D&D 2E 2E Darksun Observations

[Guest 85555]

....for conventional board games but in and rpg they would be a problem. Our psionicist just exploded his head and we have bits and pieces of his brain and skull all over the place and the other one just is too unstable, even if functional.

But picking up bits of brain, creates the perfect opportunity for using skills. Perception to find the bits of brain for example. You can even use Sleight of Hand to conceal the disaster if it occurs at a really crucial moment, such as when the party is about to tell the king why he should hire them to manage public safety. A generous GM might even allow a Medicine roll to put the brain back together. The possibilities are endless.

 

[AnderNGmx]

This would create the need for a very good mop.

How do other systems handle casting in general and psionics in particular? Is there some simple and rather fast system that could be adjusted to replace the 2e psionics system if the one that already exists is not to be used and its replacement is not a vancian or vancian variant?

We had a psionicist/thief half-elf and he botched a disintegrate (he turned himself to fine powder) and almost everyone in the party thought that he had teleported himself somewhere close. They started looking for him (any cast spells/powers/prayers were given to the DM via note and not spoken out loud so it gave the other players a better sense of immersion) a bit later and then the DM made it clear that they realized he had destroyed himself. The player had kept silent and just laughed later, he was a very cool guy.

 

[AnderNGmx]

The amazing 2e said power

Disintegrate
Power Score: Wis -4
Initial Cost: 40
Maintenance Cost: na
Range: 50 yards
Preparation Time: 0
Area of Effect: one item, 8 cu. ft.
Prerequisites: telekinesis, soften
The disintegrate science reduces an item or creature to microscopic pieces and scatters them. Anything is vulnerable unless it is protected by magical shielding such as a minor or regular globe of invulnerability or by an inertial barrier. The psionicist chooses his target, but he can disintegrate no more than 8 cubic feet of material with one use of this power.
If the target is an inanimate object, it must save vs. disintegration; success means it is unaffected. If the target is a living creature, character, or an undead creature with free will, it must make a saving throw vs. death magic. If it succeeds, the creature feels only a slight tingle, but is otherwise unaffected. If the save fails, the creature is disintegrated (or 8 cubic feet right out of its center, which should be enough to kill most anything).
Power Score - The power affects 16 cubic feet and saves are made with a -5
penalty.
20 - The power backfires and it affects the initiator (save with +5 bonus).

 

[AnderNGmx]

bits of brain

something from a nose bleed, to keep the scanners film element, to a spectacular brain explosion making a mess of the place could be the replacement for all botches or all 20/backfires cases. The mechanism already exists in the old system.

 

[Guest 85555]

The amazing 2e said power

Disintegrate
Power Score: Wis -4
Initial Cost: 40
Maintenance Cost: na
Range: 50 yards
Preparation Time: 0
Area of Effect: one item, 8 cu. ft.
Prerequisites: telekinesis, soften
The disintegrate science reduces an item or creature to microscopic pieces and scatters them. Anything is vulnerable unless it is protected by magical shielding such as a minor or regular globe of invulnerability or by an inertial barrier. The psionicist chooses his target, but he can disintegrate no more than 8 cubic feet of material with one use of this power.
If the target is an inanimate object, it must save vs. disintegration; success means it is unaffected. If the target is a living creature, character, or an undead creature with free will, it must make a saving throw vs. death magic. If it succeeds, the creature feels only a slight tingle, but is otherwise unaffected. If the save fails, the creature is disintegrated (or 8 cubic feet right out of its center, which should be enough to kill most anything).
Power Score - The power affects 16 cubic feet and saves are made with a -5
penalty.
20 - The power backfires and it affects the initiator (save with +5 bonus).

If I remember this was one of the big reasons people avoided the 2E psionics book

 

[AnderNGmx]

It was the psionicists "scanners" brain exploding equivalent of 2e.

 

[Guest 85555]

It was the psionicists "scanners" brain exploding equivalent of 2e.

That isn't what I mean. I mean, and I could be wrong as it has been ages since I looked at the 2E Psionics Handbook, when that book first came out, I am pretty sure that was the one that turned us off because it could potentially be taken at an early level (I may be thinking of another one, but I do seem to recall an ability that felt like a high level spell that you could get by something ridiculous like level 3). I know for the group in my area the main reason we never used the 2E psionic book (unless we were playing darksun) was the power issue

 

[AnderNGmx]

What could happen to a 2e Psionicist (from AD&D 2e The Complete Psionics Handbook 1991 with errata). Some of the things.

20 - The psionicist is deaf for 1d12 hours.
20 - The psionicist is blind for 1d4 hours.
20 - The psionicist becomes obsessed with the object; he strives to keep it
until he can attempt to read it again.
20 - An angry ghost comes forward and attempts to use magic jar against the
psionicist.
20 - The psionicist is blind for 1d4 hours.
20 - The psionicist becomes overly sensitive to light for 1d10 rounds.
Exposure to light causes 1 point of damage per round, and the character cannot
see.
20 - For 1d4 rounds, any sound causes 1 point of damage per round and is
garbled.
20 - Bright light causes deafness, and all other light is just a buzz.
20 - If poison exists, the sense of it mentally overwhelms the psionicist.
The effects match those of actual exposure to the poison.
20 - The psionicist forgets where he is for 1d4 rounds.
20 - Loud sounds cause "blindness", and all other sounds are as disturbing
as bright lights.
20 - The psionicist has aggravated the spirits, ghosts, banshees, wraiths, haunts, heucuvas, and revenants (DM determines exact result).

 

[AnderNGmx]

20 - The power backfires, and a personal belonging (chosen randomly)
disintegrates.
20 - The air surrounding the initiator detonates; everyone within 10 feet of
him is attacked.
20 - The item is seriously flawed and utterly useless.
20 - The blow strikes the initiator.
20 - The psionicist "fumbles" the item, knocking it over, etc.
20 - The psionicist suffers partial paralysis (an arm or leg) for 1d10 turns.
20 - The psionicist burns himself, suffering 1d4 points of damage.
20 - The effect is the opposite of what is desired, and maintenance fails.
20 - A loud boom erupts from the psionicist's location.
20 - The psionicist creates a bizarre wind pocket that knocks him to the
ground.
20 - The psionicist doubles his weight for one round. If he falls, he
suffers an extra d6 points of damage.

 

[AnderNGmx]

20 - An item belonging to the psionicist (chosen at random) is affected for
one round.
20 - The item is strengthened. Now it requires twice the normal effort to
weaken.
20 - The item is strengthened, and can't be affected again until the
psionicist gains one level.
20 - The character's skin takes on the appearance of the animal's skin until
the power is used again successfully (no change in AC).
20 - The psionicist awakes after the full 24 hours to discover that the
attempt failed. He has expended 5 PSPs.
20 - The power fails, but the psionicist loses the hit points anyway.
20 - The psionicist becomes an energy attractor for 1 turn. All saves vs.
energy attacks fail, causing full standard damage.
20 - Backfire! Half of the psionicist's remaining hit points are absorbed by
the target, reversing the power's effects.
20 - The psionicist must save vs. paralyzation. Failure means he changes to
the new form permanently.
20 - The player must roll a save vs. lightning for the psionicist's most
valuable item. If it fails, the item becomes shadow and drifts away, lost
forever.