Psionics

From The StarCraft 2 Wiki

Psionics is the study and/or practice of using the mind to induce things that would be considered paranormal. Examples of this include telepathy, telekinesis and other workings of the outside world through the psyche.

[edit] StarCraft Term

Psionic in StarCraft refers mostly to members of the Protoss race, who can use their mental powers to augment their physical strengths, communicate, read minds or even rip reality apart through Psionic Storms. Protoss needs connection to their Psionic Matrix in order to warp in units or buildings as well as providing psionic energy to the people.

Some Terrans also have the mental ability to use psionic powers, and most of these are Ghosts, or hiding from the Ghost Program. These Ghosts can use technological devices to extend a personal cloaking field around them, rendering themselves invisible, in addition to the involuntary mind-reading abilities they acquire. Unusually strong human psionics can use telekinesis.

Zerg creature generally possess no psionic powers, except for the Overlord and Overseer who uses a weak telekinetic boost to move. The Overmind, when it was alive and the current Zerg leader, the Queen of Blades uses psionic power to control the Swarm. Cerebrates and Overlords also have a smaller power for controlling their broods and individual Zerg creatures.

[edit] General Term

Psionics are a popular device in video games, board games and many other forms of gaming. Typically such powers are used in a context where magic would not fit into the setting in order to introduce super-human, magic-like powers.

These are some of the more commonly portrayed varieties of psionic abilities:

• Telepathy: To communicate without the use of physical senses.
  • Mind reading
  • Thought Communications
  • Mind Control

• Extrasensory Perception: To perceive objects and events beyond the use of ordinary senses
  • Clairvoyance and/or Clairaudience
  • Precognition and Premonitions
  • Retrocognition
  • Remote Viewing, et al.
• Psychokinetic abilities: aka. "mind over matter". Abilities that allow manipulation of the physical environmental and the general elements
  • Telekinesis (as in projecting pure force or moving objects via the mind).
    • Pyrokinesis (In the specific use of Telekinesis to influence temperature by means of friction)
    • Electrokinesis (A manifestation of Telekinesis to create electric sparks also by friction)
    • Cryokinesis (Telekinesis used to slow or stop the motion of particles to reduce thermal energy)
• Psycho-Metabolic abilities ("mind over body")
  • Accelerated healing
  • Environmental resistance
  • Pain resistance
  • Reactive Adaptation (Mind adapts to a change in environment by adjusting metabolism)

• Theraputic Uses
  • Lessening mental instability
  • Third-party mediation of internal conflicts