oriental adventures and psionics [Archive] - Wizards Community

oriental adventures and psionics [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
taylors005
04-16-08, 02:19 AM Are there any OA psionic classes at all?:confused:
RavinRay
04-16-08, 02:43 AM Not officially for 3.5.

However, you can experiment giving the psion and psychic warrior alternate class features to give it an oriental flavor. In particular, I'd like to see a 3.5 re-working of the 3.0 "Psychic Boxing" article in Dragon #308. Each psion discipline has its own "path of enlightenment" that gives a character a bonus benefit when it meets a set of requirements. Psychic warrior likewise choose among six martial arts styles each with its own power list.
taylors005
04-16-08, 02:49 AM if i had those i would look more into that
RoyalBlueEyes
04-16-08, 09:35 AM Jacking the OPs topic for a bit:
How would Psionics be viewed in OA (where Magic is the gift of the Kami)?
taylors005
04-16-08, 09:48 AM Jacking the OPs topic for a bit:
How would Psionics be viewed in OA (where Magic is the gift of the Kami)?

i would like to think the same way as anyother self dedicated class

but i am more than likely wrong
Lycanthromancer
04-16-08, 10:34 AM This could go in several different ways, depending on how you want psionics flavored in an OA campaign.

Psionic characters could be descended from evil oni, and thus be looked upon with revulsion and horror.

Or, due to one particularly evil psionic warlord (thrallherd), the legacy of fear toward psionicists could be profound.

Or, it could be that psions and psychic warriors are simply the mental aspect of the martial arts, where training and rigid discipline of the mind are paramount. In such a case, they're basically the flipside of the monk class, and are viewed as a monk would be.

You could even have all three; perhaps wilders are descended from evil oni, while one particularly notable group of allied monasteries fought the minions of the psionic evil overlord to a halt and eventually defeated him. Members of those monasteries are exempt from the aura of psiphobia that most manifesters are subjected to (though if they use their powers openly they must expose their tattoos or whatever other proof-positive identification that they are, indeed, of those organizations).
The_Mess
04-16-08, 12:08 PM I think you can do an OA-style effect with psychic warrior rather nicely.

Obligate mention of the Psionic Monk from Dreamscarred Press, which just seems a perfect fit.
calronmoonflower
04-16-08, 06:28 PM Jacking the OPs topic for a bit:
How would Psionics be viewed in OA (where Magic is the gift of the Kami)?

It would depend on class, and on how individual characters of that class works.

It would be fairly easy for some to be mistaken for magic-users unless you know what to look for.

Psychic warriors can mimic a monk with mystic powers extremely well, or just warriors that push themselves to superhuman feats.

Wilders can be mistaken for sorcerers. Psions for wu jen. Lurks for ninjas. Ardents for shamans.
Salla
04-16-08, 07:23 PM Jacking the OPs topic for a bit:
How would Psionics be viewed in OA (where Magic is the gift of the Kami)?

Ki.
calronmoonflower
04-16-08, 09:41 PM I just thought of something. The Psionic Naruto Builds tread might help.
SlanderPanic
04-16-08, 09:49 PM Really, it all depends on your world. In Rokugan, psionics could easily be considered a form of gaijin magic, like sorcery: Not approved by Rokugani society, but secretly practiced by a few and happily flaunted by non-Rokugani.

Alternately, psionics could appear suddenly and randomly, becoming a tool wielded equally by noble and commoner, by nezumi and oni. Perhaps Daigotsu's destruction of Otosan Uchi (http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Fall_of_Otosan_Uchi)in 1159 inadvertently unraveled an ancient magic keeping mental talents suppressed. The sudden surge of power could add to the chaos caused in the aftermath of Daigotsu's bold attack and could even trigger a civil war as peasants find themselves empowered.

James Wyatt's Mahasarpa campaign, released as a web expansion for Oriental Adventures, details an Indian-themed setting using the OA rules. In it, he mentions psions and psychic warriors serving alongside spellcasters and paladins in the Mahasarpan social order.

(And then there's Green Ronin's Mindshadows, an Indian-themed campaign setting with integrated psionics. It's 3.0, but easy enough to convert.)

In a heavily anime-influenced campaign, psionics is easy. It's one more flashy set of powers with which to destroy your enemy. It might even be more common than magic.
JulesCARV
04-17-08, 02:07 AM You could have Chinese Philosophy-themed ardents. Maybe Taoist ardents with the chaos mantle and Confucian ardents with the law mantle, or something, along with a few other appropriate mantles (natural world for Taoists, justice for Confucians?), with some broad-minded ardents seeking to embrace both simultaneously and acquire the mantles associated with both approaches. (Don't have Comp. Psi. here; just throwing out ideas.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
taylors005 04-16-08, 02:19 AM	Are there any OA psionic classes at all?:confused:
RavinRay 04-16-08, 02:43 AM	Not officially for 3.5. However, you can experiment giving the psion and psychic warrior alternate class features to give it an oriental flavor. In particular, I'd like to see a 3.5 re-working of the 3.0 "Psychic Boxing" article in Dragon #308. Each psion discipline has its own "path of enlightenment" that gives a character a bonus benefit when it meets a set of requirements. Psychic warrior likewise choose among six martial arts styles each with its own power list.
taylors005 04-16-08, 02:49 AM	if i had those i would look more into that
RoyalBlueEyes 04-16-08, 09:35 AM	Jacking the OPs topic for a bit: How would Psionics be viewed in OA (where Magic is the gift of the Kami)?
taylors005 04-16-08, 09:48 AM	Jacking the OPs topic for a bit: How would Psionics be viewed in OA (where Magic is the gift of the Kami)? i would like to think the same way as anyother self dedicated class but i am more than likely wrong
Lycanthromancer 04-16-08, 10:34 AM	This could go in several different ways, depending on how you want psionics flavored in an OA campaign. Psionic characters could be descended from evil oni, and thus be looked upon with revulsion and horror. Or, due to one particularly evil psionic warlord (thrallherd), the legacy of fear toward psionicists could be profound. Or, it could be that psions and psychic warriors are simply the mental aspect of the martial arts, where training and rigid discipline of the mind are paramount. In such a case, they're basically the flipside of the monk class, and are viewed as a monk would be. You could even have all three; perhaps wilders are descended from evil oni, while one particularly notable group of allied monasteries fought the minions of the psionic evil overlord to a halt and eventually defeated him. Members of those monasteries are exempt from the aura of psiphobia that most manifesters are subjected to (though if they use their powers openly they must expose their tattoos or whatever other proof-positive identification that they are, indeed, of those organizations).
The_Mess 04-16-08, 12:08 PM	I think you can do an OA-style effect with psychic warrior rather nicely. Obligate mention of the Psionic Monk from Dreamscarred Press, which just seems a perfect fit.
calronmoonflower 04-16-08, 06:28 PM	Jacking the OPs topic for a bit: How would Psionics be viewed in OA (where Magic is the gift of the Kami)? It would depend on class, and on how individual characters of that class works. It would be fairly easy for some to be mistaken for magic-users unless you know what to look for. Psychic warriors can mimic a monk with mystic powers extremely well, or just warriors that push themselves to superhuman feats. Wilders can be mistaken for sorcerers. Psions for wu jen. Lurks for ninjas. Ardents for shamans.
Salla 04-16-08, 07:23 PM	Jacking the OPs topic for a bit: How would Psionics be viewed in OA (where Magic is the gift of the Kami)? Ki.
calronmoonflower 04-16-08, 09:41 PM	I just thought of something. The Psionic Naruto Builds tread might help.
SlanderPanic 04-16-08, 09:49 PM	Really, it all depends on your world. In Rokugan, psionics could easily be considered a form of gaijin magic, like sorcery: Not approved by Rokugani society, but secretly practiced by a few and happily flaunted by non-Rokugani. Alternately, psionics could appear suddenly and randomly, becoming a tool wielded equally by noble and commoner, by nezumi and oni. Perhaps Daigotsu's destruction of Otosan Uchi (http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Fall_of_Otosan_Uchi)in 1159 inadvertently unraveled an ancient magic keeping mental talents suppressed. The sudden surge of power could add to the chaos caused in the aftermath of Daigotsu's bold attack and could even trigger a civil war as peasants find themselves empowered. James Wyatt's Mahasarpa campaign, released as a web expansion for Oriental Adventures, details an Indian-themed setting using the OA rules. In it, he mentions psions and psychic warriors serving alongside spellcasters and paladins in the Mahasarpan social order. (And then there's Green Ronin's Mindshadows, an Indian-themed campaign setting with integrated psionics. It's 3.0, but easy enough to convert.) In a heavily anime-influenced campaign, psionics is easy. It's one more flashy set of powers with which to destroy your enemy. It might even be more common than magic.
JulesCARV 04-17-08, 02:07 AM	You could have Chinese Philosophy-themed ardents. Maybe Taoist ardents with the chaos mantle and Confucian ardents with the law mantle, or something, along with a few other appropriate mantles (natural world for Taoists, justice for Confucians?), with some broad-minded ardents seeking to embrace both simultaneously and acquire the mantles associated with both approaches. (Don't have Comp. Psi. here; just throwing out ideas.)