Help with a Psionic Villian [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help with a Psionic Villian [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
angel_raziel
08-27-07, 10:39 AM In my new campaign, I am trying to introduce psionics into my world. It's not being too big of a problem, I'm treating it a bit like a mutation, and just having the psions and other psionic classes be villians.

Anyway, I wanted to create a couple of villians, minor villians, who aren't a psionic class, but are psionic characters...sort of like their powers just awakened...any suggestions? I was thinking about a fighter and a wizard definently, to cross class the wizard with a psion class, and have my fighter cross class into a soul knife, then maybe from there pick up the shadow dancer prestige class.
mikeloop86
08-27-07, 11:11 AM In my new campaign, I am trying to introduce psionics into my world. It's not being too big of a problem, I'm treating it a bit like a mutation, and just having the psions and other psionic classes be villians.

Well, if you just want to make them Psionic without actual classes, you could try the Phrenic Template:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm

This way, you get the best of both worlds, villains getting a meddley of Psionic powers and at the same time not having to hurt their advancement (Remember, as NPC's, you as a DM won't have to worry about LA as much as CR).

Anyway, I wanted to create a couple of villians, minor villians, who aren't a psionic class, but are psionic characters...sort of like their powers just awakened...any suggestions? I was thinking about a fighter and a wizard definently, to cross class the wizard with a psion class, and have my fighter cross class into a soul knife, then maybe from there pick up the shadow dancer prestige class.

For the fighter, I would go with Psychic Warrior instead of Soul Knife, and just take the Call Weapon power to effectively simulate the SoulKnife's main class ability.

Also, good villain powers include:

Form of Doom: You turn into a slimy and dark monstrosity, complete with tentacles and the Frightful Presence ability.

Shadow Body: Turn into a shadow that can walk along any surface, and you're hard to notice in the darkness, even when attacking.

Death Urge: You make someone try to kill themselves.

Control Flame + Matter Agitation: You control flames. Have fun.
Bacris
08-27-07, 12:16 PM If you want some pre-made NPCs, there's a 3rd party resource by Silven Publishing - NPCyclopedia: Psionics. It has a variety of psionic NPCs at a variety of levels - very well-made book.
angel_raziel
08-27-07, 06:26 PM For the fighter, I would go with Psychic Warrior instead of Soul Knife, and just take the Call Weapon power to effectively simulate the SoulKnife's main class ability.

Also, good villain powers include:

Form of Doom: You turn into a slimy and dark monstrosity, complete with tentacles and the Frightful Presence ability.

Shadow Body: Turn into a shadow that can walk along any surface, and you're hard to notice in the darkness, even when attacking.

Death Urge: You make someone try to kill themselves.

Control Flame + Matter Agitation: You control flames. Have fun.

What books are those powers/feats from?
Bacris
08-27-07, 06:40 PM I believe they're ALL in the XPH - you should have the XPH if you're introducing psionics into your campaign...
angel_raziel
08-27-07, 10:07 PM I have the XPH, I just didn't remember seeing them in it. It's been a while since I looked through it actually.
Aspeon
08-28-07, 12:47 AM Another solution for what your looking for would be to have the villians just take some psionic feats.
Fireclave
08-28-07, 01:48 AM For the fighter villian, the War Mind, Slayer (Illithid Slayer in the XPH), Psionic Fist (Fist of Zuoken in the XPH) and Prokineticist PRCs are all great for granting psionic power to characters that have realized their psionic potential later in their career.

For the wizard, the Cerebremancer PRC a logical choice if you're going to multiclass into a primary manifesting class. You could also simply try giving the wizard some of the psionic themed spells that are listed in the XPH. For example, Mental Pinnacle functions like Tenser Transformation, making you temporary give up spell casting for the ability to manifest powers.

And as Aspeon mentioned, simply giving your villains access to some psionic feats could suffice. Simply taking the Wild Talent feat gives the wizard the ability to gain psionic focus and later spend it to "take 15" on a concentration check, which can be useful for any spell caster. And any of the combat oriented psionic feats like Up The Walls, Focused Sunder, and Greater Psionic Shot can benefit the Fighter.
SlanderPanic
08-28-07, 02:56 PM I'm in agreement with the suggestion of the phrenic template above. If you're looking for something a little more customizable, Witch has a really nice, modular revision of the template, offering a variety of different abilities at varying power levels. It's been pruned, but I'm sure he'd be happy to repost it.
Phoenix00
08-28-07, 06:45 PM I'm in agreement with the suggestion of the phrenic template above. If you're looking for something a little more customizable, Witch has a really nice, modular revision of the template, offering a variety of different abilities at varying power levels. It's been pruned, but I'm sure he'd be happy to repost it.
repost it please :)
Novem
08-28-07, 10:10 PM Wild Talent! I've had more fun making Fighters and giving them Psionic feat trees like Psionic Body, Psionic Weapon, Greater Psionic Weapon, etc., than I have ever had making any other NPC. Wild Talent and it's variant are also a wonderful way to give one Psionic Power without Psionic Classes or a major focus on Psionics. (If only they had Arcane and Divine variants).
For actual Psions, Tempest Stormwind mentions in several threads the numerous ways telepaths can be excellent villains.
SlanderPanic
08-29-07, 11:03 AM Phoenix, you may have to PM Witch to get his attention.

Novem, there's a Regional feat in the Player's Guide to Faerun that works as a sort of arcane Hidden Talent. It's called Magical Training and represents your character coming from an extremely high-magic society, where nearly everyone knows a few cantrips. It could be adapted pretty easily for other campaign settings.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
angel_raziel 08-27-07, 10:39 AM	In my new campaign, I am trying to introduce psionics into my world. It's not being too big of a problem, I'm treating it a bit like a mutation, and just having the psions and other psionic classes be villians. Anyway, I wanted to create a couple of villians, minor villians, who aren't a psionic class, but are psionic characters...sort of like their powers just awakened...any suggestions? I was thinking about a fighter and a wizard definently, to cross class the wizard with a psion class, and have my fighter cross class into a soul knife, then maybe from there pick up the shadow dancer prestige class.
mikeloop86 08-27-07, 11:11 AM	In my new campaign, I am trying to introduce psionics into my world. It's not being too big of a problem, I'm treating it a bit like a mutation, and just having the psions and other psionic classes be villians. Well, if you just want to make them Psionic without actual classes, you could try the Phrenic Template: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm This way, you get the best of both worlds, villains getting a meddley of Psionic powers and at the same time not having to hurt their advancement (Remember, as NPC's, you as a DM won't have to worry about LA as much as CR). Anyway, I wanted to create a couple of villians, minor villians, who aren't a psionic class, but are psionic characters...sort of like their powers just awakened...any suggestions? I was thinking about a fighter and a wizard definently, to cross class the wizard with a psion class, and have my fighter cross class into a soul knife, then maybe from there pick up the shadow dancer prestige class. For the fighter, I would go with Psychic Warrior instead of Soul Knife, and just take the Call Weapon power to effectively simulate the SoulKnife's main class ability. Also, good villain powers include: Form of Doom: You turn into a slimy and dark monstrosity, complete with tentacles and the Frightful Presence ability. Shadow Body: Turn into a shadow that can walk along any surface, and you're hard to notice in the darkness, even when attacking. Death Urge: You make someone try to kill themselves. Control Flame + Matter Agitation: You control flames. Have fun.
Bacris 08-27-07, 12:16 PM	If you want some pre-made NPCs, there's a 3rd party resource by Silven Publishing - NPCyclopedia: Psionics. It has a variety of psionic NPCs at a variety of levels - very well-made book.
angel_raziel 08-27-07, 06:26 PM	For the fighter, I would go with Psychic Warrior instead of Soul Knife, and just take the Call Weapon power to effectively simulate the SoulKnife's main class ability. Also, good villain powers include: Form of Doom: You turn into a slimy and dark monstrosity, complete with tentacles and the Frightful Presence ability. Shadow Body: Turn into a shadow that can walk along any surface, and you're hard to notice in the darkness, even when attacking. Death Urge: You make someone try to kill themselves. Control Flame + Matter Agitation: You control flames. Have fun. What books are those powers/feats from?
Bacris 08-27-07, 06:40 PM	I believe they're ALL in the XPH - you should have the XPH if you're introducing psionics into your campaign...
angel_raziel 08-27-07, 10:07 PM	I have the XPH, I just didn't remember seeing them in it. It's been a while since I looked through it actually.
Aspeon 08-28-07, 12:47 AM	Another solution for what your looking for would be to have the villians just take some psionic feats.
Fireclave 08-28-07, 01:48 AM	For the fighter villian, the War Mind, Slayer (Illithid Slayer in the XPH), Psionic Fist (Fist of Zuoken in the XPH) and Prokineticist PRCs are all great for granting psionic power to characters that have realized their psionic potential later in their career. For the wizard, the Cerebremancer PRC a logical choice if you're going to multiclass into a primary manifesting class. You could also simply try giving the wizard some of the psionic themed spells that are listed in the XPH. For example, Mental Pinnacle functions like Tenser Transformation, making you temporary give up spell casting for the ability to manifest powers. And as Aspeon mentioned, simply giving your villains access to some psionic feats could suffice. Simply taking the Wild Talent feat gives the wizard the ability to gain psionic focus and later spend it to "take 15" on a concentration check, which can be useful for any spell caster. And any of the combat oriented psionic feats like Up The Walls, Focused Sunder, and Greater Psionic Shot can benefit the Fighter.
SlanderPanic 08-28-07, 02:56 PM	I'm in agreement with the suggestion of the phrenic template above. If you're looking for something a little more customizable, Witch has a really nice, modular revision of the template, offering a variety of different abilities at varying power levels. It's been pruned, but I'm sure he'd be happy to repost it.
Phoenix00 08-28-07, 06:45 PM	I'm in agreement with the suggestion of the phrenic template above. If you're looking for something a little more customizable, Witch has a really nice, modular revision of the template, offering a variety of different abilities at varying power levels. It's been pruned, but I'm sure he'd be happy to repost it. repost it please :)
Novem 08-28-07, 10:10 PM	Wild Talent! I've had more fun making Fighters and giving them Psionic feat trees like Psionic Body, Psionic Weapon, Greater Psionic Weapon, etc., than I have ever had making any other NPC. Wild Talent and it's variant are also a wonderful way to give one Psionic Power without Psionic Classes or a major focus on Psionics. (If only they had Arcane and Divine variants). For actual Psions, Tempest Stormwind mentions in several threads the numerous ways telepaths can be excellent villains.
SlanderPanic 08-29-07, 11:03 AM	Phoenix, you may have to PM Witch to get his attention. Novem, there's a Regional feat in the Player's Guide to Faerun that works as a sort of arcane Hidden Talent. It's called Magical Training and represents your character coming from an extremely high-magic society, where nearly everyone knows a few cantrips. It could be adapted pretty easily for other campaign settings.