Why don't your players like psionics?

[Henry]

I was going to originally make this a poll, but I saw that we had something like 6 or 8 polls on the front page when I wrote this, so I'll go the more open route.

In my experience, I've allowed Psionic characters in games before - but no one wanted to play one. I mention it specifically before character creation, yet out comes the plethora of barbarians, fighters, paladins, wizards, clerics, and rogues - but not ONE psion. Every time.

I know I can't be the only one; I also know that the people on these forums who get stoked about Psionics are usually DM's full or part time.

So, if you are a DM, have you run into an impressive LACK of enthusiasm for psionics in your games? Players who will buy every Complete Splatbook there is, yet the only person in your group with a copy of a psionic book is you?

If you are a player, do you find yourself stifled from playing a psion by a DM not because it doesn't fit the world, but because he doesn't care to own that book, and so doesn't allow them?

Or do people think that the introduction of the XPH might alter that perception somewhat?

Psions may be due for an "image overhaul" like clerics were for 3E.

 

[diaglo]

it is yet another mechanic to add to a campaign. as a player it makes your character too unique many times.

so finding items, backstory, or other tidbits often feels like railroading or poorly placed.

many of the things can be done by magic users or magic items created to do the things psionics do.

psionics only work if they are used in the campaign as much as magic or with monsters (pro, neutral, and con to your ideals).

 

[Calico_Jack73]

I think part of it as a player is that psionic items are often overlooked as a treasure item. I've seen plenty of times where players get a sword or armor made of mithral but I've NEVER seen a DM hand out a sword or suit of armor made of that ectoplasmic metal (the name escapes me right now). The Psycoactive Skins are so cool that I'd love to play a Psion or Psychic Warrior and eventually get one but the cold hard facts are that most DMs never consider Psionic Items when handing out treasure. DMs typically never develop psionic villains for the party to fight either. Who cares about attack/defense modes when you'll never use them? Who wants to play a Psychic character in a world where they are the only psionic beings they ever meet?
My solution would be to tell the players up front that it will be a VERY psionic setting and then follow through on it. Let the party recover a couple psionically enchanted weapons. Make the BBG wipe the floor with them with psionics. Everyone has seen and knows how powerful magic is... show them the same with psionics.

Edit: I just remembered one particular encounter that made my players view psionics in a new light. To start with they were engaging a Githyanki raiding party. Let me start by saying that Githyanki can Ego Whip at will. At the beginning of the engagement all 10 members of the Githyanki party used their Ego Whip attacks on the obvious warrior types. Sure, the non-psionic buffer offers some defense but 10 attacks coming in on the two obvious warriors in the party... sure enough, at the warriors missed at least one of the saves and then suffered the 1d4 rounds of Stun. The following round some of the Githyanki charged past the stunned warriors to attack the Spellcasters from the front while some Dim-Doored behind to attack from the rear. By the time the warriors came out of their stun the Githyanki had already dealt quite a bit of damage to the casters.

 

[DemonKing]

Psionics rarely work in any campaign outside Dark Sun as they add an additional level of complexity and force the DM to do a stack load more work to make sure there are enough psionic opponents to challenge psionic PCs, which does tend to make life seem a little unrealistic.

Unless the campaign is built from the ground up with psionics in mind it is rarely worth the bother, IMHO.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

It would be nice if Wizards would put forth a classic fantasy campaign setting that incorporated psionics from the get-go instead of making it an add-on. The campaign setting that I submitted did but alas... they didn't pick it.

By the way, personally I don't consider Dark Sun "classic fantasy" though I am sure there are people that would argue me to death. Classic fantasy to me is Tolkien, Forgotten Realms, and Greyhawk types of settings. Planescape, Dark Sun, Kara-Tur, and Al Quadim are not classic fantasy settings to me. Once again, this is ONLY my personal opinion. Gotta put that disclaimer in there to ward off the flame attacks from the Dark Sun fanboys.

 

[Li Shenron]

As I wrote a few hours ago in a similar thread, for one campaign our DM let all the psionics classes and material from PsiHB available, but no one has ever chosen to be.

I don't think it's a big problem of complexity (we had a Chaos Mage for a little while, even more complicated than psionics but no problems), although of course something has to be added.

I rather had the feeling than no one liked the flavor of psionic powers at all. I cannot tell more about the other in the group, but at least I think psionics would be cooler in a game without the normal magic, but having both at the same time feels quite redundant for some reason.

As a DM, if someone IMC wanted to play a psion or psychic warrior I think I would have to accomodate the entire campaign for it, with psionic combat, monsters, items and so on... Maybe not, but I kind of have the idea that it could require quite a lot from the DM rather than the players.

 

[Henry]

As a DM, if someone IMC wanted to play a psion or psychic warrior I think I would have to accomodate the entire campaign for it, with psionic combat, monsters, items and so on... Maybe not, but I kind of have the idea that it could require quite a lot from the DM rather than the players.

In a current FR campaign, our DM is letting me use a Psion with the If Thoughts could Kill supplement from Malhavoc Press. We use magic/psionic transparency as the default, and to date I have encountered ONE psionic creature, and NO psionic items. But the DM has not noted to me any balance problems, and I haven't truly felt slighted, either. I AM Faerun's foremost collector of dull grey Ioun stones, however. But so far, it's worked pretty well.

 

[Wolffenjugend]

Too sci-fi for us.

 

[DragonLancer]

In a change to the published material, I use psionics in my Dragonlance game. But we have only ever had one psionic character.
My players generally see them as being too underpowered in class abilities but with a mix of powers that are either (again) underpowered or overpowered and broken.

Personally, I think psionic's are better in 3.0 than in 2nd. I haven't pikced up the Revised PsiBook yet so I can't comment on what they may think of the new rules.

 

[BronzeDragonPitt]

Psionics rarely work in any campaign outside Dark Sun as they add an additional level of complexity and force the DM to do a stack load more work to make sure there are enough psionic opponents to challenge psionic PCs, which does tend to make life seem a little unrealistic.

Unless the campaign is built from the ground up with psionics in mind it is rarely worth the bother, IMHO.

I'd say go look at the Codex Arcanis from Paradigm. Not only are psionics built into it from the get go, the races have some interesting varients (I particularly like the Arcanis verisions of elves). It has politics, intrigue, and it's a beliveable set up. In my opinion, which probably doesn't mean much to most folks since I'm not famous or a regular reviewer or anything, it's one of the best non-WOTC settings out there.

Now if only I had the time to play the Living Arcanis from the rpga at cons, I'd be even happier.

Cordially,

Eric
Pittsburgh, PA