Kalashtar in Sharn [Archive] - Wizards Community

Kalashtar in Sharn [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
trashdog
02-02-06, 08:06 PM So, I don't have the Sharn book, but a player who wants to be in a play-by-post game I'm running does, and objects to the fact that I've said that only Kalashtar can have levels in psionic classes. He says that do to a certain magic item that detects psionics, doing so would screw Kalashtar since the Inspired could hunt them down. That I attempted to refute, but he would have none of it.

Then, I tell him that I don't have the Sharn book, but in my mind, setting traps to catch a few Kalashtar seems foolish. The Inspired have bigger and better things to do. Why would they waste their time with that? He gives me a non-answer by saying that there are over 2,000 Kalashtar in Sharn and that they can walk through the Riederan district and not get killed. He seems to think that since all you need to do is set up a few of these traps in key "choke points" of Sharn, it'll be great for the Inspired to capture /kill /interrogate Kalashtar.

So, I'm still arguing with him, but my question is, are there really that many Kalashtar in Sharn? And am I losing my mind since if there are that many, and they all live in one place like he says, it makes absolutely no sense to even put up traps? You already know where they are and what they look like.

Thanks for any help.
Gilgiga of the Hunt
02-02-06, 08:27 PM There's quite a few of them, I'm not sure about the real numbers, I remember it was kinda large. Thing is if they're gonna get caught by that sortta trap then they're rather dull Kalashtar.
Seeing as their entire race is tracked down and hunted by the inspired, you'd think they'd have ways to counter their traps, method's of hiding psionics.

As for only in psionic classes, that leaves out the monk (barring a special psioinic varient), and that's kinda an important class in Kalashtar society, same with Cleric. I'd probably reduce that restriction to they hafto at least start off with a psionic class and can multi into something.
trashdog
02-02-06, 08:38 PM Hmm.. thanks for the input, but I'm looking for specifics. I'm fairly certain he extrapolated and exaggerated his numbers.

Also, what I meant was that other races can't be psionic, not that Kalashtar must be psionic. Though, I mentioned that if a player has a very good reason, I will allow other races to use psionic classes, like maybe an Adaran human, for instance.

Thanks again.
ChimericalWolf
02-02-06, 09:09 PM Out of curiosity, why the ruling that only Kalashtar can be psionic?

The setting does allow such things as random talents, non-kalashtar psionic "schools," and, if I remember right, the PGtE says that the Kalashtar are more than happy to teach psionics to just about anyone who asks them.
trashdog
02-02-06, 09:18 PM I do allow for exceptions, but with so few Kalashtar, I don't think there should be many. Think of how few wizards there are when there are lots of schools for it. Also, I opted for the psionics-lite version of the setting. And, it helps prevent arguements over why I don't want warforged or elf psions and having to explain why psionics (to me) aren't powers of the mind, but planar channeling. It just needlessly complicates things.

Makes sense?
DragonWatcher
02-02-06, 09:20 PM I don't mean to sound... um... mean, but if I were you I would think again about whether or not I want this person in my game. To me it's not about the specific issue that you're dealing with now, as much as it is about the fact that the game hasn't even started yet and he's already getting into conflict with you over the difference in your visions of Eberron. This is one of those cases where I really don't think that it matters who's right here... if he's willing to argue about this before the game starts, then how much conflict between you and he will there be once the game starts.

Just something to think about.
Belabras
02-02-06, 09:20 PM Kalastar are certainly the most psionic of races in Eberron, however, Changelings (due to their dopleganger heritage), Warforged (Psiforged) and also Daelkyr-touched (MoE) have ready access to psionics for various reasons. All other races could have access to psionics through Daelkyr influence, Mournland exposer, or any number of other reasons and could have found training (or become Wilders). Kalashtar are by no means the only psionics in Khorvair.

As a matter of fact, there are a fair number of human psychics in Sharn (detailed in Sharn:CoT).

On a related note, Kalashtar have been in oposition to the Inspired for centuries, and have survived this whole time. And the Inspired avoid overt action on Khorvair unless they absolutely must take it, and they are in no hurry to take out the Kalashtar. The scenario you and he are talking about is rather unlikely.
trashdog
02-02-06, 09:55 PM Ok. So, essentially, you agree that we're both wrong?

That's fine by me, because I don't agree with the premise of the psiforged, and though Keith Baker rules that Dal Quor and Xoriat are tied to psionics, I don't agree when it comes to Xoriat. Dal Quor being linked to the minds of all dreaming beings makes sense to me, and is thus the basis for psionics. Madness? The link seems tenuous at best, as well as a quick way to explain why abberations have psionic powers. Logically, dreamless being like warforged and elves are excluded from psionic classes. I don't have or use the Sharn sourcebook, not because it's not good, because it is, but because it is too specific. And, again, humans can be psionic, but they must have been taught by a Kalashtar, which is pretty much in line with what Keith Baker has said on the topic. I'll cite the AKB FAQ if anyone is curious about that.

Oh, yeah, this guy has rubbed me the wrong way is all. I hate to back down from an argument, and since he does seem to have some good ideas, I kinda want him in the game. I just want to prove to him that my game is not "not Eberron" just because I made a few minor modifications.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Psionycx
02-03-06, 12:18 AM Well, when dealing with someone whose read all the books you're going to find yourself in a bind fighting this argument. There's a lot of stuff supporting what this guy is saying.

Sharn is a big city. Much bigger than other fantasy cities like Greyhawk and Waterdeep. 1,600 kalashtar may sound like a lot, but when you consider that Sharn's population is over 200,000 that's really not a large chunk of the population.

Now, because of the ongoing conflict between the kalashtar and the Dreaming Dark, most of the kalashtar live in the all-kalashtar enclave in the district of Overlook. Having considerable psionic resources, it's not easy to pick them off on their own turf, so they are not really hiding their presence in Sharn. Nor do they really need to hide their powers. Eberron is a highly magical world and Sharn is a massively magical city. Parts of it are floating in mid-air! So just as the kalashtar are perceived as being "exotic humans from across the sea", psionics is perceived as being an exotic, foreign sort of "magic" by most people.

I think that part of the kalashtar's open presence in Sharn is a statement laid before the Inspired: "We who know what you really are are here, and we are watching. You will not spread your corruption here without opposition." The kalashtar make it their main goal block the goals of the Dreaming Dark. They're in a sort of Cold War with the Inspired, a conflict being waged invisibly from the perspective of most of the city's populace.

Now again, psionics is not exclusive to the kalashtar and the Inspired, and that fact is hammered home time and again in various books. Psionic powers are not a form of planar channelling. Psionics are perhaps a bit more common in races with ties to Xoriat and Dal Quor because those are planes with strong ties to mind and thought, and so creatures with ties to those planes are prone to mental powers just as creatures with ties to Fernia have an affinity for fire. That doesn't mean all fire on Eberron is linked to Fernia, merely that it has a commonality to it. So it is with psionics and the planes of madness and dreams.

I do agree that psionics in the war-forged strikes me as weird. Must be my 1E/2E sensibilities. But then again, Magic of Eberron does introduce the concept of the psionic artificer, something implied by mentions of kalashtar artificers in Races of Eberron. Likely such psionic artificers took a hand in creating the psi-forged. As for elves, I wasn't aware that they were dreamless.
stone_river_glory
02-03-06, 12:24 AM I've got a player that does the same thing. He wants me to rule in Dromites or Thri-keen. Most of the time these players want to be very different from the normal party. I explained that the races from the XPH aren't in Eberron, and thus its my choice whether they exist or not. I personally think that the Elan would be sort of close to non-kalashtar psionic characters. Kalash trained, and selected for their hidden talents.

Just explain to the player that he's got good ideas, but its still your game and you make the rules. Try to figure out a different way for the player to express himself, rather than playing the very abnormal character concept. Not that I have a problem with the Dromites or Thri-Kreen, but they don't have a place in my campaign.
trashdog
02-03-06, 12:52 AM I am aware of the size of Sharn, and I do not think that the Inspired would hunt them down. I'm just saying that his argument does not make any sense whatsoever. If the Inspired wanted to hunt down Kalashtar, they don't need traps.

I'll quote Keith Baker on the planar stuff from the AKB FAQ:

Any race can develop psionic powers; it's just most likely that they would do so through some form of Quori guidance (whether that's kalashtar, Inspired, or a human from Sarlona).
Q Originally posted by kroh How often is a psychic character manifested outside of the kalashtar and how does the population at large view them?
A This is up to you as a DM. For a kalashtar, psion levels represent its bond to its quori spirit, and thus are a innate strength that it hones. For other creatures, they represent a learned skill at manipulating the psionic energies that reside in realms like Dal Quor and Xoriat, which can be focused through the lens of a human mind. As arcane magic is the focus of supernatural study in Khorvaire, few people understand the nature of psionics or how to hone it. Therefore, a psion generally learns his abilities from a kalashtar, or from another character who learned from a kalashtar (or who was trained by the Dreaming Dark for some odd reason). Xoriat is another source of psionic power, and if you want lots of psi in your game you could use psionic illithids, dolgaunts, or Khyber cultists. And especially in the case of wilders, if your want a character to spontaneously develop powers (which she may not even understand), go for it. In general, the population at large doesn't have much awareness of psionics, and would probably think a psion was some sort of sorcerer.

Not arguing with that. And since my Eberron is psionics-lite, there are fewer Kalashtar, and fewer people who know about psionics and develop powers. And, as you can see, it seems that Keith thinks that it is a form of planar channeling. I always thought of psionics as being incompatible with most D&D games because it wasn't magic. Now it is magic, just a different sort. It's not purely the power of the mind anymore, and that's why I'll allow it in Eberron. It just makes so much sense that way.

Psiforged seem off to me, mostly because they 1) still don't dream, and 2) don't have a quori spirit like Kalashtar. Those are the only ways I can think of a creature having psionic powers.

Oh, and elves don't sleep, so they can't dream.

My belief is that elves do not go to Dal Quor, hence that immunity to dream spells

So, maybe not official, but close enough. Oh, and the above quotes are from pages 1 and 2 of the AKB FAQ.

To stone_river_glory, he wants to play a Kalashtar, actually. But he thinks I'm going to screw him, when I'm not, and he thinks my game is "not Eberron". I'll admit that there are other non-psionic related changes that deviate significantly from the ECS, but he hasn't really been bothered by them. Probably because they involve orcs and hobgoblins and their dragonmarks, and he has no interest in playing any of those.

Oh, and is it just me, or is there something weirdly elitist about people who are obsessed with psionics. No offense if you like the system. It is well balanced and interesting, but it just strikes me as being off. Arcane and divine magic tap into outer powers, while psionics is totally the power of the mind? I much prefer the Eberron way.

Thanks for the lively discussion.
Belabras
02-03-06, 01:03 AM don't have a quori spirit like Kalashtar. Those are the only ways I can think of a creature having psionic powers.

Who says the Psiforged don't have a quor spirit? For all we know, all 'forged are made with quor spirits inside them.

As to the clannishness of psionics folks- I'd say we tend to band together due to perceived prejudices by some players and DMs who still think of psionics as a broken system.
stone_river_glory
02-03-06, 01:05 AM I played an Elan Psion as a supporting role with my group of players. She was used mainly to push them forward since they have difficulty agreeing on a course of action. So while they argued about how to cross a previously triggered pit trap that had become a haven for a spider, my supporting character got tired of waiting and walked across it using one of her powers. Personally, Psionics has its place in things, and when ruling it into a game you have to make certain everyone understands its place. Not to mention you have to cater to it as a DM. Spelltheives become Psitheives, and Spell Resistance becomes Psi-resistance. It just starts to get a little screwy with a group of new players. My characters still have issues leveling up, let alone understanding how the manifestation of a power works.

As for Elves not sleeping... When did that happen? Is it the immunity to sleep effects, or do they just kick back and relax instead of fall asleep? Psiforged just seem a little too... Odd. They are living constructs, how do they have minds that can manifest powers? Or dream for that matter.
Belabras
02-03-06, 10:28 AM :banghead:

Elves don't sleep, they meditate for 4 hours a day. It's in the PHB.

Psicrystals and a few psiconstructs can manifest powers. Why is it such a stretch to think of Psiforged doing so?
Mula
02-03-06, 01:09 PM The Inspired do hunt down kalashtar. The very existence of kalashtar threatens the existence of the Inspired.

The kalashtar want to reincarnate the plane of Dal Quor, in a way, and they believe something wonderful will replace the current, rather nasty Dal Quor. (This process involves lots and lots of meditation.)

Obviously, the Quori have beef with this. They want to destroy the kalashtar (rebels, really) before any change to Dal Quor can happen.

This reincarnation of Dal Quor has happened before - in fact, when Dal Quor clashed with the giant empires thousands of years ago, the plane and its inhabitants were different Quori.

The current-day Quori/Inspired believe that by "stabilizing" the Material Plane, Dal Quor won't transform ever again. Riedra is a successful part of this stabilization process. Khorvaire is next...
Psionycx
02-04-06, 08:58 PM The kalashtar tend to hang around in groups, rather than roaming around solo, largely because they are subject to regular attacks by agents of the Dreaming Dark. Indeed, living openly in a community enclave, rather than as an underground secret society, affords them a measure of protection if for no reason other than that Riedran agents cannot simply lay seige to Overlook without raising the ire of the city government.

Hence, traps, assassination, telepathic intrigues and similar shadowy behavior makes up the bulk of Inspired activity against the kalashtar. The Inspired do not (yet) have the power in Khorvaire to simply dispatch armies like they can in Sarlona.

The kalashtar make a point of teaching psionics to those they deem worthy. So in time any locale with a kalashtar population (especially a large one as in Sharn) is going to develop a growing number of psionically-active individuals. Most people simply imagine that psionics is just another kind of magic. If you're an ordinary person, you probably don't care much about the underlying metaphysics of how another person can moves objects without touching them or read your mind. They only care that you can do it.

As for elves, the Reverie (their 4-hour meditative state) has always been something of a more focused dream. And besides, wouldn't individuals that meditate instead of sleeping make prime candidates for the kind of mental focus required for psionics?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
trashdog 02-02-06, 08:06 PM	So, I don't have the Sharn book, but a player who wants to be in a play-by-post game I'm running does, and objects to the fact that I've said that only Kalashtar can have levels in psionic classes. He says that do to a certain magic item that detects psionics, doing so would screw Kalashtar since the Inspired could hunt them down. That I attempted to refute, but he would have none of it. Then, I tell him that I don't have the Sharn book, but in my mind, setting traps to catch a few Kalashtar seems foolish. The Inspired have bigger and better things to do. Why would they waste their time with that? He gives me a non-answer by saying that there are over 2,000 Kalashtar in Sharn and that they can walk through the Riederan district and not get killed. He seems to think that since all you need to do is set up a few of these traps in key "choke points" of Sharn, it'll be great for the Inspired to capture /kill /interrogate Kalashtar. So, I'm still arguing with him, but my question is, are there really that many Kalashtar in Sharn? And am I losing my mind since if there are that many, and they all live in one place like he says, it makes absolutely no sense to even put up traps? You already know where they are and what they look like. Thanks for any help.
Gilgiga of the Hunt 02-02-06, 08:27 PM	There's quite a few of them, I'm not sure about the real numbers, I remember it was kinda large. Thing is if they're gonna get caught by that sortta trap then they're rather dull Kalashtar. Seeing as their entire race is tracked down and hunted by the inspired, you'd think they'd have ways to counter their traps, method's of hiding psionics. As for only in psionic classes, that leaves out the monk (barring a special psioinic varient), and that's kinda an important class in Kalashtar society, same with Cleric. I'd probably reduce that restriction to they hafto at least start off with a psionic class and can multi into something.
trashdog 02-02-06, 08:38 PM	Hmm.. thanks for the input, but I'm looking for specifics. I'm fairly certain he extrapolated and exaggerated his numbers. Also, what I meant was that other races can't be psionic, not that Kalashtar must be psionic. Though, I mentioned that if a player has a very good reason, I will allow other races to use psionic classes, like maybe an Adaran human, for instance. Thanks again.
ChimericalWolf 02-02-06, 09:09 PM	Out of curiosity, why the ruling that only Kalashtar can be psionic? The setting does allow such things as random talents, non-kalashtar psionic "schools," and, if I remember right, the PGtE says that the Kalashtar are more than happy to teach psionics to just about anyone who asks them.
trashdog 02-02-06, 09:18 PM	I do allow for exceptions, but with so few Kalashtar, I don't think there should be many. Think of how few wizards there are when there are lots of schools for it. Also, I opted for the psionics-lite version of the setting. And, it helps prevent arguements over why I don't want warforged or elf psions and having to explain why psionics (to me) aren't powers of the mind, but planar channeling. It just needlessly complicates things. Makes sense?
DragonWatcher 02-02-06, 09:20 PM	I don't mean to sound... um... mean, but if I were you I would think again about whether or not I want this person in my game. To me it's not about the specific issue that you're dealing with now, as much as it is about the fact that the game hasn't even started yet and he's already getting into conflict with you over the difference in your visions of Eberron. This is one of those cases where I really don't think that it matters who's right here... if he's willing to argue about this before the game starts, then how much conflict between you and he will there be once the game starts. Just something to think about.
Belabras 02-02-06, 09:20 PM	Kalastar are certainly the most psionic of races in Eberron, however, Changelings (due to their dopleganger heritage), Warforged (Psiforged) and also Daelkyr-touched (MoE) have ready access to psionics for various reasons. All other races could have access to psionics through Daelkyr influence, Mournland exposer, or any number of other reasons and could have found training (or become Wilders). Kalashtar are by no means the only psionics in Khorvair. As a matter of fact, there are a fair number of human psychics in Sharn (detailed in Sharn:CoT). On a related note, Kalashtar have been in oposition to the Inspired for centuries, and have survived this whole time. And the Inspired avoid overt action on Khorvair unless they absolutely must take it, and they are in no hurry to take out the Kalashtar. The scenario you and he are talking about is rather unlikely.
trashdog 02-02-06, 09:55 PM	Ok. So, essentially, you agree that we're both wrong? That's fine by me, because I don't agree with the premise of the psiforged, and though Keith Baker rules that Dal Quor and Xoriat are tied to psionics, I don't agree when it comes to Xoriat. Dal Quor being linked to the minds of all dreaming beings makes sense to me, and is thus the basis for psionics. Madness? The link seems tenuous at best, as well as a quick way to explain why abberations have psionic powers. Logically, dreamless being like warforged and elves are excluded from psionic classes. I don't have or use the Sharn sourcebook, not because it's not good, because it is, but because it is too specific. And, again, humans can be psionic, but they must have been taught by a Kalashtar, which is pretty much in line with what Keith Baker has said on the topic. I'll cite the AKB FAQ if anyone is curious about that. Oh, yeah, this guy has rubbed me the wrong way is all. I hate to back down from an argument, and since he does seem to have some good ideas, I kinda want him in the game. I just want to prove to him that my game is not "not Eberron" just because I made a few minor modifications. Thanks for your thoughts.
Psionycx 02-03-06, 12:18 AM	Well, when dealing with someone whose read all the books you're going to find yourself in a bind fighting this argument. There's a lot of stuff supporting what this guy is saying. Sharn is a big city. Much bigger than other fantasy cities like Greyhawk and Waterdeep. 1,600 kalashtar may sound like a lot, but when you consider that Sharn's population is over 200,000 that's really not a large chunk of the population. Now, because of the ongoing conflict between the kalashtar and the Dreaming Dark, most of the kalashtar live in the all-kalashtar enclave in the district of Overlook. Having considerable psionic resources, it's not easy to pick them off on their own turf, so they are not really hiding their presence in Sharn. Nor do they really need to hide their powers. Eberron is a highly magical world and Sharn is a massively magical city. Parts of it are floating in mid-air! So just as the kalashtar are perceived as being "exotic humans from across the sea", psionics is perceived as being an exotic, foreign sort of "magic" by most people. I think that part of the kalashtar's open presence in Sharn is a statement laid before the Inspired: "We who know what you really are are here, and we are watching. You will not spread your corruption here without opposition." The kalashtar make it their main goal block the goals of the Dreaming Dark. They're in a sort of Cold War with the Inspired, a conflict being waged invisibly from the perspective of most of the city's populace. Now again, psionics is not exclusive to the kalashtar and the Inspired, and that fact is hammered home time and again in various books. Psionic powers are not a form of planar channelling. Psionics are perhaps a bit more common in races with ties to Xoriat and Dal Quor because those are planes with strong ties to mind and thought, and so creatures with ties to those planes are prone to mental powers just as creatures with ties to Fernia have an affinity for fire. That doesn't mean all fire on Eberron is linked to Fernia, merely that it has a commonality to it. So it is with psionics and the planes of madness and dreams. I do agree that psionics in the war-forged strikes me as weird. Must be my 1E/2E sensibilities. But then again, Magic of Eberron does introduce the concept of the psionic artificer, something implied by mentions of kalashtar artificers in Races of Eberron. Likely such psionic artificers took a hand in creating the psi-forged. As for elves, I wasn't aware that they were dreamless.
stone_river_glory 02-03-06, 12:24 AM	I've got a player that does the same thing. He wants me to rule in Dromites or Thri-keen. Most of the time these players want to be very different from the normal party. I explained that the races from the XPH aren't in Eberron, and thus its my choice whether they exist or not. I personally think that the Elan would be sort of close to non-kalashtar psionic characters. Kalash trained, and selected for their hidden talents. Just explain to the player that he's got good ideas, but its still your game and you make the rules. Try to figure out a different way for the player to express himself, rather than playing the very abnormal character concept. Not that I have a problem with the Dromites or Thri-Kreen, but they don't have a place in my campaign.
trashdog 02-03-06, 12:52 AM	I am aware of the size of Sharn, and I do not think that the Inspired would hunt them down. I'm just saying that his argument does not make any sense whatsoever. If the Inspired wanted to hunt down Kalashtar, they don't need traps. I'll quote Keith Baker on the planar stuff from the AKB FAQ: Any race can develop psionic powers; it's just most likely that they would do so through some form of Quori guidance (whether that's kalashtar, Inspired, or a human from Sarlona). Q Originally posted by kroh How often is a psychic character manifested outside of the kalashtar and how does the population at large view them? A This is up to you as a DM. For a kalashtar, psion levels represent its bond to its quori spirit, and thus are a innate strength that it hones. For other creatures, they represent a learned skill at manipulating the psionic energies that reside in realms like Dal Quor and Xoriat, which can be focused through the lens of a human mind. As arcane magic is the focus of supernatural study in Khorvaire, few people understand the nature of psionics or how to hone it. Therefore, a psion generally learns his abilities from a kalashtar, or from another character who learned from a kalashtar (or who was trained by the Dreaming Dark for some odd reason). Xoriat is another source of psionic power, and if you want lots of psi in your game you could use psionic illithids, dolgaunts, or Khyber cultists. And especially in the case of wilders, if your want a character to spontaneously develop powers (which she may not even understand), go for it. In general, the population at large doesn't have much awareness of psionics, and would probably think a psion was some sort of sorcerer. Not arguing with that. And since my Eberron is psionics-lite, there are fewer Kalashtar, and fewer people who know about psionics and develop powers. And, as you can see, it seems that Keith thinks that it is a form of planar channeling. I always thought of psionics as being incompatible with most D&D games because it wasn't magic. Now it is magic, just a different sort. It's not purely the power of the mind anymore, and that's why I'll allow it in Eberron. It just makes so much sense that way. Psiforged seem off to me, mostly because they 1) still don't dream, and 2) don't have a quori spirit like Kalashtar. Those are the only ways I can think of a creature having psionic powers. Oh, and elves don't sleep, so they can't dream. My belief is that elves do not go to Dal Quor, hence that immunity to dream spells So, maybe not official, but close enough. Oh, and the above quotes are from pages 1 and 2 of the AKB FAQ. To stone_river_glory, he wants to play a Kalashtar, actually. But he thinks I'm going to screw him, when I'm not, and he thinks my game is "not Eberron". I'll admit that there are other non-psionic related changes that deviate significantly from the ECS, but he hasn't really been bothered by them. Probably because they involve orcs and hobgoblins and their dragonmarks, and he has no interest in playing any of those. Oh, and is it just me, or is there something weirdly elitist about people who are obsessed with psionics. No offense if you like the system. It is well balanced and interesting, but it just strikes me as being off. Arcane and divine magic tap into outer powers, while psionics is totally the power of the mind? I much prefer the Eberron way. Thanks for the lively discussion.
Belabras 02-03-06, 01:03 AM	don't have a quori spirit like Kalashtar. Those are the only ways I can think of a creature having psionic powers. Who says the Psiforged don't have a quor spirit? For all we know, all 'forged are made with quor spirits inside them. As to the clannishness of psionics folks- I'd say we tend to band together due to perceived prejudices by some players and DMs who still think of psionics as a broken system.
stone_river_glory 02-03-06, 01:05 AM	I played an Elan Psion as a supporting role with my group of players. She was used mainly to push them forward since they have difficulty agreeing on a course of action. So while they argued about how to cross a previously triggered pit trap that had become a haven for a spider, my supporting character got tired of waiting and walked across it using one of her powers. Personally, Psionics has its place in things, and when ruling it into a game you have to make certain everyone understands its place. Not to mention you have to cater to it as a DM. Spelltheives become Psitheives, and Spell Resistance becomes Psi-resistance. It just starts to get a little screwy with a group of new players. My characters still have issues leveling up, let alone understanding how the manifestation of a power works. As for Elves not sleeping... When did that happen? Is it the immunity to sleep effects, or do they just kick back and relax instead of fall asleep? Psiforged just seem a little too... Odd. They are living constructs, how do they have minds that can manifest powers? Or dream for that matter.
Belabras 02-03-06, 10:28 AM	:banghead: Elves don't sleep, they meditate for 4 hours a day. It's in the PHB. Psicrystals and a few psiconstructs can manifest powers. Why is it such a stretch to think of Psiforged doing so?
Mula 02-03-06, 01:09 PM	The Inspired do hunt down kalashtar. The very existence of kalashtar threatens the existence of the Inspired. The kalashtar want to reincarnate the plane of Dal Quor, in a way, and they believe something wonderful will replace the current, rather nasty Dal Quor. (This process involves lots and lots of meditation.) Obviously, the Quori have beef with this. They want to destroy the kalashtar (rebels, really) before any change to Dal Quor can happen. This reincarnation of Dal Quor has happened before - in fact, when Dal Quor clashed with the giant empires thousands of years ago, the plane and its inhabitants were different Quori. The current-day Quori/Inspired believe that by "stabilizing" the Material Plane, Dal Quor won't transform ever again. Riedra is a successful part of this stabilization process. Khorvaire is next...
Psionycx 02-04-06, 08:58 PM	The kalashtar tend to hang around in groups, rather than roaming around solo, largely because they are subject to regular attacks by agents of the Dreaming Dark. Indeed, living openly in a community enclave, rather than as an underground secret society, affords them a measure of protection if for no reason other than that Riedran agents cannot simply lay seige to Overlook without raising the ire of the city government. Hence, traps, assassination, telepathic intrigues and similar shadowy behavior makes up the bulk of Inspired activity against the kalashtar. The Inspired do not (yet) have the power in Khorvaire to simply dispatch armies like they can in Sarlona. The kalashtar make a point of teaching psionics to those they deem worthy. So in time any locale with a kalashtar population (especially a large one as in Sharn) is going to develop a growing number of psionically-active individuals. Most people simply imagine that psionics is just another kind of magic. If you're an ordinary person, you probably don't care much about the underlying metaphysics of how another person can moves objects without touching them or read your mind. They only care that you can do it. As for elves, the Reverie (their 4-hour meditative state) has always been something of a more focused dream. And besides, wouldn't individuals that meditate instead of sleeping make prime candidates for the kind of mental focus required for psionics?