First Order
Type: Sensory
Registration: Acceptable
Insanity Test: Challenging/1 Insanity Point
Intellect Required: 4
Tenacity Required: 5
Power Prerequisites: None
Load Time: 1 turn
Difficulty: Easy
Orgone Initiation Cost: 1 for first hour
Orgone Maintenance Cost: 1 per hour
Effects: Empathic para-psychics have the ability to read other people’s emotions. It’s a totally passive ability – empaths read, they do not psychically influence. However, understanding other people’s emotional states give empaths the ability to better deal with them. Empaths are recruited for many jobs, particularly corporate negotiations and for psychotherapy. However, it’s considered bad taste to put an empath in the room without telling everybody first.
An empathic para-psychic’s sensitivity is based on his ability. The social skills that Empathy affects include Intimidate, Misdirect, Persuade, Savoir-Faire, and Seduction. Any bonuses to social skill use from a para-psychic with both the Empathy and other powers are added together.
- Student: You can read strong, current emotions. You don’t know what their cause is, however. You get a +1 Test or Contest Bonus when using social skills or for uses of the Psychological Medicine skill.
- Novice: You can read the target’s current emotions, but you don’t know their cause. You get a +2 Test or Contest Bonus when using social skills or for uses of the Psychological Medicine skill.
- Adept: You can read the target’s current emotions and you know their cause. You get a +3 Test or Contest Bonus when using social skills or for uses of the Psychological Medicine skill.
- Expert: You can read everything but the most hidden emotions, you know their cause, and you know things you can do to make them change. You get a +4 Test or Contest Bonus when using social skills or for uses of the Psychological Medicine skill.
- Master: You can read even the most hidden emotions, you know their cause, and you know things you can do to make them change. You get a +5 Test or Contest Bonus when using social skills or for uses of the Psychological Medicine skill.
Manifestations: None – this power is completely invisible. While it feels different on the inside to different para-psychics, the outer appearance is the same.
Specializations: Intimidate, Misdirect, Persuade, Savoir-Faire, Seduction
Usage Fee: Adept (Legal) 70 Tn/hour, Adept (Illegal) 140 Tn/hour, Master (Legal) 140 Tn/hour, Master (Illegal) 280 Tn/hour
