Psionics Handbook 3.5 Confirmed!

[Amrynn Moonshadow]

crunchy bits . . .

i should formalize this stuff, but i don't.

dispell magic (from a cleric/wiz/sorc...) vs. psioncs....

these two forms of magic (or three if you as arcane is different than divine) are not entirely familiar with each other. i give a flat out +10 / -10 on the roll.

high level mage trying to dispell an astral construct (or whatever) is going to have a harder time than a mid level psion. the high level mage will have an easier time than a low level one though.

spellcraft and psicraft don't stack. they are different.

someone is still going to be able to bend spoons in a dead magic area, and wizards will still get off their quickened teleports when some bad guys bring the funk with the paragon ilithids who teleport a psionic prison onto where the party is.

that's not to say the sages don't know what the other side is doing. khelben has around 11 ranks in Knowledge: Psionics, but there is a severe disinformation / propaganda campaign going on in the west and north of the Forgotten Realms. It is outlawed in Amn (one big 'witch hunter' resides there), but more accepted in the south (calimshan filled with it's flying carpets and genies and any other method of magic) where if the price is right you are treated well. elves don't like it, as more than anything else, it shows the inherent value of evolution (remember, elves don't have canine teeth, but humans do), and of the latent potential humans have. (though psionics isn't just for humans... but having the largest brains of the standard races they have the largest pineal glands / for harnessing their jyana-yogic charkra, etc) likewise the secret / underground talare council is trying hard to acclimate to their surroundings, fighting mind flayers and of course, trying to be diplomatic with the magic users. this is Their world, not the world of the refugee psionics users.

some high level psions live in other parts of abir-toril though. (like more eastern climes) also there are some psi-like people in the jungles who give new light to the aztec inspired maztican jaguar warriors....

enjoy.

ps. my cat's breath smells like catfood.

 

[Voneth]

I am a maybe.

Mostly because I saw 3e psionics as an alterntaive to DnD magic, a system that is not my favorite to play or use. But when pisonics is designed to never step on Magic's toes (no decent healing and the like), then I can't use psionics to replace magic, so I might as well use another magic system anyway.

Right now, if you want to play a "psionic" character, the easiest way to do it is just design a themed sorcerer and be done with it. If you can get your GM to fudge the componet requriments a little, you are set.

The irony of the psionics system is that for d20 Modern the mutlipule stat dependcy actually makes sense since the game is designed to have your character mostly focus on one stat. And yet with a lack of healing and stuff, it makes the idea of a psionics only game seem pretty limiting to what WotC wants (which I though their creedo was supplying a game with options not limits.)

With that said, I'd rather have a strong psionics system that I can water down instead of trying to build up.

I mean if people keep trying to design psykers as blasters, that must be saying something, right? There is definatly a crowd out there that want the flexibility of a spell point system and the firepower of a wizard and are willing to live with d4 hit points.

On the other hand, the Psy warrior is a keeper.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I considered revising MAD with this...

CON: Psychometabolic, Psychokinetic
INT: Metacreative, Telepathic
Wis: Clairvoyant, Psychoportive

Akin to the 2e stat progression, it allows for characters to concentrate on 2-3 stats max, like a monk.

Hmm... Maybe its time to revise the psion class and house rule it.

I had thought of something similar, but;
Charisma: Pyschometabolic, telepathy.
(force of will allowing you to affect your body or others minds.)
Wisdom: Clairvoyance, psychoportive
(perception based)
Intelligence: metacreativity, psychokinetic
(don't recall why, just did!)

You'd still pick a discipline, buty you'd have a secondary that was also easy to get powers from.

 

[Vocenoctum]

In my opinion the best things that happened to Psionics in 3e was they were level based and that Psionics and Magic were transparent. This considerably reduced a lot of headaches trying to integrate psionics into most campaign worlds.

The worst thing about 3e psionics and psionics in just about all editions was Psionic Combat... It needs massive changes or else be completely forgotten (though that would be the loss of some flavour).

I agree, Psi Combat in the mindscapes method is still a bit much for me, but turning the old modes into Powers (like psychic crush) seems to be a better method.

I'd prefer for it to be possible for two telepaths to whack at each other with their minds, but not mandatory that the psychometabolic guy that just wants to kill things also has to use mental attacks and defenses.

I'd like to see at least Light armor prof, and I'd also like to not see the displays. They're a bit silly to me.

Crystals can stay, but then I've always had a fondness for glassteel plate anyway.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Okay, I think this is the first time this came up, but I'll beg forgiveness up front.

From Monte's boards[/quote] posted by Mr. Cordell:

Wow, Wizards never releases information so many quarters ahead; it's a strong policy by which all employees must all abide. So, even if there were an updated Psi Handbook in the offing, Wizards wouldn't release that information to Amazon so early (so, I wonder where this Amazon entry came from? I see it's Amazon.ca). Anyway, if the company were to embark on an update for the Psi Handbook, and I'm not saying that they are, but if they were, I would indeed be involved .

 

[Remathilis]

psionics is fun. if used right. just like powerful assult rifles.

Thank you for my new Sig Quote!

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Bruce Cordell:

Wow, Wizards never releases information so many quarters ahead; it's a strong policy by which all employees must all abide. So, even if there were an updated Psi Handbook in the offing, Wizards wouldn't release that information to Amazon so early (so, I wonder where this Amazon entry came from? I see it's Amazon.ca). Anyway, if the company were to embark on an update for the Psi Handbook, and I'm not saying that they are, but if they were, I would indeed be involved.

http://www.brucecordell.com

hmmm.... interesting.

 

[shadow]

In David Edding's Belgariad and Malorian series, the "sorcerers" use of the "Will and the Word" seemed a lot like psionics to me. Instead of spending hours memorizing spells, they simply concentrated their will on a power and said a word to make it happen.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I'd like to see the PsiHB revised along with the core books. I have my own ideas about what should be changed (reduce the MAD to four stats: CON, INT, WIS, CHA; use Mindscapes psionic combat; manifester levels stack; Autohypnosis made part of Concentration), but I'd like to see what Mr. Cordell comes up with. His work on 3e psionics has been consistently good in my opinion, even if there are some glitches.

 

[rounser]

the "sorcerers" use of the "Will and the Word" seemed a lot like psionics to me.

You'd think that the use of the word sorceror would be a bit of a hint that Eddings meant they used...oh, I don't know...SORCERY, no?