Psionics in Eberron

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by Ralcos:

Kind of a noobish question, but...

How are psionics viewed in Eberron?
I know it's my own setting if it doesn't say, but I want to know how they would "usually" react.
Just curious.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by Ogiwan:

Uhhhh, frankly, I doubt that it would be anything more extreme than a raised eyebrow, and maybe a few curious questions....the only people who use psionics, TMK, are Riedrans and Kalashtar. So, in Khorvaire, a small minority.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by Madfox11:

Considering the core canon of psionics being fueled by the Far Realm, also known as Xoriat in Eberron, than I can imagine certain cults of the Dragon Below (the ones worshiping Delkyr and their creations) would also practice it. If you follow the core canon of psionics being a weapon of reality against the Far Realm, having members of the Gatekeepers using it would also make sense. Eberron canon as Ogiwan points out have it as something Riedran's (and hence Kalashtar) use and don't discuss it much in depth. Considering Eberron's attitude toward magic, I agree with Ogiwan that most would just consider it a form of magic and never realize the difference. 

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by Elton74:

Kind of a noobish question, but...

How are psionics viewed in Eberron?
I know it's my own setting if it does'nt say, but I want to know how they would "usually" react.
Just curious.

Psionics DM here.

Okay, I'm coming at this from a 3.5 edition perspective, and pretty soon (judging from the panel they had, since they are being much nicer this time) a 5e perspective when they write psionics into that.  Psionics is pretty much embraced by Eberron.  The rules were written to be officially supported from the beginning, but they were written in such a way that those who were off put by psionics won't have to deal with it.  That being said, psionically active are pretty much everywhere. 

The House Deneith enclave in Sharn has been infiltrated and co-opted by the Dreaming Dark; most everyone in the enclave with the Mark of Sentinel is psychically active.  There is a small community of Kalashtar in Stormholme called Stillstone Holt.

The first trilogy written by Keith Baker had psionic foes.  And in Secrets of Sarlona, there are a lot of opportunity to adventure for psionic and magic alike.  As for considering Eberron's Attitude towards magic, psionics was flavorly nerfed in Fourth.  So, I was disappointed with psionics in Fourth but still I was willing to play one (you are either a telepath or a psychokineticist -- I really wanted to play a shaper [GREEN LANTERN is my favorite DC comic]).  So Eberron of Fourth would treat it as magic. 

However, in 3.5, we were allowed to build on the mysteries of Psionics.  As DMs, we could really get a cold war feeling going on, and if we wanted to, crank up the feeling to the level to 1950's and 1960's hysteria about Nuclear War about the Dreaming Dark.  Granted, it's not cannon, but we could do that.   In the first trilogy, a Dreaming Dark agent got the party to mistake a Kalashtar as an Inspired, giving us DMs leeway of creating a feeling of hysteria around Kalashtar.   Are they kalashtar, or are they dreaming dark? kind of a deal.

In the Morgrave University Students Protest thread, I suggested a group protesting that they aren't receiving funding for their fringe science experiments.  I should of suggested a para-psychology department who investigates -- what else -- psychic phenomena.  They investigate claims of psychic telepathy and try to find out if it's different from magic.  However, the in the club are conspiracy nuts (not all of them), as some of them wear tinfoil hats and carry PKE meters (that work off magic).  The reason why they wear tinfoil hats is because tinfoil is supposed to reflect invasive thoughts from the House Deneith guards guarding Morgrave University.

I can actually break out GURPS Illuminati and really have a blast in a D&D Eberron game, as for that matter goes.  You actually have a threat (the Inspired Deneith) to wear Tinfoil Hats to protect your thoughts, but none of the other students take you seriously.  In fact, I can take it beyond psionics, but since this thread is  about psionics, I'll stop here and start an Illuminati thread.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by Ogiwan:

The House Deneith enclave in Sharn has been infiltrated and co-opted by the Dreaming Dark; most everyone in the enclave with the Mark of Sentinel is psychically active.

As well as being HOSTS FOR THE QUORI SPIRITS.

Honestly? That's one of my favorite pieces in Sharn: City of Towers, as well as being a delicious plot hook for the Dreaming Dark.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by Hellcow:

The main point is that psionics are rare on Khorvaire, and the common person on the street simply doesn't have the expertise to recognize the difference between psionic powers and sorcery. Psionics don't raise an eyebrow because people don't realize they should be raising eyebrows. Those who are saving enough to tell the difference will find it unusual, but it's more "exotic" than "disturbing"; psionics are a basic tool of civilization in Sarlona, and people who recognize it would be more likely to say "Huh, did you study with a kalashtar?" than "OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

With that said, Madfox11 is quite right; my 3.5 Dragon article on the Cults of the Dragon Below notes that wilders in particular are not uncommon among the Cults. Psionic energy is often drawn from Dal Quor or Xoriat. The quori techniques are more about discipline, imposing will over reality; the Xoriat techniques are more wild and primal, madness forced into the world. but that doesn't make either one innately good or evil; you can be using "Xoriat techniques" without having any sort of aberrant taint.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by AvonRekaes:

I always liked to highlight the difference between "xoriat techniques" and "dal quor techniques" as being based on emotion.

For instance, the Dreaming Dark pyrokineticist would look at you, and a pin-point beam of fire would shoot out at you when he manifests an energy lance. If he said anything, it would be a cold, dispassionte "...Burn.".

The Cult of the Dragon Below pyrokineticist would go: "YOUR FLESH WILL BURN UNDER THE WEIGHT OF MY FUUUUURRRRRRYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHARRNAABTGNAGLE!" and a jagged lance of wild flame would fly out at you as the veins on his neck and forehead become visible and his face turns red. Still the same power.

One of these things would look like a Silent Stilled Scorching Ray. The other... might turn some heads.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by Hellcow:

The Cult of the Dragon Below pyrokineticist would go: "YOUR FLESH WILL BURN UNDER THE WEIGHT OF MY FUUUUURRRRRRYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHARRNAABTGNAGLE!" and a jagged lance of wild flame would fly out at you as the veins on his neck and forehead become visible and his face turns red. Still the same power.

Absolutely. To me, one is shaping reality as one might sculpt a dream; the other is madness imposed upon reality.