AdmundfortGeographer
Getting lost in fantasy maps
As an experiment back in 2001 I took Ken's Grim-n-Gritty mechanic (from his 2001 era release, not the updated version) as a basis for psychic dueling to whip together something of a Psychic Dueling system that would be quick and offered some amount of "Grimness", whatever that might be. I felt, at the time, that I wanted see a psychic dueling system that represented the strain and stress that so often seems to be what is described. You know, people popping a vein in their forehead as they wrestle with the mind of a foe and being exhausted when it was over and needing rest. Enough so that people wouldn't necessarily rush into it thoughtlessly.
The system doesn't give a vast amount of "hit point" that could drag an encounter on forever. A psychic duel could be over in moments, but at the same time there would be significant risk for even the strongest minds to take on moderate minds with a lucky shot and a wisely chosen defense. Still, strong minds have a major leg up. It was also something that could be going on while the psionic characters were doing something else, including physical combat or manifesting power or casting spells.
I took some inspiration from the Dark Sun accessory The Will and the Way in designing the tables of options, but I tried to remove whatever might be Product Identity of WotC's in case I ever released this as OGC with the Open Gaming License. I'm still considering it, just because it would be nifty.
Remember, it is meant to represent significant risk and strain to open your mind to attack another's. It's just a flavor thing. Some of you might like it, some of you might not. Is it for everyone? Of course not and I wouldn't expect this to be used in all psionic campaigns.
[Aside]Should I be posting an OGL with this? I mean it is based off of some old OGC material. Because I do have an OGL ready with the updated Section 15... *shrug*
Grim Psychic Duels, v 1.1
By Eric Anondson
Inspiration from Kenneth S. Hood's Grim-n-Gritty Hit Point and Combat System, circa 2001
Introduction
The concept is simple, psychic dueling based upon the concept that psionic attacks are ranged mind-affecting touch attacks. In addition, your psychic attack bonus is determined by Intelligence. Your psychic staying power, i.e. psychic hit points, are determined by your Wisdom score and manifester level. Your Will save, Charisma modifier and manifester level determines your psychic "armor".
The various attack and defense styles are referenced by table. Every character can draw upon any defense style or attack style. Attacking psychically is strenuous and it takes a toll. Each psychic attack style deals an amount of nonlethal damage to the attacker each time the attacker uses it.
Attacking psychically is a swift action. There are no iterative psychic attacks for having high Intelligence.
Choosing a defense is a free action, unless you are a non-psionic creacture or are flatfooted. In which case you have a predetermined defense. If you are psychically attacked by more than one attacker, you can change your mind's defense for each new attack, but doing so you incur the Power Point cost for the new defense style. If you leave your mind's defense the same for every attacker in the round, you only need to spend the Power Point for the defense style once.
If a psionic character is out of Power Points to pay for their defense style, they are considered mentally "flatfooted", and must use the flatfooted defense style even if they aren't flatfooted. Psionic characters with no Power Points cannot use the non-psionic defense style.
Step 1: Mind's Attack Bonus
Intelligence score equals your Mind Attack Bonus.
Creatures without Intelligence scores cannot be attacked psionically, and cannot psionically attack.
Non-psionic creatures can only attack psionic minds that initiate psionic attacks on it. Additionally, the non-psionic creature suffers a –4 non-proficiency penalty in making psionic attacks rolls. A creature is considered non-psionic if they have no Power Points.
Step 2: Mind's Hit Points
Wisdom score plus 2x manifester level equals your mind's hit points.
Your mind's hit points return at the rate of 1 + manifester level per hour. When your mind's hit points have been reduced to 0 or lower, you become unconscious.
Step 3: Mind's Defense Bonus
In these rules, your ability to avoid psychic duel attacks to your mind increases with your manifester level. However, this ability is not represented by a large reservoir of “hit points”. Instead, you get a bonus to your mind's Mind Armor Class (MAC) based on your Will save, Charisma modifier and manifester level. This bonus is called a Mind Defense Bonus.
A Defense Bonus functions like a stackable Dodge bonus to MAC in concept.
Defense Bonus = Base Will save + Deflection + manifester level.
Deflection = Charisma modifier, (bonus or penalty).
Defense-related Rules
Mind Piercing Attacks
Some attacks under this system may have mind piercing qualities, either by enchantment or psionic design. Imagine psionic items that give boosts to mind attacks. They'd be very valuable...
If an attack has mind piercing abilities, it is designated with (mp) followed by a number. These attacks ignore deflection bonus, deflection penalties are still taken into account,(i.e. Charisma modifier) and Mind Damage Reduction of the target.
Effects of Damage
Still, mechanics remain the same. A character declares his mind's attack and rolls a d20 + Mind's Attack Bonus to hit against the Mind Armor Class plus Mind Defense Bonus of his opponent. Should he hit his target’s mind, he subtracts the target’s Mind Damage Reduction (if any) from his psionic attack’s damage total. Any damage left over is subtracted from his opponent’s Mind Hit Point total.
Psyche Trauma
In the Psychic Duel system, whenever your mind loses Hit Points, you must immediately perform a Will saving throw. The DC of the save equals 10 + manifester level + damage inflicted.
If you fail the roll, you suffer the attack's trauma effect plus an amount of nonlethal damage to your body.
This is called Psyche Trauma. It represents the body’s natural response to overwhelming psionic damage and the tendency to go into deep shock from serious injury.
Creatures Immune to Psyche Trauma
Undead and other creatures immune to mind-affecting effects do not suffer from psyche trauma. They are exempt from rolling a Will save each time their mind suffers damage.
Creatures with bonuses against mind-affecting effects add the bonus to their Will save against psyche trauma.
The system doesn't give a vast amount of "hit point" that could drag an encounter on forever. A psychic duel could be over in moments, but at the same time there would be significant risk for even the strongest minds to take on moderate minds with a lucky shot and a wisely chosen defense. Still, strong minds have a major leg up. It was also something that could be going on while the psionic characters were doing something else, including physical combat or manifesting power or casting spells.
I took some inspiration from the Dark Sun accessory The Will and the Way in designing the tables of options, but I tried to remove whatever might be Product Identity of WotC's in case I ever released this as OGC with the Open Gaming License. I'm still considering it, just because it would be nifty.
Remember, it is meant to represent significant risk and strain to open your mind to attack another's. It's just a flavor thing. Some of you might like it, some of you might not. Is it for everyone? Of course not and I wouldn't expect this to be used in all psionic campaigns.
[Aside]Should I be posting an OGL with this? I mean it is based off of some old OGC material. Because I do have an OGL ready with the updated Section 15... *shrug*
Grim Psychic Duels, v 1.1
By Eric Anondson
Inspiration from Kenneth S. Hood's Grim-n-Gritty Hit Point and Combat System, circa 2001
Introduction
The concept is simple, psychic dueling based upon the concept that psionic attacks are ranged mind-affecting touch attacks. In addition, your psychic attack bonus is determined by Intelligence. Your psychic staying power, i.e. psychic hit points, are determined by your Wisdom score and manifester level. Your Will save, Charisma modifier and manifester level determines your psychic "armor".
The various attack and defense styles are referenced by table. Every character can draw upon any defense style or attack style. Attacking psychically is strenuous and it takes a toll. Each psychic attack style deals an amount of nonlethal damage to the attacker each time the attacker uses it.
Attacking psychically is a swift action. There are no iterative psychic attacks for having high Intelligence.
Choosing a defense is a free action, unless you are a non-psionic creacture or are flatfooted. In which case you have a predetermined defense. If you are psychically attacked by more than one attacker, you can change your mind's defense for each new attack, but doing so you incur the Power Point cost for the new defense style. If you leave your mind's defense the same for every attacker in the round, you only need to spend the Power Point for the defense style once.
If a psionic character is out of Power Points to pay for their defense style, they are considered mentally "flatfooted", and must use the flatfooted defense style even if they aren't flatfooted. Psionic characters with no Power Points cannot use the non-psionic defense style.
Step 1: Mind's Attack Bonus
Intelligence score equals your Mind Attack Bonus.
Creatures without Intelligence scores cannot be attacked psionically, and cannot psionically attack.
Non-psionic creatures can only attack psionic minds that initiate psionic attacks on it. Additionally, the non-psionic creature suffers a –4 non-proficiency penalty in making psionic attacks rolls. A creature is considered non-psionic if they have no Power Points.
Step 2: Mind's Hit Points
Wisdom score plus 2x manifester level equals your mind's hit points.
Your mind's hit points return at the rate of 1 + manifester level per hour. When your mind's hit points have been reduced to 0 or lower, you become unconscious.
Step 3: Mind's Defense Bonus
In these rules, your ability to avoid psychic duel attacks to your mind increases with your manifester level. However, this ability is not represented by a large reservoir of “hit points”. Instead, you get a bonus to your mind's Mind Armor Class (MAC) based on your Will save, Charisma modifier and manifester level. This bonus is called a Mind Defense Bonus.
A Defense Bonus functions like a stackable Dodge bonus to MAC in concept.
Defense Bonus = Base Will save + Deflection + manifester level.
Deflection = Charisma modifier, (bonus or penalty).
Defense-related Rules
PHP:
Defense type MAC Secondary PP/round
The Void 15 50% miss chance 1
The Forest 15 attacker confused for 1 rnd 1
The Swamp 15 attacker becomes flatfooted 1
The Ruins 15 attacker dazed 1 rnd 1
The Shield 15 +4 MDR 1
The Rune 17 +4mhp damage to attacker 1
The Armor 20 — 1
The Wall 17 +2 MDR 1
The Truth 19 +2mhp damage to attacker 3
The Will 23 — 3
Acceptance 19 Piercing heals own mind's hp 3
Denial 19 50% miss chance 3
The Spikes 21 +2mhp damage to attacker 5
The Beetle 27 — 5
The Drake 21 +2 MDR 5
The Bramble 19 +3mhp damage to attacker 5
The Tower 19 (+1 MDR) 10’ radius 3
The Rampart 15 (+3 MDR) 10’ radius 3
The Gate 17 (+2 MDR) 10’ radius 3
The Crag 17 (+1 MDR) 15’ radius 3
Non-psionic 25 — 0
Flatfooted 15 — 0Some attacks under this system may have mind piercing qualities, either by enchantment or psionic design. Imagine psionic items that give boosts to mind attacks. They'd be very valuable...
If an attack has mind piercing abilities, it is designated with (mp) followed by a number. These attacks ignore deflection bonus, deflection penalties are still taken into account,(i.e. Charisma modifier) and Mind Damage Reduction of the target.
Effects of Damage
Still, mechanics remain the same. A character declares his mind's attack and rolls a d20 + Mind's Attack Bonus to hit against the Mind Armor Class plus Mind Defense Bonus of his opponent. Should he hit his target’s mind, he subtracts the target’s Mind Damage Reduction (if any) from his psionic attack’s damage total. Any damage left over is subtracted from his opponent’s Mind Hit Point total.
PHP:
Attack type Damage Trauma Effect Nonlethal
The Sword 1d6 1 Charisma 1
The Boomerang 1d6 Dazed 1 round 0
The Incantation 1d6 1 Wisdom 1
The Flame 1d6 1 Intelligence 1
The Tyrant 2d4 1d4 Charisma 3
The Noble 2d4 1d4 Wisdom 3
The Slave 2d4 1d4 Intelligence 3
The Dragon 2d4 Stunned 1 round 2
The Wyvern (mp) 1d6 1d2 Charisma 3
The Scorpion (mp) 1d6 1d2 Wisdom 3
The Spider (mp) 1d6 1d2 Intelligence 3
The Wyrm (mp) 1d6 Stunned 1 round 2
Avalanche 2d6 Confused 2d4 rounds 5
The Bulette 1d10 1d6 Charisma 5
The Horror Below 1d10 1d6 Wisdom 5
The Boulder 1d10 1d6 Intelligence 5
The Rampager 1d6 1d2 Charisma 60’ cone 7
The Sloth 1d6 1d2 Wisdom 60’ cone 7
The Tiger 1d6 1d2 Intelligence 60’ cone 7
The Roar 1d6 Stunned 1 round 60’ cone 9In the Psychic Duel system, whenever your mind loses Hit Points, you must immediately perform a Will saving throw. The DC of the save equals 10 + manifester level + damage inflicted.
If you fail the roll, you suffer the attack's trauma effect plus an amount of nonlethal damage to your body.
This is called Psyche Trauma. It represents the body’s natural response to overwhelming psionic damage and the tendency to go into deep shock from serious injury.
Creatures Immune to Psyche Trauma
Undead and other creatures immune to mind-affecting effects do not suffer from psyche trauma. They are exempt from rolling a Will save each time their mind suffers damage.
Creatures with bonuses against mind-affecting effects add the bonus to their Will save against psyche trauma.
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