Sample Character #7: Psychic

Psychic

[GM Notes: A broad archetype, with many variations on the theme. I’ve gone with the “floating, force-field using, telepathic/telekinetic/pyrokinetic”-type like the Greys (Jean and Rachel) in the Marvel Universe. A build like this also works as a better version of Carrie White, all grown up and living in a superhero universe. I’ll be making some notes throughout on ideas for customization.] 

Abilities: 0 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 10 + 4 = 24PP
Strength: 10 (+0)
Dexterity: 12 (+1) 
Constitution: 14 (+2) 
Intelligence: 14 (+2)
Wisdom: 20 (+5) 
Charisma: 14 (+2) 

[GM Notes: Intelligent, but not a comic-book style genius, insightful, but still capable of making mistakes - this is about right for a Jean/Rachel Grey build. If you’re looking for someone more like Emma Frost, raise her Charisma and Intelligence substantially - probably at the expense of dropping Flight, Move Object, and some of the bigger psychic powers below. You’d probably need to use another sheet like my Martial Artist (as discussed below) to make a psychic ninja type.] 

Combat: 8 + 10 = 18PP
Initiative: +1
Attack: +4
Defense: +6 (+5 Base, +1 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed
Grapple: +4/+20 with Telekinesis
Knockback: -7/-1

[GM Notes: Dropping to PL 2.5 offensively and PL 4 defensively without her powers, she’s in pretty bad shape if her powers get nullified. For something more like a Psylocke psychic ninja type, rework my Martial Artist build to reflect psychic powers on someone who is also physically fit. Remember that she doesn’t need to roll Attack to use her powers most of the time - her powers are Perception range. Her Grapple score is double the rank of her Perception Range Move Object - which is how it works according to Steve Kenson. You could squeeze some points out here by dropping her Attack and Defense even further, using Dodge Focus to make up for the latter.] 

Saves: 3 + 4 + 5 = 12PP
Toughness: +14/+2 (+2 Con, +12 Force Field)
Fortitude: +5 (+2 Con, +3)  
Reflex: +5, (+1 Dex, +4) 
Will: +15/+10 (+5 Wis, +5 Enhanced Will, +5) 

[GM Notes: Her unassailable Will makes her nigh-invulnerable to psychic attack. Note that I’ve deliberately overspent here (she doesn’t really _need_ to have a maxed-out Will save, especially with her Ultimate Will) - rejuggling her Enhanced Will Save (or even her regular Will save) will give you plenty of PP to spend elsewhere. You should definitely keep her Will at a minimum of 10, given that she is a psychic. There’s no reason for this concept to be particularly sturdy or quick, so her other exotic saves are not great.] 
 

Skills: 36R=9PP
Concentration 12 (+17) 
Knowledge (Life Sciences) 3 (+5) ^{Skill Mastery} 
Medicine 1 (+6) ^{Skill Mastery} 
Notice 10 (+15) ^{Skill Mastery} 
Sense Motive 10 (+15) ^{Skill Mastery} 

[GM Notes: These skills might seem bare-bones - but OTOH she’s a perfectly competent team doctor and biologist, she just doesn’t have the sky-high skills of a super-scientist. Concentration is a crucial skill for her, given that it lets her keep using her powers even when distracted, dazed, stunned, or otherwise put in a problematic situation. The high Notice and Sense Motive help give her the kind of keen insight into the human condition that psychics so often have.] 

Feats: 6PP
Dodge Focus 
Interpose 

Luck
Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers) 
Skill Mastery (Knowledge [Life Sciences], Medicine, Notice, Sense Motive) 
Trance 
Ultimate Save (Will) 

[GM Notes: Pretty standard feats for a psychic. Note that she can’t use combat feats most of the time because her powers are all Perception-range - you’ll only be rolling to hit something if you pick something up and throw it at someone, maybe a motorcycle at your two-timing Canadian boyfriend. She’s got the Interpose because of her massive Toughness tradeoff - thus likely making her the tank of whatever team she’s on or group she’s with. Note that you can't have Skill Mastery on Concentration - which is why she's got that Second Chance feat on it instead!]

Powers: 5 + 4 + 12 + 37 + 8 + 14 = 80PP
Descriptors: all mutant 

Enhanced Will Save 5 (to +15)  [5PP] 

Flight 2 (25 MPH / 250' per Move Action) [4PP]

Force Field 12 [12PP] 

Psionics 16.5 (33PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [37PP]

• BE: ESP 4 (Clairvoyance; Auditory + Visual Senses, 1 mile, DC 24 Notice; Extras: Action [Free], Duration [Sustained], No Conduit, Simultaneous; Feats: Fast Task 4 [Full Action to search 1-mile-diameter area], Subtle) {33/33}
• AP: Blast 10 (Pyrokinesis/Telekinesis; Extra: Range [Perception]; Flaw: Action [Full]; Feats: Knockback 9 [Total 19], Precise, Split Attack, Subtle, Variable Descriptor [fire/force]) {33/33}
• AP: Mind Control 10 (Domination; Extras: Conscious, Instant Command; Flaw: Action [Full]; Feats: Mental Link, Subtle) {32/33}
• AP: Move Object 10 (Telekinesis; Strength 50, Heavy Load 12 tons; Extra: Range [Perception]; Feats: Precise, Split Attack, Subtle) {33/33}
• AP: Stun 10 (Pain or Sleep; Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Mental, Range 2 [Perception]; Flaw: Action [Full]; Feats: Sedation, Subtle, Variable Descriptor [pain or sleep]) {33/33}

Super-Senses 12 (Danger Sense [Mental], Mental Awareness 2 [Mental], Postcognition [Flaw: Uncontrolled], Precognition [Flaw: Uncontrolled], Uncanny Dodge [Mental]) [8PP]

Telepathy 6 (12PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 2) [14PP]

• BE: Communication 6 (Mental, 20 miles; Extras: Linked [Comprehend]; Feats: Rapid 3 [x1000], Subtle) {8} + Comprehend 1 (Speak Any Language; Extras: Linked [Communication]) {2} =12/12}
• AP: Concealment 10 (All Senses, Flaw: Phantasm, Feats: Selective) {11/12} 
• AP: Mind Reading 10 (Extras: Effortless, Mental, Flaw: Duration [Instant/Lasting]; Feats: Subtle) {11/12}

[GM Notes: 

A complicated build, but one that corrects many of the problems with the book psychics - i.e., she can lift things and read minds at the same time, she can ask one question per Mind Reading check rather than as many as she likes, etc. 

She’s got a lot of options in combat (and out of combat) - reading minds and altering memories, crushing her enemies with her mind (or lifting heavy things off trapped allies or civilians), turning herself invisible to sneak up on people, setting things on fire, etc. Note that she is extremely tough but lacks impervious, which means that repeated low-level attacks can gradually batter down her psychic force field. (Which is one reason why she’s got that Flight, to stay away from ground-level enemies!) She can make foes forget the secret identities of heroes - or remove unwholesome information from the minds of bystanders.

For a pure telepath (and one with considerably more mojo), drop the Flight (since she can’t telekinetically lift herself anywhere) and turn the Force Field into Enhanced Feats 8 (Defensive Roll 4 and Dodge Focus 4) [8PP] to reflect pretercognitive dodging rather than actually blocking shots. This will give you 8PP to sink into her big array, which you could make look like this for a really cosmic psychic: 

Psi-Powers Array 20 (40 points; PFs: Alternate Power 6) [46PP]

• BE: Damage (Mental Stab; Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Mental [+0], Range [Perception, +2]) {40/40}
• AP: Emotion Control 10 (Suggestion; Extras: Mental [+0], Secondary Effect; Feats: Insidious, Mind Blank, Subtle) {33/40}
• AP: ESP 5 (Clairvoyance; Auditory + Visual Senses, 5 miles, DC 25 Notice; Extras: Action [Free], Duration [Sustained], No Conduit, Simultaneous; Feats: Rapid 2 [Full Action to Search 1 mile diameter area, 1 minute to Search 5 mile diameter area], Subtle) {38/40}
• AP: ESP 12 (Telescan; Mental Senses, 20,000,000 miles {neighboring planets}, DC 32 Notice; Extras: Action [Free], Duration [Sustained]; Feats: Rapid 3 [Full Action to Search 20 mile diameter area {Freedom City}, 20 Minutes to Search 20k mile diameter area {surface of Earth-sized planet}, 1 Hour to Search Earth & satellites & Moon, 1 Day to Search full area], Subtle) {40/40}
• AP: Illusion 10 (All Senses; Extra: Duration [Sustained]; Flaw: Phantasm) {40/40}
• AP: Mind Control 10 (Compulsion; Extra: Conscious; Feats: Mental Link, Subtle) {32/40}
• AP: Stun 10 (Subjugation; Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Mental, Range 2 [Perception]; Flaws: Action [Full]; Feats: Sedation, Subtle, Variable Descriptor [pain/sleep]) {33/40}

You could also take those points and, instead of jacking up her powers, sink them into Skills, Feats, and Charisma if you’re looking to play someone more like an Emma Frost type.] 

Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP

[GM Notes: A complicated personal life, or a tendency to flip out and eat suns, are best left as complications.]

Totals: Abilities (24) + Combat (18) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (9) + Feats (7) + Powers (80) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/150 Power Points

DC Block

ATTACK                RANGE        SAVE              EFFECT

Unarmed               Touch        DC 16 Toughness   Damage [Physical]

Blast                 Perception   DC 25 Toughness   Damage [Energy]

Mental Transform      Perception   Check vs. Will    Transformed 

Mind Control          Perception   Check vs. Will    Controlled 

Move Object           Perception   +20 Grapple       Pinned/Bound 

Stun                  Perception   DC 20 Will Save   Dazed/Stunned