Question About Using Different Types of Paranormal Powers

[Tiger]

I am looking at Beyond the Black Rainbow as well as some of the more exotic psychic claims of the past two centuries and developing some setting ideas. But I had a question:

How would Psionic Powers mix with some of the 'Trained By Master' abilities? They're sort of similar in some ways, but I also like the idea that people can train up their psychic abilities through intensive special exercises, education and natural mental advantages. Then there are people who have straight up Psionic powers and there is a skill associated with using them.

The idea is that the non-Psi users of paranormal abilities are more restricted by the special techniques (transcendental meditation, hypnotism) whereas pure psis are more like X-Men and can even be insanely powerful but unskilled or highly talented technically but rather weak.

But it may be simpler to just block out power types and levels depending on whether you get Psi talent. I am just brainstorming, but this consideration has come up before in Supers games so I wanted to see if there was a consensus on mixing them. I noticed in particular that the power blow techniques are very powerful combined with a high strength, but allowing Super Effort is basically the same thing.

[lugaid]

My instinct is that TbaM Cinematic skills are TbaM Cinematic skills and Psionic Powers are Psionic Powers. Unless you buy your TbaM advantage with the Psionic limitation (and the GM might require this, perhaps, and even maybe define Chi and Psionics as being identical in their setting—leading to a situation where Anti-psi powers could dampen the ability to use Chambara options), the things attached to it are not affected by/not the same as Psionics. Me, I probably wouldn't do that.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Tiger

How would Psionic Powers mix with some of the 'Trained By Master' abilities? They're sort of similar in some ways, but I also like the idea that people can train up their psychic abilities through intensive special exercises, education and natural mental advantages. Then there are people who have straight up Psionic powers and there is a skill associated with using them.

when you say "Trained By Master abilities", I'm guessing you mean skills that have it as a prerequisite?


You should be able to combine them in a game. You can even say that they use the same power source. They'll just act very differently, and I don't think that out of the box you can use one to strengthen or counter the other effectively.