GR's Psychic's Handbook and d20 Modern Dark*Matter

[jaerdaph]

Motivated by the recent d20 Modern Dark*Matter mini-game in Dungeon #108, I've decided that this is still the next campaign I want to run, and I'm ready to get off my duff, roll up my sleeves and get to work. Rather than use the Telepath advanced class from d20 Modern, I'd much rather use the Modern Psychic advanced class from The Psychic's Handbook. (In fact, I won't be using any of the advanced classes from the Campaign Models chapter in d20 Modern, just what's in Chapter 6, and what's in the Dark*Matter: Shades of Grey article in Dungeon).

Now, since nonlethal damage doesn't work the same way in d20 Modern as it does in D&D, Modern Psychics can't use the Strain system. Looking at the alternatives to Strain in Chapter 4 of TPH, I'm leaning towards using ability damage or fatigue saving throws instead, but I can't decide which of these (or possibly even one of the other alternatives to Strain in that chapter) best fits the Dark*Matter setting.

Any thoughts or suggestions from those familiar with Dark*Matter and have seen The Psychic's Handbook would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Staffan]

IIRC, in the original Alternity rules, a Talent would have Will/2 psionic power points. Using a power usually cost one point, or two if you didn't have the appropriate specialty skill, or three if you rolled a critical failure. If you didn't have enough power points, you'd use a fatigue point instead (of which you had Con/2, but I think you couldn't use those deliberately, only as the result of e.g. a fumble when you only had one power point left). Talents were also pretty limited in the amount of powers they could use - IIRC, only one broad skill (Telepathy, Clairsentience, Telekinesis or Psychometabolism) and two specialty skills belonging to that broad skill.

Since stats ranged from 4 to 14 for normal humans in Alternity, a talent would have no more than 7 power points (I think Dark Matter and/or the Mindwalking book added a way to get more).

I don't have the Psychic's Handbook, so I don't know what sort of methods there are in that book that might fit the original setting, but that's how it worked there at least.

 

[Von Ether]

Check out my answer to your thread over at GR.
http://www.greenronin.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5585

 

[YokoburiKinura]

Both Von Ether and Staffan have made good points, and I think they've just about covered the main angles. I've run into some similar problems recently in my attempts to come up with a system for Masque of the Red Death that both includes psionics and my players might actually consent to. For that, I've decided that using a Vitality/Wounds system provides me with the angle I'm going for. Since I don't have GR's Psychic Handbook I was going to try convert Alternity's system pretty straight into feats and skills and use Star Wars' Force system for a model of costs and DC's. However, the main thing I based this kind of decision on was that I was already using Call of Cthulhu for arcane magic and spell slots for divine magic, and I wanted something different for psionics that still preserved the different disciplines.

But in this case, if you want to keep Dark*Matter really gritty, I'll weigh in on the side of ability score damage. However, you might want to provide a mechanic for your Psychic class to recover from it a bit more quickly.

EDIT: deleted a reference to 'if you're not using magic' because you obviously ARE using the diabolist, hermetic adept, and so forth. In that case, your psychics will probably have a lot more freedom than your mages (but the diabolist, for example, isn't exactly a push-over), so you gotta keep the two camps in balance with each other somehow.

 

[SweeneyTodd]

I'm running something slightly similar (sort of D20Modern meets Dark*Matter meets Orpheus) and I use temporary ability damage (usually Wisdom) as the currency for using powers. It seems to work well if you want to encourage PCs to not rely heavily on their powers, and it sort of has that _Scanners_ or _Firestarter_ feel that a psionic can kick some butt but they'd better have a chance to rest afterwards because they're going to have a nosebleed and a nasty migrane.

One idea would be to offer Feats or class abilities that give a 'buffer' of Wisdom points used only to spend on activating powers, and have different classes recover from this type of expenditure at a different rate.

It works pretty well for my Projector class (modeled on Orpheus) because a projector out of their body will lose concentration and grasp on the real world the more they exert their ghostly powers. Skimmers (using yoga techniques) spend Wis fast and regain it fast, while Sleepers (projecting from cryogenic suspension tanks) have a large buffer but recover slowly.

 

[Von Ether]

Both Von Ether and Staffan have made good points, and I think they've just about covered the main angles.

Thanks!

Since I don't have GR's Psychic Handbook ...

Dude for $16 it's a steal, probably one of the best buys on the market right now. Do yourself a favor, dig into your couch, your car and your piggy bank and get the book.

And in two months, get GR's Mutants and Masterminds too.

 

[jaerdaph]

Sorry not to get back to you guys sooner - I've been *really* sick the last couple of weeks.

Thanks for all the great replies. I've decided to use temporary ability damage instead of strain for Modern Psychic characters. Telepathic races like the Fraal (Greys) will use this class as well, but use the No Strain option, i.e. no penalty for using their telepathic powers.

 

[Tellerve]

What about adopting the WP/VP system, or would that not work with the rest of your mechanics? Does make it feel a bit star warsy with Force powers and whatnot.

Tellerve

 

[Ranger REG]

A lot of people think the VP/WP system would have the same cinematic feel of Star Wars. If you're going to use this, I suggest you increase firearms damage by one die, as suggested in Ultramodern Firearms.

But I think most people would prefer the "Realistic" Massive Damage Threshold (see page 196, d20 Modern Core Rulebook) to inject the feel of morbid mortality.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Since stats ranged from 4 to 14 for normal humans in Alternity, a talent would have no more than 7 power points (I think Dark Matter and/or the Mindwalking book added a way to get more).

10 + Con mod maps well for Alternity scores to d20. I used this for my Cybertolerance rules in my Star*Drive d20 game.