What would get you to use psionics?

[Camarath]

So, in your particular case, what would convince you to let a player play a psionic character if you normally don't allow it?

When they incorporate the psionics rules into the core rule set I will consider allowing them into the game that I run.

They are a part of the core rule set. Take a look at the SDR.

 

[bret]

What would get me to use Psionics? Someone teaching me how to read minds.

Oh, you meant use Psionics in a game.

No problem, provided we were using the GURPS rules.

As for Psionics not being appropriate, I can think of a few different situations where Psi might be more appropriate than other forms of 'magic'. Seers able to foretell the future, people who see spirits when normal people don't detect anything, someone who can move objects without touching them. All of those seem very appropriate in many fantasy settings.

I think it would be easier to run WyrmTongue from Lord of the Rings as a Psionic. In my opinion, LotR qualifies as fantasy.

 

[ShadowX]

The problem with psionics in 3e is that they aren't different enough. They need more flavor if I was even going to think about using them. Right now everything psionic has an equivalent in core D&D. This being the case adding psionics for one person is probably too much work for very little pay off.

 

[Bagpuss]

If I ran a campaign without arcane and divine magic, then I would probably allow psionics. Simple as that, I don't see the need for another form of magic.

 

[Fenes 2]

I'd only run psionics if the "psionics is another form of magic" rules were in effect. I don't want to deal with the 2E idiocy where magic defenses were no use against psionics, and every villain had to be protected against psionics or was just a walk-over.

 

[rbingham2000]

Re: re

Psionics is redundant in a Fantasy world. I have always been of the opinion that Psionics is scifi's version of magic. It's not so much that it doesn't belong in a fantasy game, it just doesn't belong in a fantasy game with magic.

Think about it. A native citizen sees a Psionic use his power and a wizard, what the heck is he going to call what they do? Magic, in a fantasy world and psionics in a scifi world.

You've got that straight. If someone in a fantasy realm can read minds, move things around without touching them, see the future, or any of the other stuff that psionics are associated with, the people of that realm are not going to call what he does "psychic powers" or "psionics."

You have to remember that those terms came from the attempts of a scientific mindset to explain the freaky powers that these people possessed. People of the medieval age (or at least the pseudo-medieval age that many fantasy realms, D&D and otherwise, seem to be stuck in) would have called their powers "magic," "witchcraft," "sorcery," or some other term of a supernatural bent.

And you can bet that if magic is outlawed in the realm, the psionic in question will have the Inquisition (or whatever group is in charge of punishing magic-use) after his hide in short order no matter where his powers come from.

 

[just__al]

If somebody relased a kickass dyrni suppliment I might actually be tempted to play with psionics, just cause I dug the books. Otherwise, never as I don't think the rules fit in well with most d&d settings

 

[Delemental]

So, from responses thus far it appears that those who object to psionics do so not because of mechanics, but because of genre.

I suppose that I've never had as strong an association of psionics with sci-fi, though I admit that I can see the correlation. Perhaps I'm just enamored with the idea of psionics as a general concept, just as an alternative to the standard fighter-mage-rogue-cleric rotation.

That said, I agree with ShadowX that there's too much crossover between psionic powers and traditional spells. I'd prefer more unique powers.

 

[tburdett]

They are a part of the core rule set. Take a look at the SDR.

Just to let you know, the SRD is not D&D.

 

[Darkness]

So what little (or big) change would get you to say "yes" when a player asks to play a psion?

Assuming the new PsiHB due early next will be balanced and fun, I'll allow it if it fits the campaign world.