Psionic Devils?

[blargney the second]

Here's one I've done before:
1) take a rakshasa.
2) remove sorcerer spellcasting.
3) add psion manifesting.

It's a surprisingly easy transition with very comparable power levels.

 

[Drowbane]

Here's one I've done before:
1) take a rakshasa.
2) remove sorcerer spellcasting.
3) add psion manifesting.

It's a surprisingly easy transition with very comparable power levels.

I've recently started doing this for the Core Dragons. Down with sorcerer-spellcasting!

 

[Psion]

In the marginalization of psionics in 2e, essentially all demons and devils lost their psionic powers. In 1st edition most that has spells also had psionics.

I well recall, and for me, those are an important part of their concept.

I add psionics back using the Psionic template in Book of Templates: Deluxe Edition (more flexible than the Phrenic template.)

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

There is Green Ronin's "Monsters of the Mind".

It's pre-Expanded Psionics Handbook, but they have an Free Update Availble on their Website.

I can't remember if there were any fiends right off the top of my head.

But there was one Slaad (Spectral Slaad).

 

[Razz]

Here's another:

Green Slaad ---> Yellow Slaad.

Has psionic subtype and psi-like abilities. Alter spell-like abilities to psionic versions or replace with a psionic power if no alternate version is available.

 

[Shemeska]

I well recall, and for me, those are an important part of their concept.

How so? I'm rather curious why you feel that way because (in my admittedly not having played before 3e perspective) I look at the 1e fiends with psionic powers and it seems frankly haphazard, with no real link to their flavor.

It seems to me no different than random SLAs tossed in for no apparent reasons. I'd restrict actual psionic powers to fiends who seem, I dunno, psionic in nature rather than just assigning them a bunch of random wild talents.

 

[Arkhandus]

In the marginalization of psionics in 2e, essentially all demons and devils lost their psionic powers. In 1st edition most that has spells also had psionics.

According to The Complete Psionics Handbook, for AD&D 2E, the following fiends had psionic powers: Baatezu (amnizu, cornugon, gelugon, and pit fiend; powers of control and cruelty, effective psionicist level of HD-1), Morti (I have no idea what these are, myself, just that they're some outer-planar denizen, but the one-line entry looks pretty insane; I assume Morti was/were a godlike creature/race, or something, judging from the power score of 20,500, 20th-level psionicist equivalent for using powers, and possession of all psionic powers...), Tanar'ri (babau, succubus, nalfeshnee, marilith, balor, glabrezu, and hezrou; powers of fire control, torture, and shape changing, effective psionicist level of HD-3), and Yugoloths (only arcanaloths; powers of travel and combat; effective psionicist level of 13).

So you could reasonably assume that these creatures also have psionics in 3E, if you felt like it, and assign them the Psionic template (or is it the Phrenic template? Or just an effective psion or psychic warrior level for purposes of powers known, power points, and manifester level).

 

[Arkhandus]

I've recently started doing this for the Core Dragons. Down with sorcerer-spellcasting!

.....so you don't just use Gem Dragons for the psionic equivalent?

 

[Psion]

How so? I'm rather curious why you feel that way because (in my admittedly not having played before 3e perspective)

Are you at all familiar with the way 1e psionics ran? A psionic combat could go off and be done before a real combat began.

Given this implicitly menacing nature of demonic beings, I picture them as inherently unsettling and intrusive; being in their very presence gave you the feeling your very soul was being violated, and you could never be sure they weren't reading you like a book.

Ever see the scene in Independence Day where the alien creature awakens and starts to invade the minds of everyone present? That's how a see a demon, assaulting the minds of all those about it with it's sinister whisperings.

I look at the 1e fiends with psionic powers and it seems frankly haphazard, with no real link to their flavor.

It seems to me no different than random SLAs tossed in for no apparent reasons. I'd restrict actual psionic powers to fiends who seem, I dunno, psionic in nature rather than just assigning them a bunch of random wild talents.

I'm sorry that fiends are less cool in your game than mine.

 

[frankthedm]

Are you at all familiar with the way 1e psionics ran? A psionic combat could go off and be done before a real combat began.

So the Psionic character could fall over dead before the fight even began? Boss demon shows up, initiative gets rolled and a PC drops dead with the only telltale sign being a nosebleed.

I recalled Psi powers being a backdoor into one's brain that some monsters could easily exploit, was that a 1e or 2e thing?