D&D 2E 2E Darksun Observations

[AnderNGmx]

While it seems balanced out, it just a seeming, since the player would fail that saving throw. As they say, when it rains it pours.

 

[Voadam]

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?

Palladium Fantasy was fairly similar to 1e and Rifts was a Gonzo high powered techno-magic version of it, my memory of super psionicists (the equivalent power and usefulness of full magic casters and technowizards) in Rifts was a point system for casting and powers known per level. There were much lower powered versions of psionics for TMNT and Beyond the Supernatural and a moderately powered one for Heroes Unlimited I believe. I seem to remember the TMNT one being more at will stuff based off of being built by the mutant animal creation system.

Role Aids had a 3rd party full AD&D psionics system with their own caster class and spell list, the powers were fairly weak and slow to come, nowhere near the equivalent of a magic user for combat from my memory but a bit flavorful.

Rolemaster was a lot like a percentile system version of AD&D and has essence casters who were basically psionicists of different flavors, their magic was treated as most others with curated spell lists and class flavors, a few rules differentiated psionics from other spells (no helmets, other little things).

 

[AnderNGmx]

Role Aids had a 3rd party full AD&D psionics system with their own caster class and spell list, the powers were fairly weak and slow to come, nowhere near the equivalent of a magic user for combat from my memory but a bit flavorful.

I had the Role Aids psionics books (1991). I enjoyed reading it, we where playing 2e and it was 1e but just a bit to make it 2e. I liked the cover too.

I had used the somniomancer as an NPC helpful seer and the pyromancer as a villain in a side-quest. I think used every npc and every class for npcs in that book and everything i could.

 

[AnderNGmx]

I had liked the simplicity and used them as npc classes. Spell/Power levels were up to 6. You got 6th level powers at level 17.

Even at that system Disintegrate was a 6th level skill/power you got at level 17 when you were a Telekineticist, only. You could not botch it but it had severe limits regarding the mass/weight of what you could affect. More weight, more power was needed and there was a low upper limit.

The had a sample npc after each class description. Very good book.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Yes.

Roll under the stat to activate, on a 20 a crit failure type of thing, for disintegrate it is save at +5 or you disintegrated yourself.

Lol. I think we glossed over that detail when we used to complain about it back in the day

 

[Bedrockgames]

I had liked the simplicity and used them as npc classes. Spell/Power levels were up to 6. You got 6th level powers at level 17.

Even at that system Disintegrate was a 6th level skill/power you got at level 17 when you were a Telekineticist, only. You could not botch it but it had severe limits regarding the mass/weight of what you could affect. More weight, more power was needed and there was a low upper limit.

The had a sample npc after each class description. Very good book.

I could have sworn there was an ability you could get by 3rd level ability that was very powerful. Do you happen to recall what this might have been?

 

[AnderNGmx]

there was an ability you could get by 3rd level ability that was very powerful. Do you happen to recall what this might have been?

It was disintegrate, do not remember any other and i remember even a few months after i got the boxed set and we had started playing that everyone was talking about it. Initial Cost: 40 Prerequisites: telekinesis, soften, up to 150 feet away (50 yards).

Is there another one? Ultrablast had Prerequisites: 10th level. So it was the above.

 

[AnderNGmx]

3rd level ability that was very powerful

They could have added the same thing they did for Ultrablast to its Prerequisites, 10th level or 12th or something for disintegrate. But someone was sloppy.

 

[SableWyvern]

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?

I used Stars Without Number psionics as the basis for my Mythras Dark Sun conversion.

The upside here for anyone using a D&D system is that SWN number is already highly compatible, and the conversion work would be minimal.

The hitch is that I also had the Mythras Folk Magic system available to slot straight in for use as psionic devotions, and SWN psionics alone is probably not enough if you want widespread, minor psionic use.

 

[SableWyvern]

Rolemaster was a lot like a percentile system version of AD&D and has essence casters who were basically psionicists of different flavors, their magic was treated as most others with curated spell lists and class flavors, a few rules differentiated psionics from other spells (no helmets, other little things).

Mentalism would be the RM Realm most similar to psionics. Essence would map to what D&D calls arcane these days.