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[BerzerkerUnit]

I'm cooking up a back up PC since mine may die sacrificing himself next session. I'm thinking of a psychic scientist of some sort, perhaps an evolutionist seeking to make everyone psychic or something, I'm wondering if you folks have any default powers you always take or if you can think what might just be cool for an Anima version of Carl Sagan to have.

Any help is appreciated!

[alphawhelp]

Well just making people psychic isn't possible.  Maybe take your psychic scientist in a more literal bent, maybe he's a psychic scientist studying the logia of Solomon, in which case I'd recommend the Energy Discipline

[VoidKnight]

Well just making people psychic isn't possible.  Maybe take your psychic scientist in a more literal bent, maybe he's a psychic scientist studying the logia of Solomon, in which case I'd recommend the Energy Discipline

Doesn't some aspect of The Process grant psychic abilities?

[Dynaes]

Doesn't some aspect of The Process grant psychic abilities?

That's through the implantation of a psychic crystal in the brain of the subject.  It doesn't make them psychic so much as give them a tool to use one power.

[alphawhelp]

Doesn't some aspect of The Process grant psychic abilities?

specifically, having the crystal embedded in your brain gives you "Access to Natural Psychic Powers" as outlined in the advantage on page 16.

And not every processed has that crystal implanted.

[VoidKnight]

perhaps an evolutionist seeking to make everyone psychic or something

Implanting crystals in someone's mind to try and grant them powers seems like an option for a scientist-type character. 

Or at least it fits in the realm of what some of my more insane players would try to do.

[alphawhelp]

perhaps an evolutionist seeking to make everyone psychic or something

Implanting crystals in someone's mind to try and grant them powers seems like an option for a scientist-type character.  

Or at least it fits in the realm of what some of my more insane players would try to do.

Well he said psychic scientist.  If we're just talking about implanting stuff into peoples' heads to make them psychic, the Freelancer would be much better at it. (actually I believe Lucanor Giovanni does the process himself on the Wissenschaft members.)  And also surgically implanting things in to peoples' heads runs contrary to evolution.

[VoidKnight]

perhaps an evolutionist seeking to make everyone psychic or something

Implanting crystals in someone's mind to try and grant them powers seems like an option for a scientist-type character.  

Or at least it fits in the realm of what some of my more insane players would try to do.

Well he said psychic scientist.  If we're just talking about implanting stuff into peoples' heads to make them psychic, the Freelancer would be much better at it. (actually I believe Lucanor Giovanni does the process himself on the Wissenschaft members.)  And also surgically implanting things in to peoples' heads runs contrary to evolution.

Point taken. And I think you are correct on Lucanor doing the process part himself (or at least the implanting the crystal part).

[BerzerkerUnit]

Hmm, the thing that turned me onto the concept was the "sense matrices" power which allows you to sense latent psychic potential in people.  From there it seems telepathy should be able to awaken the powers.

[alphawhelp]

Hmm, the thing that turned me onto the concept was the "sense matrices" power which allows you to sense latent psychic potential in people.  From there it seems telepathy should be able to awaken the powers.

Sense Matrices only detects people who are already psychic.  Non-psychics don't register any more than a rock, no matter how high their willpower is.

[Vrenash]

Another aspect that they could look through as a psychic scientist would be through the research and delving into other people's mind in order to see what they are capable of, or change various aspects of it in order to see what changing their personalities and capabilities they could then attempt to do.  Telepathy, what fun we can have with you

May not be turning people into psychics directly, but a little early research on the differences between psychics, non-psychics, and the variety of capabilities could give them some insights.  Then a good groundwork to move forward in the future.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Hmm, the thing that turned me onto the concept was the "sense matrices" power which allows you to sense latent psychic potential in people.  From there it seems telepathy should be able to awaken the powers.

Sense Matrices only detects people who are already psychic.  Non-psychics don't register any more than a rock, no matter how high their willpower is.

Hmm, in my english version the result for 80, medium success, says "detect latent powers in people."

[alphawhelp]

Hmm, in my english version the result for 80, medium success, says "detect latent powers in people."

Being Psychic is a "born with it or not" dichotomy, in other words, you can't use non restricted creation points to buy access to psychic disciplines later if you don't have them, and so there is no "awakening potential" in people where it isn't there in the first place.  So detect latent powers in people literally means you can identify psychics even if they have no maintained matrices at the time.

re pg 9 of the GM Toolkit

Common Advantages
These are the common advantages that are easily accessible to any
character. For many different reasons, they are not compatible with the
rules for Non-restricted Creation Points:  Repeat a Characteristics Roll,
Increase One Characteristic to 9, Access to One Psychic Discipline, Free Access
to any Psychic Discipline, Starting Wealth, the Gift, Jack of All Trades, Charm,
Uncommon Size, Access to Natural Psychic Powers, Danger Sense, Natural
Armor, Mystical Armor, Elan, Artifact, and Learning.

[BerzerkerUnit]

That's a fair interpretation. However, it's established in canon that individuals can be "given" psychic powers in a variety of ways (some are Deus Ex Machina, some are not).  Further, it can probably be assumed that while most no name NPC adults are "lvl 1 Freelancer" many of the young are still level 0 and may or may not have spent all of their "starting CP."

After all, it's a common trope for ESP to begin manifesting at adolescence so I don't think it's too much reaching.  Even then the character could, over the course of his career, trace psi potential back to gestation or conception and then use Control of Causality to insure the fetus is psychic.  All of this is basically background info I'm using to justify how the character interacts with the setting, little of the actual game will focus on any of it.

Edit: And thanks to everyone for all your thoughts!

[The Dread Polack]

I am fond of ignoring the "cannot be taken after character creation" rule in RPGs. If you can come up with an interesting explanation for why you're suddenly psychic, go for it. Psychic crystal implantation sounds like crude and simplistic answer. Other ideas might be: mutations, surgical alterations, biological implants (maybe a gland from a psychic spider at the base of the spinal column...), or "activated genetics".

Depending on how scientific or realistic you want to be, you might want to consider a few things.

First off, evolution is a broad field of science, but is actually probably not relevant to your character's goals. Evolution happens over many, many generations. If he wanted to change a mundane person into a psychic, he would have to actually alter them directly. Even if he wanted to ensure that their kids were psychic, it would still take more direct manipulation of their genes during fertilization.

Anyway, that's only if you're worried about being scientifically accurate. Sci-fi and fantasy is full of fantastic science, and so it's totally appropriate here, although "Evolution" is probably not a very good explanation for what he'd be doing.

Maybe the "powers that be" have been guiding the evolution of a population for generations: a sort of evolution by UNnatural selection. Your scientist PC could have gained some knowledge of this and there's some possibility for adventure.

Anyway, you asked for disciplines, and I gave you something else. I think less of the action-oriented ones, ending in "kinesis" and more of the more subtle ones.

Telemetry sounds like maybe the most useful discipline for a scientist.

Most of the Matrix powers sound important if he's studying psychic powers.
Telepathy is a great way to gain information, although not necessarily accurate information. Sentience also.

Psychokinesis might allow him to perform physical experiments without having to contamination, which could be useful.

Perception Increase could be very useful.

Depending on how he does his experiments, Energy could be somewhat useful.