Psionics- Love 'em, hate 'em, don't care about 'em?

[darjr]

I loved the bit of psionics in first ed that wasn't like spells. Id insinuation, and ego whip, and psion combat! Though I didn't like it in play. It went kinda like old school Shadowrun hacking did. You'd send everyone away while it went on cause it was going to be a bit before everyone got to act again.

Though something like the above for newer games I would love, something that didn't bog down during play and allowed some of the psycological attacks and defenses to work even with non-psions to a degree, instead of just the blast.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I loved the bit of psionics in first ed that wasn't like spells. Id insinuation, and ego whip, and psion combat! Though I didn't like it in play. It went kinda like old school Shadowrun hacking did. You'd send everyone away while it went on cause it was going to be a bit before everyone got to act again.

Though something like the above for newer games I would love, something that didn't bog down during play and allowed some of the psycological attacks and defenses to work even with non-psions to a degree, instead of just the blast.

I agree. I'd enjoy seeing these reworked.

 

[Kinak]

I agree. I'd enjoy seeing these reworked.

Have you tried Mindscapes/Hyperconcious? I haven't personally, but I know they were another stab at those. I'm curious what your thoughts are if you did try them.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Minigiant]

I don't mind psionics. I like its existence in most settings but I like it as a rarity in D&D. I don't much like it having a commanding force in a setting's culture. The "other magic", like pact magic, that the pointy hats don't like people knowing about.

 

[innerdude]

Love 'em, wish they'd replace "Vancian" magic completely, and let's just do away with the whole, "It's psionics, it's mind magic, it's different" schtick and just call it "magic."

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Have you tried Mindscapes/Hyperconcious? I haven't personally, but I know they were another stab at those. I'm curious what your thoughts are if you did try them.

Cheers!
Kinak

I haven't. Sorry.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Hate hate hate with irrational hate, since 1E.

I've found their either game-breaking (sometimes in game, sometimes out of game) or superfluous.

YMMV.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I always am ambiguous about psionics cos it still has never been properly differentiated from magic in any game I have seen. It is just magic by another name. What is the difference between and sorcerer with in built magic and psionicist with in build magic, uh, from the mind? No dif. Also the crystal and ectloplasm crap is the worst new age rubbish fluff that I have ever seen, awful. So if I see one differentiated enough I'd be happy to see it.

Strangely though totally OP and ridiculous 1E psionics were dif enough from magic to be worthy of a place. An option to add psionic power onto your PC (at the expense of XP or something) is good to me. Makes it different.

 

[darjr]

Have you tried Mindscapes/Hyperconcious? I haven't personally, but I know they were another stab at those. I'm curious what your thoughts are if you did try them.

Cheers!
Kinak

No I have not. But I think I'm going to check them out. Thanks!

 

[sabrinathecat]

1st ed: way too powerful, but mercifully extremely rare.
2nd ed: way too powerful, too much accounting, and just annoying.
3rd ed: don't know, never used it.
4e: still way too much accounting, didn't like the way it ran the couple times I tried it.
Honestly, the best thing to do is skip it. Save it for Star Wars or Super-hero games.