Template for Wild Talent? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Template for Wild Talent? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
mod5000
12-25-07, 04:20 AM I was wondering if anyone knew of a template that made a race psionic--that's it. No cool powers, no mind-destroying abilities (yes, Phrenic, looking at you), just a natural 1 PP.

If there are none, how would one balance that? I don't think it's worth +1 LA or even -2 to charisma... maybe a -2 to two skill checks?
Suldarr'essalar
12-25-07, 04:33 AM I've changed elan to a template (LA +1, gain darkvision, Repletion, resilience, resistance, aberration type, 2pp) for humanoids, giants, monsterous humanoids, but haven't really seen any psionic template that would give just psionic subtype.
Sinfire Titan
12-25-07, 04:51 AM I was wondering if anyone knew of a template that made a race psionic--that's it. No cool powers, no mind-destroying abilities (yes, Phrenic, looking at you), just a natural 1 PP.

If there are none, how would one balance that? I don't think it's worth +1 LA or even -2 to charisma... maybe a -2 to two skill checks?

Just take the Wild Talent feat. And you can just add the Psionic Subtype to any race at the cost of a positive ability score modifier, or Skill Points, or Racial Weapon Familiarity. Or Darkvision.
Bacris
12-25-07, 07:24 AM Considering you're talking about ONE feat, I'd say use the UA rules for flaws - pick a flaw that fits and voila, there's your template.
mod5000
12-25-07, 07:26 AM I'd prefer making it a template, since I'm planning on running a region in a homebrew world where virtually everyone has a small spark of psionics in them (including monsters) and wanted to give it to everyone while still allowing players to obtain 2 flaws regularly.
CrimsonDeath
12-25-07, 07:30 AM I don't think it's worth +1 LA

Think again... (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/blue.htm)

(Note: I'm being sarcastic.)
Bacris
12-25-07, 07:58 AM I'd prefer making it a template, since I'm planning on running a region in a homebrew world where virtually everyone has a small spark of psionics in them (including monsters) and wanted to give it to everyone while still allowing players to obtain 2 flaws regularly.

I wasn't saying have it count against their flaws, just giving a suggestion for what you're looking for. It's one feat. Flaws are designed to give one feat for a penalty. Pick a penalty on par with a flaw, pair it with "Naturally Psionic" and turn it into a template - don't say "this is one of your flaws."

And Blue don't get +1 LA just for naturally psionic :P Not saying I agree with their LA, but it's not simply because they are psionic.
hogarth
12-25-07, 01:54 PM I'd prefer making it a template, since I'm planning on running a region in a homebrew world where virtually everyone has a small spark of psionics in them (including monsters) and wanted to give it to everyone while still allowing players to obtain 2 flaws regularly.
If you want to give everyone one power point, then why don't you just...y'know...give one to everyone? For free?
mod5000
12-25-07, 04:46 PM Eh, that doesn't really "feel" right. I'd rather it be a proper template or somesuch, having penalties to offset the bonus.
Lycanthromancer
12-25-07, 04:47 PM +1 pp, -2 skill points at 1st level.
CrimsonDeath
12-25-07, 11:40 PM And Blue don't get +1 LA just for naturally psionic :P Not saying I agree with their LA, but it's not simply because they are psionic.
Yeah, their LA is for their +2 Intelligence bonus, which totally wasn't balanced by the lack of the normal Goblin's Dexterity bonus. (That's straight from the horse's mouth.)
Sinfire Titan
12-26-07, 03:04 AM Then do what the XPH suggests: Replace the Wild Talent feat with Hidden Talent. That way, your players have a reason to want the feat, and you don't have to force it down their throats.
mod5000
12-26-07, 03:45 AM +1 pp, -2 skill points at 1st level.
Thanks! Exactly what I was looking for. Can chalk up the -2 to skill points as the late development of the race due to the longer time it takes to develop their brain to its full potential--or that part of their brain devoted to learning is instead geared towards developing psionic power.
JulesCARV
12-27-07, 05:14 PM To me, what "feels" most right is wild talent in exchange for -2 to con. It's too weak as an LA +0 template, but it seems right. You have the pale, sickly boy whose mother worries a lot about him and who has mysterious powers. Y'know, Elric of Melniboné and all that.

However, con is quite possibly the worst ability score to have a -2 in, and even if the "pathetic" flaw is nominally worth a feat, it's doubtful whether -2 to con would really be worth it, with the -1 to fortitude saves, -1 hp/HD, and -1 to concentration checks.

So, perhaps -2 to fortitude saves in exchange for wild talent at LA +0? It goes with the "sickly type with inexplicable powers" feel that seems most appropriate to a "template" of wild talent to me, but it seems like a something that usually not worth it, but sometimes is.
CrimsonDeath
12-27-07, 07:59 PM Wisdom (disconnected from reality) or Charisma ("the quiet one") might work as well.
JulesCARV
12-27-07, 08:40 PM I'd avoid wisdom, since the whole point of the template is to be able to take psionic feats, which are often wisdom-dependent. :)

Although really, if you want conceptual flexibility, you could just use the UA flaw system, so you could use the "pathetic" flaw for ability score penalties, the frail flaw, the meagre fortitude flaw, etc, and just buy Wild Talent or Hidden Talent normally with your extra feat. If you wanted to limit the munchkinism that ensues, you could even prohibit buying anything but WT or HT with the flaw-based feat. Heck, you could have an ardent with the freedom mantle and the pathetic flaw applied to intelligence and the overchannel feat. Ta-da! Sheemie Ruiz -- stupid, wise, good at teleportation, and tends to damage himself when manifesting his best powers.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mod5000 12-25-07, 04:20 AM	I was wondering if anyone knew of a template that made a race psionic--that's it. No cool powers, no mind-destroying abilities (yes, Phrenic, looking at you), just a natural 1 PP. If there are none, how would one balance that? I don't think it's worth +1 LA or even -2 to charisma... maybe a -2 to two skill checks?
Suldarr'essalar 12-25-07, 04:33 AM	I've changed elan to a template (LA +1, gain darkvision, Repletion, resilience, resistance, aberration type, 2pp) for humanoids, giants, monsterous humanoids, but haven't really seen any psionic template that would give just psionic subtype.
Sinfire Titan 12-25-07, 04:51 AM	I was wondering if anyone knew of a template that made a race psionic--that's it. No cool powers, no mind-destroying abilities (yes, Phrenic, looking at you), just a natural 1 PP. If there are none, how would one balance that? I don't think it's worth +1 LA or even -2 to charisma... maybe a -2 to two skill checks? Just take the Wild Talent feat. And you can just add the Psionic Subtype to any race at the cost of a positive ability score modifier, or Skill Points, or Racial Weapon Familiarity. Or Darkvision.
Bacris 12-25-07, 07:24 AM	Considering you're talking about ONE feat, I'd say use the UA rules for flaws - pick a flaw that fits and voila, there's your template.
mod5000 12-25-07, 07:26 AM	I'd prefer making it a template, since I'm planning on running a region in a homebrew world where virtually everyone has a small spark of psionics in them (including monsters) and wanted to give it to everyone while still allowing players to obtain 2 flaws regularly.
CrimsonDeath 12-25-07, 07:30 AM	I don't think it's worth +1 LA Think again... (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/blue.htm) (Note: I'm being sarcastic.)
Bacris 12-25-07, 07:58 AM	I'd prefer making it a template, since I'm planning on running a region in a homebrew world where virtually everyone has a small spark of psionics in them (including monsters) and wanted to give it to everyone while still allowing players to obtain 2 flaws regularly. I wasn't saying have it count against their flaws, just giving a suggestion for what you're looking for. It's one feat. Flaws are designed to give one feat for a penalty. Pick a penalty on par with a flaw, pair it with "Naturally Psionic" and turn it into a template - don't say "this is one of your flaws." And Blue don't get +1 LA just for naturally psionic :P Not saying I agree with their LA, but it's not simply because they are psionic.
hogarth 12-25-07, 01:54 PM	I'd prefer making it a template, since I'm planning on running a region in a homebrew world where virtually everyone has a small spark of psionics in them (including monsters) and wanted to give it to everyone while still allowing players to obtain 2 flaws regularly. If you want to give everyone one power point, then why don't you just...y'know...give one to everyone? For free?
mod5000 12-25-07, 04:46 PM	Eh, that doesn't really "feel" right. I'd rather it be a proper template or somesuch, having penalties to offset the bonus.
Lycanthromancer 12-25-07, 04:47 PM	+1 pp, -2 skill points at 1st level.
CrimsonDeath 12-25-07, 11:40 PM	And Blue don't get +1 LA just for naturally psionic :P Not saying I agree with their LA, but it's not simply because they are psionic. Yeah, their LA is for their +2 Intelligence bonus, which totally wasn't balanced by the lack of the normal Goblin's Dexterity bonus. (That's straight from the horse's mouth.)
Sinfire Titan 12-26-07, 03:04 AM	Then do what the XPH suggests: Replace the Wild Talent feat with Hidden Talent. That way, your players have a reason to want the feat, and you don't have to force it down their throats.
mod5000 12-26-07, 03:45 AM	+1 pp, -2 skill points at 1st level. Thanks! Exactly what I was looking for. Can chalk up the -2 to skill points as the late development of the race due to the longer time it takes to develop their brain to its full potential--or that part of their brain devoted to learning is instead geared towards developing psionic power.
JulesCARV 12-27-07, 05:14 PM	To me, what "feels" most right is wild talent in exchange for -2 to con. It's too weak as an LA +0 template, but it seems right. You have the pale, sickly boy whose mother worries a lot about him and who has mysterious powers. Y'know, Elric of Melniboné and all that. However, con is quite possibly the worst ability score to have a -2 in, and even if the "pathetic" flaw is nominally worth a feat, it's doubtful whether -2 to con would really be worth it, with the -1 to fortitude saves, -1 hp/HD, and -1 to concentration checks. So, perhaps -2 to fortitude saves in exchange for wild talent at LA +0? It goes with the "sickly type with inexplicable powers" feel that seems most appropriate to a "template" of wild talent to me, but it seems like a something that usually not worth it, but sometimes is.
CrimsonDeath 12-27-07, 07:59 PM	Wisdom (disconnected from reality) or Charisma ("the quiet one") might work as well.
JulesCARV 12-27-07, 08:40 PM	I'd avoid wisdom, since the whole point of the template is to be able to take psionic feats, which are often wisdom-dependent. :) Although really, if you want conceptual flexibility, you could just use the UA flaw system, so you could use the "pathetic" flaw for ability score penalties, the frail flaw, the meagre fortitude flaw, etc, and just buy Wild Talent or Hidden Talent normally with your extra feat. If you wanted to limit the munchkinism that ensues, you could even prohibit buying anything but WT or HT with the flaw-based feat. Heck, you could have an ardent with the freedom mantle and the pathetic flaw applied to intelligence and the overchannel feat. Ta-da! Sheemie Ruiz -- stupid, wise, good at teleportation, and tends to damage himself when manifesting his best powers.