The Scanners/Highlander Players' Guide

By Peter Flanagan

Chapter Two: The Aeon Toolbox

Toys for Gods

"Um...you sure about this, Roland?"

Roland smiled. "Trust me, Eric. The VA I got this from said it's been tested thoroughly."

Eric took the circuit-covered headband dubiously. "If you say so..." He put it on his head.

"On the net, anyway..." Roland smiled.

"Magnus, you motherless --" Eric began. Then everything went into hypersharp focus, and his car was suddenly floating in the air. Eric's jaw dropped.

Roland stared at this spectacle with a smile and folded arms. "I told you to trust me."

* * *

Let's face it. What good is being related to the Technomancers if you don't get a few neat toys to play with? It bears noting, however, that these items are rare; even the more common drugs are all but unheard-of.

Bioenhancers

EPH-5

This is the drug of choice for those psis who indulge in psychotropic enhancement. Much of the danger from the previous versions has been removed; this version of Ephemerol is neither lethal nor unbalancing to the mind. It is not, however, perfectly safe. (Progenitors may have a totally safe version of EPH-5, but if so it is reserved for their own use, as are all their "perfect" drugs; see the Progenitors book for details.) This drug adds three dice to the Scanner's Willpower only for psi purposes; this includes resisting the Disorder, however, effectively blocking it. Over a period of several hours, however, it slowly wears off, and drains Willpower at one point per hour for six hours after the first, leaving the psi at -3 Willpower once the drug wears off. This loss is temporary and lasts for a day. The drug is highly addictive, for obvious reasons: a Scanner who uses a second dose to avoid "crashing" must roll versus unmodified Willpower or crave the drug, doing everything possible to "chain" the high for as long as possible. More permanent addictions are left up to the Storyteller, but a period as long as two or three stories at -3 Willpower is recommended.

Mindspeed

This amphetamine derivative adds two to the psi dice pool and one to Dexterity, but subtracts one from all Mental Attributes. It also does not add to Willpower for resistance to the Disorder. This drug is almost impossible to become addicted to, as the psi feels awful while taking it and the body rejects mindspeed rather than craving it.

Serenity

This odd hallucinogen, apparently based on peyote, is a muscle-relaxant and something of an anesthetic. A Sleeper will live up to the name, getting a good night's rest and having some odd, but usually enjoyable, dreams. A Scanner, and any mage with the Mind Sphere, will enter a deep trance and have an extra two dice to the Telepathy/Mind dice pool. This will result in a pseudo-astral state if the psi is not capable of astral travel, in which the mind flows freely across the nearby dreamscape from mind to mind. The body, however, is essentially helpless. A psi can become addicted to Serenity, but it is very uncommon, as the several hours of sleep are more than enough to purge the body of the drug. Psychological addiction is more common; GMs may ask for Willpower rolls after extended use.

Psitech

There are a fair number of fictional technologies related to psi. Some are derived from Technomancers' equipment, and others have been adapted by them. Pretty much anything that has been dreamed up has been tried at least once.

Radionic Enhancer

The most famous piece of Scannertech, this SoE invention adds to a Scanner's Willpower pool over and above their rank in a given power. This does not give the Scanner the abilities of a higher-ranked power, but allows, say, a *** Telepath to roll four dice to determine success. There is no known upper limit to the Radionic Enhancer. Many versions of this device exist, including a few which are sanctioned by the Technocracy.

It does, however, have one major drawback: its energies are tuned to the Scanner, and can result in feedback. Any botch, or successful telepathic/electrokinetic attack by a psi or mage who is familiar with the Enhancer, causes damage to the Enhancer's user. Roll a number of dice equal to the user's highest power Dice Pool (including the Enhancer's die!) for damage.

Psi Tracker

Scanners are part of the paradigm. This allows Manar-like technology to function against Scanners without resorting to Devices.

The user makes a Perception + Technology roll, difficulty 10 - highest power level in use (yes, inactive Scanners can be detected, with luck) and if successful, the Tracker will indicate the direction and location of the power in use (or the nearest Scanner).

Screamer

These nasty little devices are fairly rare, primarily because they are universally despised by Scanners and destroyed immediately upon discovery. A Screamer is a weapon designed to mimic the Migraines flaw, and boy, does it do the trick! Attacks are made with Intelligence + Technology, difficulty 7, "dodged" with a Willpower roll. Successful attacks mean the Scanner is under the effects given for a Migraines flaw. (Those unlucky Scanners with the Migraines flaw add +1 to all relevant difficulties.) As the "lash-out" rule is in full force, this is an extremely dangerous weapon for all concerned.

Scan Jammer

This piece of equipment acts in a fashion identical to the Metascan 2 effect, has a Dice Pool of 3, and causes general aches and pains in affected Scanners. This side effect allows Scanners to find the device by following the intensity of the side effect. Meta-scanners may resist with their own power, canceling the Jammer's successes with their own.

Mind Shield

This fairly well-known piece of equipment, usually made in the shape of a headband (though the infamous Mirrorshades of the Black Suits perform the same function), provides the wearer with a counterpsi Dice Pool of 3 for purposes of resisting telepathy only. Standard issue for Technocracy Scanner-hunters, they are otherwise hard to come by.

Psibolt Blaster

This diabolic weapon is the rarest and most effective weapon known to Scanners. It adds two dice to a Scanner's telepathy pool for purposes of attack only, but also has the effect of a Screamer on ANY target. The mindblind are easily cowed with this device. The Migraine effect, however, can be resisted by Awakened by rolling Willpower, difficulty 9 - ranking in Mind, Telepathy, or equivalent power.