Backer Post: Psycho-Analytics

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Here’s a blast from the past you probably weren’t expecting! I don’t think I’ve touched this one since iteration 4. Neo-Rationalism doubles as the Dune-esque “extreme human training as magic” and it’s something I’ve wanted to revisit often. I’ve touched on it with some Neo-Rational martial arts, but they should have applications outside of just combat, and one that has weighed on my mind for a long time is that of a social engineering style.

I’ve also been considering the concept of the Shinjurai Companion for a long time. It occurred to me sometime around the beginning of Iteration 7 that if anyone would take an extremely pragmatic approach to sex and romance, it would be the Shinjurai, who might even treat it as a momentary bother, a biological need to be quickly sated and removed to allow for higher thought to continue. But the more I dove into the idea, the more obvious it became that they would behave a lot like geisha or the Companions of Firefly (which are just sci-fi geisha): companions and conversational partners that help Shinjurai nerds get over their nervousness and talk to a girl (or a boy). Slather some super-science social skills atop that, and you get this social badass with a painted face who is three steps ahead of you, and would double as a great spy.

So anyone who has paid attention has seen references to the idea: it gets two quick references in the Galactic Federation Culture, I mention it in the Primer, and a such an NPC shows up in Undercity Noir (though the current players never found her). Of course, you can reference an idea without making it explicit, but as I worked on Khedu, the poll suggested they might have a human working for them and they might be exceptionally manipulative, and they might be good at diplomacy. What better way to do that than to give some Ranathim companion training? How crazy would that be? But to do that, I’d need to have the entire style available. I also recently concluded such a character would make a great NPC for a particular PC in the Wanderers of Dhim, which added extra urgency to it.

Mystical Tyranny as Esoteric Skill

Those who practice the philosophy of Mystical Tyranny gain unprecedented knowledge of and access to Dark Communion. While Dark Communion is listed as an “optional trait,” it is definitely the reason one studies Mystical Tyranny. It also grants (even requires!) Hidden Lore Communion, and offers the unique trait of Dark Investiture which grants even greater facility with Dark Communion. It does not offer any “signature miracles” or special facility with any path (including, despite its name, the Mystical Tyrant), because the cult-like practices of the actual Cult of the Mystic Tyrant are but a relic of this philosophies past. It treats with all of Dark Communion and does so with unparalleled skill.

The philosophy demands that all practitioners come to understand what drives them, through meditation, and to focus on it. The style helps practitioners remove disadvantages that might “weaken” them with undue regard for their fellow man, and helps guide them towards their ultimate, self-focused drives. In addition to gaining “selfish” disadvantages, the GM might allow characters to “improve” their selfish disadvantages by taking them at lower and lower control ratings.

Finally, the philosophy focuses intently on the nature of truth and power. Those who master themselves become intimately familiar with what drives people, and they can use this against others, and to protect themselves. Many practitioners of Mystical Tyranny become Indomitable or gain additional Will, or learn to disregard any influence, social or supernatural, that relies on the flawed foundation of language. In turn, Mystical Tyrants become excellent manipulators of others, and are especially good at non-verbal manipulation, controlling others through fashion, architecture, art and even just their stance or where they choose to place their gaze.

Put together, masters of Mystical Tyranny cut imposing and confident figures who know what they want and never hesitate to seize it. They understand the flawed underpinnings of other philosophies and tear them apart, cutting straight to the personal motivations of their subject. And, of course, they command the dark power of Communion, which both fuels their power and allows them to call down amazing and terrifying miracles upon their foes. Those who truly master the teachings of the Mystic Tyrant learn that reality itself is flexible to their will and they learn to impose their vision of the world, both moral and physical, to create new universal laws that grant them amazing and unnatural powers. Those who follow them and swear oaths to them can also gain access to these powers.

Mystical Tyranny 5 points

Required Skills: Hidden Lore (Communion), Meditation, Philosophy (Mystical Tyranny), Psychology

Cinematic Skills: Mental Strength

Secret Traits: Dark Investiture; Futility of Language, Transcendent Master

Techniques: Aesthetic Appreciation (Philosophy), Comparative Philosophy (Any Philosophy), Inner Journey (Meditation), Philosophical Argument (Any Philosophy), Symbolic Communion Lore (Philosophy)

Perks: Aesthetics of Power, Cloaked, Controllable Disadvantage (Any Mental), Dark Contract, Looks Good in Uniform, High Heeled Heroine, Influence Schtick (Any), Inner Mastery, Passionate Psi, Secret Knowledge (Mental Strength), Secret Power (Any Transcendent Power); Secret Trait (Dark Investiture, Futility of Language), Signature Symbolism, Special Exercise (Will may exceed 20).

Optional Secondary Characteristics: Will

Optional Advantages: Charisma, Dark Communion, Fashion Sense, High Pain Threshold, Indomitable, Intuitive Statesman, Occultist, Rapier Wit, Transcendent Master, Voice.

Optional Disadvantages: Callous, Bad Temper, Bully, Greed, Intolerance (Any), Jealousy, Obsession (Any), Overconfidence, Lecherousness, Selfish, Secret (Member of the Cult of the Mystic Tyrant), Stubbornness, Vow (Loyalty to a master).

Removable Disadvantages: Charitable, Cowardice, Clueless, Delusions (any superstition), Easy to Read, Guilt Complex, Gullibility, Honesty, Oblivious, Pacifism (Any), Selflessness, Sense of Duty (Any), Shyness, Truthfulness

Optional Skills: Acting, Archaeology, Architecture, Body Language, Connoisseur (Fashion, Relics), Expert Skill (Conspiracy Theory), Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Law (Any), Leadership, Hidden Lore (Places of Power), History (Any), Intimidation, Intelligence Analysis, Occultism, Politics, Propaganda, Savoir-Faire (Any), Sex Appeal, Streetwise, Strategy, Teaching

New Perks

Aesthetics of Power: Prerequisite: Aesthetic Appreciation 16+, Fashion Sense; Increase the bonus granted by Fashion Sense to +2 in circumstances where the character wishes to portray personal power and gravitas.

Dark Contract: The character may draw upon Dark Communion for additional psychic energy only using the Dark Communion Contract rules. This perk is unnecessary for characters with Dark Communion.

Inner Mastery: Characters may substitute Meditation for Will for Psionic Extra-Effort rolls.

Passionate Psi: Whenever the character fails to resist a mental disadvantage with a self-control value (voluntarily or otherwise), the character gains +1 to his psionic rolls for every -5 points the disadvantage is worth. This works best when using the Ham Clause.

Signature Symbolism: The character has a unique symbol associated with his path, as he slowly diverges from it and creates a new path. A character may have no more levels of Signature Symbolism than his Legendary Reputation, and upon achieving 4 signature symbols, the GM might consider creating a new, unique path for the character, with new milestones and new powers. The various schisms have their own symbolism as each Tyrant walked his own version of the path of the Mystic Tyrant.

New Techniques

Inner Journey (Hard)

Prerequisite: Meditation.

Default: Meditation; May not exceed Meditation+4.

During an intense bout of meditation, the character may turn his eye inward and undergo an “inner journey.” He perceives his own mind and may wrestle, metaphorically, with his inner demons. This acts as a complimentary roll for a Psychology roll to understand one’s own mind, and allows one to perform psychological therapy upon oneself. Multiple, extended uses of Inner Journey can be used to justify spending points to remove a controllable or self-imposed disadvantage, or to acquire a new one.

New Advantages

Dark Investiture 10/level

The character gains a bonus to all Dark Communion reaction rolls equal to his Dark Investiture level; this is cumulative with any Path Reputation he might have. A character may not take more than 4 levels of Dark Investiture without GM permission.

Statistics: Power Investiture (Dark)

Futility of Language 7/10/20 points

The character has learned that words have no meaning except what we assign to them. At level 1, the character applies +3 to Will Rolls to resist any influence roll that involves using the spoken or written word to influence the character, or any form of supernatural influence (such as Enthrallment or Suggestion) that requires the character to understand the words that the influencer says; at level 2, this effect increases to +8, and at level 3, the character is fully immune to such effects. This advantage provides no protection against unspoken influences (such as influence rolls made with an Influence Schtick).

Statistics: Resistant (Influence; cosmic, includes supernatural influence +50%; Aspect, linguistic influence only -20%) [20].

Transcendent Master 15 points

The character has achieved sufficient mastery of his own psionic potential that he can manifest his vision and will upon the world in such a way that the very laws of physics change for him and those who follow him. This allows the character to access transcendent powers or create their own. Such a character is the culmination of the Mystical Tyranny philosophy, having achieved total self-mastery, and will likely gain a following within the Cult. If the GM allows characters who follow the philosophy of Mystical Tyranny to gain Illuminated, then Illuminated replaces Transcendent Master, and characters with Illuminated my access or create their own Transcendent Powers.

This trait may be PC inappropriate, depending on campaign considerations; it also requires considerable insights into the true nature of Communion. Players should ask the GM before taking it, and the GM is free to apply any prerequisites he sees fit. Suggested prerequisites include Philosophy (Mystical Tyranny) 20+, Dark Communion 15+ and Dark Investiture 4, and typically characters only gain this after experiencing some profound insight.

Statistics: Unusual Background (May create own transcendent powers)

The Akashic Mysteries as Esoteric Skill

Many people believe in the Akashic Mysteries (via the Believer (Akashic Mysteries) quirk) and might study the Akashic Mysteries (Theology (Akashic Mysteries)) but few outside of the order are allowed to study the Akashic Mysteries as an esoteric style. The secrets of the Akashic Order is open only to those who take the proper vows and join the Order proper.

Anyone who joins the Akashic Order may study the Akashic Mysteries as a philosophical style. In practice, the Akashic Order reserves its “secret” knowledge only for characters who have undergone Akashic Initiation or Shadow Initiation. Priests and Knights can learn everything else (though most characters with ESP will become Oracles; by tradition, though, the Akashic Order does not teach its male members Prognostication).

The Akashic Order has access to the Oracle ability. This is not a secret, and it will willingly teach it to any ESPers who belong to the Order, including men, though women with Oracle are more traditional. Oracle can be used as a complimentary roll to gain a +2 to specific rolls (mainly Strategy, Bioengineering (Eugenics) and Diagnosis). Prognostication can do the same things, though this involves direct verification of the omens, and thus applies a +4 to any of the above! As such, characters who learn Oracle tend to learn it as a first step to learning Prognostication.

Akashic Oracles use their abilities to advise others. The most common forms of advice are on whom to marry, in which case the advice given generally focuses on what children will come from the union; how to fight; and how to find a cure to a disease.

Shadow Initiates learn secrets beyond those detailed in the Akashic Mysteries. For ideas, see the Devils of Persephone.

Akashic Mysteries 5 points

Required Skills: Meditation, Religious Ritual (Akashic Mysteries), Theology (Akashic Mysteries)

Additional Psionic Skills: Danger Sense, Oracle, Prognostication, Psychic Hunches

Secret Skills: Hidden Lore (Future History)

Techniques: Competitive Precognition (Prognostication), Deep Trance (Meditation), Directed (Prognostication), Marital Omens (Oracle), Medical Omens (Oracle), Strategic Omens (Oracle), Symbolic Future Lore (Theology),

Secret Techniques: Deep Time (Prognostication)

Perks: 20/20 Hindsight, Blind Psi, Ecstatic Psi (Dreaming Nymph), Exposition Sense, Inner Mastery, Know-It-All, Secret Knowledge (Future History), Secret Knowledge (Deep Time).

Optional Advantages: Clerical Investment (Akashic Mysteries), Destiny, Religious Rank (Akashic Mysteries), Security Clearance (Shadow Initiation)

Optional Disadvantages: Callous, Clueless, Code of Honor (Alliance Aristocratic), Disciplines of Faith (Monasticism), Fanaticism (Akashic Order), Hidebound, Nightmares, Obsession (“Stop the Coming Storm”), Sense of Duty (Akashic Order), Sense of Duty (Humanity)

Optional Skills:Area Knowledge (Persephone), Diagnosis, Bioengineering (Eugenics), Intimidation, Esoteric Medicine, Expert Skill (Political Science), Fortune Telling (Augury or Dream Interpretation), Naturalist, Pharmacy (Any),Physician, Poison, Politics, Savoir-Faire, Strategy.

New Perks

20/20 Hindsight: Pyramid #3/69 page 6.

Blind Psi: If the character has been blindfolded or otherwise deprived of sight for at least an hour, they may roll Will or Meditation. If successful, they gain +1 to all uses of their psionic talents. This is not cumulative with Sensory Deprivation (it is a form of sensory deprivation). Characters who have the Blind disadvantage may waive the roll.

Ecstatic Psi (Dreaming Nymph): See Psionic Powers page 19. Dreaming Nymph is a poisonous blossom native to Persephone and grows near or in its many caves that has a powerful hallucinatory, soporific and addictive quality, that also offers uncontrolled visions of the future that blur into the hallucinations. Some Oracles of the Akashic Mysteries have mastered the power of Dreaming Nymph and gain a +5, rather than a -5, while under its influence to use ESP (but still suffer a -5 to everything else).

Exposition Sense: See Psionic Powers page 42.

Inner Mastery: Characters may substitute Meditation for Will for Psionic Extra-Effort rolls.

Know-It-All: See Psionic Powers page 42

New Techniques

Competitive Precognition (Average)

Prerequisite: Prognostication.

Default: Prognostication; May not exceed Prognostication+4.

When engaged in a quick contest with another precog (see Dueling Precogs, GURPS Supers page 108), you may use your Competitive Precognition technique rather than your Prognostication skill. This technique does not require the expense of two fatigue to activate!

Deep Time (Hard)

Prerequisite: Prognostication.

Default: Prognostication-5; May not exceed Prognostication.

Precognition is limited to a single week. This technique violates that rule, allowing the character to search farther into the future (subject to the limitations noted in ESP in Action). Apply the “success by” rules from retrocognition as additional penalties for looking farther into the future: Looking 10 days ahead is -1, 100 days is -2, 3 years is -3, 30 years is -4, 300 years is -5, and so on. Thus, looking 300 years into the future is a -10. Note that the further into the future one looks, the less certain the future becomes!

Deep Trance (Hard)

Prerequisite: Meditation.

Default: Meditation-4; May not exceed Meditation.

The character meditates deeply for one hour and enters a trance. This trance either offers the same bonuses as Autohypnosis or +1 to all Psi skills plus an additional bonus equal to 1/3 of his margin of success, to a maximum of +5. He gains +4 if he’s using a sensory deprivation chamber, +2 for the Body Discipline perk, and may use Religious Ritual as a complementary roll.

Symbolic Time Lore (Hard)

Prerequisite: Theology (Akashic Mysteries).

Default: Theology (Akashic Mysteries); May not exceed Theology(Akashic Mysteries)+4.

Visions of the future often come with strange, symbolic visions that obscure the actual events at hand. The body of Akashic symbolism doubles as a means of interpreting the strange symbols that appear in visions in the future. If a character wishes to interpret his visions, he may roll Symbolic Time Lore for additional clarification.

New Skills

Bioengineering (Eugenics) (IQ/H)

Default: Biology-5 or Naturalist-6

Bioengineering (Eugenics) is a new skill whose primary purpose is to determine if two people would be genetically compatible. Akashic priests do this by checking records of lineage and guessing one’s lineage from looking at a character’s features. This latter is the more useful trait in Psi-Wars. Without performing a genetic test, the character can guess if another character belongs to a genetic line just by looking. This requires a Bioengineering (Eugenics)-4 roll, but the target’s Blood Purity adds +1 per level and Blood Impurity (if the character has any) adds -1 per level. A basic success will reveal whether or not the character has a Bloodline perk and what bloodline it is, as well as their Blood Purity level. Further margin of success can reveal additional information, such as additional Bloodline perks or what specific genetic power-ups the character took. At the GM’s discretion, a eugenicist can “discover” an unknown bloodline hidden in a character’s genetics, allowing the player to spend a point on that bloodline (or to take the Bloodline perk with a Blood Impurity of -1, for a total of 0 points).

Modifiers for detecting someone’s bloodline: -4 without records, +0 with records. +4 with a genetic test. +1 per level of Blood Purity or Blood Impurity.

Hidden Lore (Future History) (IQ/A)

Default: None

This skill covers the accumulated lore that the Akashic Order has collected about the many various possible futures and the nature of the Coming Storm. The character can roll Hidden Lore (Future History) to see if particular events have a meaningful impact on the future, what the outcome might be, or to recognize someone based on their impact on the future (for example, meeting an innocuous, if unruly teenager, and recognizing that he’s a serial killer in the future). Note that the libraries of the Akashic Order are incomplete and often contradictory, and even where they are accurate, the chaotic nature of time means that knowing future history is a pale substitute for actual Prognostication and Visions, but it can prove useful where the GM wishes it to be. Treat it like a precognitive version of Current Affairs!

New Powers

Oracle 14

Skill: Oracle (IQ/Hard)

The character has access to the Oracle ability (B72). The character may roll the Oracle skill to both detect and interpret omens. She may use Fortune-Telling as a complementary roll, and she may substitute Symbolic Time Lore (see above) for the Oracle skill for interpreting omens.

This is not a “secret” power (it does not require the expenditure of a perk), but it is not an ability often found outside of the Akashic Order. Apprentice Oracles often learn it as a stepping stone to Prognostication. At the GM’s discretion, players who invest points in Oracle may later trade out the points spent on Oracle and the Oracle skill for Prognostication and the Prognostication skill.

Statistics: Oracle (ESP -10%) [14]

Marital Omens (Average)

Prerequisite: Oracle

Default: Oracle-5; Cannot exceed Oracle

Oracle normally only looks for general omens. With Marital Omens, the character may explicitly seek the answer to a marital question, such as whom someone should marry, or whether a union will work out well. This technique does not require the expenditure of 2 fatigue.

Medical Omens (Average)

Prerequisite: Oracle

Default: Oracle-5; Cannot exceed Oracle.

As Marital Omens, but with regards to someone’s physical health and how best to cure a particular illness. This tends to be limited to whether or not someone will recover, or where one should go to seek the answer, and may be used as a psionic complementary roll for a Diagnosis roll (applying +2).

Strategic Omens (Average)

Prerequisite: Oracle

Default: Oracle-5; Cannot exceed Oracle

As Marital Omens, but in regards to the outcome of a battle. Success will tell the oracle whether the battle will be won or not, and perhaps some insights into how it might be won. This may be used as a psionic complementary roll for a Strategy roll (applying +2).

 

Neo-Rational Disciplines

Unlike the philosophies of the Akashic Mysteries and True Communion, Neo-Rationalism doesn’t have a strict set of disciplines deeply associated with its philosophy. Nonetheless, Neo-Rationalists have, over time, applied their deeply scientific approach to combat, social interaction and even to defeating their ultimate nemesis, psychic powers. While not every Neo-Rationalist institute teaches all of the following disciplines, especially depending on what specific branch of Neo-Rationalism the institute adheres to, but the following represent the most common Neo-Rationalist disciplines.

The alien race known as the Traders cross-pollinated extensively with Neo-Rational disciplines. Some practice Combat Geometrics, while some Neo-Rationalist humans attempt to master Hyperdimensional Meditation.

Neo-Rationalist Combat Geometrics 5 points

Alternate Names: Shineido

First practiced by the Shinei, the royal guard of the Shinjurai family, Combat Geometrics resulted from a centuries long analysis of blaster fights, sight-lines and human kinesthetics. The result is a technique that allows one to stand in the ideal point to avoid return fire, while knowing precisely where to fire without looking. Practitioners of Shineido learn to treat their blaster pistol as an extension of themselves, perfectly internalizing the orderly katas of Shineido until they see the fight as a rapidly spinning set of vectors, and they learn to act as quickly as they think.

Shineido practitioners master their bodies and their minds to the point where they become competitive with Maradonian space knights. Some of the most determined Shineido fighters, like Dawkins Nigh, pair the discipline with the Art of Noise to defeat Maradonian psionics. The style focuses on precision while maintaining the safety of the fighter. The style almost never makes sighted All-Out Attacks, and retains sufficient mobility to step out of the ideal zone of fire. Experts display an unnerving propensity of closing their eyes during a blaster fight, or not bothering to look at their opponent when attacking, simply moving in a machine-like manner as they cut their opposition down.

Combat Geometrics is a slightly tweaked version of Future Kill, from GURPS Gun Fu.

Skills: Beam Weapons (Pistol), Fast-Draw (Pistol), Mathematics (Geometry), Philosophy (Neo-Rationalism)

Techniques: Combat Art (Beam Weapons (Pistol), Dual-Weapon Attack (Pistol), Fast-Firing (Pistol), Flank Shot (Pistol), Immediate Action (Pistol), Precision Aiming (Pistol), Quick-Shot (Pistol), Targeted Attack (Pistol/Skull)

Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting, Breaking Blow (Blaster), Flying Leap, Mental Strength, Invisibility Art, Zen Marksmanship (Pistol)

Cinematic Techniques: Blind Marksmanship, Timed Dodge, Whirlwind Attack (Pistol)

Perks: Akimbo*, Area Defense (Pistol)*, Bank Shot (Pistol)*, Cinematic Knockback (Pistol)*, Cool Under Fire, Cross-Trained (Pistol)*, Dead Eye (Pistol), Early Adopter (Pistol), Escape Vector*, Fastest Gun in the West, Gun Sense*, Gun Whisperer (Pistol)*, Infinite Ammunition*, Lightning Geometrics*, Off-Hand Weapon Training (Fast-Draw), Off-Hand Weapon Training (Pistol), Rule Exemption (Breaking Blow (Blaster) works against armor)*, Unusual Training (Blindfighting; Limited by Mathematics (Geometry)), Unusual Training (Zen Marksmanship; Limited by Mathematics (Geometry)), Pistol-Fist (Beam Weapons), Walking Armory*, Weapon Bond

*Requires Gunslinger

Optional Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed and Per

Optional Advantages: Acute Vision, Ambidexterity, Combat Reflexes, Enhanced Dodge, Extra Attack (Beam Weapons (Pistol) only -20%), Gizmo (Gun Fu only -20%), Gunslinger, Lightning Calculator or Intuitive Mathematician, Signature Gear, Unfazeable

Optional Skills: Acrobatics, Beam Weapons (SMG, Rifle, Projector), Connoisseur (Blasters), Holdout, Jumping, Meditation, Observation, Stealth

New Traits

Escape Vector: The character may make side-slip retreats against ranged attacks. Treat this as a lateral retreat that grants +1 to dodge against ranged attacks. You may also make a slip retreat (a forward retreat) for +1 to dodge or parry if doing so would move you into close combat with your opponent.

Lightning Geometrics: Characters with Lightning Calculator gain +1 to Blindfighting and Zen Marksmanship; Characters with Intuitive Mathematician gain +2 to Blindfighting and Zen Marksmanship.

Bind Marksmanship (Hard)

Prerequisite: Blindfighting; Zen Marksmanship

Default: Blind-Fighting-6; May not exceed either prerequisite skill.

You may use Blind Markmanship to shoot enemies you cannot see. It is subject to the same penalties as Blind Fighting, but not Zen Markmanship.

Combat Geometrics Signature Moves

Focus: The Shineido pauses to focus, running the mental calculations for the entire room around him in an instant. Concentrate. On your next turn, roll Zen Markmanship-5; your attack that turn divides size and speed/range penalties by 3 (rounded down).

Forward Vector Cascade: The Shineido brings both of his blasters forwards and sends a withering hail of precisely targeted blaster bolts. The Shineido makes an Dual Weapon (-4) Fast-Firing (-4) attack against his opponent for a total ROF of 12 (+2). Roll Blaster Pistol (-6, -10 for the off-hand) per attack to hit; you may defend normally.

Lateral Vector: Without looking, the Shineido blasts opponents to either side of him. Make a Dual Weapon (-4) Blind Marksmanship (-6) Flank Shot (-2). Roll Beam Weapons (Pistol)-12 fo reach attack (an additional -4 for our off-hand attack). You may attack characters outside of your forward hexes and characters you cannot see. Your opponent defends normally. You defend at -2 and may retreat.

Reverse Vector: Make a bank-shot against a hard surface behind your opponent to attack him from behind. Make an banking (-2) attack. Roll Blaster pistol -2. Your opponent defends at -2 (treat this as a run-around attack). You may defend normally. Requires Bank Shot perk and an appropriate surface to bank your shot from.

Vector Cancellation: The Shineido steps to one side, escaping the primary attack vector. Make an All-Out Defense (Increased Dodge).

Vector Irruption: Step into close combat with your opponent and make a Beam Weapons (Pistol) attack with its Bulk Penalty. Your opponent may defend normally. You may defend normally, and you may parry any ranged attacks with your Beam Weapons (Pistol) skill while you remain in close combat range with your opponent.

Lateral Vector Cascade: Without looking, the Shineido blasts all opponents around him. Make a Whirlwind Attack (-6) Blind Marksmanship (-6) attack. Roll Beam Weapons (Pistol)-12 for each target; any critical failure means all remaining attacks are critical failures. You may not hit more than 12 targets (with two guns). If you succeed, you hit a random hit location. Your opponent defends normally. You may not defend or retreat.

Neo-Rationalist Psycho-Social Analytics 7 points

Psycho-Social Analytics arise from the work of Zeb Lancaster, a charismatic figure within the Neo-Rational community. In his work, Purifying the Mind, he argues that because the mind emerges from the biochemistry of the brain, that it can be “programmed” to react in specific ways, and that all minds do react in specific, predetermined ways to precise stimulus.

Psycho-Social analytics consist of two basic methodologies: mentorship and neuro-linguistic programming. Mentoring has become popular across various Neo-Rational schools of thought. A mentor and his student engage in long, grueling “mentoring” sessions where the mentor slowly indoctrinates the student in Neo-Rational beliefs. In the latter, the Psycho-Social analyst learns to identify key targets for manipulation and then use a carefully pitched voice and coded phrases to subliminally manipulate his target.

Despite its growing popularity, some on the edges of the Neo-Rational community argue that it amounts to a cult around Zeb Lancaster and his disciples. They find the rabid loyalty of Zeb’s followers disturbing, and argue that manipulating people into “rationality” like this is inherently unethical. Zeb, in return, argues that nothing could be more ethical than spreading rationality.

Skills: Philosophy (Neo-Rationalism), Public Speaking, Psychology, Sociology, Teaching

Techniques: Mind Modification (Any Neo-Rationalist or Psycho-Social Analytics optional disadvantages), Philosophical Argument (Neo-Rationalist), Sociometry

Cinematic Skills: Brainwashing, Persuade, Sway Emotions, Suggest

Cinematic Techniques: Beguilement

Perks: Honest Face, Skill Adaption (Mind Modification defaults to Teaching), Technique Mastery (Philosophical Argument), Unusual Training (Brainwashing; only voluntarily), Unusual Training (Persuade, Limited by Psychology), Unusual Training (Sway Emotions, Limited by Psychology), Unusual Training (Suggest, Limited by Psychology),

Optional Advantages: Charisma, Voice

Optional Disadvantages: Belief (Neo-Rationalism), Sense of Duty (Mentor or Neo-Rationalism), Fanaticism (Mentor, Neo-Rationalism)

Optional Skills: Expert Skill (Political Science), Intelligence Analysis, Mathematics (Statistics), Propaganda, Research

Optional Techniques: Going Viral

The Art of Noise: 5 points

Alternate Names: Destructive Skepticism, the God-Slayer’s Way.

Dawkins Nigh popularized the Art of Noise in his work, God-Slayer, which argued that psychic powers were real, but an inherently irrational intrusion upon the rational and should be fought on all fronts. While considered, rightly, a part of Fringe Rationalism, the Art of Noise is the most popular discipline to arise from Fringe Rationalism and has broad, if shallow, acceptance among the more militant arms of the Neo-Rationalist community.

The Art of Noice, at its core, relies on defeating the irrational with with the rational. Dawkins Nigh teaches the destructive skeptic to recognize psionics, and advocates a regime of constantly running mathematical equations in one’s head when faced with a known psion. At the next level, he argues for constantly “coding” ones thoughts via a personal code scheme, thinking in a sequence of internally meaningful, but externally nonsensical, numbers, so that any surface-level mind reader only comes away with meaningless numbers. At the highest level, Dawkins Nigh discusses how to “externalize the code,” by which he means to “project hyperrationality outward” to interfere with any psionic ability! He notes, however, that only the most rational mind can achieve this. Finally, he advocates a regime of procedures that check to see if anyone is currently psionically influencing you or has manipulated your mind.

Required Skills: Cryptography, Expert Skill (Psionics), Mathematics (Pure), Mind Block, Philosophy (Neo-Rationalism)

Cinematic Skills: Mental Strength

Psionic Skills: Interruption, Screaming, True Sight

Psionic Techniques: Coded Thoughts, Tiring Interruption, Tiring Scream

Perks: Lighting Thought-Coding; Personal Awareness, Simple Defense, Skeptic, Stabilizing Skill (Anti-Psi; Mathematics (Pure)), Standard Operating Procedure: Memory Check, Tolerance (Any Telepathic Power), Unusual Training (Mind Shield; Skill limited by Mathematics (Pure)).

Optional Traits: Will;

Optional Psionic Abilities: Interruption, Mind Shield, Screaming, True Sight

Optional Advantages: Eidetic Memory or Photographic Memory, Lighting Caclulator or Intuitive Mathematician, Unfazeable

Optional Disadvantages: Intolerance (Psions), Paranoia.

New Traits – Destructive Skepticism

Lightning Thought Coding: Characters with Lightning Calculator add +1 to Coded Thoughts; Characters with Intuitive Mathematician add +2 to Coded Thoughts!

Tiring Interruption

Prequisite: Interruption

Default: Interruption-5. May not exceed Interruption.

As Tiring Scream, but applies to Interruption. Any psi interrupted by your technique also loses 1 FP.

Coded Thoughts (Hard)

Prerequisite: Mind Block and Cryptography.

Default: Mind Block-6; Cannot exceed Mind Block skill.

See GURPS Supers page 38.

Neo-Rationalism as Esoteric Style

Students of Neo-Rationalism attempt to re-orient their minds towards “rational thinking.” This tends to create a cold and logical outlook on the world, but masters of the philosophy tend to be genuinely more stoic and mentally focused than non-practitioners.

Neo-Rationalists argue that they have superior moral and philosophical insights to all other philosophies, but even most outside observers agree that their philosophy is exceptionally well-suited to describing “the natural universe.” If someone is able to attain it, Neo-Rational Heuristics, when paired with appropriate optional skills, allows for superior results. The precise determinism of Neo-Rationalism also allows reasonably accurate predictions of the future, giving some followers a spooky, nigh supernatural foresight events, thanks to Foresightful Planning. While not ubiquitous throughout the Empire, many Academy trained individuals are also Neo-Rationalist trained; some of the best admirals or investigators supplement their practice with Neo-Rational heuristics and foresightful planning.

Neo-Rationalism has modest anti-psionic benefits, mainly in the form of skepticism and the tight logic and mental discipline of a practiced Neo-Rationalist. Anti-Psionic characters, like Dawkins Nigh, like to subscribe to Neo-Rationalism, as it makes them feel like their strange powers have a purpose, namely in hunting down the “irrational” psions, and especially in proving their claims wrong.

Neo-Rationalists tend to ascribe inhuman feats of intellect to their founders. There might be a case for “supernatural” powers or some variation of the Illumination advantage, especially if Neo-Rationalism is “true.”

Neo-Rationalism 5 points

Limiting Skills: Philosophy (Neo-Rationalism)

Other Required Skills: Hobby Skill (Scientific Trivia), Literature (Rational), Writing

Cinematic Skills: Mental Strength

Techniques: Moral Insight, Philosophical Argument

Cinematic Techniques: Foresightful Planning, Heuristics

Perks: Brave, Chessmaster, Credentialed, Controllable Disadvantage (Callous), Cutting Edge (Neo-Rational Gadgets), Dabbler (Neo-Rationalist Skills), Instant Heuristics, Rules-Based Ethics, Schtick (Quote the Masters), Foresightful, Secret Knowledge (Heuristics only for Physical Phenomenon), Secret Knowledge (Foresightful Planning for Strategy only), Secret Knowledge (Mental Strength), Skeptic, Special Exercise (IQ may exceed 20).

Optional Advantages: Eidetic Memory or Photographic Memory, Foresight, Lightning Calculator or Intuitive Mathematician, Indomitable, Unfazeable

Optional Disadvantages: Callous [-5], Delusion (Psionic phenomenon are not real) [-5 or -10], Hidebound [-5], Intolerance (Irrational Philosophies) [-5], No Sense of Humor [-10], Odious Personal Habit (Smug or excessively truthful) [-5], Overconfidence [-5*], Truthfulness [-5*],

Removable Disadvantages: Alcoholism, Addiction, Bad Temper, Bloodlust, Compulsive Gambling, Gluttony, Greed, Impulsiveness, Jealousy, Laziness, Lecherousness.

Optional Skills: Administration, Criminology, Detect Lies, Intelligence Analysis, Mathematics (Pure), Meditation, Observation, Psychology, Research, Strategy, Teaching.

New Perks

Credentialed: This is a trivial reputation for how authoritative other Neo-Rationalists see the character. Apply credentialed whenever making a Reaction Modifier to see if another Neo-Rationalist will accept your testimony as valid.

Dabbler (Neo-Rationalist Skills): Covers Administration, Criminology, Detect Lies, Intelligence Analysis, Mathematics (Pure), Psychology, Strategy and Teaching.

Foresightful: The character may purchase one additional level of Foresightful. Normal characters may purchase one level, and Officers may purchase two.

Instant Heuristics: Requires Lightning Calculator. The character may use the heuristics technique instantly without any penalties.

Rules-Based Ethics: A more flavorful name for Technique Mastery: Moral Insight.

Schtick (Quote the Masters): The character always has an interesting quote from the Rationalist Classics, whether or not the player can think of one. The GM should never require the player to come up with something pithy and appropriate, and can assume the character has something appropriate to say.

Secret Knowledge (Heuristics for physical phenomenon only): The character may ignore the requirement for Illumination, however he may only apply Heuristics for learning truths about physical phenomenon, and not about moral truths or truths about psychic phenomenon. This explicitly applies to the skills of Administration, Crimonology, Detect Lies, Intelligence Analysis, Psychology and Strategy.

Skeptic: Found on page 24 of GURPS Psionic Powers.

New Skills

Hobby Skill (Scientific Trivia): The character can impress others with unimportant scientific facts, such as knowing pi out to 40 decimals, or the exact orbital distance of Sovereign from its sun, or the mass of all isotopes of oxygen. Generally used to impress other people interested in science, but might potentially act as a complementary skill for a science, engineering or math skill in circumstances where knowing an obscure bit of trivia is handy.

Closely connected to the philosophy of Neo-Rationalism is the literature of rationalism. Characters may use Literature (Rationalism), an optional specialization of Literature (thus IQ/A) as a complementary roll to generate a +1 reaction with anyone who values the Neo-Rationalist philosophy or to assist with Moral Insight or Philosophical Argument rolls.

New Techniques

Foresightful Planning (Hard)

Prerequisite: One planning skill.

Default: Prerequisite Skill-10; May not exceed Prerequisite skill.

Allows the character to buy off the -10 penalty for gaining one use of Foresight for the mission

Heuristics (Hard)

Prerequisite: Philosophy

Default: Philosophy-6; May not exceed Prerequisite skill.

See GURPS Powers: the Weird page 6.