Psionic Books: WotC and Others

[Eldritch_Lord]

I guess I already think of psions as being that (they're spontaneous in all mechanical versions I've seen). The psionic wizard is a bizarre little thing called an erudite. The psion is already someone with access to untapped but highly intuitive power.

Spontaneity is irrelevant; all psionicists are "spontaneous" in a sense. Erudites are psions, just a variant version of them.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Essentially, what I'm saying is that the flavor people have suggested for the wilder is already part of the psion, thus I don't understand the niche for the wilder.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The Psion is controlled, formal psionics: He researched, built a derrick, then drilled for oil, and has a nice steady flow.

The Wilder is chaotic psionics: He was out one day, shootin' at some food, and up through the ground came a bubblin' crude.

 

[sjmiller]

OK, so this is what I have gleaned from this discussion so far.

WotC books: It is felt that the Expanded Psionics Handbook is the best of the lot, with some general disappointment with Complete Psionic. No comments on the 3.0 books.

Other Companies: Malhavoc Press has Hyperconscious, which most people seem to find good. Many recommendations for most of Dreamscarred Press's work. There are a few shout-outs for Green Ronin's The Psychic's Handbook, especially for a modern setting.

Does that seem correct? Am I missing anything?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That sums up the thread nicely, I think.

Part of the lack of response on the 3Ed version of the psionic rules is that they don't differ that much in overall mechanics and the 3.5 revision (for the most part) was seen as an net improvement. Sure, there were changes like the compression of the Psion and the change of the Soulknife into a base class, but that's mostly about flavor and not the quality of the rules in and of themselves.

 

[irdeggman]

WotC books: It is felt that the Expanded Psionics Handbook is the best of the lot, with some general disappointment with Complete Psionic. No comments on the 3.0 books.

There really was only 1 WotC 3.0 psionic book.

The difference between mechanics in 3.0 psionics and 3.5 psionics is so vastly great that unlike other 3.0 books they can't be updated into a 3.5 version with a little thought and logic.

The mechanics in 3.5 for psionics changed the entire thing in a way that it would be albeit impossible to update the information.

 

[Greg K]

I;ll add my vote in support for Green Ronin's Psychic's Handbook. I am not a fan of any of WOTC's psionic books for D&D.