Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

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Devjannz
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Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by Devjannz »

I was wondering if a Mystic who was captured by a Splugorth Slaver and turned into a T-Man OCC (specifically a T-Archer), would they retain the Psionic abilities of the Mystic OCC or would they be destroyed along with the spell casting abilities?
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Rifter11
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Re: Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by Rifter11 »

I think they'd keep them. I don't recall seeing how magic tatts have any reaction to psionics at all. That being said, the individual GM might not agree.
Grazzik
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Re: Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by Grazzik »

I'd agree - the rules are confusing between the books (WB2, WB21, DB15) re Tats and Psionics, but my understanding is that magic users lose their OCC special abilities as per WB2, ignoring the generic use of the word "mystic" in the book. Since the Mystic gains their psychic powers via their OCC, a GM may rule that the Mystic may lose access to all their powers. A more forgiving GM may simply limit the loss to the gaining of new psychic powers or say no impact at all. Personally, I'd say probably no impact for low level PCs, as long as the player isn't trying to munchkin max with super psionics and tons of tats.
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MyDumpStatIsMA
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Re: Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by MyDumpStatIsMA »

Devjannz wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2024 12:57 am I was wondering if a Mystic who was captured by a Splugorth Slaver and turned into a T-Man OCC (specifically a T-Archer), would they retain the Psionic abilities of the Mystic OCC or would they be destroyed along with the spell casting abilities?
DB15 says that the Aerihman clan is 80% psychic as a result of eugenics. You can roll up a minor, major, or master psionic, and in the last case, it says you can pick a specific OCC like Burster, Mind Melter, etc.

From that I would infer that you could make a major psionic Aerihman who then became an Undead Slayer, etc, with the usual tattoos. Note that the same book mentions the Aerihman clan has the largest number of Tattooed Defenders and Undead Slayers of any Atlantean clan.

And from that I would infer that a Mystic, also a major psionic, could get tattoos without a problem.
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Devjannz
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Re: Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by Devjannz »

So the reason for this question, is because I am fleshing out some character backgrounds for players (who wanted things to be a bit of a surprise) and one of them has a sister who was captured by a Slaver (though he thinks she is dead) and I am planning to work her into the game at some point and see what happens when they meet again.
"Hurry, were running out of time!"

"Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite; Zathras is finite; This....is wrong tool.

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MyDumpStatIsMA
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Re: Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by MyDumpStatIsMA »

Devjannz wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2024 7:04 pm So the reason for this question, is because I am fleshing out some character backgrounds for players (who wanted things to be a bit of a surprise) and one of them has a sister who was captured by a Slaver (though he thinks she is dead) and I am planning to work her into the game at some point and see what happens when they meet again.
If it's an NPC, then there can't be any harm in allowing her to keep the Mystic's psionics. You could even incorporate some specifically to use for the story.
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Devjannz
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Re: Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by Devjannz »

The group is looking at traveling to Arzno so I thought it would be interesting if she were there as a operative of the Splugorth as part of their effort to get the Vampire Intelligences under control and eventually banished.
"Hurry, were running out of time!"

"Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite; Zathras is finite; This....is wrong tool.

Susan Ivonnova and Zathras, Babylon 5 'War Without End'
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ShadowLogan
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Re: Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by ShadowLogan »

Mystics are Major Psychics (pg119).

Per WB21 (pg107, 4th Paragraph right column) "Minor and Major Pscionics have a much lower level of psionic power and do not encounter the problem and can become T-Men"

Starting as Mystic (considered a Major Psychic) and forced into becoming a T-man Class, means the character would be changing OCCs. While WB2 (pg94) even takes the view this is changing OCCs, and skills are frozen but doesn't address powers (though magic is addressed on pg85 and again freezing skills, but psychics are considered).

A Mystic's Psionic Powers I don't think would be destroyed (unlike their Magic Powers) even under this situation given WB2 & WB21, but their powers would be frozen at the level the psychic was going by the general examples of changing OCCs (on the cutting room floor) and wouldn't start progressing again until the character reaches a higher level in their T-man class than the Mystic. The Mystics specialized psionic powers I would agree likely are destroyed (#1, #2) but the more general psioinic aspects (#3-6) would remain given WB21 specifically addressing this.
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Dustin Fireblade
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Re: Magic Tattoos and the Mystic

Unread post by Dustin Fireblade »

Devjannz wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2024 12:57 am I was wondering if a Mystic who was captured by a Splugorth Slaver and turned into a T-Man OCC (specifically a T-Archer), would they retain the Psionic abilities of the Mystic OCC or would they be destroyed along with the spell casting abilities?
Pretty sure there's a blurb in Dimension Book 15 that says psi powers are not affected.
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