…isn’t he? According to the Dragon Warriors Rulebook “A Mystic can be a formidable foe using only the power of his mind, setting little store by the wands and other occult fripperies of Elementalists or Sorcerers.” So much of the SW arcane background: psionics fits to my comprehension of DW mystics.
The following is drawn from a multitude of sources; the Dragon Warriors rules, the Savage World Core Rules, Fantasy Companion, Hellfrost Players Guide and (last-but-not-least) the Savagepedia site, with particular reference to their Unofficial Powers page.
Anyone with a working knowledge of DW or Hellfrost Siphoning will easily identify my influences for my take on psychic fatigue. I hope that it’s sufficiently different from both systems that no-one feels that I have breached copyright on their material (which is something that I take seriously, seeing as I’m employed by the world’s best patent office 😉 ). If you as an author feel that I have trodden too close to your property, please let me know (with reasons) and I will respond appropriately.
The other caveat is that this is all theoretical and hasn’t been play-tested yet.
O.k., so all the disclaimers are out of the way. Here goes:
Arcane Background: Mystic
Arcane Skill: Mysticism (Spirit)
Starting Power Points: Uses Psychic Fatigue rules: See Below*
Starting Powers: ???
Mystics correspond in many ways to Savage Worlds psionicists. The Arcane Background (Mystic) uses the Arcane Skill Mysticism (spirit). Mystics do not use power points, but like psionicists, use an internal power source to affect their own bodies and the environment around them. They are better able to cast spells on themselves than others, a result of knowing their own bodies better than those of others, so all healing and trait-boosting spells cast on others are cast with a -2 penalty on the Arcane Skill roll. Protective powers (Armour, Barrier, Damage Field etc.) can only be cast on the Mystic him- or herself.
Mystics have access to Minor Arcana (see Custom Powers); the Mystic can choose a number of Minor Arcana equal to half their Smarts (?) die + the number of powers they start with.
POWERS
Minor Arcana: Air Manipulation, Blessing, Clean, Cold Manipulation, Distract, Drowse, Earth Manipulation, Embarrass, Fire Manipulation, Guidance, Helper, Life, Light, Sense, Sound, Swarm, Trick, Water Manipulation (all from Unofficial Powers)
Novice: Aim (replaces Hidden Target), Analyze Foe (replaces Assess), Armour (replaces Force Field), Blind (replaces Dazzle), Bolt, Boost Trait (replaces Might), Burst, Chameleon (Unofficial Powers), Charm (Unofficial Powers), Confusion (replaces Mirage), Damage Field, Darksight (replaces Darksight), Deflection, Detect/Conceal Arcana (replaces See Enchantment), Empathy (Unofficial Powers), Environmental Protection, Fear, Healing (replaces Invigorate), Illusion (Unofficial Powers), Leaping (HF), Legerdemain (replaces Telekinesis), Lock/Unlock (HF), Mind Link (Unofficial Powers), Repel (Unofficial Powers), Speak Language (replaces Telepathy), Speed, Stun, Succor (replaces Nourish), Summon Ally, Voice on the Wind (HF), Wall Walker, Wandering Senses (HF), Wilderness Step (HF)
Seasoned: Barrier, Blast, Bless/Curse, Concentrate, Disguise, Draining Touch, Farsight (replaces Clairvoyance), Growth/Shrink, Havoc, Invisibility (replaces Pass Unseen), Knockdown (HF), MIND CLOAK (mental invisibility, cloaked to mind-penetrating powers), Pummel, Quickness (replaces Swiftness), Sentry (HF), Silence (HF), Telekinesis, Telepathy (Unofficial Powers), Teleport, Warrior’s Gift, Weapon Immunity (HF), Whirlwind (HF)
Veteran: Greater Healing, Greater Illusion (Unofficial Powers), Paralyze (Unofficial Powers), Puppet, Mind Rider, Quake, Sphere of Might (HF)
Heroic: Intangibility (replaces Intangibility), Regenerate (HF)
Legendary: PHOENIX (as Mystic spell)
PSYCHIC FATIGUE:
Instead of having a fixed number of Power Points, a Mystic runs danger of encountering Psychic Fatigue every time they use their powers. When a mystic rolls a 1 on their arcane skill (regardless of the Wild Die), the mystic rolls xd6* on the Psychic Fatigue table. If the mystic was casting a Novice spell, they roll 3d6 and use the lowest two dice to look up the result on the table below. If a Seasoned, Veteran, Heroic, Legendary or , roll 2, 3, 4, or 5d6 and use the highest two.
|
Spell Level
|
Roll
|
Take
|
|
Min. Arcana
|
4d6
|
Lowest 2
|
|
Novice
|
3d6
|
Lowest 2
|
|
Seasoned
|
2d6
|
|
|
Veteran
|
3d6
|
Highest 2
|
|
Heroic
|
4d6
|
Highest 2
|
|
Legendary
|
5d6
|
Highest 2
|
On a critical failure, those surrounding the mystic are subject to a psychic blast (medium template, successful Spirit roll for all to avoid being Shaken). The mystic is automatically Shaken and becomes psychically fatigued, unable to cast spells, and takes a physical Fatigue level. Both effects can be removed with a full 8 h rest.
Beneficial spells cast by the mystic on third parties are cast with a -2 penalty on the arcane skill roll and count as one spell level higher when rolling on the Psychic Fatigue table.
Take the result from the roll and look up the result on the Psychic Fatigue table:
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2d6
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Effect
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Duration
|
|
2
|
Psychic Surge: All arcane skill rolls for the next 15 min are made at +4
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15 min
|
|
3
|
Minor Surge: All arcane skill rolls for the next 2 h are made at +2
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2 h
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|
4-6
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Nothing
|
–
|
|
7-8
|
Temporary Glitch: Shaken, unable to use power for 1-6 CR
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1d6 CR
|
|
9-10
|
Minor Doldrums: Shaken, caster takes a level of Fatigue and is unable to use power for 15 min
|
15 min
|
|
11
|
Moderate Doldrums: Shaken, caster takes a level of Fatigue and is unable to use power for 1 h
|
1 h
|
|
12
|
Major Doldrums: Shaken, caster takes a level of Fatigue and is unable to use power for 2d4 h
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2d4 h
|
|
|
|
|
Critical Fail
|
Psychic Fatigue:
Psychic Blast: All (friend and foe) in a medium blast radius around the Mystic must make a Spirit roll or become Shaken.
The Mystic becomes Shaken, 1 level of Fatigue and unable to cast spells until rest
|
Until Shaken recovery /
Until mystic has slept for 8
|
SKILLS
Psychic Tracking (Spirit)
Note: This is to replace the Mystic Pursuit spell (used quite often in my campaign). Still not sure whether to make it an extra skill per se, or make it an Edge – I’m tending towards the latter at the moment.
Mystics are capable of psychically tracking individuals they know or if they have something psychically attached to the person (a favoured possession etc.)
Tracking allows a mystic to follow the psychic spoor of a small number of individuals in any type of terrain. Each roll generally covers following the tracks for one mile, but the GM may adjust this dramatically for more specific or small scale searches.
Unlike physical tracks, the psychic spoor of an individual does not fade quickly, but the mystic can become confused if multiple tracks exist, such as in a place where the individual frequents regularly.
Apply the modifiers below to each roll.
Tracking Modifiers
| Situation |
Modifier |
| Tracks cross stream |
-2 |
| Tracks cross river (other than on bridge) |
-4 |
| Tracks cross larger expanse of water |
-8 |
| Person well known to Mystic |
+2 |
| Person unknown to Mystic, but Mystic has significant item belonging to the quarry |
-2 |
| Track is > 1 year old* |
-2 |
| Track is > 5 years old* |
-4 |
*entirely up in the air right now. Whether this is too powerful or not depends entirely on the situation.
EDGES
Spell Mastery (Power Edge)
Requirements: Novice, AB: Mystic
Essentially the same as DW Spell Mastery
Adepthood (Professional Edge)
Note: This is probably going to be the most controversial part of the porting. In DW, an 8th Rank Mystic essentially becomes superman. Reflexes and Psychic Talent are immediately bumped up to the max. The PC becomes immune to poison and mind control, etc. etc. etc. Here’s a first take:
Requirements: Heroic, AB: Mystic d10
Even in the magical world of Legend there is no power to match the inner mysteries of the human mind. Extraordinary abilities may be acquired by a Mystic who reaches total spiritual mastery and becomes an Adept.
The Adept Mystic is spiritually at the pinnacle of perfection—and physically not far from that. His Agility and Spirit traits both increase by 1 die. His natural rate of healing from wounds is doubled, and he becomes immune to poison and disease.
He also gains the Combat Edge Level Headed (Improved Level Headed if Level Headed already taken), rolls at +4 against mind-controlling spells or possession by demons or spirits (alternative: immunity) and gains a Guts die.
MODIFIED EDGES
Animal Companion
Essentially as Fantasy Companion Familiar, without Power Point transfer
OTHER EDGES
Other Edges that fit in nicely with the Mystic build are the Weird Edges Danger Sense and Healing (?)
Savage Legend 