[3.5 Psionics] How would you fix psionics?

[Frostmarrow]

In Call of Cthulhu there is a neat "psionics"-system. First you need to take a feat called Sensitive whith Charisma 15 as a prerequisite. Once you have that feat you can start picking other feats representing powers. The Sensitive feat gives you no advantages save that the DM can decide that you have noticed something supernatural which a non-sensitive person wouldn't. I.e. you might see the ghost where the others only would feel a chilling gust of wind. I think this is the best system for supernatural abilities I've seen.

 

[Alzrius]

I don't really have that much problem with psionics as they're presented here in 3E. Most of the complaints I had were addressed in ITCK, and in the various Mind's Eye articles. The only thing I miss is a solid system for having characters with wild talents, since the way it is now, just taking a level or three of Psion or Psychic Warrior, seems pretty empty of real flavor to me.

 

[Deadguy]

Okay, I'll start by laying my cards on the tabel, and saying I am no fan of Psionics in D&D. However, I sat down and gave some thought to why, and I think I can see my problem:

Psionics has no niche in D&D. That is, it doesn't do anything that isn't already covered by Arcane Magic or Divine Magic. Instead it gets a mish-mash of Powers that, even with the distinct strains of abilities in 3e PsiHB, feels... arbitrary. It's much more than the signature spell equivalents mentioned by Simplicity at the start of this thread. It's whole areas that needing carving out as being what Psionics does best, in the same way healing and buffing are best done by Divine Magic, offensive powers and intelligence-gathering by Arcane Magic.

Honestly, to that end I think they'd need to redefine the scopes of each form of Magic, at what each can achieve. They could do this as an option in the PsiHB: here's how to change the following standard classes to accommodate Psi and the Psi classes. Once the Psion has a role to fill, it makes it much easier to incorporate him and his ilk.

As a footnote I'll add that it probably wouldn't hurt to do away with the New Age-sy sounding terminology and follow the patterns of the rest of the game using terms that a Mediaeval-y.

 

[shadowlight]

My 2cp:

1) ... although I like ITCK in general, as you'll see below, I thought its conversion of all the spells in the core rules to psionic powers was absolutely the worst idea I've ever heard of);

...

4) And OBTW, Psionics Are Different IMC, and I think that should be the core rule;

I absolutely agree with these. I think it falls under the idea of making psionics feel different than regular D&D magic.

 

[shadowlight]

I would like to see a skills and feat system. One with about 10-15 skills that as you put more ranks into them (okay as you get higher results) start to get better and better. Some of the potential effects could be limited by ranks and not just atual skill check, but these should be feats that add to a skill and just have the ranks as a pre-req. and keep the psi points.

IE.

Ecto-Plasmic Armor (Wis, trained only, exclusive) ....

Hmmm.... I really like this. Skill checks that cost power points... could be combined with some really cool psi feats to be exactly what I'm looking for...

 

[shadowlight]

...it doesn't do anything that isn't already covered by Arcane Magic or Divine Magic...

I think this is why I'd like to see rules that feel significantly different from the Arcance and Divine mechanics. I love the idea of psi (especially combined with monks) and I think a good set of rules could add a lot to the character-space between fighters and wizards.

[edit]What I mean by this is that I think supernatural fighters (like psi warriors or psi monks or whatever) should have to stop and "cast a spell" like an arcane or divine spellcaster. They should be able to just use their powers in the heat of the moment (like Deep Strike, Psychic Punch, Psychic Leap, etc.) That's what I want psionics to cover that current Divine and Arcane magic dosen't cover.[/edit]

 

[Deadguy]

A small aside, on the question of Psionics Different From Magic. If they are to go down that path then, setting aside the rewrites required to create defences under other forms of magic, they really must distinguish Arcane and Divine Magic. It makes absolutely no sense that tapping the strength of the mind and tapping the innate magic of the world are inherently so different that they don't have anything in common, and yet that that arcane magic is identical to calling upon the power of divine beings.

To put it another way: either all the magic powers are different or they are all the same. The halfway hybrid, whilst it can be handwaved away, is just plain stupid.

 

[Gez]

A small aside, on the question of Psionics Different From Magic. If they are to go down that path then, setting aside the rewrites required to create defences under other forms of magic, they really must distinguish Arcane and Divine Magic. It makes absolutely no sense that tapping the strength of the mind and tapping the innate magic of the world are inherently so different that they don't have anything in common, and yet that that arcane magic is identical to calling upon the power of divine beings.

To put it another way: either all the magic powers are different or they are all the same. The halfway hybrid, whilst it can be handwaved away, is just plain stupid.

You beat me to it, I was about to say the same thing.

Spellcraft/Psicraft, caster/manifester, scry/remote view, etc., all these duplicates are useless if they're the same, and not enough (we should need triplicate) if they're different.

IMHO, if one system was to be "more different" than the others, that would be the divine magic one. Arcane and psionics are both about having a power upon reality, divine is about receiving the grace of a superior being.

 

[shadowlight]

...either all the magic powers are different or they are all the same...

Good point. I personally like having everything different (it makes divine spellcasters more unique too) but I think the best alternative is to include this as an option (I'm sure there are campaigns where having everything the same makes more sense).

 

[Staffan]

1. Drop or significantly revise psionic combat. Personally, I've dropped it and made Mind Blast a 5th level telepathic power instead.
2. Use the rules from If Thoughts Could Kill, especially Power Pumping, Secondary disciplines and the new powers known/PP per day table.
3. Gut some psionicish abilities from the cleric and wizard. In a world with psionics, wizards should probably not get stuff like Detect Thoughts just like they don't get Cure Light Wounds.