psionic trainer [Archive] - Wizards Community

psionic trainer [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Easalyamusedoldman
08-20-07, 07:50 PM Hi, I think this is right. What level would a trainer for new recruites in a psychic military be? The champain takes place during the Psychic Wars(thankyou Blue Oyster Cult!) and the PC's start off as new recruites and i need to know what level to make there teacher. Thanks!
InkBlot
08-20-07, 07:55 PM 1st level (http://www.thealexandrian.net/archive/archive2007-03.html). Max ranks in proffesion (drill sargeant), knowledge (psionics), psicraft, and intimidate. Just make sure he has detect psionics, and talks like R. Lee Ermey. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNY1MtsVwG8)
Easalyamusedoldman
08-20-07, 08:02 PM and talks like R. Lee Ermey. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNY1MtsVwG8)

That was the plan all along! Thank you.
MindFlayerZoidberg
08-21-07, 12:41 AM I would say 3rd lvl, that way the psionic trainer would be able to teach the recruits about augmenting and power point conservation, as well as to adapt and overcome. The PT could train them with a few different powers, representing mind affecting, energy blast, and buff powers so it would set up a foundation for the independent study psionic characters will take on in their character advancement.
Easalyamusedoldman
08-21-07, 05:41 PM I would say 3rd lvl, that way the psionic trainer would be able to teach the recruits about augmenting and power point conservation, as well as to adapt and overcome. The PT could train them with a few different powers, representing mind affecting, energy blast, and buff powers so it would set up a foundation for the independent study psionic characters will take on in their character advancement.

That makes sense.
AntiDjinn
08-21-07, 06:23 PM The thing to keep in mind with any hierarchical organization (military, municipal, fraternal, academic, girl scout troupe, etc.) is that rank and position do not always equate to level. Sure, those with more experience will tend to be higher in the organization, but sometimes certain character classes are better suited to field positions rather than management. The grunt sergeant may be a 6th level Fighter who answers to an officer who is Marshal 2/Aristocrat 1. About the only time the highest level character will automatically be at the top of his social structure is the BBEG. For others not so much; it is relatively unlikely that the king had to physically beat up everyone in his court and related noble houses to take the throne. A king could well be Aristocrat 8 and have a bodyguard who is monk 2/fighter 8 (sure, the bodyguard could be higher level; if the king could thrash his bodyguard, then he really doesn't need one).

Also, it seems to be a rule that within any organization there will be individuals who are completely incompetent, yet who keep their jobs for a variety of reasons. How many people do you know who are vastly better at what they do than the ones who supervise, manage or train them?

So your drill sergeant could be any level that fits what you expect him to be able to do. Don't worry that this will set the bar so high as to introduce a power shift that puts the upper echelon of the organization into epic level.
InkBlot
08-21-07, 07:28 PM Any NPC or PC who is over 5th level has already superseded real human potential, and can perform deeds of mythic proportion. For this reason, I like to keep most NPCs, even important NPCs, below 5th level.
MindFlayerZoidberg
08-22-07, 12:27 AM Coaches are a good example of people who wouldn't be high lvl, but would have a great amount of ability as a trainer. A lot of coaches (I know) were average athletes, so they had to compensate with technique and drills to be competitive.
I would envision a 3,4, or 5th lvl Psion being one who has about a 13,14, or 15 int. Things did not come easy for him, so he had to outwork everyone to achieve his powers, and even though he didn't rise as quickly as others, he would understand psionics better than those with natural talent.
Bacris
08-22-07, 09:39 AM I see 4th or 5th level, definitely - although trainers like swordmasters and the like probably higher.

4th / 5th level gives room for a psychic warrior to have 2nd level powers, thereby knowing how to train newbies with a new level of power, not just augmentation (and perhaps a level of multiclass like expert or warrior thrown in)
Lycanthromancer
08-22-07, 05:09 PM It would really depend in the schematics of your campaign and the world it's in. For instance, I had a campaign set on a mostly hostile tropical island, replete with kojira out in the surrounding ocean.

In this case, the mentor was around 12th level (though he was a bard/ranger, and had to be badass to stay alive).

Also, I'd argue that there are a FEW people in real life higher than 5th level, with Bruce Lee being one of the very, very rare higher-level folks (back when he was still alive). Have you ever seen that man PUNCH?! They had to slow him down to capture him on film; he was incredibly skilled, incredibly strong, and incredibly fast. And that's not the colloquial 'incredible,' either. I mean, it was not quite credible just how awesome he was.

And no, I'm not a fanboy (and I'm not arguing that the katana was the nuclear arsenal of the ancient world, either). :)
Fafnir
08-22-07, 05:34 PM And no, I'm not a fanboy (and I'm not arguing that the katana was the nuclear arsenal of the ancient world, either). :)

That's because they weren't made of uranium.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Easalyamusedoldman 08-20-07, 07:50 PM	Hi, I think this is right. What level would a trainer for new recruites in a psychic military be? The champain takes place during the Psychic Wars(thankyou Blue Oyster Cult!) and the PC's start off as new recruites and i need to know what level to make there teacher. Thanks!
InkBlot 08-20-07, 07:55 PM	1st level (http://www.thealexandrian.net/archive/archive2007-03.html). Max ranks in proffesion (drill sargeant), knowledge (psionics), psicraft, and intimidate. Just make sure he has detect psionics, and talks like R. Lee Ermey. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNY1MtsVwG8)
Easalyamusedoldman 08-20-07, 08:02 PM	and talks like R. Lee Ermey. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNY1MtsVwG8) That was the plan all along! Thank you.
MindFlayerZoidberg 08-21-07, 12:41 AM	I would say 3rd lvl, that way the psionic trainer would be able to teach the recruits about augmenting and power point conservation, as well as to adapt and overcome. The PT could train them with a few different powers, representing mind affecting, energy blast, and buff powers so it would set up a foundation for the independent study psionic characters will take on in their character advancement.
Easalyamusedoldman 08-21-07, 05:41 PM	I would say 3rd lvl, that way the psionic trainer would be able to teach the recruits about augmenting and power point conservation, as well as to adapt and overcome. The PT could train them with a few different powers, representing mind affecting, energy blast, and buff powers so it would set up a foundation for the independent study psionic characters will take on in their character advancement. That makes sense.
AntiDjinn 08-21-07, 06:23 PM	The thing to keep in mind with any hierarchical organization (military, municipal, fraternal, academic, girl scout troupe, etc.) is that rank and position do not always equate to level. Sure, those with more experience will tend to be higher in the organization, but sometimes certain character classes are better suited to field positions rather than management. The grunt sergeant may be a 6th level Fighter who answers to an officer who is Marshal 2/Aristocrat 1. About the only time the highest level character will automatically be at the top of his social structure is the BBEG. For others not so much; it is relatively unlikely that the king had to physically beat up everyone in his court and related noble houses to take the throne. A king could well be Aristocrat 8 and have a bodyguard who is monk 2/fighter 8 (sure, the bodyguard could be higher level; if the king could thrash his bodyguard, then he really doesn't need one). Also, it seems to be a rule that within any organization there will be individuals who are completely incompetent, yet who keep their jobs for a variety of reasons. How many people do you know who are vastly better at what they do than the ones who supervise, manage or train them? So your drill sergeant could be any level that fits what you expect him to be able to do. Don't worry that this will set the bar so high as to introduce a power shift that puts the upper echelon of the organization into epic level.
InkBlot 08-21-07, 07:28 PM	Any NPC or PC who is over 5th level has already superseded real human potential, and can perform deeds of mythic proportion. For this reason, I like to keep most NPCs, even important NPCs, below 5th level.
MindFlayerZoidberg 08-22-07, 12:27 AM	Coaches are a good example of people who wouldn't be high lvl, but would have a great amount of ability as a trainer. A lot of coaches (I know) were average athletes, so they had to compensate with technique and drills to be competitive. I would envision a 3,4, or 5th lvl Psion being one who has about a 13,14, or 15 int. Things did not come easy for him, so he had to outwork everyone to achieve his powers, and even though he didn't rise as quickly as others, he would understand psionics better than those with natural talent.
Bacris 08-22-07, 09:39 AM	I see 4th or 5th level, definitely - although trainers like swordmasters and the like probably higher. 4th / 5th level gives room for a psychic warrior to have 2nd level powers, thereby knowing how to train newbies with a new level of power, not just augmentation (and perhaps a level of multiclass like expert or warrior thrown in)
Lycanthromancer 08-22-07, 05:09 PM	It would really depend in the schematics of your campaign and the world it's in. For instance, I had a campaign set on a mostly hostile tropical island, replete with kojira out in the surrounding ocean. In this case, the mentor was around 12th level (though he was a bard/ranger, and had to be badass to stay alive). Also, I'd argue that there are a FEW people in real life higher than 5th level, with Bruce Lee being one of the very, very rare higher-level folks (back when he was still alive). Have you ever seen that man PUNCH?! They had to slow him down to capture him on film; he was incredibly skilled, incredibly strong, and incredibly fast. And that's not the colloquial 'incredible,' either. I mean, it was not quite credible just how awesome he was. And no, I'm not a fanboy (and I'm not arguing that the katana was the nuclear arsenal of the ancient world, either). :)
Fafnir 08-22-07, 05:34 PM	And no, I'm not a fanboy (and I'm not arguing that the katana was the nuclear arsenal of the ancient world, either). :) That's because they weren't made of uranium.