To Psi, or Not to Psi?

OK, I'll admit it. I am fascinated by the concept of psionicism. I went through a phase where I hopped from MUD to MUD looking for the best representation of psionic abilities. However, prior to my first concrete exposure to psionicism with the Science Fiction show FarScape, I had hardly batted an eyelash at the entire class.

In FarScape, one of the renegade primary characters is a priestess named "Zhaan." This alien priestess is a plant shaped in human form, with humanistic qualities (fabulous concept). She uses her psychic abilities and intuition to heal others, and to protect herself. She is rather a cross between a traditional cleric and a psionic, though, since she calls upon the power of her goddess in prayer.

It was the way her abilities were portrayed that piqued my curiosity. There was something so primal, so sexy, and so pure in her reaching inside herself-with a little help from the heavens-and focusing her mind on her will. It was then I realised how shrouded in mystery and intrigue psionicism is, and the tremendous potential for psionic characters in both Science Fiction and Fantasy games.

To that end, this is not a concept that others haven't already grasped, I was just slow to learn! System Shock II, the video game, has a class of soldier that uses telekinetic abilities to manipulate the world around him. Even the Might & Magic series gives limited psionic abilities to magi with the spell set "Mind Magic." Countless text games of both the stock and custom varieties have psionic classes and guilds, to make the adage "mind over matter" an in-character reality. Even the creators of FarScape are on the bandwagon.

I started to think about the ideal psionic character, the type I'd like to play. Like Zhaan, I appreciate the blend of traditional psionicism (in which characters are typically loners, detached from religion and from society) and traditional clericalism (in which characters are typically other-minded, selfless, and undyingly devoted to their religion). A psionic who could acknowledge a higher power and call upon him or her in need, yet at the same time, acknowledge her own abilities and the fact that simply by focusing her mind and willpower, she could move mountains. A character who knew the darkness and the light within her, and balanced the two. A character as likely to be savage as to be helpful, who would fight tooth and nail for her ideals and for those she loved, and at the same time give her life to help and heal those around her.

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