Burning Wheel - Burning Empires Psychology.pdf - Burning Wheel - sensei_13

PSyChOLOGy

A psychologist is one who can read, influence and even control the

thoughts of others. The ability is born from the mental energies of

the psychologist and sharpened by intense training.

The art and science of Psychology is the province of a

gifted few. Most are those born with the Bright Mark and

trained to use their inborn talents. Rarer are mutants who

exhibit no physical manifestation of the Mark, yet have the talents

of the Psychologist.

The Bright Mark and the Mule

There are two traits which grant access to Psychology-based

power: Bright Mark and Mule. With either of these traits, the

character has access to all of the potential uses of the power.

Without one of those traits, the Psychology skill can be learned,

but only the rules under Psychology as a Skill are available for use.

The Bright Mark and Mule traits may never be granted by vote

during play. They must be purchased in character burning.

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Psychology as a Skill

First and foremost, Psychology is a skill that’s drilled into the heads

of talented individuals. The skill teaches how to read, predict and

manipulate human behavior, both en masse and individually. It is a

rigorous academic discipline.

Psychology Per

Psychologists can decipher gossamer veils of emotion,

deception, clarity and purpose. Psychology is a field of

related knowledge for Oratory, Persuasion, Command,

Falsehood, Seduction, Suasion, Rhetoric, Intimidation,

Interrogation, Etiquette, Ugly Truth and Soothing

Platitudes. It may be used to help the same skills for

another character. It may be tested in a Duel of Wits for

the Incite action and is the primary dueling skill in the

Psychic Duel mechanics. It is also used extensively in the

Infection maneuvers. Psychology may also be used to

read another character’s emotional state and to discern

his traits. Obstacles: Determining whether a subject is

alive or dead, Ob 1. Reading hidden mood, Ob 2. Seeing

a character trait, Ob 3. Reading a past lifepath, Ob 3.

Detecting Naiven within, Ob 3. Seeing a die or call-on trait, Ob 4. Sensing a

person’s intent (to deceive, for example), Ob 4. Detecting the presence of a

connection, Ob 5. Reading a reputation, the obstacle is 6 minus the reputation

dice. Reading an affiliation, obstacle is 7 minus the affiliation dice. Reading a

Belief is Ob 7.

You must declare your intent and set the obstacle for this action before rolling

the dice. The psychologist player may choose which trait his character is trying

to discover.

If the psychologist character possesses the Bright Mark or the Mule trait,

the Psychology skill presents him with more powerful options. See the

Psychologist’s Powers section.

Practice Cycle : 6 ms. Hrs/day: 3r/6d/12c

Technology : No.

A Psychologist’s Powers

A psychologist with the Bright Mark or Mule trait has access to the

following abilities: Connections, Transference, Hindrance, Locks, Barriers,

Psychological Force and Psychological Chemistry . Using these abilities he

may read a character’s innermost thoughts against the character’s will

and make alterations to the character’s Beliefs and traits.

Connections

A psychologist who wishes to tap into his

higher-level abilities must forge a psychic

connection with the character whom he

wants to affect. A connection is the primary

vehicle through which a psychologist can read

the thoughts and manipulate the actions of

another.

Forging a Connection

When a player wants his psychologist to

get into the mind of another player, he must

perform a little ritual. Pick up a single die and

turn and ask the target player (or the GM) , “Do

you wish to forge a connection with me?” If

yes, then the psychologist player hands the

other player a die from his connection pool. If

no, then no connection is made.

Psychology

This ritual is between the players, and it has nothing to do

with the characters. The subtext for the ritual is, “If you take

this die, you will benefit, but you also open yourself to possible

attack and manipulation. Are you willing to accept the risk and possibly

pay the price?”

What’s happening in the game between the characters is a mere

glance from the psychologist as he extends his abilities toward the

other character, searching for vulnerabilities. If the player accepts, then

the psychologist has found an easy way in. If he declines, then the

psychologist will have to use other, less subtle methods.

A connection may only be offered when the two characters are

physically in the same scene together. It requires no overt action from

the psychologist.

Prince Faisal and Lord Omei are discussing their plans to unseat Prince

Aziz. Mayuran turns to Thor, “Will you accept a connection?”

Thor responds, “Hell, yes!”

The Connection Die

If the connection is accepted, the target player may use it as an

advantage die for Oratory, Persuasion, Command, Falsehood, Seduction,

Suasion, Rhetoric, Intimidation, Interrogation, Etiquette, Ugly Truth and

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Soothing Platitudes tests. His own latent psychic powers are temporarily

enhanced via the connection. He may also broadcast his thoughts to

the psychologist and in turn accept the transmitted thoughts of the

psychologist via telepathy—from any distance. He may not read the

psychologist’s thoughts.

Mayuran hands Thor a die from his pool. Thor may keep it until Mayuran

asks for it back. The connection die acts as a special advantage die for a

whole bunch of skills. It doesn’t count as a FoRK or a wise or help.

For reasons described in Breaking the Connection, it’s best if

connection dice are distinguishable in some way—a particular

color or size. It makes them easier to keep track of.

The Pool

The psychologist’s Will acts as a pool with which he can protect

himself, build connections and help or hinder those connections. A

psychologist’s connection pool is equal to his current Will exponent.

However, each connection temporarily reduces his pool by one (not his

Will exponent). The dice in the pool are also used to grant bonuses and

cause penalties, so it is important to manage connections carefully.

Prince Faisal has a Will of 6. He has given out four connections. That

means his current pool is 2. He can give out two more connections if he

desires, or he can save those dice and keep them as his Barrier or use

them for Transference or Hindrance.

We Are Connected

When a psychologist has a connection with another character, he

is in constant communication with him, no matter the distance. He

may speak “head-to-head” with the character as if they were present

together. He can hear the words the other character is speaking, even

if they are directed at someone else. He can also read the connected

character’s surface thoughts.

Lord Omei is speaking privately with Mal Nenox, but all the while,

Mayuran is listening. Since Faisal and Omei are connected, Mayuran can

use anything in that conversation as if he were present in the scene.

Surface thoughts are not terribly informative. They typically

serve to give the psychologist a jumbled sense of place and

physical presence for the connected character. Beyond that,

the psychologist can conjure images from the surface thoughts if the

connected character is concentrating. For more information, the

psychologist must use his skill and read the character.

Reading a Connection

A psychologist may read a character he’s connected to at any time,

so long as he isn’t otherwise engaged in a conflict or test of his own.

He may do so no matter the distance. He gains a +1D advantage in

reading a connected character. Otherwise, use the obstacles described

in the Psychology as a Skill.

Psychologist to Psychologist Connections

Psychologists must form bonds and trade dice like any other

character in order to communicate telepathically or transfer skills and

memory. However, since they already gain the FoRK die from their

own Psychology skill, they do not gain an advantage die from their

connections. All other benefits and risks stand as stated above.

Psychologist-to-psychologist connections are more of a two way

connection than other connections. The targeted psychologist

may initiate communications and read the surface thoughts of the

character who made the connection. He may also read the character,

no matter their distance.

Reading a Connected Psychologist

A psychologist player may wish to read another psychologist to whom

he’s connected. This is done via the standard reading mechanics, but

the target’s current barrier adds to the obstacle . The reading psychologist

does gain the +1D advantage die.

Psychology

Dual Connections

It’s possible for a character to have connections from more than one

psychologist at a time. He only gains +1D for connections no matter

how many ghosts are in his head. However, once he’s accepted two

connections, the psychologists may attempt to dislodge one another.

Make a Psychology test, the obstacle to dislodge another connected

psychologist is equal to the target’s current barrier.

Breaking the Connection

Letting go of a connection is tricky. The psychologist player must ask

for the connection die back. The target player may willingly return it to

the psychologist’s pool, or he may keep it and say, “I think there have

been some unforeseen complications and a strange bond has formed

between us.” The connection die is then considered to be “in jeopardy.”

The player may keep the die and use it as he has been—as an advantage

for his social skills. If he uses the die in tests in conjunction with or in

relation to the psychologist, the die remains his. If he uses the die in a

Burning Wheel - Burning Empires Psychology.pdf

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