Psionics
Psionics are a type of mental discipline in which psionicists and wild talents use their minds to create effects. With psionics, a character can read minds, move objects without physically touching them, or travel across vast distances in an instant. This document explains the game mechanics used to run psionic characters as well as powers to get wild talent and psionicist heroes started. A few terms to keep in mind:
Psionics – The practice of extraordinary psychic powers. A character who has psionic abilities harnesses the power of his or her mind to produce a particular effect. Characters who have psionic powers are either psionicists or wild talents.
Psionicist – A character that uses the force of his or her mind to affect the environment and inhabitants around them.
Wild talent – A character from any class who has a natural psionic ability and at least one psionic power.
Using Psionics
Psionic energy can be shaped and used by psionicists and wild talents to produce desired effects called psionic powers. All psionic powers are grouped into one of five categories, or disciplines, based on how the energy is used. Two key concepts need to be presented before the rules of using psionics are further detailed. These are psionic strength points (PSPs) and mental attack rolls.
Psionic Strength Points (PSPs): Every psionic character has an internal store of psionic energy, represented as psionic strength points. These are used to activate powers, to focus psionic attacks, and to determine how much psychic damage a character can withstand.
Mental Attack Rolls: The success of a psionic attack against a mind (whether it is open or closed) is determined by a saving throw vs spell. These saving throws are modified based on the level of the psionicist as detailed below. Characters who are defending against a mental attack receive the modifier as a bonus to their save while those who are attacking with the mental attack bestow it as a penalty to the victim’s save. These saves are further modified by high ability scores key to the specific power as shown on Table 2 in much the same way as the level modifier is applied. Finally each power has its own modifier based on the difficulty of the ability. Negatives make the power harder to use and therefore are applied as either a penalty to any ability check required for activation or a bonus to the victim’s save.
For
example,
Table 1: Mental
Attack Roll Modifiers
Level Psionicist Wild talent
1 +0 +0
2 +0 +0
3 +1 +0
4 +1 +0
5 +1 +1
6 +2 +1
7 +2 +1
8 +2 +1
9 +3 +1
10 +3 +2
11 +3 +2
12 +4 +2
13 +4 +2
14 +4 +2
15 +5 +3
16 +5 +3
17 +5 +3
18 +6 +3
19 +6 +3
20 +6 +4
Disciplines
All psionic powers belong to one of five disciplines: clairsentience, psychokinesis, psychometabolism, psychoportation, and telepathy. Within each discipline, the powers are further divided by relative strengths called levels. The five disciplines are as follows:
Clairsentient powers allow characters to perceive things beyond the natural range of human and demihuman senses.
Psychokinetic powers move objects across space using only the energy of the mind.
Psychometabolic powers affect the user’s body by altering it in some manner.
Psychoportive powers allow psionic travel, moving characters from one location to another without crossing space.
Telepathic powers involve the direct contact of two or more minds.
Open and Closed
Minds
The minds of all characters exist in one of two states: open or closed. A closed mind has either natural or enhanced defenses that protect it from unwanted intrusion. Only those things that can enter through the normal senses (such as sight, sound, smell, taste and touch) can impact on a closed mind. The minds of all creatures and characters are naturally closed. A character can voluntarily open his or her mind to psionic contact, or a closed mind can be opened by psionic contact.
An open mind is not a natural state. For a mind to be open, psionic defenses must be voluntarily lowered (in the case of a willing subject) or breeched my psionic attack (in an unwilling opponent). A psionicist’s own mind is considered to be open when using a psionic power with an area effect of “personal” (such as the heightened senses power).
Psionic Strength
Points
Every psionicist and wild talent has psionic strength points, or PSPs. In many ways, PSPs are like mental hit points, though with a different function. Not only do they determine a character’s psionic strength, they also power psionic abilities. This mental strength is used to create psionic attacks, activate psionic powers, and keep psionic defenses in place. As long as any PSPs remain, psionic defenses keep the mind closed to psionic intrusion of any sort. When a psionic character’s PSP total falls to zero, his defenses crumble and his mind is left open to psionic contact.
Each time a character uses (or attempts to use) a psionic power, he must pay the listed cost from his PSP total. Damage caused by psionic attacks also subtract from this PSP total.
The PSP total for a psionicist depends on four factors: the psionicist’s Wisdom, Intelligence, Constitution and experience level. Together, these factors determine the psionicist’s PSP pool. A 1st level psionicist automatically gets 15 PSPs. This number is modified by bonuses granted by high ability scores as listed on Table 2 below. Lastly, the psionicist rolls 1d6, which is added to generate a PSP total.
The PSP total for a wild talent is determined with slight modifications. A wild talent automatically receives enough PSPs to use his power (or powers) once. In addition, he gains 10 PSPs (instead of 15) and any bonuses for high Wisdom, Intelligence or Constitution scores. He also rolls 1d4 instead of 1d6.
Table 2: Base PSP
and Mental Attack Roll modifiers
Ability PSP Mental
Attack
Score Bonus Roll Modifier
15 or less 0 0
16 +1 -1
17 +2 -1
18 +3 -2
19 +4 -2
20 +5 -3
21 +6 -3
22 +7 -3
23 +8 -4
24 +9 -4
25 +10 -4
Gaining PSPs
The PSP total of psionicists and wild talents increases with every level advancement. Psionicists receive 1d6 PSPs with each level increase up to 9th level, plus any bonuses for high Wisdom, Intelligence and Constitution scores. Starting at 9th level, psionicists gain only 3 PSPs, and they receive a bonus only for high Wisdom scores. Wild talents, on the other hand, receive only 4 PSPs at each level increase, regardless of level. Further, no die rolls or other modifiers are applied.
Recovering PSPs
Characters recover expended PSPs by resting for specific lengths of time (minimum of one full hour). The only states of rest that allow for PSP recovery are sleep or meditation. Any other physical activity or the use of psionic powers (which use PSPs) negates the recovery process for that hour. A character can never recover more PSPs than his maximum total.
During each hour of rest, characters recover one-eighth of their total PSPs (bearing in mind that they cannot recover more than their maximum total). To do this, divide a character’s PSP total by eight and round up. This is the number of PSPs the character recovers in one full hour of rest. So, if the psionicist is reduced to 0 PSPs, it takes eight full hours of rest to recover expended PSPs, regardless of whether he has 20 or 100 PSPs.
Psionic Combat
Psionicists automatically receive the contact bonus proficiency when they are created. Contact gives them access to psionic attacks and allows them to participate in psionic combat. The psionic attacks come naturally and don’t take up any proficiency slots.
Wild talents, however, must select the contact proficiency and place it in an open nonweapon proficiency slot. (Note that this should occur at the point when a character becomes a wild talent, whether when he is first created or later in his career when his psionic ability becomes known.) Along with the proficiency, wild talents receive only one psionic attack form. However, as a wild talent rises in level and gains nonweapon proficiency slots, he may select additional attack forms. These fill open slots, and the wild talent may choose more forms (for a total of three) as he gains slots. Wild talents may never have more than three of the five psionic attacks.
Psionic combat is used to assault closed minds so that they can be opened to further psionic contact. This is accomplished much like a spell is. The attacking psionicist selects an attack form and the defender makes a saving throw vs spell. Regardless of any modifiers due to level or ability scores, a roll of 1 always fails and a roll of 20 always succeeds.
Psionic attacks can be used against psionic and nonpsionic minds. A nonpsionic mind is defined as any character without a PSP pool. The procedures are the same, but the results are slightly different. When attacking a psionic mind, psionic combat continues until one opponent is reduced to 0 PSPs or until the battle is broken off. A mind with 0 PSPs is open and can be subjected to other psionic powers. When attacking a nonpsionic mind, however, only one successful attack is required to open the mind.
Psionic powers only can be used on open minds, whether willingly opened or attacked until that state occurs. A psionic power can be used in the same round that a mind is opened by psionic attack. Psionic defenses, like armor and shields in physical combat, remain in place until the defender’s PSP total is reduced to 0 (in the case of a psionic character) or one successful psionic attack breaches the defenses (of a nonpsionic character).
Psionic attacks require concentration. A psionicist who uses one during a combat round can move at only half his walking rate. A character using a psionic attack also can be disrupted the same way as can a wizard casting a spell. In the round when a character using a psionic attack is disrupted, the attack can’t be used. A disrupted psionic attack costs 1 PSP for the attempt. Psionicists can make a number of psionic attacks in a round according to their level: 1–6, 1/1 round; 7–12, 3/2 rounds; 13+, 2/1 round. Wild talents can never make more than one psionic attack in a round. All psionic attacks are Intelligence based so psionicists and wild talents who have high Intelligence scores receive bonuses to their attempts as described on Table 2. All psionic attacks require line of sight, as do the use of all psionic powers—with a few exceptions, such as those in the clairsentience discipline.
The Five Psionic
Attacks
The five psionic attack forms are ego whip, id insinuation, mind thrust, psionic blast, and psychic crush. Psionicists have access to all five forms (depending on their levels), whereas wild talents can never have more than three of the five. The psionic attacks are described below. Note that in all cases the psionic attack can be increased in power based on the number of points put into it. This is limited by the level of the attacker. If the attacker is a psionicist, they are able to increase the attack in increments equal to their level. If the attacker is a wild talent, the attacks can be increased in increments equal to half the attacker’s level. For example, a sixth level psionicist could use up to 18 PSP to deal 6d6 points worth of psionic damage with an ego whip. A wild talent of the same level would only be able to deal up to 3d6 with the same ego whip, expending 9 PSP.
Ego Whip (EW)
This attack assaults a target’s self esteem and individuality. It strikes like a glowing whip, its crack slicing open the wells of inferiority and worthlessness buried deep behind the target’s defenses. For every 3 PSPs put into the attack (declared after a successful attack roll is made), the attacker rolls 1d6 to determine psionic damage against his foe. If hit, the defender loses that many PSPs or has his mind opened to further psionic contact if no PSPs remain. A failed attack costs 2 PSPs.
Ego whip has three ranges: short (40 yards), medium (80 yards), and long (120 yards). At medium range, the defender receives a +2 bonus to his save vs spell; at long range, the bonus is +5.
If used against an open mind, ego whip leaves the target dazed for 1d4 rounds, costing the attacker 4 PSPs. Though no psionic defenses remain, the defender still receives a save vs spell (though there is a -2 penalty in addition to any others applied). While dazed, all of a character’s die rolls (attacks rolls, saving throws, etc.) receive a –5 penalty, and the character can’t cast spells above 3rd level.
Id Insinuation (II)
This attack assaults a target’s subconscious, like a mental battering ram tearing through the walls that separate primitive needs from social constraints. For every 4 PSPs put into the attack (declared after a successful attack roll is made), the attacker rolls 1d8 to determine psionic damage against his foe. If hit, the defender loses that many PSPs or has his mind opened to further psionic contact if no PSPs remain. A failed attack costs 2 PSPs.
Id insinuation has three ranges: short (60 yards), medium (120 yards), and long (180 yards). At medium range, the defender receives a +2 bonus to his saving throw vs spell; at long range, the bonus is +5.
If used against an open mind, id insinuation leaves its victim confused and powerless to act for 1d4 rounds. Though no psionic defenses remain, the defender still receives a save vs spell (though there is a -2 penalty in addition to any others applied). This use of the attack costs 6 PSPs.
Mind Thrust (MT)
This attack stabs the mind of the defender, piercing thoughts and memories. For every 1 PSPs put into the attack (declared after a successful attack roll is made), the attacker rolls 1d4 to determine psionic damage against his foe. If hit, the defender loses that many PSPs or has his mind opened to further psionic contact if no PSPs remain. A failed attack still costs 1 PSP.
Mind thrust has three ranges: short (30 yards), medium (60 yards), and long (90 yards). At medium range, the defender receives a +2 bonus to his save vs spells; at long range, the bonus is +5.
If used against an open mind, mind thrust causes the target to lose the use of one psionic power (chosen randomly) for 1d6 days. Though no psionic defenses remain, the defender still receives a save vs spell (though there is a -2 penalty in addition to any others applied). This use of the attack costs 2 PSPs. Beyond opening a closed mind, mind thrust has no effect on nonpsionic minds.
Psionic Blast (PB)
This attack takes the form of a wave of mental force that jolts a defender’s mind. For every 6 PSPs put into the attack (declared after a successful attack roll is made), the attacker rolls 1d12 to determine psionic damage against his foe. If hit, the defender loses that many PSPs or has his mind opened to further psionic contact if no PSPs remain. A failed attack costs 3 PSPs.
Psionic blast has three ranges: short (20 yards), medium (40 yards), and long (60 yards). At medium range, the defender receives a +2 bonus to his save vs spells; at long range, the bonus is +5.
If used against an open mind, psionic blast causes 1d8 points of physical damage (hit point loss) for every 8 PSPs put into the attack. Though no psionic defenses remain, the defender still receives a save vs spell (though there is a -2 penalty in addition to any others applied).
Psychic Crush (PsC)
Like a terrible mental weight, this attack seeks to crush a defender’s mind. For every 5 PSPs put into the attack (declared after a successful attack roll is made), the attacker rolls 1d10 to determine psionic damage against his foe. If hit, the defender loses that many PSPs or has his mind opened to further psionic contact if no PSPs remain. A failed attack costs 3 PSPs. Psychic crush has a range of 50 yards.
If used against an open mind, psychic crush causes 1d6 points of physical damage (hit point loss) for every 6 PSPs put into the attack. Though no psionic defenses remain, the defender still receives a save vs spell (though there is a -2 penalty in addition to any others applied).
Adding Substance
to Psionic Combat
All psionic combat takes place in the minds of the combatants. This mindscape has its own rules and reality. Each combatant reaches into his or her own nexus of power, the place where the energy of mind, body, and spirit come together. The trained psionicist can readily draw upon this nexus of power, as can the wild talent. Nonpsionicists can’t access this energy, but it springs forth to protect them in the form of natural mental armor.
The attacker and the defender appear as glowing forms, mental pictures of themselves in the mindscape. Psionicists can shape these psionic forms as elaborately as they see fit. Wild talents, however, appear as crude, featureless shapes of humanoid light. Nonpsionicists are simply glowing balls surrounded by mental armor, usually in the shape of a luminescent wall.
While the only thing that determines the success of psionic combat is the saving throw and the attack selected, players and DMs are encouraged to add flavor by describing how their characters’ psionic forms look and how the powers they use manifest themselves. Being creative and having fun with the mindscape as a psionic battle progresses enhances the roleplaying experience for all.
Using Psionic
Powers
All psionic powers have a related attribute score. To determine if a psionic power works against an open mind, the victim must make a save vs spell adjusted by the attacker’s level modifier and relevant ability modifier as well as the defender’s level modifier and relevant ability modifier (if he is a psionicist or a wild talent). A failed save means the power has been activated and its effects are applied for that round of play. If the power is used upon an inanimate object or upon the person using the power itself, the saving throw is replaced by an ability check using the relevant ability with no modifiers due to ability scores, though level modifiers are as normal.
All powers have a cost per round of use. The cost listed to the left of the slash is the number of PSPs needed to use the power for a single round. The cost listed to the right of the slash is the number of PSPs expended if the power fails (in which case the power’s effects aren’t applied).
Powers that have been successfully activated can be maintained from round to round without making additional saves. The psionicist simply expends PSPs to pay for the power’s cost. The first round that the character fails to pay the cost (either voluntarily or because his PSPs have been depleted), the power’s effects cease to function. If the psionicist wishes to reactivate the power in a later round, even against the same target, the victim receives a new save vs spell. If a psionic power fails, and the character has enough PSPs remaining, he can try to activate the power again in the next round by making another attack attempt. A roll of 1 is always activates the power and a roll of 20 always fails, no matter what modifiers there are.
Closing an Open
Mind
A nonpsionic mind is one that has never had any PSPs. Its natural state is closed unless willingly opened or opened by psionic means. If such a target’s mind has been opened, but the subsequent psionic attack or power used against it wasn’t successful, the target can attempt to re close its mind in the next round. This requires a saving throw vs. paralyzation at no penalty. If a psionic power was used successfully against the newly opened nonpsionic mind, the target can still attempt to close its mind, but its saving throw is at a –4 penalty. The target may attempt to close its mind every round thereafter.
For a newly opened psionic mind (one whose PSPs have been reduced to 0), the target can’t attempt to re close its mind until 1d4+1 rounds have passed. After the required rounds have passed, the target can make a Wisdom check at a –3 penalty every round thereafter to attempt to close its mind.
When either a nonpsionic or psionic character succeeds at re closing his mind, the following occurs: any psionic power currently in use against the character ceases to function, and contact between the two minds is broken. If the power’s effect already took place in the round in which the mind re closed, the psionicist expends the full PSP cost. If the power’s effect didn’t take place yet in the round, then the lower PSP cost is subtracted from the psionicist’s PSP total (as if the activation attempt failed). If the psionicist wants to reestablish contact, he’ll have to once again open the target’s mind.
Psionics in a
Round
A psionicist can do several actions during a single round. He can:
• Make as many psionic attacks as his experience level indicates.
• Activate one psionic power against an open mind.
• Maintain as many previously successfully activated powers as he wishes, provided he can afford to continue paying the PSP costs. Further, if a psionic attack succeeds and opens a closed mind, a psionic power can be used against the mind that same round.
Limitations to
Psionic Powers
Psionic powers have definite limitations. Some of these already have been discussed, but are repeated here to emphasize them. Other limitations are new.
• PSPs: Psionicists and wild talents have a finite amount of psionic strength available to them at any given time. This strength, expressed as PSPs, must be expended to use psionic attacks, defenses, and powers. The total also indicates how much damage a hero’s psionic defenses can withstand before his mind opens. As such, the psionic character must always balance the use of powers, attacks, and defenses with how strong he wants his own internal walls to remain.
• Line of Sight: All psionic attacks and most powers require line of sight to use. If line of sight is blocked, most psionics won’t work.
• Touch: Some psionic powers have a range of “touch.” These can be used in melee combat, but they require a physical attack roll and an MTHAC0 roll to work. Like all psionic powers, they only can be used against open minds.
• Obstructions: Anything that hinders a character’s normal vision blocks line of sight. Unless the description states otherwise, psionicists require a line of sight to use a power. Obvious exceptions to this rule are the clairsentient powers and many of the telepathic powers. However, certain materials can obstruct these psionic powers if they completely block the target. These are lead and iron (at least 1 inch thick), obsidian (at least 2 inches thick), stone (at least 1 foot thick), and the antimagic shell spell.
Psychic Contests
Sometimes two or more psionicists try to use a psionic power on the same target. For example, two psionicists might try to use telekinesis to move a stone in two different directions, or they might attempt to teleport the same character to different locations, or they might use any psionic powers in such a way as to be in direct conflict with each other. Which power use prevails? The struggle results in a psychic contest.
To resolve a psychic contest, compare the competing saves that the victim rolls to activate the powers. The character who has the highest successful roll wins the contest. If none of the competing characters roll successfully, none of the power uses succeed. If one character succeeds and the others fail the rolls, then that character wins the contest. If competing characters roll the same numbers on the dice then compare the modifiers based on level and ability scores. If there is still a tie, then a psychic lock occurs.
In a psychic lock, neither competing character wins the psychic contest that round. Both are applying equal psionic pressure, thus creating a stalemate. To resolve the contest, both characters must pay the power’s PSP cost and engage in another round of psychic contest. If either character fails to pay the cost—effectively giving up—that character suffers a psychic backlash and loses 4d4 PSPs immediately.
Psionics and Magic
Psionics and magic use completely different forces. Psionics uses internal energy, while magic taps into extraplanar power. Both arts can produce similar effects, but they do so in very different ways. For this reason, psionics and magic don’t ordinarily mix. Magical spells, for instance, can’t be used to detect or dispel psionic activity, unless otherwise stated. Likewise, psionic powers can’t detect magic that simulates psionic abilities. Lastly, if a psionicist uses a psychokinetic, psychometabolic, psychoportive, or telepathic power against a magical illusion, he automatically gets a saving throw vs. spell to disbelieve it. Specific spells, as listed below, intermix with psionics in the following ways.
Antimagic shell: This spell blocks the effects of psionic powers.
Detect charm: This spell detects telepathic control, such as domination.
Detect invisibility: This spell allows the caster to see clearly psionic invisibility, astral travelers, shadowform, and ethereal creatures. It doesn’t work against characters in other dimensions.
Detect magic: This spell has no effect on psionics.
Detect scrying: This spell will detect psionic scrying, though psionicists get a save vs. spell to avoid detection.
ESP: If this spell is used against psionicists, they get a save vs. spell with a +2 bonus to negate the effects.
False vision: This spell works against psionics, though psionicists get a save vs. spell to negate effects.
Forbiddance: This spell effectively blocks all teleportation and metabolic powers.
Free action: This spell overcomes all psychokinetic effects against the subject’s body, as well as domination.
Globe of invulnerability/minor globe of invulnerability: These spells have no effect on psionics.
Magic jar: Psionicists use their combined Wisdom and Constitution scores when determining the differential modifier.
Mind blank: Psionicists get a save vs. spell to overcome this enchantment.
Misdirection: This spell has no effect on psionics.
Mislead: A psionic attack reveals this spell, but the first attack automatically fails.
Nondetection: This spell works normally against psionics.
Otiluke’s resilient sphere: Psionics can’t penetrate this spell’s protection.
Protection from evil/protection from evil, 10 foot radius: These spells provide +2 bonuses to saving throws.
Spell immunity: This spell has no effect on psionics.
Trap the soul: Psionicists trapped by this spell can’t use any psionic powers.
Psionicists and
Wild Talents
Psionic powers can be used by any character class, though one class specializes in the use of psionics: the psionicist. Wild talents are a subclassification within other character classes. These characters possess one or two psionic powers. Their main vocation is that of their class. For instance, a priest could have a psionic ability or two, but he relies primarily on the skills of his class. A psionicist, on the other hand, relies almost entirely on his psionic gifts. The differences between the two types of psionic characters are explained in the section that follows.
Psionicist
The psionicist character works to mold mind, body, and spirit into a unified, powerful whole. The hero’s internal energy, or psionic strength, comes from deep within himself—from a place psionicists call the nexus. This energy is given form and purpose by the individual’s strength of will. Through extraordinary discipline, long contemplation, and deepening awareness of self, the psionicist taps the vast potential of his mind.
Psionicists must meet or exceed the following prerequisites.
Ability requirements: Constitution 11, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 15
Prime requisites: Wisdom, Constitution
Races allowed: Any
Because the pursuit of psionics require strict mental and physical discipline, a psionicist has two prime requisites: Wisdom and Constitution. His primary mental ability score is Wisdom. As the measure of his willpower and enlightenment, Wisdom promotes the understanding and mastery of the inner self—the essence of psionic ability. Likewise, the tremendous stress of using psionics requires a healthy body to house a fit mind. This is where Constitution comes into play. Lastly, Intelligence is important to psionicists because of the reasoning and memorization necessary to the class.
All races eligible for use as player characters can become psionicists. Human psionicists have no limit on the levels of experience they can attain in their chosen class. Half elves (due to their partial human heritage) can reach 12th level. Halflings and gnomes can attain 10th level. Dwarves and elves can reach only 8th level as psionicists. All creatures not listed here can reach 10th level.
Dual Classed and Multiclassed Psionicists
A human character who has scores of 15 or more in the prime requisites of his first class and scores of 17 or more in the prime requisites of the class he switches to can be a dual classed psionicist. See the Player’s Handbook, for more details on dual class benefits and restrictions. Demihuman characters can be multiclassed psionicists if they meet the requirements in the Player’s Handbook.
Alignment
Psionicists can be of any alignment, save chaotic. The discipline integral to psionics can’t be maintained by chaotic characters. If a psionicist’s alignment shifts to chaotic for any reason, he quickly begins to lose psionic powers. Every day his alignment remains chaotic, the character must make an ability check against one half his Wisdom score, rounded down. Each time the character fails this check, he loses access to one psionic discipline and all the powers related to it. The discipline is selected randomly by the DM.
Psionicists who change to chaotic alignment can’t recover PSPs. If a psionicist’s alignment turns from chaotic back to nonchaotic, he begins to recover lost disciplines at a rate of one per day. This is accomplished by making the same halved Wisdom check described above—success indicates the return of a random discipline from those that were lost.
Weapon and Armor
Restrictions
Psionicists disdain using weapons of any sort. Further, they don’t have the time to properly train in their use. If a psionicist character wants to use a weapon, he must select it from the following small sized items: hand crossbow, dagger, dart, dirk, knife, scourge, sickle, and short sword.
Psionicists can only use the following types of armor: padded, leather, studded leather, and hide. They may also carry small shields.
Psionicist
Benefits
Psionicists have their own THAC0s, which are listed on Table 3 below. Psionicists gain a +2 bonus on all saving throws vs. enchantment/charm spells. This is in addition to any magical defense adjustments for high Wisdom scores. Table 4 below lists saving throws for this character class.
At 9th level, a psionicist becomes a contemplative master. Such a master can build a sanctuary to use as his headquarters and can attract followers. A 1st level psionicist arrives monthly to study with the master, regardless of whether he builds a sanctuary. The maximum number of followers is equal to the master’s Charisma score if he builds a sanctuary, or half that number rounded down if he doesn’t. A master’s followers want to learn. They serve in any capacity the master chooses as long as the master spends at least 10 hours per week instructing them. If the master doesn’t live up to this schedule, the followers leave to find someone else.
Table 3: THAC0
————— Psionicist’s Level —————
1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17
18 19 20
21 22 23
24 25 26
27 28 29
30
THAC0 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 13 13 12
12
11 11 10
10
9 9 8
8
7 7 6
6
Table 4:
Psionicist Saving Throws
Paralyzation,
Poison, Rod, Staff,
Petrification Breath
Level or Death Magic or Wand
or Polymorph* Weapon† Spell‡
1–4 13 15 12 16 15
5–8 12 13 10 15 14
9–12 11 11 8 13 12
13–16 10 9 7 12 11
17–20 9 7 6 11 9
21+ 8 5 5 9 7
* Excluding polymorph wand attacks.
† Excluding those that cause petrification or polymorph.
‡ Excluding those for which another saving throw type is specified.
Psionicist
Advancement
A psionicist earns experience points and advances in level like members of other classes, as outlined on Table 5 below.
Psionicists and PSPs
A psionicist determines his initial PSP total by adding bonuses awarded for high Wisdom, Constitution, and Intelligence scores to a base of 15, then adding the result of a 1d6 die roll:
With every level increase, up to the 9th level, a psionicist gains additional PSPs by adding the bonuses to a 1d6 die roll:
Starting at 9th level, a psionicist gains just 3 PSPs per level, plus his Wisdom bonus.
Table 5:
Psionicist Experience Levels
Psionicist Experience Hit Dice
Level Points Roll (d6)
1 0 1
2 2,200 2
3 4,400 3
4 8,800 4
5 16,500 5
6 30,000 6
7 55,000 7
8 100,000 8
9 200,000 9
10 400,000 9+2
11 600,000 9+4
12 800,000 9+6
13 1,000,000 9+8
14 1,200,000 9+10
15 1,500,000 9+12
16 1,800,000 9+14
17 2,100,000 9+16
18 2,400,000 9+18
19 2,700,000 9+20
20 3,000,000 9+22
Gaining
Disciplines and Powers
Every psionic power belongs to one of the five psionic disciplines: clairsentience, psychokinesis, psychometabolism, psychoportation, and telepathy. Before a psionicist can learn a psionic power, he must have access to the appropriate discipline. For some more powerful powers he may need to have several other powers first.
At 1st level, a psionicist selects one discipline. This is his primary discipline. As a psionicist advances in level, he gains access to additional disciplines (as shown on the Psionic Progression table. A psionicist starts out at 1st level with four powers within his primary discipline. With each advance in level, the psionicist gains additional disciplines and powers, as outlined. Some additional points to consider include the following:
• A player can select new powers for his character as soon as the character reaches a new experience level. These new powers can be selected from any discipline the character has access to, including a discipline that was just gained.
• A character can never learn as many powers in another discipline as he knows in his primary discipline. This provides a focus for a hero that he can adhere to throughout his career.
Table 6: Psionic
Progression
Exp. Total Total Total
Level
Disciplines Powers Attacks
1 1 4 1
2 2 6 1
3 2 9 2
4 2 11 2
5 2 13 3
6 3 14 3
7 3 16 4
8 3 17 4
9 3 19 5
10 4 20 5
11 4 22 5
12 4 23 5
13 4 25 5
14 5 26 5
15 5 28 5
16 5 29 5
17 5 31 5
18 5 32 5
19 5 34 5
20 5 35 5
Proficiencies
Like all character classes, psionicists have various proficiencies available to them. The Psionicist Proficiency Slots table below, lists the initial number of weapon and nonweapon proficiencies available to this class, as well as the rates at which these characters earn new slots. Characters start with the initial two weapon and three nonweapon proficiencies available to psionicists. Psionicists can learn a weapon proficiency for any weapon they can use.
Table 7:
Psionicist Proficiency Slots
Weapon Proficiencies Nonweapon Proficiencies
Initial # Levels
Penalty Initial # Levels
2 5 –4 3 3
Initial - Refers to the number of proficiency slots available to 1st level psionicists.
# Levels - Indicates how many levels a psionicist must advance before receiving a new slot. He receives one new weapon slot at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. He receives one new nonweapon slot at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18.
Penalty - A modifier to a psionicist’s attack roll when he uses a weapon he isn’t proficient with.
Bonus
Proficiencies
A psionicist receives bonus proficiencies upon creation. They don’t take up any of a psionicist’s available slots. These bonus proficiencies are contact and mental armor, which allow the psionicist to participate in psionic combat.
The Psionicist
Group
The table below (along with the “General” group table in the PHB) lists the nonweapon proficiencies available to psionicists at the regular slot cost. Add one to the cost for proficiencies taken from other groups.
Table 8: Nonweapon
Proficiencies
———General Group———
Proficiency
Slots Ability Modifier
Contact 1 Wisdom 0
Mental Armor 1 Wisdom –2
———Psionicist
Group———
Proficiency Slots Ability Modifier
Gem Cutting 2 Dexterity –2
Harness Subconscious 2 Wisdom –1
Meditative Focus 1 Wisdom +1
Musical Instrument 1 Dexterity –1
Reading/Writing 1 Intelligence +1
Rejuvenation 1 Wisdom –1
Religion 1 Wisdom 0
Note: Italicized proficiencies are described in this document. All others are in the Player’s Handbook.
Contact: This proficiency gives characters access to the psionic attack forms necessary to open a closed mind. Contact allows characters to gain psionic attacks as they become available with level advancement.
Psionicists automatically receive this proficiency. It doesn’t take up any of their available slots. As a psionicist increases in level, he automatically receives psionic attack forms as outlined on the Psionic Progression table. Psionic attack forms don’t fill up a psionicist’s proficiency slots.
Wild talents, on the other hand, must select contact and place it in an available nonweapon proficiency slot if they want to gain its benefits. Once contact is slotted, a wild talent selects one psionic attack. He may select an additional attack by placing it in an available nonweapon slot after he has advanced the appropriate number of levels, according to his group’s progression rate. Wild talents may never have more than three of the five psionic attack forms.
Harness Subconscious: Through the use of this proficiency, a psionicist temporarily boosts his PSP total. To procure these extra PSPs, the psionicist’s PSP total must be at its maximum. Two full days (48 consecutive hours) must be spent gathering energy from subconscious reserves. At the end of this time, the psionicist makes a proficiency check. Success increases his PSP total by 20%, rounded up.
The extra PSPs remain available for 72 hours or until they are used up, whichever comes first. At the end of 72 hours, the psionicist loses as many PSPs as he gained from his current total (though the total won’t drop below 0).
During the 72 hours of boosted energy, the psionicist can’t recover PSPs if his current total equals or exceeds his usual maximum. Once all of the bonus PSPs have been used, PSPs can be recovered normally up to the usual maximum.
Meditative Focus: This proficiency allows a psionicist to focus his mental energy into one discipline, causing all powers within that discipline to receive MTHAC0 roll bonuses; powers related to other disciplines receive MTHAC0 roll penalties.
The psionicist must meditate for 12 consecutive hours. He recovers PSPs normally during this meditative state. When the period ends, the character makes a proficiency check. Success means he has focused his energy into the chosen discipline. All MTHAC0 rolls for powers within that discipline receive a +2 bonus for the next 24 hours or until his PSP total is reduced to 0, whichever comes first. All other disciplines get a –1 penalty for the same period.
Mental Armor: This proficiency allows a character to improve his mental defenses. Each time this proficiency is placed in an available nonweapon slot, the character’s save vs spell against psionic attacks improve. Nonpsionicists improve by +1 for each slot; psionicists improve by +2. The proficiency may only be slotted once per level advancement.
Rejuvenation: This proficiency allows a psionicist to recover PSPs more quickly than is usual by entering a rejuvenating trance. This state of deep concentration requires a successful proficiency check. For every hour a hero maintains this trance (and makes the check), he regains PSPs at twice the usual rate (one quarter of his total instead of one eighth). He can’t expend PSPs while in this trance, and his state is much like deep sleep.
Wild Talents
A wild talent is a hero from any character class other than the psionicist class who has natural psionic potential. This potential can be present in any character, regardless of class, alignment, or race. The alignment restrictions of the psionicist class don’t apply to wild talents.
Wild talents have one or two psionic powers and up to three psionic attacks at their disposal once they’ve reached full power. Psionic attacks are only gained after the PC places the contact proficiency in an available nonweapon proficiency slot. A wild talent chooses one of the five attack forms at that time. He may select a second and a third attack form when slots become available according to his group proficiency progression (as outlined in the Player’s Handbook).
Testing for Wild
Talents
Testing for wild talents involves risk. The test must be performed when a character is created, when a character’s Wisdom score increases, when psionics are introduced into a campaign, or the first time a character receives psychic surgery.
Every character and monster has a base chance of 1% to be a wild talent. This is modified as follows:
Each
Each
Each
Character is 5th to 8th level +1%
Character is 9th level or higher +2%
Wizard, priest, or non human* ½
* Round fractions up. Apply this penalty only once, even if checking a non human wizard or the like.
Once a character’s chance to be a wild talent is determined, roll percentile dice. Results are as follows:
• If the result is more than the modified chance and less than 97, the character is not a wild talent.
• If the result is less than or equal to the modified chance, the character is a wild talent. The player rolls percentile dice and consults the Wild Talents table. His character’s PSPs are determined as under the Psionic Strength Points section.
• If the result is 97, the character must save vs. death or his Wisdom is permanently reduced by 1d6 points.
• If the result is 98, the character must save vs. death or his Intelligence is permanently reduced by 1d6 points.
• If the result is 99, the character must save vs. death or his Constitution is permanently reduced by 1d6 points.
• If the result is 100, the character must save vs. death at –5 or his Wisdom, Intelligence, and Constitution scores are all permanently reduced to 3 points.
Table 9a: Wild Talents Table 9b: Wild Talents
Roll Roll Roll Roll
1d100 Wild Power 1d100 Wild Power 1d100 Wild Power 1d100 Wild Power
— Clairsentient Powers — — Psychometabolic Powers — —
Psychoportive Powers — — Clairsentient Powers —
01–02 All round vision 28–29 Absorb disease 71–72 Astral projection 01–06 Aura sight
03 Combat mind 30–31 Adrenaline control 73–74 Dimensional
door 07–14 Clairaudience
04–05 Danger sense 32 Aging 75–77 Dimension walk 15–22 Clairvoyance
06–07 Feel light 33–34 Biofeedback 78–79 Dream travel 23–27 Object reading
08 Feel sound 35 Body control 80–81 Phase 28–32 Precognition
09 Hear light 36 Body equilibrium 33–36 Sensitivity to psychic
10 Know direction 37–38 Body weaponry — Telepathic Powers — impressions
11–12 Know location 39–40 Catfall 82–84 Conceal thoughts
13 Poison sense 41 Cause decay 85–87 Empathy —
Psychokinetic Powers —
14–15 Radial navigation 42–43 Cell adjustment 88–89 ESP 37–44 Telekinesis
16–17 See sound 44–45 Chameleon power 90–91 Life
detection
18 Spirit sense 46 Chemical simulation 92–93 Psychic messenger — Psychometabolic
Powers —
47 Displacement 94–96 Send thoughts 45–49 Animal affinity
— Psychokinetic Powers — 48–49 Double pain 97–98 Roll two from 9a 50–53 Complete healing
19–20 Animate shadow 50 Ectoplasmic form 99 Roll one from 9b 54–55 Death field
21–22 Control light 51–52 Enhanced strength 100 Roll
one from 9a and 56–61 Energy containment
23–24 Control sound 53 Expansion one from
9b 62–63 Life draining
25 Molecular
agitation 54–55 Flesh armor 64–72 Metamorphosis
26–27 Soften 56 Graft weapon 72–80 Shadowform
57–58 Heightened senses
59 Immovability —
Psychoportive Powers —
60–61 Lend health 81–83 Probability travel
62–63 Mind over body 84–86 Teleport
64–65 Reduction
66–67 Share strength —
Telepathic Powers —
68–70 Suspend animation 87–92 Mindlink
93–95 No power gained
96–100
Roll two powers from 9b
Psionic Powers
There are five parameters integral to each psionic power. They are:
Ability: The ability score that is used to determine the bonuses and penalties to the victim’s save. Some powers are easier or harder to affect a victim. Negative numbers applied to the victim’s roll make it harder for the victim to resist the power while positive numbers applied to the victim’s roll make it easier for the victim to resist the power. See “Using Psionic Powers” for more details.
PSP Cost: The number of PSPs that must be spent per round to use a psionic power. The secondary number is the PSP cost if the victim’s save succeeds.
Range: The maximum distance from the user at which the power has an effect. “Touch” requires the user to make physical contact with the target—that is, a THAC0 roll.
Area of Effect: The physical area or number of beings a power affects. “Personal” only affects the user.
Prerequisite: Other powers a character must know before being able to use a particular power. Some prerequisites will list a level. This is the lowest level a psionicist using this psionic power can be.
Once a psionicist has mastered the powers of his mind, the results can be as spectacular as the explosive force of the psychokinetic power called detonate or as subtle as the clairsentient power called see sound. Obviously, not every psionic power could be contained here. For the most part, however, changes have been kept to a minimum and are listed on the Psionic Powers Summary. The summary provides the statistics needed to convert existing powers to the new system. The revised statistics, the ability score, and the reconfigured PSP cost replace the power score, initial cost, and maintenance cost from the old psionics system.
Clairsentient Powers
Clairsentient powers allow characters to perceive things beyond the natural range of human and demihuman senses. Revised powers are presented below.
Aura Sight
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 9/3
Range: 50 yards
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: three other clairsentient powers
With this power, the user can detect auras (the normally invisible envelope of colored light that surrounds all living things). Each use of the power gives the user one piece of information—either the target’s alignment (one portion of it) or relative level of power, but not both simultaneously.
This power can be used twice per round (for two PSP costs and with two saves) to examine two different auras or the same aura twice. The user can be discreet, but he needs to gaze at the target. Using the power from a distance is less noticeable than using it up close.
The level (or Hit Dice) of the target character affects the save. The higher the level of the target, the tougher it is to interpret the aura. The target’s save should be improved by 1 for every three levels (or HD) the target has, rounded down. For example, an 8th level target improves the save by 2 (and therefore harder to roll against).
The DM should relate game related information in a story sense, rather than in mechanical terms. In the case of alignment, the user sees colored light that represents an element: 1) blue (lawful); 2) gray (neutral); 3) red (chaotic); 4) white (good); or 5) black (evil). Relative level of power can be described as follows: 1) dim aura (a low level target, 1st to 5th level); 2) bright aura (a mid level target, 6th to 13th level); 3) dazzling aura (a high level target, 14th to 20th level); and 4) blinding aura (a target above 20th level).
Clairaudience
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 5/2
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Special
Prerequisite: Level 5, three other clairsentient powers
This power allows the user to hear sounds from a distant area. The user picks a location he knows, makes an MTHAC0 roll, then listens to everything he would be able to hear normally if he were standing in that spot. If the user has enhanced hearing, that ability also applies to the use of clairaudience. The power doesn’t screen out noise around the user’s physical body, which may make it difficult to hear sounds elsewhere. The power doesn’t provide any abilities to understand languages or interpret sounds. The distance of the listening spot modifies the power’s MAC, as shown below.
Range Ability modifier
100 yards 0
1,000 yards -2
10 miles -4
100 miles -6
1,000 miles -8
10,000 miles -10
Interplanetary* -12
* Clairaudience only works within a given plane or crystal sphere.
Clairvoyance
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 5/2
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Special
Prerequisite: Level 5, three other clairsentient powers
This power allows the user to see images from a distant location. The user picks a spot he knows, makes an ability check, then looks at everything he would be able to see if he were standing in that spot. The user’s field of vision is the same as normal, and turning his head allows him to scan the area.
Clairvoyance doesn’t replace normal vision. The user still sees what’s around his physical location, with the distant scene superimposed. Closing one’s eyes blocks the double vision and leaves only the distant scene. This power doesn’t enhance vision, so hidden or invisible objects remain undetected. The distant scene is visual only; there is no sound.
The distance of the viewing spot modifies the ability check, as shown below.
Range Ability modifier
100 yards 0
1,000 yards -2
10 miles -4
100 miles -6
1,000 miles -8
10,000 miles -10
Interplanetary* -12
* Clairvoyance only works within a given plane or crystal sphere.
Object
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 12/6
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Touch
Prerequisite: Level 7, three other clairsentient powers
This power allows the user to detect psionic impressions left on an object by a previous owner. These impressions include the owner’s race, sex, age, and alignment. The power can also reveal how the owner came to possess the item and how he lost it. An object can be read successfully only once per experience level. Additional readings at the same level reveal no new information.
The amount of information gained depends on the ability check. Assuming the check is successful, compare the check rolled with the table below. The user learns the information listed, plus all results above it.
Ability check result Information Gained
1-2 Last owner’s race
3 Last owner’s sex
4 Last owner’s age
5 Last owner’s alignment
6-7 How last owner gained and lost object
8+ All this information about all previous owners
All Round Vision
(clairsentient power)
Ability: Wisdom -3
PSP Cost: 5/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power lets the user see in all directions simultaneously. This has obvious benefits, including a +2 surprise roll bonus to the user for encounters where being able to see is an advantage. There is a penalty, however. While this power is in effect, gaze attacks against the user receive a +4 bonus.
Combat Mind
(clairsentient power)
Ability: Intelligence -4
PSP Cost: 4/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power gives the user an unusually keen understanding of his enemies and their fighting tactics. As a result, the user’s side gains a –1 bonus to all initiative rolls during combat for every round the power is in effect. This bonus is in addition to any other modifiers that may apply.
Danger Sense
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 3/1
Range: 50 yards
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power produces a slight tingling sensation at the back of the user’s neck whenever a hazard or threat is near. When a character wants to activate this power, the DM makes the ability check for the character in secret. The DM informs the user whether the power has been successfully activated, but not how high the roll was. For every round that the user keeps the power in effect, he receives advance warning about the general direction of a threat.
No details about the type of danger are learned, or how or when the danger will strike. How much warning depends on the ability check. If the roll succeeds by up to 6, the user receives warning just moments before danger strikes. This gives him the opportunity to act before the danger strikes in the round, but no time to warn others. If the roll succeeds by 7 or better, the user knows whether danger is lurking within the area of effect a full round before it shows itself.
In addition to the above benefits, the power gives the user a +2 bonus to surprise rolls.
Feel Sound
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 4/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power makes the user’s body sensitive to sound. It allows the user to continue to hear even if his ears are disabled. He can’t detect sound where there is none, and the power doesn’t work within areas of magical silence. The user gains a +2 bonus against all sonic attacks or effects, including a siren’s song.
Know Location
(clairsentient power)
Ability: Int
PSP Cost: 8/3
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power aids
characters who travel via teleportation, gates, or other planes of existence.
When used successfully, it reveals general information about the user’s
location. The information is no more detailed than the responses of a simple
farmer to the question “Where am I?” Some typical responses are “A few miles
southwest of
The higher a successful ability check, the more precise the location. A roll of up to 4 better specifies a location within 10 miles. A roll of 7 or 8 better targets an area within a mile. A roll of 9 or better gives the location in a planar context (“the Astral Plane”).
Martial Trance
(clairsentient power)
Ability: Int
PSP Cost: 7/3
Range: 50 yards
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: 3rd level
This power helps the user in psionic combat. By entering a trance before combat begins, the user focuses his complete attention on the psionic activity, tuning out other distractions. While in the trance, the user gains a +1 bonus to all mental attack rolls, in addition to any other modifiers that may apply.
The trance ends when the user chooses to end it, by any moderate physical contact (a blow, shake, or slap), or when his PSPs are reduced to 0. As his attention is completely focused on the psionic battlefield, any melee attacks against him hit automatically and cause maximum damage.
Poison Sense
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 1/1
Range: 1–yard radius
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 3
This power enables a user to detect the presence of poison and identify its location within 1 yard of his body (or presence, if he uses clairvoyance or astral projection). The type of poison and how it can be negated aren’t revealed, only its presence.
Psionic Sense
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 2/1
Range: 200–yard radius
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Telepathy
This power allows the user to detect psionic activity anywhere within 200 yards of his location. Any expenditure of PSPs constitutes psionic activity. The first successful use of this power reveals whether someone or something is psionically active within range. A second successful use of the power in the following round reveals how powerful the activity is and where the psionic activity is taking place (direction and distance). If psionic activity is occurring in more than one location within the range, the user detects all of it.
Power levels are as follows: 1) low psionic activity (1 to 5 PSPs per round); 2) moderate psionic activity (6 to 12 PSPs per round); and 3) high psionic activity (13+ PSPs per round).
See Sound
(clairsentient power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 4/2
Range: Special
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power enables a user to perceive sound waves visually by converting those waves into light impulses. Only a character who can see with normal vision can use this power. He can see sound even in darkness, as sound waves don’t require light. The user can be “blinded” by silence, however.
Psychokinetic Powers
Psychokinetic powers move objects across space using only the energy of a character’s mind. Revised powers are presented below.
Create Object
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Int -4
PSP Cost: 7/3
Range: 20 yards
Area of Effect: Special
Prerequisite: Telekinesis, two other psychokinetic powers (not counting telekinesis), level 7
This power allows a user to assemble matter from air and the surrounding area to create a solid object. Only materials within 20 yards of the user can be used in the construction. The object remains in existence for every round that the user continues to pay the PSP cost. During the round that the PSP cost isn’t paid, the object breaks apart. An object created with this power can have any shape, color, and texture the user desires, provided it fulfills at least one of these conditions:
• Fits within a sphere no more than 4 feet in diameter.
• Fits within a cylinder no more than 20 feet high and 1 foot in diameter.
• Fits within a cylinder no more than 2 feet high and 6 feet in diameter.
• Weighs no more than 10 pounds.
Detonate
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Con -3
PSP Cost: 15/5
Range: 60 yards
Area of Effect: 1 item, 8 cubic feet
Prerequisite: Telekinesis, molecular agitation, four other psychokinetic powers, level 12
With this power, the user harnesses, focuses, and explosively releases the latent psionic energy inside non sentient (0 Intelligence) plants and inanimate objects. The power also works against animated undead (skeletons and zombies), but doesn’t affect incorporeal undead. It can’t be used against animals, intelligent creatures, or free willed undead.
The explosion causes destructive damage to the target, based on the ability check (or save in the case of animated creatures). If the roll is equal to the ability check or save, 10% of the target area is destroyed. For every number rolled beyond the ability or save, an additional 10% is destroyed, up to a total of 8 cubic feet of material (by a single power use).
Monsters such as skeletons and golems targeted by the detonate power take damage based on the percentage of their mass that was destroyed, losing an equal percentage of hit points.
Weapons and armor that have been detonated receive penalties of –1 to attack rolls and AC values for each 10% destroyed. Magical items make a saving throw vs. disintegration to resist detonation. Vulnerable objects or living things within 10 feet of the target suffer 1d10 points of damage from the resulting explosion. A save vs. breath weapon reduces damage to half.
Project Force
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Con -2
PSP Cost: 10/4
Range: 200 yards
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Telekinesis, two other psychokinetic powers
This power allows the user to focus a psychokinetic “punch” against a target up to 200 yards away. If used offensively, this punch causes damage equal to 1d6 points plus the target’s Armor Class (negative armor classes are subtracted from the die roll). Only AC provided by actual armor is added to or subtracted from the roll—not Dexterity or magical bonuses. A successful save vs. breath weapon reduces the damage to half.
Project force can also be used to trigger traps, throw levers, open doors (not locked or latched), break windows, etc. No attack roll is needed, just the MTHAC0 roll to activate it.
Telekinesis
(psychokinetic power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 3+/1
Range: 30 yards
Area of Effect: 1 item
Prerequisite: None
This power allows the user to move objects without touching them. Telekinesis tends to be physically taxing, as it takes a lot of internal energy to move objects. Small objects are easy. But larger, more massive objects are significantly more difficult.
The cost listed above assumes the object being moved weighs three pounds or less. For heavier objects, use the following:
• PSP cost equals the item’s weight in pounds.
• The power receives a penalty equal to one third of the item’s weight, rounded down. For example, moving a 10–pound rock requires a Wisdom check at a -6 penalty.
Telekinesis moves the targeted item up to 60 feet per round. Items moving at such a slow rate of speed don’t make effective weapons, but items weighing more than three pounds can be used to disrupt spellcasting or psionic use. The user rolls his base THAC0 score to hit, with a penalty equal to one third of the item’s weight, rounded down. For example, if a hero whose THAC0 is 15 wants to attack a priestess whose AC is 0, he needs an 18 or better to hit her with a 10–pound rock.
Telekinesis can be used to perform very fine work, such as writing or sewing. The user must be capable of performing the work himself, and a second ability check (and second round of power use) is needed to complete fine work. If the hero wants to use the power to pull an item away from an opponent, use the rules for psychic contests, except that the defender uses his Strength score to decide the contest.
Animate Object
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Int -3
PSP Cost: 5/2
Range: 50 yards
Area of Effect: 1 item, 100 pounds
Prerequisite: Telekinesis, Level 3
This power allows the user to control the movement of an otherwise inanimate object, giving it the appearance of life. For example, animate object can make chairs walk or stones dance, though objects being animated must weigh 100 pounds or less. The material the item is made of affects the difficulty of the task, as indicated below.
Material Ability check modifier
Cloth, paper 0
Live wood, dead animal -1
Dead wood, bone -2
Water -3
Thin metal -4
Thick metal -5
Stone -6
Once animated, all materials become flexible to some extent, though fluid motion is uncommon. Animated items move like puppets, with jerky, clumsy motions. If the item was rigid initially, it makes loud creaking, groaning, or grating sounds as it moves. An animated item moves up to 60 feet a round (movement rate 6). It can be used to attack, acting like a club with a THAC0 of 20 and a damage score of 1d6 points.
Control Light
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Int
PSP Cost: 6/2
Range: 25 yards
Area of Effect: 400 square feet
Prerequisite: None
This power allows the user to manipulate ambient light. He can’t create light from darkness, but he can create darkness from light. Use of control light can accomplish the following:
• Deepen existing shadows. A thief hidden in such shadows receives a +20% bonus to his hide in shadows rolls.
• Brighten existing shadows. This reduces a thief’s hiding ability by 20%.
• Brighten a light source until it becomes blinding. Those exposed to the light receive a –2 penalty to attack rolls.
• Dim a light source. This has no effect on attack rolls.
• Extend shadows into areas that are well lit. Only existing shadows can be lengthened, increasing in size by 200%.
• Extend light into areas that are in shadow. Shadows can be reduced by 50%.
Control Sound
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Int -5
PSP Cost: 3/1
Range: 100 yards
Area of Effect: 1 specific sound
Prerequisite: None
This power allows the user to shape and alter existing sounds. A man’s words could emerge as a lion’s roar, or the noise of marching soldiers can be made to sound like the wind of a sandstorm. Sounds also can be layered, so that one singer can be made to sound like a choir. Control sound can also dampen a noise. The player must specify what sound his character intends to eliminate. For example, the user might quiet the strike of a hammer or erase the creak of a door. He couldn’t eliminate both at once, however.
Control Wind
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Con -4
PSP Cost: 12/5
Range: 500 yards
Area of Effect: 1,000 yards
Prerequisite: Telekinesis, Level 5
With this power, a user can gain limited control over wind speed and direction. The speed of any existing wind can be increased or decreased by 10 miles per hour or 25%—whichever is greater. The direction of the wind can be changed by up to 90 degrees. These changes are temporary, lasting only as long as the PSP cost is paid. The changes occur in the round that the power is successfully activated. The wind returns to its original course and speed the round that the PSP cost is not paid.
Wind above 19 miles per hour prevents anything smaller than a human from flying and imposes a –4 modifier on missile fire. On the water, such wind makes sailing difficult. Wind gusting at more than 32 miles per hour causes minor damage to ships and buildings. This wind also kicks up clouds of dust and prevents all but the largest creatures from flying. Wind more than 55 miles per hour prevents all flight, knocks down trees and wooden buildings, and may swamp ships. Wind more than 73 miles per hour is a hurricane gale.
Inertial Barrier
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Con -3
PSP Cost: 6/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: 3–yard diameter
Prerequisite: Telekinesis, Level 3
This power is used as a defense, creating a barrier of psionic energy around the user and anyone within three yards of him. This barrier softens missile blows, shielding the user from damage by slowing and absorbing some or all of the potential damage caused by incoming attacks. However, the barrier also slows outgoing missile attacks—a drawback the user should consider.
The power protects against damage from these forms of attack: any nonmagical missile weapon; any physical missile created by magic; any missile with magical bonuses; flames; some breath weapon attacks (depending on the nature of the breath); acid; gas; all forms of disintegration; and falling (damage is halved). Inertial barrier cannot stop missiles conjured from pure magic or protect against raw heat or cold, pure energy or light, or gaze weapons. An inertial barrier cannot keep enemies out, but it does slow them. Anyone trying to cross a barrier must stop moving when contact is made. In the next round, the barrier can be crossed (either entering or exiting).
Missile weapons, whether passing into or out of the barrier, inflict damage in a modified fashion because the power saps energy from the missile. If a missile strikes its target after passing through the barrier (in either direction), the attacker rolls for damage as normal. However, the defender then rolls the same die to see how much damage the barrier absorbed. (Note: The defender doesn’t include any magical bonuses the weapon may have.) The defender subtracts his die roll from the attacker’s damage total. If anything remains, the defender loses that many hit points. If the defender’s roll equals or exceeds the total damage, the weapon falls harmlessly to the ground. If the missile is explosive, the barrier prevents weapon damage but not explosive damage.
Levitation
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Wisdom -3
PSP Cost: 5/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Telekinesis, Level 3
This power allows the user to float by using telekinesis on himself. The user can lift himself at the rate of 1 foot a second, or 60 feet a round. He can descend as quickly as he wants by simply letting himself fall, then slowing down as he nears the ground. The user can always levitate his own weight. Additional weight, such as equipment or passengers, is a hindrance. Every 25 pounds of added weight applies a -1 penalty to the roll
Levitation isn’t flying. The power provides no horizontal movement. The user can hover motionlessly and drift with the wind, or he can push off a wall or other fixed object and drift up to 60 feet a round in a straight line. He can’t stop, however, until he meets another solid object, lowers himself to the ground, or stops paying the PSP cost. Two powers—control wind and project force—can help the levitating user propel himself forward and change direction. The use of these additional powers requires the extra expenditure of PSPs and ability checks.
Molecular Agitation
(psychokinetic power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 7/3
Range: 40 yards
Area of Effect: 1 item, 20 pounds
Prerequisite: Level 9
This power enables the user to excite the molecules of a substance, causing paper to ignite, wood to smolder, or skin to blister, for example. The degree of destruction is as follows, depending on the number of rounds the item is agitated:
• One round. Readily flammable materials, such as paper and dry grass, ignite; skin becomes red and tender (1 point of damage); wood becomes dark.
• Two rounds. Wood smolders and smokes; metal becomes hot to the touch; skin blisters (1d4 points of damage); hair melts; paint shrivels.
• Three rounds. Wood ignites; metal scorches (1d4 points of damage); skin burns away (1d6 points of damage); water boils, lead melts. The damage inflicted doesn’t increase beyond this round, but targets continue to suffer the 1d4 or 1d6 points for each subsequent round the power continues.
• Four rounds. Steel grows soft.
• Five rounds. Steel melts.
Magical items receive saving throws against magical fire, but a +10 penalty is applied to the number needed. The heat produced by this power is highly destructive as it comes from inside the item instead of outside.
Molecular
Manipulation
(psychokinetic power)
Ability: Int -3
PSP Cost: 6/2
Range: 15 yards
Area of Effect: 2 square inches
Prerequisite: Telekinesis, Level 5
This power allows the user to weaken an object’s molecular bonds. When stress is applied to the object or a blow is struck, it snaps. The user can create one “weak point” of approximately 2 square inches each round. Deterioration occurs across a plane (in two dimensions, not three). One round’s application is enough to fatally weaken most small objects (knives, ropes, saddle straps, bows, etc.). Larger objects require more time and are subject to the DM’s discretion.
The DM must decide how vulnerable molecular manipulation makes larger, oddly shaped items (such as doors and shields). An object need not be in two pieces to be useless. A small boat, for example, is unsafe if it has a crack in its hull.
Psychometabolic
Powers
Psychometabolic powers affect the user’s body by altering it in some way. Revised powers are presented in this section.
Animal Affinity
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -4
PSP Cost: 7/3
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 5, three other psychometabolic powers
With this power, the user develops an affinity for a particular animal type. Roll on the list below to determine the animal type (see the Monstrous Manual for descriptions). The user undergoes a physical change when this power is used, depending on the animal and ability. For example, he may gain wings or claws.
When the user activates this power, he temporarily gains one of the animal’s attributes. He can gain the animal’s Armor Class; movement rate and mode; physical attacks, damage, and THAC0; hit points; or any other special ability—though only one of these can be gained at a time. The attribute lasts for every round that the cost is paid. Switching to a different attribute requires a new ability check.
1d20 Result
1 Ape
2 Barracuda
3 Boar
4 Bull
5 Crocodile
6 Eagle, giant
7 Elephant
8 Falcon
9 Griffon
10 Grizzly bear
11 Lion
12 Panther (black leopard)
13 Draft horse
14 Peregrine falcon (hawk)
15 Rattlesnake
16 Scorpion, giant
17 Shark
18 Stag
19 Tiger
20 Wolf
Complete Healing
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con
PSP Cost: 25/5
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 9, six other psychometabolic powers
This power allows the user to heal himself completely of all ailments, wounds, and normal diseases. He must place himself in a trance for 24 hours to accomplish the healing. The trance is deep; it can’t be broken unless the user loses 5 or more hit points. During the healing trance, the user’s body repairs itself at an incredible rate. At the end of the 24 hours, he awakens, restored to complete health in every regard except for the PSPs expended to use the power. If the user fails his ability check, the power can’t be activated; the trance breaks after 1 hour, costing 5 PSPs.
Metamorphosis
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -6
PSP Cost: 6/3
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 12, nine other psychometabolic powers
This power resembles magical polymorphing, but it has a wider application. The user can change himself into anything with approximately the same mass as his body: a wolf, a chair, or even a tree. While in this form, the user retains his own hit points and THAC0, but he gains the AC of the new form. He also gains all physical attacks the form allows, but no magical or special abilities. A new attack ability depends on the form chosen; a tree, for example, can’t attack, so it has no THAC0. Nonmagical movement is also gained. If the user metamorphs into another character race, use the Monstrous Manual book’s descriptions for that race.
Some forms have intrinsic advantages. Changing into a fish or rock renders the user immune to drowning, though he doesn’t retain any senses not normally associated with his new form. He may opt to keep some of his own senses when he transforms, but these are likely to give him away.
Like any massive change of shape, metamorphosis causes great physical stress. The user must make a system shock roll. If the roll fails, he expends 6 PSPs, changes form only for 1 round, and immediately passes out for 2d6 turns.
Shadowform
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -6
PSP Cost: 5/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 5, three other psychometabolic powers
This power transforms the user into living shadow. The user, his clothing, armor, and up to 20 pounds of equipment all transform. He can blend perfectly into any other shadow. His movement rate, however, is 6 (regardless of what it was before), and he can only travel through darkness and shadow. Areas of open light are impassable.
While in shadowform, the user only can be noticed by life detection, other types of psionic detection, or by a true seeing spell. He can’t harm anyone physically or manipulate any corporeal objects, but he can use psionic powers.
Adrenaline Control
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -2
PSP Cost: 5/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 3
This power temporarily boosts the amount of adrenaline in the user’s system, giving him physical advantages. He gains 1d6 points to divide among his Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores as he chooses, thus increasing them while the power is in effect. He receives all of the normal bonuses for high ability scores during this period. (If used to increase Constitution, the user might temporarily gain bonus hit points. Damage suffered is subtracted from the extra hit points first.)
Exceeding racial maximums is dangerous. When an attribute is increased beyond the racial maximum and the user stops paying the PSP cost, he must make a system shock check; he suffers 1d6 points of physical damage if the roll fails.
Body Control
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -4
PSP Cost: 6/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 5
This power allows the user to adapt his body to a hostile environment. The change must be keyed to a specific surrounding: water, acid, extreme heat, extreme cold, an elemental plane, etc. If the power works, the user not only survives, he behaves like a native organism. He can breathe and move normally, suffering no damage from the environment. However, a character who can survive extreme cold is still vulnerable to a cone of cold spell.
Body Equilibrium
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -3
PSP Cost: 2/1
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power allows the user to adjust his body weight to correspond to the surface he’s standing on. Thus, he can walk on water, quicksand, silt, or even a spider’s web without sinking or breaking through. If the user is falling when he activates this power, he falls slowly enough to escape injury. Because of how light weight the user becomes when this power is in effect, he must be wary of wind gusts, which can easily blow him about.
Body Weaponry
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -3
PSP Cost: 6/3
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power allows the user to convert one of his arms into a weapon. Virtually any sort of weapon can be imitated, except ranged weapons (such as bows) or any weapon the user isn’t proficient with. The arm actually becomes rock, bone, wood, or metal and assumes the weapon’s form. It behaves in every respect like a normal weapon of the chosen type, with the bonus that it can’t be dropped or stolen.
Cannibalize
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -2
PSP Cost: 0
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 5
This power allows the user to cannibalize his own body for extra PSPs. When activated successfully, the user can take Constitution points and convert them directly to PSPs at a ratio of 1:8 (1 Constitution point equals 8 PSPs). The user can access these PSPs any time, as if they were part of his total.
The Constitution reduction isn’t permanent, but it is debilitating and long lasting. The user immediately loses bonus hit points that accompany high Constitution scores. His system shock and resurrection survival chances are reduced. All psychometabolic powers receive a penalty (making them harder to use) equal to the number of Constitution points that were cannibalized. The user recovers one cannibalized point of Constitution per week of rest. Rest means staying quietly in a safe place; adventuring is not allowed.
Cell Adjustment
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -3
PSP Cost: 5+
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: Level 7
This power allows the user to heal wounds and cure nonmagical diseases—excluding such unnatural diseases as mummy rot and lycanthropy. He can cure a disease in 1 round by spending 5 PSPs and making a successful ability check (if on himself) or the victim fails his saving throw (a victim may not voluntarily fail the save in this case). If the roll fails, the disease is too widespread in the victim’s system. The user must continue spending 5 PSPs each round until he succeeds in activating the power. Note that a cure performed through this power doesn’t automatically restore lost hit points. However, the user can heal up to 4 points of damage in each subsequent round by spending 5 PSPs per hit point recovered (4 hit points for 20 PSPs per round maximum). The user can’t cure a disease and restore hit points during the same round.
Chameleon Power
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con -1
PSP Cost: 4/1
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power changes the coloration of the user’s skin, clothing, and equipment to match the nearest background. The match is automatic; the user doesn’t choose the appearance. The change takes several seconds to occur. As the user moves, the coloration shifts to reflect any changes in the surroundings.
This power makes the user extremely difficult to spot. For every round the power is in effect and the user remains still, he can avoid detection simply by successfully rolling an ability check. If the user moves, the ability check receives a -3 penalty. Chameleon power is most effective in natural surroundings, where the user’s coloration can best conceal him. In an urban setting, or in an area without natural cover during broad daylight, the ability check is further penalized by -3.
Heightened Senses
(psychometabolic power)
Ability: Con
PSP Cost: 3/1
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 3
This power allows the user to sharpen all his normal senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. (DMs might allow other applications as they see fit.) With heightened senses, the user has a good chance to notice thieves hiding in shadows or moving silently. This is represented by a thief’s skill chance being cut in half if someone with heightened senses is observing him. Even if the thief is already hidden, he must roll again when the user of this power enters the area.
Someone with heightened senses can also track by sense of smell. He must make an Intelligence check every turn to stay on the trail or to recover it if he loses it. While tracking, the user’s movement rate is reduced by 50%. The trail can be no more than 24 hours old. Ranges for the user’s hearing and seeing are tripled while this power is in effect. Further, he can ingest small quantities of possibly poisoned or impure foods, identifying the substance without causing himself harm. The user can identify almost anything by touch. He can identify any item he has previously handled and can also tell if an item was handled in the last five minutes.
Psychoportive
Powers
These powers allow psionic travel, moving a character without physical action. Revised powers are below.
Banishment
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Int -1
PSP Cost: 15/6
Range: 5 yards
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: Teleport, Five other psychoportive powers, Level 9
With this power, the user can teleport a creature against its will to a pocket dimension and hold it there for as long as he chooses to continue spending 15 PSPs per round. The creature being banished must be within 5 yards of the user. The pocket dimension is featureless, with a benign environment—hot or cold, light or dark, but not so much as to cause injury.
The banished creature returns to its original location as soon as the user stops paying the PSP cost. This boomerang feature won’t harm the creature. If the creature has access to the Astral or Ethereal Planes, or if it can teleport between planes, it can try to return prior to the expiration of the power by rolling an Intelligence check at –3.
Summon Planar
Creature
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Int -4
PSP Cost: 40/20 or 80/40
Range: 200 yards
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Prerequisite: Teleport, Level 9
With this power, the user can reach into another plane, grab whatever creature he happens to find there, and teleport it to his own plane. The creature is disoriented for 1 round after arriving, suffering a –2 penalty on all die rolls for initiative, attacks, and saving throws. The user can make the summoned creature appear anywhere within 200 yards of his position. If the user rolls the ability check exactly, the creature appears within 10 yards. The PSP cost is 40 for a creature from the Astral or Ethereal Planes, 80 for one from the Inner or Outer Planes. Failure costs half the indicated PSPs.
The user chooses the plane from which the creature will come. He doesn’t choose the creature, however; that’s determined at random. A creature from the Elemental Planes is usually an elemental of the appropriate type. A creature from the Outer Planes could be a native or a visitor. DMs are encouraged to see the Planescape™ line for ideas.
This power offers no control over the summoned creature and doesn’t return it to its home plane after a set amount of time—it merely teleports something from there to here. To be rid of the creature, the user must banish it, teleport it again, kill it, or somehow control it.
Teleport
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Int
PSP Cost: 10+/5+
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 9
This power allows the user to travel to a familiar spot. Teleport is instantaneous and always takes a character to a fixed location. There is a slight audible pop at both ends, signaling use of the power. The destination must be a place the user knows or can picture mentally. Even if the user never has been there, he may still know a location via use of ESP or another power. He can also teleport to a place even if it has changed from the way he pictures it; rearrangement won’t hamper the teleport power.
Restraints don’t affect this power. The user can bring his clothes, small items, and equipment (up to one fifth of his body mass). Doubling the amount of PSPs spent to activate the power lets the user carry up to three times his body mass, or to take along up to two others he has a firm grasp on. The cost to use this power varies with the distance traveled, as indicated below.
Distance PSP Cost Ability check modifier
10 yards 10/5 +1
100 yards 20/10 0
1,000 yards 30/15 -1
10 miles 40/20 -2
100 miles 50/25 -3
1,000 miles 60/30 -4
10,000 miles 70/35 -5
Interplanetary* 100/50 -6
* Teleport only works within a given plane or crystal sphere.
Teleport Other
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Int -2
PSP Cost: 10+/5+
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: 1–3 individuals
Prerequisite: Teleport, Level 12
This power is identical to teleport, except that it is used to teleport characters other than the user. The user stays where he is while someone else is teleported. The character must be willing to be teleported or otherwise have an open mind. If the user pays twice the usual PSP cost, he can teleport up to three characters—provided they are firmly grasping one another.
Distance PSP Cost Ability check modifier
10 yards 10/5 +1
100 yards 20/10 0
1,000 yards 30/15 -1
10 miles 40/20 -2
100 miles 50/25 -3
1,000 miles 60/30 -4
10,000 miles 70/35 -5
Interplanetary* 100/50 -6
* Teleport only works within a given plane or crystal sphere.
Astral Projection
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Int
PSP Cost: 3/1
Range: Not applicable
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 9
This power allows the user to travel without his physical body by creating an astral form that immediately leaps into the Astral Plane. Only creatures or characters who are also on the Astral Plane can see it. A silvery cord connects the astral body to the physical one. This translucent string stretches 10 feet from the astral body before becoming invisible. If the cord is severed, both the astral and physical bodies die—killing the user. The cord is nearly indestructible, however. It only can be severed by a powerful psionic wind or the silver sword of a githyanki.
The Astral Plane is used to get to other destinations—a distant point on the Prime Material or a location on another plane, for example. When the user reaches his destination, a temporary physical body is formed there. It resembles the user’s real body, and the two remain connected by the silvery cord. However, a temporary physical body isn’t formed if the user travels to another location on the same plane as his real body. He can view that distant location in astral form, but he can’t affect the area in any physical, magical, or psionic way.
Blink
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Int
PSP Cost: 4/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Teleport, Level 5
This power allows the user to make a series of random, short range teleportations that make him very hard to hit in combat. Each round, the user automatically blinks once at a randomly determined time in the initiative order. Roll 1d10 and note the initiative number of the blink. To strike at the user, his opponents must have a better initiative than his blink time. The user may attempt to strike before he blinks, but he must beat the blink initiative with his own roll or hold his action until the end of the round. Each blink carries the user 3d10 feet in a random direction. (Roll 1d8: 1 = straight ahead; 2 = ahead and to the right; 3 = to the right; and so on.) However, the user’s blink won’t carry him into a solid object or any kind of danger, such as into a fire or over a cliff.
Dimensional Door
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Con -1
PSP Cost: 3/1
Range: 50+ yards
Area of Effect: Not applicable
Prerequisite: Level 7
With this power, the user opens a human sized portal that leads to the edge of another dimension. The edge acts as a lightning quick transit system, carrying travelers to a destination chosen by the user. A gleaming portal appears in front of him. At the same time, an identical portal appears wherever the user wants it (within the power’s range). The door can have any orientation desired. Stepping into either portal allows a character to immediately step out of the other. Both doors remain in place as long as the PSP cost is met.
A door has only one side and no thickness; it doesn’t exist from the “back” and can’t be used to screen missile attacks. Up to five characters each round can use a door. If a group lines up, 10 can step through a round.
Commuting via this power is disorienting. Indeed, a traveler emerges dazed and can’t attack or move for a round. Even just poking a head through a door requires a system shock roll. Failure means the hero loses 50% of his current hit points and passes out for 1d6 rounds. Attacks made through a door suffer a –4 penalty. Distances between doors penalize the ability check as shown below.
Distance Between Doors Ability check modifier
50 yards 0
75 yards -2
100 yards -5
150 yards -8
200 yards -12
Dimension Walk
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Con -2
PSP Cost: 5/2
Range: Not applicable
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Level 9
With this power, the user opens a vaguely shimmering portal, which lets him travel from place to place in his own dimension by piercing other dimensions at right angles. This has two advantages over a dimensional door. The first being that a dimension walk isn’t physically traumatizing, and the second being that the range of travel is greater. The user can actually travel through this dimension at the speed of 21 miles per turn. However, this power allows only the user to travel, and the portal closes behind him instantly.
The user finds himself engulfed in a featureless, inky grayness. He can’t see where he is or where he’s going. He has only his instinct to guide him, and he must make a Wisdom check every turn. If these checks succeed, he’ll find himself at his chosen destination when he steps out of the dimensional realm. If any check fails, he strays off course by several miles. The DM can place the character in any location within the maximum distance he traveled from his starting point. It’s up to the user to figure out his location, as the power does nothing to help him gain his bearings.
The user can take with him whatever he can carry, though bags of holding and other dimensional devices spill their contents if taken into the gray realm. If anything lives in the gray, it never bothers (or can’t interact) with dimension walkers.
Phase
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Con -1
PSP Cost: 6/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: None
This power allows the user to shift his body into a different frequency of motion, making him transparent to the unphased world around him. While this power is in effect, the user can walk through solid matter. No physical force or energy can harm him, though other phased objects or creatures can do so.
A phased character can move vertically at 10 feet each round; over solid ground at his normal movement rate; over water or silt at half normal; and through solid matter at one fourth the normal rate. If a character fails to pay the cost while moving through solid matter, he suffers 3d10 points of damage, falls into a coma for 1d6 hours, and phases immediately into the Ethereal Plane. Note that a phased character isn’t affected by gravity. If a hero is falling off a cliff and activates this power, he retains any momentum he had and phases into the ground 2 1/2 feet for every 10 feet he falls. He must then have enough PSPs to reverse his fall and phase out of the ground or suffer the consequences noted above.
A phased character receives a +2 bonus to saves during psionic combat and gets a +2 bonus to all saving throws vs. mind affecting magic or effects. Conversely, any powers he uses receive a –2 penalty.
Teleport Trigger
(psychoportive power)
Ability: Int +1
PSP Cost: 2 per hour/1
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Personal
Prerequisite: Teleport, Level 12
This power allows the user to establish a specific event that will instantly activate his teleport power. It is a reflexive event, occurring as soon as the conditions are met without any conscious effort on the part of the user. After successfully rolling an ability check, the user must specify where he wants to teleport and define very specifically what conditions will trigger that teleport. These conditions can be anything he chooses, but they must happen in his immediate vicinity to activate the trigger.
When the teleport is triggered, the user must have enough PSPs remaining to pay the teleport cost. (If he doesn’t, the power fails to activate.) He must also make a teleport ability check. If the roll fails, the power doesn’t work. The trigger remains active as long as the user pays the PSP cost.
Telepathic Powers
Telepathic powers involve the direct contact of two or more minds. Revised powers and powers are presented below in this section.
Domination
(telepathic power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 6+/3+
Range: 30 yards
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: Mindlink, Level 9, five other telepathic powers
This power only can be used on an open mind. With it, the user projects mental commands into the mind of one other being. The dominated target knows what’s happening, but he can’t resist the user’s will, so he is forced to do nearly anything the user wishes. The target’s abilities remain unaffected by this power, and he can be made to use any power he possesses—assuming the user knows about it. Domination doesn’t reveal facts or secrets about the target.
When domination is attempted, the target makes a saving throw vs. spell. If successful, the target isn’t dominated. If the save fails, the target falls under the user’s control for as long as the user pays the PSP cost. The PSP cost is dependent on the target’s level, as shown below. Later, if the target is forced to do something against his alignment, he can attempt another saving throw to regain his free will.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 6/3
6–10 levels or HD 12/6
11–15 levels or HD 22/11
16–20 levels or HD 32/16
21+ levels or HD 50/25
Mindlink
(telepathic power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 7/3
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: None
This power only can be used on an open mind, allowing the user to communicate wordlessly with any intelligent creature. This is two way communication. It isn’t the same as mind reading, because the user receives only those thoughts the target wants to send. Language isn’t a barrier to mindlink.
Probe
(telepathic power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 8+/4+
Range: 2 yards
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: ESP, three other telepathic powers, Level 5
This power only can be used against an open mind. With it, the user can dig deeply into a target’s subconscious. If the target fails a saving throw vs. spell, then all of his memories and knowledge are accessible to the user—from memories deep below the surface to those still fresh in the target’s mind. The information is true (or at least the target believes it to be true).
A probe can be tried during melee if the user is close enough and the target’s mind is opened. The user knows when a probed spellcaster is casting a spell and what the general effects of that spell are. The user can learn the answer to one question per round, though DMs can alter this rate. Complex questions and answers may take longer than a round to resolve. The PSP cost is per the target’s level, as shown below.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 8/4
6–10 levels or HD 9/5
11–15 levels or HD 10/5
16–20 levels or HD 11/6
21+ levels or HD 13/7
Psychic Surgery
(telepathic power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 9+/5+
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: Mindlink, five other telepathic powers, Level 7
This power allows the user to repair psionic damage. He can operate on himself if need be, but the power receives a -3 penalty. Phobias, aversions, idiocy, comas, seizures—all these mental ailments and more can be treated and cured. However, curses or magical conditions such as charms can’t be cured by this power. Nor can the surgery cure possession, though it can identify such a condition and force psionic combat. Most such ailments can be cured in 1 turn. If the save or ability check fails, the problem is too great for the user; he can try again when he gains a new experience level.
This power has two special uses. First, it can help characters unleash their wild talents. If the user performs this kind of operation successfully, the patient gains a +2% bonus to his wild talent roll.
Second, the user can make the effect of any telepathic power permanent without any PSP costs. The power isn’t bestowed upon the recipient, only the effect. This has the following restrictions: 1) The power must have a range greater than 0; 2) the surgeon must know the power and successfully use it on the patient; 3) the user can’t do this type of operation to himself or another psionicist; 4) only one power can be made permanent per turn, and 5) if the check is rolled exactly, the procedure takes 2 turns. Likewise, this power can also remove a permanently implanted power. The PSP cost is determined by the target’s level, as below.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 9/5
6–10 levels or HD 10/5
11–15 levels or HD 11/6
16–20 levels or HD 12/6
21+ levels or HD 14/7
Awe
(telepathic power)
Ability: Cha -2
PSP Cost: 4+/2+
Range: 0
Area of Effect: 20 yards
Prerequisite: Mindlink
This power only works on an open mind. With it, the user can cause another character to hold him in awe. Characters affected by this power are mentally cowed—they sense the user’s “awesome might.” They have no desire to serve or befriend the user, but they won’t attack him unless forced to do so. If possible, they’ll avoid the user completely and take the first opportunity to escape his presence. The PSP cost for this power is based on the target’s level, as shown below.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 4/2
6–10 levels or HD 5/2
11–15 levels or HD 6/3
16–20 levels or HD 8/4
21+ levels or HD 9/5
Conceal Thoughts
(telepathic power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 4/2
Range: 0
Area of Effect: 3 yards
Prerequisite: None
This defensive power protects the user against psionic or magical ESP, probes, mindlinks, and other powers and spells that read or detect thoughts. It gives the user a +2 to saving throws when defending against such effects.
ESP
(telepathic power)
Ability:
PSP Cost: 6+/3+
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: None
This power only works on an open mind. Extrasensory perception (ESP) allows the user to read someone else’s mind. The user can perceive surface or active thoughts. He can’t use ESP to explore a target’s memories or to delve into his subconscious. Most intelligent creatures tend to think in words, so language can be a barrier to understanding. Unintelligent creatures think in pictures. Magical thought, such as when a wizard casts a spell, is unintelligible to this power. However, the user can recognize such thoughts as part of the spellcasting process. The PSP cost is shown below.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 6/3
6–10 levels or HD 7/4
11–15 levels or HD 8/4
16–20 levels or HD 9/5
21+ levels or HD 11/6
Inflict Pain
(telepathic power)
Ability: Con -4
PSP Cost: 3+/2+
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: Mindlink, Level 3
`This power only can be used on an open mind. It is a particularly nasty form of torture, although no actual harm is inflicted on the target, and the power leaves no physical scars or marks. Only evil characters can learn this power freely; others find their alignments twisting toward evil if they learn and use inflict pain.
If the target is an NPC who is being questioned, he is allowed a saving throw vs. spell to withstand the agony. If he fails, he begs for mercy and answers questions as the DM sees fit. If the user finds a way to employ this power in combat, the target is still entitled to a saving throw. Success means he grits his teeth and keeps on fighting. Failure means the pain imposes a –4 penalty to his attack rolls that round or disrupts and ruins spellcasting. PSP costs depend on the target’s level.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 3/2
6–10 levels or HD 4/2
11–15 levels or HD 5/3
16–20 levels or HD 6/3
21+ levels or HD 8/4
Invisibility
(telepathic power)
Ability: Int -5
PSP Cost: 3+/2+
Range: 100 yards
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: Mindlink, Level 2
This power only can be used on open minds. It differs significantly from the spell invisibility. This is a delusion that affects specific minds, not an illusion that affects everyone; the only real change occurs in those whose minds were opened. Thus, the user must open each mind he wants to deceive, for only to these minds will he appear invisible. He can see himself, and so can anyone whose mind wasn’t opened. Only beings within 100 yards can be affected by this power.
Each individual affected must make a save for each delusion and the user must pay a separate PSP cost for each. A delusion is defined as one invisible character as perceived by one other being. The user can make anyone who is human size or smaller invisible with this power, not just himself. Note that this power affects vision only; observers may still be able to hear or smell “invisible” characters. PSP costs are as follows.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 3/2
6–10 levels or HD 4/2
11–15 levels or HD 5/3
16–20 levels or HD 6/3
21+ levels or HD 8/4
Life Detection
(telepathic power)
Ability: Int -2
PSP Cost: 3/1
Range: 100 yards
Area of Effect: Varies
Prerequisite: None
This power allows the user to scan for the presence of living, thinking creatures within a limited area. If he is scanning at short range, he can cover a large angle. At long range, the angle is significantly reduced. He can scan 180 degrees to a range of 40 yards, 90 degrees to 60 yards, or 30 degrees to 100 yards. One round of scanning detects humans, demihumans, humanoids, mammals, and monsters with 8 or more Hit Dice. A second round detects all creatures with less than 8 Hit Dice. In either case, the user receives an accurate count.
The DM should make the ability check and keep it secret from the player. If the user doesn’t detect anything, he won’t know whether nothing’s there or the power failed.
Send Thoughts
(telepathic power)
Ability: Int -1
PSP Cost: 3+/2+
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: None
This power only works on an open mind, allowing the user to send his thoughts to another mind via one way communication. He can send information or simply use the power to distract the target. If the target is a wizard casting a spell, he gets a save vs. spell. If the wizard fails his save, his concentration is broken and the spell fails. If the target is distracted while in melee combat, he receives a –2 penalty to all attack rolls.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 3/2
6–10 levels or HD 4/2
11–15 levels or HD 5/3
16–20 levels or HD 6/3
21+ levels or HD 8/4
Sight Link
(telepathic power)
Ability: Con -3
PSP Cost: 5+ per turn/3+
Range: Unlimited
Area of Effect: Individual
Prerequisite: Mindlink
Only usable against open minds, this power lets the user tap into another’s visual senses, allowing him to see whatever that being sees. The user’s own vision is unaffected. If the linked character is subjected to a gaze attack, the user must make an appropriate saving throw or also be affected by the gaze.
Target’s Level PSP Cost
1–5 levels or HD 5/3
6–10 levels or HD 6/3
11–15 levels or HD 7/4
16–20 levels or HD 8/4
21+ levels or HD 10/5
Psionic Powers Summary
Below is a listing of all psionic powers currently available. Each has two statistics, an ability score and a PSP cost, replacing the old power score, initial cost, and maintenance cost from the original source. The number to the right of the slash is the cost if the ability roll fails. All other details of the powers remain the same, unless new descriptions have been provided in this document. Powers are from The Complete Psionics Handbook unless noted otherwise.
Table 84: Psionic
Powers
——— Clairsentient
Powers ———
Power Ability
score PSP Cost Prerequisite
All round vision1
Appraise Int -4 14/6 None
Aura sight1
Clairaudience1 Wis -3 5/2 Level 5, three other clairsentient powers
Clairvoyance1 Wis -3 5/2 Level 5, three other clairsentient powers
Combat mind1 Int -4 4/2 None
Danger sense1
Feel light
Feel sound1
Hear light
Know direction Int 1/1 None
Know location1 Int 8/3 None
Martial trance1 Int 7/3 Level 3
Object reading1
Poison sense1
Precognition
Psionic sense1
Psychic clone
Radial navigation Int -3 6/hour/3 Level 3
Retrospection
See sound1
Sensitivity to
psychic
impressions
Spirit sense
——— Psychokinetic
Powers ———
Power Ability
score PSP Cost Prerequisite
Animate object1 Int -3 5/2 Telekinesis, Level 3
Animate shadow
Ballistic attack Con -2 5/3 Telekinesis
Control body Con -2 8/4 Telekinesis, level 5
Control flames
Control light Int 6/2 None
Control sound1 Int -5 3/1 None
Control wind1 Con -4 12/5 Telekinesis, Level 5
Create object1 Int -4 7/3 Telekinesis, two other psychokinetic powers, level 7
Create sound Int -5 5/2 Telekinesis, Control Sound
Detonate1 Con -3 15/5 Telekinesis, molecular agitation, four other psychokinetic powers, level 12
Disintegrate
Inertial barrier1 Con -3 6/2 Telekinesis, Level 3
Levitation1
Molecular agitation1
Molecular
manipulation1 Int -3 6/2 Telekinesis, Level 5
Molecular
rearrangement Int -5 12/hour/6 Telekinesis, Molecular Manipulation, seven other psychokinetic powers, level 12
Project force1 Con -2 10/4 Telekinesis, two other psychokinetic powers
Soften Int 3/1 Telekinesis, Level 7
Stasis field Con -3 20/10 Level 8
Telekinesis1
——— Psychometabolic Powers ———
Power Ability
score PSP Cost Prerequisite
Absorb disease Con -3 10/4 Level 5
Adrenaline control1 Con -2 5/2 Level 3
Aging Con -7 9/5 Level 9
Animal affinity1 Con -4 7/3 Level 5, three other psychometabolic powers
Biofeedback Con -2 4/2 Level 3
Body control1 Con -4 6/2 Level 5
Body equilibrium1 Con -3 2/1 None
Body weaponry1 Con -3 6/3 None
Cannibalize1 Con -2 0 Level 5
Catfall Dex -2 4/2 None
Cause decay Con -2 4/2 Level 7
Cell adjustment1 Con -3 5+/3+ Level 7
Chameleon power1 Con -1 4/1 None
Chemical simulation Con -4 7/3 Level 3
Complete healing1 Con 25/5 Level 9, six other psychometabolic powers
Death field Con -8 35/15 Three other psychometabolic powers
Displacement Con -3 4/2 Level 5
Double pain Con -3 7/2 None
Ectoplasmic form Con -4 9/3 Level 7
Energy containment Con -2 9/3 Level 7, three other psychometabolic powers
Enhanced strength
Enhancement
Expansion Con -2 3/1 None
Flesh armor Con -3 5/2 None
Gird Int -3 2 x cost Level 3
Graft weapon Con -5 5/2 None
Heightened senses1 Con 3/1 Level 3
Immovability Con -5 7/2 None
Intensify Affected -3 6+/3+ Level 3
Lend health Con -1 4/1 Level 5
Life draining Con -3 6/3 Level 5, three other psychometabolic powers
Magnify
Metamorphosis1 Con -6 6/3 Level 12, nine other psychometabolic powers
Mind over body
Prolong Con -4 3/1 Level 4
Reduction Con -2 varies None
Shadowform1 Con -6 5/2 Level 5, three other psychometabolic powers
Share strength Con -4 3/1 None
Splice varies varies Level 2+
Suspend animation Con -3 12/5 Level 5
——— Psychoportive Powers ———
Power Ability
score PSP Cost Prerequisite
Astral projection1 Int 3/1 Level 9
Banishment1 Int -1 15/6 Teleport, Five other psychoportive powers, Level 9
Blink1 Int 4/2 Teleport, Level 5
Dimensional door1 Con -1 3/1 Level 7
Dimension walk1 Con -2 5/2 Level 9
Dream travel
Phase1 Con -1 6/2 None
Probability travel Int 11/hour/5 Six other psychoportive powers, level 12
Summon planar creature1 Int -4 40/20 or 80/40 Teleport, two other psychoportive powers, Level 9
Teleport1 Int 10+/5+ Level 9
Teleport other1 Int -2 10+/5+ Teleport, Level 12
Teleport trigger1 Int +1 2/hour/1 Teleport, Level 12
Time shift Int 16/6 Level 7
Time/space anchor Int 3/1 None
Wrench Wis -4 10/5 Level 5
——— Telepathic Powers
———
Power Ability
score PSP Cost Prerequisite
Attraction
Aura alteration
Aversion
Awe1 Cha -2 4+/2+ Mindlink
Conceal thoughts1
Convergence
Domination1 Wis -4 6+/3+ Mindlink, Level 9, five other telepathic powers
Empower
ESP1
False sensory input Int -2 5/2 Mindlink
Fate link Con -5 6/turn/3 Mindlink, Level 3
Identity penetration
Incarnation awareness
Inflict pain1 Con -4 3+/2+ Mindlink, Level 3
Invincible foes
Invisibility1 Int -5 3+/2+ Mindlink, Level 2
Life detection1 Int -2 3/1 None
Mass domination
Mind bar Int -2 5/2 None
Mindlink1
Mindwipe Int -6 8/3 Mindlink, Level 9, five other telepathic powers
Phobia amplification
Post hypnotic
suggestion Int -3 3/HD/3 Mindlink, Level 5
Probe1 Wis -5 8+/4+ ESP, three other telepathic powers, Level 5
Psionic inflation
Psychic drain
Psychic
impersonation
Psychic messenger Con -4 4/2 None
Psychic surgery1
Repugnance
Send thoughts1 Int -1 3+/2+ None
Sight link1 Con -3 5+/turn/3+ Mindlink
Sound link Con -2 5+/turn/2+ Mindlink
Superior invisibility Int -5 6/rd/target Mindlink, Invisibility, Level 3, one other telepathic power
Switch personality Con -4 40/15 Mindlink, Level 9, five other telepathic powers
Synaptic static Int -4 11/5 Mindlink
Taste link Con -2 5+/turn/2+ Mindlink
Telempathic
projection
Notes
1 Revised power described in this document.