CHANGELOG - TLDR, what’s changed?
Removed Speed of Thought as a feature and made it a Veteran Iconic Edge. Iconic and Power Edges are now 7, equal to the Cyber-Knight.
Added Psionic Mastery (Power Stunts from SPC) and Tricks of the Mind (Power Tricks from SPC) to replace it.
PSYCHIC POWERHOUSE: MIND MELTER
Imagine a person’s liquified brain oozing forth from their ears, mouth, and nose. For many this is exactly the image invoked when the think of the awesome psychics known as Mind Melters. The name Mind Melter itself developed on the streets but it was the Coalition propaganda machine that made the term universal. In a concerted campaign to turn the public against these “Dominator class psychics” they cemented the name, and the stigma, in the public’s mind. Despite the reputation that precedes them most Mind Melters generally wear the name like a badge of honor, reveling in the respect and (far more often) fear their very presence generates. Even the ones with a more noble or gentle intent grasp just how terrifying their powerful minds are.
Mind Melters are masters of manipulating psionic energies. Only experience and training limits what they are capable of. To them, the energies of every mind create a tapestry depicting the past and the future, as well as all possible present moments, and they can grab any thread they like, tug it out of order, and rethread it as they will.
Some use this power for benevolent purposes, trying to defend the weak and make the world a better place. Others seek only personal power and aggrandizement. All must use their strange abilities, however, for the constant thrum of power in their very soul cannot be denied.
HERO’S JOURNEY (FIVE ROLLS)
Mind Melters get three rolls on any of the following tables: Enchanted Items & Mystic Gadgets, Experience & Wisdom, or Psionics. They also get two additional roll on any table except Cybernetics or Magic & Mysticism.
A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO MELT
Mind Melters are the epitome of the Master Psionic, beginning with extraordinary power and developing more of it over time. They possess the core powers of the Arcane Background (Psionics), and can take Master Psionic Powers as well. While they do not possess the Burster’s capacity for raw devastation, they have an extraordinarily wide array of capabilities they can bring to bear in almost any situation.
Mind Melters are highly resistant to psionic abilities, making them excellent partners to have along when dealing with inherently psionic beings and monsters. Like Bursters, Mind Melters tend to be confident in their own powers, rarely depending on mundane armor and weapons. They enjoy using Techno-Wizard devices when they can acquire them. Like any psionic, they can power such items with their ISP instead of the usual PPE required.
Mind Melters have the definitive list of powers for the Psionics Arcane Background:
armor, barrier, blind, bolt, boost/lower Trait, clairvoyance, confusion, damage field, darksight, deflection, disguise, dispel, divination, drain Power Points, entangle, environmental protection, farsight, fear, fly, havoc, healing, illusion, intangibility, invisibility, mind reading, pummel, puppet, slow, slumber, smite, speak language, stun, telekinesis, telepathy, teleport, warrior’s gift. This, plus detect/conceal arcana, is the same list for others with the Arcane Background (Psionics) Edge.
MIND MELTER ABILITIES AND BONUSES
- See and Alter Aura: Mind Melters can use conceal arcana and detect arcana, with no ISP cost, as a free action on their turn. She must pay ISP as normal to use the Exalted version of either power, though they are still free actions.
Arcane Background (Psionics): A Mind Melter begins with a great knowledge and understanding of psionics. She begins with five powers from the list above, 20 ISP, and a d8 Psionics skill.
Major Psionics: Mind Melters have the Major Psionic edge and can spend 2 ISP to gain a +1 with any Psionic skill roll, or 4 ISP for a +2 (paid before the roll is made). These effects are doubled when on a ley line. Each time they take the Power Points edge, she gains +10 ISP (instead of 5).
Mental Resistance: A Mind Melter's protective sixth sense applies to much more than simply warning against attacks. It also helps to erect psionic shields that provide +4 to all checks to resist psionic effects, and +4 armor against psionic damage. This stacks with Arcane Resistance.
On occasion, when pushed, it can do more than that. By spending a benny, this resistance can apply to any opposed power regardless of the arcane source.
Psionic Mastery: Spend a benny to use any power on the Mind Melter power list. This may be done a number of times per session equal to one half her Spirit die.
Trick of the Mind: The Mind Melter may spend 2 ISP to add the following Power Tricks to any power they use that turn..- • Delay: The victim must trade his current Action Card with the next character lower than him (he can’t trade with a character on Hold). If the victim already acted this round, the trade occurs on the following round unless the target gets the Joker (which negates the effect).
• Lower Defenses: The target’s Parry is lowered by 2 until his next action. This is simply a different way to successfully perform the Trick maneuver (see Savage Worlds), so it does not stack with a regular Trick.
• Lower Trait: One of the target’s attributes and all linked skills suffer a –2 penalty on his next action.
• Setup: Allies get a +2 bonus against the victim until his next action.
• Slow: The target’s Pace is halved on his next action.
- • Delay: The victim must trade his current Action Card with the next character lower than him (he can’t trade with a character on Hold). If the victim already acted this round, the trade occurs on the following round unless the target gets the Joker (which negates the effect).
- A Little Odd: Though hardly as far gone as a Crazy, Mind Melters tend to be a little different due to the nature of their powers. Each Mind Melter begins with the Quirk Hindrance.
Cybernetics: No remotely sane Mind Melter would allow any cybernetics to ruin their carefully tuned mind or body. Medical necessity might dictate otherwise, but such characters suffer −1 to the Psionics skill for each point of Strain.
Enemies: Mind Melters not working for the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion are shot on sight by all Coalition troops, then shot again to be certain they’re dead. Those working for the Coalition don’t usually lack for enemies or prejudice. True Federation folks also tend to hate them.
Feared: Though it’s possible to hide his true nature, if the general populace discovers the presence of a Mind Melter, they tend to be very nervous—and possibly outright terrified. Mind Melters suffer a −2 Charisma when dealing with those who fear them.
SFD Huntsman Lightweight Personal Armor, NG-33 Laser Pistol, NG-S2 Survival Pack, 4d6 × 100 credits.
New/Revised Iconic Edges
- Intimidating Aura [Power]
Requirements: Mind Melter, telepathy, Intimidate d6+, Seasoned
While the Mind Melter has telepathy active, the Mind Melter can, for the power’s duration, add the value of any of his negative Charisma modifiers (including any situational modifiers) as a bonus on Intimidation checks, as she is surrounded by a barely perceptible aura of domination and fear.
Melting of the Minds [Iconic]
Requirements: Mind Melter, Mentalist, Spirit d8, Psionics d10, mind reading or stun power, Veteran
Not every Mind Melter lives up to the terrifying lies the Coalition propaganda machine would have you believe, but yours does. When a Mind Melter uses one of her powers that can be resisted, she puts her entire will and the totality of her experience behind it. Sometimes, she creates a greater link between her and her target. Such a link is rarely good for the target of one of these powers. When resisting Mind Melter powers if the target that rolls a 1 or less on his roll to resist, after any modifiers, is shaken as his mind begins to “melt” against the Mind Melter’s mental onslaught. On a raise, a target that rolls a 1 or less on his roll to resist, after any modifiers, cries a terrible scream as his mind is invaded by the Mind Melter, who channels her own experiences and imagination to his mind, adding her psychic oomph to the verbal cry. The shockwave of this psychically backed scream causes the target to be shaken along with all of his allies in a Large Burst Template who fail a Spirit roll as his baleful cry and the emanating psychic wave hits them.
Psychic Body Field [Power]
Requirements: Mind Melter, armor power, Veteran
Yet another powerful manifestation of will and telekinetic strength, the Psychic Body Field provides the psionic with increased protection from telekinetic force fields that makes the entire bonus from the armor power one of toughness. The greater armor power has two armor added, half of which counts as toughness, and the rest counts as M.D.C. armor. The Mind Melter simply activates her armor or greater armor power, summoning the Psychic Body Field.
Psychic Domination [Iconic]
Requirements: Mind Melter, puppet power, Spirit d8, Seasoned
Possessed of incredible will and the ability to control the minds of others, a Mind Melter can use the puppet power without using ISP. Each time he uses it, she must make a Vigor roll to resist gaining a level of Fatigue. The power may be maintained with I.S.P. once the initial duration runs out. Each subsequent use of the power imposes a cumulative −2 penalty on the Vigor check until she gets a full night’s rest (eight hours). It is possible for a Mind Melter to Incapacitate herself with this ability. Fatigue levels gained from Psychic Domination can only be recovered with eight hours of rest (succor cannot restore). Mind control must be activated normally.
- Psychic Ensnarement [Iconic]
Requirements: Psychic Domination edge, Legendary
A Mind Melter can control minds for an extended period of time. He does this by reducing his maximum ISP by the cost of the mind control power (6 ISP) and suffering a −1 penalty on all other actions for each person under his control. The being remains bound to his service until he releases it, no matter the distance, or the dominated person is Incapacitated (in either case, freeing the person from psychic servitude). As usual, any time a target is forced to do something completely against his nature, he gains a new opposed roll to break control. As per mind control, a success enables him to resist the action, doing nothing instead. A raise means he’s completely free of this ability.
Prerequisite: Mind Melter, Veteran, Spirit d8
Mind Melters can pull out all the stops to really gain the advantage by using their psychic prowess to activate powers at the speed of thought or counter psychic mental lapses. This ability allows the Mind Melter to use any power known as a free action. There are three limitations to this talent:- • If more than one power is activated this way only one wild die is rolled and bolt cannot be used except in its singular forum.
• This Talent can be used a number of times per session equal to half their Spirit die.
• There is an additional -2 per rank penalty to the psionics roll that the power is over the rank of the Mind Melter.
Requirements: Mind Melter, barrier power, Veteran
When activating the barrier power, the Mind Melter adds 4 armor to the power. To stalwart walls it adds +2 toughness and +2 armor, which remains M.D.C. The Mind Melter simply activates her barrier or stalwart walls power, summoning the Telekinetic Force Field which reinforces the barrier. - Psychic Ensnarement [Iconic]