I like Psionics but...........

[The Forsaken One]

Psions could be very very powerfull because magic doesn't effect them and so scares the heck out of people because they radiate no magic and still do the weird stuff!

Psions are rare and a mysterious rumor.... strange people who cast without magic. Powerfull strange and mysterious and a thing to fear for all in power who don't understand them and know how to deal with them, they who walk through all magicla protections and their abilities can't be dispelled or countered.

Fear, mystery... intrigue can be very very nice in a psionics are different, that's what happend after I sporadically introduced them in my campaign. (very rare are psions in my campaign as in one in 100 million has the gift)

 

[ForceUser]

Every time I create a new setting I consider how I want to deal with psionics. I've toyed with the idea of psionics-is-different, but then the onus falls on me to provide a satisfactory level of separate-but-equal psionic encounters in the game. I've also thought about a world where the ONLY magic was psionics, but of course then you run into the healing problem. How do fighters and such get healed unless a group psion takes a specific power path and sucks all the damage into himself, then converts it to subdual damage? Clunky. I suppose I could just add a healing line to psions in that case, but...I don't know. Maybe.

I love the idea of a psionics-only D&D world because I'm not a huge fan of psionics and magic coexisting, but psionics is freaking cool. Unfortunately, it feels superfluous in a world dominated by the arcane.

 

[rackabello]

I've also thought about a world where the ONLY magic was psionics, but of course then you run into the healing problem. How do fighters and such get healed unless a group psion takes a specific power path and sucks all the damage into himself, then converts it to subdual damage? Clunky. I suppose I could just add a healing line to psions in that case, but...

Interesting idea. I believe that either Of Sound Mind or If Thoughts Could Kill has rules for creating new psionic disciplines. Perhaps you could knock together a discipline based on healing and protection...

Addressing your original question, BluWolf, what about a middle ground between psionics=magic and psionics are different? I've pondered the possibilites of a world in which psionics and magic channel the same energies, but in ways that are different enough to entail small penalties when the two schools come into conflict. Perhaps a creature's SR is -2 vs. Psionics, a Psion attempting to dispel a spell has a +2 to the DC of his Psicraft check, etc.

Is that workable, or am I just displaying blue ectoplasm here?

 

[silvertable81]

I'm currently in a campaign where Psionics is different. Our team has a monk/psion and a fighter/psychic warrior. I think psionics is all about feeling your character, it allows another form of customization. That's great! That's the whole reason I play.
It's balanced either way. The Fighter type is from ancient Dark Sun world Athas and has no clue about magic, so it's definitely fair.

 

[Tratyn Runewind]

Hello!

Posted by BluWolf:
Yes, this is because the first book I ever read was Tolkien and I'm a narrow minded fantasy biggot, but bygones.

In that case, you may want to take a peek at Katherine Kurtz's "Deryni" books. The Deryni understand their powers as "magic", but even among them there is a distinction between their mental powers and more "standard" magics like illusions and summonings. They were the inspiration for D&D's first psionicist class, way back in Dragon Magazine #78.

Religious themes abound in the series, which was also the inspiration for a non-combatant "cloistered" Cleric class, in Dragon #68.

The books jump around between time periods in the Deryni world, but it's probably best to read them in the order in which they were written, starting with the "Chronicles of the Deryni": Deryni Rising, Deryni Checkmate, and High Deryni.

Hope this helps!

 

[Ravellion]

Addressing your original question, BluWolf, what about a middle ground between psionics=magic and psionics are different? I've pondered the possibilites of a world in which psionics and magic channel the same energies, but in ways that are different enough to entail small penalties when the two schools come into conflict. Perhaps a creature's SR is -2 vs. Psionics, a Psion attempting to dispel a spell has a +2 to the DC of his Psicraft check, etc.

I am using that EXACTLY... Work's fine. I used to have psionics is different but I hated the fact that the party then doesn't really need a wizard, but their psion is lacking in too many areas (no dispel magic etc), especially since my party has no cleric either (the psion and Paladin heal. Or take damage and then body adjust )

Rav

 

[Voneth]

Interesting idea. I believe that either Of Sound Mind or If Thoughts Could Kill has rules for creating new psionic disciplines. Perhaps you could knock together a discipline based on healing and protection...

Addressing your original question, BluWolf, what about a middle ground between psionics=magic and psionics are different? I've pondered the possibilites of a world in which psionics and magic channel the same energies, but in ways that are different enough to entail small penalties when the two schools come into conflict. Perhaps a creature's SR is -2 vs. Psionics, a Psion attempting to dispel a spell has a +2 to the DC of his Psicraft check, etc.

Is that workable, or am I just displaying blue ectoplasm here?

Actualy, the WotC website for psionics "The Mind's Eye" just put up a slew of powers that focus on healing.

 

[Dinkeldog]

I made a deal with my players.

ME "Ok folks you want to run psionic PC"?
Unshaven Masses: "YES!"
ME:"Ok if you start taking levels in Psionic classes then the creatures that are psionic in the book will get their abilities just like you."
UM: "Like mindflayers and aboleth and stuff getting psionics?"
ME: "Yup"
UM: "ummm we'll think about it"

and that's the last i heard about it.

I want to play in Leo's world where mindflayers don't have stunning blast.

 

[Kyramus]

I initially had that problem with Psionics, but using Psionics as different and Psionics/magic transparency, I found the transparency to be a perfect tool.

The biggest advantage of being a psion or psychic warrior dwells in the fact that they have power points. THey can manifest their powers repeatedly.

A sorcerer of the same level can't cast 10 detect magics. But a Psion can as long as he has the power points.

In my opinion, the Psionicist classes are very well thought out and well made. Incorporating them into your game will need some work.

In my world of Nasha-Koria, there is an island nation that is run by Psions. Even the commoners on this island has some minor wild talent.

The rest of my world has psions, but not in numbers as on this island. Per square feet, this island could literally harness all it's mental energy and win any war. Must be why they have never been defeated or taken over after all these centuries. <grins>

Kyramus

 

[GILGAMESH]

I got rid of my Psionics book a while back because no one I know will run a Psionics campaign.