

MINDSTAR

Psi-enhanced Super Soldiers Hunted by the Government that Made
Them
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?

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
twice, first for detection and second for disable.
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 an 8 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
Referees adopting the Mindstar role use it only for NPCs or progress
PCs very slowly.
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.
Subcatagories to the Mindstar role:
- Precognator
- Very rare Espergland ability which allows the Mindstar to
see all future events probabilities. Precognators have a very
high rate of suicide and psychosis.
- Cyber-Sniper
- Mindstars who are particularly skillful in telekinetic
alteration of cyberware.
- Pet-Pals
- Mindstars who are able to control animals and hybrids.
Earnings: Mindstars live not by any salary but by their wits,
often acquiring 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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