Help me accept psionics

[axp_dave]

Think of psionics as a new type of energy, like Chi/Ki. Instead of tapping the world around and manipulating mana, you are manipulating your own life force into creating special effects. Monks and Psionics would go hand in hand using this model, and it wouldn't be a bad way to introduce Psi into your campaign.

Very well said!! I can see the skepticism towards psionics, but as Herobizkit says it is magic inside. Monks are accepted in D&D so it may not be too much of an addiiton to a campaign. Even if you don't allow PC's, it is always nice to have new rules for the BBEG such as Monte Cook's Chaostech.

David

 

[hopeless]

Regarding Psionics

I went one step farther and removed sorcerers from my game and replaced them with psionics.

I have to admit when i first heard about sorcerors I assumed they were going to be the new name for psionicists.
I have always had misgivings about psionics and only really liked them in 1st edition when it was virtually impossible to start with one and after generating god knows how many characters I can only remember one with actual psionic abilities.
But if you hve the 3.0 psionics handbook instead of using power points treat that page about what psi spells they can cast as vancian instead and use their covering attribute for bonus spells as normal.
And as for attack and defence abilities treat any use of one that requires the expenditure of a formerly known power point to require a psi spell which will govern its saving throw (Psi Spell Level + Covering attribute +10 as normal) or expended in the case of a defensive ability. Inner strength merely grants them extra spell usually adding 1 to their covering attribute for purposes of extra spells.
I absolutely loved the idea of a Psion-Monk with Inertial Armour but thats a story for another time.
3.5 rules however messed up the vancian conversion by making it all power point orientated... a mistake as far as I'm concerned because if you're going to use power points as a variant casting system for all the casters why not keep a vancian system for psionics?
Nobody as yet wants to run a psionic character so far... he only one I've had in a game was an npc psychic warrior as I said I loved the Inertial Armour feat which is now a spell in 3.5... understandable I suppose given its the equivalent of Mage Armour that lasts as long as you retain a single power point or psi spell level as far as I'm concerned...
Take care and all the best!

 

[nameless]

I look at the tropes that wizards follow and then the ones that psions follow. Wizards derive their power from dedicated study and rote memorization. They perform the gestures, they visualize the spell patterns, and they invoke the words, and the magic happens. They don't just wave their hand and get the effect they want. If a wizard attempts to create some new type of magic, they have to spend time and money researching that new magic. Essentially, they are scientists with different toolbox.

Psionics, on the otherhand, isn't from a mastery over some universal rules of reality that can be predictably manipulated. They use themselves as the catalyst to change the magical energy either in themselves, or in their environment, into the effect they want. When a psion talks about inner strength as the source for their power, they mean that the discipline they have over their bodies, minds, and spirits allows them to transform the useless magical energy around them into whatever they wish.

And in Eberron, you could think of the Quori and the Daelkyr as "alien beings" from other worlds, but you could also easily call them "fiends" from evil planes. It's all in how you spin it to avoid the bad flavor and make it good flavor.

 

[Doghead Thirteen]

Hello. I need some help. As a bit of background, I am one of those narrowminded individuals who can't stomach any guns (no matter how primitive) or technology (no matter how well explained--Eberron I'm looking at you) in my fantasy. As such, psionics has always rubbed me wrong, as it seems a bit too sci-fi/superheroish for my tastes. However, I want very much to overcome my prejudice against psionics (not guns or tech though ), and was hoping some of you brilliant and persuasive people could help me. How have you reconciled psionics with an otherwise traditional fantasy setting?

LOL!

Sorry. It's just that technology includes things such as any weaponry more advanced than your own hands, clothing including uncured furs, the use of fire, the wheel... even language.

In your traditional FRPG setting, magic is (functionally) a part of that world's laws of physics. If it's there and works in a scientifically provable way (IE, you do A, B and C, and this results in D happening, and you can repeat it) then it's difficult to see how anyone can take it as not being a part of the (local) laws of physics.

This whole Magic + Tech = Not thing? What do you call a +1 sword or even the frickin' One Ring? Because that sword was sure as forged by some large muscly dude using a hammer, tongs, a very hot fire and an anvil.

Technology is anything we use that isn't a part of our body. End of story.

As for psionics? If some dude can throw a fireball or summon up a demon, what on Earth is stopping some other dude reading someone's mind?

 

[Sir Elton]

Why do you want to use Psionics in your game anyway? Then maybe I can help you.

My gosh, this is my Perfect 7 post! I'm not going to Burn in Hell! When I reach 888, then that is going to be really cool!

 

[Roman]

Congratulations, Elton, on your 777s post!

BTW: Is the original poster still reading this? I would be interested in knowing whether he/she has been able to accept psionics now or not yet.

 

[Impeesa]

Personally, I like to have people in my homebrew refer to psionics by the Rolemaster name, mentalism. In the limited cosmology that I have managed to lay out, arcane, divine, psionic, and ki are the four fundamental ways in which one can exert supernatural force on the world around them. Arcane and psionics draw on the ambient power of the cosmos, divine and ki use power diffused by a soul (the user's, or someone else's). Arcane and divine tend to use ritual to shape an external source, psionics and ki tend to apply discipline and focus to shape power from within. Psionics specifically, then, draws on alien energies deep within the mind, not the soul. This naturally takes the form of things like self-augmentation, telepathy, and other common psychic phenomena. Astral constructs and such are drawn from... somewhat deeper within the psyche. I could go on about the other forms, but it stops really having anything to do with psionics.

---Impeesa--

 

[Moab2]

Wow, i go away for the weekend, and i come back to 2 pages of replies. Thanks everyone for chiming in with your suggestions. Many of them were very helpful. It seems for me that the problem is one of terminology more than anything else. Thinking of them as more of internal spellcasters (and changing terms like psychometabolism and such) may just do the trick.

Thanks all for the suggestions. I'm not 100% on board yet, but I'm certainly a lot closer.

 

[Sir Elton]

I'm very comfortable in my predjudice against psionics, and therefore have no intention of helping you.

So nyah.

I'm prejudiced against anti-technology. So, nyah.

 

[Nightfall]

Actually, I do like the whole "mental disease" thing of SL psionics. A left over from an earlier race. Pretty cool really.

Yeah which is why I think if I do add more 'psionic' options to the Scarred Lands, Dreamscarred Press' recent addition/product will be in there as well.