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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JoeGKushner" data-source="post: 2011706" data-attributes="member: 1129">Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics, not only updates Mindscapes to 3.5, but also includes an adventure and updates to the mechanics from the adventure If Thoughts Could Kill. Written by Bruce R. Cordell, the author of the Expanded Psionics Handbook, Hyperconscious clocks in at 160 black and white pages for $23.99, which is a good price, considering that Mindscapes, which ran at 96 black and white pages, cost $18.95 in 2003.Since fellow En World review Psion has an excellent <a href="http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=active&reviewer=Psion&product=Hype" target="_blank">review</a> of what’s the same and what’s different between the two versions (3.5 Hyperconscious and 3.0 Mindscpaes), let me go over a few things and we’ll all move on.First, the book starts with an adventure, Shades of Delusion, adventure for four 7th level characters. The character meet with a psion who has a tale for them that leads them into a psionic based dungeon crawl with numerous items and PrCs making their appearance here to be detailed later. It’s fairly straightforward as far as encounters and battles go with a lot of good role-playing opportunities and more background details on the Dark Plea, a cosmic entity mentioned in earlier products like When the Sky Falls and the 3.0 version Mindscapes.Other sections update previous material or expanded upon the material introduced here. For example, chapter three covers Mindscape Psionic Combat. Essentially when two psionic based individuals meet, a plane of energy is formed and they battle one another using their psychic powers with results effecting the real world. The terminology is easy to understand for the most part and adds flavor but could’ve used another round of editing.  For example, it notes that psychic combat occurs first then physical combat, if desired. Well, if no physical combat occurs, there’s really no point in using psychic combat as the benefit of psychic combat is the ‘real-world advantage’ that the winner of the opposed mode gains.Psionic feats include all standard information like prerequisite, benefit, and when appropriate, special or normal notes. A table breaks down the feats and allows the reader to quickly see what type of feat he might want to take. Some of my favorite include the Latent abilities where the user gains the ability of a low power as psi-like ability.Those looking for magic items of a psionic nature have a lot of options. Part of the section includes details on dreamstained items, things that play an important part in the adventure. However, my old favorites, the psicrystal staves, are still present and updated.  The section is still weak though as it doesn’t have any new crystal materials or crystal weapons. I figure with such a rich subject matter, that we should have all sorts of items and artifacts that can be plugged into a game, psionic or non-psionic and not to see numerous examples of such, is a little bit of a let down. Still, we do have new items like the Book of the Shallows, an evil artifact, so I’m happy. Even worse, while market price is included, caster cost in gold and experience points is missing.In Mindscapes, the thing I used most as a GM, were the monsters. Here, I see that’ll still probably be true as monsters are updated to 3.5 standards with movement in squares, armor class broken down by type along with attack (base, grapple, attack and full attack).  Some of the more potent creatures here include the psychic ogre, a monstrous giant that clocks in at a CR of 12 as it combines physical power with psionic abilities and the thelihydra, a relative of the hydra whose heads are eyeless with tentacles oozing from its maw.Much like spells, psionic powers are broken up by class and level with specific psion specialist given their own list. While there are powers for most of the levels, not every specialist gets powers for every level and while the psychic warrior gets his share of abilities, he doesn’t receive any 4th level powers and only a handful of other powers with most of them either at the lowest end, 1st level, or the highest, 6th level. Still, it’s a good mix and the most 3rd party support I’ve seen and since Bruce is the author of the Expanded Psionics Handbook in the first place, I’m much less worried about where the power level creeps in.While most of the material in the psionic prestige class section is updates, there is also new material like the astral dragoon and the variants of the 3.5 versions of some of the classes as well as variants on PrCs for those classes. For example, we have the blade manifester, a perfect PrC for the soulknife, gaining power points and powers with special abilities relating to their blade.The art remains much of the previous edition but that’s a good thing since most of that art was top notch. New art by Kev Crossley adds another great artist to the rooster of Toren Atkinson, Alan Pollack and Kieran Yanner. White space use is good, only looking bad at the end of the feats chapter. Layout is a little bland with no borders at the sides, but easy to read and the writing flows smoothly. Unlike other updates to 3.0 materials, Hyperconscious adds a lot of options to the original. The fact that it updates game mechanics from an older book that was an adventure and many people might not have bought is a bonus. The adventure is short and can be finished quickly but allows the GM to add many psionic-based elements to his game quickly for those interested in it.For those looking for psionic material for their 3.5 campaigns that builds on the Expanded Psionics Handbook, Hyperconscious is the way to go.</blockquote>

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