Psionics and You

[MerricB]

With the release of the Psionics Handbook, I was wondering how many campaigns of D&D there were with psionics as a regular part of their game.

Then I wondered how that changed based on the system of D&D.

The attached poll really won't tell us very much - I'd really need to start up about five polls to discover the information, and that's a bit too much.

So, post! Tell us about your experiences with psionics in D&D over the years. Have they been a regular part of your games? Have you used the original D&D Psionics presented in Eldritch Wizardry? Has 3.5E redeemed Psionics for you?

Cheers!

 

[johnsemlak]

Well, if I buy the Expanded Psionics Handbook and use it, it will be the first time I use Psionics. I've played in games that allowed Psionics but there was never a Psionics character.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

I voted Dark Sun/Player's Option, but that was for 2E and shortly after 3E with a conversion that worked on its own but didn't mesh well with the d20 System.

I didn't vote for currently, though. Granted, I use 3E Psi (and will likely switch to 3.5 Psi once I see it), but it's been reflavored as a form of Arcane magic (the character's "Will" is akin to a Spell Component) used by back-water primitives that have "lost the way" (and I must admit it slipped my mind when voting because of that).

Our "primary" Psionics System is derived from Fading Suns d20, Being Skills-based (which I've tweaked, rescaled, added an additional Psionic-Soldier Base Class, and a few "True Psi" Feats) and it's working out just fine.

 

[MerricB]

I used the 3E Psionics rules once - when the PCs were rescuing Zuoken from his captivity by the Scarlet Brotherhood. I had a Scarlet Brotherhood Psychic Warrior NPC I modelled on Darth Vader.

However, that wasn't a regular use.

After the stupidity of the sorceress in the last session of the regular campaign, the PCs found themselves banished to another plane. I'd like to make it the Astral, and they wake up in a Githyanki fortress. That the D&D Miniatures line has come out with some Githyanki minis and the Expanded Psionics Handbook is just coming out, I think it'd be fun to have such a session.

Still not a regular use, though. However, I think the Soulknife is an intensely cool class, so I'd probably allow that in my campaign, and possibly other Psionic classes as well if the 3.5E Psionics rules are good.

Cheers!

 

[johnsemlak]

btw, wasn't the main 2e Psionics book called The Complete Psionicist's Handbook?

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Yes.

 

[MerricB]

btw, wasn't the main 2e Psionics book called The Complete Psionicist's Handbook?

Quite likely. I never owned it, so it didn't lodge in my memory like other bits of trivia did.

Cheers!

 

[Bloodstone Press]

I've used psionics on and off, now and then since 1st edition. They hacve always been a like the ugly step child of magic. We've never played a psionic-rich campaign except for a few games in Dark Sun.

 

[Haltherrion]

Never liked them in the pre-3.0 systems. I thought they did a decent job with them in 3.0. We use them in the current game and have one psion. Seems reasonably well balanced but in the end it is yet another magic system to master and yet another pile of magic items to manage.

As a matter of personal taste, I don't care overly for the flavor and don't feel they are worth the added trouble in the game but if my players showed more interest I would allow them.

In our current group of 6, I did a game survey recently to see what players liked and didn't like to help prepare for the next game setting. One was neutral on them (me), one liked them (the guy currently playing the psion) and four dislike them with the dislike being pretty strong. We won't be using them again, I imagine but it was worth trying them out once.

Wasn't interesting enough to buy the 3.5 update, though.

Marc

 

[Thanee]

We used the AD&D psionics (with Complete Psionic Handbook and Dark Sun) a bit. They were horribly overpowered, tho (like teleport at first level ).

Now with 3E we have tried the psionic rules (3.0) expanded them with ITCK and Mindscape and then banned them entirely, because they are completely unbalanced and not very well thought out.

Havn't looked at the XPH yet.

Bye
Thanee