Psyker

...

“

I dunno. I think there's something to it, yeah, but there's just not enough evidence.

”— Ian, when asked about psychics

A psyker^[1] is a person who possesses paranormal and psychic powers. A rare sight even right after the Great War and the Master's experiments, nearly all psykers are a product the latent radiation and FEV found in the environment of the post-nuclear world. Psyker powers can take many forms from the common telepathy and precognition to the more physical such as control of animals and mental attacks of the mind.

Background

These strange powers have many causes: Forced Evolutionary Virus, mutations from radiation, natural mutations and centuries of seclusion are among the conditions that can foster these psionic abilities. These abilities include, but are not limited to: control over electricity, fire and light, short and long-range telepathy, premonition and the ability to foretell future events. Canonically, all pyskers were wiped out with the destruction of the Cathedral in 2162,^[1] but psykers continue to pop up throughout the wasteland through the conditions stated before.

Fallout

After being dipped in FEV vats, absorbing some other people and being connected to the LA Vault computer, the Master gained some psychic powers to an unknown extent. He was able to attack humans mentally, although his attacks could be repelled with proper training. The Master was able to somehow bring forth psychic abilities in certain humans after they were injected with FEV (usually the pineal gland, but also the amygdalae or medulla oblongada), but most of the experiments were failures (resulting in insanity) or used to line the corridor of revulsion.

There were four psykers in the Master's lair: Wiggum was electrokinetic-dominant; Lucy was telekinetic-dominant and a minor photokinetic; Moore was pyrokinetic-dominant; Gideon was a receiving-telepathic-dominant (without the ability to control his telepathy, requiring the Psychic nullifier to block incoming thoughts) with minor photokinetic abilities.^[1] All four of them died when the Cathedral was vaporized in nuclear fire.^[1]

Additionally, Chuck in Adytum appears to have some psychic powers.

Player abilities

The ability to resist the Master's psychic attacks is represented in the SPECIAL system by the Mental Block perk.
With the Animal Friend perk the player gains psyker like abilities over animals.

Fallout 2

Hakunin, the Arroyo shaman, apparently also possessed some telepathic abilities, as he was able to speak to Chosen One in his dreams (the Chosen One was able to receive it and record it with his Pip-Boy).
Melchior, a miner from Redding, was able to summon dangerous animals (deathclaws, fire geckos, mole rats), when he became mutated by FEV in Mariposa Military Base.
Keeng Ra'at - a big, red-eyed albino mole rat, seems to be able to control an army of smaller mutant rodents.

Fallout 3

Professor Calvert, a Point Lookout local and unintentional deity of a wayward cult, achieved psionic powers after an experimental procedure. When his brain was extracted from his body (in the same fashion as for robobrain models) and put into a jar, he gained an ability to communicate with people all around the region by entering their minds. To a person, it appeared like a mysterious voice in their head.
Bloomseer Poplar, one of the members of the Treeminders, can predict the future. She describes the settings of some of the major quests, such as The Superhuman Gambit, "I see a battle between insects and industry, and the men who control them...".
The AntAgonizer - appears to have some sort of psychic control over giant ants. It started when she was a child and her parents were killed by ants but she was spared. Later she gained control over them and used them to harass the townspeople.
Harold - FEV-mutant with a strange connection to Bob the tree growing from his head.
The Roach King- appears to have some sort of psychic control over Radroaches.

Player abilities

With the Animal Friend perk the player gains psyker like abilities over animals.

Fallout: New Vegas

The Forecaster is a child clairvoyant dominant (and spirit communicator) who can vaguely see into both the past and future and exposes his "seeings" in a cryptic way, but can't control his powers or else comes down with crippling headaches. He needs his "medicine" to keep him from over-thinking, thus helping control his headaches. For 100 caps, though, he will forgo his medication and look into the future for the player.
Nightkins inside Black Rock cave seem to have some intuitive divination of events and characters, if you've completed the quest Crazy, Crazy, Crazy by repairing Rhonda they will tell the "voices" said things that will happen in the main storyline, as well as special comments about the companions, e.g. If you bring Craig Boone as a companion, they will comment "silent man knows more about the spiked crowns than what he says" referring that Boone knows more about Great Khans than what he says, including the Bitter Springs Massacre.

Player abilities

With the Animal Friend perk the player gains psyker like abilities over animals.

Fallout 4

Mama Murphy is a long time jet addict who has had her brain chemistry altered through the abuse of the chem. This alteration by jet has given her the ability to "see" more into people, which she calls "The Sight", but to use it requires the extended use of jet which has already taken an incredible toll on Mama Murphy's poor health and old age.

Player abilities

With the Animal Friend perk the player gains psyker like abilities over animals.

Fallout Tactics

	The following is based on Fallout Tactics and some details might contradict canon.

A group of tribals known as the Beastlords had a kind of psychic control over animals.

	End of information based on Fallout Tactics.

Appearances

Some kind of psychic powers appear in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes

Psyker is a term that was originally made for the Warhammer 40k tabletop games.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Fallout Bible 3 Psykers: "For Fallout fan-fiction purposes, you are welcome to make use of the psykers and their potential from Fallout 1, but I'd be careful - the psykers in Fallout 1 show some pretty over-the-top mutations that could take the world to Childhood's End faster than you can say "uh, his eyes are glowing?""

"In any event, of the four psykers in the Master's lair, Wiggum was electrokinetic-dominant, Lucy was telekinetic-dominant and a minor photokinetic, Moore was pyrokinetic-dominant, and Gideon was a receiving-telepathic-dominant (without the ability to control his telepathy, requiring the psychic nullifier to block incoming thoughts) with minor photokinetic abilities."

"In the Fallout Bible, all psykers were officially wiped from the genre when the Cathedral was vaporized in nuclear fire. It is most likely the Master was able to somehow bring forth psychic abilities in certain humans after they were injected with FEV, but most of the experiments were failures (resulting in insanity) or used to line the corridor of revulsion."