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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 9362329" data-attributes="member: 3400">Well, depending on how you want psionics to work, they might be very similar to spell casting and magic in general... or not. But the farther you deviate from reskinning a spell caster class, the more work you have to do and the more you have to do to integrate it into the system that already exists. I think it's arguable that a psion could very well be much like a reskinned wizard but with their powers (reskinned spells) having a thematic that fits in with fictional tradition of psionics. But other things may need a more significant transformation.And here's where we would probably want some of that transformation beyond simple reskinning to be. Looking at fictional psychics - some seem to involve somatic components but is that always by necessity and should the downstream effects of treating them as somatic components apply? Tying a wizard up tends to make somatic components impossible - should a psion be similarly hampered? Professor X can usually use his mental powers even when physically restrained. Looking at the game engine, we probably want some kind of component so we can offer some restrictions on how the powers are deployed and how they might be countered. But we probably don't want to use the same ones wizards and other spellcasters use if we want satisfying psions rather than sloppy paint jobs on top of wizards. PF1 went with emotional and thought components - each of which could be disrupted under certain circumstances. But, honestly, I'm not that keen on them since neither is too disruptable via mundane means - unlike traditional spell casting components (gags, manacles, rope, taking a component pouch).And then, of course, we have the decision about whether or not psionics are truly magic and affectable in all the same ways (anti-magic field, counterspell, detect magic, dispel magic, magic resistance) or they're something else entirely. If the former, integration is easy. Not so with the latter.</blockquote>

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