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*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Introducing Psionics (To both the players and me)
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<blockquote data-quote="paradox42" data-source="post: 5605890" data-attributes="member: 29746"><p>Unlike the previous two posters, I'll assume that your references to psionic critter names mean that you've read the Pathfinder psionics rules- whether that means on d20pfsrd.com, or you have the actual book they came from (Dreamscarred Press's "Psionics Unleashed.")</p><p></p><p>That said, I had lots of experience running psionic characters and NPCs in my 3.5 game (which eventually went high-to-ridiculous Epic), and have a psionic PC in the PF game I'm playing in now- so I've been able to see the differences.</p><p></p><p>Probably the biggest difference between psionic characters and nonpsionic ones, is that the psionic characters have a tendency to "nova." They burn up their power points quickly on a few really powerful effects- though more such effects than an equal-level spellcaster could pull off. For example, a 7th-level Evoker Wizard with a 20 INT could potentially cast 7 <em>Fireballs</em> before running out for the day (and this is assuming he filled all of his 3rd and 4th-level slots with <em>Fireball</em>), but a 7th-level Kineticist Psion (Psion specialized in Psychokinesis, which is the "blasting" psionic discipline much like Evocation is the "blasting" magical school) with 20 INT can use the <em>Energy Ball</em> power <strong>*9*</strong> times before running out of juice. The difference is, the Wizard still has his 2nd-level and lower slots left available after burning through those high-level slots, but the Psion used up everything he's got- 63 power points, <em>Energy Ball</em> costs 7 to use, so 9 uses.</p><p></p><p>The above example further assumes the Psion doesn't Overchannel to raise his manifester level, but most canny players of a Psion will have that feat and use it to the hilt. The guy playing the Psion in the PF game I'm involved in certainly does. If you follow through on that plan to bring in the Blue, consider giving your little blue villain Overchannel to make him a bigger threat to the PCs. This depends somewhat on what sorts of powers he uses, of course- if he doesn't have many powers that can be augmented, then Overchannel usually isn't worth the feat slot. Also, if he has lot hit points, whether from low CON or something else, then the damage taken from using Overchannel will add up real quick- but of course, if he's only expected to be in one combat with the PCs, then maybe it'll make him a more credible threat.</p><p></p><p>Given that this Blue is in control of a Goblin tribe, you might also give him Psicrystal Affinity (which gives him a psicrystal, the psionic equivalent of a familiar). The most likely psicrystal for this situation would be Bully, I'd suggest, since he'd want the +3 Intimidate to help keep the lesser gobbos in line- but any of them could be useful, and you know the situation he's in better than I do so I can't offer any more specific suggestions than that.</p><p></p><p>The rule about psionics and spells being treated the same for the purposes of dispelling and such is "Psionic-Magic Transparency," and it's definitely a good one to follow for most campaigns.</p><p></p><p>Can you ask more specific questions, to give us some more to go on on what you're trying to do?</p><p></p><p>EDIT: a more realistic example may be helpful here. The PC in the game I'm in now is a 10th-level Elan with something like a 28 INT, with the Overchannel feat (and he uses it constantly to raise his effective ML to 12th). One recent session, he spent something like 10 manifestations of <em>Mind Control</em> on one surviving gnoll we encountered ("surviving" meaning, he was one we left alive and captured out of a band of about 12 that we'd just fought) to pump it for information about its army, its headquarters, and so on- the gnoll kept breaking the control because it didn't want to answer the questions being put to it, but the Psion was always ready with another when it did. No Wizard of about 10th level could do something similar with <em>Dominate</em> spells- he'd run out too quickly.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="paradox42, post: 5605890, member: 29746"] Unlike the previous two posters, I'll assume that your references to psionic critter names mean that you've read the Pathfinder psionics rules- whether that means on d20pfsrd.com, or you have the actual book they came from (Dreamscarred Press's "Psionics Unleashed.") That said, I had lots of experience running psionic characters and NPCs in my 3.5 game (which eventually went high-to-ridiculous Epic), and have a psionic PC in the PF game I'm playing in now- so I've been able to see the differences. Probably the biggest difference between psionic characters and nonpsionic ones, is that the psionic characters have a tendency to "nova." They burn up their power points quickly on a few really powerful effects- though more such effects than an equal-level spellcaster could pull off. For example, a 7th-level Evoker Wizard with a 20 INT could potentially cast 7 [I]Fireballs[/I] before running out for the day (and this is assuming he filled all of his 3rd and 4th-level slots with [I]Fireball[/I]), but a 7th-level Kineticist Psion (Psion specialized in Psychokinesis, which is the "blasting" psionic discipline much like Evocation is the "blasting" magical school) with 20 INT can use the [I]Energy Ball[/I] power [B]*9*[/B] times before running out of juice. The difference is, the Wizard still has his 2nd-level and lower slots left available after burning through those high-level slots, but the Psion used up everything he's got- 63 power points, [I]Energy Ball[/I] costs 7 to use, so 9 uses. The above example further assumes the Psion doesn't Overchannel to raise his manifester level, but most canny players of a Psion will have that feat and use it to the hilt. The guy playing the Psion in the PF game I'm involved in certainly does. If you follow through on that plan to bring in the Blue, consider giving your little blue villain Overchannel to make him a bigger threat to the PCs. This depends somewhat on what sorts of powers he uses, of course- if he doesn't have many powers that can be augmented, then Overchannel usually isn't worth the feat slot. Also, if he has lot hit points, whether from low CON or something else, then the damage taken from using Overchannel will add up real quick- but of course, if he's only expected to be in one combat with the PCs, then maybe it'll make him a more credible threat. Given that this Blue is in control of a Goblin tribe, you might also give him Psicrystal Affinity (which gives him a psicrystal, the psionic equivalent of a familiar). The most likely psicrystal for this situation would be Bully, I'd suggest, since he'd want the +3 Intimidate to help keep the lesser gobbos in line- but any of them could be useful, and you know the situation he's in better than I do so I can't offer any more specific suggestions than that. The rule about psionics and spells being treated the same for the purposes of dispelling and such is "Psionic-Magic Transparency," and it's definitely a good one to follow for most campaigns. Can you ask more specific questions, to give us some more to go on on what you're trying to do? EDIT: a more realistic example may be helpful here. The PC in the game I'm in now is a 10th-level Elan with something like a 28 INT, with the Overchannel feat (and he uses it constantly to raise his effective ML to 12th). One recent session, he spent something like 10 manifestations of [I]Mind Control[/I] on one surviving gnoll we encountered ("surviving" meaning, he was one we left alive and captured out of a band of about 12 that we'd just fought) to pump it for information about its army, its headquarters, and so on- the gnoll kept breaking the control because it didn't want to answer the questions being put to it, but the Psion was always ready with another when it did. No Wizard of about 10th level could do something similar with [I]Dominate[/I] spells- he'd run out too quickly. [/QUOTE]
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