Paul Farquhar
Legend
Paranormal includes subnatural as well as supernatural.Is paranormal generally read as being closer to the mundane than supernatural? (But then I think of X-files and I guess not).
Paranormal includes subnatural as well as supernatural.Is paranormal generally read as being closer to the mundane than supernatural? (But then I think of X-files and I guess not).
What definition are you using for subnatural and do you have a favorite relevant sentence?Paranormal includes subnatural as well as supernatural.
Maybe?What definition are you using for subnatural and do you have a favorite relevant sentence?
I'd appreciate if you did, because without it I'm struggling with your last post (and a quick Google didn't help).Maybe?
"sub-": less thanI'd appreciate if you did, because without it I'm struggling with your last post (and a quick Google didn't help).
They aren't effectively synonyms within the context of comparing science fiction and fantasy.Tautologies are really getting out of hand, supernatural and paranormal are effectively synonyms. What's next, different rules for hand-to-hand combat and melee?
Psionics in a sci-fi D&D
How? Explain an actual functional metaphysical difference, not one that is merely circular semantics.They aren't effectively synonyms within the context of comparing science fiction and fantasy.
I am glad someone remembers what the topic of the thread was. Most people seemed to instantly ignore it, and merely started talking about introducing psionics into fantasy D&D.Whatever you think about any of the above, this entire thread is about implementing psionics in a sci-fi setting of 5E, so for the purposes of this thread, psionics is sci-fi, not fantasy.
No.The definition of what is and isn't science in fiction is entirely defined within the fiction itself. Their plausibility outside of fiction is irrelevant. It's why science fiction that falls outside of the narrow category of "hard sci-fi" is still called science fiction and not fantasy. Magic is magic because the fiction defines as so. When magic isn't magic, but just "sufficiently advanced science," again, it's because the fiction defines it so. If psionics is tapping into some "other," like the Force, then it could be plausibly compared to magic, but say if it's the result of using mechanical implants to harness and amplify unused portions of the brain, then it doesn't matter that the concept doesn't hold up under real world scientific scrutiny; pseudoscience is still within the purview of science in a fictional context, not magic.