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Shields are your primary method of protection from psychic/psionic attack and
possible damage, with a variety of different styles used for different purposes.
While some people may settle on a preferred shielding method and stick pretty
much to that, it is recommended that you learn and practice multiple shielding
methods so that you're better prepared in different situations.
This overview is not a complete list, since anyone can develop new methods.
As with any situation, you should become proficient at analyzing a situation
and determining the best shielding type to use. As with all Workings, intent
is the key - you have to be 100% sure of the intent you give to the shields.
Shields can also be given different colors or shapes depending on your preferred
operating style.
Note: To anyone with enough advanced knowledge, any or all of these methods
may be broken, detected, or worked around. An opponent may or may not have enough
knowledge to work past multiple methods. And, last but not least, don't go developing
a "I'm using uber-shields and you can't attack me!" attitude, because
someone, somewhere, will most likely take potshots at you to test them either
out of boredom or because they find that attitude annoying.
Energy and focus/concentration requirements for any of these may vary depending
on your skill and practice.
ABSORBING
Self-charging:
Uses incoming energy to power the shield. If needed, you can filter out the
energy you don't want out of an incoming attack and just use the parts you
do want. An example of that is to filter out emotions and just use the attack's
base strength. Or you can use all the incoming energy and convert any unwanted
types to a wanted type. This is generally a low-powered variety good for everyday
use.
Retaliatory:
An absorption shield that also attacks the user. Retaliation can simply be
using the energy to generate your own attack using the same or a different
method, or the retaliation can be latching onto your attacker and draining
their energy - particularly useful for psivamps.
Healing:
Uses the incoming energy to heal any damage you've already taken. You have
to understand how to do this
Attracting:
Absorbs, but preferentially seeks specific energy types. This can be used
as a method of setting up a link to someone else, and aids in detection.
MORPHING TECHNIQUES
Shifting:
Constantly altering the appearance of your shield. This technique can be applied
to many types, provided you can maintain it. The Borg in the Star Trek TV
show use ship shields that constantly change in frequency in order to defeat
things like tracking beams - this is a similar idea.
Camouflage:
By pulling in bits of energy from people around you, you can alter your outside
energy "appearance" to look less like yourself and more like, say,
the mundane person standing behind you in line. This is often used as a cloaking
method. An example would be pulling fresh-dropped branches over your hiding
place in the woods.
Confusion:
Generates random amounts of "psi noise" in an attempt to confuse
any scan or attack attempts. Mix with a redirection method for better results.
An example would be turning on several radios at once, each tuned to different
stations.
REDIRECTION
Simple:
This method redirects incoming energy and sends it back out. While it sounds
similar to a mirror shield, it's different because you need to interact with
the incoming energy in order to redirect it.
Disguised:
As above, but in the process of interacting with the incoming energy, you
can alter it's "fingerprint" to hide it's initial source or characteristics.
For example, you can change an attack blast's "fingerprint" so that
it no longer reads as an attack and fire it back at a person who's shields
are designed to block their own attack energy.
REFLECTIVE
Simple:
This is a mental mirror surrounding you that causes all incoming energy to
be reflected back out without effect. Can also be thought of a a "rubber
ball" shield. If you like, this can also be modified to form a filter,
only letting in the energy you want. Two or more people with mirror shields
may end up with a "volleyball" effect, bounding energy back and
forth between them, until one person's concentration slips, or one of them
does something else with the energy being tossed around. An example would
be a completely shiny surface, similar to hematite.
Multidirectional:
As above, but instead of reflecting energy back the way it came, reflects
energy in any random direction, or ricochets off at particular angles. An
example would be multifaceted crystal that throws light everywhere.
WALLS
Basic forcewall:
This can be visualized as a ball, egg or some other shaped mass of energy
surrounding you. You can give it particular colors if you desire, or leave
it colorless. This form of shield blocks incoming attacks without reflecting
them back to the attacker. It it very versatile, and good for a beginner to
start with. Because it's so basic, though, it can be easy to break by more
experienced people.
Fire/elemental wall:
Often visualized as a ring or ball of fire (or blinding white light) that
destroys incoming energies similar to how meteorites are destroyed coming
into earth's atmosphere. It requires either "set it and forget it"
programming, or awareness of incoming attacks to be able to neutralize them.
It IS more energy intensive, and not recommended for long-term defense.
Spinner walls:
One or more layers of shields that also rotate on an axis. Commonly used with
basic walls, but can be modified to use most shields. The spinning makes it
difficult to attack the same spot multiple times, and can also make scans
difficult.
OTHER TECHNIQUES
Combinations:
Interlocking two or more types of shields to make a more robust defense system.
You MUST be skilled with the shields you intend to use in a layered format.
This will take practice if you're not used to it, and some common sense is
required - for example, don't put retaliatory/attacking shields under a simple
reflective shield, for example.
Filtering:
Nearly any shield can be modified to filter, but often the filter capability
adds a weak point in the shield where the preferred type of energy can be
let in, so this is something to keep in mind in combat situations. A non-combat
example are empathic filters that tone down the noise level of people's emotions.
Invisibility:
More potent (and thus takes more concentration/energy) than simple camouflage,
This is much closer to "I'm not here" compared to camouflage's "I'm
not the person you're looking for."
Residence shields:
Typically these are basic wall types, however they can be any type depending
on the person making them. These operate on a larger scale, covering the space
you live in (house, apartment, etc.) Residence shields are commonly used to
dissuade wandering entities from entering, much like an alarm system discourages
burglars from breaking in to steal your stuff. (While these are commonly called
"house shields" I use "residence" in an effort to show
that you do not have to have a house in order to use them.)
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