[HOE] new syker edges/hinderances

[Theo McGuckin <tsm@jlab.org>]

New edge and hinderance for you guys to critique:

Hinderance:
Meridians (-1 pt.)
	In the early days of the syker programs it was hard to find anyone
who could do more than one thing. Either you were a pyro, or a TK, or
whatever, but you couldn't do more than that one thing. Extensive testing
and autopsies of syker-program "drop outs" revealed that in most cases not
all the paths (meridians) in a syker's brain were fully developed. The
result was that most sykers only had the necessary meridians to perform
one type of syker power.
	In the century and a half that followed these meridians were fully
opened up through genetic engineering, extensive training and tightly
controlled breeding programs. But still, every now an then you got a
"throw-back" that just couldn't muster up the mental pathways to do
certain things.
	Things are worse today. With virtually NO training and no control
of who is breeding with who more and more "throw-backs" are being born
that have some of their meridians blocked.
	For each level of hinderance in meridians you take your syker
cannot perform on category of syker powers (pyrokinesis, telekinesis,
sykokinesis, biokinesis, psionics). Just pick one (or more) and never
learn any powers from it. Your syker just can't get their brain around it.
	Faraway and Earth sykers cannot take this hinderance more than
twice (any more and they would have been washed out of the program).
Greenies can take this hinderance up to four times (I guess you could take
it 5 times if you were really that dumb).
	There is one advantage to being a "one trick pony", you tend to be
good at that one trick. Sykers that still have some of their meridians
blocked show a greater propensity towards being adepts (guess that old
thing about the mind adapting to losing a part is true). Because if this
for every 2 levels of meridians that a syker takes the cost for him to
purchase the adept edge is reduced by 1. That means Banshee and Earth
sykers can take adept at a cost of 2 pts. be taking the max. of 2 in
meridians and Greenies can get adept for 2 pts. (by taking 2 or 3
meridians) or even just 1 pt. (by taking the max. of 4 meridians). You can
only do one thing, but you kick ass at it.

Tricks (1 pt.)
	This edge allows the syker to perform VERY minor feats within his
primary discipline without burning strain. All he has to do is make a
blastin' 5 roll and spend 2 wind. If he succeeds the minor effect occurs.
All tricks have a max. range of 1 yard/blastin' level.
The Marshal has ultimate say over what works and what doesn't, but here
are some suggestions:

pyrokinesis - light something on fire that is designed to be burned. A
piece of paper, match, something SOAKED in gasoline, etc. Allow the syker
to ignore damage to one limb for one round from anything fire source no
more powerful than a small campfire.

telekinesis - give something that weighs no more than 1 lbs. a shove
sufficient to knock it over (if possible) or push it a foot. Make an
object weighing less than a pound slide across the table.

psionics - read a single, random, useless thought from a person's mind
(mother's name, favorite color, city born in, etc.), great for impressing
friends at parties. Read surface emotions from one person (happy, sad,
angry). 

biokinesis - cause a temporary allergic reaction in someone that is
annoying and gives them a -1 to all actions for 1 round (must be done
again every round). Cause some type of physical twitch in a person. 

sykokinesis - detect another syker within range (or you could just look
for the baldy), put a temporary force field around a frangile object to
prevent it from breaking (ex. using tricks to stop a falling salt-shaker
from shattering, that's bad luck you know). Shoot a beam from the syker's
head that does 1d4 wind (use same rules as for brain blast regarding
hitting and what not).

Any other thoughts or suggestions?

Theo McGuckin - SysAdmin, JLab


	"A brave man loves the feel of nature on face."
	"But a wise man knows when to come in out of the rain!"