Precognition

Millennia of myths show prophets cursed with knowing a future they cannot change. While true precognition gives room to influence what has yet come to pass, it requires a delicate touch to affect possibilities.

Despite precognitive knowledge, much is still left to chance, and not everyone will play their expected part.

The Science

Forward Thinking

Precognition is the rarest of the psionic disciplines. Few people develop it naturally, and unlike other disciplines, not everyone who attempts to learn it intentionally is successful. Those who are gain the ability to see possible futures and influence the likelihood of certain ones coming to pass. This foresight helps them avoid dangers and improve their odds of success.

Uncertain Futures

Typically, a precog can only see potential outcomes of their own decisions. Each vision is a single potential future, not a guarantee. The farther away the future, the easier it is for anyone to alter it.

Luck Influencer

Some precogs can also direct the future, commonly described as affecting luck. They can improve their odds of survival, avoid deadly surprises, and even curse an enemy with bad luck.

Quantum Theories

The only theory of precognition that hasn't yet been disproven posits that the metadimension exists in a quantum state in which it experiences all possibilities at once. A precog can drag one out to examine or make it more likely to happen. Once something has come to pass, all possibilities collapse into the true event. This theory explains the lack of postcognition, or view of past events, as well as other aspects of Metadimensional Space.

The People

Common Traits

Per the stereotypes, precogs have all the answers but only share if it benefits them. They're assumed to be smug and lazy, coasting by on seeing the future. However, the limitations of the discipline make it unlikely a precog actually does have all the answers. Spotlight effect helps cement the stereotype, helped by precogs who act the part.

In truth, many precogs live with an incredible amount of uncertainty. No future they see is promised, and the path to avoid or guarantee a potential isn't always clear. As coveted as precog visions are, many don't understand how delicate of a process it is to influence these potential futures. Precogs often keep their visions secret in hopes of better controlling the end result. Or to avoid being controlled themselves.

Did you know?

Some precogs can't differentiate between a precognitive pull to buy something vital or an impulse to buy what they'll never need. They can become hoarders of bizarre items.

Common Jobs

Many expect precogs to be excellent fortune tellers, but since they only see potential futures from their own perspectives, they do better in advisory positions where they have regular meetings with a client. This surprisingly includes matchmaking.

Vision showed the client engaged one month after the first date. This could be a major success, but given this client's poor judgement and co-dependency issues, I have concerns.

— A precog matchmaker's notes

High-risk endeavors love having a precog on the team, but as rare as they are, hiring one is incredibly expensive. They're most useful when in danger themselves, where their precognitive luck can turn disaster to success.

Thief

Check patrol routes and improve your luck at infiltrating

Bodyguard

Predict ambushes, confound attackers, and bolster allies to protect your charge

Gambler

Shift the odds in your favor, but only if you can avoid getting caught

Advisor

Cater your advice to help make good futures happen

Military Scout

Be aware of ambushes and other surprises before they happen

Your backstory may unlock personalized content.
Select or Update

Limitations

Precognition has the most esoteric limitations, some of which remain the same no matter the skill level of the precog. To remember what they are, stay focused on the FACTS:

F for Far

The time horizon of a precog's future sight can be as little as a minute and as far ahead as a full calendar year.

A for Amount

Precognition is exhausting, requiring careful planning to work around the limited amount a precog can do.

C for Consent

A precog can only see futures they're directly present for, or impact the environment or people around them.

T for Time

Visions provided by precognition can cover the next few seconds of time up to a consecutive minute.

S for Sense

Precognitive visions are visual only, and don't contain any sound, heat, pain, or other sense-based information.

For information on general limitations of all disciplines, read more about Psionics. For more on the consequences of pushing past these limits, read about Feral Psions.

Known Precogs

Alice

The former pirate queen is now the most powerful known precog, and entirely against her will

Trey

Nisoran criminal networker and former Gal Pal, now working to restore stability to Galendra

Author Commentary

Extra Credit

Precognition is both powerful and limited, making it a fascinating challenge to support as a GM. After two years of Campaign 2: The Gal Pals, I could write an essay on the topic. As with Telepathy, a GM must be willing to reveal their secrets.