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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 3695152" data-attributes="member: 2011">"You can play a GOD, but you cannot display any god-like powers or else."That's a lame solution.My solution is as follows:1) Give every PC high utility low frequency "go to the well" options. For example, the first level Wizard finds a Wand of 5D6 Fireballs with 2 charges in it. He might not use it at level one, but he probably will use it sooner or later when things look desperate. But with only 2 charges, it is definitely something he should conserve for an opportune time. Good choices for high utility low frequency options are scrolls, potions, and wands, but even something like having an NPC owe the PCs a favor can be used as such an option.2) Create encounters of increasing frequency and difficulty. As a specific adventure progresses, each encounter tends to be slightly more difficult than the preceding one (with a few exceptions of some easier encounters just to break things up) and more back to back encounters occur, leading up to a climatic encounter at the end.In the case of Psionics, this forces the psionic PC to either conserve, or become nearly useless later on. Sure, the PCs can rest up for the night, but sometimes, this option results in more difficulties (e.g. giving the NPC opposition time to reinforce or to set up defenses or have NPCs get closer to the PC goal or whatever). And, what works for the psionic PC here also works for other PC spell casters. Going Nova might work real well against a given encounter, but it will use up resources that might be better used later on.To me, part of the fun of the game is to overcome significant challenges. Telling the player how to play his PC (or how not to play his PC as per "don't nova or else") does not enable him to do that. Letting him learn for himself is what will be fun for most players.So, I try to present significant challenges, but at the same time, I give the PCs additional high utility low frequency options so that even in those cold dice situations where everything appears to be going against the PCs, they still have those additional options to choose from. And going Nova or not is just another choice which will affect the overall outcome of the current adventure as much as it does the current encounter. Going Nova is a player choice, not a DM choice, and it will result in changes to future encounters by definition.Psionics are like any other game elements. They have pros and cons. It's easy to maintain balance with them if the DM allows both the pros and the cons to occur as opposed to just the pros.</blockquote>

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