Humans have known about psi powers for several centuries — the first verifiable Human psis emerged in the late solar exploration period — but they remain somewhat uneasy about psionics and those who use them. Faced with fully-functional psionic civilizations like the Varanyi, Terran society has increased the pace of accepting psionics and integrating them into daily life, but many people wish for even more rapid change. Empress Marissa, recognizing the extent of the potential Varanyi threat, has established many policies to help "mainstream" psionic individuals, and wants to find ways to increase the proportion of psis in the Human species.
By law, all psionics must register with the Imperial Psionics Foundation and obtain a Psionic License (a 1-point Fringe Benefit; see page 127). A Psionic License permits the character to use his powers subject to the law. The Mind Police pursue unlicensed psis; if captured, an unlicensed psi faces fines, imprisonment, forced injection of psi-suppression drugs, or even forced conscription into government service.
The basic laws regarding the use of psionics on others resemble the laws governing physical contact between Humans: no use of powers on another person without his consent; no property damage; and so forth. Standard defenses to crimes (like self-defense) apply. Even when a psi can legally use his powers, the law requires him to use the minimum "force" or telepathic contact necessary to accomplish his objective. Commercial Adepts use pocket computers with thumbprint or retina scanners to obtain written authorization to use their powers on someone.
The law forbids telepathic or clairvoyant snooping, but of course the authorities have a hard time proving it happened. Normal Terran laws regarding invasion of privacy apply.
The Imperial and planetary legal systems don't currently allow the use of psionics (or telepathically-obtained evidence) in court trials, although defendants who really are innocent usually demand a telepathic probe by a licensed Adept, and the results of that test are admissible in court. Imperial security agencies, on the other hand, make lavish use of psi scanning, both consensual and forced. To avoid public outcry, they usually do this only when they have strong additional evidence the subject did something wrong... even if it isn't the crime he's accused of.
Since the Terran Empire is a Heroic-scale campaign, most psi powers fall in the 15 to 50 point range. A few individuals have stronger powers, and a handful are very powerful indeed, but in most campaigns those people are NPCs.
The IPF and Ministry for Evolution classify psionics by Greek letters depending on how powerful they are:
Psi-Alpha: Persons with no known psionic abilities. The vast majority of Imperial citizens are PsiAlphas.
Psi-Beta: Betas have detectable but low-level powers. Typically this means HERO System Talents or Powers worth no more than 10 Active Points. In any event, a Beta cannot have more than 30 total Active Points worth of psi abilities; if he does, the law classifies him as a Psi-Gamma (Provisional).
Psi-Gamma: Gammas can have up to 20 Active Points in a single power. However, a Gamma cannot have more than 40 total Active Points worth of psi abilities; if he does, the law classifies him as a PsiDelta (Provisional).
Psi-Delta: Deltas, the most common "professional" psionics, with powers up to 30 Active Points. However, a Delta cannot have more than 60 total Active Points worth of psi abilities; if he does, the law classifies him as a Psi-Epsilon (Provisional).
Psi-Epsilon: Epsilons can have up to 40 Active Points in a single psionic power. However, an Epsilon cannot have more than 90 total Active Points worth of psi abilities; if he does, the law classifies him as a Psi-Zeta (Provisional).
Beyond Psi-Epsilon the rating system becomes a little sketchy, since very few psionics of such power exist.
Psi-Zeta: Zetas can have up to 60 Active Points in a single psionic power (though at least half have powers in only the 50 Active Point range). However, a Zeta cannot have more than 120 total Active Points worth of psi abilities; if he does, the law classifies him as a Psi-Eta (Provisional).
Psi-Eta: Etas can have up to 80 Active Points in a single psionic power. However, an Eta cannot have more than 150 total Active Points worth of psi abilities; if he does, the law classifies him as a PsiTheta (Provisional).
Psi-Theta: Any psi who has one or more powers with 80 Active Points or more is a Theta.
Psi-Omega: Although many psis scoff at the possibility, a few people claim the Empire has PsiOmegas — people with one or more psi powers with 100 or more Active Points. Some rumors say the Empire has a secret team of "Omega Agents" to deal with threats even the Imperial battlefleet can't handle.
Organizations that train and employ psionics actively recruit psis of Delta grade or better. Most Mind Police agents (and psis working for other branches of government) are at least Psi-Epsilons.
Psionic powers are rare among Humans and most other species. According to Imperial statistics, the Human population includes approximately one Beta per million people in the Empire, and half as many at each increment of 10 Active Points above that. So a planet with a population of 6 billion Humans would have no more than 12,000 psionics, half of them low-powered Betas.
Some psi powers manifest much more frequently in Humans. Half of all Human psionics are telepaths, with Telepathy, Mind Scan, Mind Control, or similar powers. The remainder divide evenly between those with ESP and those with telekinesis, plus a tiny percentage of wild talents.
Psionic talent manifests itself randomly, although scientists believe an hereditary component exists. As a result, any character can have psi-powers, but there's still plenty of fun opportunities for someone to turn out to be the lost child of a rogue Theta, or the product of a secret breeding program. The Empire does not have a simple genetic test for the psi-gene; instead, psionic organizations must locate and test potential psionics — which means mysterious strangers from different groups may visit a young psi to try to win him over as a new apprentice.
Psionic technology remains tricky and unreliable at the Empire's ATRI 11 (it gets much better at ATRI 12); building or modifying it requires the Science Skill Psionic Engineering. The Empire has experimental psi-amplifiers, but they're classified technology not available to the public. Psi-drugs, available only by prescription, can boost, suppress, or alter psionic abilities. They cannot give powers to a non-psionic, or new powers to an existing psi, but rumors of miracle substances that can make anyone an Omega often crop up. Due to fears of telepathic spying, psi-shielding is widespread and publicly available.
Here are a few examples of Terran psionic technology.
Booster Helmet: Aid 5d6, any Psionic power one at a time (+¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (87 Active Points); Activation Roll 14- (-½), Burnout (¼), OAF Fragile (-1¼). Total cost: 29 points. ESP Static Generator: Darkness to Mental Group 5" radius, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (37 Active Points); OF Fragile (-1¼). Total cost: 16 points.
Inhibitor Collar: Drain Telepathy 1d6, Continuous (+1), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (25 Active Points); OIF (-½). Total cost: 17 points.
Psi-Damper Drug: Drain Mental Powers 4d6, all Mental Powers simultaneously (+2), Delayed Return Rate (5 points per Day; +1½) (180 Active Points); OIF Fragile (-1¼), 4 Charges (-1), Gradual Effect (20 Minutes, 1d6 per 5 Minutes; -1). Total cost: 42 points.
Psi-Detector: Detect Psionic Powers, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range, Sense (17 Active Points); OAF (-1), Limited Range (10"; -¼). Total cost: 7 points.
Psi-Shield Helmet: Mental Defense (20 points + base points from EGO) (20 Active Points); OIF Fragile (-¾), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge (easily replenished with a new power cell; 20 Minutes; -¼). Total cost: 10 points.
Telepathic Static Generator: Suppress Telepathy 5d6, Explosion (+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (50 Active Points); OAF Fragile (-1¼). Total cost: 22 points.
The Empire considers psis both potentially dangerous and tremendously useful, so it controls them (or attempts to) but does not exter minate them. Imperial citizens with psi powers must register with the Imperial Psionics Foundation (as must psionic visitors to Imperial space). In addition to maintaining an extensive database on psis and psi powers (which the Mind Police has unrestricted access to), the IPF identifies and trains new psis. The Foundation also conducts research on psionics and psi technology.
The Empire itself employs many psionics above Beta grade, mostly in the Mind Police. The Imperial Security Police has a Psi Division; agents counter psionic threats and use their powers for covert operations. The military intelligence services have their own psi agents. The Foundation employs some high-rated psis, often veterans of Imperial service.
The sheer scale of the Empire means even the IPF can't spot everyone with psi powers. Some grow up ignorant of their abilities, others hide deliberately. Rogue psionics who don't want to serve the Empire tend to wind up as rebels or criminals.
Character Disadvantage: Secret Psi (Occasionally, Major; 10 Points)
Terran law requires all individuals with psionic powers to register with the government and obtain a license to use them. (Most other states have similar laws; the Varanyi Empire is a notable exception.) Some psis refuse to do this; instead, they hide their powers and try to live a normal life (or take advantage of their psi abilities in secret). If found out, these people face fines, imprisonment, and possibly even forced conscription into some branch of the Terran government.
A combination social club, political lobbying committee, mutualprotection alliance, and counseling service, the Psionic League is an Empire-wide association of psionics, open to anyone of Beta level or higher. It fights prejudice against psis (both by lobbying against unjust laws and by physically protecting members from anti-psionic violence), offers counseling to help psionics and their families adjust to the use of powers, and allows psis to meet one another free of suspicion and concealment. Membership is a 1-point Fringe Benefit Perk.
The three main psi powers among Humans are Telepathy, ESP (a catch-all for various forms of clairsentience), and Telekinesis (see Star Hero, pages 244-46, for more information). If there are teleporters, they're so rare no records of them exist and no one has studied them. "Wild Talents" sometimes manifest (but in game terms, this requires the GM's consent and input on power design). Since the IPF has little experience with wild talents or unusual powers, starting characters should have little or no skill using them (unless they teach themselves or secretly learn from non-official teachers).
Terran Empire characters may not buy psionic powers in Power Frameworks without the GM's permission. The GM should typically grant permission if a Multipower or other Framework would represent different aspects or uses of one power (for example, a Multipower with three slots: Ego Attack, Ego Attack Armor Piercing, and Ego Attack Continuous). But characters should buy different powers separately, even if they all fall into the same category of psi abilities (such as ESP). Characters often apply the Limitations discussed on page 249 of Star Hero to their psi powers.
In the Terran Empire setting (and all other "future history" settings in the Hero Universe), all psionic powers work equally well across species, so a Varanyi telepath can read Human minds and vice versa. Thus, PCs don't have to worry about the Alien class of minds, and can take a Limitation on powers that only affect one or two species. Characters must still use the classes of mind rules to affect Animals or Machines with Mental Powers.