2000AD New Academy of Law advanced programs for Psi Judges - feedback welcome

[Andrew Dixon]

A couple of my players have expressed interest in playing a PSI judge, but when reading the options available have come to the conclusion that PSI feels a bit underpowered when compared to other Judge careers. So I have decided to take a look at adding some new PSI careers for Judge characters and increasing the number of options and eventually re-jigging the PSI exploits

Looking at the 2000AD wiki and PSI judges it would appear that we have a Dept of Magic, that later gets subsumed by the Future Crimes Dept - but that sounds cool and a number of PSI judges that display pyrokinesis powers [which makes me think there will be other types of kinesis [hydro, electro etc] so that could be interesting to play as well

So I give you 2 new Academy of Law Advanced programs for PSI Cadets to take after basic Psionics along with a slight spreading of psionic skills into 2 groups
PSI SKILLS
[psionics] examples: biopsionics, clairsentience, clairvoyance, metapsionics, telepathy, teleportation
[kinesis] examples: cryokinesis, hydrokinesis, pyrokinesis, electrokinesis, telekinesis,


Kineticist Psi Cadet [1year]
You are skilled in the creation, manipulation, and destruction of matter. Kineticists will often specialise in gaining complete mastery of one element. They dedicate themselves to honing mind, body and will to a razors edge
Prerequisites: Basic Psionics, PSI 1+
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, WIL +1, PSI +1
Skill Choices: [kinesis], law, concentration, [physical]
Exploits:
Sleep Is For The Weak. Your skill at meditation allows you to block out external distractions, you only need 4 hours sleep to be fully rested.
Harm Me Not. The connection to your kinesis element affords you protection from its damage. Gain +5 SOAK against attacks that contain the element of your kinesis skill. This exploit can be taken for every element kinesis skill you have.

Dept. of Magic Cadet [1 year]
Prerequisites: Basic Psionics, PSI 1+
Attributes: INT +1, WIL +1, CHA +1, PSI +1
Skill Choices: law, magic languages, occult, rituals
Exploits
Book Smart. Those hours of late-night study have paid off, you gain two rank in occult and one rank in magic languages or rituals.
Slow Burn. By taking double the number of actions to activate a PSI exploit the PP cost is halved [to a minimum of 1]


I have also had a stab at the relevant Specialties for each one
Kineticist [1d6 years]
Kineticists are skilled in the creation, manipulation, and destruction of matter. With an ascetic zeal, they dedicate themselves to honing mind, body and will to a razors edge to gain mastery over their chosen element
Prerequisites: Kineticist Psi Cadet, PSI 5+
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, WIL +1, PSI +1
Skill Choices: [kinesis], law, meditation, [development]
Exploits
Accurate Kinesis. When making any ranged kinesis PSI attack you gain +1d6 to the attack roll
Power Up. Any damage you cause with a successful ranged kinesis PSI attack gains +1d6 damage
Just Like Hermes. As a Free Action you gain +2 SPEED until the end of your turn
Spring-heeled Jack. As a Free Action you double your Long Jump and High Jump distance until the end of your turn
I Am Fire/Water/Lightning/Ice (requires Harm Me Not) mastering your connection to your chosen kinesis element reduces the damage it can cause to you. Increase the SOAK granted from Harm Me Not to +10

Dept. of Magic [1d6 years]
A member of the Dept. of Magic understands that there are things in the universe that can’t be swept away under the “its all just psionics” carpet. Spells, potions, incantations, magic wands and the old “bell, book and candle” all fall under their jurisdiction. Knowing how to send back a devil summoned by some juves meddling with “forces beyond their ken” is a very useful skill to have. Dept. of Magic Psi Judges that survive multiple encounters with extraplanar entities, are often drafted to the Exorcist Division.
Prerequisites: Dept. of Magic Cadet, PSI 5+
Attributes: INT +1, WIL +1, CHA +1, PSI +1
Skill Choices: law, magic languages, occult, rituals
Exploits:
As If By Magic. Your understanding of the flow of PSI/magic energies allows you to prepare a PSI exploit ahead of time, ready to be deployed when you need it most. Spend PP as normal for the PSI exploit, which can’t be recovered until the exploit is activated. As an action you can activate the prepared exploit. The prepared exploit can be held a number of hours equal to a PSI roll
Break magic. You can “turn off” a persistent magical effect on a person, place, or item by performing the correct incantations, gestures, and ritual. If successful, the target is returned it to its normal mundane state. This takes 2 action and 10 PP, make a PSI roll vs a difficulty assigned by the GM.
Let Me Take A Look At That. As a Free Action you can focus your psionic senses on to an object, you automatically know if it is magical or if the object has been in a magical ritual within the last 24 hrs. By concentrating on the object for a turn [2 actions] and making a PSI [10] roll, you can determine its general function, you can spend dice to gain more detailed information about the object.
Ritual Magic. By following ascribed ritual and rote, you can perform magical rituals to enhance PSI exploits or cast a spell – such enhancements could be greater range, increased area, or effect. PP costs can be shared by all participants. This takes a minimum of 10 actions, make a PSI roll vs a difficulty assigned by the GM. At the end of the ritual, make an END roll vs the original difficulty, if you fail you are reduced to 1 hit point as the ritual enacts it toll upon you. The player & GM should work out what they want the ritual to accomplish.

 

[Andrew Dixon]

updated Kineticist and Dept. of Magic exploits

 

[Andrew Dixon]

I have also created a Precog Cadet and a full Precog Judge using the Precog PSI Cadet from The Judge Child as a base

Precog Cadet [1 year]
Prerequisites: Basic Psionics, PSI +1
Attributes: INT +1, WIL +1, CHA +1, PSI +1
Skill Choices: dodge, law, precognition, [psionic]
Exploits:
Precog. Gain +1d6 bonus to INITIATIVE checks as well as checks to access the ambush turn.
Psychic Inkling. Once per day after making an attribute check, you can choose to reroll it then pick which of the rolls to apply.


Precog [1d6 years]
Prerequisites: Precog Cadet, PSI 5+
Attributes: INT +1, WIL +1, CHA +1, PSI +1
Skill Choices: dodge, law, precognition, [psionic]
Exploits:
Reading the Signs. Choose a fortune-telling method such as astrology, palmistry, runes or similar. Once per day, use this method to ask the GM a question. The GM must answer truthfully, although they may do so cryptically.
Another Fate. You are beset by nightmares offering insight into your death, allowing you to possibly avoid it. If an attack would reduce you to zero HEALTH, you may ignore that attack and the damage it caused. You cannot use this exploit again until the GM introduces new nightmares/portents that perpetuate the cycle.
Don’t Stand There. Glimpses of the immediate future allow you to give allies within 10 feet of you a +1d6 bonus to INITIATIVE
I Saw That Coming. When damaged by an attack, you can use your Reaction to get out of the way. You only take half the damage the attack would cause. This can only be used once per encounter

 

[Andrew Dixon]

proposed career route for PSI Judges

There is no requirement to take any of the 3 new Academy programs or PSI Judge specialties.
You could simply go Cadet, Basic Psionics x2, Rookie, PSI Judge

 

[John R White]

Great to see these. I have quite a bit of work on Psi Judges in draft form [pyrokines, telepaths, telekines etc] but steered clear of using all the types of specializations that featured in Mongoose's work. Empaths feature in the comic strips, though Psi Judge Corrie felt that it was the worst power to have, I felt I needed to have a bash at doing some rules for them, could make an interesting if unreliable NPC ally?

EMPATH PSI CADET [1 YEAR]
PREREQUISITES: PSI 1+, Cadet, PSI 1+
ATTRIBUTES: INT +1, WIL +1, CHAR +1, PSI +1
SKILL CHOICES: concentration, empathy, insight, law

Empaths
Psi Judges and cadets with empathetic psionic talents can fully experience the emotions and pain felt by others, often an extremely stressful experience. More than any other Psi Judges, empaths are regarded by Judges from other Divisions as ‘bleeding hearts’, prone to letting their identification with the ideas and problems of citizens adversely affect their ability to function as a Judge.

EXPLOITS
>> Sense Emotion. You can automatically sense strong emotions in those you can see.
>> [Requires Sense Emotion]. You gain +1d6 to an INT test you attempt to make to examine or influence a single living being within 30’.
>> Empathetic Bond. You experience strong emotions in a target individual within 30’. If the individual is suffering from a mental condition, you are also inflicted with it.

PSIONIC EXPLOITS
// Empathy
Empathy (requires Psi 2). You can automatically sense strong emotions in others within 30 ‘. No action is required.
Full Empathy (requires Psi 4, Empathy). You gain the same Condition as an individual you target within 30’, +5’ per additional PP you spend. You take no actual damage from the condition except for the Pain condition and cannot gain the Disarmoured condition in this way.
City’s Vibe [requires Psi 12, Empathy]. You spend half an hour’s meditating from within a population centre up to the size of a Mega-city. After your study you have an overall impression of the current moods, interests and anxieties held by the aggregate population.

 

[Michael Blackett]

Very good, think I will use them, seem to mesh with the Half Life story for Judge Anderson Psi-Division.

Any chance of a pyrokine, recall a few judge freed stories involving them, albeit citizen/perp

 

[Andrew Dixon]

City’s Vibe [requires Psi 12, Empathy]. You spend half an hour’s meditating from within a population centre up to the size of a Mega-city. After your study you have an overall impression of the current moods, interests and anxieties held by the aggregate population.

This one is cool, will definitely add this to my game

 

[John R White]

Very good, think I will use them, seem to mesh with the Half Life story for Judge Anderson Psi-Division.

Any chance of a pyrokine, recall a few judge freed stories involving them, albeit citizen/perp

Following might be of interest? You would need to add in some Pyrokenesis Exploits, probably using material from OLD as a starting point.

PYROKINE PSI CADET [1 YEAR]

PREREQUISITES: PSI 1+, Cadet, PSI 1+
ATTRIBUTES: END +1, WIL +1, CHAR +1, PSI +1
SKILL CHOICES: concentration, law, pyrokenesis

The pyrokines are able to psychically manipulate particles to produce fire. The ability is believed to be more prevalent amongst females and tied to hormonal production. Pyrokines are relatively rare amongst psykers, so Psi Division has to utilizes auxiliaries with this talent and even inducts and attempts to condition young perps with these powers.

Accommodation for these specialists at Psi Division includes fireproof materials and the proximity of fire alarms and firefighting devices.

Fiery Affinity. Your focus on fire grants you +1d6 to any attribute check which interacts with fire or heat.
Fire Resistance. You permanently gain Soak 5 (fire). However, you also suffer Vulnerability (1d6) to cold damage.

 

[Michael Blackett]

PYROKINE PSI CADET [1 YEAR]

PREREQUISITES: PSI 1+, Cadet, PSI 1+
ATTRIBUTES: END +1, WIL +1, CHAR +1, PSI +1
SKILL CHOICES: concentration, law, pyrokenesis

The pyrokines are able to psychically manipulate particles to produce fire. The ability is believed to be more prevalent amongst females and tied to hormonal production. Pyrokines are relatively rare amongst psykers, so Psi Division has to utilizes auxiliaries with this talent and even inducts and attempts to condition young perps with these powers.

Accommodation for these specialists at Psi Division includes fireproof materials and the proximity of fire alarms and firefighting devices.

Looks good enough will wrap it for citizen/peep nudes using O.L.D. exploits. Figured sought after disturbed psi's like these would be hard to come by within Psi Division and the few they do wind up in specially prepped cubes mentored by a psi-judge tutor.

looked at the Rookie's Guide to Psi Talent and have some concerns attempting to adapt some of the prestige classes (dimensionalist? Anyone tell me other than Sabbat the necromagus (Judgement Day) where that is relevant in the judge Dredd mythology?). Some of the entities like Gargarax will convert to W.O.I.N. when I get free time.

 

[John R White]

Looks good enough will wrap it for citizen/peep nudes using O.L.D. exploits. Figured sought after disturbed psi's like these would be hard to come by within Psi Division and the few they do wind up in specially prepped cubes mentored by a psi-judge tutor.

looked at the Rookie's Guide to Psi Talent and have some concerns attempting to adapt some of the prestige classes (dimensionalist? Anyone tell me other than Sabbat the necromagus (Judgement Day) where that is relevant in the judge Dredd mythology?). Some of the entities like Gargarax will convert to W.O.I.N. when I get free time.