Tag: Wiki

Asrathi Instinctive Reflexes

Quick small buff for Asrathi.

I like their instincts, but they create a weird situation where they should have Combat Reflexes as a common trait (most “Cat-Folk” templates always have Combat Reflexes, but while I feel that fits things, I do want to have the possibility of Asrathi civilians who are surprised by combat, so it should be common, but not universal), but bundling it as an Instinct applies costs to it that other races don’t have. On top of that, I’ve had some requests for Enhanced Time Sense as a “powered-up” version, especially as a way to give Asrathi access to Precognitive Defense without requiring them to get a psychic power, but I find it hard to justify tripling the price with an HT roll and 2 FP. However, I had an idea regarding Maximum Duration (which feels like a cheat when it comes to combat powers like Altered Time Rate or Enhanced Time Sense).

So here’s the buff: Asrathi can purchase either the normal Instinctive Reflexes, or a new “permanent” version that costs no fatigue and inflicts no aftermath (but is still subject to sedation or other forms of biological harm). In addition, any Asrath with either version of Asrathi Instinctive Reflexes, either the temporary or permanent version, may use Extra Effort to gain the effects of Enhanced Time Sense for up to one minute, after which it automatically ends and they must suffer the effects of their instinctive aftermath. Furthermore, they can permanently purchase this upgraded version; it costs 2 FP (in addition to any other costs) to activate and lasts for only one minute, and inflicts the normal instinctive aftermath after it ends. This replaces the ability to use extra effort on Asrathi Instinctive Reflexes (think of it as purchasing a “reliable” extra effort version). Asrathi who purchase this advanced version can reflexively and retroactively activate their Enhanced Time Senses in anticipation of events, such as activating it the instant before an ambush, and they may purchase Precognitive Defense as though they were psychic.

I’ve also noted this arrangement in their common traits, and added a Talent.

You can check out the updated version of the instincts here.

10 Years of Psi-Wars

It’s 2026. Happy New Year! I wanted, originally, for this post to just be a one year retrospective, but I double checked and, in fact, we’re now officially 10 years into Psi-Wars, so I can’t let that go unremarked. In retrospect, I should have had something cool planned for this moment, but Psi-Wars remains a side-hobby I do when I’m not working or parenting, so alas, I have nothing special planned for this year, other than to carry forward with what I’ve been doing.

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The Syntech Robots Update, Part 2: The One with the Robots

The standard number of robots per corporation is 3. Some swell to four, but the fourth is usually a very special case. The same is true here: I have three robots for you, while I quietly ponder a possible fourth. That always feels like a small amount, but GURPS Robots only has eleven TL 10 robots and with this update, Psi-Wars currently has 18, so it should be enough for now.

The three new Syntech Robots are:

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Catching up on Wiki Updates: April and May

When you skip a month, it looks like you added a lot to the wiki! Of course, I added a lot to the wiki anyway, so we have a lot to go through.

Here are the highlights.

Not on the wiki (yet) but for Backers: The Astral Lords Poll Results dropped, including a 15 page preview document on the Astral Lords, including just enough of their Astral Sorcery to get an idea of what they can do.

That should be everything you need to go take a look. As usual, the design notes after the jump.

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A March Wiki Update

I’ve been busy with family and distracted by my work on cybernetics (I’m very pleased with how it’s coming along). I did get some Wiki material up, especially with help from Jose, who has been trying to help with the tedium of actually formatting, so I got some extra things in. Here’s a quick overview.

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Wiki Week Update: Politics, Engines of War, and Bonus Beasties

I had a friend, Jose, offer to upload wiki entries. It still required some fine tuning on my part, but the most time consuming aspect of the task is the formatting of everything. I’ve considered writing a script/code to convert a libre office document to a wikidot article. The only tools I can find are to media wiki (alas, if only I had chosen that as my primary format), but it might be possible to write code to convert media wiki to wikidot or vice versa.

In any case, he did most of the work, and asked for additional content, so we got some extra material this week. Here’s what we got:

Alliance Vehicles

Imperial Vehicles

The Two Senates

Stygian Clade

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Wiki Update: the (Remaining) Cults of the Divine Masks

This year, we work on the Arkhaian, so naturally my first major wiki update is about the Umbral Rim. It just keeps drawing me in! This will be an ongoing issue, because the old parts of the setting linger on my mind, unfinished bits inspired by other parts I’m working on. In particular, I sat down over Christmas break to wind up an important part of the Umbral Rim that I didn’t want to leave lying about. My ambition proved greater than the speed of my keyboard, but I did finish something.

To briefly sum up, the following pages have been updated or added to the Psi-Wars Wiki:

Seeing that altogether, it does seem ambitious that I had hoped to do more. And, in fact, I actually have some unpublished material, so I’ve been productive.

Now, for a more detailed discussion and design notes, see you after the jump!

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A Belated Wiki Week

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.

I’ve been busy (finally) getting over a nasty flu and dealing with the holidays as well as my new job, but everything is finally lining up and I find my productivity is returning, which is nice. I have a lot to share soon, and I have quite some things lined up for the next year, but we’ll get to that later!

In the meantime, I’ve updated the wiki some more, based on the wiki week poll, and some additional content I really wanted to get out.

As usual, design notes after the jump

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Wiki Update: Relic Knights!

My new (new) job is settling into place, and seems to be rather relaxed (despite, or perhaps because of, being such stressful work?) and I’m recovering from the seasonal flu, but all told, I think I’m hitting my stride again. Knock on wood, but I think next month we can go back to the usual cycle of Psi-Wars releases.

As part of that I made an effort to get back to my flow of releasing relics. I’ve sent the Grimshaw Relics to Backers. They can pick them up here:

I have some more relics, but they’re not yet ready. Grimshaw was rather complex, especially the Grimshaw Dossier. These include:

  • The Grimshaw Signet: The ducal mark of House Grimshaw has the secret ability to break past any Maradonian biometrics.
  • The Inquisitor’s Sword: The force sword of Tae Grimshaw, probably; it erases its own history, and destroys files on systems it strikes.
  • The Crown of the Usurper: The coronet of Shio Daijin during his ill-fated attempt to claim the throne of the Alexian Dynasty as a “regent” and kicked off the War of the Four Houses.
  • The Grimshaw Dossier: A ghostly file that seeks to reveal the crimes of House Grimshaw which manifests itself on digital systems, despite the best efforts of shadowy figures to destroy the file.
  • The Riddle Sphere of Janus Daijin: A strange alien artifact that houses the mad mind of Janus Daijin

But for the rest of you, I’ve added the following:

  • Relic Sensitivity, a rare psionic power allowing the psychic to manipulate relic energy.
  • Relic Knights, and a generally updated Relic Sorcery school, now with a Buff index
  • Updated House Korenno to give them an option to be Relic Sensitives, and House Grimshaw with their Sorcery (The house, founded by a wizard, of people who can shoot other people with lightning, was always going to have some sorcerers)
  • Ninja Weapons are finally out.
  • By request, the templates for ghosts are on the wiki too.

That should cover everything. There may be another update, but this hit all the points I really wanted updated. Enjoy!

Wiki Update: the Halloween Edition

I’m late, I’m sorry. So, as promised on Sunday, I’ve worked on the ghost update. I’ll drop links to all the updates first, and then discuss the why and some broader discussion around the update.

I’ve also updated the Path of Death

All the ghosts are also split up by location, but the Eldridge Martyr, the sample ghost ship, did not have a page, so Derrick White helpfully made one

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