This power allows the psion to make temporary adjustments to his physical form. Such changes aren’t subtle, and are usually intended as quick offensive or defensive measures. While most psions use this power to form their fingers into knives or to turn their skin into armor, it can also be used to adjust a psion’s facial features or to modify his build. The psion cannot imitate another person’s appearance, but merely disguise the details of his own. Anyone having even a passing Familiarity with Biokinesis can readily identify when Gross Manipulation is used.
System: Spend one point and roll Psi. The effect lasts for a number of turns equal to your character’s Psi score, plus one turn for each success rolled. When this power is used offensively (e.g., to turn fingernails into talons or to make knuckles steel-hard), hand-to-hand attacks inflict Lethal damage. Roll Strength damage normally and add a die for every two successes achieved on the Psi roll (rounded up). A character with 3 Strength who gets two successes adds one die for a total of four dice of Lethal damage on hand-to-hand attacks.
When this power is used defensively (e.g., to harden skin), a point of armor is gained for every two successes on the Psi roll (rounded up). This armor can be used against both Bashing and Lethal damage effects, and does not reduce your character's Dexterity. A character with 2 Stamina who gets five successes adds three points for a 5 Bashing soak and a 3 Lethal soak. When this power is used to alter appearance, anyone trying to identify your character visually suffers +1 difficulty to Awareness rolls for every two successes you get on the Psi roll (rounded up). Someone who tries to identify a character who received four successes does so at +2 difficulty.