D&D General So… psionic powers are no longer purely mental?

[dave2008]

I think you should take a peek at the 2e and 3e psionic books.

Not likely for me. I haven't liked psionics in my D&D since 1e and I am not looking to change now.

Sure, but it's mental magic, so it will have a different flavor from divine or arcane.

I personally have always thought of arcane as the mental magic. I see psionics more likely socerery in that it is innate magic. In fact, in my D&D heart breaker there are (3) ways to have magic:

1. Spiritual: magic from another source that you borrow - divine, pact magic, etc. (clerics, paladins, warlocks, druids, etc.)
2. Arcane: magic harnessed from the ambient magic in the environment through study, words of power, foci, etc. (wizards, possibly artificers, etc.)
3. Innate: magic harnessed from within you (psions, sorcerers, etc.)

The thing with my system is that the innate caster is not class dependent. Is a straight buff. So a fighter can also be Psion or sorcerer with the right bloodline (or similar) and so can a wizard or cleric. It is simply layered on top of what they already have.

 

[Blue]

But then, the definition of hard scifi is "no magic", not "no psionics" … maybe Spock and the Jedis are actually mages or witches or whatever

Jedi are "force wielders", and that very well may translate to some sort of caster analog. Spock however is definitely well documented as using telepathic powers, not some sort of magic.

 

[Corinnguard]

The Jedi with their monastic nature are more like psychokinetic warrior monks. Way of the Jedi Monk.

Way of the Living Force
Way of the Unifying Force.

 

[Minigiant]

Here's the thing when it comes to movement words and gestures, when it comes to pscionics.

Typically, people who use psychic powers have to do some kind of emotion or say a freeze. In order to do there scionics

But..

You typically cant stop them from doing it by tying them up or covering their mouths.

You typically have to completely restrain them or silence them to halt their abilty to use their powers.

And typically since psionics is mental, a strong psychic/psionic can stop and focus to use their weakest powers even then.

So the noVS thing IMO is a level thing. No for Palawan. Maybe for knights. Yes for masters.