Psychic's Handbook: Has Anybody used it?

[Macbeth]

I just picked up the Psychic's Handbook by Green Ronin, and I'm very impressed. I know the book is new, but has anybody used it? How does the Psychic stack up to the bas classes? How well does a bas class character with some psuchic skills work?

 

[Asmo]

I can´t help you here, but I can bump it for sure. Our group never uses psionics.
But I´m sure that someone can give you an opinion, someone must have used Green Ronins Psychic's Handbook.

Asmo

 

[shadowlight]

I've only used it in d20 Modern (in a Dark*Matter-esque game). It's EXCELLENT! I'd say it's pretty balanced with the other classes, but I'm biased toward balancing with story rather than balancing with rules... and these rules are great for story-driven psychics.

 

[Snapdragyn]

I haven't used it, though I am interested in it. However, one glaring balance issue jumped right out at me -- a power (forget the name) that is psychic 'blink'.

Point cost? 3. DC to use the skill successfully? None -- it's an automatic success.

Um... so if my 4th level character with 27 hp & +2 INT bonus had this psychic skill, then using the Green Ronin psi system he could effectively use the skill EIGHT times to blink around in combat for TWENTY-FOUR ROUNDS (best case scenario, assumes he takes no damage). Meanwhile, a 5th level wizard using the arcane version of blink could cast it ONCE, & blink around for only FIVE rounds. Furthermore, after three hours of rest my level 4 char could do another 4 runs of the blink psi-ability for an additional 12 rounds of blinkage; the wizard could not.

Now, I'm hoping that in my quick perusal of the book I missed something about this skill. Something major. Something VERY major. Because otherwise, I have to wonder why not just have a 5-point skill 'channel tarrasque' & be done with it? *sigh*

 

[pensiv]

well. I would have used it by now if it weren't for the fact that my local Gamer's Paradise explained to me that they "never carry Green Ronin," in spite of the fact that they have all of the Mutants & Masterminds books.

I'll just have to wait until Sunday, when I go to my better, slightly less local game store - Games Plus

 

[Spatula]

Now, I'm hoping that in my quick perusal of the book I missed something about this skill. Something major. Something VERY major. Because otherwise, I have to wonder why not just have a 5-point skill 'channel tarrasque' & be done with it? *sigh*

You didn't miss anything, and it's not the only psychic skill that allows for higher-than-normal level effects. Which is the book's biggest flaw, and reminds me a bit too much of some of the problems with 2E psionics.

 

[JoeGKushner]

As a GM, I've used it for a few NPCs. I found them on average to be less powerful but more able to use their power.

For instance, no one will play a cleric so I banged out a phsychic healer. Okay but the limitations on healing make the class ideal for long term care, not necessarily short term.

Made one of the warriors too. He was cool, but between the fatigue damage and the high amounts of damage higher level characters can take, was always getting knocked out.

 

[Pramas]

I haven't used it, though I am interested in it. However, one glaring balance issue jumped right out at me -- a power (forget the name) that is psychic 'blink'.

Point cost? 3. DC to use the skill successfully? None -- it's an automatic success.

Um... so if my 4th level character with 27 hp & +2 INT bonus had this psychic skill, then using the Green Ronin psi system he could effectively use the skill EIGHT times to blink around in combat for TWENTY-FOUR ROUNDS (best case scenario, assumes he takes no damage). Meanwhile, a 5th level wizard using the arcane version of blink could cast it ONCE, & blink around for only FIVE rounds. Furthermore, after three hours of rest my level 4 char could do another 4 runs of the blink psi-ability for an additional 12 rounds of blinkage; the wizard could not.

Your comparison isn't exactly fair here. In your example, the psychic is using ALL of his available psychic power and taking 24 points of nonlethal damage, yet you are contrasting that with the use of a single spell by a wizard. So sure, a 5th level psychic could in theory use blink teleport eight times, but in that same period a 5th-level wizard could cast 4 0-level spells, 4 1st-level spells, 3 2nd-level spells, and another 3rd level spell if he had a 16 Int. Furthermore, the wizard does require a feat to do any of that (whereas the psychic needs to have the psychoportation feat and then spend skill points for the skill), nor does the wizard take any damage when casting his spells.

 

[Snapdragyn]

Your comparison isn't exactly fair here. In your example, the psychic is using ALL of his available psychic power and taking 24 points of nonlethal damage, yet you are contrasting that with the use of a single spell by a wizard.

True, & the wizard will be casting other spells as you mention. However, a 5th level rogue with the required feat is going to be getting 3d6 sneak attack damage each round (no flanking needed thanks to blink) while having only a 50% chance of being hit (unless concentration is required to maintain the feat -- again, I'm hoping my brief look missed something like that which would even it up). Did I miss that concentration is required, or that only members of the psychic class can take the feat?

If no concentration check is required & rogues can take it, I do think this particular power is unbalanced. Even if only a psychic can take it, I still think a 4rog/1psychic is going to be unbalanced in this particular narrow scenario against a 5 wizard -- you'd still get 2d6 sneak attack damage & be able to blink far more than the wizard. Not going to be of any use when you need to boost your resistance, mend an item, or any of the myriad of other things a wizard could do even with their 'lowly' 0-level spells, of course, but just to compare in a single battle.

Yes, it would take a feat -- but a feat that IMO would yield too good a result. I don't see how it would take any skill points, since there is no DC required to succeed (which might represent the easiest fix; just add a DC check to begin & another each round to continue until the maximum duration for the char is reached).

 

[Pramas]

True, & the wizard will be casting other spells as you mention. However, a 5th level rogue with the required feat is going to be getting 3d6 sneak attack damage each round (no flanking needed thanks to blink) while having only a 50% chance of being hit (unless concentration is required to maintain the feat -- again, I'm hoping my brief look missed something like that which would even it up). Did I miss that concentration is required, or that only members of the psychic class can take the feat?

All psychic feats require that you either have the Psychic Ability feat or the Wild Talent feat. In either case, if you are not a member of the psychic class or one of the p-classes from the book, all the psychic skills are cross-class for you. So, a rogue could gain Blink Teleport in two ways, either with two feats (Psychic Ability and Psychoportation) or one (Wild Talent, though this limits you to only one psychic skill). In either case, you could get a maximum of 4 ranks in Blink Teleport, for a cost of 8 skill points. Since ranks determine the duration of the ability, your 5th level rogue could use the ability for two rounds at the cost of 3 points of nonlethal damage and he'd have to spend a move action to activate the ability.