This is another relatively low effort set of abilities for Psychic Vampirism. It is at least low effort in concept. Some of the details were a little tricky.

Steal Talent

26/30/32/34/36/38/41/43/45 points for levels 1-9

Skill: Steal Talent (Will/Hard)

You can steal psionic talent with a touch, adding it to your own. This ability functions like Drain (Attribute) except that it drains a single level of psionic talent instead levels of a given attribute. Additionally, you gain a level of Psychic Vampirism Talent for the specified duration of the ability. This additional talent can be negated by anti psionic countermeasures unlike normal talent.

You must choose which talent to steal from your target when using the ability. If your target does not have the chosen talent, this ability does nothing!

The stolen talent gained from this ability adds to other psionic skills, but it does not add to Steal Talent. You can add only one level of talent from this ability. If you use Steal Talent again before the duration expires, the newly stolen talent replaces the old one.

Statistics: As Drain (Attribute) except replace the Attribute Penalty with Negated Advantage, Variable Psionic Talent for no change in price + Psychic Vampirism Talent (Nuisance Effect, Limited by Drain Duration, -5%; Psychic Vampirism, -10%; Trigger, Psionic Victim, -45%) [2] at level 1 further levels replace Trigger with Trigger, Extended, 10 minutes, -20% [4] at levels 2-3, 1 hour, -10% [4] at level 4, 8 hours, -5% at levels 5-6 [4] and until the duration expires, -0% [5] at levels 7-9

Similar abilities which steal specific talents or improve other talents besides Psychic Vampirism are possible but are left as an exercise for the reader. If your setting has psionic talents that are not 5 points/level, you will need to adjust the values slightly.

Far Draining, Painful Draining and potentially other techniques from Drain (Attribute) are available. In addition, the following optional technique may be available for Steal Talent.

Improved Theft

Hard

Default: Steal Talent-7; cannot exceed Steal Talent.

Roll a Quick Contest of Improved Theft vs your victim’s Will. If successful, you can steal a second level of talent from your victim. Your victim must have at least two levels of the talent for you to gain a second level of bonus talent.

Even more optionally, for every 7 points by which you win the Quick Contest, you can steal an additional level of talent. You can gain additional temporary levels of talent limited by your margin of victory, your victim’s level of talent and whatever the GM allows.

In any case, multiple uses of Improved Theft do not stack.

Designer Notes

Negated Advantage, Variable Psionic Talent is Variable Advantage (5%, Accessibility, Only Negated Psionic Talent Advantages, -60%), +30%.

The value of the Trigger is based on the assumption that psis with talent are occasional and that stealing their talent is illegal. If this is not the case in your setting, you will need to modify the limitation value slightly. The Nuisance Effect doesn’t make much of a cost difference. Feel free to make it -0% if you want.

Improved Theft is adding another level of Negated Advantage, Variable Psionic Talent (-3) combined with adding a second level of Psychic Vampirism Talent (-4). The -4 comes from the Extra Effort penalty to increase the level of an ability in a power (see Pyramid #3/9 p. 14 and Thaumatology: Sorcery p. 6).

Power Talents do not normally have power modifiers. In the case of Steal Talent, the talent is temporary, purchased with points and can be negated like any other psionic effect.

If you don’t like the Improved Theft technique but still want to be able to gain multiple temporary levels of talent, purchase the extra talent as a separate advantage.

The restriction on the stolen talent applying to the Steal Talent skill is for aesthetic reasons. It is not necessary for game balance, and you may ignore the restriction if remembering it is too much of a hassle. The main limiters are:

  • Improved Theft is optional and limited by the GM and would require 7 levels of talent to offset the penalty of gaining an additional level
    • If you must purchase the extra talent separately, the GM limits the number of levels you may purchase
  • You must find progressively more talented psis to gain higher level of talent

The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.