Expanding Clairvoyance

[Paladin]

I'm currently writing The Unending War, my first setting for the OmniVerse, and I just finished the section where I offered an expansion on the Clairvoyance rules. Not that the basic and simple nature of them, as written, is bad, but for myself and GMs who like something a bit more structured to better define and limit what's possible, I think this works pretty well as an Optional approach.

Clairvoyance: For more clarity (pub slightly intended) in the use of this Power, the following table is recommended for setting the Mind check difficulty, based on which use of the Power is being attempted:

Quality [Difficulty]

Past (How Long?)
A few minutes [10]
A few hours [20]
A few days [30]
A few weeks [40]
A few months [50]
A few years [60]
A few decades [70]
A few centuries [80]
A few millennia [90]
The Beginning of Time [100]

Present (How Far?)
1 mile [10]
10 miles [20]
100 miles [30]
1000 miles [40]
10,000 miles [50]
The solar system [60]
A nearby star [70]
Anywhere in the galaxy [80]
Anywhere in the Universe [90]
Beyond Reality [100]

Future (How Much Information?)
Vague Feeling [10]
1 Yes/No [20]
3 Yes/No [30]
1 Hero Point [40]
3 Hero Points [50]
5 Hero Points [60]
1 Panel Retcon [70]
1 Page Retcon [80]
1 Scene Retcon [90]
1 Issue Retcon [100]

The Future is the most complicated to run for any GM; these guidelines are meant to help by giving a “go to” result for when the GM doesn't have a better way in mind to handle things. To further break it down:

Vague Feeling: Just what it says; the GM should give the character a very vague sense about what may be coming.

Yes/No: These should be the number of “Yes or No” questions the player can ask about the future. The GM is allowed to say “Perhaps” if the question is about a critical moment that really could go either way.

Hero Points: A certain number of specialized Hero Points can be gained by the clairvoyant character, which can only be used in regards to the matter that was prognosticated about. However, these points can be used for anyone on the team; they represent that moment of “Look out – duck to the left!” or “Aim for the right of center!” that the character can share from her view of the future. This use of future-sight should only be allowed once per session.

Retcon: This is a very tricky bit of business, but it can be a truly powerful expression of seeing the future if the GM and the players are willing to allow it. Essentially, attaining a success level of 70 or higher allows the player to “pocket” a the ability to effectively rewind the period indicated, letting it play over so that the heroes have a chance to do things better. To Retcon anything more than a panel, however, requires a Hero Die be spent by the clairvoyant character, and a unanimous agreement on the part of every player at the table. This should only ever be allowed once per issue, regardless.

A player may always elect to attain a lesser level result of a Mind check on the above chart.

[BASHMAN]

I like it!