Psi Shields

[sinbadsam]

IYTU how do you use psi shields?

IE do they stop telepathic measures absolutely?

Or can a highly powered and or skilled telepathic being work past a psi shield?

Do you have a "Special" ability that can bypass psi shields?

This question is meant for all iterations of Traveller, and not specific to any one iteration.

 

[Valarian]

It's all a cunning conspiracy ... they make us wear tin-foil caps, make us think that we are safe. But they don't work. People wear the caps and let down their guard. It just makes it easier for THEM to read our minds. THEY are here, all around us. Wait a minute ... What was that? Can you hear? No ... don't ... I didn't mean it ... ARGH!

 

[sinbadsam]

I can see two different approaches/systems for this

One is like the Black Globe Shield, while it is up no telepathic contact can be made.

Two the other is like the Meson Screen, some being(s) more powerful and or skillfull "may" be able to get past the psi shield.

As for the actual mechanics of psi etc, I leave that to each of us, but the "Psionics Institutes" makes good "arguments" for each type of psi mechanics.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

You can't detect or contact someone wearing a shield, but most other abilities work normally.

If you Assault someone wearing a shield, treat them as having a natural Telepathic shield with a PSR equal to the TL of the shield.

 

[Valarian]

I can't see a psionic shield actually preventing an attack, only direct telepathic contact. A telekinetic can drop something on the person wearing the shield. A telepath can meddle with someone else's brain in the vicinity to try and achieve their goals.

 

[sinbadsam]

All very tried and true methods of getting past/around a psi shield.

But I think that giving a artificial psi shield a PSR of equal to the TL of its manufacture, is too general. That would mean a TL 15 PS would have a PSR of 15. Under most iterations of the Traveller Psi that makes the shield very powerful.

Hmm lets tinker with a base Psi Shield PSR of 12 then increment every so many levels.

 

[Darkhstarr]

I've always played them as an psionic ECM device, jamming psionic powers much in the way radar & the like are jammed. Also I reasoned that a psi helmet with a locking mechanism can be placed on a psi's head & secured, shutting down their psi abilities.

 

[Ptah]

Yes, I use PSI shields.

Skilled psionicist and/or powerful ones can penetrate the defense. This gets harder as the tech level of the shield increases.

Inexspensive and early tech level shields just provide a "white noise" form of jamming. More sophisticatred shields emanate strong emotions that besides jamming mind reading can also force telepaths and empaths to focus on blocking out the waves of thought.

At even higher levels of sophistication the waves of thought/emotion hcahnge dramatically from say blind bloodlust and hate, to euphoric unconditional love, further making it difficult for empaths and telepaths to adjust.

On world where psionics is illegal or unregistered psionicists criminals, the thought police will wander the streets and switch on shields or ramp up the power to see if anyone flinches. If so you may be taken in for questioning.

I like the description of psionics in David Brin's novels and use the idea of a psionic grenade. Same idea as the shield but much more intense and can even effect non-psionics at some level producing a stunning and halucinatory effect.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by Sinbad Sam:
IYTU how do you use psi shields?

IE do they stop telepathic measures absolutely?

In the references that we acquired through the various rulesets when we wrote our TNE mini-series of adventures "Operation Dominoes", Richard Perks & I discussed how the TL6 pro-Psionic world in the Wilds of Thoezennt of Tiniyd appraoched the matter.

The first instance arose in the Starship the Moonshdaow team in Bk1 was shielded by from Life detection, one of the lowest skill forms of telepathy, based on the TL15 Scout hull of their vessel that drops the team off.

Unable to detect life aboard the ship (and thus any other telepathic, teleportative or clairsentient skills), the locals were forced to determine the possibility it could be just a passing vampire ship. All attempts to breach the ship's hull shielding (designed for work vs. the Zhodani) were thus rendered moot.

Or can a highly powered and or skilled telepathic being work past a psi shield?

In Our Opinion, no. Not past the Hull's shielding.

In the instance of the man-portable helmet version, line-of sight abilities would work (telekinesis, for example), but all telepathic abilities are rendered useless, including the highest--psionic assault. Now things like a chirper going invisible--a subtle mind attack affecting vision in our interpretation--would not work against the wearer of said device.

Likewise, a clairvoyant could "see" the people from a distance, and "see" who was wearing the helmets, if said folks were outside of a Psi-shielded ship.

Do you have a "Special" ability that can bypass psi shields?

This question is meant for all iterations of Traveller, and not specific to any one iteration.

In answer to your last question, Sinbad Sam,
No.

In the psionic Mind vs. Mind "sparring", or "battles" between telepaths, I use an opposed roll based on the two character's PSI-scores. Loser's shield is breached.

I interept literally when the device is working, it nullifies ALL telepathic abilities from that person's mind.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by Sinbad Sam:
All very tried and true methods of getting past/around a psi shield.

But I think that giving a artificial psi shield a PSR of equal to the TL of its manufacture, is too general. That would mean a TL 15 PS would have a PSR of 15. Under most iterations of the Traveller Psi that makes the shield very powerful.

Hmm lets tinker with a base Psi Shield PSR of 12 then increment every so many levels.

if you are going on that route, then you may also wish to include that in the T20 handbook, the earliest tech for a helmet PSi-Shield is TL8, when previous editions started it at TL12--then do add in our current day understanding of the said "jamming affect/ white noise" that prevents contact of 'Mind-to-mind' (the essentials for Telepathic sphere's abilities).

Bear in mind also, even as late as GDW's TNE ("Smash & Grab"), a local resistance group on a planet with Psionic TED's met by their TL5/TL6 hydroelectric power substations inside the invisible electromagnetic fields to avoid Psionic scrutiny by the regime's secret police..

 

[sinbadsam]

Hmm, I am unable to locate in the T20 vehicle/starship building rules the costs of adding psionic shields for vehicle/starships.

IIRC in the MegaTraveller iteration, psionic shields were "installed" on most Imperial vessels that might come into contact with the Zhodani. Part of that shielding not only prevented Telepathic, but teleportation also. But in the MegaTraveller ship/vehicle rules I am unable to find the costs volume power etc.

 

[far-trader]

Given the ranges and lethality of ship to ship combat it would seem pointless in most cases. By the time a Zho ship is close enough for Psionics you're probably in such bad shape that you are past caring.

Besides it's not like every Zho rating is a mind-reading, teleporting, kinetic manipulator. Most of them just use regular weapons.

 

[sinbadsam]

Far Trader that may be true for most combat scenarios for starship combat but what about vehicle combat?

Other possibilities..Star Ship Hijackers who use psionic talents to take control of ship, ie teleporting into vital areas engineering etc. Yes if the Hijackers are on another ship they will have to get into what starship combat would say Contact range.

But if they are "passengers" on board a starship ranges for most talents are minimal to say the least.

 

[far-trader]

Vehicle combat is if anything an even riskier environment vs reward to be putting your psionic soldiers into. It has the same issues of lethality range to only a slightly less degree than that of space combat and the rewards are far less in knocking out a single tank than in taking out a cruiser.

IMO psionic soldiers would be special ops, they'd sneak in and sneak out, not on the front lines but behind the lines. I wouldn't be risking them in either space or ground battles.

The issue of passengers or friendly ships approaching is another matter entirely. Exactly where you'd find my Psi-Ops infiltrating.

Hijackers implies more the civilian/commercial side of the equation and there you have even less likelihood of trouble to balance against the high costs. Traders operating in or near Zho space may invest in some psi-helmets but on the other side of that it would lead the Zho you do meet and want to be friendly with that much less trustful. Any interface trader worth their O2 will know this as well as the fact that most Zho encountered are not psionic and the few who are likely won't bother reading your mind anyway, unless you cause problems or act suspiciously.

The way I see it all anyway

 

[sinbadsam]

Actually I am taking a non military view on this...

For pirates/privateers a psionically enabled "boarding party" would increase revenues.

As for the Imperial Psi-Ops, well they have so few of them compared to other psi enabled races. Due in major part to a vast amount of possible recruits not being tested early enough, to be of much practical use. Besides you have not seen my take on the Thought Police "Choir Boys" ops types of units.

Think of them as a Zhodani Psionic "A Team" but more into the gray areas.

Yes I agree the Zho's would not stoop to such unless it was for a very specific reason/purpose. Most of which will not be of any direct military value.

But back on the subject I have mentioned above, have you seen any costs etc for adding such shielding?

 

[far-trader]

Originally posted by Sinbad Sam:
...But back on the subject I have mentioned above, have you seen any costs etc for adding such shielding?

Not off the top of my head. I had a quick look at MT and don't see it in the design section. Closest there might be fudging it with the rules for either Neural Sensors (same tech, different application) or EM Masking (bonus of sensor futzing).

Don't see it in T4 or FF&S1 either. Maybe in the TNE main book (not handy) or FF&S2?

 

[Darkhstarr]

The gamers who got me hooked on Traveller back in the early 80's made psionic shielding standard on most Imperial naval vessels. I looked for their extra cost home rules in my notes from those games, but couldn't find them.. Going from memory I think it was 5% extra, but my wife thinks it was 8% extra.

Originally posted by Sinbad Sam:
Hmm, I am unable to locate in the T20 vehicle/starship building rules the costs of adding psionic shields for vehicle/starships.

IIRC in the MegaTraveller iteration, psionic shields were "installed" on most Imperial vessels that might come into contact with the Zhodani. Part of that shielding not only prevented Telepathic, but teleportation also. But in the MegaTraveller ship/vehicle rules I am unable to find the costs volume power etc.

 

[sinbadsam]

Number One Rule of a Married Man: Wife is always right.

Number Two Rule of a Married Man: See Rule One.

Thanks for the information.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

I used to rule that running a low current through the jump grid worked as a crude shield.

 

[far-trader]

Actually, thinking about it Andrew, I like that.

One could even easily argue that without special construction the simple operation of many ships could be enough to totally mess up Psionics. You have all these high energy electrical fields for thrusters and artificial gravity and everything else. Seems to me the whole ship could be automatically treated as shielded to some level. Especially the most critical areas of engineering and the bridge.