Revised Psychic Powers

Revised Second Sight Psychic Powers
There are 35 Psychic Merits in chapter 2 of Second Sight, this revision reduces the number of Psychic Merits to 27, which seems like a far better number, as well as being the same as the number of Thaumaturgical Merits that are actually magical abilities (as opposed to simply useful Merits like Library or Magical Nexus). Also, like Thaumaturges, Psychics should receive a single four dot Power or a total of four dots in other lower cost powers for free. In addition, Psychics can purchase any Psychic Merit with XP. If this seems too powerful, then Storyteller's can limit Psychics to Merits that fall in the same category as Merits they purchased during Character Generation.

ESP Merits

 * Danger Sense (WoD, p. 108) is a subset of Precognition. It is purchased as the 2 dot version of Precognition.  For 4 dots, the character gains both Danger Sense and Precognition.
 * Dowsing should be a subset of Clairvoyance. It can be bought as the 1 dot version of Clairvoyance. For 3 dots, the character gains both Clairvoyance & Dowsing.


 * Dream Travel requires either Astral Projection or Thought Projection as prerequisites, not both. Also, use the Thaumaturgy Dream Travel write-up from page 107, except that the Dice Pool is Wits + Resolve + 2. The revised Dream Travel Merit costs 3 dots and allows the psychic to make minor cosmetic changes in the dreamscape as per the write-up. Each successful dream attack causes the loss of a point of Willpower in the subject, which cannot be regained until this person next sleeps. No actual damage is done. Also, in both psychic and magical dream travel, the dreamer cannot suffer even bashing damage, only loss of Willpower.


 * Eliminate the Postcognition Merit, Psychometry works perfectly well for the same purpose.

Mediumist Merits

 * Automatic Writing is the two dot version of Channeling. For 2 dots, the character gains Automatic Writing, for 3 dots, the character gains both Automatic Writing & Channeling.


 * Death Sight requires no Willpower expenditure at all. However, ghosts can automatically tell if someone can see them (that person looks more real to ghosts). Also, reduce the cost to 3 dots.

Psychokinetic Merits

 * Biokinesis is a 1-4 dot Merit with all of the listed capabilities being gained at success cost of the Merit, not success cost of the Merit +1


 * Cryokinesis and Thermokinesis become one Merit with the same 1 to 5 dot cost.


 * Psychic Healing uses the write up for magical Healing on pp. 111-112. Also, reduce the cost to 2 dots for personal healing and 4 dots for healing self and others.


 * Reduce the cost of the higher level of Pyrokinetic Immunity to 3 dots. Also, Pyrokinetic Immunity becomes the 2 & 3 dot version of Pyrokinetic Shaping. For 2 dots, the character gains 2 dots in Pyrokinetic Immunity, for 2 dots, the character gains 3 dots in Pyrokinetic Immunity and for 5 dots, the character gains both 3 dot Pyrokinetic Immunity and Pyrokinetic Shaping.

Telepathic Merits

 * Reduce the cost of 4 dots in Animal Empathy to 3 dots


 * Animal Rapport costs 2 dots and requires a Wits+ Animal Ken roll but no Willpower expenditure. Characters can have more than one such bond with different animals. Also, the range of this link is approximately a mile or two, not line of sight.


 * Reduce the cost of 5 dot Aura Reading to 3 dots (or in a fantasy game, add this into two dot power) and remove the Willpower cost.


 * Mind Breaker is reduced in cost to 4 dots. Also, Mind Breaker is the 4 dot version of Mind Control. For 4 dots, the character gains Mind Breaker, for 5 dots, the character gains both Mind Breaker & Mind Control. However, even an exceptional success will not cause any derangement to persist for more than a day, or until the subject sleeps (whichever comes first).


 * Reduce the cost of Psychic Empathy to 3 or 4 dots.


 * Reduce the cost of Psychic Invisibility to 4 dots. Psychic Invisibility is the 4 dot version of Psychic Illusion. For 4 dots, the character gains Psychic Invisibility, for 5 dots, the character gains both Psychic Invisibility & Psychic Illusion.


 * Any character with either the 3 or 4 dot version of Telepathic Projection automatically has Telepathic Communication that works at the same level. This also means that for 4 dots, the character can engage in both Telepathic Projection and Telepathic Communication with targets outside of line of sight.


 * Reduce the cost of Telepathic Rapport to 2 dots. Also, activating a psychic link or sensing that the other person is in danger, injured, or experiencing a strong emotion requires a Wits + Empathy roll. However, no Willpower need be spent to create or activate this link.