Psionics: Astral Suit

Psionics: Astral Suit

This is a new ability for the Metacreativity power. It is modeled after the signature class ability of the aegis from Pathfinder RPG. Had to use a self-only Affliction instead of simple DR to avoid making the ability an "active" defense.

Astral Suit – 22 points

Skill: Astral Suit (IQ/Hard).

You draw forth ectoplasm and form an astral suit around your form. You can select from three different types when forming his astral suit – skin, armor, or juggernaut. All three forms are formed over worn armor, protect the eyes as well as the whole body, and are semi-ablative - every 10 points of basic damage rolled removes one point of DR, regardless of whether the attack penetrates DR. Lost DR “heals” at the same rate as lost HP (including the effects of Regeneration, p. B80), even when the ability is not in use.

Astral Skin: When formed in this way, an astral suit resembles a psychoactive skin. It grants you DR 2*.

Astral Armor: When formed into astral armor, an astral suit resembles a chainmail. It grants you DR 4*, but decreases your Basic Move by 2.

Astral Juggernaut: When formed into astral juggernaut, an astral suit resembles plate armor. It grants you DR 6, but decreases your Basic Move by 4 and penalizes your grip and precise movements, giving you Bad Grip 1 (p. B123) and Ham-Fisted 1 (p. B138). Unlike astral skin and astral armor, this mode of astral suit does not make you vulnerable to blunt trauma.

The aegis chooses the appearance of his astral suit, although its shape must reflect the selections the aegis has chosen: astral skin would cover the aegis like a psychoactive skin, astral juggernaut would appear to cover the aegis like plate armor, etc.

Each use lasts for margin of success minutes. Astral suit cannot be dismissed voluntarily.

Very often psis with this ability learn astral suit customizations – abilities and enhancements that function only when the astral suit is active. Such abilities are purchased with the Accessibility, Only when using astral suit, -10% and  usually do not require a skill roll to use. Some of them might make sense only for a specific suit form and/or only when a specific part of the body is armored (see Selective Armoring below). Advantages that can work as astral suit customizations: Amphibious (only when arms and legs are armored), DR (Limited, Energy, -20% or Limited, Specific type of energy, -40%), Doesn’t Breathe (Gills), Extra Arms, Infravision (only when eyes are armored), Lifting ST, Mind Shield, Radiation Tolerance, Sealed, Spines, Striking ST, Super Jump, Super Climbing (not for astral juggernaut), Tunneling, Vacuum Support.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Alternative Enhancements (Advantage, Astral Skin, +60%; Advantage, Astral Armor, +100%; Advantage, Astral Juggernaut, +150%), +185%; Metacreativity, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) [22]. Notes: “Astral Skin” is Damage Resistance 2 (Flexible, -20%; Includes Eyes, +10%; Metacreativity, -10%; Semi-Ablative, -20%) [6], “Astral Armor” is Damage Resistance 4 (Flexible, -20%; Includes Eyes, +10%; Metacreativity, -10%; Semi-Ablative, -20%; Temporary Disadvantage, Basic Move-2, -10%) [10]; “Astral Juggernaut” is Damage Resistance 6 (Includes Eyes, +10%; Metacreativity, -10%; Semi-Ablative, -20%; Temporary Disadvantage, Bad Grip 1, Basic Move-4, and Ham-Fisted 1, -30%) [15].

Selective Armoring – Hard

Default: Astral Suit-2; cannot exceed Astral Suit.

You can omit armoring any body parts, when using this technique. This allows you to keep your face unarmored and visible, or avoiding armoring arms and getting Bad Grip 1 and Ham-Fisted 1 when using the astral juggernaut form. You cannot avoid these disadvantages by leaving only your hands unarmored. You can avoid getting a penalty to Basic Move when using astral armor or astral juggernaut forms by leaving your legs and torso unarmored.