Realising a psionic power has been used [Archive] - Wizards Community

Realising a psionic power has been used [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Alurim
12-06-07, 08:43 AM hi all,

I've never played with psionics so please forgive my question in advance :)

In a game I play, we've just had one of our prisoners die of what looks like 'intense internal cranial pressure', ie something popped in his head and killed him. We suspect the other prisoner to have used a psionic power to kill him but in-game we didn't see or hear anything apart from the noise coming from the head of the now defunct.

How can we find out?

The suspect was tied with ropes at the time.

thx
Tempest Stormwind
12-06-07, 10:16 AM After the fact?

Two things can do it. The first is a Heal check to identify how he died.

The second is Detect Magic. Note how every magic spell (or psionic power) leaves an aura after it's used? Just use Detect Magic and the Psicraft skill to identify it.
Alurim
12-06-07, 11:21 AM During and after the fact really.

Detect magic is useful indeed, thx. But I was wondering if there are ways when the psionic manifests to realise he's up to something. Just observing him would be sufficient?
Nephlite
12-06-07, 11:27 AM During and after the fact really.

Detect magic is useful indeed, thx. But I was wondering if there are ways when the psionic manifests to realise he's up to something. Just observing him would be sufficient?

Correct, psionmic powers from auditory, visionary, and other effects called displays.

An example might be you smell rotten eggs every time he uses a certain psionic power. Or hear a chicken or rooster sounds though none are nearby.

Maybe you see a illusionary chicken for a second.

Unless, he does an extra concentration check to try to conceal these displays: you'll have something.
InkBlot
12-06-07, 02:24 PM Psionic powers need line of sight and line of effect, just like most other effects in D&D. So when the victims head goes pop, the guy giving the victim an uncanny stare full of malice is probably going to be the killer psychic.

If multiple people are doing that, then round them all up and use detect magic or detect psionics to determine which one is a psychic.

If more than one suspect is psychic, then round up all the psychic suspects and use things like sense motive, diplomacy, and zone of truth to suss out the true killer.
CrimsonDeath
12-06-07, 02:25 PM And even if he does conceal the displays, if you're watching him carefully, he may (according to some interpretations) look distracted for a moment, since manifesting normally provokes an attack of opportunity.

Unless he makes a Concentration check to cast defensively. And maybe even then, depending on the DM's ruling. (You may be able to tell that he's splitting his attention between doing something... and looking like he's not doing something.)
InkBlot
12-06-07, 03:04 PM I had a better idea.

Gather up everybody who was present at the scene of the crime. Use detect magic to determine which ones are psychic. Then use zone of truth/detect lies/charm/dominate/sense motive/whatever to see which one is the murderer.

Also, this could have been the act of a spellcaster with silent spell, still spell, and/or eschew materials. The same methods should be able to catch the killer, but I just wanted to point that out.

There's a chance that this murder was commited by someone not at the crime scene. It may have been a seer psion using Burrowing Power to send his power through the wall, and clairvoyant sense to gain line of sight. It may have been a seer psion using remote viewing. It may have been a 17th level psion manifesting clairtangent hand.

There are many ways to protect against remote viewing, clairvoyant sense, and Burrowing Power. Burrowing Power sends the power through the astral plane in order to bypass material obstructions, so a dimensional lock will foil it. Scrying sensors can be seen with a DC 20 intelligence check. A the quasi-real body a psion creates when remote viewing can be seen with a high enough spot check, or with any power/spell/ability that lets you see invisible things.
Alurim
12-06-07, 03:22 PM thx for the replies guys.

I've asked several questions to my DM about what we saw, how the suspect looked, etc, following your advice and I'm quite sure we'll nail him. :)

thx
The_Mess
12-06-07, 07:48 PM The best way to tell if he psionicly induced the guys head to explode is to really annoy him. If YOUR head explodes, it's probably not a coincidence. This is a really easy method that doesn't require all the complicated spells and such of the other methods. Hope this helps!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Alurim 12-06-07, 08:43 AM	hi all, I've never played with psionics so please forgive my question in advance :) In a game I play, we've just had one of our prisoners die of what looks like 'intense internal cranial pressure', ie something popped in his head and killed him. We suspect the other prisoner to have used a psionic power to kill him but in-game we didn't see or hear anything apart from the noise coming from the head of the now defunct. How can we find out? The suspect was tied with ropes at the time. thx
Tempest Stormwind 12-06-07, 10:16 AM	After the fact? Two things can do it. The first is a Heal check to identify how he died. The second is Detect Magic. Note how every magic spell (or psionic power) leaves an aura after it's used? Just use Detect Magic and the Psicraft skill to identify it.
Alurim 12-06-07, 11:21 AM	During and after the fact really. Detect magic is useful indeed, thx. But I was wondering if there are ways when the psionic manifests to realise he's up to something. Just observing him would be sufficient?
Nephlite 12-06-07, 11:27 AM	During and after the fact really. Detect magic is useful indeed, thx. But I was wondering if there are ways when the psionic manifests to realise he's up to something. Just observing him would be sufficient? Correct, psionmic powers from auditory, visionary, and other effects called displays. An example might be you smell rotten eggs every time he uses a certain psionic power. Or hear a chicken or rooster sounds though none are nearby. Maybe you see a illusionary chicken for a second. Unless, he does an extra concentration check to try to conceal these displays: you'll have something.
InkBlot 12-06-07, 02:24 PM	Psionic powers need line of sight and line of effect, just like most other effects in D&D. So when the victims head goes pop, the guy giving the victim an uncanny stare full of malice is probably going to be the killer psychic. If multiple people are doing that, then round them all up and use detect magic or detect psionics to determine which one is a psychic. If more than one suspect is psychic, then round up all the psychic suspects and use things like sense motive, diplomacy, and zone of truth to suss out the true killer.
CrimsonDeath 12-06-07, 02:25 PM	And even if he does conceal the displays, if you're watching him carefully, he may (according to some interpretations) look distracted for a moment, since manifesting normally provokes an attack of opportunity. Unless he makes a Concentration check to cast defensively. And maybe even then, depending on the DM's ruling. (You may be able to tell that he's splitting his attention between doing something... and looking like he's not doing something.)
InkBlot 12-06-07, 03:04 PM	I had a better idea. Gather up everybody who was present at the scene of the crime. Use detect magic to determine which ones are psychic. Then use zone of truth/detect lies/charm/dominate/sense motive/whatever to see which one is the murderer. Also, this could have been the act of a spellcaster with silent spell, still spell, and/or eschew materials. The same methods should be able to catch the killer, but I just wanted to point that out. There's a chance that this murder was commited by someone not at the crime scene. It may have been a seer psion using Burrowing Power to send his power through the wall, and clairvoyant sense to gain line of sight. It may have been a seer psion using remote viewing. It may have been a 17th level psion manifesting clairtangent hand. There are many ways to protect against remote viewing, clairvoyant sense, and Burrowing Power. Burrowing Power sends the power through the astral plane in order to bypass material obstructions, so a dimensional lock will foil it. Scrying sensors can be seen with a DC 20 intelligence check. A the quasi-real body a psion creates when remote viewing can be seen with a high enough spot check, or with any power/spell/ability that lets you see invisible things.
Alurim 12-06-07, 03:22 PM	thx for the replies guys. I've asked several questions to my DM about what we saw, how the suspect looked, etc, following your advice and I'm quite sure we'll nail him. :) thx
The_Mess 12-06-07, 07:48 PM	The best way to tell if he psionicly induced the guys head to explode is to really annoy him. If YOUR head explodes, it's probably not a coincidence. This is a really easy method that doesn't require all the complicated spells and such of the other methods. Hope this helps!