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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 2009045" data-attributes="member: 3400">Wow! About time somebody got psionics integrated into the D&D system the right way. Light years better than the 2nd edition Complete Psionics Handbook. That product had me pretty much soured on the whole idea of using psionics in any D&D game. Then, I borrowed this product from friends. I have now changed my tune. I will still keep it as a DM's nasty little secret though...Basically, psionic powers are not unlike the spells known to sorcerers. They know a limited number of them per level and don't have to prepare them in advance and can use and reuse them as long as they have the energy to do so. Where they differ is in how they account for the powers used. Sorcerers have specific slots that get expended and psion characters use points to pay for their powers. Now, if you were to just tack on a set of point costs per level of spell for the sorcerers, you'd break the system because then some spells would be much more powerful than their points would allow (such as just about any spell that gains in damage as the caster rises in levels). Here's where the designers did their work correctly for psionics. Low level powers that don't cost a lot of points don't gain much as the psion goes up in levels. To get a higher damaging power, you have to pick one up at a higher level. That keeps the potential danger of a point system in balance.The supplement also goes into how to integrate psionics into the average campaign. Mostly, this is done by assuming that psionics behave just like magic as far as spell/power resistance, dispels, and saving throws go. But there is also discussion of the alternative: psionics being completely different. Some good material for the DM to think about here.As far as drawbacks, I'm not certain I like the attack modes doing some small amount of temporary stat damage. That seems a bit odd to me, that a psionic attack might sap your dexterity. But, hey, at least you don't have that 2nd edition garbage of establishing 'tangents' or whatever that bizarre system was.Psionics aren't for everyone or every campaign. But this is well done enough that it's worth a look and a serious evaluation. It's worth considerably more than any previous edition of the psionics rules.</blockquote>

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