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.
