I need some ideas, so I thought I'd ask everyone for some help. What I'm looking for is a term (or terms) for a psi-powered special operative/soldier, like the Lensmen. I'd prefer if the term were "generic," which is to say, isn't some weird made-up word (like "Jedi"), but I'm open to that possibility if the word is sufficiently evocative. Bonus points to anyone who comes up with a term that works in or riffs off the classic SF term "esper."
If someone comes up with a term I like, I'll give them credit and some other goodies to show my appreciation.
Thanks in advance.
One I like to use.. not sure if I heard it somewhere:
ReplyDeletePsyker
I sat here in thought for a few minutes and the best I could come up with is Mind-Walker.
ReplyDeletePsipol (sigh-pole). Combines the Greek words for mind (psyche) and warrior (polemistis). Has the added benefit of sounding like "disciple" if you wanted to make them a quasi-religious order
ReplyDeletePsi-Ops.
ReplyDelete- Jannissary
ReplyDelete- Psychonaut
- Psychologist (stolen from Christopher Moeller's comic, Iron Empires)
- Espertan, 'Spertan (esper-Spartan)
Espert
ReplyDeleteparas (paracorps?), geists, synners, axons, exos, neuros, tespers, teeks and peeks
ReplyDeleteHere's a list, some are stolen from other games and novels, but I think that they are evocative.
ReplyDeletePsi-ops
Mind Benders
Reality Deviants
Big Brothers
Third Eye
Special Services
The Lobotomies
Sixth Estate
Enhanced Agents
Brain Weasels
Intelligentsia
Cognitive Dissonance
I suppose if airborne troops attack from the sky then something like "psiborne" might fit.
ReplyDelete"Esperian?" (And I do like "Psipol.")
ReplyDeletePsentries
ReplyDeletePsycheteers
Cogknights
Psi-corpsmen
Cerebronauts
When I brainstorm, it's always cloudy with a 90% chance of silly.
Well after some thought & a perusal of the old thesaurus all I could come up with was a riff on adversary: Esperary
ReplyDeleteThe Mind Knights
ReplyDeleteI like Cerebronauts, as I've long been a fan of the -nauts suffix (in fact, I had it as a suggestion, but in the time it took me to type it up and sign in, I saw Dr. Burton's post!). Alternatives:
ReplyDeleteEspernauts
Esperionauts
Egonauts
Or, with a very different feel:
Homunculords
Is there a reason you don't just go with "esper"?
ReplyDeleteThe best I'm coming up with is "Espari" (plays off Arabic/African "askari", local soldier for colonial power), or "Espnatz" (a bit like "spetsnaz", Russian special forces).
ReplyDeletePsion maybe? It's the name of a computer company among other things but it's short and reasonably familiar. There's also ESPecial Forces but that doesn't roll of the tongue.
ReplyDeletePsipher/Psypher - as in "cipher"
ReplyDeleteHey James, since it's related to TS, I was finding a few inspiring things in the Esperanto dictionary: mensa (mental), menso (mind), cerbo (brain), psika (psychic), kognitiva... give it a try: http://www.dicts.info/dictionary.php?l1=english&l2=esperanto
ReplyDeleteHmmm...
ReplyDeletePsi-ranger, psi-agent, psi-soldier, psi-specialist, collectively known as psi-forces.
Mentalist, Dreamwarrior, Psi-knight (someone already said Mind Knight), Dream Thief, Mind-cracker.
Good luck!
from an enemies perspective- "those bloody MindF**ers"
ReplyDeleteAcumen
ReplyDeleteSpace cop? Psi cop? Space Knight? Green Lantern?
ReplyDeleteIsn't part of the flavor of a Lensman/Jedi/Green Lantern/Space Knights idea that what they are is at least partially defined by the order they belong to? They're not just generic operatives with psi-powers - they've been chosen by fate/destiny/genetics/psychological disorder/whatever to be members of an elite corps of galactic protectors. They're not just soldiers or guards or beat cops, they're knights or samurai or special forces elite soldiers.
Templar
ReplyDeleteI used the term "Jankers" for psi operatives in a Traveler campaign once.
ReplyDeleteJankers is a British military term for minor official trouble, and in my campaign people in the military with psi talents were considered trouble and shuffled around to be as far as possible from any political harm they could do to their superiors. They were forever "on jankers," so in time the name stuck. It made a great background for a team of travelers.
Espeteer
ReplyDeleteExtraSensory Perception Extra Technology
Musketeer, Grenadier.
I was going to suggest "Esperdrille" as a reference to the American pilots in WWI, but then I realized it was a bit too close to a type of shoe...
ReplyDeleteThe Omega Knights.
ReplyDeleteWhy should P have all the fun?
Observers
ReplyDeleteAdept
ReplyDeleteAscetic
Espmando
Esperative
Ed Green
One could always go with Vespers...has the "Esper" element, also the Roman god of evening, the planet Venus, religious services references, a Bond girl and a cocktail...hard to go wrong there.
ReplyDeletePsykers is commonly used in Warhammer40k. Drawing on that, I think there are a lot of terms from that game that could fill the roll: Adepts, Inquisitors, Pariahs, Harlequins, Reapers, Assassins, Mandrakes, Seers...
Mind Dancers
ReplyDeleteThought Police
Psynapse
Psipol (someone else suggested this, but my take is Psi + Interpol)
Psyberati
Gest-men
ReplyDeleteMiddle English root word for "ghost", "host", and "guest"
as well as "poltergheist", "zeitgeist" and "gestapo" (sorry for the double post!)
ReplyDeleteThinkers
ReplyDeletePsi-Fighters
Social Security
Psychos
Id-killers
If they are commando-types that rely on stealth and getting behind enemy lines then how about:
ReplyDeleteGhost
Ghost-walker
Psicommando
Infiltraor
Quiet Men
Shadows
If they are a main battle unit that uses psionics for coordination on the battlefield:
Templar
Bretheren
Vanguard-soldier or just Vanguard
If they are wizard types that use psionics to mass effect or for interrogation or otherwise avoid direct contact with the enemy:
Psionic Adept/Psychic Adept
Mind master
Mentat
Mentalist
("Ghost" and "Templar" should be credited to Cyber-Dave, creator of the Land Of Nod alternate setting for the Star Wars Saga Edition rules. Link: http://community.wizards.com/thelandofnod/wiki/The_Land_of_Nod_Campaign_Guide_(For_Star_Wars_Saga_Edition) )
Apologies to The Myth for using "Templar".
ReplyDeleteAsparagus
ReplyDeleteDefenestration
Diaphanous
Fahrvergnügen
Osmosis
Subsistence
What are we talking about? ;P
Noemancer (noh-eh-mancer)
ReplyDeleteNoe/Noetic/Noema are all terms relating to thought, cognate with Nous or universal thought- mental processes seperate from sensation. Mancer derives from mantike or 'divination' and has been corrupted in popular usage to mean practicioner of an art. Technically, the suffix should be - ologist but mancer has a better ring to it. Of course, you could try it with some variations of nous: noueticologist, nousologist... but they seem to dry.
Esper is good but - all apologies to haruhi - doesnt really work in this context. It's a little too general; it describes too wide a range of abilities.
Egotists
ReplyDeleteHhhhmmm... what about Psi-stalker? I don't think thats been thrown into the ring. If they use cybernetics you could call them psiborgs.
ReplyDeleteThought of another. more generic term. The Elites, or perhaps the Psi-elites, the best of the best. Of course that doesn't really roll off the tongue.
ReplyDeleteThe new XO, sir. He's... well, from Esper Ops.
ReplyDeleteDon't tell me we got another one of those Goat Starers in this unit. You remember what happened when the last one cracked?
Please, sir. Esper Ops. He'll know if we've called him anything else.
Fine, "Esper Ops." Back when I joined the Corps every Marine was a rifleman. Now... no need for a rifle when you can stare your enemy to death, is there? It's not my father's Corps.
No sir. He did rank Expert, sir.
Psychespartan
ReplyDeleteIf you can read Spanish, I recommend you "Mutantes en la Sombra", a RPG about mutants in a secret war agains soviet and american governments.
ReplyDeleteSensitive or Psi-Corp
ReplyDeleteThinkers
ReplyDeleteKnights Mentlar or Knights Esper
ReplyDeleteVeterans of the Psychic Wars (well, that's the retirement organization)
Psi Sentai (okay, that's the magical girls with mecha)
Espergrunt
Brainpounder
Psi Squaddie
Ninjesper
ReplyDeletePsi ninja or psi-nobi
Psitizen soldier. :)
ReplyDeleteTheir retirement organization would be the Order of the Psincinnati. :)
Hesperus or Hesperides
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Hesperus
Derived from the Greek word for "star", has "esper" embedded in it, used to refer to those who guard a treasure. Don't know how it fits your concept if they are all female though.
Brainstorming here:
ReplyDeleteEspear (conflating esper and spear)
Overseers
Psiswords (off sellswords)
Psiber Knights
Psibernetics (maybe a tech rather than a group)
and one malapropism: Esper de Corp...
Without knowing the intended tone, it's hard to pick generic group names, but perhaps something that doesn't evoke psionics directly like:
Sentinels
Overwatch
Praetorians
1st choice: Psimurai! ;)
ReplyDeleteand their stealthy assassins: Psinjas!
Or, to break it down to its core
The Idmats!
...as in Id & somatic...
Ciao!
GW
There are some good suggestions here, but from the original post it was mentioned that they are Special Operations soldiers with psychic powers, which implies a formal military group. Real life Special Operations groups (in the U.S. at least) have that term shortened to SpecOps. Thus, one train of logic suggests EsperOps (already mentioned), ESpecOps, and SperOps as they all have similarity to real life nomenclature. Alternatively, militaries love their acronyms, so an ESP Special Ops unit could be referred to as the ESO, which could be expanded to ESO Corps, or ESO Brigade, or something like that. Such soldiers might just be referred to as "Esos."
ReplyDeleteGutalj-Nibunocats.
ReplyDeleteShort for Guys-That-Are-Like-Jedi-Knights-But-Not-Called-That.
Their unit called be called something like Sixth Corps, as in 'sixth sense'.
ReplyDeleteTheir nickname could be Goners, as in "I knew you were gonna say that." Or Noseys, or Toms as in peeping tom.
ReplyDelete'Esperado'...
ReplyDeletePsiñor
ReplyDeleteCogniteri
ReplyDeleteMinders
Thinkers
awkwardg said:
ReplyDelete> "Esperado'
Dang, came to the comments to say that very thing.
How bout - Brainger :)
ReplyDeleteUmbrati
ReplyDeleteEdgemen
Like the man sang:
ReplyDelete"Esperado . . . why don't you come to my senses . . ."
Hummm a bit late to the discussion.
ReplyDeletePsysper hasn't been mentionned.
Psicop (Babylon 5 FTW!)
But I really liked Inquisitor.
Really like the sound of someone saying in a panicked voice "My god they called the Inquisition!"
Ghost (Starcraft) and Shadows are also pretty good suggestions.
I like Vespers. Also Expers. Waymen. E-gents. EMPatrol. ESPatrol. 'Grammers. Jammers. Re-Agents.
ReplyDeleteRiffing on the RL military theme:
ReplyDeletePsi Operator, Psi Ops, etc.
We always called them Scanners, but that shows my age (graduated from HS in '84.)
ReplyDeleteEsper Secret Police
ReplyDeleteNext Men (as in the next step in evolution)
Just round-up all the answers, and make a d00 table out of it. ;)
ReplyDeleteEspion (esper + spion, Dutch for spy)
ReplyDeleteEspernatic
ReplyDeleteEsperantics
Espiricals
S-Men
Agents Esper (like Attorneys General) -- asps
ReplyDeletePsychistos/as
E.S.Perceptors -- 'ceptors
Esperceivers
Parapsychotropers --pi-psi-taus
Ears
Invisible Ops
Imaginary Ops
Sci Psi Spies
Telepathological Troopers
Black Brains
Memethieves
Memory Men
Psiper
ReplyDeleteWhen you have to eliminate a target through unconventional means you call in a Psiper Unit.
Psi-turion
ReplyDeleteIve used "Force Knight" more than once.
ReplyDeleteBeware the dreaded "Esperantos" half mind-soldier, half Vaquero, they ride their chrome, rocket-powered mounts through the universe, chasing down interplanetary outlaws, and keeping peace on the galactic borders.
ReplyDeletehttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef013485ac8c58970c-350wi
ProsperOPS
ReplyDeletePsipartan
ESPrit de Corps
ReplyDeleteESPer de Corps
What do they do? I'd imagine that a military unit of people with ESP would do counter-intelligence and police work behind the lines, rather than being special forces.
ReplyDeleteESPer Investigations - ESPIs
ReplyDeleteESPecial Teams - ESPecT
I prefer the ESPer Ops mentioned before.
CorrESPondent
ReplyDeleteDESPerado (ESPerado?)
Espial (n. - The act of espying; notice; discovery. n. - One who espies; a spy; a scout.)
It might be confusing but I'd go with something simple and innocuous. For individuals with a psi predisposition and the ability to use it.
ReplyDeleteTalents
or
The Willful
For a sci-fi golden age feel, I'd have to go with Psi-Corps for the army division, with the same name used for individuals (pronounced "sycore").
ReplyDeleteHow about Psychonaut? It is taken from Peter Carrol and his writings on Chaos Magic.
ReplyDeleteAlternately, why not Esperantists? You can play on the Esperantists by having them use Esperanto terms for rank and commands and such.
All the best!
"Whesper Ops" - a variation of Whisper. You don't actually hear them, only a "whisper" in your mind that makes you think twice - or not at all....
ReplyDeleteActually, I recant "Waymen" - I want to use it in a cowboy/ninja setting I'm working on. You can have the rest still, though. :)
ReplyDeleteNeuro
ReplyDeleteNeurat
Neuromite
Oraclan (like oracle)
Deltas (as in the brain wave during sleep cycles)
Walkers (as in sleep walkers or astral plane walkers)
Alienist.
ReplyDeleteSpooks
ReplyDeleteI do like "Esperian", but here is what I came up with:
ReplyDeleteSentinel
The Esper Guard
The Esper Watch
Esper Force
Esper Patrol
ESPatrol
ESPer Men
The Aura Guard
Talence - The Talent Lance
The Sixth Guard - from the sixth sense
Esperactives
Aegence
Esperaegis
As an homage, you could call them Tellurians.
There you go. That's what I've got.
Prefects
ReplyDeletePraetor
Quaestors
Arbitors
Interrex
Vigiles Cerebrum (or however the Latin goes)
Astra-Sadhu
Eremite
Abhaya (as in Abhaya Mudra)
Alasanda or Yonaka (as per: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmaguptaka)
Sri (as in the honorific)
This might also help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisations_in_Wuxia_fiction
Synapse-Neuron Operatives, or Synneurs ("sinners") for short.
ReplyDeleteAlso:
ReplyDeleteRenunciate
Ascendant
Espix
Mentlars
ReplyDeleteNavigators
Neuromancers
Neuroknights
I'm getting into the game late, but one thing I've noticed is that the U.S. Government likes to give innocuous and un-related names to "special" organizations.
ReplyDeleteSo, the super-secret psychic detachment could very well go by the "Government Services Organization" or "Operational Research Detachment."
The only term that pops into my head at the description of what you want is 'Professional'. It simultaneously is generic and sounds both competent and a little menacing ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat to call an Extra-Sensory Proficient Operative? Why not just the acronym of that? An ESPO. Or an Espo. Or an espo.
ReplyDeletehow about "Psipher". It sounds a bit like esper, but I like the "cypher" connotation of the mysterious and unknown.
ReplyDeleteWhy not just 'Cypher,' then?
ReplyDeletePaladYn
ReplyDeletewhere the P or the Y actually should be a Psi.
Are they supposed to be trustworthy, or enforcers of an evil empire?
Battlemind!
ReplyDeleteUh, wait...
I like something along the lines of
ReplyDeleteAdept
Talent
Special Talent - isn't that what the psionic specialists were called in Starship Troopers?
Tabur-Esper
ReplyDeleteDumtisspoah
Psyguard. Has a nice ring to it.
ReplyDeleteGrasper(s), possibly with an appropriate noun (mind, star, sky) based on their activities. It resonates with "Esper" without copying it, and avoids much of the cliche surrounding other names while still being something actual people might call them.
ReplyDeleteI also like the image it projects of a psychic cop seizing things with his mighty brains..
My 2 kopins:
ReplyDeletePsychOp (from Psychic Operative or Operator)
TelEsperTekes (from Telepaths, ESPers and Telekinetics - the usual varieties of Psy-type manifestations).
Let us know how you get on!
Rogue_Lead
The brain O matic ninja thieves.
ReplyDeleteThe mind takers
Mind Breakers
The invincible
Super Hypno Dudes
The Mind Cult
Visionaries
Psykadelic Fighters (groovy and psychic)
Intrusion
The Mentat (from dune, sounds like someone with mental powers though)
The Mental Menace
I dont know If I'm good at this lol.
If I listed one all ready mentioned sorry, I didnt read the whole post. Thanks!