Rules

Psychics are people with the ability to perceive forces hidden from mundane senses through extrasensory perception, who may then use their minds to manipulate these supernatural elements. Some people are just born with unusual gifts or raw talent that leads to the discovery of these paranormal abilities, such as telepathy, telekinesis, and clairvoyance. Psychic Numina Paths thus involve the mind perceiving and altering the material world.

Reported instances of true Psychic Phenomena were once quite rare, but the last few years have been marked by a remarkable spike in psychic activity. Many of these new Psychics seem completely unaware that they possess unusual abilities.

Popular culture is flooded with ghost-hunting reality shows and blog accounts that explore urban legends and investigate reported poltergeists. Some of these are actual hauntings by ghosts, but a sizeable number of these incidents are actually caused by the residents of the homes creating the “poltergeists” with their undiscovered psychic powers. Of course, no small number of them are false, or purveyed by charlatans, as well….

The origin of psychic abilities has yet to be properly scientifically explored. Currently, little concrete information exists regarding how or why these powers develop. A number of scientists and researchers who have discovered Psychic Numina have proposed the Numen Theorem, which suggests that humanity is naturally evolving psychic abilities as a biological defense against predatory supernatural creatures. Psychics are merely the first step in this new evolution of the human species.

Acquiring and Mastering Psychic Numina

Psychics are born with or develop a special gift that allows them access to areas of the brain that perform Psychic Numina. Many hunters possess a latent low-level awareness that helped them realize that there were monsters in the world. A number of parapsychologists who support the Numen Theorem believe that all humans possess the potential to access Psychic Numina with the proper training, and that hunters mark the sea change at which mankind moves from realizing it’s not alone in the night to being able to do something about it. Psychics learn to focus their will and train themselves via often-grueling mental regimens to use Psychic Numina Paths. Practitioners of Psychic Numina often rely upon the Awareness Ability, along with regular exercise and good diet, to keep their minds healthy. Psychics who fail to maintain proper balance in their lives may suffer from exhaustion or, indeed, may develop mental aberrations. Storytellers may find it thematic to bestow new Flaws upon Psychic characters who exceed the limits of their endurance.

Hunters who would be Psychics must acquire either a mentor with the proper knowledge or spend an extended period attempting to develop their mental abilities under controlled conditions. Some parapsychologists now train fledgling Psychics in an attempt to learn more about the new phenomenon. The occasional “latent Psychic” emerges untrained from the shadowed corners of the World of Darkness, but without learning proper control techniques, he may well be considered one of the monsters….

Psychic Numina and the Hunter Outlook

Hunters tend to be more paranoid than other mortals, and hanging around someone who might read your mind isn’t a comforting situation. How can you keep secrets from freaks who can simply touch something and thereby learn everything about it? What happens if they lose control and start a fire? If vampires and Psychics are real, who’s to say that it won’t play out like Scanners?

These fears often lead hunters to develop their own proactive defenses against Psychics in order to protect themselves. Or a hunter may take an alternate path and try to develop Psychic Numina herself in order to gain an understanding of the unknown. Of course, that still involves a level of trust that many hunters are unwilling to grant practitioners of the paranormal.