Rethinking Psionics

[1Mac]

You might be interested in Green Ronin's Psychic's Handbook (the rules of which are also found in their Advanced Player's Manual). It's a skill-based system similar to what I think you are after, the main difference being that each power gets its own skill.

 

[Crothian]

I think that reaction's a tad extreme. Just don't employ psionics are different.

If they aren't different then it just becomes another type of magic and we already have plenty of those.

 

[Rampant]

I don't see how it has to be psionics are different level different to be distinct. A mechanical distinction on the player's end is generally enough to distinguish them.

 

[Chronologist]

The Star Wars Saga Edition approach to "magic" in the form of force powers worked quite well, and I can see a variant of it working in Pathfinder. Each psionic power would have to be strong enough to compare with what a Sorcerer could do at that level.

The issue with the system is not the concept but the execution. Spellcasting in Pathfinder is straight-forward, when a Wizard casts fireball, that fireball is going to do the same damage regardless. However, if you need to make a check in order to see how strong your spell is, or if it will even work, then you're in serious trouble. Not the least being the unpredictable nature of the d20. You can reach the same result with d20+1 as you can with d20+20, so simply adding your level to the check won't work.

I advise you to stay away from skill-based magic. Truenaming tried it, and the system failed completely. Even the fixes that exist only mitigate the suck.

If you're dead-set on the idea, then check out The Codex of Spellshaping: The Twelve Circles. It's a homebrew system for 3.5, you cain find it at the Giant in the Playground forums, and it basically turns spells into manuevers, making casters like squishier, but more versatile martial adepts ala Tome of Battle. It's a good system, and fits your "cast and forget" mechanic nicely.