Anyone Using GR's Psychic Handbook in place of Psionics?

[Turanil]

I am just going to make it so the total PSPs will always be close to their HP total thus keeping close to the system as presented.

1d6 per level?

 

[el-remmen]

1d6 per level?

Yes, modified by Charisma

I guess this should go in House Rules, but this is what I have as a work in progress:

Psionic Strength Points: Psionicists begin play with 6 psionic strength points (PSPs) modified by their Charisma score. This increases by 1d6 each level (modified by charisma), or a player may choose to take the average (rounded down) each level (3 psps), modified by Charisma, but the choice must be made before rolling.

The strain of psionic skills is subtracted from your PSPs. At any time that your PSPs reach 0, you must make a Wisdom-based Fortitude save (DC 16) or become fatigued. Every time you reach 0 PSPs in a 24 hour period the DC is increased by 2. If you fail the save by 10 or more you are exhausted rather than fatigued.

Psionic strength points are recovered at the rate of 1 point per level per hour of light activity. You cannot recover PSPs while fatigued or exhausted.

Spells and effects that temporarily increase Charisma do affect your total PSP score, however, these extra points are lost when the spell expires. Psionicists brought below 0 PSPs in this way suffer 1 point of non-lethal damage per point below 0, and may not regain PSPs until that non-lethal damage is recovered from.

 

[Greg K]

We had one person in our group use the Psychic Handbook for a few adventues. The only reason that she stopped was that the group felt they (the party) needed some additional muscle. However, during the brief time she used it, the psychic seemed on par with everyone else and provided good benefits (e.g, telepathically warning the rogue that he was making too much noise as he was scouting ahead). I also liked that the Psychic captured the feel that I wanted in the game.

 

[Ranger REG]

I have both X-Psi and Psychic's Handbook. I like both, but Psychic's Handbook has a more different feel, while X-Psi looks like another variant of magic (and its ambiance doesn't mesh very well with an European medieval type of setting). In any case, I agree that giving the Psychic a reserve of PSP per day would simplify the class and make it on par with other classes, power-wise. However, the problem is to give it the right amount of PSPs, not too few, not too much.

Or you could reduce the psychic power cost, through the use of a [homebrewed] feat. Call it Psychic Focus or Psychic Mastery.

 

[Qualidar]

I originally bought it to run a d20 Star*Drive game, but that sort of petered out without much chance to test it. I used it for a 10-12th level d20Modern 1-shot. The player who was playing the telekinetic thought it was too powerful, but I thought it was fair enough. You can get some high-end effects, but with a great chance of failure with heavy repercussions. Sure, your 12th level TK specialist might be able to chuck an 18-wheeler at someone, but it's hard, and will probably tax you to the point of unconsciousness for the rest of the battle (and several hours afterward). If you use the powers within the "normal" range, without pushing yourself to the limits, it seems pretty in line with what a spell caster of equal level could do.

That said, I do like the XPH, and I would use that for normal fantasy D&D campaigns over the Psychic's handbook. It fits in better with the other aspects of the game. It's not a balance issue, but one of mechanical flavor. I still recommend the Psy Handbook, though, as I'm a big Green Ronin supporter, and it's exactly the right tool for the job for other, non-standard games. IMHO YMMV.

~Qualidar~

 

[FunkBGR]

Used it for a Dark Sun game:

I used PSP's for it, and it worked like a charm. The players really enjoyed a slightly different mechanic, and it ended up being on par with other powers.

One thing that was really nice was that one player made a more scholarly psychic, and focused on Telepathy and things, while another made a more fighter-oriented one - very open-ended on how you distribute powers, etc.

 

[Scribble]

I own it, and like it.

Much better then the 3.0 psi books... (which to me just felt like a sorcerer with a bad disguise...)

Haven't used it in my campaign yet, but I might be, as someone expressed interest in making one after his character died. (see chicken mage thread. )

 

[glass]

I did not find 3.5 psionics to be any kind of improvement over 3.0 - at least to my tastes.

I found it to be a huge improvement in terms of mechanics, but it didn't feel any more like psionics to me. Probably less.


glass.