Psychometry

Key Attribute: Focus

Psychometry is the ability to visualize past events by touching an object and experiencing its history. All objects have a memory of what has happened to them in the past, including where it has been and who has touched it. Those with the gift of psychometry may attempt to gather information from the objects they touch.

A psychometric reading can be difficult to interpret; unless the object is a time piece it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact moment in its history that is being observed. Other clues, such as the amount of daylight visible in a room, the period clothing of the object’s handler, etc., may need to be considered when interpreting a psychometric reading.

GMs are encouraged to provide clues about a reading rather than literal information about the reading’s results, especially since objects do not have the ability to speak or relate their experiences.

It can take time to glean information from a reading, since it is not possible to “jump to” a specific moment in an object’s past unless you already know which moment you are looking for. A reader can choose to focus on a specific event to try to gain more detail about it, or simply continue looking further back in history for more details. The reader must continuously concentrate on the object to gain information about it.

Example results for psychometry:

Abysmal (-3): The check fails and the reader’s link with the object is permanently severed.

Poor (-2) The reader gets a false reading.

Mediocre (-1): The check simply fails. A new reading on that particular object may not be attempted for one hour.

Fair (0): The reader may view up to one day of past events; this takes a minimum of one minute of focus.

Good (+1): The reader may view up to three days of past events; this takes a minimum of one minute of focus.

Great (+2): The reader may view up to one week of past events; this takes a minimum of one minute of focus.

Superb (+3): The reader may view up to one year of past events or he may read up to one week of events in one-half the required time.

Wonderful (+4): The reader may view up to ten years of past events or he may read up to one year of events in one-half the required time.

Phenomenal (+5): The reader may view up to 50 years of past events or he may read up to ten years of events in one-half the required time.

Extraordinary (+6): The reader may view up to 100 years of past events or he may read up to 50 years of events in one-half the required time.

Astonishing (+7): The reader may view past events from the entire life of the object or he may read 100 years of events in one-quarter the required time.

Note: most common objects are not more than a few years or decades old. Buildings and other complex or large structures are actually composed of multiple (sometimes hundreds or thousands) of individual objects, each with its own unique memory.

Unless the reader rolls an Abysmal result, he may attempt to read the same object again in the future. Once a successful result is made (Fair or better), the same result is always used for that particular object and the reader cannot gain a better result in the future unless the player spends a Luck Point to try again.

Example Fault: Can’t Turn it Off; the reader has no control over this ability and automatically begins reading the history of any object he comes in contact with. This can be distracting at best. Special gloves imbued with an antipsi aura may need to be worn to prevent accidental readings.