Meditation (House Rule)

This house rule provides more quantitative aspects to the Meditation skill.

Meditation

Will/Hard

Defaults: Will-6 or Autohypnosis-4

The Meditation skill's abilities are defined qualitatively on p. B207. Further details follow.

Calm the emotions. You can suppress an emotion that you regard as irrational and destructive, such as an Addiction, Phobia or awe for an overwhelmingly beautiful alien. It does not apply to self-imposed, mental disadvantages as you regard them as rational. This only delays the emotion for as long as you maintain a meditative state. The GM may require additional rolls against Meditation skill at appropriate moments to keep your emotions suppressed against an ongoing stimulus. Against some stimuli, this may actually be a contest of skills.

Control the mind. You can reduce your pain levels (B428): eliminate Moderate Pain, reduce Severe Pain to Moderate Pain and Terrible Pain to Severe Pain. This effect lasts for as many hours as your margin of success, after which a repeated attempt is allowed at no penalty.

Relax the body. You can slow your metabolism, consuming food, water and air at half the normal rate. More usefully: HT rolls to resist poison, for Bleeding (if used, B420), lingering through a mortal wound (B423) or Natural Recovery (B424) are at +1. To make use of this ability you may do nothing except speak softly and eat. This effect lasts for as many hours as your margin of success, after which a repeated attempt is allowed at no penalty.

You must be conscious and meditating to enjoy these benefits unless you make a successful roll against Dreaming skill (B188). Exception: Natural Recovery allows the +1 even if you fall asleep. Those with the Autotrance Perk get a +2 bonus to their Meditation skill while they're in a trance state.

My thanks to Matthew Greet, aka warmachine, for this houserule: Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Meditation: Is it just a Flavour Skill now?

See Also

2d Damage optional | Combat Maneuvers | Detect Lies | Interrogation | Stealth | Tactics

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