Powers: Sonokinesis

Powers: Sonokinesis

Sonokinesis was introduced as a subcategory of Psychokinesis in Pyramid #3-29. However, I would like to excise it from Psychokinesis and turn it into a separate power. I will probably write up new abilities and rework some of the existing ones to get a more D&D feel. I reworked Muffle, because not only I do not want it to be useable at range, but also the writeup has some mistakes. Due to the rework, the Muted Movement technique became more expensive and one part of it had to be cut. I decided to remove the Sonic Dampening technique and turn it into a separate ability to ease access to the DR aspect of the power against screaming monsters.

 
This power includes abilities that allow the psi to create and manipulate sounds and vibrations.
 
Power Modifier: Every ability in this power has the limitation Sonokinesis, -10%. This reflects that it is part of this power, and that it uses the rules under How Psi Works (Psionic Powers, pp. 6-11).
 
Acoustic Manipulation – 5/8/10/13/15/18/20/23/25/28 points for levels 1-10*
Skill: Acoustic Manipulation (IQ/Hard).
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 5.
 
Echolocation – 11 points for level 1, plus 2 points for each additional level
Skill: Echolocation (IQ/Hard).
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 6.
 
Muffle – 5.2 points/level
Skill: Muffle (IQ/Hard).
 
By psychokinetically “buffering” sound waves, you can reduce the amount of noise you produce. When you activate this ability (which requires a skill roll once each minute), you and everything within 2 yards of you become difficult to hear, resulting in -1 per level of Muffle to Hearing rolls. At level 10, you are completely silent; others do not even get a roll to hear you. Your sense of hearing is also affected – at level 10, you are deaf when you use this ability!
You may use Muffle to make a variant power defense (GURPS Psionic Powers, pp. 8-9) – doubling the normal penalty on a success or dropping the Muffle on a failure – if you know someone is about to look for you.
Statistics: Obscure (Hearing; Extended, Sonar, Subsonic Hearing, Ultrasonic Hearing, and Vibration Sense, +80%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Sonokinesis, -10%; Stealthy, +100%) [5.2/level].
 
Expansion – Hard
Default: Muffle-5; cannot exceed Muffle.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 7.
 
Muted Movement – Hard
Default: Muffle-10; cannot exceed Muffle.
 
Instead of giving a penalty to others to hear you, you may instead give yourself a bonus to Stealth rolls. This bonus equals +1 to Stealth per level of Muffle (+2 if you are completely still and unmoving). This bonus only helps in the dark, or against listening devices, blind creatures, or those who must rely on hearing to find you.
 
Sonic Blast – 26 points for level 1, plus 5 points for each additional level
Skill: Sonic Blast (Will/Hard).
 
The surrounding space is engulfed in a deafening noise resembling an explosion. Make a skill roll. Critical failure deafens you for one minute, in addition to any other effects! All individuals present must make an HT roll to withstand it with a penalty equal to your margin of success. Those with Protected Hearing receive a bonus of +5, while those who are Hard of Hearing receive a bonus of +4. Deaf individuals are impervious to the effects. You are unaffected. Any individual who fails the resistance roll will be deafened for margin of failure minutes and physically stunned. They can recover from stun normally on subsequent turns.
At level 1, everyone within two yards of the you must roll to resist. Every additional level doubles this range. There is no way to distinguish friend or foe, though you may always choose to scale down your area.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Disadvantage, Deafness, +20%; Emanation, -20%; Hearing-Based, -20%; Malediction 1, +100%; No Signature, +20%; Nuisance Effect, Deafness on a critical failure, -5%; Nuisance Effect, Loud, -5%; Stunning, +10%; Variable, Area, +5%) [26]. Further levels add Area Effect, one level at a time [+5/level].
 
Overwhelm – Hard
Default: Sonic Blast-4; cannot exceed Sonic Blast.
 
Anyone who fails to resist is stunned for 10 seconds (after which he can make a HT roll every 10 seconds to recover) and deafened for (margin of failure x 10) minutes.
 
Sonic Lash – 14 points
Skill: Sonic Lash (Will/Hard).
 
You fashion a whip of sound with a Ready maneuver. It is wielded like a normal whip (p. B404), except that it always takes only one second to ready, and it cannot be used to parry or entangle. The whip has Reach 1-4 (changing Reach requires a Ready maneuver without a skill roll) and inflicts swing burning damage with no incendiary effect every time it strikes. Targets stuck by this attack must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of injury, or be physically stunned. On subsequent turns, they can roll HT to recover. It is wielded with the Force Whip skill, but for the purpose of damage use your Sonic Lash skill instead of ST (maximum effective ST = ST x 3). If it is parried, it deals its normal damage to the opponent’s weapon.
Statistics: Natural Weapon (Burning; Cannot Parry, -40%; Destructive Parry, +40%; Extra Reach, 1-4, Ready maneuver necessary, +90%; Intangible, +50%; No Incendiary, -10%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%; Single, -20%; Sonokinesis, -10%; Swing-Capable, +20%; Switchable, +10%) [14].
 
Dual Sonic Lash – Hard
Default: Sonic Lash-2; cannot exceed Sonic Lash.
 
You can use this technique to manifest two sonic lashes at once – one in each hand. You still take normal off-hand penalties.
 
Fast Manifestation – Hard
Default: Sonic Lash-4; cannot exceed Sonic Lash.
 
By rolling against this technique, you can manifest your sonic lash as a free action instead of a Ready maneuver.
 
Instant Reach Change – Hard
Default: Sonic Lash-6; cannot exceed Sonic Lash.
 
By rolling against this technique, you change the Reach of your sonic lash as a free action.
 
Sonokinetic Shield – 7 points for level 1, plus 3 points/additional level
Skill: Sonokinetic Shield (IQ/Hard).
 
You can partially or completely divert incoming sonic attacks. Every time you are hit by a sonic attack, roll against your skill. Success provides DR equal to your Sonokinetic Shield level, plus a +5 bonus to HT to resist noxious sonic effects that affect your hearing. In a situation where you are under constant “attack” (i.e., being trapped in a room with a screaming banshee), roll once per minute. This is a passive ability.
Statistics: Damage Resistance (Force Field, +20%; Limited, Sound, -40%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Sonokinesis, -10%) [3/level] + Protected Hearing (Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Sonokinesis, -10%) [4].
 
Expansion – Hard
Default: Sonokinetic Shield-5; cannot exceed Sonokinetic Shield.
 
Like the Expansion technique for EK Shield (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 33).
 
Suppression – Hard
Default: Sonokinetic Shield-5; cannot exceed Sonokinetic Shield.
 
Like the Suppression technique for EK Shield (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 33).
 
Wail – 10 points/level
Skill: Wail (HT/Hard).
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 7.
 
Conic Blast – Hard
Default: Wail-10; cannot exceed Wail.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 8.
 
Heterodyning – Hard
Default: Wail-8; cannot exceed Wail.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 8.
 
High-Note – Hard
Default: Wail-5; cannot exceed Wail.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 8.
 
Infrasonic – Hard
Default: Wail-3; cannot exceed Wail.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 8.
 
Penetrating Shout – Hard
Default: Wail-10; cannot exceed Wail.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 8.
 
Threnody – Hard
Default: Wail-15; cannot exceed Wail.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 8.
 
Thunderclap – Hard
Default: Wail-10; cannot exceed Muffle.
Prerequisite: Wail 5+.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 8.
 
Thunder & Lightning – Hard
Default: The lower of your Thunderbolt or Thunderclap psi techniques-4; cannot exceed lower Thunderbolt or Thunderclap.
 
See Pyramid #3-29, p. 8.
 

Sonokinesis Perks Controllable Disadvantage (Disturbing Voice) (GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, p. 12) Extended Hearing (GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, p. 14) Good Vibrations (Pyramid #3-29, p. 7) Penetrating Voice (GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, p. 14) Robust Hearing (GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, p. 14) Speaker Boxx (Pyramid #3-29, p. 7) Vibrate Weapon (Pyramid #3-29, p. 7)

 
Additional Sonokinesis Abilities
The following traits require no special modifiers to be Sonokinesis abilities.
- Acute Hearing (Sonokinesis, -10%) [1.8/level]. No skill needed; passive ability.
- Discriminatory Hearing (Sonokinesis, -10%) [14]. No skill needed; passive ability.
- Mimicry (Sonokinesis, -10%) [9]. Skill: Mimicry (IQ/Hard), Psi Technique: Voice Library (skill-5) – as for the enhancement in GURPS Powers (p. 61).
- Parabolic Hearing (Sonokinesis, -10%) [3.6/level]. No skill needed; passive ability.
- Vibration Sense (Air; Sonokinesis, -10%) [9]. Skill: Vibration Sense (Per/Hard).