Mentalism
Mentalism is not a skill, nor a power, nor a feat, nor a power source. It doesn't exist. Move along, nothing to see here.
Mentalism is a Power Source. Well, actually, it's a Discipline of the Magic Power Source, but let's not split hairs. Mechanically, it's treated as a power source.
Mentalism is defined as the use of the mind to control supernatural power. In the discipline of Mentalism, the mind is superior to the body, or at least is the only truly necessary component of magic use. Mentalists are notable for their lack of reliance on somatic and verbal components, but there is much more to it than that: the Mentalist exercises a degree of control and mastery of his mind that no other practitioner can match.
Mastery
| Rank | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
1 | Hypercognition |
Think fast!
|
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2 | Biofeedback |
Mind over matter.
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Medium
| Rank | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Basically, you can gain knowledge, memories, skills, feats, ability scores, etc, from an unlimited number of psychic "patrons" and/or free-floating thought-forms in the astral plane. So there's that.
Automatic Abilities
The following abilities are available to all mentalists of a given rank.
| Rank | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
1 | Meditation |
You cleanse your mind and spirit of all tumult and chaos, taking control of the energies flowing within you. You must concentrate and maintain motionless, taking no action. While meditating, your body heals more rapidly; impurities such as toxins and magical effects are washed away; and your spirit (i.e. Energy) recovers more rapidly. Detailed rules within. |
|
1 | Reconfiguration |
At-will, free; you may adjust the parameters of your mind to better suit your current situation. You may subtract up to one point per rank from any one or two of your mental ability scores, and add the subtracted sum as a bonus to a third of your choice. |
|
2 | Schism |
You split off part of your mind, granting it a measure of independence. This has a variety of uses, from concentrating on multiple separate mental tasks simultaneously, to isolating harmful mental effects. Details within. |
|
4 | Uncarnate |
You separate your mind from your body; it gains the ability to act independently, moving at the speed of thought, and made out of pure energy and thought. |
Styles
When you invest in the Mentalism Power Source, you choose one style of its use. This choice is permanent.
| Style | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Human Potential |
Intelligence |
Unlocking the power of the human(oid) brain, irrespective of any spiritual beliefs. Practitioners focus on the intellect above all else. |
|
Inner Harmony |
Wisdom |
The mind, body, and spirit are parts of a unified whole; when kept in proper balance, they make the whole greater. Many such practitioners have no need of overt magic; fighters and skillmasters of every kind can benefit from this practice. |
|
Wild Talent |
Charisma |
The boldest, loudest, and most dangerous style; the wild talent is often awakened in youth, brought forth by torrents of emotion or stress that are not easily navigated at the best of times. |
Work in progress:
- Cha-style uses Overchannel, the ability to force more Energy out than you actually have. Costs the same Energy, you just treat the effect as being stronger.
- Wis-style is a master of emotion; they can channel harmful emotions into positive energy.
Feats
Rank 1
- Enhancement
- Biometabolism: When using Reconfigure, you may use Constitution as the source or destination of transferred ability points.
- Enhancement (Special)
These may not stay in this exact form. For now, they are valid.
- Thought Acceleration: At-will, free; for each point of Focus you reserve, you gain +2 to Perception, +1 to Dodge, and +1 to Initiative.
- Combat Analysis: At-will, free; for each point of Focus you reserve, you gain +1 to attack rolls and any skill checks used to inflict harm or debilitation in combat.
- Neurokinetic Enhancement: At-will, free; for each point of Focus you reserve, you gain +1 to movement, +2 to Agility checks, and +1 to melee damage.
- Psionic Fist: At-will, free; for each point of Focus you reserve, your unarmed attack damage increases by one die.
- Hypertargeting: You may use the Aim action (Ranged Weapons) as a free action by spending 1 Force Point. Can be used multiple times per round.