Trinity : Darkness Revealed

The character seems great. Only thing, what Device Background do in life?

For the Rogue Gallery, you can open a thread in Plots & Places.

For the power decsription, I'll really need to get the transmit power.
 

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A question about telepathy and precognition

Mal,

If the game is past tense and observed, how do we handle telepathy and precognition?

For example (minor spoiler):

Pat is uncomfortable around telepaths and clairsentients (a biokinetic can't disguise thoughts and no one is faster than someone who knew about your lightning reflexed sucker punch yesterday.).

Also, it is difficult for the grief-stricken youth to understand why all of the telepaths and clairsentients couldn't anticipate the Chromatic raid on Karoo, the destruction of the Esperanza and the disappearance of the teleporters.

So, the arrogant Norca was going to 'test' the team telepath and clairsentient by mentally daring his thoughts to be read and his fast sucker-punch to the clairsentient to be stopped (it won't cause any damage, it is just a display of relative power).

Don't worry, the problem with playing a character who can be the occasional jerk is not to be a jerk as a player. As far as I am concerned, the involved players and you have complete control over the results. I wouldn't mind the recklessness of Pat to be revealed and discouraged somewhat.

I assume internal thoughts and conditional outcomes would be dealt with OOC.

Let me know what y'all think...
 


As discussed earlier, precognition is a very vague, and rare power for the clears. Walking around sucker punching your team mates is not a good trust building exercise. There's no reason to expect Carlos to end up with anything other than a sore jaw and a grudge.

As for telepathy, if you want to go around broadcasting suspicious behavior, write it out in your behavior. Eventually the strain will show externally. Sweaty, nervous behavior will attract attention.
 

Mal,

If the game is past tense and observed, how do we handle telepathy and precognition?

For example (minor spoiler):

Pat is uncomfortable around telepaths and clairsentients (a biokinetic can't disguise thoughts and no one is faster than someone who knew about your lightning reflexed sucker punch yesterday.).

Also, it is difficult for the grief-stricken youth to understand why all of the telepaths and clairsentients couldn't anticipate the Chromatic raid on Karoo, the destruction of the Esperanza and the disappearance of the teleporters.

So, the arrogant Norca was going to 'test' the team telepath and clairsentient by mentally daring his thoughts to be read and his fast sucker-punch to the clairsentient to be stopped (it won't cause any damage, it is just a display of relative power).

Don't worry, the problem with playing a character who can be the occasional jerk is not to be a jerk as a player. As far as I am concerned, the involved players and you have complete control over the results. I wouldn't mind the recklessness of Pat to be revealed and discouraged somewhat.

I assume internal thoughts and conditional outcomes would be dealt with OOC.

Let me know what y'all think...

That's the right place to post these kind of questions, not the game thread. This is the OOC thread after all.

Extra-sensorial powers will be dealt OOC. If a telepath or Clear uses his power, I'll give the result OOC.

If the players really wishes to write about his PC's experience during his telepathy or clair probe, he could do so in a dream sequence type of description that must be put in italics.

I.E.

Bob focused in mind and delved into the prisoners mind.

Fear, terror. The man was losing his grip with reality. Bob dug deeper, he had to know why they were betrayed. Suddenly he saw a little girl with pigtails. She must have been no older than five. She was unconscious on the floor of the house, an armed man was crouched over her body, caressing her hair but looking straight at you. He had seen this man before. It was the head of security of Gencorp.

-''If you want her to wake up, you better be very attentive to what I'm going to ask you...''


Bob came back to reality. Now he understood.

---

It doesn't have to this elaborate though. More often than not, the player can just describe the strain on his PC's face as he focus his powers and then he will expose what he learned through dialogue. It's probably the best thing to do for routine probes, as a matter of fact.

I guess the same technique can be used for flashbacks if you want to.
 


People are going to need to know how the Free Form Psi works if they are going to know what they are capable of. With free form you are capable of all kinds of things that wouldn't be possible in the core. A PK could shoot mulitple jets of flame, an EK could use remote transmission even if he doesn't have it yet, anyone might be able to run a power indefinitely or craft a unique power by combining modes... Here's the specifics:

Improvising Effects: You can combine your modes to create effects. The level of an effect equals the highest level mode used to create it. (A telepath using Empathy 1 and Mindshare 2 to tap into a subject's true feelings and confront her with them has a level two effect.)

Generating Psi Effects:

When you try to activate your effect, you roll Psi as normal. You have to spend at least one of the successes to trigger the power (or more depending on circumstances). Then you use your extra successes to boost the parameters of the effect- like range, duration, etc

As long as you get at least one success on the roll you can burn Psi to improve it. Each Psi counts as two successes.

Once you make your Psi roll, you are committed to the power you are trying to activate. You can change the parameters to work with your roll, but cannot switch powers or cancel the attempt.

If you roll no successes or don't spend enough Psi to achieve success, the effect fails. A failure costs you one temporary Psi point.

Modifying the Effect Roll:

Power Difficulty: A power normally has a difficulty equal to one less than it's effect level. (Level 1 is standard, Level 2 is +1 difficulty, etc)

Boosting the effect level: You can try to use your highest mode level to boost your lower level modes. Each dot temporarily added to a Mode adds +1 to the effect difficulty. This will let you try to use levels of your modes that you do not have yet. Each dot temporarily added to a Mode's rating also adds +1 to the difficulty. e.g. Transmogrify 3 is normally +2 difficulty. Say you only have Transmogrify 2 but you do have Adaptation 4. You can try to use Transmogrify 3, but it will add one to the difficulty (you only need to add one dot) so the total is +3 difficulty. You must have at least one dot in the mode to be boosted. Otherwise see "covering a mode" below.

Reducing the effect level:
You can of course activate an effect at the minimal level required to accomplish it. e.g. If you have Adaptation 4, but only want to use the first level power you can make it a Level 1 effect.

Covering a mode:
If you want to use one of your modes, but have NO dots in it, figure it as described in "boosting a mode". Then add +2 difficulty on top AND you must spend a willpower point to try it.

Mode special properties:
If you are combining modes for an effect use the range, duration and other limits from the mode which best fits your desired result. Alternatively the ST might mix and match, average them, whatever.

Investing Psi:
Some psi powers can be made to last indefinitely. To make the duration indefinite spend one Psi with activation above and beyond the costs of the power. You won't be able to get this Psi point back until you cancel the effect. Your highest mode score indicates the maximum number of indefinite effects you can create simultaneously.
You can't use this for a permanent stat boost that takes you beyond the human norm or anything that is beyond level 2 on the Sensory Parameter chart (below). Also ST may refuse any use that seems to outweigh the cost.

Mastered Effect:
If you have an improvised effect that your character uses a lot you can improve it with xp to designate mastery. Mastery reduces difficulty by 2 and costs twice the effect level in xp (or 2 bonus points at char gen). This never applies to a whole level of a mode, only a specific "signature move" type of effect.

Psionic Teamwork:
Sometimes, when resonable, psions can jointly pour energy into an effect. VitaK's use it for intense lifesaving techniques and Legionarres use it to super-charge an attack. Each involved declares their intent and rolls normally. Successes are pooled.

Parameters:

Initial Rating:
Your effect gets its starting point in all relevant parameters based on the level of effect you are manifesting.

So if the Effect Level is...
1-2 you start at One dot in parameters
3-4 you start at Two dots
5 you start at Three dots

Then you use your extra successes to buy up to your goal on a one for one basis. Another Psi gets you 2 more to add in parameters. A willpower point will also give you +2 parameter points.

You can voluntarily lower parameter ratings and sometimes you have to (Norca effects are mostly self only for example).

Mode enhancing bioware: If you have bioware that enhances a mode, it instead grants extra points to spend on parameters involving that mode.

Resisting Effects: If the target rolls more successes than the power they are unaffected. Otherwise subtract the victim's successes from the power- to a minimum of one dot. The psion builds the power after the victim resists, but before point are subtracted from the result (meaning you can tailor the effect in an attempt to overcome the resistance if possible when you build the parameters).

So now the actual parameters...

Target (how much you can affect)
Code:
[B]Rating           Mass               Subjects           Area[/B]
O             Psi score in kg      one             one meter
OO             Psi x10 kg          two        Psi Score in meters
OOO           Psi x25 kg         three             Psi x3 m
OOOO         Psi x50 kg          five              Psi x5 m
OOOOO      Psi x150 kg         seven           Psi x10 m
+1 adds      Psi x50 kg           two             Psi x10 m 

Mass - When targeting inanimate objects
Subjects - for simultaneous human targets
Area - maximum spherical diameter.  Can change the shape, but can't leave gaps or holes in an area effect
Duration
Code:
[B]Rating[/B]        [B] Duration[/B]
O                three turns
OO              10 minutes
OOO            30 minutes
OOOO          60 minutes 
OOOOO        one scene
+1 adds        one additional scene
Range
Code:
[B]Rating       Short Range       Long Range[/B]
O               one meter        Psi score in meters 
OO             two meters       Psi x5 m
OOO          three meters      Psi x10 m
OOOO         five meters       Psi x20 m
OOOOO       seven meters    Psi x 30 m
+1 adds        two meters     Psi x 10 m

short range is for delicate an precise effects - healing, stretching limbs while retaining functionality
long range is for imprecise effects that require no fine manipulation - firing ice bolts, sensing through walls
Results

Healing
and Inflicting Damage
Code:
[B]Rating       Bashing      Lethal[/B]
O             2 levels        n/a 
OO           3 levels        n/a
OOO         4 levels         1
OOOO       5 levels         2
OOOOO     6 levels         3
+1 adds     1 level          1

You can "store" a healing or damaging effect for later OR create a reactive effect (energy field that damages anyone attacking you for example).  Both add +1 difficulty to the initial roll.  
Use the Duration parameter to figure how long an effect can be held.
Granting Modifier Bonus or Difficulty
Anything that boosts your dice or grants penalties to others- enhanced reflexes, dampening nerves to ignore pain, suppressing the light to create darkness, etc The effect must be based in what your mode could reasonably do of course.
Code:
[B]Rating                         Bonus                     Difficulty[/B]
O                 +1 success OR Level            +1
OO               +2 successes OR Levels        +2
OOO             +3 successes OR Levels        +3
OOOO           +4 successes OR Levels        +4
OOOOO         +5 successes OR Levels        +5 
+1 adds        +2 successes OR Levels        +1

Bonus - Can grant automatic successes to a specific Ability OR extra levels to any Trait (Attributes, Willpower, Psi, Background, Health Levels, Soak)  Up to ST approval.

Difficulty - The difficulty a target suffers to a single action for the power's duration.
Communication Result
Code:
[B]Rating         Communication Possibilities[/B]
O              A handful of words- yes, no, a simple answer
OO            Basic concepts
OOO          General speech or specific-subject technical conversation
OOOO        Workable language
OOOOO      Surpassing normal speech- intuitive understanding
+1 adds      Increasing nuance and efficiency of communication
Control Result (physical or mental control)
Target's resist physical with Might and Mental with Willpower, but can only resist if they are aware of the control. (subtle is good)
Code:
[B]Rating   [/B]           [B]Degree of Control[/B]
O              Subconscious (forget the name of some just met; sneeze)
OO            Minor (face the other direction, remember seeing someone else)
OOO          Major (put away your pistol, consider a sworn enemy a close friend)
OOOO        Severe/Complex (Forget your native language, climb up there and put on that Vac suit)
OOOOO      Epic (Assume a new personality, reprogram that comptuer and attack anyone who comes through that door)
+1 adds      An additional degree of complexity
Disability Result
Code:
[B]Rating          Minor             Severe[/B]
O               2 levels           n/a
OO             3 levels           n/a
OOO           4 levels            1
OOOO         5 levels            2
OOOOO       6 levels            3
+1 adds      1 level              1

[CENTER][B]Sample Disabilities[/B]
[LEFT][B]Level     Minor Disability Type[/B]
1          Numbness in one limb, common cold, drunkenness, acne
2          Seizure, chicken pox, disorientation
3          Hallucination, influenza
4          Despair, momentary paralysis
5          Rage, terror
6          Temporary unconsciousness
8          Trauma aftereffects, hormonal imbalances

[B]Level     Severe Disability Type[/B]
1           Small tumor, permanent cosmetic damage (baldness)
2           Nerves dead in one limb
3           Addiction, malign tumor, learning disorder
4           Blindness, AIDS, psychosis, symptoms of old age
5           Severe cancer, Ebola, deep psychosis, paralysis
6           Taint infection, symptoms of extrreme old age
7           Complete mental or physical degeneration
8           Brain Death

A toxin or disease converts to a number of disability levels equal to its Toxin Rating.  1-3 are usually minor disabilities, while 4+ correspond to Severe.[/LEFT]
[/CENTER]


Movement Result powers that impart or remove velocity (running leaping, swimming, flying, burrowing, gliding, climbing etc)
Code:
Vertical or near-vertical movement costs one success
0 gravity costs two
Burrowing costs three
    After those costs are applied, [I]then[/I] apply successes for velocity.

[B]Rating       Velocity[/B]
O             Half Psi score in km/h
OO           Psi x 3 km/h
OOO         Psi x 5 km/h
OOOO       Psi x 10 km/h
OOOOO     Psi x 15 km/h
+1 adds     Psi x 5 km/h

One km/h very roughly corresponds to one meter per turn.
Instant powers (no duration) apply as a burst.
Removing velocity from a target applies as "drag"
Precision Result
For some powers (Claisentience & Telepathy) familiarity with a target defines Psi range, not distance.

Code:
[B]Rating          Accuracy     Familiarity [/B]
O                   15%        Known (In view, have psi print, 1 year constant contact)
OO                 40%        Familiar (6 months constant contact, good friend)
OOO               60%        Acqaintance 3 mo constant contact, current associate)
OOOO             80%        Remembered (one week constant contact, long ago mentor)
OOOOO           95%        "Named" (evocative memory, item is 1 of a kind)
+1 adds          0.5%        n/a

Accuracy is your chance of success at that level for an unfamiliar target.
"Constant Contact" means average of 10 hours per day.  Double the listed time for 6 hours a day, and again for less frequent but still regular contact.

Sensory Result

Special sensory effects (VitaK diagnosis, EK spectrum sight, Clear remote viewing, BioK night vision, etc)

A clear can "look" in a given direction as far as the range parameter allows and see some things to either side like peripheral vision.

Effects that access a specific subject's perspective (past, present, future) use the Precision parameter.

Looking behind yourself, seeing through a wall, or using sonar etc use the Long Range chart.

If a clear wants to look through time, use the Duration chart rather than Range.

You might use the Area Target instead of or in addition to others.

Expanding your senses beyond the human norm in the present requires 1 success as a base.
Looking in the past or future from a subject's point of view OR allowing for changing perspective in the present requires 2 successes to activate.
Sensing the past or future as if you are actually there requires 3 successes to activate.

Code:
[B]Rating             Sense Detail[/B]
O                  General Data "four blobs here and an opening there"
OO                Basic Information "Those two are humans and those two are rocks"
OOO              Standard Detail (distinguish between individuals, sense distances)
OOOO            Subjective or abstract information ("danger"; the way to Tokyo)
OOOOO          Highly accurate info (detailed descriptions of individuals, determine spatial dimensions to the centimeter)
+1 adds          Unique or highly specific details
Survival Result
Overcoming environmental hazards (growing a thick hide, drawing in ambient heat to resist hypothermia, processing toxins, creating a radiation shield

Use the Modifeier Result to counteract harmful environmental effects. If the levels purchased or soak added exceed the danger, it has no effect. Same goes for sedatives and toxins.

If the environment does auto damage but the character has a mode offering defense, convert each level of auto damage to 3 damage dice. Subtract the relevant Mode score from the dice and roll for damage.

Utility Result
Using Psi to approximate tools or devices. Telekinesis to make a wrench, or wirecutters for example- maybe to patch a small hull breach. This is also a sort of catch all category if nothing else applies. A bioK squeezing under a door would use this chart.

Code:
[B]Rating                Tool                    Application[/B]
O               Semi-functional         Pitiful
OO        Working approximation     Sub-standard
OOO          Quality substitute       Fitting for the Mode used
OOOO      Exceptional equivalent   Exceptional
OOOOO           Superior               Superb
+1 adds                    Adds finesse
Each aptitude may grant special benefits or drawbacks tothe rules above, but I'll get to that in another post.


 
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That may look like a complicated mess all together, but what it means in short... nearly all bets are off as far as your psi powers are concerned.

You can alter range, duration, number of targets, strength of effect and all that.

You can craft new effects by combining modes in new ways.


Sorry I've been dragging Mal. Working out details on my character still before I post. I switched to Triton, but the new ability group made a mess of what I had done before. Will be up soon.

Also- What about gear?
I'm actually playing in another Trinity game (weirdly after never seeing a game of this for years) and this is the system we used there:

You may have up to 1x your Resources level in items priced 1 dot higher than your current Resources level. If you have Resources 3 or greater, you may instead have a SINGLE item priced at your Resources level + 2.
You may have up to 3x your Resources level in items priced equal to your Resources level.
You may have up to 10x your Resources level in items priced less than your Resources level.
So, for Resources 2, you may have

  • 2 items priced @ Resources 3
  • 6 items priced @ Resources 2
  • 20 items priced @ Resources 1 or lower.
If anyone takes Resources 5, you may only own up to two items priced at Resources 6 OR a single item priced at Resources 7. You can, however, have an additional 3 pieces of equipment priced at Resources 5. Any military-grade hardware will require a hefty Status background or a strong Ally, obviously.

What do you think of that?
 

As mentioned in the first post of the campaign, you start in Kenya near the Spaceport and are soon to be flying to the moon.

All you are bringing at first is a minicomp (computer/communication device) and agent (Operating System) of equal value to your Ressources or Status score (If using Status, it was requisitioned). You can also deduce the quality of your clothing by your ressouce score.

Lifting people from earth to moon is both highly regulated and very expensive and since Ramirez doesn't want to draw attention to the fact that he is lifting five psions from Earth for a mission that could (according to priority level) be done by two blanks already stationed at the Luna branch, you don't benefit from Trinity pulling strings to bypass the tight security or pay for extra luggage. That kind of things is easily notice by people in the accounting and admin departments.

As soon as you reach the Luna Trinity branch office, they'll give you concealed carry permit, a concealable weapon and perhaps more based on status.

Those of you who are wealthy might then opt to shop around (legal or black market) to purchase other gears according to their means (and the time they have available). Obviously, some savvy is useful for black market stuff though since you have a weapon permit, a lot of them can just be purchased off the shelves.

But basically. when you land on Luna, you're pretty much naked.
 
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