Details on the (Psionic) Elan?

[JoeGKushner]

So are there any racial details on the Elan outside of the Expanded Psioinc's Handbook? One of my players is one of these and they're a bit like the mojh from Arcana Evolved in that they're not really human, but unlike the mojh, still look human. I'd like to be able to work some plot lines around that "inhuman" a spect, especially since the character has to have undergone a ritual.

One thing I was thinking of doing is having the illumians seek him out as they, like him, are descended from human stock. Or perhaps mess with the idea of altered humans like the mojh.

 

[Mark Hope]

There was an interesting take on the Elan in the Paizo conversion of the Dark Sun setting. This had the elan as creatures constructed by the Order (Athas' super-elite epic psions) and sent into regular society to act as spies and secret agents. I am using this approach in my own DS game at the moment, with the occasional elan popping up to sow discord in preparation for the appearance of the Order in later adventures. Rather than have the elan be former humans, I quite like the idea that they are grown in vats or something similar, kinda like clones or aberrant constructs.

 

[Richards]

I'm glad you specified the psionic Elan, because my first thought was of the bard character from Order of the Stick.

Johnathan

 

[Thia Halmades]

Hrm. Well, I have one in my campaign as well, and her plotline is a spin on the amnesia cliche. The PC said "I wanna be an amnesiac!" I asked the obvious question: "Okay, chewtoy. Why?" Obvious, uninspired answer: "Er... because I don't feel like drafting a character history?" The sound you're hearing is a long, beleagered sigh. So, pencil in hand, I drafted a quick history.

- Raised at an early age by Hammet, the mentor/psuedo-uncle who is the unifying NPC for all characters, currently deceased and residing in a half-mad, half-manifested state in his study.

- Rei begins manifesting psionic powers (Ectoplasmic goo, etc.) and is quickly ostracized and misunderstood. Despite the best efforts of our young heroes, there's very little they can do for thier half-Vistani companion. She spends the bulk of her time miserable and alone, while Hammet attempts to find a way to either train her, or get her the training she needs, because Psionics are well out of his realm of expertise.

- In so doing he corresponds with the only other mentalist he knows, Otho. Otho replies that he'd be happy to come visit and make a determination as to the status of the girl. On that day, the other children (now the PCs) were taken into town for lunch, as normal, but Rei was left behind. Through circumstances known or unknown, Rei is taken by Otho.

- During her character history (known to me, and only me, cause I wrote it, bwa ha ha) she 'discovers' something about Otho that she isn't allowed to know. Ever. He racks his brain. He flounders. He's scared. Hammet is trying to find out what's going on, and is considering taking her back. Can't have that! Can't kill her, either, because he isn't that evil. Yet. And she could still prove both useful and talented. Only one thing for it, then.

- Through the ancient ritual (which may or may not involve Illithids, and may or may not be an utterly evil and horrible experience) her body & mind are irrecovably transformed into a pale, pretty red-headed girl, with no memory of the past. Merely a penchant for drawing and a keen ability to intuit what other people are thinking.

The memory wipe is part of the character gen, and thusly part of the plot. I'm thinking that, like you, I want to make it a bit more sinister, but it's a long term plot instead of a short term one. I'm still phishing for ideas that I like in terms of tossing out small hints, little distractions, things that will tweak curiousity and arouse suspicion, and hopefully full on fear.

This IS a Ravenloft game, after all.

 

[Zappo]

Hrm. Well, I have one in my campaign as well, and her plotline is a spin on the amnesia cliche. The PC said "I wanna be an amnesiac!" I asked the obvious question: "Okay, chewtoy. Why?" Obvious, uninspired answer: "Er... because I don't feel like drafting a character history?"

"Ok. Please, write 'plot bitch' on the back of your sheet."

 

[Thia Halmades]

RIGHT? I KNOW. Seriously, it isn't like I don't have a reputation for drafting sweeping story arcs. I always thought the objective was to get caught up in the story; not get swept up by the Tornado of the Over Arc and not see the ground for a few years. It isn't that the player wasn't warned, it's that I don't really - I mean, really, this is why I don't 'play', I only DM - why would you trust me to do that, when my job description involves, but is not limited too:

- Entertaining you, by having you discover yourself through the adventure
- Which likely contains multiple monsters, NPCs, traps, threats & dangers, which
- Are all very real attempts to kill your character, because my NPCs think like PCs. They're out for blood. They have every interest in killing you to save themselves. This is not the land of 'bags of XP.' This is the land of PC = Victim.
- You're in PC = Victim land, and you want to sacrifice what little control you have, over to me, so that I can ruin your past life, possibly turn you against your allies, force you to roleplay your possible guilt or innocence, and face the real chance that your fellows will kill you as the cleanest, most direct route to their own safety?

Just a thought. *blink blink*

PC: "YUP!"

DM: "Right then."

 

[I'm A Banana]

In my planehopping campaign, the Elan are a society in Sigil who basically see psionics as what will bring in a new age throughout the planes. They're also manipulative bastards who have their hands in a million different Prime worlds, trying to find new members and potential gifted students. They've had their eyes on a wilder who manifested powers for the first time when he leveled a countryside and killed thousands of people. They've sent an agent (another PC) to keep tabs on the wilder and to try to convince the wilder to become an Elan, to join their society and awaken the true potential of psychic energy within him. They also have some enclaves in various regions in the Prime world they're in.

 

[Aaron L]

Well, in my game, the elan dont go through a ritual to become elan, they go through years of intensive training and meditation, learning to master every function of thier bodies. They are like Bene Geserrit.