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<blockquote data-quote="Ainamacar" data-source="post: 7672350" data-attributes="member: 70709">I tend to think psionics works best embracing &quot;internal&quot; notions of power: granting power to thought and, especially, subjective perception.&nbsp; Go full &quot;there is no spoon.&quot;&nbsp; A wizard can influence reality, but a psionicist tells you what it really was all along.&nbsp; A retcon given form, at least from the perspective of the player.For example, in my view a wizard that charms or dominates a creature is overriding that creature's autonomy, an act that tends to leave traces.&nbsp; Even when the subject remembers nothing afterward, it is because the wizard has wiped or altered memories, etc.&nbsp; A telepath, on the other hand, perceives a helpful person, and while the telepath is doing so that person is actually helpful.&nbsp; So what makes many psionic &quot;far realms&quot; creatures terrifying is that reality derives from their wholly alien perspectives.&nbsp; In this case psionics meshes well with Cthulu-type elements, but old ones are by no means its fundamental source.Another example. A buddy of mine played a half-giant in a Dark Sun game who was completely oblivious to being psionic, and whose signature power was growing in size.&nbsp; This character was always grateful the world gets smaller when he's in danger.&nbsp; A wizard might scoff at the stupid half-giant (albeit only from a safe distance), but a psionicist realizes the half-giant has grasped something fundamental.I'm not a fan of the pseudoscience nomenclature in general, and to me it definitely thematically clashes with the perspective on psionics suggested here.I usually like when fantastical elements arising from drastically different sources have mechanical distinctions, although I wouldn't go so far as to say there should be no overlap with arcane magic, etc.&nbsp; Heck, psionicists might be able to cast some spells by believing they can, something which would be deeply disturbing to wizards and clerics alike.&nbsp; (Bards won't mind, though!)&nbsp; In any case, differences in mechanics should speak to the strongest thematic distinctions.&nbsp; This post will never be finished if I start thinking too specifically about mechanics, so I'll abstain.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ainamacar, post: 7672350, member: 70709"] I tend to think psionics works best embracing "internal" notions of power: granting power to thought and, especially, subjective perception. Go full "there is no spoon." A wizard can influence reality, but a psionicist tells you what it really was all along. A retcon given form, at least from the perspective of the player. For example, in my view a wizard that charms or dominates a creature is overriding that creature's autonomy, an act that tends to leave traces. Even when the subject remembers nothing afterward, it is because the wizard has wiped or altered memories, etc. A telepath, on the other hand, perceives a helpful person, and while the telepath is doing so that person is actually helpful. So what makes many psionic "far realms" creatures terrifying is that reality derives from their wholly alien perspectives. In this case psionics meshes well with Cthulu-type elements, but old ones are by no means its fundamental source. Another example. A buddy of mine played a half-giant in a Dark Sun game who was completely oblivious to being psionic, and whose signature power was growing in size. This character was always grateful the world gets smaller when he's in danger. A wizard might scoff at the stupid half-giant (albeit only from a safe distance), but a psionicist realizes the half-giant has grasped something fundamental. I'm not a fan of the pseudoscience nomenclature in general, and to me it definitely thematically clashes with the perspective on psionics suggested here. I usually like when fantastical elements arising from drastically different sources have mechanical distinctions, although I wouldn't go so far as to say there should be no overlap with arcane magic, etc. Heck, psionicists might be able to cast some spells by believing they can, something which would be deeply disturbing to wizards and clerics alike. (Bards won't mind, though!) In any case, differences in mechanics should speak to the strongest thematic distinctions. This post will never be finished if I start thinking too specifically about mechanics, so I'll abstain. [/QUOTE]

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