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<blockquote data-quote="dbm" data-source="post: 9625071" data-attributes="member: 8014">I answered ‘yes’ but the answer is more like ‘it depends’. Which isn’t a no…Where psionics are in-genre they clearly need to be there. GURPS Psionics was mentioned already and it is a great set of psionics rules, very evocative of psionics in fiction (especially Julian May’s Galactic Milieu / Many Coloured Lands books).Rolemaster was also mentioned and Mentalism magic is a great implementation of psionics abilities IMO. The rules really differentiate it in terms of both the things it can do (lots of telepathy, telekinesis etc while little elemental magic or direct healing of others) and the limitations it imposes (helmets really mess with Mentalism, and helmets are really important in Rolemaster…).The differentiation doesn’t need to be super crunchy to be effective, either. Savage Worlds psychic abilities have different assumed ‘trappings’ to other types of powers like hermetic magic, for example. While these are all about the flavour the GM is encouraged to take them into consideration when adjudicating actions. For example, psychic abilities tend to be less visible than ‘flashy’ magic but might have limitations as a result of how they are described by their player. Additionally, Savage Worlds has many edges which are tied to specific types powers to make them more mechanically differentiated. For example, there is an edge which makes resisting mind powers more difficult, which only psychics can buy. People with wizardry have different beneficial edges open to them.When would I not want psionics? Really only in either totally grounded games where such things have no place, or when they are poorly implemented and it isn’t adding any fun in play.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="dbm, post: 9625071, member: 8014"] I answered ‘yes’ but the answer is more like ‘it depends’. Which isn’t a no… Where psionics are in-genre they clearly need to be there. GURPS Psionics was mentioned already and it is a great set of psionics rules, very evocative of psionics in fiction (especially Julian May’s Galactic Milieu / Many Coloured Lands books). Rolemaster was also mentioned and Mentalism magic is a great implementation of psionics abilities IMO. The rules really differentiate it in terms of both the things it can do (lots of telepathy, telekinesis etc while little elemental magic or direct healing of others) and the limitations it imposes (helmets really mess with Mentalism, and helmets are really important in Rolemaster…). The differentiation doesn’t need to be super crunchy to be effective, either. Savage Worlds psychic abilities have different assumed ‘trappings’ to other types of powers like hermetic magic, for example. While these are all about the flavour the GM is encouraged to take them into consideration when adjudicating actions. For example, psychic abilities tend to be less visible than ‘flashy’ magic but might have limitations as a result of how they are described by their player. Additionally, Savage Worlds has many edges which are tied to specific types powers to make them more mechanically differentiated. For example, there is an edge which makes resisting mind powers more difficult, which only psychics can buy. People with wizardry have different beneficial edges open to them. When would I not want psionics? Really only in either totally grounded games where such things have no place, or when they are poorly implemented and it isn’t adding any fun in play. [/QUOTE]

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