Psionic Races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psionic Races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JolanthusTrel
05-26-07, 10:13 AM Hi all,

I'm just wondering besides those listed in the XPH,what other Psionic player races are there. Just because it's psionic doesn't mean it has to look freakishly abnormal like a Illithid or Thri-kreen. I'm thinking Elan for a first time character but I'm not sure.

What would people recomend for a first time D&D Psionic's race\class. Most of my previous Psionic's experience has been with Vulcans so I have to readjust mythinking I guess for what to expect.
The_Ditto
05-26-07, 10:23 AM Hi all,

I'm just wondering besides those listed in the XPH,what other Psionic player races are there. Just because it's psionic doesn't mean it has to look freakishly abnormal like a Illithid or Thri-kreen. I'm thinking Elan for a first time character but I'm not sure.

What would people recomend for a first time D&D Psionic's race\class. Most of my previous Psionic's experience has been with Vulcans so I have to readjust mythinking I guess for what to expect.

Xeph are a pretty good race ... I had Xeph Scout once ... worked pretty good ... ;)
InkBlot
05-26-07, 12:45 PM I'm just wondering besides those listed in the XPH,what other Psionic player races are there.
Humans, elfs, halflings, dwarfs, half-orcs, half-elfs, gnomes, kalashtar, shifters, and changelings.

Any race can be psionic by taking a level in a psionic class.

Kalashtar are a strong psionic race. Thousands of years ago, exiled dream spirits found refuge in the minds of the monks of a reclusive monastery. The result of the union was a gestalt entity with two souls, more pure in body and mind than the original. Over many generations the link to each of the original few exiled spirits has weakened, as it is spread among the many descendants of the monks.

Kalashtar gain 1 bonus power point per character level (so a kalashtar with 4 levels of fighter and 2 levels of wilder has 6 bonus power points from his race). They also have the ability to mind link with other kalashtar 1/day.
Tempest Stormwind
05-26-07, 03:22 PM They also have the ability to mind link with other kalashtar 1/day.Incorrect; they may manifest mindlink as a psi-like ability 1/day. Mindlink contains no limitation on what creatures it can target; your kalashtar can mindlink with my halfling without any problems whatsoever.
turalisj
05-26-07, 03:42 PM Don't forget the phrenic template.
JulesCARV
05-26-07, 03:45 PM Maenads look like humans, and are psionic. Half-giants also look like... uh... very big humans.

Actually, I'd kinda like to see more PC-level races that don't look like "humans, but with a few minor differences."
InkBlot
05-26-07, 04:12 PM Maenads look like humans with tiny crystals growing out of their skin.

And I don't see half-giants as just being big humans. Their proportions are all different. Their upper body, especialy their arms, are far larger than any human's, but their lower bodies are within the normal range. A half-giant could walk around on his knuckles like a gorrilla if he wanted to.

Anyway, I agree that we need more non-human-looking races. Dromites, kobolds, warforged, darfellen, and goblins are all very cool.

Human-looking races should have some connection to humans, like elan and kalashtar do. I usually assume that maenads were once a group of humans in the thrall of the god of partying, who cursed them with their racial angst and skin-crystals when they betrayed him; and that synads were once citizens of an advanced human city which was devoured by the shadow plane (see Mind's Eye: Three Psionic Vestiges).

Incorrect; they may manifest mindlink as a psi-like ability 1/day. Mindlink contains no limitation on what creatures it can target; your kalashtar can mindlink with my halfling without any problems whatsoever.
I know that the mind link power itself has no limitation like that, but I recalled something in the description of the Kalashtar's psi-like ability that limited them to using it only with other kalashtar. I must have been mistaken.

Now on topic: Goblins make excellent psions. They're small, which means a nice bonus to hit and to AC. They get a bonus to Dex, which also helps your AC and attack bonus. Their darkvision is something you'd otherwise need a 3rd level power to get. The two major penalties of being small, smaller weapon damage dice and lower speed, don't apply because you'll be using powers and because Goblins have a 30 foot speed.
JolanthusTrel
05-26-07, 07:34 PM Any race can be psionic by taking a level in a psionic class.

I realise that, but I was looking for something more Vulcan or Betazoid, A race that is Psionic by nature.

Also, the way I was reading it, It looked like Psions are penalised for not taking Psion classes, maybe I was missing something, but it looked like you can't manifest powers unless youtake a psionic class, even if you have the points.
Tempest Stormwind
05-26-07, 07:41 PM I realise that, but I was looking for something more Vulcan or Betazoid, A race that is Psionic by nature.

Also, the way I was reading it, It looked like Psions are penalised for not taking Psion classes, maybe I was missing something, but it looked like you can't manifest powers unless youtake a psionic class, even if you have the points.

Power points can be used for a few other things, such as charging cognizance crystals or activating special items designed with power point expenditure in mind.

Having 1 or more power points, though, does enable you to focus yourself. Regardless of class.

Now, look at it this way.
1) Vulcans are passionate but keep it suppressed completely by rigorous mental training. They are stronger than humans as well. Please tell me why this doesn't seem like the Maenad. (The maenad itself has its roots in Greek mythology, IIRC. I forget the precise story behind it though I believe it tied in to Bacchus.)
2) Betazoids are natural empaths/telepaths, often portrayed as eerily beautiful by their human allies. They tend to be nonviolent as well, focusing on being peaceful diplomats. This is pretty damn close to the naturally telepathic kalashtar, no? Especially one with Hidden Talent (Empathy), which would, incidentally, enable him to spend his racial power points?

The psionic races out there are psionic by nature for a reason, on the most part.
Bacris
05-27-07, 10:47 AM I'm just wondering besides those listed in the XPH,what other Psionic player races are there. Just because it's psionic doesn't mean it has to look freakishly abnormal like a Illithid or Thri-kreen. I'm thinking Elan for a first time character but I'm not sure.

Complete Psionic has the Synad race

Hyperconscious has the Kureshim race

Untapped Potential has the Dreamscarred template
AdventChild
05-27-07, 11:31 AM Power points can be used for a few other things, such as charging cognizance crystals or activating special items designed with power point expenditure in mind.

Having 1 or more power points, though, does enable you to focus yourself. Regardless of class.

Now, look at it this way.
1) Vulcans are passionate but keep it suppressed completely by rigorous mental training. They are stronger than humans as well. Please tell me why this doesn't seem like the Maenad. (The maenad itself has its roots in Greek mythology, IIRC. I forget the precise story behind it though I believe it tied in to Bacchus.)

Indeed it involved bacchus, i did some research when i was working on the psi campaign and used that story, though the Greek name of the god was Dionysus, the Greek god of mystery, wine and intoxication. But as always the romans changed the name of that god to bacchus.

In Greek mythology, Maenads were female worshippers of Dionysus, the Greek god of mystery, wine and intoxication, and the Roman god Bacchus. The word literally translates as "raving ones". They were known as wild, insane women who could not be reasoned with. The mysteries of Dionysus inspired the women to ecstatic frenzy; they indulged in copious amounts of violence, bloodletting, sexual activity, self-intoxication, and mutilation. They were usually pictured as crowned with vine leaves, clothed in fawnskins and carrying the thyrsus, and dancing with wild abandon.
Tempest Stormwind
05-27-07, 01:07 PM Untapped Potential has the Dreamscarred templateMinor correction: Dreamscarred is a race, not a template. (It's part of the Nameless Fear lore, and the Nameless Fear are shapeshifters that are represented as applying a template to whatever form it's currently using... but dreamscarred themselves are not templated, any more than any other planetouched is.)
Bacris
05-27-07, 01:27 PM good god, you'd think i'd remember that...

I need to invest in some ginkgo biloba or something.

My mistake!
Tempest Stormwind
05-27-07, 01:49 PM good god, you'd think i'd remember that...

I need to invest in some ginkgo biloba or something.

My mistake!Don't worry about it; after all the countless revisions we did on the Nameless Fear (only our polymorph variant went through as many revisions), it's understandable that we associate everything with them with those complex advancement rules. (This goes double for the dreamscarred, since they saw exactly two versions -- draft, and final.)
Amaril
05-27-07, 06:36 PM The Talaire (CP) are humans with innate psionic powers. Their default human bonus feat is a version of Wild Talent that grants a single power. The power is directly associated with the Hidden House to which the human belongs.
JolanthusTrel
05-27-07, 10:48 PM Thanks all, I must have missed the Kalashtar, are they in the XPH?
turalisj
05-27-07, 11:02 PM Eberron Campaign Setting.

Say it with me, psionic kobold.
Amaril
05-27-07, 11:12 PM Kalashtar are also in Races of Eberron, if you don't wish to purchase the entire Eberron Campaign Setting.

Another psionic race, blues (psionic goblins)! Just drop the LA +1.
Lycanthromancer
05-27-07, 11:53 PM Blue goblins. Not worth the LA. Seriously. At all.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JolanthusTrel 05-26-07, 10:13 AM	Hi all, I'm just wondering besides those listed in the XPH,what other Psionic player races are there. Just because it's psionic doesn't mean it has to look freakishly abnormal like a Illithid or Thri-kreen. I'm thinking Elan for a first time character but I'm not sure. What would people recomend for a first time D&D Psionic's race\class. Most of my previous Psionic's experience has been with Vulcans so I have to readjust mythinking I guess for what to expect.
The_Ditto 05-26-07, 10:23 AM	Hi all, I'm just wondering besides those listed in the XPH,what other Psionic player races are there. Just because it's psionic doesn't mean it has to look freakishly abnormal like a Illithid or Thri-kreen. I'm thinking Elan for a first time character but I'm not sure. What would people recomend for a first time D&D Psionic's race\class. Most of my previous Psionic's experience has been with Vulcans so I have to readjust mythinking I guess for what to expect. Xeph are a pretty good race ... I had Xeph Scout once ... worked pretty good ... ;)
InkBlot 05-26-07, 12:45 PM	I'm just wondering besides those listed in the XPH,what other Psionic player races are there. Humans, elfs, halflings, dwarfs, half-orcs, half-elfs, gnomes, kalashtar, shifters, and changelings. Any race can be psionic by taking a level in a psionic class. Kalashtar are a strong psionic race. Thousands of years ago, exiled dream spirits found refuge in the minds of the monks of a reclusive monastery. The result of the union was a gestalt entity with two souls, more pure in body and mind than the original. Over many generations the link to each of the original few exiled spirits has weakened, as it is spread among the many descendants of the monks. Kalashtar gain 1 bonus power point per character level (so a kalashtar with 4 levels of fighter and 2 levels of wilder has 6 bonus power points from his race). They also have the ability to mind link with other kalashtar 1/day.
Tempest Stormwind 05-26-07, 03:22 PM	They also have the ability to mind link with other kalashtar 1/day.Incorrect; they may manifest mindlink as a psi-like ability 1/day. Mindlink contains no limitation on what creatures it can target; your kalashtar can mindlink with my halfling without any problems whatsoever.
turalisj 05-26-07, 03:42 PM	Don't forget the phrenic template.
JulesCARV 05-26-07, 03:45 PM	Maenads look like humans, and are psionic. Half-giants also look like... uh... very big humans. Actually, I'd kinda like to see more PC-level races that don't look like "humans, but with a few minor differences."
InkBlot 05-26-07, 04:12 PM	Maenads look like humans with tiny crystals growing out of their skin. And I don't see half-giants as just being big humans. Their proportions are all different. Their upper body, especialy their arms, are far larger than any human's, but their lower bodies are within the normal range. A half-giant could walk around on his knuckles like a gorrilla if he wanted to. Anyway, I agree that we need more non-human-looking races. Dromites, kobolds, warforged, darfellen, and goblins are all very cool. Human-looking races should have some connection to humans, like elan and kalashtar do. I usually assume that maenads were once a group of humans in the thrall of the god of partying, who cursed them with their racial angst and skin-crystals when they betrayed him; and that synads were once citizens of an advanced human city which was devoured by the shadow plane (see Mind's Eye: Three Psionic Vestiges). Incorrect; they may manifest mindlink as a psi-like ability 1/day. Mindlink contains no limitation on what creatures it can target; your kalashtar can mindlink with my halfling without any problems whatsoever. I know that the mind link power itself has no limitation like that, but I recalled something in the description of the Kalashtar's psi-like ability that limited them to using it only with other kalashtar. I must have been mistaken. Now on topic: Goblins make excellent psions. They're small, which means a nice bonus to hit and to AC. They get a bonus to Dex, which also helps your AC and attack bonus. Their darkvision is something you'd otherwise need a 3rd level power to get. The two major penalties of being small, smaller weapon damage dice and lower speed, don't apply because you'll be using powers and because Goblins have a 30 foot speed.
JolanthusTrel 05-26-07, 07:34 PM	Any race can be psionic by taking a level in a psionic class. I realise that, but I was looking for something more Vulcan or Betazoid, A race that is Psionic by nature. Also, the way I was reading it, It looked like Psions are penalised for not taking Psion classes, maybe I was missing something, but it looked like you can't manifest powers unless youtake a psionic class, even if you have the points.
Tempest Stormwind 05-26-07, 07:41 PM	I realise that, but I was looking for something more Vulcan or Betazoid, A race that is Psionic by nature. Also, the way I was reading it, It looked like Psions are penalised for not taking Psion classes, maybe I was missing something, but it looked like you can't manifest powers unless youtake a psionic class, even if you have the points. Power points can be used for a few other things, such as charging cognizance crystals or activating special items designed with power point expenditure in mind. Having 1 or more power points, though, does enable you to focus yourself. Regardless of class. Now, look at it this way. 1) Vulcans are passionate but keep it suppressed completely by rigorous mental training. They are stronger than humans as well. Please tell me why this doesn't seem like the Maenad. (The maenad itself has its roots in Greek mythology, IIRC. I forget the precise story behind it though I believe it tied in to Bacchus.) 2) Betazoids are natural empaths/telepaths, often portrayed as eerily beautiful by their human allies. They tend to be nonviolent as well, focusing on being peaceful diplomats. This is pretty damn close to the naturally telepathic kalashtar, no? Especially one with Hidden Talent (Empathy), which would, incidentally, enable him to spend his racial power points? The psionic races out there are psionic by nature for a reason, on the most part.
Bacris 05-27-07, 10:47 AM	I'm just wondering besides those listed in the XPH,what other Psionic player races are there. Just because it's psionic doesn't mean it has to look freakishly abnormal like a Illithid or Thri-kreen. I'm thinking Elan for a first time character but I'm not sure. Complete Psionic has the Synad race Hyperconscious has the Kureshim race Untapped Potential has the Dreamscarred template
AdventChild 05-27-07, 11:31 AM	Power points can be used for a few other things, such as charging cognizance crystals or activating special items designed with power point expenditure in mind. Having 1 or more power points, though, does enable you to focus yourself. Regardless of class. Now, look at it this way. 1) Vulcans are passionate but keep it suppressed completely by rigorous mental training. They are stronger than humans as well. Please tell me why this doesn't seem like the Maenad. (The maenad itself has its roots in Greek mythology, IIRC. I forget the precise story behind it though I believe it tied in to Bacchus.) Indeed it involved bacchus, i did some research when i was working on the psi campaign and used that story, though the Greek name of the god was Dionysus, the Greek god of mystery, wine and intoxication. But as always the romans changed the name of that god to bacchus. In Greek mythology, Maenads were female worshippers of Dionysus, the Greek god of mystery, wine and intoxication, and the Roman god Bacchus. The word literally translates as "raving ones". They were known as wild, insane women who could not be reasoned with. The mysteries of Dionysus inspired the women to ecstatic frenzy; they indulged in copious amounts of violence, bloodletting, sexual activity, self-intoxication, and mutilation. They were usually pictured as crowned with vine leaves, clothed in fawnskins and carrying the thyrsus, and dancing with wild abandon.
Tempest Stormwind 05-27-07, 01:07 PM	Untapped Potential has the Dreamscarred templateMinor correction: Dreamscarred is a race, not a template. (It's part of the Nameless Fear lore, and the Nameless Fear are shapeshifters that are represented as applying a template to whatever form it's currently using... but dreamscarred themselves are not templated, any more than any other planetouched is.)
Bacris 05-27-07, 01:27 PM	good god, you'd think i'd remember that... I need to invest in some ginkgo biloba or something. My mistake!
Tempest Stormwind 05-27-07, 01:49 PM	good god, you'd think i'd remember that... I need to invest in some ginkgo biloba or something. My mistake!Don't worry about it; after all the countless revisions we did on the Nameless Fear (only our polymorph variant went through as many revisions), it's understandable that we associate everything with them with those complex advancement rules. (This goes double for the dreamscarred, since they saw exactly two versions -- draft, and final.)
Amaril 05-27-07, 06:36 PM	The Talaire (CP) are humans with innate psionic powers. Their default human bonus feat is a version of Wild Talent that grants a single power. The power is directly associated with the Hidden House to which the human belongs.
JolanthusTrel 05-27-07, 10:48 PM	Thanks all, I must have missed the Kalashtar, are they in the XPH?
turalisj 05-27-07, 11:02 PM	Eberron Campaign Setting. Say it with me, psionic kobold.
Amaril 05-27-07, 11:12 PM	Kalashtar are also in Races of Eberron, if you don't wish to purchase the entire Eberron Campaign Setting. Another psionic race, blues (psionic goblins)! Just drop the LA +1.
Lycanthromancer 05-27-07, 11:53 PM	Blue goblins. Not worth the LA. Seriously. At all.