The psionic discipline of Abnegation is a complex and
demanding science, one requiring a remarkable degree of
self-discipline from the adept. Abnegation involves
techniques of suppression, abstention, and nullification of
both psychic power and more conventional forces. The
expert “nullifier” becomes a black hole of imperceptible
emptiness, impervious to conventional psychic powers
and all but undetectable by ordinary means.
Practitioners of this discipline have an ill reputation
that dates back from the Terran Mandate, where nullifiers
were often sent as spies and inquisitors to ensure dissident
colonies stay submissive to their master. The invisible
threat of a nullifier’s presence is often enough to prevent
any unorthodox discussion; many regimes plotting
resistance or rebellion against the Mandate have been
toppled simply because they unknowingly revealed crucial
information in the presence of an invisible nullifier.
Since the scream, adepts of Abnegation are much
rarer. The discipline has fallen to mere myth, occasionally
invoked in some cultures to scare children and naïve
population away from dangerous activities or heretical
thoughts.
The nullifier can dissipate light and heat, allowing to
partially negate their own existence for purposes of
allowing light to pass through them, granting a faded,
translucent appearance. As a Main action, the psychic can
Commit Effort for the day to trigger this power, which
remains active until the end of the scene. Generally, alert
characters that clearly see the nullifier trigger this ability
can keep track of their position.
Level-0: While active, all Stealth checks against visual
observation can be rolled twice, with the better result
used. Observer within 10m and TL4 and above
sensors are unaffected.
Level-1: Now affects TL4 devices and all observers further
than 5m of the adept.
Level-2: While active, the power also shields from audio
detection. The psychic can target other beings within
10m; only they can hear noise or sound they make.
Level-3: While active, if the adept is unmoving, they
automatically succeed all stealth checks related to
hiding their presence.
Level-4: Like level 3, but also works when moving.
The nullifier is intuitively aware when some power or
examination risks exposing their nature as a psychic. As an
Instant action, the character can Commit Effort to read as
a normal, untalented being to all forms of scanning,
including Metapsionic investigation, psitech scanners, or
medical investigation. This lasts while the effort is
committed.
The nullifier can very briefly cease to exist when necessary,
bodily translating their existence into a metadimensional
pocket. As a Main action, the psychic can Commit Effort
for the day to simply vanish. While nonexistent, the
nullifier is aware of their surroundings but can neither
move nor perform any actions. The nullifier can remain
safely absent for a number of rounds equal to their
character level; for every round after that, the character
suffers 1d6 damage until they either die or coalesce from
the void.
As a last resort before being discovered, the psychic can
Commit Effort for the day, distorting the space around
them to confuse a number of observers up to their
Abnegation level. Affected observers must perform a
Mental saving throw. A failed saving throw means that the
observer will stand still for a few seconds: when rolling for
initiative, they must roll twice and take the lowest result.
From Abnegation-3 and onward, that saving throw is no
longer allowed.
As a Main action, the adept can Commit Effort for the
scene to become imperceptible to a target on a
subconscious level. The target is allowed a mental saving
throw to resist this effect. On a failure, affected individuals
will try to interact with other characters during combats
and discussions, if possible. The effect ends at the end of
the scene or if the target takes damage from the nullifier.
When Committing Effort to use Fade, the nullifier only
needs to Commit Effort for as long as the ability is active
instead of for the day. They can stop sustaining the ability
at any time. If the technique is augmented by other
techniques that come with their own extra or increased
cost, however, this extra cost must still be paid.
Mastery of Abnegation now lets the psychic shutoff all
surrounding distractions and focus intensely on their
target. As a main action, they may Commit Effort for the
scene to define a target. Until the reminder of the scene,
they will focus solely on that target, ignoring all other
distractions. This gives them a bonus to +1 to AC
defending from that target and +2 to hit rolls against that
target. The effect lasts until the end of the scene or until
the goal is achieved. Snapping out of this effect early
requires outside help or a successful mental saving throw.
The cerebral voids the nullifier has cultivated are now
powerful enough to absorb hostile energies. The nullifier
may trigger this ability as an Instant Action by Committing
Effort for the scene to eliminate incoming energy damage,
whether it is a laser, open flame, plasma, or any other
intangible force. Multiple points of Effort can be
committed per activation, each preventing up to 8 points
of damage. The user may choose to use this ability after the
damage is rolled, and may absorb partial amounts of an
injury as desired.
When activating Fade, the adept can Commit an extra
point of Effort for the day to spread the effect to up to 3
companions. At Abnegation-4, that number goes up to 6
companions.
The nullifier begins to use their cerebral voids to silently
absorb psionic forces directed against them. As an On
Turn action, the adept can Commit Effort for as long as
they want to maintain this power. While active, the
nullifier may Commit an extra Effort for the day to
immediately negate the effect of a psychic power used
against them. For most abilities, this “feels” to the user as if
the target had simply made their saving throw or
otherwise resisted the power in a conventional way- it is
not obviously an anomalous psychic defense. The nullifier
may choose to use this power after failing a normal saving
throw. This ability is only effective against powers used
directly on the nullifier; the user could parry a psychic
probe, for example, but could do nothing to halt a
telekinetically-thrown knife
At the pinnacle of their disciple, the nullifier becomes an
inescapable zone of psionic desolation. When The Void
Within is focused on a visible psychic by committing effort
as a Main action, the target becomes completely unable to
use their psionic abilities, including psitech that requires
an active psionic gift. Additionally, any character under
this effect automatically fails any Mental saving throw. At
the same time, the nullifier is also incapable of using any
other psychic power but can continue to maintain the
resonance as long as the lockdown is desired. There is no
saving throw against this ability and no psychic power can
be used to negate it. While this void is shared, however,
the target has an immediate and intuitive awareness of the
location of the nullifier.
The nullifier has such a perfect control over the energies
that characterize their neurological activity that they can
identify and alter those patterns when they detects them in
another mind. A subject affected by this power may make
a Mental Effect saving throw to resist it, becoming
immune to the ability for 24 hours on a successful saving
throw. If failed, however, the nullifier can alter their
perceptions and recollection of the user, convincing them
that the nullifier is actually a completely different person-
or no person at all. The nullifier may dictate their
appearance, past history with the target, and even whether
or not the subject remembers them at all. Even when
confronted with an obvious mismatch between their
memories and what they see, the subject will continue to
believe that the nullifier is what he or she has impressed
upon them until the user leaves their presence. This false
memory will be maintained until a psychic with at least
Telepathy-1 spends a day working with the subject and
succeeds in a heal skill check at difficulty 10.
Adapted from Cult of the Wraith by u/Hemejef