Psionics: Yea or Nay?

[Umbran]

No, it's because John has been a martian all along. Hense, his long life, natural telepathic ability, and ability to interbreed with the egg laying martians.

John Carter was not physically transported to Mars. He "dies" on Earth and then finds himself there. If I recall correctly, this is deemed to be astral travel in the books. So, he's not in his original physical body while on Mars - his ability to interbreed then does not depend on normal biology.

That being said, he was nigh immortal, and could not remember ever having a childhood - so John Carter was no normal human.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I put "hesitant".

More accurately, though, I'd say, "It depends on the campaign."

 

[jefgorbach]

I started this discussion on another board, but I thought it'd be fun to repost it here where the population is larger and possibly more D&D centric. What do you think about the idea of psionics in a fantasy game like D&D? Not any specific implementation of them, but the very concept itself?

Depends on how you define "magic" in your world. Personally, its one of the fundamental forces like energy, life, and matter.

Clerics believe a Higher Being/Power controls how they may apply the Magical forces, while Mages rely upon gestures, material components, and difficult sounds to reinforce their concentration when manipulating that same force. Sorcerers realize the stage-tricks both employ are unnecessary complications for the ability comes from within, but only the Psionically aware seem to realize all thats needed is a clear head and unfaltering belief in thy Will be done.

The problem with Psionics in D&D isnt one of concept, but rather a series of failed attempts to separate it mechanically from the other branches of magic that have left both GMs and Players alike with bad impressions over the decades. Image if Artificers, Clerics, Druids, Mages and Sorcerers differed not only in their descriptive fluff regarding how Magic worked, but each utilized fundamentally different game mechanics. For example, each has an ability known as Clairvoyance ... do you want a single rule defining what it can/cant do ... or SIX??

 

[Doug McCrae]

John Carter was not physically transported to Mars. He "dies" on Earth and then finds himself there. If I recall correctly, this is deemed to be astral travel in the books. So, he's not in his original physical body while on Mars - his ability to interbreed then does not depend on normal biology.

And yet he can spring great distances and heights, lift and smash tremendous weights, due to the lower gravity of Mars. He's a proto-Superman. How can that be, if he has a Martian body?

 

[Herschel]

My vote is for a very strong yay. I love psionics; sometimes I wish it was the main magic system instead of the vancian fire and forget method.

Umm, Vancian isn't the main magic system in D&D. Hasn't been for a couple of years now.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Traditional "D&D" magic gives you a book of strange formulas created through experimentation where exact motions and exact words and exact materials are brought together to alter the world. The magic system is based in fantasy science and has its roots in a science fiction set of books.

Psionics involves you reaching out with your mind and your will and just changing the world all on it's own.

Quite frankly, psionics are more magical then "magic" is.

Besides, you aren't allowed to whine that psionics are too sci-fi when wizards have the Telekinesis spell.

 

[Otterscrubber]

I have never liked psionics in DND for some reason. No objective reason as to why i find magic ok and mind powers not, but that is the way it sits with me. At least for PCs. I don't have an issue with monsters using psionics, in fact I think Mind Flayers rule. But character with mind powers seem more like marvel comics to me than sword and sorcery.

 

[Mallus]

Besides, you aren't allowed to whine that psionics are too sci-fi when wizards have the Telekinesis spell.

Wasn't there a spell called "clone" in AD&D?

 

[coyote6]

Wasn't there a spell called "clone" in AD&D?

Yes, and in later editions as well.

Also, teleport -- coined in 1931, according to Wikipedia. Clairvoyance isn't exactly a medieval word, either, IIRC (1847 as a term for an extrasensory ability, according to this etymology). I think "astral projection" is a relatively recent idea, too, as such.

At some point, the powers of 18th-19th Century spiritualism begins to fade into 20th Century psionics. D&D uses plenty of them as plain old magic spells.

 

[Camelot]

I like psionics, but I can't put my finger on why they work. It just seems to fill a niche that arcane, divine, and primal magic don't. Primal and divine magic has you getting power from specific groups of greater beings, arcane magic is studied or inherited, and psionics are trained. Maybe it's because arcane magic is more of a science and psionics is more of an art.

Also, the title of this thread should be Psionics: Yea, Nay, or Meh.

T)