Psychonauts RPG

The Psychonauts are a clandestine organization of elite psychics dedicated to protecting the world from mental and supernatural threats. Combining advanced psychic science with covert espionage, they operate beyond government oversight, intervening in crises involving rogue psychics, corrupted minds, and supernatural phenomena.

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Purpose & Mission

The Psychonauts exist to:

• Investigate psychic disturbances and mental anomalies.
• Rehabilitate broken minds through psychic therapy.
• Neutralize rogue psychics who threaten global stability.
• Research the untapped potential of the human psyche.

Their motto: "Mens Regnum, Potentia Infinita" ("The Mind is King, Power is Infinite").

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Operations & Methods

1. Mind Diving (Psychic Espionage)

Psychonauts enter minds via Neural Delivery Doors—portable psychic gateways planted on a subject’s forehead. Inside a Mindscape, they:

• Navigate symbolic landscapes (e.g., war zones for trauma, mazes for confusion).
• Battle mental projections (fears, repressed memories, psychic defenses).
• Collect "Figments" (lost memories/emotions) for analysis.
• Destroy "Censors" (mental barriers blocking truth).

2. Brain Handling

Brains in this universe are semi-physical and can be:

• Removed surgically (stored in jars for study).
• Swapped between bodies (dangerous, often illegal).
• Reprogrammed via psychic conditioning.

3. Training & Recruitment

New agents start at Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp before advancing to the Motherlobe (HQ). Training includes:

• PSI-Pop consumption (candy that boosts psychic energy).
• Mental obstacle courses (simulated mindscapes).
• Ethics courses (to prevent abuse of power).

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Key Facilities

1. The Motherlobe – Primary HQ shaped like a giant brain.
   • Houses Otto’s Lab, Lobotomy Corps, and Brain Tanks.
2. Whispering Rock – Boot camp for young psychics.
   • Run by Coach Oleander (drill sergeant style).
3. Questionable Area™ – Testing ground for dangerous experiments.
4. Ford’s Sanctuary – Hidden retreat for unstable psychics.

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Psychic Threats

The Psychonauts battle:

• Rogue Psychics (e.g., Maligula, a water-controlling warlord).
• Mind Hackers (criminals who rewrite memories).
• Psychic Plagues (mental viruses spreading insanity).
• Supernatural Entities (e.g., astral demons, thought parasites).

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Controversies

Despite their heroics, the Psychonauts face criticism for:

• Brain theft (storing thousands of minds without consent).
• Lobotomies (used as last-resort "mental resets").
• Child soldiers (recruiting teens like Raz).

Ford Cruller once said: "We walk in the shadows so others never have to know the monsters lurking in their own heads."

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Conclusion

The Psychonauts walk a fine line between guardians and violators of the mind. They heal broken souls—but their methods are often as terrifying as the threats they fight.

"You don’t need a license to enter a mind… but you’d damn well better know how to leave." — Sasha Nein

Psychic Abilities Include: BTC

• Levitation (Milla's specialty)
• Pyrokinesis
• Telekinesis
• Clairvoyance
• Mental Connection (Hollis' specialty)
• Astral Projection
• Psychic Blasts

Mindscapes:

• Manifest as alternate worlds inside a person’s psyche
• Landscape reflects mental state (e.g., war zones for trauma)
• Can be forcibly reshaped by intruders
• Contain emotional "baggage" (literal sentient luggage)
• Censored memories appear as black voids

Psychonauts Organization:

• HQ: "Psycho-lobe" (brain-shaped base)
• Branches:
  • Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp (training)
  • Brain Tanks (storage for extracted brains)
  • Lobotomy Corps (emergency mental intervention unit)

Technology:

• Neural Delivery Systems (mind door projectors)
• Brain jars for storage/transport
• PSI-Pops (psychic energy candy)
• Otto Mentallis’ inventions (e.g., emotional baggage claim tickets)

Key Locations:

• Motherlobe (main HQ)
• Questionable Area™ (testing grounds)
• Otto’s Lab (gadget development) információ
• Ford’s Sanctuary (hidden retreat)

Mindscape Exploration Rules

1. Door Mechanics:

   • Psychics plant "Neural Delivery Doors" on a subject’s forehead
   • Doors amplify mental entry points (size varies by brainpower)
   • Can be forced open with psychic "crowbars" (painful for host)

2. Mental Constructs:

   • Memories appear as NPCs/objects (e.g., "Childhood Raz" as a circus tent)
   • Trauma manifests as storms/earthquakes/monsters
   • Censored content is blacked out like censored film reels

3. Psyche Hazards:

   • "Mental Cobwebs" slow intruders (repressed thoughts)
   • "Anger Geysers" erupt from emotional wounds
   • "Guilt Quicksand" traps those who linger on regrets

4. Baggage Claims:

   • Sentient luggage holds emotional weight (literal/painful to carry)
   • Types:
     • Violet = Grief
     • Orange = Shame
     • Glitched = Unknown/Suppressed Trauma

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Psychonauts Hierarchy & Daily Operations

Rankings:

1. Head (Truman Zanotto/Hollis Forsythe)
   • Oversees missions/budget
2. Senior Agents (Sasha, Milla, Oleander)
   • Lead high-risk operations
3. Junior Agents (Graduated Interns)
   • Handle fieldwork under supervision
4. Interns (Raz’s Class)
   • Train at Whispering Rock or Motherlobe

Facilities:

• Brain Tanks:

  • Jars store removed brains (classified by danger level)
  • Labeling system:
    • Green = Stable
    • Yellow = Unpredictable
    • Red = Kill on Sight

• Otto’s Lab:

  • Contains unstable prototypes (e.g., "Empathy Grenades")
  • Walls lined with "Patent Pending" blueprints

• Lobotomy Corps Ward:

  • Restrains psychics undergoing "mind recalibration"
  • Leather straps/PSI-dampening helmets standard

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Notable Missions & Case Files

1. The Loboto Incident:

• Villain: Dr. Loboto
• Crime: Stole brains to create mutant fish-hybrids
• Outcome: Defeated by Raz—now works as a (shoddy) dentist

2. The Maligula Resurgence:

• Villain: Raz’s "Grandmother" (water-controlling psychic)
• Crime: Flooded entire towns via psychic storms
• Outcome: Mind permanently sealed by Ford Cruller

3. The Psychic Six Betrayal:

• Villain: Former agent Lucy (burned alive teammates)
• Crime: Pyrokinetic slaughter during a briefing
• Outcome: Brain extracted—stored in Red Tank #66