DJH Psychic Abilities
Psychic Powers
From the beginning of time, certain individuals have been sensitive to otherworldly vibrations. The origin of psychic powers remains obscure. In most cases, they seem to be conferred at birth, passing down through generations as an inherited trait. It is not uncommon for powers to remain latent until puberty.
For every true psychic, there are hundreds of charlatans, some of them self-deluded. Combining sleight-of-hand with simple observation, some of it covert, they’re able to elicit enough information from their clients to sound prophetic. Occult circles are rife with phony psychics, so you’ll probably run into some of them during play. A fake medium might make an interesting choice for a player character.
When creating a psychic character, determine his attitude toward his abilities. Thecharacter may show off or exploit them for material gain. He may adopt a strict code of ethics, allowing himself to use them only in an altruistic fashion. It is just as likely that he fears them and use them as little as possible. Though many psychics think of themselves as spiritual healers peering into a world of positive light, all render themselves additionally susceptible to the dark energies of the Outer Black each time they draw on their abilities. If the character has so much as brushed against the machinations of Unremitting Horror, his psychic powers have, depending on the nature of his so-called gift, served as a conduit for unbearably nightmarish feelings, sendings, or visions.
Mechanically, some psychic powers, like Premonitions, are treated as ordinary general abilities. Typically you roll against a Difficulty Number to access or control them. In many cases you or your fellow players then use one or more investigative abilities to interpret the information your gift has garnered.
Others, like Aura Reading, operate in a slightly different manner. In this case, you are charged a number of points from your pool each time you use the ability. If you spend the points, you automatically get the answers you seek.
Your GM will ensure ensure that no core clue ever depends solely on the successful use of a psychic power. However, you may be able to use psychic powers to get clues which are also available via a standard investigative ability, or which are the equivalent of extra information available from investigative spends.
Even GMs who provide Difficulty Numbers to players before they roll general abilities should withhold them in the case of psychic powers. They’re inherently mysterious and variable in effect, and their practitioners can never reliably guess how they’ll work in any given circumstance.
Remember, GMs retain the right to disallow psychic powers if they don’t fit the tone of their planned series. Any investigator may take a psychic ability, the psychic profession can take up to two.
