FuturePSI - the new psionics in town

[Dalamar]

DISTANT TELEPATHY
Telepathy (Cha) [Mind-affecting]
The range of the character's Telepathic Ability increases to 20ft. per point of Charisma bonus.
Special: This talent can be taken a second time, increasing the range to 50ft. per point of Charisma bonus.
Prerequisites: Telepathic Ability

DOMINATE MIND
Telepathy (Cha) [Mind-affecting]
Manifestation time: Full-round action
Effect time: Concentration + 1 round, see text
Rest time: 1 round + half of the time spent concentrating
The character can take over a creature's mind, forcing said creature to act according to the character's wishes. The creature is allowed a Will save to block the attempt (DC same as for the character's Telepathic Ability). If the save fails, the character controls the creature completely. The character does not, however, gain any knowledge of the creature's abilities, equipment, or knowledge. Whenever forced to commit an act which the creature is strongly opposed to, it receives a new saving throw to end the power before committing said act.
Concentration on this power is a full-round action, and if the character so wishes, he or she can let the target creature act on its own on any given round that concentration is maintained, and then resume control without ending the power. When the character stops concentrating on the power, he or she can leave a simple command, such as "flee", "wait", or "guard", and the creature must obey that command for one round unless it spends an action point to negate it.
Prerequisites: Invading Telepathy, Talented Telepathy, Telepathic Ability

EASY TELEPATHY
Telepathy (Cha) [Mind-affecting]
The character can concentrate on Telepathic Ability as a free action instead of a move action, and can initiate conversation with a creature as a move action instead of an attack action.
Prerequisites: Telepathic Ability, Concentration 5+ ranks

INVADING TELEPATHY
Telepathy (Cha) [Mind-affecting]
The character can add his or her base Will saving throw bonus to the saving throw DC to block his or her Telepathic Ability.
Prerequisites: Telepathic Ability

PRIMAL TELEPATHY
Telepathy (Cha) [Mind-affecting]
The character can use his or her Telepathic Ability even on creatures that have an Intelligence score of 1 or 2.
Prerequisites: Telepathic Ability

READ MIND
Telepathy (Cha) [Mind-affecting]
Manifestation time: Full-round action
Effect Time: Concentration
Rest Time: 2 rounds or more, see text
The character can read the thoughts, and even memories, of a creature that he or she can contact with his or her Telepathic Ability and is touching. Manifesting this power provokes attacks of opportunity, and the character must succeed at an unarmed touch attack if the target creature attemps to avoid his or her touch. An unwilling creature can also attemp a Will save to block you out (DC same as for the character's Telepathic Ability), and the kind of information that can be learned depends on the saving throw result as follows:

Succeeded by 5 or more - The character can't read the creature's mind at all, and the power ends
Succeeded by less than 5 - The character learns the creature's emotional state, and the power ends
Failed by 5 or more - The character can listen to the creature's surface thoughts
Failed by 10 or more- The character can scan the creature's surface memories
Failed by 15 or more - The character can scan the creature's deep memories
Failed by 20 or more - No additional information, but even if the creature fights, the character can learn as much information as it wants

A willing creature can choose to automatically fail the save to a specific level, in which case a saving throw is only needed if the character attempts to scan deeper. Concentration on the power is an attack action, and if the target creature moves outside of the character's reach, the power automatically ends.
If the target creature is prevented from leaving the character's reach, it can choose to fight as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Each round that the creature chooses to fight in this way, the scanning character learns information from one category higher than they would normally (So if the save failed by 10 but the creature is fighting against the power, the character could only scan the creature's surface thoughts. Even if this would only allow the character to learn the emotional state of the creature, the power doesn't end), and the rest time increases by 1 round. If the creature also spends an action point, it receives a new saving throw, and can choose to use the new result if it is more favorable for it.
Unconscious characters are considered to be unwilling, but receive a -5 to their saving throw, and can't fight against the power unless they regain consciousness.
Learn emotional state: The character learns the strongest feeling that the target creature is currently feeling, though he or she does not learn the target or cause of the feeling
Listen to surface thoughts: The character learns what the creature currently thinks.
Scan surface memories: The character can learn knowledge that is either recent, routine, or very important to the creature; what it did yesterday morning, what people important to it look like, what route it takes to work, and so on. The character receives information enough to answer a simple question each round that it concentrates.
Scan deep memories: The character can learn even information that the creature might not recall itself; the color of its childhood-friend's hair, the number of people it talked to during a specific day many years ago, what the note on somebody's desk read even if the creature just glanded at it for a moment, and so on. The character receives information to answer a simple question each round that it concentrates.
Special: If the character has Distant Telepathy once, the range for Read Mind is 5ft. per point of Charisma bonus instead of touch (and the character doesn't need to succeed in a touch attack to use the power on a creature). If the character has Distant Telepathy twice, the range for Read Mind is 10ft. per point of Charisma bonus. In both cases, the saving throw DC to block Read Mind increases by 2 if the character does touch the creature.
Prerequisites: Telepathic Ability

TALENTED TELEPATHY
Telepathy (Cha) [Mind-affecting]
The character can telepathically converse with a number of creatures up to his or her Charisma modifier + 3 at one time. If the character so wishes, all creatures the character is conversing with can hear the other creatures without the character having to relay what was said.
Special: This talent can be taken multiple times, each time increasing the number of creatures that the character can converse with by 3.
Prerequisites: Telepathic Ability

VIOLENT MIND
Telepathy (Cha) [Mind-affecting]
Effect time: Instantaneuos
Rest time: 1 round
The character can lash at the mind of a creature within range of his or her Telepathic Ability with his or her own mind. The target creature must succeed in a Will save (DC same as for the character's Telepathic Ability) or suffer 1d10 lethal damage. If the creature succeeds at the save by 10 or more, the character takes half of the damage instead.
Special: This talent can be taken multiple times, each time increasing the damage by 1d10.
Prerequisites: Invading Telepathy, Telepathic Ability

 

[Roudi]

Wow, Dalamar... I'm truly impressed. You've grasped the FuturePSI concepts very well. Most of these talents are down solid. There are just two that need work:

Primal Telepathy - this one needs a more thorough outline of exactly what one can do, taking into account the disparities in intelligence.

Violent Mind - I'm not a fan of this doing lethal damage. I'd rather see it do ability damage (INT damage, maybe?) or something other than lethal damage. CHA-based PsiTalents shouldn't do direct damage, I think.

 

[Dalamar]

Well, since the basic Telepathic Ability already waives the need for common language, I'd say it would be safe to say that communication with an animal would go along just like with somebody who you have no language in common with. Though maybe a note that animals don't pay as much attention to certain (what kind of?) things?

And ability damage is lethal. You heal 1 point per evening of rest, 2 for complete bed rest. A PC who gets zapped with a couple of those is going to feel crippled, especially if it locks the character away from Combat Expertise and other feats that have it as a prerequisite. Besides, hasn't there been some research showing the possibilty that the human mind is so strong that a person can believe themselves dead? That's HP damage in my view, not death duo to first Int being drained, then Con. HP damage is easier to handle and heal, and Int damage is more likely to annoy PCs than NPCs (PCs being the ones who walk away from a fight).

 

[Roudi]

Point taken. As long as you can justify the decision (which you can), I'll go with it. Keep up this great work.

 

[Roudi]

Okay... if you read back a bit, you'll noticed I've added a few things to the Telekinesis PsiTalents - namely a new use for Telekinetic Ability, a new PsiTalent to improve that use, and a revision of Object attack. And now for something completely different.

Here are a few new PsiTalents here from two new categories: Precognition and Enhance Self.

FUTURE VISIONS
Precognition (WIS)
Manifestation Time: All day; see text
Effect Time: Instantaneous
Rest Time: 8 hours per day meditating; see text
You may spend a day in meditation to attempt to gain a vision of the future. At least eight consecutive hours of the day must be spent in deep meditation, concentrating on a specific person, group of people, or place. You may take time to eat and rest, but you may not engage in any major activity (crafting, combat, manifesting other powers, etc.) or the effort is wasted. You must also make a Concentration check; the result of this check determines the clarity of the vision, according to table Vis-1. Roll your Concentration check, then refer to the appropriate column on the table. You gain the listed level of predictive knowledge. With a high enough check, you main gain intimate knowledge of several days into the future of the person or place. You may take 10 on this Concentration check, but you may not take 20. You may spend multiple consecutive days meditating, gaining a cumulative bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier each additional day. This use of Visions has a rest time of eight hours per day spent in meditation, which begins the day following the end of the meditation.

Table Vis-1: Results of Meditation for Visions (pardon the crappy formatting)
Check - Vision Clarity
Result - 1 day - 2 days - 3 days - 4 days
0-14 - None - None - None - None
15-19 - Fuzzy - None - None - None
20-24 - Vague - Fuzzy - None - None
25-29 - Interpretable - Vague - Fuzzy - None
30-34 - Clear - Interpretable - Vague - Fuzzy
etc...

None – try as you might, you are unable to gain any insight into this space of time.

Fuzzy – you have a general feeling about how this space of time will fare (A general “good”, “bad“, or “neutral” premonition)

Vague – as fuzzy, but you can identify the general time when anything particularly good or bad will happen.

Interpretable – as Vague, but you know specifically what happens during any particularly significant events and almost precisely when they will pan out. Anything relatively insignificant is still slightly obscured.

Clear – you recall the future as though you had already experienced it, with precise knowledge of what has occurred in this period.

Though Table Vis-1 only displays up to four days, higher results are possible. Just follow the table’s pattern to determine the appropriate result.


THREAT DETECTION
Precognition (WIS)
Manifestation Time: Free action
Effect Time: Instantaneous
Rest Time: 2 rounds
Threat Detection is a passive and reactionary power, functioning as a sort of “danger sense.” If ever you are caught surprised and flat-footed by an attack, you may activate this power to retain your Dexterity bonus to Defense. If an opponent is making a Sneak Attack or similar attack that deals additional damage against flat-footed or flanked foes, you must make a psionic check against the attacker’s attack roll. If successful, the opponent deals no additional damage with the attack. This power may also be used to avoid imminent catastrophic failure. Whenever you roll a natural 1 on a skill check or Reflex save, you may manifest this power and re-roll your check or save. You must take results of the second roll, even if it results in another natural 1. This power may be manifested even if it is not your turn.


BURST OF SPEED
Precognition (WIS)
Manifestation Time: Attack action
Effect Time: 1 round / Wis mod
Rest Time: As Effect Time
When this power is manifested, you gain +10ft per point of Wisdom modifier to your base land speed.

BATTLESPEED
Precognition (WIS)
When manifesting Burst of Speed, you may choose to gain additional bonuses. If you choose, manifesting Burst of Speed will also grant you a Dodge bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier to your Defense and an enhancement bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier to your Reflex saves. You also gain a number of additional attacks equal to your Wisdom modifier. Each additional attack is made at your highest Base Attack Bonus, but you suffer a –2 penalty to all attacks in the round for each of these additional attacks you choose to make. If you manifest Burst of Speed with these Battlespeed benefits, increase the Rest Time of the power by an additional 1 round per point of Wisdom modifier.

 

[Dalamar]

I'm not sure if the third ability for Telekinetic Ability is making it too versatile already. Considering that the Strong talent tree gives, IIRC, +2 bonus to breaking objects, and this can give that or more (depending on your Str and Int) and range, not to mention the two other uses.

And the Telekinetic Shatterstorm is definately strong and, more importantly, darn annoying to everybody. Not only do your allies want to stay away from you, you need to keep in mind to never carry anything important with you. And you better hope you never have to use that insidet the sewers (instant collapse when a big sphere of rock gets shattered). Maybe make it just so that the character can affect a number of objects equal to their Int mod, chosen by him/her? Then you could actually drop the Rest time a bit too.

And Battlespeed I'd make just give the benefits of Haste, and I'd require something more than just Burst of Speed in any case.

 

[Roudi]

1) I may have to errata that ability again, to make it clear that the Extreme Effort Strog Hero Talents do NOT apply to that ability.

2) Yeah, Shatterstorm is a tad powerful. Maybe what you suggest could be an intermediate power between TK Ability and the current Shatterstorm. I kind like the power as is - annoying to some, but flavourful.

3) REALLY want to avoid referencing spells here, if only for the sake of promoting the fact that psionics and magic are not the same thing. Besides, Haste is also a much more static effect, whereas Battlespeed is much more potent for high-WIS characters. I am likely going to have to errata the key terms to note that powers with variable durations don't have to be used for the maximum duration possible.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Roudi,

I really like what you're doing here. I have always been a fan of psionics, but I didn't like the 3.0 psionics. As a result, I allowed my players to use the Force Adept class (slightly modified) from Star Wars if they wanted to play a psionic character in my campaign. With what you're doing here, I might just be able to come up with something to use in my D&D campaign (I can probably figure a way to convert the d20 Modern-based talent system into something for D&D).

Keep up the good work; I'll keep cutting and pasting from what you've done.



Dave

 

[Roudi]

Glad you're enjoying this, Vrecknidj! Personally, the Force Adept is my favourite class out of SWd20, and The Force as per SWd20 is a pretty decent version of "psionic" rules. If you were looking to port FuturePSI to D&D, the easiest route would be to make them feats. You'd have to work out some balance aspect, because just making them feats would give you a slower progression of powers than in d20 Modern. Things might get easier when I introduce the PsiStudent advanced class, as it would give you a class with a clear PsiTalent progression to work with.

Of course, if you come up with better solutions for converting FuturePSI to D&D, let me know. I'd love to make this compatible with both.

 

[Dalamar]

The easiest way would prolly be to make a psychic base class. Something with (just thinking aloud, haven't really thought about balance) d6 for HD, medium BAB, good Will save, two talents to start with, and then one every even level, with bonus feats from a smallish list every few levels (three? four?), 4 base skill points, and an average skill list.

Roudi:
And what I meant with the comment about Extreme Effort, is that now Telekinetic Ability gives the benefits of that, and even more. I don't really have anything against the two stacking, I'd just take the object shatter out as a separate talent. If you added that, and the middle-step before Shatterstorm, then I'd see Shatterstorm as a viable talent that wasn't too powerful for how early it can be acquired.

As it is now, Battlespeed (acquirable by level 2) is at least as powerful as the Haste spell (acquirable the earliest by level 8, IIRC). See my point? Maybe make it either attacks or defense (choose when activating), and add some requirement (skill ranks? A couple of feats?) that made sure that it couldn't be acquired so early?