Bester hearkens back to a sci fi tradition where psionics were more subtle and had to do with mental activity and perception and all that. Actually, the original Star Wars trilogy was a lot like that too. Old Ben didn't go around melting people's heads off, and the pinnacle of power, Yoda, could lift an X-wing - barely - but he certainly wasn't powerful enough to wield an X-Wing like a sword and carve his initials into an AT-AT.
The second Stars Wars trilogy RUINED all that, and apparently has tainted some of my players. They moan and groan about how wimpy the psychics are and how all of their powers have been nerfed. I don't really have a problem with it. Given my druthers, I'd nerf them down a bit more. But I'm playing them as written. The problem is that some of the powers, as written, can be lawyered to death. The key part I'm referring to is the Telekinesis Discipline Track.
So here are my thoughts and rulings on the first four levels of the Telekinesis Discipline:
Remote Manipulation (1) - You have a ghost hand that extends to your unaided line of sight. It had pick things up and hit people with them. STR 10, -2 attack.
Telekinetic Press (2) - Your can pump more strength (STR 18) into your ghost hand, but at the cost of speed and control. Mobile is the limiting word in the description. Anything that can move can get out of the way easily, and anything that can be moved will just scoot instead of being damaged. However, if something is fixed to the floor or a bulkhead, you can exert that 18 STR and cause actual damage.
Complex Manipulation (3) - You can use two ghost hands at the same time, and if you use them to smack somone, you get no negative to attack, and have an 18 STR.
Telekinetic Ram (4) - This is the stickler that confuses people. You can smack things real hard with force of will alone, but the object struck must be immobile. Okay, so it sounds like it should be fixed and incapable of movement. But then, later in the paragraph, it describes the power being able to damage vehicles. Huh? Well, there are two definitions of immobile - one incapable of being moved, and one not moving. The second definition seems to fit here. The words mobile and immobile are not always exact opposites. So, if something is currently not moving, you can smack it. If it is moving that round, no - no smack for you. Back of the line. Why? Getting your telekinetic ram on is REAL hard. Okay, yeah, it prevents your dear character from wiping out the tank platoon bearing down on you with a mere thought - but sorry - suck it up.
Enough lawyering. That's my take. But if Kevin Crawford were to wander by and pitch in his two cents, I'd carefully listen. :)
So, to heck with Qui-Gon Jinn. Bester is awesome. He doesn't do 40 meter backwards somersaults while killing 50 armored troops with a laser sword - no. But Bester shows up and ruins your day with his smile. Now THAT is power.
- Ark


































