[Grim Tales] Grim-Psi?

[thedangerranger]

I am running a modern campaign with Grim Tales based magic rules. One of the characters has decided he'd like to head his character towards a psionic path, and I'm not really opposed to it in concept. The problem is he wants to be "the fighting psychic", the Battlemind from Modern.
Implemented as written in the Modern book, the Battlemind would be totally overpowered in a world with lower magic.

So what I am asking is if anyone has modded the Psi-classes in Modern to be more on par with the power level of magic presented in GT?

For example, my current plan is to run the battlemind like a wild caster from GT, just with a different base stat. The real problem comes in with all the supernatural class benefits (psiblade etc). I'd like to mod these, but I'd rather hear if anyone else has done it first, and not try and re-invent the wheel

So, Whaddya thnk?

-tdr-

 

[Yuan-Ti]

I am not that familiar with psionics classes but if you are going to allow these powers and class abilities, well... the powers, instead of using power points, should be used like spells. If they want to buff (essentially, use extra power points), then up the spell level by 1. Class abilities could be a talent tree, which would slow down how quickly he gets those abilities.

Is it balanced? Having played D&D with some players running psionics classes, I doubt it very much. It often seemed unbalanced in D&D games which is supposedly high-magic.

Rather than simply disallow it, however, I would make it as costly as using regular magic in GT and I would make progression in class abilities slower and cost talents.

Edit: You will get better answers than this from more knowledgeable people. But I like hearing myself talk.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

My suggestion is the Psychic's Handbook from GR. It's alot like Psionics from D&D and such, but more elegantly modeled and works well with Modern/GT because it has a built-in variable power level. If you're using GT with no advanced classes, then the character will have to take all of his powers as cross-class skills, meaning he'll always have cross-class ranks, keeping his powers on the lower end.

I'm not looking at the book right now, but you may want to try it. It has psychometabolism skills and includes a Psychic Weapon skill, I know, so it can definately model that sort of character.

--fje

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

It may be we're working with different definitions of "powerful abilities", or I may be reading Grim Tales wrong, but it doesn't seem to me that power of spells is that much of an issue with using the Grim Tales rules. I think you would have to make this class use an equivalent of spell burn to all of its supernatural abilities. If you didn't mind the work, I think you could take the battlemind's features and create talent trees for most of them. If you just want to use it as is, still do spellburn.

Because the psi-blabe, psychic shield, and imprinted tattoos are close equivalent to spells, apply "mind burn" to every use of them. Figure out a spell level equivalent to each supernatural ability and make the player role "manifester checks" and deal with "mind burn" like any other spellcaster in Grim Tales. Even if you used the class as is on top of the Grim Tales classes, you could still use a "mind burn" rule and leave strength of the powers and abilities untouched. If the player protests too loudly, maybe compromise and offer the low spell burn die option.

Just an idea...


Regards,
Eric Anondson