A different take on the Nega-Psychic

[Cybermancer]

I've always sort of liked the nega-psychic and have played a couple different ones over the years. One of the twists I've used in the past in a nega-psychic that knows the supernatural is real but that for whatever reason, it can't effect them (your mind is weak, the power of god protects me and so forth). I think I've seen others do this sort of thing other places too.

A different twist I was just thinking of was having a nega-psychic who was an enthuastic paranormal researcher who really, really wants to believe. They apply the scientific method to all their research and hold all evidence to a high degree of scrutinty. Because they want to find absolute proof that the paranormal exists. Holding themselves to such a high standard, they are contiunally disappointed and frustrated when they can never find what they seek.

Be a nifty way to fool meta-gaming players too.

[Beatmeclever]

My wife accuses me of doing just that every time something out of the ordinary happens, or the few times we have gone with friends of our to a "Haunted" house or "supernatural vortex." She tells me it is because I demand absolute proof and that I rely too much on science to tell me what is true. I don't know how else to investigate something like this though.

[Cybermancer]

My wife accuses me of doing just that every time something out of the ordinary happens, or the few times we have gone with friends of our to a "Haunted" house or "supernatural vortex." She tells me it is because I demand absolute proof and that I rely too much on science to tell me what is true. I don't know how else to investigate something like this though.

It's actually my own views on the supernatural that inspired this. On one hand, I want to beleive in the fantastic. But I won't abandon rational thought to do it. And so far, evidence has always come up short of being 'proof'.

[Lord Z]

Here is an interesting question. If. Nega-Psychic were to find absolute proof, would she loose her powers. It has always seemed that the Nega-Psychic's skepticism is empowering her psychic effects. When that skepticism is broken, does the field of negative energy break apart also?

The first concept, faith empowered Nega, seems to work. I would allow it in a game. I would, however, rrstrict the range of effects. Even if the faithful Nega is immune to mystic attacks, he might not be cancelling nearby effects which target other people.

[Holister]

I always concieved that the nega-psychic's power was derived from their extreme disbelief in all things supernatural. This makes them natural skeptics that wouldn't believe the truth if it cam along and bit them in the @$$. However, wouldn't it stand to reason that they would be natural atheists too then? If anyone starts to play a nega with any modecum of belief in anything remotly supernatural or paranormal in my opinion would defeat the purpose of the character class.

[Cybermancer]

Well, like the thread title says, it's a different take on the Nega-Psychic.

Here is an interesting question. If. Nega-Psychic were to find absolute proof, would she loose her powers. It has always seemed that the Nega-Psychic's skepticism is empowering her psychic effects. When that skepticism is broken, does the field of negative energy break apart also?

In the second concept, I see it as an innate negative psychic energy. Their beleif ultimately has nothing to do with their power.

The first concept, faith empowered Nega, seems to work. I would allow it in a game. I would, however, rrstrict the range of effects. Even if the faithful Nega is immune to mystic attacks, he might not be cancelling nearby effects which target other people.

I've never really seen a Nega's powers as being able to do much to help others anyway.

However, wouldn't it stand to reason that they would be natural atheists too then? If anyone starts to play a nega with any modecum of belief in anything remotly supernatural or paranormal in my opinion would defeat the purpose of the character class.

Not at all. There are a lot of religious skeptics in the world today. Faith in a higher power that has a hands off mentality does nothing to prevent disbelief in all other supernatural powers. If anything, it can feed that disbelief.

And again, this is a different take on the Nega-Psychic, where the fluff of the original class is no longer pertains. It's taking the mechanics and applying all new fluff to it.

[mrloucifer]

Sadly I dont have time to write a lot here, but my thought and concern is that the first time you ARE affected by the supernatural (physically or mentally) your belief is shattered and you'd lose your talents. Its hard to deny that you were mauled by a Hell Hound when you got the scars and the medical bills and your teriifying remembrence of that event.

Using your Haunted location reference (and I used to run a ghost hunting group so I know a few things on the subject) if you had been violated or attacked somehow by something you couldnt fully, your still WELL aware it exists.

On the other hand... using this same analogy, I have met people who believe so strongly in mysticism and the paranormal/supernatural that they simply CANNOT be talked out of it. Most people see these people as crack pots and on mentally shaky ground (and talking with them I can understand their reasons).

I planned to add something about these type of people in the ghost sourcebook I'm working on.

[Cybermancer]

Sadly I dont have time to write a lot here, but my thought and concern is that the first time you ARE affected by the supernatural (physically or mentally) your belief is shattered and you'd lose your talents. Its hard to deny that you were mauled by a Hell Hound when you got the scars and the medical bills and your teriifying remembrence of that event.

You'd be surprised to find what the human mind is capable of denying, explaining away and justifying once a strong enough paradigm takes root.

And when a nega draws their powers from religious beleif, there is a built in "my faith wasn't strong enough/God is punishing me" combined with an automatic chance at redemption and a chance to regain ones abilities.

Although again, part of the idea I'm presenting is that once refluffed, the Nega-Psychic no longer needs to have their power come from beleif.

One of the reasons to do this is based on my observation of gamers. Just as in D&D you have DM's and players who make it their mission to cause a players Paladin to fall, there are GM's and players who make it their mission to make a Nega-Psychic believe.

Assuming you can get people around the initial paradigm of the Nega-Psychic's original fluff.

[sasha]

It depends upon your read of what "nega" means. If "nega" means "negative" as in "not positive", then what you're describing is not a nega-psychic but yet another character class. If it means "negation" as in "negation of psychics", then you've got something workable. I tend towards the former, however.

None of this means it's a bad idea, it's just nit-picking what to call it.