Psionic Combat

[Caliber]

Like many people who enjoy Psionics, I was somewhat unhappy with the 3E version of Psionic Combat (as I was in other additions as well.)

I have often thought of creating something akin to 2E MTHAC0 (Mental THAC0, in 3E it would be a Mental Attack Bonus) and a MAC (Mental AC as you could have guessed.)

You roll your MAB agaist your target's MAC. If you hit you do damage. Perhaps also give MHPs.

I obviously haven't fleshed out this idea too much. But I would like to, and any suggestions or comments on possible problems with this would be great.

As I develop I will try to put everything together into one complete house rule and then post it.

And as a complete alternative, if anyone has done something similar, I would love to see it.

 

[Lily Inverse]

Simplest way to do this I can see is as follows:

Attacker's attack = 1d20 + Ability modifier + highest level psionic power known.

Defender's MAC = 10 + level of highest power nown + modifier from defense mode against the attack used.

Seems like a bit of a headache though. The way in the book was chosen because it mirrors the other mechanics in the system fairly well.

 

[Jerrid Al-Kundo]

Actually, Lily, your suggestion is rather close to the system I've recently started to work on (although I prefer Opposed Rolls to the "flat 10" base of AC/DC, but that's just the way I am...).

 

[Romotre]

Personally I like that way they've done it. It simple enough to understand yet complex enough to be interesting. Although psionic combat doesn't work until you have enough PP's to actually attack and defend for long enough to matter.

 

[HellHound]

I was actually surprised Wizards didn't follow this route, considering they used the AC system straight from Gamma World 4th edition (Attack bonus + d20 vs AC system). I really expected them to use the MHAC system too.

I would be interested in seeing a full fledged psi combat system using these rules.

 

[TheFlamingRheo]

To tell you all the truth I do not reallycare for psions but if you do decide to do something different can you please e-mail so I can show it to my DM and maybe put some fluxuation to into one of my fellow players. Every time we start a new game he just plays the same character but from a different level.

 

[las]

Yes FlamingRheo but your like my brother you cant be gust one character.

 

[Caliber]

As the only psionically active PC in my party has died, and since all of my players no longer express any interest, I have put this project on the stack of things to do later (which I really should rename as things I will never get a chance to do ... )

But anyway, since at least a few people have expressed an interest, I will post what I had before the character bit it.

Psions would advance their MAB (Mental Attack Bonus) as a Fighter. Psychic Warriors would advance as a Cleric.

You would get multiple attacks just as with BAB.

This is where things started getting shaky.

I figured Cha would be the equivalent of Str for Mental Combat while Int could replace Dex and Wis could replace Con.

Psions would get 1d10 MHPs (Mental HPs) and Phychic Warriors would get d8s.

I was never really sure how to handle MAC. Eventually I might have introduced some new armors, or possibly given a Mental Armor bonus to existing armors. Possibly a Mental Armor group (ie Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, and Mental Armor)

The biggest thing was what to do about damage. I still am unsure how I would determine the amount of mental damage done per attack.

I didn't want to completely eliminate the attack and defense modes so I would have probably involved them somehow, but they never managed to make it in.

If anyone wants to use these scraps and turn them into some working rules, I would be interested. But unfortunetly without anyone willing to use them in my campaign, I have more important things I need to do.