Psychic Numina Guide

[Hades]

Psychic Numina

Psychics are people with the ability to perceive forces hidden from mundane senses through extrasensory perception, who may then use their minds to manipulate these supernatural elements. Some people are just born with unusual gifts or raw talent that leads to the discovery of these paranormal abilities, such as telepathy, telekinesis, and clairvoyance. Psychic Numina Paths thus involve the mind perceiving and altering the material world. Reported instances of true Psychic Phenomena were once quite rare, but the last few years have been marked by a remarkable spike in psychic activity. Many of these new Psychics seem completely unaware that they possess unusual abilities. Popular culture is flooded with ghost-hunting reality shows and blog accounts that explore urban legends and investigate reported poltergeists. Some of these are actual hauntings by ghosts, but a sizeable number of these incidents are actually caused by the residents of the homes creating the -œpoltergeists- with their undiscovered psychic powers. Of course, no small number of them are false, or purveyed by charlatans, as well-¦. The origin of psychic abilities has yet to be properly scientifically explored. Currently, little concrete information exists regarding how or why these powers develop. A number of scientists and researchers who have discovered Psychic Numina have proposed the Numen Theorem, which suggests that humanity is naturally evolving psychic abilities as a biological defense against predatory supernatural creatures. Psychics are merely the first step in this new evolution of the human species.

Acquiring and Mastering Psychic Numina

Psychics are born with or develop a special gift that allows them access to areas of the brain that perform Psychic Numina. Many hunters possess a latent low-level awareness that helped them realize that there were monsters in the world. A number of parapsychologists who support the Numen Theorem believe that all humans possess the potential to access Psychic Numina with the proper training, and that hunters mark the sea change at which mankind moves from realizing it's not alone in the night to being able to do something about it. Psychics learn to focus their will and train themselves via often-grueling mental regimens to use Psychic Numina Paths. Practitioners of Psychic Numina often rely upon the Awareness Ability, along with regular exercise and good diet, to keep their minds healthy. Psychics who fail to maintain proper balance in their lives may suffer from exhaustion or, indeed, may develop mental aberrations. Storytellers may find it thematic to bestow new Flaws upon Psychic characters who exceed the limits of their endurance. Hunters who would be Psychics must acquire either a mentor with the proper knowledge or spend an extended period attempting to develop their mental abilities under controlled conditions. Some parapsychologists now train fledgling Psychics in an attempt to learn more about the new phenomenon. The occasional -œlatent Psychic- emerges untrained from the shadowed corners of the World of Darkness, but without learning proper control techniques, he may well be considered one of the monsters-¦

Psychic Numina and the Hunter Outlook

Hunters tend to be more paranoid than other mortals, and hanging around someone who might read your mind isn't a comforting situation. How can you keep secrets from freaks who can simply touch something and thereby learn everything about it? What happens if they lose control and start a fire? If vampires and Psychics are real, who's to say that it won't play out like Scanners?

These fears often lead hunters to develop their own proactive defenses against Psychics in order to protect themselves. Or a hunter may take an alternate path and try to develop Psychic Numina herself in order to gain an understanding of the unknown. Of course, that still involves a level of trust that many hunters are unwilling to grant practitioners of the paranormal.

Psychic Powers

Astral Projection

Countless people have reported out-of-body experiences during near-death situations. Spiritual pilgrims worldwide have reported strange ascents to a higher plane during mediation in which they claim to have physically seen their body from the outside. A number of parapsychologists have theorized that this phenomenon is a latent experience with Astral Projection. Astral Projection is the ability to separate the consciousness from the physical body and then explore the realm of pure thought -” the astral plane. This strange plane of existence is believed to overlay the material world and is thought by some Psychics to be populated by angels, ghosts, living memories, or other immaterial beings. The nature of the denizens of the astral plane is as yet unknown, but it is clear that some of them are malicious and unkind.

Cyberkinesis

Computers were once the sequestered tools of wealthy corporations and the academic elite, but advances in technology gradually made them affordable to the rest of the world. Tonight, innumerable residents of the World of Darkness have mobile devices in their pockets that are more powerful than the early computers that took mankind to the moon. Indeed, there are now more laptops, cell phones, and personal electronic devices than there are people in the world, and their invisible signals blanket the air, saturating the night with numinous data. Cyberkinesis is the ability to read, understand, and control these electronic devices without a direct interface. Scattered reports of this relatively new Numina Path first appeared in the late 80s; as the public consciousness came to accept computers, more and more Psychics developed this talent. Vampires fear these cyberkinetics, who wield power over the technology the undead use, and who are able to read their emails from a distance and track them via the GPS on their smart phones.

Psychometry

Some parapsychologists theorize that emotions are expressed by the human brain as a form of energy that can be absorbed by objects or places. Psychometry is the ability to read this emotional residue, called psychic resonance, and then interpret it and extrapolate information about the events and people connected to the object. Strong emotions linger, and they can be read by those with the special perception to feel and understand the psychic imprint. Places or objects exposed to these strong emotional signatures hold flashes of information that a psychometrist can read by touch.

Pyrokinesis

Pyrokinesis is the ability to conjure fire via a glance. The pyrokinetic must see his target and then concentrate to conjure flame at that location. Psychics with Pyrokinesis often live with the constant fear that their control will slip and fire will consume everything around them. Indeed, some pyrokinetics have woken to discover that they have set fire to their homes during particularly violent nightmares.

Telekinesis

Telekinesis is the ability to move things without touch, solely though the power of the mind. Objects under the Psychic's telekinetic control may be manipulated as though she were personally holding them: They may be lifted, spun, juggled, and even thrown. Some Psychics, ignorant of their special abilities, unknowingly unleash their telekinetic power, evoking the poltergeist phenomena of many of hauntings.

Biocontrol

Most psychics turn their paranormal abilities outward, sensing things beyond normal perceptions or controlling them with their wills. Other psychics turn their powers inward. Psychics with Biocontrol regulate their autonomic nervous systems with the ease that others tie their shoes. Ptoper use of Biocontrol allows a psychic to shut down pain, regulate his internal organs or even direct the flow of blood and glandular secretions at will. While some otherwise normal people learn basic techniques of biofeedback, the truly talented psychic can perform marvels beyond all but the most dedicated meditative disciple.

Channeling

Some psychics have the ability to draw upon the knowl- edge of those who have passed on. Channelers tap the knowledge and experience of the dead, briefly obtaining skills that they personally lack. Some psychics have a repertoire of spirits they can call on for help and assistance. Others claim that they tap the collective unconscious.

Clairvoyance

A clairvoyant has the ability to cast his senses away, allowing him to perceive people, places or things at great distances. Though technically Clairvoyance refers specifi- cally to remote sight, some psychics can also cast forth their hearing or other senses as well. Unlike astral projection, the clairsentient does not separate his consciousness from his body; he remains aware of what's going on around him (though this can be very confusing if the psychic tries to concentrate upon two locations at once). Similarly, the clairvoyant does not travel through the intervening space- he simply perceives whatever happens at the target site as if he stood there.

Ectoplasmic Generation

Among the more freakish psychic phenomena, Ectoplas- mic Generation coalesces the stuff of spirits -” plasm -” into a tangible form. Through force of will and personality, the psychic tugs on ghostly energies and makes them solid. Most often, this manifests as a mucusy gel, though skilled psychics can disperse it or concentrate it to make oddly glistening webs, sticky vapors and the like. Such creations are rather disturbing and correspond to no known physical chemistry; indeed, ectoplasm tends to "dissolve" into the nothingness of the Underworld after a short time and defies scientific analysis. For wraiths, all ectoplasmic creations are solid. They cannot pass through ectoplasmic mists. Psychics who attack wraiths with ectoplasmic entities do full damage to the ghosts, although they would need some way of perceiving the dead in their "Shadowlands."

Psychic Hypnosis

Many hypnotists promise results. Some even produce them. Psychics with hypnotic powers dwarf the abilities of the best carnival hucksters. Though their abilities lack the speed of a vampite's mental commands or the effects of the Mind Sphere, hypnotic psychics achieve many of the same results, with enough time and effort.

Mind Shields

Some psychics' possess shields that protect their minds from mental attacks, be they psychic assaults, vampiric Domination, magic spells or other ensorcelment. The discipline of the psychic's mind, die confusion of his thoughts or just some innate talent makes him resistant to outside influence.

Precognition

One of the rarer psychic talents is that of precognition, and only the singular talent approaches the clarity of vision for accurate prediction. Seeing the future is difficult, as the probabilities shift with each action. The best psychics travel the most accurate probability tracks, but no seer (except for the fabled Cassandra) has seen the future with 100 percent accuracy.

Psychic Healing

Psychic healers are a rare breed, even among the gifted. The ability to heal is both a blessing and a curse. These powers can become a problem for the psychic, though, as she becomes
a target to people seeking her miraculous aid or becomes hunted by the medical establishment for practicing medicine without a license. Still, psychic healing does accomplish incredible feats; with contact, the psychic banishes pain and directs the body to speed its natural recovery or even to fight off infections or diseases with intelligent direction. Many psychics with this talent have a great deal of medical skill, though rarely via formal training. Most also have a strong empathy with other humans and a tendency to feel the pain and suffering of others.

Psychic Invisibility

Psychic Invisibility could be considered a form of mass hypnosis. The psychic broadcasts to everyone nearby the simple subconscious command "don't notice me." This effeet does not apply to electronic or other recording media, though people in the area but observing through electronic means (like a TV cameraman looking through the viewfinder of the camera or someone wearing night-vision goggles) will not see the invisible psychic.

Psychic Vampirism

Most psychic talents are tools. They can be used for the benefit of others or to harm, depending on the moral character of the psychic. Psychic vampirism is the exception to the rule. Whether the talent shapes the psychic or the psychic shapes the talent is the subject of many a late-night discussion among the gifted, but psychic vampirism tends to bring out the worst in people. In addition to the debilitating effects it has on the target, it produces a euphoria in the psychic, a mental rush that nothing else compares to. The psychic literally drains away emotion from his victims, or in some cases, actual living energies, converting them into energy for himself. The psychic vampire often becomes addicted to the sensation -” feeling a rush from the draw and desiring the extra energy, vibrance and emotion granted.

Psychoportation

Psychoportation is the ability to teleport oneself and one's immediate possessions over short distances without physically crossing the intervening space. The psychic simply "disappears" from one place and "reappears" in another. Whether the psychic disassembles and reassembles, warps space, travels astrally or finds some other form of motion, nobody knows -” but here one moment, gone the next, the psychic can often leap without a care for the laws of physics.

Synergy

One of the rarest psychic abilities is the talent of psychic Synergy. Two or more psychics combine their abilities, giving the combined psychic gestalt more power than the psychics using their talents individually. The synergist can link together twice as many psychics in a mental metaconcert as he has dots in Synergy. The combined psychics must be touching each other to form the link.

Telepathy

In simplest form, Telepathy is the ability to read minds. The telepath must be able to sense the target to read the target's mind. The power is rarely so simple as reading text from a book, though -” rather, a telepath senses impressions and, with experience, learns to pick out subtexts, streams of consciousness, motives and eventually the sort of inner monologue or impulse that often drives a subject. Some skilled telepaths can not only read minds, but can plant suggestions or speak with a "mental voice" in the mind of a target.

[Raven]

this is a very nice guide
we should put together some money to buy hades some glasses as a thank you

[Jeffrey Gain]

Sorcerer Revised needs to be added to the Lore Books if you're including Numina abilities from there(which you are)!

[Hades]

this is a very nice guide
we should put together some money to buy hades some glasses as a thank you

[C. White]

hades making sure telekinesis looks best

i wonder why