my self-promotion here, but this topic is exactly the reason I spent half of GURPS Psis on premade power packages starting as low as 25 points. Of the 100+ psi packages in that book, 51 of them cost exactly 25 points.

That's OK, I was going to edit a mention of it into the OP, since I already needed to edit it to add a link (to the Ordinary People thread).

I encourage the use of those packages, as-is or modified, in making characters to post in this thread. Admittedly, they do have one constraint that I don't require (the skills are part of the 25-point limit in those packages), but that's not a problem, as they fit by definition. The Ghost Sight package on p24, for example, is one of the possibilities I've been considering for a 13th Century 'Village Cunning-Man' (who will probably have a level or two of the Cunning Folk talent from Power Ups 3). There's a few ways to do psychic cunning-folk/tribal shamans/et cetra, and most of them don't require much power. Astral Perception (p21) and Visual Hunter (p22) also work quite well, as do Chess Master and Situational Manipulator (p25), if you give it some thought (and perhaps add appropriate limitations, so it 'looks like magic').

[aesir23]

Name: Margaret "Molly" Xiao
Race: Human

Attributes [20]
ST 8 [-20]
DX 10
IQ 12 [40]
HT 10

HP 8
Will 12
Per 12
FP 10

Basic Lift 13
Damage 1d-3/1d-2

Basic Speed 5
Basic Move 5

Ground Move 5
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 8 [0]
Cultural Familiarities:
Languages:

Advantages [63]
Appearance (Beautiful) [12]
ESP Talent (1) [5]
Gifted Artist (4) [20]
Independent Income (1) [1]
Precognition (Dreaming Visions) (Dreaming; ESP; Passive Only) [5]
Psychic Hunches (Psi) (1) [14]
Reputation ("Internet Famous" Cosplayer/Steampunk Model) (2) (10 or less; Small class) [1]
Versatile [5]

Perks [6]
Classic Features (Alternative Girl) [1]
Dabbler (Connoisseur (Literature) def+2, History (19th Century) def+2, Literature def+2, Writing def+2) [1]
Photogenic [1]
Self-Employed (Can set her own hours) [1]
Sexy Pose [1]
Style Familiarity (Sport Fencing - Saber) [1]

Disadvantages [-35]
Compulsive Carousing (12 or less) [-5]
Curious (12 or less) [-5]
Enemy (Deranged fan/Stalker) (Less powerful than the PC) (Watcher; Unknown) [-2]
Manic-Depressive (Mitigated by Medication) (Mitigator: daily treatment) [-8]
Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]
Wealth (Struggling) [-10]

Quirks [-5]
Distinctive Feature (Brightly colored hair, Steam Punk Clothing, Tattoos.) [-1]
Dresses in unique and over-the-top "Steampunk" clothing [-1]
Imaginative [-1]
Likes to smoke Cigars [-1]
Occasional recreational drug user (Marijuana and MDMA, mostly.) [-1]

Packages [0]
Sport Fencing - Saber (Martial Arts) [0]

Skills [51]
Artist (Clothing Design) IQ/H - IQ+4 16 [4]
includes: +4 from 'Gifted Artist'
Artist (Drawing) IQ/H - IQ+2 14 [1]
includes: +4 from 'Gifted Artist'
Artist (Sculpting) IQ/H - IQ+2 14 [1]
includes: +4 from 'Gifted Artist'
Carousing HT/E - HT+1 11 [2]
Computer Operation/TL8 IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Connoisseur (Visual Arts) IQ/A - IQ+0 12 [2]
Dancing DX/A - DX+0 10 [2]
Feint (Saber Sport) Tech/H - 14 [3]
Games (Saber Fencing) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Hobby Skill (Comic Books) IQ/E - IQ+1 13 [2]
Hobby Skill (Science Fiction) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Jeweler/TL8 IQ/H - IQ+2 14 [1]
includes: +4 from 'Gifted Artist'
Leatherworking DX/E - DX+4 14 [1]
includes: +4 from 'Gifted Artist'
Machinist/TL8 IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Musical Instrument (Viola) IQ/H - IQ-1 11 [2]
Photography/TL8 IQ/A - IQ+4 16 [2]
includes: +4 from 'Gifted Artist'
Professional Skill (Model) DX/A - DX+0 10 [2]
Psychic Hunches IQ/H - IQ+0 12 [2]
includes: +1 from 'ESP Talent'
Saber Sport DX/A - DX+2 12 [8]
Sewing/TL8 DX/E - DX+6 16 [4]
includes: +4 from 'Gifted Artist'
Sex Appeal (Human) HT/A - HT+4 14 [2]
includes: +4 from 'Appearance'
Smith/TL8 (Copper) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Smith/TL8 (Iron) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Streetwise IQ/A - IQ+0 12 [2]
Vision IQ/H - IQ+0 12 [2]
includes: +1 from 'ESP Talent'

Stats [20] Ads [63] Disads [-35] Quirks [-5] Skills [51] = Total [100]

[Prince Charon]

Here's the first of the Cunning Folk I've been creating for this thread. I wonder if I'm in the process of creating yet another setting, and whether this one will end up publishable?

I should note that the reason I've listed character-specific Complementary Skills (I'm rather fond of the houserule from this thread) as Features rather than Perks, is that they seem like a much smaller change than what attribute a skill is based on. Also, I've been assuming that Meditation and Autohypnosis are Complementary Skills of any Psi skill, unless the GM says 'no, it doesn't work that way in this setting'.


Marozia the Midwife, second year of the reign of King Ratchis (745 CE)

Age: 34

Attributes

ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0]

Secondary Characteristics

HP 10; Will 12; Per 12; FP 12 [10]

Social Background

Languages: Langobardic (Native/None) [-3]; Langobardian Vulgar Latin (Accented/None) [2]; Medieval Latin (Broken/None) [1]

TL: 3 (Early)

Cultural Familiarity: Early Medieval Langobardia


Advantages

Aura Reading 2 [7]
Devotion Talent 2 [10]
Cure Disease 1 [6]
Psychic Healing Talent 1 [5]
Reputation (Healer; Own village, All the time.) +1 [3]
Resistant to Disease +3 [3]

Perks

Honest Face. [1]
Pharmaceutical Probe. [1]


Disadvantages

Code of Honor (Midwife's) [-5]
Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents)[-10]
Sense of Duty (Village) [-10]
Social Stigma (Valueable Property) [-10]
Wealth (Struggling) [-10]

Quirks

Nosy. [-1]
Pius. [-1]
Predicts dire concequences if people ignore her advice. [-1]
Sings (not very well) while doing housework. [-1]
Weak right leg, where a wolf bit her as a child. [-1]


Features

Exorcism is a Complementary Skill of Cure. [0]
Religious Ritual is a Complementary Skill of Aura Reading. [0]


Skills

Animal Handling (Equines) [IQ/A] [2] 12
Animal Handling (Dogs) [IQ/A] [1] 11
Aura Reading [IQ/H] [2] 12*
Cure [IQ/H] [4] 13*
Current Affairs (Village Gossip)/TL3 [IQ/E] [2] 13
Diagnosis/TL3 [IQ/H] [8] 13
Exorcism [Will/H] [2] 13**
Fast-Talk [IQ/A] [4] 13
First Aid/TL3 [IQ/E] [2] 13
Housekeeping [IQ/E] [2] 13
Meditation [Will/H] [1] 12**
Naturalist [IQ/H] [4] 12
Pharmacy (Herbal)/TL3 [IQ/H] [8] 13
Poisons/TL3 [IQ/H] [1] 10
Professional Skill (Midwife) [IQ/A] [2] 12
Religious Ritual (Nicene Christianity) [IQ/H] [2] 13**
Theology (Nicene Christianity) [IQ/H] [2] 11
Veterinary/TL3 [IQ/H] [4] 12
Weather Sense/TL3 [IQ/A] [2] 12


Equipment

Bag of herbs
Cross (Wooden)
Knife

Notes

* Includes +1 from Psychic Healing Talent.
** Includes +2 from Devotion Talent.

It should be noted that First Aid, Pharmacy (Herbal), & Veterinary are Complementary skills of Cure (and vice-versa). These are not listed as features, because they aren't special to this character - a patient getting (competant) mundane medical care would naturally be easier to cure, than one who is only getting psychic care.

The wife of Alboin, the village priest (it's few centuries before Gregory VII starts cracking down on priestly marriages), Marozia also holds the vital positions of Midwife and Wise Woman in her small Northern Italian village.

Her Resistance is biological, rather than psionic, and is probably not all that rare among women at this TL who live to be 34.

The use of 'Nicene Christianity' rather than 'Roman Catholicism' is because this early on, Roman Catholicism as we know it hasn't quite evolved, yet. The Schism with the Greek Orthodox Church won't happen for centuries yet, though the seeds have been planted, the method of choosing a Pope is rather different (this is late in the Byzantine Papacy era), et cetra.

For those wondering about the languages, 'Italian' as we know it did not exist yet, being instead several dialects of Vulgar Latin, of which Marozia speaks the version common in Langobardia (Lombardy). She also knows a little Medieval (Church) Latin from her husband, but the vernacular of their village is the Lombard tongue.

Marozia is based on the Midwife template, GURPS Historical Folks p72 (and the 4e converson hosted at RPK's MyGURPS.com, p29) the Physician template on p87 (& p36), and Treat Disease, GURPS Psis p26. One small change I've made is to switch Physician (Childbirth) for Professional Skill (Midwife), because per the Rules As Written, Physician doesn't exist until TL4.

In a semi-realistic 'Historical with Psi' game, Marozia would be a very useful Ally or Contact - infection and disease kill a lot more people than battle-wounds do directly.

EDIT: Forgot to total up her points-spent. Might do that later.


I may have made one or more historical errors, but she fits the research I did.

Thoughts?

[Prince Charon]

Here's another in the Historical-with-Psi Cunning Folk series, this time far less experienced:

Young Ned, 1546 CE

Age: 11

Attributes

ST 8 [-20]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 10 [0]

Secondary Characteristics

SM -1; HP 8; Will 12 [5]; Per 11; FP 10

Social Background

Languages: English (Native/None) [-3]

TL: 4

Cultural Familiarity: Renaissance Western Europe

Subtotal: -3


Advantages

Cunning Folk Talent 1 [10]
Reputation (Lucky to have around, residents of his village) +1 [3]
Weather Control 1 [22]

Perks

Dabbler (Studies: Animal Handling (Equines) 9, Fortune-Telling (Oneiromancy) 10, Poisons/TL4 7, Veterinary/TL4 7)* [1]
Dowsing [1]
Gestalt Familiarity [1]
Good Neighbor [1]

Subtotal: 39


Disadvantages

Impulsive (15) [-5]
Social Stima (Minor) [-5]
Status -1 [-5]
Wealth (Poor) [-15]

Quirks

Daydreams about having adventures. [-1]
Has started getting funny feelings around some of the girls in the village. [-1]
Likes dogs. [-1]

Subtotal: -33


Feature: Occultism is a Complementary Skill of Weather Control. [0]


Skills

Animal Handling (Dogs) [IQ/A] [1] 11*
Area Knowledge (Village & Environs) [IQ/E] [1] 11
Brawling [DX/E] [2] 11
Dreaming [Will/H] [1] 10
Fishing [Per/E] [1] 11
Herb Lore/TL4 [IQ/VH] [1] 9*
Hiking [Per/A] [1] 10
Naturalist [IQ/H] [1] 10*
Occultism [IQ/A] [2] 12*
Professional Skill (Butcher) [IQ/A] [1] 10
Survival (Woodlands) [Per/A] [1] 10
Weather Control [IQ/H] [2] 10
Weather Sense/TL3 [IQ/A] [1] 11*

Subtotal: 16

Total: 19


Equipment

Notes

* Includes +1 from Cunning Folk Talent.

Young Ned is an apprentice Cunning Man (Cunning Lad?), and the son of Praisegod the Butcher. Perhaps more importantly, his mother - Praisegod's wife, Anges - is the local Cunning Woman and midwife, herself the daughter of Old Ned, the local Cunning Man.

Praisegod doesn't have much in the way of psi powers, just a couple Perks that attracted Agnes's attention, but Agnes and Old Ned are fairly powerful. Agnes has Weather Control 2, but the second level is limited enough to reduce the cost to around 14 points, and has levels in Adjustment, Coincidence, and Second Chance as Alternative Abilities. Old Ned is similarly empowered, but his limitations apply to the third level of Weather Control, rather than the second, and a few of the other villagers his age claim that he can call down the lightning on his foes - most of the rest of the village think the old folks are full of it, though.

In the context of this character, the most important distinction between Herb Lore and Pharmacy (Herbal) of the same TL is knowledge of psychobotanics, as described in the Old Time Psi text-box in GURPS Psionic Campaigns, p5. This version of the skill provides nothing magical, but does allow for mundane medical care in the same manner as Pharmacy (Herbal).

Ned is based on the Apprentice template, GURPS Historical Folks p13 (and the 4e converson hosted at RPK's MyGURPS.com, p5).


Thoughts?

[smurf]

Sorry isn't there a rule about half of pts can only be put into disads?

ST9
DX10
IQ11
HT10

10pts

PK Talent 1 = 5pts
TK level 4 (cannot punch -20%) 16pts

can more 1lb weight around up to 10lb (iirc)

31pts


Disads
Overconfident -5
Skinny -5

21 pts

-5 quirks

16pts

9 pts in skills

[PK]

Originally Posted by smurf

Sorry isn't there a rule about half of pts can only be put into disads?

Nope. The GM has the right to set a disadvantage limit, and we suggest "half of starting points" as a reasonable such limit, but that's an option on top of an option. GURPS never assumes that a disadvantage limit is in play and many GMs (including yours truly) run games without one.