The Psionic Arts of Communion

Traditional Keleni Healing Arts (Jalteran) 5 points

King Kashekim Nedakh by DrMistyTang

Jalteran refers to a specific guild of healers within the Keleni culture, thus referring to their preferred style of healing would be like calling Western medicine “Doctoring,” but nonetheless the word has stuck around. Jalteran is the unique practice of “folk healing” that the Keleni have been practicing for centuries and has become virtually synonymous with True Communion, to the point that those who practice the art might even call the location of practice a “temple,” and those who regularly attend for treatments might refer to themselves as “Followers of Communion.” Some healers embrace this, and also hold religious services on the side or act as mentors, while genuine Communion temples will also learn Jalteran to fulfill the dual expectations of those who come to their temple.

The Keleni healing arts derive their premise from the core principle that the physical is just a manifestation of the mental; this means that the health of the body is ultimately a reflection of the health of the mind. To purge someone of an illness requires that person to at least calm their mind and find harmony between their conscious mind and the subconscious id that rules their physical manifestation.

The most common forms of treatment are meditative. The healer first diagnosis the illness and what might be causing it; such diagnoses are often abstract, but some Keleni healers are astute psychologists and can find genuine psychological issues that the patient currently suffers from. Next, the healer guides the patient through meditative exercises, teaching them to turn their eye inward and calm whatever inner turmoil they have to better improve their physical state. To facilitate this, some healers learn the art of massage and interior decoration (creating a calm space will help create a calm mind). What effects this has tends to be questionable and ultimately depend on what the GM will allow Esoteric Medicine to do: it will certainly helps heal psychic issues (such as psychic crippling) and curing diseases that are psychic in origin as well as physician would cure the physical equivalent; for physical ailments, it generally does little more than provide a +1 to HT rolls to naturally recover.

While not required to learn the Keleni healing arts, most Keleni who practice them also study the Psychic Healing power, something Keleni naturally excel at. By putting the patient in a meditative state, they have a far easier time practicing their craft and their study of esoteric, psychic principles prevent them from ruining their target’s psyche or body during delicate procedures. Their near miraculous ability to heal nearly any problem via psychic healing contributes to the belief that anyone who engages in the trappings of the Jalteran will be as effective, which has led to a reputation of quackery. Rumors also persist of Jalteran sages who can cure aging and are thus both immortal and capable of granting that immortality to others. At the GM’s discretion, this can be true! But even if it is not, the perception of its truth drives many a wealthy or powerful man to seek out the finest Jalteran physician.

Keleni practitioners of Jalteran often have the honorific suffix -alta added to their name.

Required Skills: Diagnosis, Esoteric Medicine, Meditation, Philosophy (True Communion).

Additional Psionic Skills: Aura Reading, Cure, Disease Shield

Cinematic Skills: Mental Strength, Pressure Points

Secret Psionic Skills: Life Extension

Techniques: Introspective Ceremony

Perks: Auric Squint, Healing Bond, Healing Massage, Healthy Decoration, Meditative Massage, Secret Power (Life Extension, up to level 2), Sacred Healing, Soothing Touch, Stabilizing Skill (Psychic Healing, Esoteric Medicine), Wishful Medicine,

Optional Advantages: Psychic Healing Talent, Sensitive or Empathy

Optional Disadvantages: Charitable, Disciplines of Faith (Asceticism or Mysticism), Delusion (“Holistic medicine can cure anything”), Reputation (Quack)

Optional Skills: Artist (Interior Decorating), Exorcism, Expert Skill (Psionic), Teaching, Professional Skill (Massage), Psychology

Sacred Body Mastery (Jatuste Jakexa) 6 points

From the perspective of True Communion, the body is an extension of the mind. Just as the mind can heal the ailments of the body, so too can it control its motions and rhythms. Furthermore, by bringing the mind into unity with Communion, the body itself becomes healthier and stronger, until it becomes a sacred extension of the divine gestalt.

Sacred Body Mastery represents a series of exercises and forms that one can use while meditating to achieve greater unity with Communion and deeper mastery over the body. This is a fundamentally psionic art, and centers around the Psychic Healing ability of Psychometabolism and a variety of secret techniques that allow the practitioner to reshape how the psychic flow of his life force moves through his body. Masters also learn to regenerate their body with their own psychic energy and, according to legend, to greatly extend their life. Many templars practice the technique, and it explains many of their more legendary feats, such as their prodigious leaps, their phenomenal speed, or their ability to survive horrible wounds or even seemingly “return from the dead.”

Non-psionic characters may also practice the motions and learn some aspects of the style. The GM may allow non-psionic practitioners to replace Psychometabolism with Body Control, provided they are Trained by a Master.

Required Skills: Acrobatics, Esoteric Medicine, Meditation, Philosophy (True Communion).

Required Psionic Skills: Psychometabolism

Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap, Immovable Stance, Light Walk, Power Blow, Pressure Points

Techniques: Body Mastery, Deep Trance

Secret Psionic Skills: Life Extension

Secret Psionic Techniques: Metabolic Coordination, Metabolic Might, Metabolic Power, Metabolic Speed, Metabolic Tenacity.

Perks: Afflicted Concentration (Pain), Attribute Substitution (Power Blow from HT), Body Discipline (Acrobatics), Life-Force, Life-Force Burn, Psi-Strike (Psychic Healing, Unarmed Strikes Only), Secret Power (Life Extension, level 1 only), Skill-Assisting Psi (Psychic Healing: Auto-Hypnosis), Skill-Assisting Psi (Psychic Healing: Power-Blow), Stabilizing Skill (Psychic Healing, Esoteric Medicine), Special Exercise (HP may exceed ST by 100%)

Optional Secondary Traits: HP

Optional Advantages: DR with the Tough Skin limitation (up to 5 levels), Fit or Very Fit, Flexibility or Double-Jointed, High Pain Threshold, Inner Healing, Perfect Balance, Trained by a Master.

Optional Disadvantages: Disciplines of Faith (Asceticism or Mysticism), Odious Personal Habit (Finnicky Eater or Fad Dieter)

Optional Skills: Breath Control, Climbing, Judo, Jumping, Karate, Savoir-Faire (Dojo), Running,

Optional Cinematic Skills: Body Control

Guidance (Jalaseran) 5 points

Alternate Names: The Art of the Host, The Great Keleni Conspiracy, Jatuste Jalamen

The Keleni have long been an oppressed and enslaved people. Despite their low status, again and again, they find themselves in high positions: rulers, emperors and warlords often raise them to the position of adviser, healer, or even beloved companion in reward for their loyalty, intelligence and wisdom or, perhaps because they have fallen under the influence of the Keleni’s natural telepathic powers!

The enemy of the Keleni, including those who would keep them enslaved or those who feel alienated by their unusual culture and their refusal to submit to the beliefs of others like to whisper stories of Keleni conspiracies. They spin every example of a successful Keleni merchant or influential Keleni administrator as proof of some sinister ambition of the Keleni as a whole. They suggest that the Keleni use their telepathy to read the minds of others, to influence with subtlety until they achieve a position of power and then plan on usurping that position and throwing society into chaos!

This paranoia has a core of truth to it. The Keleni have long practiced social techniques focused on humility, understanding and careful suggestion that would allow them to achieve their social ends (whether that be speaking on the behalf of their community or drawing the interest of a powerful aristocrat in search of a good servant). Ultimately, Guidance is a form of humble diplomacy that allows the practitioner to defuse fights and petition those in positions above him to assist them and his community or, at least, spare them. Some Templars like to study the style so as to solve a crisis without resorting to bloodshed; they see it as an act of mercy rather than a means of conspiracy.

The style below presents a compromise; it contains some means of manipulation and some means of diplomacy. GMs who wish to emphasize a more conspiratorial form of Guidance can add more conspiratorial optional traits.

Required Skills: Acting, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Savoir-Faire (Servant)

Additional Psionic Skills: Emotion Sense, Mindwipe, Mind Clouding, Mind Shield, Sleep, Suggestion.

Techniques: Cutting Out, Elevated Speech, Elicitation, Hinting

Psionic Techniques: Amnesia (Suggestion), Hide Signature (Any), Independent (Suggestion), Mass Wipe,

Cinematic Techniques: Beguilement, Personal Guarantee

Perks: Cultural Familiarity, Disarming Smile, Honest Face, Ignorable, Political Hack, The Buzz

Optional Advantages: Pitiable, Smooth Operator, Voice

Optional Disadvantages: Secret (Conspirator)

Optional Skills: Administration, Brainwashing, Expert Skill (Conspiracy Theory), Fortune Telling, Hidden Lore (Conspiracies), Law (Any), Mind Block, Observation, Politics, Psychology, Public Speaking

Optional Psionic Skills: Mental Surgery

New Traits

New Psychic Healing Abilities

Life Extension

1/level

Skill: Life Extension (IQ/Hard)

The character may use the Life Extension power on page 48 of GURPS Psionic Powers; the mechanics are identical, only the cost is lowered to 1 point/level because aging is not a major mechanical issue in Psi-Wars, only a narrative concern. Despite its low cost, the GM is encouraged by make learning this ability difficult!

Statistics: Special Option (May live longer than normal) [1]; Level 2 adds “May effect single external party +100%”.

Inner Healing

9/23/45/69

Skill: None

The character has internalized his own psychic healing ability, strengthening the connection between mind and body such that he automatically draws healing energy from the psychic energies around him. At level 1, the character heals 1 HP every 12 hours; at level 2 he heals 1 HP every hour; level 3 heals 1 HP every minute and level 4 allows the character to either heal 1 HP per minute or up to 10 HP per second at a cost of 1 FP per HP.

Statistics: Regeneration (Slow; Psychic Healing -10%) [9; level 2 improves this to Regeneration (Normal; Psychic Healing -10%) [23]; level 3 improves this to Regeneration (Fast; Psychic Healing -10%) [45]; Level four is Regeneration (Extreme, 1-10 FP per second -50%, Psychic Healing -10%) [60] with Regeneration (Fast, Psychic Healing -10%) as an alternative ability [9].

Psychometabolism

4.5/level

Skill: Psychometabolism (HT/Hard)

You can psychically control your normally involuntary biological functions. Each level grants +1 to any HT rolls where such control would benefit the character. See B68 for additional details. The Psychometabolism skill may be used to fool doctors while in a deathlike trance, to perform First Aid upon oneself, and replaces Body Control for all purposes.

Statistics: Metabolism Control (Psychic Healing -10%) [4.5]

New Perks

Healing Decoration: The character may use interior decorating skills to create a “healing space” for a patient. One hour of work and an Artist (Interior Decorating) skill roll will create a space in which the character gains +1 to all Esoteric Medicine or Psychic Healing rolls.

Healing Massage: The character is proficient in using massage to heal patients. Professional Skill (Masseuse) acts as a superior complimentary roll to Esoteric Medicine or any Psychic Healing rolls, adding +2 on a successful roll (or +3 on a critical success, -1 on a failure, and -2 on a critical failure).

Life Force: Magic allows players the option to spend HP instead of HP, applying the same -1 to skill per HP spent.

Life-Force Burn: See Thaumatology: Magic Styles page 27

Meditative Massage: The character has mastered the art of using massage to bring a sense of enlightenment and inner peace to their client. The character may either roll Professional Skill (Masseuse) as a complimentary roll to the target’s Meditation roll, or may roll their own Professional Skill (Masseuse) skill in place of the target’s Meditation, as with a meditative ceremony.

Political Hack: See Social Engineering page 79

Sacred Healing: Improve all rolls to recover from an injury, or to Esoteric Medicine rolls by +1 if in an area of High True Communion Sanctity, or +2 if in an are of Very High True Communion Sanctity.

Wishful Medicine: Thinking good thoughts actually works! After receiving an esoteric treatment, you may roll IQ in place of HT to recover from an injury or from sickness or posion.

New Techniques

Beguilement

Hard

Default: Prerequisite Skill-5

Prerequisite: Voice and any of Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Performance, Politics, Public Speaking, Sex Appeal, or Singing; cannot exceed prerequisite skill

See Pyramid #3/54 page 6.

Cutting Out

Hard

Default: Prerequisite Skill-4

Prerequisite: Any Per-Based social interaction skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill

See Social Engineering page 81

Elevated Speech

Average

Default: Savoir-Faire (High Society or Servant).

Prerequisite: Savoir-Faire (High Society or Servant); May not exceed Savoir-Faire (High Society or Servant)+5.

See Pyramid #3/54 page 5.

Elicitation

Hard

Default: Prerequisite Skill.

Prerequisite: Any Influence Skill except Intimidation; May not exceed Prerequisite Skill+5.

See Pyramid #3/54 page 5.

Hinting

Hard

Default: Prerequisite Skill.

Prerequisite: Any Influence Skill; May not exceed Prerequisite Skill+5.

See Social Engineering page 81

Personal Guarantee

Hard

Default: Diplomacy -2;

Prerequisite: Charisma 1 (or Telepathy Talent 1) and Diplomacy; cannot exceed Diplomacy.

See Pyramid #3/54 page 7.

New Psionic Techniques

Body Mastery

Hard

Default: Psychometabolism-4;

Prerequisite: Psychometabolism; May not exceed Psychometabolism.

The character may apply the benefit of Psychometabolism to HT for any roll HT uses. While the character must still pay fatigue, this technique may be used reflexively and unconsciously (for example, to improve a roll to see if the character dies while said character is unconscious).

Metabolic Coordination

Hard

Default: Psychometabolism-10;

Prerequisite: Psychometabolism level 5; May not exceed Psychometabolism skill.

You split the psychic flows within your body so that you may do multiple things at once; this technique allows you to attack twice, provided those attacks use two separate parts of the body. Once initiated, this effect lasts for a minute and replaces the normal benefits of Pyschometabolism.

Metabolic Might

Hard

Default: Psychometabolism-4;

Prerequisite: Psychometabolism; May not exceed Psychometabolism.

You may, for the next minute, gain a bonus to your Lifting ST equal to your Metabolic Control level in place of your usual HT bonus.

Metabolic Power

Hard

Default: Psychometabolism-8;

Prerequisite: Psychometabolism; May not exceed Psychometabolism.

You may, for the next minute, gain a bonus to your Striking ST equal to your Metabolic Control level in place of your usual HT bonus.

Metabolic Speed

Hard

Default: Psychometabolism-8;

Prerequisite: Psychometabolism; May not exceed Psychometabolism.

You may, for the next minute, gain a bonus to your Basic Speed (improving your reaction time, your basic move and your dodge) equal to ¼ your Metabolic Control level in place of your usual HT bonus.

Metabolic Tenacity

Hard

Default: Psychometabolism-8;

Prerequisite: Psychometabolism; May not exceed Psychometabolism.

You may, for the next minute, gain extreme resistance to pain in place of your usual HT bonus. If your Metabolic Control level was 2, gain High Pain Threshold. If your Metabolic Control level was 3, gain High Pain Threshold with an additional +5 to resist knock-down rolls, stunning rolls, and afflictions related to pain or stunning and all HT rolls to recover form being stunned. If you Metabolic Control level was 6 or higher, you may ignore all the above effects.