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MINDSTARS
Psi-enhanced soldiers that don't exist..
officially.
Note: the following role description is loosely based
on
Peter
F. Hamilton's cyberpunk trilogy, Mindstar
Battalion.
The Mindstar is a very powerful role and will be reserved
for NPCs only.
In the EuroTurk War, an incredible secret weapon was
revealed by the British government,
the Mindstar Battalion.
These amazing soldiers were able to single-handedly wipe out
the Turk/Chinese cybersoldier battalions
that had marched over Italy and France with little
resistance.
Although the British Army denied it, rumor held that the
Mindstars were psychically enhanced
by use of the outlawed Espergland, an artificial gland that
amplified
the usually very nominal psychic powers of some people so
that they could perform amazing feats.
When the People's Socialist Party took over England after
the war, one of the first decrees
was that all the Mindstars should be eliminated as a threat
to public safety,
and with the use of their incredible propaganda machine, the
populace came to fear and hate
the very soldiers who had saved them from defeat by the
Turks.
Although the PSP claims to have eliminated all of the
Mindstars, reports continue to surface
of encounters with underground soldiers who can fry a
netrunner's head
just by looking at him funny or hurl telephone poles through
the air without even touching them.
Such tales are immediately discredited by the PSP. After
all, who could believe such wild stories?
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Special
Ability: Espersense
Espersense is the ability of the Mindstar to use
his Espergland to increase his psychic abilities.
Career Skills:
Awareness/Notice, Handgun, Rifle, Education (Military),
Brawling or Martial Art, Stealth, Empathy,
Telepathy,
Telekinesis
Empathy is
the ability to pick up and understand the emotions and
thought patterns of others (at level 4: +8 to Human
Perception, +6 to interrogate, +2 to Dodge/Escape, +2 to
Stealth). Successful Empathic reading requires that the
char roll a higher Espersense + Empathy - (10 - subject's
INT) on 1d10.
Telepathy is the
ability to plant emotions or suggestions in others (at
level 4: +6 to Intimidate, +6 to Seduction, +6 to
Persuasion). Successful Telepathic relay requires that
the char roll a higher Espersense + Telepathy - (10 -
subject's INT) on 1d10.
Empathy/Telepathy on animals: requires Zoology skill
of 6 or greater.
Telekinesis is the
ability to manipulate objects in the physical world. The
greater the mindstar's Telekinesis, the larger/heavier
object he will be able to manipulate.
Cybernetic Telekinesis: requires Cybertech
skill of 4 and Anatomy skill of 6. The cybernetic
telekon is specially trained to manipulate and disable
neural links in the subject. If successful, the
subject will lose control/use of any cyberware
connected to that link. The mindstar must first detect
or learn the exact location/nature of such links. Roll
a higher Espersense + Telekinesis - (10 - subject's
EMP) on 1d10.
Example: Merlin tries to disable Delorean's neural
link to his artificial heart and lungs. Merlin has
Espersense 7 and Telekinesis 3 with the qualifying
Cybertech and Anatomy skills. Delorean has an EMP of
8. Merlin must roll a 8 [7+3-(10-8)] or better
to succeed on the attack. Merlin gets lucky and rolls
a 9 and Delorean suddenly finds himself unable to
breathe and with a heart attack.
For other skill descriptions please see Skills.
As you can see, a mindstar can eventually become so
powerful nothing will be able to stop him. It is
therefore recommended that Referrees adopting the
Mindstar role use it only for NPCs or progress PCs very
slowly.
Optional Education
Pack: The Mindstar Battalion Education Pack is
available as a replacement the career skills of your
Mindstar. This pack is based on the assumption that the
character underwent military training in the Mindstar
Battalion. The Mindstar Battalion Education Pack is
available in only one level, that of Mindstar Battalion
Training. The level of each skill is indicated following the
skill.
Education Packs are an extremely generous way to pack
your character with skills, based on the assumption that
while in school you spent all your time learning and
therefore got, hello, an education. Remember that you
can't level higher than the stat associated with any skill
or higher in a career skill than your Special Ability
level.
Mindstar Battalion Training (25, 20)
[Minimum Age: 18]
Education / General Knowledge (2) -- You have been
trained by the military with the following skills:
- Reading/Writing (4) -- You can read a manual and
have the equivalent of a high school reading
level.
- Math (4) -- You know Algebra and Geometry.
- History (4) -- You have a basic understanding of
British history with military history
specialization.
- Endurance (6)
- Athletics (6)
- Dodge Escape (5)
- Handgun (5)
- Rifle (5)
- Martial Art (5) -- Choose from Judo, Boxing, or
Wrestling
- First Aid (3)
- Resist Torture/Drugs (4)
- Leadership (4)
- Hide/Evade (4)
- Shadow/Track (4)
- Wilderness Survival (5)
- Heavy Weapons (4)
- Submachine Gun (4)
- Drive (4)
- Stealth (4)
- Demolitions (2)
- Weaponsmith (5)
- Melee (5)
- Empathy (2)
- Telepathy (2)
- Telekenisis (2)
Playing the Mindstar in
FFRP:
Mindstars are generally paranoid and isolated,
never able to reveal themselves to those around them. In
a normal combat situation they will use their soldier's
training, only bringing out their telekinetic abilities
as a last resort. They much prefer to rely on empathic
and telepathic manipulation which can get them what they
want without revealing to the subject that they have just
had a brush with one of the legendary Mindstars. Overuse
of the Espergland results in a buildup of toxins in the
body, draining the mindstar and usually causing temporary
neurological side effects such as weakness, loss of
coordination, and severe headache.
Earnings: Mindstars live
not by any salary but by their wits, often aquiring goods by
simply creating the impression in the mind of the seller
that they've already paid, which of course is discovered
later to be untrue, but since the mindstars often manipulate
the memories of their victims, it's often hard for the
victim to remember just who it was that swindled them, or
how.
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