Psychic Wilderness Scout?

[barna10]

"The second way is to select an O.C.C. that has some psionic abilities like the Operator, Wilderness Scout, Crazies, and Cyber-Knight, but the power level of these characters is very limited."

This has bugged me for years as it was in the original Rifts rule book and persisted into RUE.

Is there a version, somewhere, of the Wilderness Scout that has psionics? That seems like a cool concept....

On another note....I wouldn't classify the Cyber-Knight as "limited".

[Devjannz]

I can see why it would be annoying but to my knowledge the Wilderness Scout has never had Psi Powers as part of it's OCC Build. The only way they can get them is by rolling to see according to the third way in Step 4 of character creation.

I think this one of those editing mistakes that was left in the original RMB and never changed and since they do a lot of "Copy, Paste" style editing at Palladium it has just remained.

[barna10]

You would think it was an idea at some point.

[Mack]

I can understand the thought. A few sensitive psionics would be pretty beneficial for a Wilderness Scout.

And, yes, I would call the Cyber-Knight's psionics "limited." Especially the RMB version.

[green.nova343]

"The second way is to select an O.C.C. that has some psionic abilities like the Operator, Wilderness Scout, Crazies, and Cyber-Knight, but the power level of these characters is very limited."

This has bugged me for years as it was in the original Rifts rule book and persisted into RUE.

Is there a version, somewhere, of the Wilderness Scout that has psionics? That seems like a cool concept....

On another note....I wouldn't classify the Cyber-Knight as "limited".

First off, what page is the particular quote located on in either book? Some context might be helpful as to what we are looking at.

Second off, no, the Wilderness Scout does not have the "psionic option" like the Operater does. Nor do the expanded variants in WB26 (Dinosaur Swamp). As for the others listed in that quote...well, Crazies have the problem of, well, being cray-cray; Cyber-Knights are combat-oriented, & they have that pesky Code they have to live by or they get in trouble with the Order (not to mention usually being beacons for supernatural threats).

If you wanted to build that kind of option for a Wilderness Scout (like the Operator has), rather than simply going the generic minor/major psychic route, I would suggest coming up with a list of specific powers they can select. I would focus on the Physical ones, with maybe a smattering of Healing & Sensitive -- Resist Fatigue/Hunger/Thirst, Impervious to Cold/Fire/Poison, Summon Inner Strength, Suppress Fear, Detect Psionics, Mask I.S.P. & Psionics/P.P.E., See Aura/The Invisible, Sense Dimensional Anomaly/Evil/Magic/Time would be good choices on the list, but the only Super psionics I would recommend would be Psionic Invisibility or Psychic Omni-Sight (each costing 2 power selections) -- & would suggest a similar selection like the Psi-Operator.

My reasoning for those particular selections is that the Wilderness Scout is geared towards just that: scouting. He's not a healer, not a warrior, not some assassin (although those powers would help an assassin skulk around). He's supposed to know his way around the wilderness & scout it out. Those particular powers can help either improve his ability to do so or help him stay unnoticed while doing so.

[barna10]

It's under step 4 in character creation, RUE.

Been bugging me since 1991.

[Devjannz]

I have a Human Wilderness Scout who has 2 minor psi powers: Object Read and Sixth Sense, which can be very helpful when scouting a new area.

[barna10]

Would love to get Kevin's input to finally know if a draft had that or something

[green.nova343]

It's under step 4 in character creation, RUE.

Been bugging me since 1991.

Ah...now I see it.

That's got to be a typo. The same section from RMB reads:

The second way is to select an O.C.C. that has minor psionics, like the operator, techno-wizard, crazies, and cyber-knight, but these characters have only a tiny bit of psychic powers

(emphasis added).

I will note that, even in RUE, not every Cyber-Knight gets psionics. In RMB, 80% of Cyber-Knights are psychics (major), but they only get 3 psionics from a fixed list, plus Psi-Sword. In RUE, only 70% of Cyber-Knights are psychic at all: 30% are not psychic (although, since they can Meditate/no ISP cost, & can still create a Psi-Sword/no ISP & Psi-Shield/half ISP, they get a small ISP base), 40% are minor psychics (low ISP base, only get 3 powers from a limited list), 20% are major psychics (still low ISP base, get 3 from the list plus 6 Healing/Physical/Sensitive, plus their Psi-Sword damage goes up at higher levels), & only 10% are master psychics (8 additional Healing/Physical/Sensitive powers, Psi-Sword damage goes up at higher levels, gets to pick additional Supers at higher levels, ISP base is the same as the RMB version). So I can see why Cyber-Knights are also considered "limited" as a psychic option.

[barna10]

Odd...swear my original RMB had the same text, one I have now omits Wilderness Scout.

Assuming I am losing it and it appeared first in RUE....that's an even stranger typo

[Killer Cyborg]

Would love to get Kevin's input to finally know if a draft had that or something

Same.

[Killer Cyborg]

Odd...swear my original RMB had the same text, one I have now omits Wilderness Scout.

Assuming I am losing it and it appeared first in RUE....that's an even stranger typo

You probably just switched to a slightly alternate dimension.
Happens all the time, but we end up somewhere so close to identical, we don't even really notice the changes.

[MyDumpStatIsMA]

"The second way is to select an O.C.C. that has some psionic abilities like the Operator, Wilderness Scout, Crazies, and Cyber-Knight, but the power level of these characters is very limited."

This has bugged me for years as it was in the original Rifts rule book and persisted into RUE.

Is there a version, somewhere, of the Wilderness Scout that has psionics? That seems like a cool concept....

On another note....I wouldn't classify the Cyber-Knight as "limited".

My version of RUE is 3rd printing, July 2008. The list appears as you show it, but it's missing the Wilderness Scout.

As for the value of psionics with a Wilderness Scout, I think I'd rather just have a Psi-Druid. Sure, you might get lost more, but you'd always know where water was.

[green.nova343]

Odd...swear my original RMB had the same text, one I have now omits Wilderness Scout.

Assuming I am losing it and it appeared first in RUE....that's an even stranger typo

You probably just switched to a slightly alternate dimension.
Happens all the time, but we end up somewhere so close to identical, we don't even really notice the changes.

Like in Peter Clines' novel The Fold...just look out for the shiny green cockroaches & giant 5-limbed bug-men...