[Conversion] [Psionics] [Horror] The impato epidemic

[vicky_molokh]

Greetings, all!

Having recently dug up a certain SF story from my childhood, I decided that it would be interesting to make a conversion, just to share it. This epidemic can probably be used in various SF campaigns with a horror element, especially dystopian ones. Frankly, I generally dislike/am tired of settings where psionicists are hunted, but this one seems good. The spelling is deliberate - it is a reverse transliteration of the way Pokrovskiy [mis]spells the word empath/empatho ('импат'/'импато').

The origin of the epidemic is an experiment gone wrong, an attempt to stimulate the human brain with minor doses of a certain [superscience] exotic form of radiation. This resulted in a contagious change, which resulted in increased mental abilities, but also mental disorders and even physical deformities.

Contagion is primarily sense-based: touching and stable eye contact are the most common ways of becoming an empath; at higher stages, being close is enough. Only humans (or, more properly, only IQ6+ entities) can be affected by the contagion.

When contagion occurs, the GM rolls 1d. On a 1, the victim becomes a Stage 0 impat, and doesn't progress further without additional exposure to stage 1+ impats. On 2-5, a Stage 0 contagion occurs, but with an onset delay - it takes 1d squared weeks for symptoms to show fully, and half that for the first symptoms and powers to manifest. On a 6, Stage 1 occurs immediately or nearly so.
Stage 0 and Stage 1 impats that are exposed to a source of contagion from a Stage 3 impat must roll again, and advance to a higher stage/faster progression if the roll indicates so. This reroll only occurs once per each Stage 3 impat encountered.

0
Powers: a couple Psi Perks (Telepathy, ESP and TK are the typical ones).
Symptoms: a couple random Mental Quirks, typically related to minor mood swings or an unexplained constant feeling of happiness or optimism.

Contagion: Not contagious.

Progression: none without repeat exposure.

I
Powers: perks, plus things like Danger Sense, Intuition, Empathy
Symptoms: Euphoria, Depression, Amnesia (Partial/Selective), Terminally Ill (2 years tops)

Contagion:
Touch -3;
Eye Contact at +0;
Victim seen by impat without a veil at +3;
In veil - immunity.

Progression: once the stage gains full effect (the 1d^2 weeks mentioned above), roll HT (max 13); on a failure, progress to stage II; on a critical success, do not progress further, and the victim might become normal again instead of dying (being kept in a special hospital helps, but there is no guaranteed cure - all's in GM's hands) very slowly and gradually.

II
Powers: add Flight, and some of Precognition, Oracle, Telesend, ETS, Compartmentalized Mind, TK.
Symptoms: Occasional Depression; Reduced Appearance (Roll HT to delay onset by 1 week; repeatable) typically mistakeable for aging, Absent-Minded, Terminally Ill (half-year tops).

Contagion:
Touch -6;
Eye Contact -3;
No Veil +0;
In Veil +6.
Metal Helmet and a veil with metal lining or visor - immune.

Progression: after 1d-1 months and 1d/2 weeks, roll HT three times; two Critical Successes in a row mean the progression stops; three in a row mean it is slowly reversed.

III
Advantages: Illusion (Mental), Elastic Skin (Glamour, telepathic), ATR (Mental Only, noncombat speed), Innate Attack (Burning Malediction, affect sentients only).
Symptoms: Reduced Appearance, Distinctive Features (various peculiar deformities), Terminally Ill (2-14 days)

Contagion:
Touch -9;
Eye Contact -6;
No veil -3;
In veil +0;
Metal Helmet and a veil with metal lining or visor +3.

Progression: after 2d days, proceed to next stage.

Trans-III / pre-'cramp'
Powers: old powers get a temporary boost.
Symptoms: Terminally Ill (1d squared + 1d minutes).
Contagion:
All at -9, except a full helmet and visor (+0).
Progression: after the time's up, the impat falls down in a fit ('cramp'), and everybody within visual range not behind a wall must roll for contagion one final time at HT+0, even if in a helmet.