Babylon 5 campaign: some questions

Gedrin · 03-17-2009, 02:50 PM

P-rating is actually the upper limit on the "power" portion of a Psi's ability. It should be purchased similiar to an Unusual Background (with the "unusualness" varying by race) that grants access to a higher max points in Teep "power". Characters with no P rating cannot buy Psi. Some people (First Ones, "Vorlon Touched" Psis), simply don't have this sort of a limit.

P-rating doesn't have any bearing on Teep Tallent, though it is often closely linked. A well trained and tallented P1 is a master with the slingshot. An untrained P10 is an incompetent with a cannon.

If I were modeling this using Powers, I would allow a character to spend up to half (since they should have some flexibility) of their MAX P-rating points on Psi, but bring that back in line with their starting point total using Uncontrollable and Unreliable. A new psi would be both Unreliable and Uncontrollable, representing the difference between power and skill.
Other abilities I would purchase using alternate abilities. However, I would require all alternate abilities would suffer from the same levels of Unreliable and Uncontrollable that remained on the base power.

In the B5-verse there seems to be a good bit of variance in the Psi of races, like the long range properties of some Centauri Psis (or maybe Psi pairings). It might be apropriate, if you're looking to be really fine grain, to exempt the Centauri from limits on range modifications when working with their pairing.

Also, you may wish to require a certain number of points in Mental Disads per P-rating for Human Psis. For most these will be things like Loyalty:Corps or various prejudices, but there's good evidence that says if someone's gonna be crazy, it's the Psi (or the guy the Psi was messing with). I'd double the number for Teeks. This is probably because the human psi pool hasn't had time to properly assimilate, and seems to have been somewhat a "rush project" for the Vorlon. Other races, with longer histories of psi don't seem to have as much of a problem this way.

03-17-2009, 02:50 PM	#18
Gedrin Join Date: Jul 2007	Re: Babylon 5 campaign: some questions P-rating is actually the upper limit on the "power" portion of a Psi's ability. It should be purchased similiar to an Unusual Background (with the "unusualness" varying by race) that grants access to a higher max points in Teep "power". Characters with no P rating cannot buy Psi. Some people (First Ones, "Vorlon Touched" Psis), simply don't have this sort of a limit. P-rating doesn't have any bearing on Teep Tallent, though it is often closely linked. A well trained and tallented P1 is a master with the slingshot. An untrained P10 is an incompetent with a cannon. If I were modeling this using Powers, I would allow a character to spend up to half (since they should have some flexibility) of their MAX P-rating points on Psi, but bring that back in line with their starting point total using Uncontrollable and Unreliable. A new psi would be both Unreliable and Uncontrollable, representing the difference between power and skill. Other abilities I would purchase using alternate abilities. However, I would require all alternate abilities would suffer from the same levels of Unreliable and Uncontrollable that remained on the base power. In the B5-verse there seems to be a good bit of variance in the Psi of races, like the long range properties of some Centauri Psis (or maybe Psi pairings). It might be apropriate, if you're looking to be really fine grain, to exempt the Centauri from limits on range modifications when working with their pairing. Also, you may wish to require a certain number of points in Mental Disads per P-rating for Human Psis. For most these will be things like Loyalty:Corps or various prejudices, but there's good evidence that says if someone's gonna be crazy, it's the Psi (or the guy the Psi was messing with). I'd double the number for Teeks. This is probably because the human psi pool hasn't had time to properly assimilate, and seems to have been somewhat a "rush project" for the Vorlon. Other races, with longer histories of psi don't seem to have as much of a problem this way.