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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 7672408" data-attributes="member: 19675">RE &quot;cantrips&quot;: Since Psi is just a hypernatural mastery of the manifester's body, many of the &quot;cantrip&quot; powers could have Side Effects- muscle strains (temporary reduction in Str or Dex), busted blood vessels (HP damage), migraines (temporary Int reduction), etc. if overused.&nbsp; Overuse could be a simple roll, similar to Star Fleet Battles' rule for high-energy turns: use the power at will X many times, all further uses of that power that day require a D20 roll + Con bonus vs a set number.&nbsp; Fail and suffer the side effect.&nbsp; ...and you can still use the power, but with a penalty to the roll.&nbsp; Say...-2 for each time you've failed before that day.RE &quot;sneaky&quot;: some powers should be, some shouldn't.&nbsp; Think of the iconic head explosion scene from Scanners- though the villain does not move, he is clearly exerting himself.&nbsp; Or the empathic healing scene from Classic Star Trek episode, &quot;The Empath&quot;.&nbsp; Concentration is clearly also a must for powers like that.&nbsp; And in the interest of modeling as many archetypes as possible, perhaps there would be a Feat or some such to make manifesting such powers stealthily. But those who psionically boost their strength, use ESP-type powers?&nbsp; Many might be inherently sneaky.RE class design space: because they're Con based, manifesters would start off tougher than most pure casters.&nbsp; I'd make most manifester classes akin to the half-casters or multiclassed casters of previous editions- a few powers enhancing skills or martial prowess, with only the Psion depending more on the big, flashy powers (such as they are) than more mundane abilities.RE power design space: standard D&amp;D design would be distinct powers for each effect.&nbsp; And this is perfectly acceptable.&nbsp; OTOH, you could have powers that are siloed: each power has a cantrip effect that is usable at will as described above.&nbsp; But rather than gaining new powers, manifesters REFINE their powers, learning new things they can do with the powers they have.&nbsp; Consider Telekinesis.&nbsp; Most people just want to use it for grabbing and throwing increasingly large masses.&nbsp; Some use it to &quot;fly&quot; or levitate by lifting themselves. But as has been done in some fiction, some &quot;Tekes&quot; concentrate on ultra-fine control, like gently applying pressure to the carotid artery to cause someone to pass out.&nbsp; This could be modeled by having specific stunts, or just defining the limits of the power (per points expended?) and letting the players figure out what they can do with it...Sticking with telekinesis, at the cantrip level, perhaps a manifester can manipulate weights up to 1lb at a range of 5' + 5' per Con bonus.&nbsp; Expending a few points can boost the range or the mass.&nbsp; Perhaps at top levels, the mass peaks at...1000lbs?&nbsp; Less powerful in raw strength than arcane or divine telekinetic effects, but again, reliable, reusable, and hard to disrupt or otherwise interfere with.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 7672408, member: 19675"] RE "cantrips": Since Psi is just a hypernatural mastery of the manifester's body, many of the "cantrip" powers could have Side Effects- muscle strains (temporary reduction in Str or Dex), busted blood vessels (HP damage), migraines (temporary Int reduction), etc. if overused. Overuse could be a simple roll, similar to Star Fleet Battles' rule for high-energy turns: use the power at will X many times, all further uses of that power that day require a D20 roll + Con bonus vs a set number. Fail and suffer the side effect. ...and you can still use the power, but with a penalty to the roll. Say...-2 for each time you've failed before that day. RE "sneaky": some powers should be, some shouldn't. Think of the iconic head explosion scene from [I]Scanners[/I]- though the villain does not move, he is clearly exerting himself. Or the empathic healing scene from Classic Star Trek episode, "The Empath". Concentration is clearly also a must for powers like that. And in the interest of modeling as many archetypes as possible, perhaps there would be a Feat or some such to make manifesting such powers stealthily. But those who psionically boost their strength, use ESP-type powers? Many might be inherently sneaky. RE class design space: because they're Con based, manifesters would start off tougher than most pure casters. I'd make most manifester classes akin to the half-casters or multiclassed casters of previous editions- a few powers enhancing skills or martial prowess, with only the Psion depending more on the big, flashy powers (such as they are) than more mundane abilities. RE power design space: standard D&D design would be distinct powers for each effect. And this is perfectly acceptable. OTOH, you could have powers that are siloed: each power has a cantrip effect that is usable at will as described above. But rather than gaining new powers, manifesters REFINE their powers, learning new things they can do with the powers they have. Consider Telekinesis. Most people just want to use it for grabbing and throwing increasingly large masses. Some use it to "fly" or levitate by lifting themselves. But as has been done in some fiction, some "Tekes" concentrate on ultra-fine control, like gently applying pressure to the carotid artery to cause someone to pass out. This could be modeled by having specific stunts, or just defining the limits of the power (per points expended?) and letting the players figure out what they can do with it... Sticking with telekinesis, at the cantrip level, perhaps a manifester can manipulate weights up to 1lb at a range of 5' + 5' per Con bonus. Expending a few points can boost the range or the mass. Perhaps at top levels, the mass peaks at...1000lbs? Less powerful in raw strength than arcane or divine telekinetic effects, but again, reliable, reusable, and hard to disrupt or otherwise interfere with. [/QUOTE]

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