Post/Author/DateTime	Post
InkBlot 05-10-07, 02:27 PM	How much real world mysticism do you bring into your D&D games to flavor psionics with? The XPH by default includes references to Tibetan religion and mysticism by using terms like dorje. But when a PC gets a dorje as treasure in a dungeon, do you describe it as a small shaft of crystal or as a dorje? (I've never been able to describe the shape of a dorje with less than 1,000 words, so he's a picture of one.) Dorje (http://altreligion.about.com/library/bldefsdorje.htm): http://www.clicksitebuilder.com/home2/ts/thaiexotictreasures.com/images/b/bp-dorje.jpg When your shapers ever refer to their astral constructs as tulpas? Do they emphasize the idea that ectoplasm is so versatile and easy to obtain because it is literaly solidified thought? Or do they view it in a more practical manner as simply a mysterious substance drawn from another plane? When your characters manifest a power with a physical display, is the ectoplasm the wet cheesecloth of a early-20th-century seance parlor, or the shimmering goo of Ghostbusters?
Rageheart 05-10-07, 02:38 PM	When your shapers ever refer to their astral constructs as tulpas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulpa)? Link and Emphasis mine. :OMG! I had never been intrested in Shapers before, mainly due to the idea that Astral Construct was just a rubberstamped Summon Monster/Nature's Ally... It actually has flavor of it's own now! (not just the moist cardboard taste of regurgitated arcane spells)
Soel Griffin 05-10-07, 04:55 PM	My psionics is totally inspired by real world mysticism (psionics is different in my campaign, just force of will from evolved minds.) I have a huge Indian/Tibetan inspired region in my world as well. Very different from the typical euro-centric d&d setting.
AntiDjinn 05-10-07, 08:45 PM	I have always viewed psions has having more in common with monks and clerics than with wizards. I tend to play them up as mystics who practice an esoteric "inner religion." Like clerics, manifesters must have a focused belief system and their abilities are powered by faith (it is just self-directed faith rather than worship). I see wizards as much more scientific; memorizing formulas and using material components to produce exacting effects. The arcane caster just has to plug in the variables and the spell result will happen, the psionic manifester must make the effect happen through projection of his will into the world. I use transparency, but dispelling effects is based on the fact that spell and power effects are supernatural so their ability to exist in the world may be attacked regardless of origin. If you are confronted with a Wall of Fire (arcane), of Ectoplasm (psionic), or of Light (divine) it exists in space because of a specific interaction between Nature and Supernature (or rather, because someone has invoked a rule of Supernature to supersede natural laws, which would not normally maintain such a structure, or even allow it to come into existence). If you know how to dispel and are skilled at using it, then you can flush the supernatural effect and return the space to what would exist there naturally (no wall) regardless of what type of wall was present.
Lina_Inverse 05-10-07, 10:38 PM	I never had them be anything but crystal wands before. But i shall make them actual dorjes now that i know what it is and how cool it looks.
Celsun 05-11-07, 01:34 PM	...when a PC gets a dorje as treasure in a dungeon, do you describe it as a small shaft of crystal or as a dorje? Small shaft of crystal, or wood/metal/bone with some crystal. Large shafts of crystal are ghantas (psionic rods). Even larger shafts of crystal are drilbus (psionic staves). Dorjes hold one 0-4th level power. Ghantas hold up to two 0-7th powers. Drilbus hold up to three 0-9th powers. When your shapers ever refer to their astral constructs as tulpas? Shapers refer to ACs as "tulpas" or various other names. "Astral construct" is an anachronistic name that players use for easy reference. Do they emphasize the idea that ectoplasm is so versatile and easy to obtain because it is literaly solidified thought? Or do they view it in a more practical manner as simply a mysterious substance drawn from another plane? Ectoplasm (astral essence) shaped by thought. When your characters manifest a power with a physical display, is the ectoplasm the wet cheesecloth of a early-20th-century seance parlor, or the shimmering goo of Ghostbusters? Cheesecloth. Ectoplasmic powers such as entangling ectoplasm create Ghostbuster ooze ("He slimed me.")
AntiDjinn 05-11-07, 05:50 PM	Ectoplasm has also been described historically as being like fine ash or spiderweb. It was believed to be gossamer and fleeting. The first modern appearance as a slime was in Poltergeist (as far as I know), though Ghostbusters popularized it. The way I view ectoplasm, astral matter, materia astra, or whatever you want to call it, is that in its native state it has mass but neutral properties. Like the slime in GB II, it responds to psychic stimuli. A shaper reaches into the astral plane and pulls fourth a glob of ectoplasm to give his creations mass and substance, but the properties of that substance follow the parameters he lays down when he manifests. It can be solid or mutable, animate or inanimate, match the properties of mundane materials such a wood, stone, or metal, or retain its otherworldly properties such as when it is used to make a wall of ectoplasm. Basically, the thoughts of a shaper lack only substance to make them real free-standing objects, ectoplasm provides this substance.
The Ubbergeek 05-11-07, 08:20 PM	It actually has flavor of it's own now! [SIZE="1"](not just the moist cardboard taste of regurgitated arcane spells) Both have as much flavour, don't worry. Like arcane and divine magic, psionic allow personal 'trademark effects'. I remember an old Dragon magazine about psionic (and especially Dark Sun), who explained the 'mindscape' used by psions - every psion manifested his attack and defence powers (and such, all powers) at his own fashion. The Tower of Will could be, by example, a mighty moat tower. A Mindblast could be a powerfull bolt of energy who batter the head, and so on.
RedRory 05-12-07, 03:13 PM	In the setting I run the psions came from a Middle eastern culture. Sufism lends well for psionic flavouring with its heavy mystical bent and concepts of existence as a shadow, power of thought etc. Also their structure of small lodges and wandering holy men seemed to fit well with psionics.
Slagger the Chuul 05-13-07, 12:16 AM	You can choose your own flavour as long as you play it correctly; I have personally considered playing a psionics character with a "rune magic" flavour (in an Arthurian game; the DM turned it down, unfortunately), and Heroes of Maltak* has psionics flavour based loosely on the powers of Ronald McDonald. *Not actually a real book.
The Ubbergeek 05-13-07, 02:01 AM	In any case, I am thinking of an indian realm with much psionic galore, akin to the Oriental Adventure online enhancement Mahabarata.
madmonk 05-13-07, 08:08 AM	like the Mindshadows campaign by Green Roin? It is Indian and Psionic, with martial arts and mechas :D