Psycasts
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Psycasts are psychic powers available to pawns with Psylink neuroformers, added by the Royalty DLC.
Acquisition
- Acquire a Psylink neuroformer through trading, questing or surgery.
- Gain Royalty Titles by accepting Honor as a quest reward.
- Pawns with tribal backstories (Meditation type focus : Natural) can meditate at an Anima tree to grow anima grass. Perform a ritual to gain one Psylink level for 20 grass.
A random psycast of the new level can be gained when using a Psylink neuroformer - i.e. a random level 1 psycast is gained when a pawn uses their first neuroformer, a level 2 psycast is gained when using their second, etc. Further psycasts can be gained by using a Psytrainer which grants the specific psycast mentioned in their name. Additional psycasts are available for purchase from traders, with Empire bases and traders having the most, and tribals having the least.
Mechanics
A psycaster's effectiveness is controlled by three primary factors: their Neural Heat Limit, their available Psyfocus and the Psychic Sensitivity of their target.
Neural Heat
Neural Heat Limit
A psycaster's neural heat limit is the primary limitation to how many psycasts they can perform in a given period of time. Each psycast gives the caster a certain amount of neural heat. The more they exert themselves, the closer they get to their limit and the more powerful the debuff they receive while recovering. While the defaul neural heat limit is 30 it modified by a number of factors including the psychic sensitivity and psylink level of the psycaster. The resulting value follows the equation
| Neural Heat Limit = 30 * Psychic Sensitivity * (1 + (0.33...* (Psylink level -1))) [Fact-check needed] |
Neural Heat Recover Rate
Heat naturally decreases over time, with faster rates provided by additional levels of psylink. The default rate of 0.54 per second [Fact-check needed] with no psylink (though this will only be seen when using Neural Heat Dump as otherwise they cannot generate heat). The first level of psylink improves the rate to 1.0, with every additional level increasing the rate by 0.125. In addition, each percent of pain increases the rate of recovery from neural heat by 1.5%. The resulting value follows the equation, assuming at least 1 level of psylink.
| Neural Heat Recovery Rate = 1 + (0.125* Psylink level ) + (1.5*Pain percentage) [Fact-check needed] |
Psychic Breakdown
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- Minor = -25% consciousness, 5 days mtb of minor mental break
- Major = -50% consciousness, 5 days mtb of minor or major mental break
- Total = 10% consciousness max
Psyfocus
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In addition to the neural heat increase, each psycast also removes an amount of psyfocus. This psyfocus can only be gained by through meditation and degreades a small amount per day relative to the value of psyfocus the psyfcaster currently has.
Psychic Sensitivity
In addition to its effects in calculating neural heat, psychic sensitivity is also important in how it effects targets. The targets psychic sensitivity is important as it often acts as a modifier to the duration, and sometimes the magnitude, of the psychic effect. For example, a Psychically Hypersensitive (Sensitivity of 1.8) pawn will be affected by the Beserk psycast for 54 seconds instead of the normal 30, while a Psychically Dull (Sensitivity of 0.5) pawn would only be affected for 15 seconds, and a Psychically Deaf (Sensitivity of 0) pawn would be immune.
Psycaster Equipment
Psychic equipment can improve a psycaster's abilities by providing additional psychic sensitivity and/or by directly increasing the Heat recovery rate. The following modifiers exist:
| Name | Type | Sensitivity Bonus | Recovery Rate Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychically Hypersensitive | Trait | +80% | 0 |
| Psychically Sensitive | Trait | +40% | 0 |
| Psychically Dull | Trait | -50% | 0 |
| Psychically Deaf | Trait | -100% | 0 |
Eltex shirt 
|
Apparel | +10% [Q] | +0.033 |
| Eltex vest
|
Apparel | +15% [Q] | +0.05 |
| Eltex robe
|
Apparel | +20% [Q] | +0.083 |
| Eltex helmet
|
Apparel | +15% [Q] | +0.066 |
| Eltex skullcap
|
Apparel | +40% [Q] | +0.091 |
| Psychic foil helmet | Apparel | -90% | ? |
| Prestige recon armor
|
Apparel | +5% | +0.033 |
| Prestige recon helmet
|
Apparel | +5% | +0.033 |
| Prestige marine armor
|
Apparel | +5% | +0.033 |
| Prestige marine helmet
|
Apparel | +5% | +0.033 |
| Prestige cataphract armor
|
Apparel | +5% | +0.033 |
| Prestige cataphract helmet
|
Apparel | +5% | +0.033 |
| Psychic Hypersensitizer persona weapon [A]
|
Weapon | +40% | 0 |
| Psychic Sensitivity persona weapon [A] | Weapon | +20% | 0 |
| Psychic Quiet persona weapon [A]
|
Weapon | -15% | 0 |
| Psychic Fog persona weapon [A]
|
Weapon | -30% | 0 |
| Neural Cooling persona weapon [A]
|
Weapon | 0 | +0.15 |
| Eltex staff
|
Weapon | +50% [Q] | +0.083 |
| Psychic sensitizer
|
Implant | +25% | 0 |
- ^A Psychic sensitivity traits are mutually exclusive with each other, but not with Neural Cooling. Persona traits appear on the following weapons: Persona monosword, Persona plasmasword, and Persona zeushammer
- ^DLC Added by the Royalty DLC
- ^Q Value scales with Quality. 0.5x -> 0.66x -> 0.83x -> 1.00x -> 1.16x -> 1.32x -> 1.5x. Note that Normal quality is not 1.00x
Psycasts
A psycast is the ability performed by the psycaster. A Psycaster can only perform psycasts of a level equal to or below the number of psychic amplifiers they have implanted. For example, to manifest Beckon, the psycaster would require 3 psychic amplifiers.
Regular psycasts
| Image | Name | Level (Title) | Description | Effects | Heat Gain | Casting Time | Duration | Range | Area of Effect | Psyfocus Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Burden | 1 | Slow the target for a short time by suppressing motor activity in the brain | Psychically-induced difficulty in locomotion
|
8 | 0.25s | 20s | 30 tiles | Target | 1% |
 |
Painblock | 1 | Block pain pathways in the target's brain for a short time. This can allow a person to move and act even with grievous injuries which would normally incapacitate them. | Psychically-induced pain insensitivity.
|
10 | 0.25s | 120s | 25 tiles | Target | 2% |
 |
Stun | 1 | Momentarily disrupt motor function in target's [sic] brain, preventing any movement. |
Psychically-induced.
|
12 | 0.25s | 3s | 20 tiles | Target | 1%
|
 |
Chunk skip | 1 | Skip the 5 chunks of rock or slag to scatter them near the target point. This is useful for producing cover during offensive operations. | Skips the closest 5 chunks to scatter them near the target point. This is useful for producing cover during offensive operations. | 14 | 1s | Instantaneous | 25 tiles | Target | 4% |
 |
Solar pinhole | 1 | Generate a microscopic skipgate linked to the core of a nearby star. Solar material leaks through the pinprick in spacetime, illuminating and warming the surrounding area until it closes. The light is enough to work by, but not enough to grow plants. |
Psychically-induced.
|
0 | 0.25s | 5000s (5 days) | 25 tiles | 15 tiles | 8%
|
 |
Blinding Pulse | 2 | Induce noise in the visual centers of the brain, obscuring vision of everyone near the target point. | Psychically-induced partial blindness.
|
20 | 1s | 30s | 25 tiles | 7 tiles | 1% |
 |
Waterskip | 2 | Douse a target in water, extinguishing fires. The water is archotechnologically skipped from distant bodies of water or underground aquifers | Psychically-induced.
|
25 | 1s | Instantaneous | 25 tiles | 3x3 tiles | 1.5% |
 |
Neural Heat Dump | 2 | Instantly dump all your neural heat into someone else. As a side effect, the target will fall into a debilitating but non-damaging coma for about a day. The target must actively accept the psychic invasion, so only conscious allies can be targeted. | Psychically induced neural heat cleansing.
|
0 | 1s | 1000s (1 day) | 25 tiles | Target | 0% |
 |
Beckon | 3 | Psychically command the target to approach the caster. | Psychically-induced.
|
20 | 0.25s | 8s | 20 tiles | Target | 1% |
 |
Chaos Skip | 3 | Teleport the target to a random position near where he started. | Psychically-induced.
|
18 | 0.25s | Instantaneous | 25 tiles | Target | 2% |
 |
Vertigo Pulse | 3 | Interfere with the spatial orientation sense of everyone near the target point, causing intermittent loss of balance. Flesh creatures will become extremely nauseous as well. | Psychically-induced loss of spatial orientation. This will cause flesh creatures to vomit.
|
30 | 1s | 20s | 25 tiles | 7 tiles | 2% |
 |
Smokepop | 4 | Skip dust particles up from under the ground surface to form a thick cloud. This reduces the accuracy of any shot fired through it, and preventing [sic] turrets from locking on entirely. | Psychically-induced.
|
30 | 1s | Instantaneous, Smoke dissipates in ~30 seconds | 25 tiles | Tile | 2% |
 |
Skip | 4 | Teleport the target to a desired position not too far from his starting point. | Psychically-induced.
-15 Goodwill impact |
25 | 0.25s | Instantaneous | 28 tiles | Target/Tile | 2% |
 |
Focus | 4 | Psychically focus the target's mind, boosting their sight, hearing and moving capacities. | Psychically-induced mental focus, increasing sight, hearing and movement capactities. [sic]
|
15 | 0.25s | 60s | 28 tiles | Target | 3% |
 |
Wallraise | 4 | Form a temporary wall by skipping rubble and soil up from deep under the ground. | A fragile wall made of rubble. It will collapse in time.'
|
35 | 1s | Instantaneous, Wall disappears after 4 hours | 25 tiles | Tile | 2% |
 |
Berserk | 5 | Induce an angry psychosis in the target's mind, causing them to attack anyone nearby. | Psychically-induced.
|
40 | 0.25s | 15s | 20 tiles | Target | 4% |
 |
Flashstorm | 5 | Use differential-pressure skipgates in the atmosphere to generate a localized flashstorm. The storm will strike the area with lightning for some time before dissapating. | Psychically-induced.
|
65 | 1s | 164s | 20 tiles | 14 tiles | 4% |
 |
Invisibility | 5 | Psychically manipulate the visual centers of everyone nearby, rendering them unable to perceive a particular individual for a short time. | Psychically-induced invisibility. This actually affects others nearby, making their brains unable to perceive the sight of this individual, even if the eyes are unaffected.
|
45 | 1s | 15s | 20 tiles | Target | 3% |
 |
Berserk Pulse | 6 | Generate an overwhelming rush of undirected rage in everyone near the target point. | Psychically-induced.
|
65 | 1s | 10s | 15 tiles | 5x5 tiles | 6% |
 |
Mass Chaos Skip | 6 | Skip everyone near a target point to a random location nearby. | Psychically-induced.
|
40 | 1s | Instantaneous | 25 tiles | 17 tiles | 3% |
 |
Skipshield | 6 | Generate a spherical skipgate that sends all incoming and outgoing ground-level projectiles to some distant place. People and items are not affected. | Psychically-induced.
|
65 | 1s | 15s | 25 tiles | 9 tiles | 4% |
 |
Manhunter pulse | 6 | Drive nearby animals into a manhunting rage using a psychic pulse | Psychically-induced.
|
50 | 1s | 60s | 35 tiles | 57 tiles | 4% |
Special psycasts
Officially added in 1.2, these psycasts cost a great amount of psyfocus in return for some useful utility, often outside combat.
| Image | Name | Level (Title) | Description | Effects | Heat Gain | Casting Time | Duration | Range | Area of Effect | Psyfocus Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Word of Trust | 1 | Speak to the prisoner while using psychic suggestion to reduce his resistance to recruitment. This psycast can only reduce a prisoner's resistance, but cannot recruit him. | Psychically induced.
|
0 | 2s | Instantaneous | 30 tiles | Target | 60% |
 |
Word of Joy | 2 | Speak happy, calming words to someone while using psychic suggestion to implant a joyfuzz loop in his mind. The joyfuzz will suppress uncomfortable thoughts and sensations in the target to improve mood. This has the side-effect of dulling sensation and decision-making, which reduces consciousness. | The affected pawn gains the Joybuzz status, providing 30 joy at the cost of -20% consciousness for 7 days.
|
0 | 2s | 5000s (5 days) | 1 tile | Target | 40% |
 |
Word of Love | 3 | Speak about someone's romantic virtues while using psychic suggestion to implant romantic desire in the listener. For days afterward, the listener will feel psychically-induced romantic attraction towards the other person. This great increases opinion and makes them much more likely to attempt romantic advances and marriage proposals if they get the chance. This psycast can be used to connect two other people, induce love for the caster, or force oneself to love another. | Psychically-induced romantic desire. This increases an individual's opinion of someone else, and increases the likelihood of romantic advances and marriage proposals, while reducing the chance of a breakup.
|
0 | 2s | 8000s (8 days) | 1 tile | Target | 50% |
 |
Word of Serenity | 4 | Use calming words and psychic suggestion to end a mental break on a person or animal. The target will fall into a short psychic sleep. The psyfocus cost depends on the intensity of the target's mental break. | Instantly ends any mental break by forcing the target into a 6 hour coma. The psyfocus cost depends on the level of the mental break; minor breaks cost 30% psyfocus, major breaks cost 50%, and extreme breaks cost 70%.
|
0 | 2s | 250s (6 hours) | 1 tile | Target | 30-70% |
 |
Word of Inspiration | 5 | Speak words encouraging creativity while psychically hypercharging the target's mind with new ideas. The target will experience a random inspiration appropriate to them. | Targeted pawn will receive a random inspiration based upon their passions and skills. | 0 | 2s | Instantaneous Inspiration lasts its normal duration |
1 tile | Target | 80% |
 |
Farskip | 5 | Skip the caster, along with anyone standing near him, to an ally at a distant location. This can send people far across the planet, but only works if there is a willing ally on the other side to use as a navigation beacon. The skipped people will always appear near a random ally on the target map. | Stuns for between 3 and 10 seconds; teleports allies within 5 tiles to distant colonist on map; if used while in caravan, whole caravan will be teleported (unusable if overburdened) | 0 | 5s | Instantaneous | User | 5 tile radius | 70% |
 |
Neuroquake | 6 | Find a discontinuity in the psychic field and unfold it, releasing a massive amount of psychic energy. Every creature on the map outside of a safe circle near the caster will be driven violently insane. Casting this takes three hours of meditation, and afterwards, the caster will go into a three-day psychic coma. The disturbing neuroquake echoes will inflict pain on everyone for many kilometers around, causing diplomatic consequences with all factions. | Causes map-wide berserk mental state outside of 5 tile safe radius. Causes -10 joy in all colonists. Reduces faction opinion by 10 for all factions, no matter the distance you are from their bases.
|
0 | 125 seconds (3 hours) | Instantaneous | User | Global Effect | 50% |
Tactics
Psycasts can be used to great tactical advantage- provided that you can get in range of the enemy to use them.
- Solar pinhole
- Burden slows the target down.
- Very useful for getting one or two more shots on melee attackers before they close the distance. Effective for this reason with a Killbox setup as well. **Useful for hunters in case of revenge.
- Painblock blocks pain, with an effect similar to go-juice.
- Stun stuns the target for a few seconds.
- Best used to support a melee attacker against another.
- Help melee attackers close the distance to shooters.
- Peel melee attackers off ranged.
- Blinding Pulse reduces the Sight of enemies.
- This reduces accuracy, giving you the upper hand in combat.
- Neural heat dump is good for burst casting psycasts, if you're willing to pay the price of putting a pawn out of action. Pacifists are a good choice if you don't need them to pull fallen allies aout of battle.
- Beckon
- Best used to force enemies into melee range for engagement.
- Great for peeling enemy melee off a vulnerable friendly.
- Chaos Skip
- Use on enemies that already entered melee range to force them to break distance in a random direction. Be careful of skipping them into your base.
- Vertigo Pulse
- Smokepop is essentially a better version of the smoke launcher.
- Skip is a versatile tool that can be used to manipulate allies and enemies alike.
- Teleport allied fighters into position quickly, especially melee fighters.
- Skip long-ranged enemies into range.
- Keep enemy melee fighters away from allies.
- Focus is good for buffing allies prior to a battle,improving a doctor before an important surgery, or gaining an extra discount before trading [Fact-check needed]
- Wallraise creates a wall of rocks in a cross shape.
- Creates impromptu cover for your shooters to shelter behind.
- Use to create LOS blocker against rocket launchers that are about to fire. If you are quick you can even block the rockets mid-flight.
- Blocking access to doors
- Protecting Unstable power cells
- Berserk forces an enemy to attack nearby targets indiscriminately, including their allies.
- Have enemies aggro on each other while your ranged fighters pick them off.
- Cause friendly fire as enemies fire at the berserker.
- Invisibility makes enemies unable to target your allies.
- It is not broken on attacking making it a good choice for close-ranged attackers.
- Self-cast to allow your psycaster to safely get within range.
- Berserk Pulse is similar to Berserk but affects an area.
- It causes a dangerous increase in psychic entropy on all but the most well-equipped of psycasters, but is capable of defeating entire raids using only this psycast.
- Mass Chaos Skip skips all units in the area randomly, friend or foe.
- Skip multiple enemies out of cover at once, exposing them to fire. Only skips things to a location where it has line of sight from.
- Manhunter Pulse causes all animals in a large area to become manhunter.
- Neuroquake is a hail mary-style psycast that is good against a humanlike raid.
Version History
- Royalty Initial Release: Introduced
- 1.1.2571: Major Rebalance to several psycasts.
- 1.1.2647: Overhaul to some mechanics. Empire no longer gets angry at psycast use, removed psychic hangover, added meditation mechanics, added new psychic abilities.
- 1.2: Added more psycasts.
- 1.2.2753: Bullet Shield renamed to Skipshield, prevent Farskip when caravan is overweight. Neural heat overload no longer causes psylink degradation or any other permanent damage.