Power Rank Progression

Telepathy is one of the most powerful and mysterious mutation categories known to humanity.

Unlike most powers, Telepathy does not affect the physical world directly. Instead, it grants access to something far more personal: thoughts, emotions, memories, and consciousness itself.

Telepaths often discover their abilities long before they fully understand them. A stray thought overheard in a crowded room. A sudden awareness of another person's emotions. A voice that isn't quite a voice.

As a telepath grows in power, they learn to navigate the invisible landscape of the mind, eventually becoming capable of communicating across great distances, overwhelming hostile minds, and even seizing control of another person's actions.

For this reason, Arcadian Institute places particular emphasis on ethics, self-control, and discipline when training telepathic students.

After all, few powers carry greater responsibility.

---

Rank 1: Surface Thoughts

Emerging Awareness

The mutant has begun to perceive the conscious thoughts of others.

At this stage, thoughts often arrive as brief impressions, words, emotions, or fragments of intention rather than complete mental conversations.

Capabilities:

• Read surface thoughts.

• Detect strong emotions.

• Sense immediate intentions.

• Identify obvious lies.

• Detect nearby minds.

Special:

Once per scene, the player may ask the GM one question regarding a target's current thoughts or intentions.

Examples:

• "What is he thinking about right now?"

• "Does she trust us?"

• "Is he hiding something?"

Range:

30 feet.

Duration:

Concentration.

---

Rank 2: Mental Communication

Silent Conversation

The telepath learns to project thoughts as well as receive them.

Capabilities:

• Speak directly into another person's mind.

• Communicate silently.

• Create private conversations.

• Send emotional impressions.

• Communicate despite language barriers.

Special:

Targets always recognise the telepath as the source of the communication unless the telepath chooses otherwise.

Range:

100 feet.

Duration:

Sustained.

Examples:

• Coordinating teammates silently.

• Warning allies during combat.

• Secret conversations during negotiations.

---

Rank 3: Psychic Assault

Mental Overload

The telepath learns that thoughts can be weaponised.

By projecting overwhelming waves of mental noise, emotional chaos, and conflicting thoughts, the telepath can temporarily disable an opponent's ability to think clearly.

Capabilities:

• Psychic shockwaves.

• Mental disruption.

• Thought bombardment.

• Temporary cognitive overload.

Special:

As an action, force a target within range to attempt a Will Save.

Failure results in the target becoming Confused (using Pathfinder rules).

Success negates the effect.

Range:

60 feet.

Duration:

As per Confused condition.

Examples:

• Flooding a target's mind with thousands of voices.

• Overwhelming concentration.

• Disrupting enemy plans.

---

Rank 4: Mind Control

Puppet Master

The telepath can now seize direct control of another person's mind.

This is among the most feared telepathic abilities in existence and one of the reasons telepaths are so closely monitored throughout the world.

Capabilities:

• Override conscious thought.

• Direct another creature's actions.

• Control movement and speech.

• Experience the world through another person's senses.

Special:

Functions similarly to Greater Possession from Pathfinder.

Target receives a Will Save.

Success negates the effect.

Range:

100 feet.

Duration:

Concentration.

Examples:

• Forcing a guard to open a door.

• Taking control of a villain.

• Turning enemies against one another.

---

Rank 5: Psychic Dominion

The Omega Mind

The telepath becomes capable of affecting multiple minds simultaneously.

At this level, individual minds begin to feel less like separate entities and more like notes within a vast symphony of consciousness.

Capabilities:

• Mass telepathic communication.

• Group mind links.

• Simultaneous mind reading.

• Multi-target psychic assault.

• Multi-target mind control.

• City-wide telepathic broadcasts.

• Telepathic command networks.

Special:

Any Telepathy power possessed by the mutant may now affect multiple targets simultaneously.

The exact number is determined by the GM and the circumstances of the scene.

Examples:

• Coordinate an entire Sentinel team mentally.

• Broadcast warnings across Emerald City.

• Read dozens of minds simultaneously.

• Dominate multiple enemies at once.

• Create a temporary psychic network linking allies.

Range:

Several miles or more.

Duration:

Varies.

Only a handful of telepaths in history have ever achieved this level of mastery.

---

THE EVOLUTION OF THE MIND

Unlike many powers, Telepathy rarely becomes more physically impressive as it grows.

Its true strength lies in information, influence, and understanding.

A Rank 1 telepath may learn a secret.

A Rank 3 telepath may stop a battle before it begins.

A Rank 5 telepath may influence the course of nations.

Because knowledge is power.

And few powers grant more knowledge than Telepathy.