Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

[Mister E]

For the new Planetary Fantasy I'm working on, I have a lot of Psionics, and I thought quantifying psychic energy might be interesting. The term I want to use for a unit of psychic energy is psion.

 

Now, what is a psion, exactly? What is the basis by which a unit of psychic energy could be theoretically measured by? I'm not really sure.

 

Does anyone have any ideas? The more psycho-meta-philosophical, the better I'm thinking...

 

 

~ Mister E

[McCoy]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

I'd set a psion at an active point in Hero, so that someone with a 10d6 telepaty is rated at 50 psions.

[Curufea]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Well, Discworld uses the Thaum as the standard measurement unit for magic (which is just psionics by another name)

 

One thaum equals the amount of mystical energy required to conjure up one small white pigeon, or three normal-sized billiard balls.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/thaum

 

But I can't think of a technobabble equivalent at the moment.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

It would probably be something like the amount of psychic power required to push X amount a brainwaves a given distance. Kind of like candlepower for your brain.

[Curufea]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

You could measure it in Newtons for telekinetics. Kelvin for pyrokinetics. Maybe Joules for other -kinetics?

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

I think it really depends on how Psychic powers work in your campaign, you can't just say that Xkg of Telekinesis= 1 Psion, because maybe perceiving auras is ridiculously easy but Telekinesis is monumentally difficult in your campaign. Maybe there is no direct relation between the two concepts at all and they aren't comparable to each other: Maybe ESP, TK, and Mesmerism are each individually fundemental quantities, in the same way that Time, Mass, and Temperature are not comparable quantities.

 

I might have a better chance of giving a more helpful answer if I knew more about your campaign's psionic framework.

 

TB

[Jeghis]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Technically, Newtons are a measure of force, and Kelvins are a measure of temperature. Joule is the SI measure of energy.

 

Also, a psion is a type of meson in particle physics, but that does not rule out using the same term as a property of a system. You could call is a psychon instead, to avoid any confusion.

 

If you want to know what it measures, ask how you measure it. Will psionics depend on a new particle/wave? Can it be measured directly?

 

It also depends on whether it is a colloquial term or a scientific term, even a measurement in SI.

 

Help or hinder, that's that.

[Savinien]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Sports Illustrated?

[Cancer]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Hey, if particle physicists specify collision cross-sections in a unit called a barn (as in, big as a barn), which is a unit of area, surely we can get more ... creative.

 

The big problem is how to put physical effects (telekinesis, pyrogenesis, etc.) on the same scale as mental effects (Mind Scan, Ego Attack, Mind Control, etc.). I can imagine two parallel scales, one for each, but the only thing in common with them is Active Points.

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Sports Illustrated?

Standard International (spelled in french though)

 

It's the International regulatory agency responsible for setting the Metric Standard.

 

TB

[Curufea]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Possibly very unknown in the USA ;-p

[Duke Bushido]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Ditto what McCoy said.

 

This goes along with a topic in a similar thread in the Champions (I believe) forum. If I can find it, I'll try to get a link up.

 

EDIT:

 

Hey! I got lucky! Here ya go:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36935

 

I don't know if it helps, but maybe it'll get some juices flowing.

[Frenchman]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

If you want to know what it measures' date=' ask how you measure it. Will psionics depend on a new particle/wave? Can it be measured directly? [/quote']

 

I have to agree with this - you need to know how it is measured. If there is no high-tech device, then it could be through a test of some kind, thereby granting higher and higher Psion ratings (perhaps multiple ratings, one for each power or group of powers) at certain benchmarks. Maybe...

1 = Telekinetically move anything, determine whether or not a dog is hungry, or make a chicken fall asleep.

2 = Telekinetically move 1 kg of material, read an infants emotional state, or calm an angry parrot.

skip some...

5 = Move 50 kg of material, discover a stranger's name, or make someone throw their wallet out of a window.

10 = Move 1000kg of material, read a catatonic's most embarrassing moment, or cause an elephant to forget.

 

The list could be arbitrary (like mine) or have some basis in...well something. I would highly recommend measuring sensory powers, telekinetic/attack powers, defensive powers, and straight mental powers (mind control, etc) differently, even if you use the same units (12 active points of TK = 1 Psion, but it takes 20 of Mental illusions to = 1 Psion).

Just my $14 Million

[Nyrath]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Well, Discworld uses the Thaum as the standard measurement unit for magic (which is just psionics by another name)

 

One thaum equals the amount of mystical energy required to conjure up one small white pigeon, or three normal-sized billiard balls.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/thaum

You forgot the best part. To measure the ambient magic energy level in a location one uses an instrument called ... wait for it.. a Thaumometer. {rimshot}

 

Some other terms for "magic points" are here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_points

 

The term "mana point" was popularized by Isaac Bonewits in his Authentic Thaumaturgy RPG supplement. IIRC he defined it as one joule.

[Mister E]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

This is all pretty much useless. I think I'm just going to shelf the concept until further inspiration strikes me. Thanks for the help anyhow. If someone thinks of anything unique, please post.

[Sociotard]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

You could just go with the SW prequel thing of measuring midichlorian (sp?) count, but that will probably irritate your players.

 

I quantify it the way we quantify light. It takes x amout of energy to produce one psion. Measure it in joules. Would psions all be of the same energy, like electrons, or different, like photons.

 

Other effects crop up when you make a system particle based. For example, you get the old problem of distance affecting the power of whatever you're doing. Suddenly, you can't use the Hero standard of saying that all mental powers work over a whole planet.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

An alternate approach to particle psychics would be to have "Psions" be a rating of scale of measurable brain activity in portions of the brain that are active in various psychic abilities. Brainmapping isn't all that accurate now, but in a Star Hero campaign it could be quite specific, and if it's known what parts of the brain correspond to various Psi powers, then neural activity in those areas might be rateable.

[Dale A. Ward]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

An alternate approach to particle psychics would be to have "Psions" be a rating of scale of measurable brain activity in portions of the brain that are active in various psychic abilities. Brainmapping isn't all that accurate now' date=' but in a Star Hero campaign it could be quite specific, and if it's known what parts of the brain correspond to various Psi powers, then neural activity in those areas might be rateable.[/quote']

 

That would definitely solve the problem of varying power ratings for each type of psionic activity. If each activity is controlled from a different portion of the brain, the areas with higher activity would have a higher rating.

 

Well done... now, let's see numbers!

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

That would definitely solve the problem of varying power ratings for each type of psionic activity. If each activity is controlled from a different portion of the brain, the areas with higher activity would have a higher rating.

 

Well done... now, let's see numbers!

 

Well, I don't know enough about actual neurochemistry to give any sort of reasonably scientific numbers, but I suppose I could just pull something out of my butt.

No matter what you use for units tho, with the inherent system we already have in the system where (in theory at least) +5 points = x2 effect, an exponential scale for rating Psions would be easy.

Say, for instance 100 Psions per 5 AP being used. That allows the Psion scale to be taken to 2 decimal points,

[Lightray]

This is all pretty much useless. I think I'm just going to shelf the concept until further inspiration strikes me. Thanks for the help anyhow. If someone thinks of anything unique' date=' please post.[/quote']

Abstract measurements are pretty much useless unless you're doing something abstract.

 

Don't think of this in terms of general science, think of it in terms of engineering.

 

Who needs to measure "psions", and what are they using the measurement for?

 

When I'm measuring temperatures and pressures, it's because I want to know what is going on in a system I'm interested in. When I'm calculating joules or horsepower, it's usually because I'm sizing a heating unit or a pump or something.

 

So, how are people using "psions"? Are they comparing the relative difficulty of different psionic feats for some reason? Do they need to know what they can effect with the "psion" power they have available? Are they trying to calculate how many "psions" they'll have left after they employ some psionic feat?

 

Since you're using the Hero System, I suggest you make life easy on yourself and your players.

 

1 Psion = 1 END (at standard END cost)

 

That makes it a time-measured unit of energy. You can handwave why it's more energy-intensive to read minds than it is to levitate boulders (since in actual life, you'd be spending more energy on the boulders, assuming you could even do these things somehow...)

 

In game, then, you can have conversations such as "You've got 50 psions of power left. You can either keep up your telekinetic shields for another minute, or continue levitating the entire starship for another 10 minutes, but not both."

 

You'll probably need to define another, in-game, more basic measure:

 

e.g., 1 psion = 1 flux/second

 

But you should keep focused on the unit measurement of the work being done. If you've got a rock and something that can apply 100 meters to it, that's not particularly useful. But a rock and something that can apply 100 meters/second, now you're talkin'!

[Mister E]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Okay! This is good stuff. =D

 

Sorry if I came off a little disheartened on my last post. I quit smoking for a couple a weeks, but I'm better now.

 

 

~ Mister E

[Sociotard]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.

 

Okay! This is good stuff. =D

 

Sorry if I came off a little disheartened on my last post. I quit smoking for a couple a weeks, but I'm better now.

 

 

~ Mister E

Better as in smoking again or better as in no more cravings?

[Mister E]

Re: Psion: a unit of psychic energy.