Destil
Explorer
I'm currently working on how to incorporate psionics into my new game world. As stands psionics should be slightly less common than magic, but not uncommon in the least. At one point in the distant past two major power forces, one utilizing psionics and one utilizing arcane magic waged a long and bitter war. In the end the psionic empire fell, but that was very of years ago, an age as lost to the distant past as Roman history is within our modern world (most people know of it, it's a very popular field of research for contemporary scholars). I'll be alternating flavor / background information with rules within this post, and adding a bit of explanation onto the 'whys' as well for most house rules.
Psionic Classes -
Psions: As PsiH except as follows.
Psyhic Warriors: As per PsiH.
The intent here is to change the psion class a bit, making them more robust. I wanted to focus on the psionic feat angle more than the powers, to add to the different 'feel' if psions vs. magic. The feats are free, the Resculpt Mind feat struck me as a bad idea… also I hope to make psionic combat modes (and meta-psionic combat feats) more attractive, as detailed below, and thus don't feel the need to railroad all psions to take all the combat modes, they will hopefully be valuable enough to warrant being taken simply because they're useful, not because of a silly hard fast rule.
The secondary diciplines are an altered form of the variant rule in If Thoughts Could Kill. That rule fully replaces the secondary ability scores with the primary. While this is a bit more fair, it struck me as a bit wrong, flavor wise. A dwarven savant with 20 natural con and 5 natural Cha shouldn't be better with telepathic powers than a 18 Cha elven telepath, secondary disciplines or not. One of the things I like about psionics is the total lack of any 'dump' stats, and simply replacing this would change that far to much for me. At any rate, this psion is more about the feats than the powers, and this change to the variant rule helps keep the focus there. Likewise the power point chart in ITCK would again further enhance the power-using ability, so instead I gave the psion a d6 HD and light armor & shields, which should help a bit in actual combat, and help multi-classing psions, something I want to encourage.
While I intend to add the power-scaling variant from ITCK as a psionic feat, I also want some freedom for psions not focused on damage spells to learn powers that are of mild use at high levels at lower levels, thus the power chain ability.
Psionic Combat -
Psionic Attack Modes are attacks, as much as trips and disarms. You do not threaten any area with a psionic attack mode (unless you have the threatening psyche feat). When making a psionic attack, you add your Base Attack bonus to the saving throw DC, possibly allowing iterative attacks, but you only add the bonus you have gained from levels of psionic classes. Mind-blast is a special case, it requires a full attack, and the base attack bonus is divided evenly among all creatures within the area of effect of small or greater size. (Anything smaller than that is affected, but not counted when your BAB is divided).
The non-psionic buffer is still effective against psionic combat. However, if you are currently stunned because of a psionic combat mode, your non-psionic buffer is saturated and the psionic energy of any further attacks can begin to erode the psionic pathways into your mind and body that psionic creatures naturally possess. You take one half ability score damage from any such psionic attack, but the further stun duration is also halved. Halve the normal damage, round down and apply as both a stun and ability score damage (minimum ability score damage of from a successful attack is 1 point, there's no minimum stun duration), subsequent stun duration overlaps. For mind blast roll 3d4 for stun and separately roll 1d4 for Cha damage, then halve each. Non-psionic creatures who have zero for an ability score affected by such an attack take permanent ability score damage as the psionic energies erode away the non-psionic buffer and force open the paths of their mind and body from without, rather than from within as is natural with psionic creatures.
The intent is to make psionic combat as viable as melee combat for the psychic warrior, and as viable as powers for the psion against psionic opponents, and to make it still have some bite against non-psionic opponents. Thus I made psionic combat dangerous, in fact, it may be too dangerous, but there are special defenses against them (the defense modes & non-psionic buffer) so it could work. The division was the best way I could think of to keep mind-blast from getting out of hand, it's the attack mode I'd really consider potentially abusive (the size limit is to prevent worrying about misquotes and such). Could this work? It makes psyhic warriors very very scary, would they become too versatile if they had this sort of ability? (remember - unlike the psion I re-worked above, the psy warrior doesn't have to give anything up to get every combat mode, they're automatic) It certainly lets the option of really being a psychic warrior open, at least, rather than just a psionic fighter… though cutting down the number of combat modes received may be in order, so if they want more they can take them with their bonus feats. Opinions? Am I just insane?
Specific Power Balance Adjustments-
Psionics work well, as I see it, by granting access to power levels one level after wizards, because a number of key powers are one level lower than their arcane counterparts. And as a psion only discovers powers within his discipline at that first level he gain access to only powers certain of his specially before wizards. (a telepath gets suggestion at 4th, the wizard gets it at 5th, a sorcerer at 6th). However psycoportation was overlooked in this regard, IMHO. Most psycoportive powers are the same level as their arcane counterparts, which leaves some levels above divine spells in some cases. So I've re-arranged the power levels a bit to fix this. I've also fixed a few things that simply looked a bit weird (like the terrible 5th level power Flaming Shroud with it's reflex negates save and limit to large or smaller creatures).
Change the following powers
Dimension Slide - level becomes 2
Dimension Door - level becomes 3
Time Hop - At the manifesters discretion the duration can be set from 3 to 18 rounds (rather than rolled). However using the power like this limits it to willing targets.
Control Air - This power's effects can extend outside of it's range, unlike most powers and spells. (this was a pre errata change, and I prefer it to the erratad version, myself)
Schism - Manifesting powers with the second partition of your personality does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Ethereal Jaunt - level becomes 5
Etherealness - level becomes 6
Flaming Shroud - Change save from reflex negates to none. Reduce damage to 2d6 bludgeoning, 5d6 fire. [the psion's Ice Storm]
Boicurrent - Clarification: You can control the primary and secondary target for this power. When a target dies the power randomly arcs to a new target within range, but you can shift this to a target of your choice on your next action.
Plane Shift - level becomes psion 6
Probability Travel - level becomes psion 5. Targets are limited to one additional creature per 4 levels, rather than per 2 levels. You may substitute up to 200 pounds of unliving matter as a single 'target'.
The nature of psionics -
Psionics are an innate power, a potential that exists in every living creature and even, at times, persists into death, undeath or is imbedded into constructs by their creators. Scholars differ greatly on the exact nature of psionics, though the most commonly held theory is that they are either a remnant of the powers of an ancient and supreme god, goddess or pantheon now long lost to time, their power spread across all the inhabitants of the planes. Psionics are a fundamentally different force from arcane or divine magic, though their compatibility is very close. Psionics, as a rule, are a universal and consistent power across the multiverse, unlike magic psionic powers are not inherently affected by the nature of the planes, with a few rare exceptions, primarily in demi-planes specifically created to augment or hinder psionics and in the realms of deities with an interest in psionics…
Psionics are different, but compatible -
These are a set of variant psionics are different rules. They allow the two to affect each other, but at slightly reduced strength, and only if you specifically know what you're facing.
Psionics and magic are highly related, far more so than the default psionics are different rules. The following spells / powers can be used in two forms, one affecting psionics, one affecting magic (listed in that order for psionic manifestations, and the reverse for spells). The form used is chosen upon casting / manifestation. Any unlisted power or spell (Dimensional Anchor, See Invisibility, Freedom of Movement et cetera) works at full effect against both magic and psionics, without the user needing to choose one or the other. Theses spells simply work to counter the end effect, not the inherent source of that effect.
Spell Resistance and Power Resistance
Magical creatures with innate SR have PR equal to their SR - 2. Psionic creatures likewise possess SR = PR - 2. This does not apply to items or spell that grant SR or PR, only class and racial features.
Supernatural Abilities
Clarification - Supernatural abilities are magical by default. Innately psionic creatures with supernatural abilities and supernatural abilities granted from levels gained in psionic classes are psionic.
Powers
Ablating: Ablating and Aegis. Ablating only functions against psionic negation. Aegis functions against magical dispelling, however it only adds +4 to dispelling DC.
Aura Alteration: Aura Alteration and Arcane Alteration. Arcane Alteration does not grant a +2 bonus to the saving throw when used to remove magical effects.
Catapsi: Catapsi and Spelljamming. A spelljamming field doubles the casting time of all spells within the area of effect. Free action spells are cast as one action spells, one action spells take one full action to cast, full round spells take a full round and a subsequent move-equivalent action to cast and any spell with a casting time in rounds has it's casting time double.
Detect Psionics: Detect Psionics and Detect Magic. Detect magic suffers a -2 penalty to the spellcraft check.
Negate Psionics : Negate Psionics and Negate Magic. You suffer a -2 penalty to all negation checks with negate magic.
Null Psionics Field : Null Psionics Field and Null Magic Field. Null Magic Field has a one full round manifestation time.
Power Resistance : Power Resistance and Spell Resistance. Spell Resistance only grants SR = 10 + level.
Power Turning : Power Turning and Spell Turning. Spell turning only reflects 1d4+4 levels of powers
Reddopsi: Reddopsi and Reflect. Reflect has a one full round manifestation time.
Sense Psionics: Sense Psionics and Sense Magic. Sense magic has an area and range of only 1 mile/ 2 levels.
Spells
Antimagic shell: Antimagic shell and Antipsionic shell. Antipisonic field has a full round casting time.
Detect Magic : Detect Magic and Detect Psionics. Detect psionics suffers a -2 penalty to the psicraft check.
Dispel Magic: Dispel Magic and Dispel Psionics. Dispel psionics has a -2 penalty to all dispelling checks.
Globe of Invulnerability: Globe of Invulnerability and Globe of Psionic Protection. The globe of psionic protection has a full round casting time.
Greater Dispelling: As per dispel magic.
Minor Globe of Invulnerability: Minor Globe of Invulnerability and Minor Globe of Psionic Protection. The minor globe of psionic protection has one full round casting time.
Spell Resistance: Spell Resistance and Power Resistance. Power resistance only grants PR = 10 + level.
Spell Turning : Power Turning and Spell Turning. Power turning only reflects 1d4+4 levels of powers.
[I changed antimagic field back to shell in order to preserve some of the mystical feeling of magic vs. the harder, more natural philosophy feel of psionics. Psionic names aren't really rigorously scientific, but they're a step farther in that direction. That and I like how Antimagic Shell sounds better, anyway.]
In general, crossing between magic and psionics either increases the casting / manifestation time to one full round, or hampers checks -2. Hopefully this will be simple, consistent, and easy to apply, while also retaining a distinct flavor of difference each.
Displays -
Displays only persist for the round of manifestation in most cases. This is the norm, and anything else is handled on a case by case basis. In general any single psionic will have similar displays for most of his powers (unless the power itself suggests something different. Agitate matter, for example, may often have a visual display of the area within a five foot radius growing darker and seemingly bending light as and the target being placed under the influence of bright ambient light as light is focused on him like a giant, three dimensional magnifying glass burning an ant). The player is free to customize his displays on any sort of level he wishes. All of his visual displays could be bursts of green light from his eyes, or he may use the scent of burning metal for all psikokenetic powers olfactory displays or he may even specify the displays on a power by power basis. Once chosen a single power should not have it's displays change without good reason, however. As always the DM has the final say on the exact nature of each display.
While the exact displays laid out for each power in the psionic handbook are rarely important the number of displays should always be adhered to, unless you wish to add more for some reason. For instance a psion with cold based displays may wish to add a Ma display to float: Whatever substance the creature is held suspended in is chilled and small bits of it are solidified, causing ice crystals to bob to the surface of water for example (of course in non-water based fluids the solidified bits would generally sink).
As a general rule the generic [default] displays for psionics are closely tied to race, almost as much as sorcerery. Nearly every innately psionic race has a set of constant and standard racial displays, though exceptions are fairly common. Races that are not psionic typicaly follow the displays of any mentors or psionic guilds they learn from, or could be completely random. Such is fate] Here are some examples of displays for commonly psionic races:
ILLITHIDKIN
Material: Oozing, fluid translucent ectoplasmic slime of nearly any color that runs and drips off of the targets as it evaporates is common, part of the races oft-described "slimy" appearance.
Audio: Many audio displays of the illithids are instead replaced with taste displays… unsavory aftertastes of the mind-flayers preferred diet - live brains, becoming palatable to thoes within the area…
Mental: Constant crowd noise and echoes, as Illithids use telepathy exclusive to communicate amongst themselves.
GITHZERI
Githzari displays are often chaotic in the extreme, varying from day to day or even between each manifestation, often incorporate projections and echoes of limbo (random elemental surges, the sent of sallad, et cetera). Note that any Falatar dwarves or gnomes would most likely have at least a few Githzeri like displays, given the origin of their psionic training.
GITHYANKI
Githyanki displays are tied to the nature of their home in the Astral plane, astral skyscapes and faintly shimmering silver chords, material displays behaving as if there was no gravity, echoes of psychic storms, color pools et cetera.
YUAN-TI
The psionics of the Yuan-Ti, as demon worshipers, are often accompanied by flame and darkness, screams of agony and despair, senses of unnatural terror blasts of brimstone and ash. Naturally they are often quite varied, in accordance with the chaotic nature of their dark masters.
YAN'TRELL [a mecuery blooded, innatly psionic race of creatures with an affinity for magnitisim and eletrical powers]
Common Yan'trell displays include unnatural magnetism (causing steel and iron weapons to be slightly tugged in their direction) bystanders getting slight headaches, and metals seaming to warp and writhe unnaturally for a moment or two as if alive. Also the scent of ozone is a tremendously common olfactory display, in general almost every psionic power used by a Yan'trell produces this.
I'm planning on making Hide Display work as follows: If you take the feat once, you can hid at most a single display from any power. Twice and you can hide two, et cetera. The displays as races idea was liberally stolen from some EN poster back when the PsiH first came out, and a few displays may have been from Calliban's excellent possible display list of the same circa.
On the nature of Ectoplasim
Ectoplasm is form without substance, devoid of the basic elemental structure which comprises normal matter. This proto-mater is naturally unstable, translucent (it can appear to have any color when created through a power) and amorphous. Ectoplasm evaporates as it absorbs the fundamental elemental building-blocks of the universe, becoming a very slight amount of normal matter in moments unless psionicly supported or fused. Psionic support is the default with any power with a non instantaneous duration - psionic energies actively the ectoplasm in the form the power creates. Instantaneous powers that create ectoplasm fuse it into a form, making it resistant to the absorption. Over time fused ectoplasm looses it's sheen and becomes more and more opaque and rock-like, it's color darkening until it's finally a deep hue resembling dark crystal. This takes anywhere from two to two thousand years, depending on a number of circumstances. Instantaneous spells that utilize unstable ectoplasm function differently - the ectoplasm created here instantly absorbs all of one element in an area, allowing the opposed element to become dominant for a brief moment (whitefire, for example, draws all of the elemental water into it, causing a momentary imbalance that favors fire).
Thin coatings evaporate in 1 round, thicker coatings in 1d4 to 1d12 rounds. It is weakly permeable to fluids such as air and water, so creatures trapped in it can breathe normally and creatures in gaseous or mist form are generally able to move through ectoplasm at a speed equal to their normal speed minus it's hardness (round down to nearest 5 feet / round, a speed of 0 means it's not possible). In planes not infused with the fundamental elements and energies of the inner planes ectoplasm never evaporates, and ectoplasmic dependent powers are enhanced becoming automatically extended for free. Powers that utilize unstable ectoplasm do not function in such places. While many powers draw ectoplasm from the astral plane by default, they are quite capable of creating it on their own, should the manifester be on a plane not continuos with the astral.
Feats & powers to follow, more world info with them. Any feedback much appreciated. Congratulations to anyone who made it to the end, it's a lot longer than I thought it would be, and still dosn't have a lot of flavor info I wanted to have...
Edit: Added some extra line breaks, since the forum dosn't do indentated paragraphs well.
Edit: Obssessive-compulsive formater at work. Also I know indentated isn't a word, but it amuses me too much to fix.
Psionic Classes -
Psions: As PsiH except as follows.
- 1d6 Hit Die.
- Proficiency with light armor and shields.
- Psions start with 4 psionic combat modes of their choice. At 1st level and every subsequent odd level, a psion may take a Psionic, Meta-Psionic, or Item Creation feat (all attack & defense modes are now available as psionic feats).
- Psions choose two disciplines as secondary, instead of using their key ability score for these disciplines they use the average of their key ability score and their ability score keyed to their primary discipline. For example, a Telepath with the secondary discipline of psycoportation uses the following formula to determine an effective Dex score: Cha + Dex / 2. The modifier from this score is added to the Telepath's Save DC rolls for psycoportive powers, and it likewise determines the maximum level of the psycoportive powers they may manifest. This applies only to psionic powers, not to psionic combat modes, ability score prerequisites for psionic feats or similar.
- At every even level the psion may 'advance' a single power, removing it from his list and taking a similar power of higher level (using actual power chains or simply DM's discretion) as part of his normal power progression(he must be able to learn this new power normaly, and it counts against his known powers). When he next gains a level of psion the slot the advanced power occupied is now free and he can learn a new power with it.
Psyhic Warriors: As per PsiH.
The intent here is to change the psion class a bit, making them more robust. I wanted to focus on the psionic feat angle more than the powers, to add to the different 'feel' if psions vs. magic. The feats are free, the Resculpt Mind feat struck me as a bad idea… also I hope to make psionic combat modes (and meta-psionic combat feats) more attractive, as detailed below, and thus don't feel the need to railroad all psions to take all the combat modes, they will hopefully be valuable enough to warrant being taken simply because they're useful, not because of a silly hard fast rule.
The secondary diciplines are an altered form of the variant rule in If Thoughts Could Kill. That rule fully replaces the secondary ability scores with the primary. While this is a bit more fair, it struck me as a bit wrong, flavor wise. A dwarven savant with 20 natural con and 5 natural Cha shouldn't be better with telepathic powers than a 18 Cha elven telepath, secondary disciplines or not. One of the things I like about psionics is the total lack of any 'dump' stats, and simply replacing this would change that far to much for me. At any rate, this psion is more about the feats than the powers, and this change to the variant rule helps keep the focus there. Likewise the power point chart in ITCK would again further enhance the power-using ability, so instead I gave the psion a d6 HD and light armor & shields, which should help a bit in actual combat, and help multi-classing psions, something I want to encourage.
While I intend to add the power-scaling variant from ITCK as a psionic feat, I also want some freedom for psions not focused on damage spells to learn powers that are of mild use at high levels at lower levels, thus the power chain ability.
Psionic Combat -
Psionic Attack Modes are attacks, as much as trips and disarms. You do not threaten any area with a psionic attack mode (unless you have the threatening psyche feat). When making a psionic attack, you add your Base Attack bonus to the saving throw DC, possibly allowing iterative attacks, but you only add the bonus you have gained from levels of psionic classes. Mind-blast is a special case, it requires a full attack, and the base attack bonus is divided evenly among all creatures within the area of effect of small or greater size. (Anything smaller than that is affected, but not counted when your BAB is divided).
The non-psionic buffer is still effective against psionic combat. However, if you are currently stunned because of a psionic combat mode, your non-psionic buffer is saturated and the psionic energy of any further attacks can begin to erode the psionic pathways into your mind and body that psionic creatures naturally possess. You take one half ability score damage from any such psionic attack, but the further stun duration is also halved. Halve the normal damage, round down and apply as both a stun and ability score damage (minimum ability score damage of from a successful attack is 1 point, there's no minimum stun duration), subsequent stun duration overlaps. For mind blast roll 3d4 for stun and separately roll 1d4 for Cha damage, then halve each. Non-psionic creatures who have zero for an ability score affected by such an attack take permanent ability score damage as the psionic energies erode away the non-psionic buffer and force open the paths of their mind and body from without, rather than from within as is natural with psionic creatures.
The intent is to make psionic combat as viable as melee combat for the psychic warrior, and as viable as powers for the psion against psionic opponents, and to make it still have some bite against non-psionic opponents. Thus I made psionic combat dangerous, in fact, it may be too dangerous, but there are special defenses against them (the defense modes & non-psionic buffer) so it could work. The division was the best way I could think of to keep mind-blast from getting out of hand, it's the attack mode I'd really consider potentially abusive (the size limit is to prevent worrying about misquotes and such). Could this work? It makes psyhic warriors very very scary, would they become too versatile if they had this sort of ability? (remember - unlike the psion I re-worked above, the psy warrior doesn't have to give anything up to get every combat mode, they're automatic) It certainly lets the option of really being a psychic warrior open, at least, rather than just a psionic fighter… though cutting down the number of combat modes received may be in order, so if they want more they can take them with their bonus feats. Opinions? Am I just insane?
Specific Power Balance Adjustments-
Psionics work well, as I see it, by granting access to power levels one level after wizards, because a number of key powers are one level lower than their arcane counterparts. And as a psion only discovers powers within his discipline at that first level he gain access to only powers certain of his specially before wizards. (a telepath gets suggestion at 4th, the wizard gets it at 5th, a sorcerer at 6th). However psycoportation was overlooked in this regard, IMHO. Most psycoportive powers are the same level as their arcane counterparts, which leaves some levels above divine spells in some cases. So I've re-arranged the power levels a bit to fix this. I've also fixed a few things that simply looked a bit weird (like the terrible 5th level power Flaming Shroud with it's reflex negates save and limit to large or smaller creatures).
Change the following powers
Dimension Slide - level becomes 2
Dimension Door - level becomes 3
Time Hop - At the manifesters discretion the duration can be set from 3 to 18 rounds (rather than rolled). However using the power like this limits it to willing targets.
Control Air - This power's effects can extend outside of it's range, unlike most powers and spells. (this was a pre errata change, and I prefer it to the erratad version, myself)
Schism - Manifesting powers with the second partition of your personality does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Ethereal Jaunt - level becomes 5
Etherealness - level becomes 6
Flaming Shroud - Change save from reflex negates to none. Reduce damage to 2d6 bludgeoning, 5d6 fire. [the psion's Ice Storm]
Boicurrent - Clarification: You can control the primary and secondary target for this power. When a target dies the power randomly arcs to a new target within range, but you can shift this to a target of your choice on your next action.
Plane Shift - level becomes psion 6
Probability Travel - level becomes psion 5. Targets are limited to one additional creature per 4 levels, rather than per 2 levels. You may substitute up to 200 pounds of unliving matter as a single 'target'.
The nature of psionics -
Psionics are an innate power, a potential that exists in every living creature and even, at times, persists into death, undeath or is imbedded into constructs by their creators. Scholars differ greatly on the exact nature of psionics, though the most commonly held theory is that they are either a remnant of the powers of an ancient and supreme god, goddess or pantheon now long lost to time, their power spread across all the inhabitants of the planes. Psionics are a fundamentally different force from arcane or divine magic, though their compatibility is very close. Psionics, as a rule, are a universal and consistent power across the multiverse, unlike magic psionic powers are not inherently affected by the nature of the planes, with a few rare exceptions, primarily in demi-planes specifically created to augment or hinder psionics and in the realms of deities with an interest in psionics…
Psionics are different, but compatible -
These are a set of variant psionics are different rules. They allow the two to affect each other, but at slightly reduced strength, and only if you specifically know what you're facing.
Psionics and magic are highly related, far more so than the default psionics are different rules. The following spells / powers can be used in two forms, one affecting psionics, one affecting magic (listed in that order for psionic manifestations, and the reverse for spells). The form used is chosen upon casting / manifestation. Any unlisted power or spell (Dimensional Anchor, See Invisibility, Freedom of Movement et cetera) works at full effect against both magic and psionics, without the user needing to choose one or the other. Theses spells simply work to counter the end effect, not the inherent source of that effect.
Spell Resistance and Power Resistance
Magical creatures with innate SR have PR equal to their SR - 2. Psionic creatures likewise possess SR = PR - 2. This does not apply to items or spell that grant SR or PR, only class and racial features.
Supernatural Abilities
Clarification - Supernatural abilities are magical by default. Innately psionic creatures with supernatural abilities and supernatural abilities granted from levels gained in psionic classes are psionic.
Powers
Ablating: Ablating and Aegis. Ablating only functions against psionic negation. Aegis functions against magical dispelling, however it only adds +4 to dispelling DC.
Aura Alteration: Aura Alteration and Arcane Alteration. Arcane Alteration does not grant a +2 bonus to the saving throw when used to remove magical effects.
Catapsi: Catapsi and Spelljamming. A spelljamming field doubles the casting time of all spells within the area of effect. Free action spells are cast as one action spells, one action spells take one full action to cast, full round spells take a full round and a subsequent move-equivalent action to cast and any spell with a casting time in rounds has it's casting time double.
Detect Psionics: Detect Psionics and Detect Magic. Detect magic suffers a -2 penalty to the spellcraft check.
Negate Psionics : Negate Psionics and Negate Magic. You suffer a -2 penalty to all negation checks with negate magic.
Null Psionics Field : Null Psionics Field and Null Magic Field. Null Magic Field has a one full round manifestation time.
Power Resistance : Power Resistance and Spell Resistance. Spell Resistance only grants SR = 10 + level.
Power Turning : Power Turning and Spell Turning. Spell turning only reflects 1d4+4 levels of powers
Reddopsi: Reddopsi and Reflect. Reflect has a one full round manifestation time.
Sense Psionics: Sense Psionics and Sense Magic. Sense magic has an area and range of only 1 mile/ 2 levels.
Spells
Antimagic shell: Antimagic shell and Antipsionic shell. Antipisonic field has a full round casting time.
Detect Magic : Detect Magic and Detect Psionics. Detect psionics suffers a -2 penalty to the psicraft check.
Dispel Magic: Dispel Magic and Dispel Psionics. Dispel psionics has a -2 penalty to all dispelling checks.
Globe of Invulnerability: Globe of Invulnerability and Globe of Psionic Protection. The globe of psionic protection has a full round casting time.
Greater Dispelling: As per dispel magic.
Minor Globe of Invulnerability: Minor Globe of Invulnerability and Minor Globe of Psionic Protection. The minor globe of psionic protection has one full round casting time.
Spell Resistance: Spell Resistance and Power Resistance. Power resistance only grants PR = 10 + level.
Spell Turning : Power Turning and Spell Turning. Power turning only reflects 1d4+4 levels of powers.
[I changed antimagic field back to shell in order to preserve some of the mystical feeling of magic vs. the harder, more natural philosophy feel of psionics. Psionic names aren't really rigorously scientific, but they're a step farther in that direction. That and I like how Antimagic Shell sounds better, anyway.]
In general, crossing between magic and psionics either increases the casting / manifestation time to one full round, or hampers checks -2. Hopefully this will be simple, consistent, and easy to apply, while also retaining a distinct flavor of difference each.
Displays -
Displays only persist for the round of manifestation in most cases. This is the norm, and anything else is handled on a case by case basis. In general any single psionic will have similar displays for most of his powers (unless the power itself suggests something different. Agitate matter, for example, may often have a visual display of the area within a five foot radius growing darker and seemingly bending light as and the target being placed under the influence of bright ambient light as light is focused on him like a giant, three dimensional magnifying glass burning an ant). The player is free to customize his displays on any sort of level he wishes. All of his visual displays could be bursts of green light from his eyes, or he may use the scent of burning metal for all psikokenetic powers olfactory displays or he may even specify the displays on a power by power basis. Once chosen a single power should not have it's displays change without good reason, however. As always the DM has the final say on the exact nature of each display.
While the exact displays laid out for each power in the psionic handbook are rarely important the number of displays should always be adhered to, unless you wish to add more for some reason. For instance a psion with cold based displays may wish to add a Ma display to float: Whatever substance the creature is held suspended in is chilled and small bits of it are solidified, causing ice crystals to bob to the surface of water for example (of course in non-water based fluids the solidified bits would generally sink).
As a general rule the generic [default] displays for psionics are closely tied to race, almost as much as sorcerery. Nearly every innately psionic race has a set of constant and standard racial displays, though exceptions are fairly common. Races that are not psionic typicaly follow the displays of any mentors or psionic guilds they learn from, or could be completely random. Such is fate] Here are some examples of displays for commonly psionic races:
ILLITHIDKIN
Material: Oozing, fluid translucent ectoplasmic slime of nearly any color that runs and drips off of the targets as it evaporates is common, part of the races oft-described "slimy" appearance.
Audio: Many audio displays of the illithids are instead replaced with taste displays… unsavory aftertastes of the mind-flayers preferred diet - live brains, becoming palatable to thoes within the area…
Mental: Constant crowd noise and echoes, as Illithids use telepathy exclusive to communicate amongst themselves.
GITHZERI
Githzari displays are often chaotic in the extreme, varying from day to day or even between each manifestation, often incorporate projections and echoes of limbo (random elemental surges, the sent of sallad, et cetera). Note that any Falatar dwarves or gnomes would most likely have at least a few Githzeri like displays, given the origin of their psionic training.
GITHYANKI
Githyanki displays are tied to the nature of their home in the Astral plane, astral skyscapes and faintly shimmering silver chords, material displays behaving as if there was no gravity, echoes of psychic storms, color pools et cetera.
YUAN-TI
The psionics of the Yuan-Ti, as demon worshipers, are often accompanied by flame and darkness, screams of agony and despair, senses of unnatural terror blasts of brimstone and ash. Naturally they are often quite varied, in accordance with the chaotic nature of their dark masters.
YAN'TRELL [a mecuery blooded, innatly psionic race of creatures with an affinity for magnitisim and eletrical powers]
Common Yan'trell displays include unnatural magnetism (causing steel and iron weapons to be slightly tugged in their direction) bystanders getting slight headaches, and metals seaming to warp and writhe unnaturally for a moment or two as if alive. Also the scent of ozone is a tremendously common olfactory display, in general almost every psionic power used by a Yan'trell produces this.
I'm planning on making Hide Display work as follows: If you take the feat once, you can hid at most a single display from any power. Twice and you can hide two, et cetera. The displays as races idea was liberally stolen from some EN poster back when the PsiH first came out, and a few displays may have been from Calliban's excellent possible display list of the same circa.
On the nature of Ectoplasim
Ectoplasm is form without substance, devoid of the basic elemental structure which comprises normal matter. This proto-mater is naturally unstable, translucent (it can appear to have any color when created through a power) and amorphous. Ectoplasm evaporates as it absorbs the fundamental elemental building-blocks of the universe, becoming a very slight amount of normal matter in moments unless psionicly supported or fused. Psionic support is the default with any power with a non instantaneous duration - psionic energies actively the ectoplasm in the form the power creates. Instantaneous powers that create ectoplasm fuse it into a form, making it resistant to the absorption. Over time fused ectoplasm looses it's sheen and becomes more and more opaque and rock-like, it's color darkening until it's finally a deep hue resembling dark crystal. This takes anywhere from two to two thousand years, depending on a number of circumstances. Instantaneous spells that utilize unstable ectoplasm function differently - the ectoplasm created here instantly absorbs all of one element in an area, allowing the opposed element to become dominant for a brief moment (whitefire, for example, draws all of the elemental water into it, causing a momentary imbalance that favors fire).
Thin coatings evaporate in 1 round, thicker coatings in 1d4 to 1d12 rounds. It is weakly permeable to fluids such as air and water, so creatures trapped in it can breathe normally and creatures in gaseous or mist form are generally able to move through ectoplasm at a speed equal to their normal speed minus it's hardness (round down to nearest 5 feet / round, a speed of 0 means it's not possible). In planes not infused with the fundamental elements and energies of the inner planes ectoplasm never evaporates, and ectoplasmic dependent powers are enhanced becoming automatically extended for free. Powers that utilize unstable ectoplasm do not function in such places. While many powers draw ectoplasm from the astral plane by default, they are quite capable of creating it on their own, should the manifester be on a plane not continuos with the astral.
Feats & powers to follow, more world info with them. Any feedback much appreciated. Congratulations to anyone who made it to the end, it's a lot longer than I thought it would be, and still dosn't have a lot of flavor info I wanted to have...
Edit: Added some extra line breaks, since the forum dosn't do indentated paragraphs well.
Edit: Obssessive-compulsive formater at work. Also I know indentated isn't a word, but it amuses me too much to fix.
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