Yet More Psionics Related Questions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Yet More Psionics Related Questions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Meikle_641
02-20-08, 01:19 AM Hiya guys, it's me again, here to bother you once more! Anyway, I've been doing ground work for my "Psychic War" camapign, which'll be the gith coaltion (with all who hate illithids, which is y'know, most) vs the Illithid Empire and their assorted thrall armies. The plan is to start normal D&D (will spelljammer ships), then slowly add technology to the setting, first flintlock guns, then WW2 era tech, then eventually full out sci-fi. Oh, and there's Cthulhu Mythos stuff, but I digress. Basically, I have a few questions related to psionics that I need answering.

1) A good few months back (nearly a year ago now I suppose), I found a website that converted the vancian classes into an MP system, and included arcane x versions of psionics feats. I especially liked how the classes like wizard were allowed to prepare a list of spells per day from their spellbook, and then cast using their PP resevoir.

Haven't been able to find it since, after I lost all my bookmarks. So far all I've gotten from people is the SRD spellpoint system, which ain't what I want.

2) I remember reading ages ago a formula for energy damage that translated it into joules or something. Any idea where it was? The reason I ask is that I was thinking of having a sort of conversion machine that changed MP/PP into electricity for technology, so a way to ballpark things would rock. That way I can have things like LED lamps and stuff, running off like, 1 PP for a few hours or something.

---

Grah, I know I have more questions, but I can't remember them right now... But I can always say them later.

Anyway, I and my group are excited with it. I mean, by end-game we're gonna have powered armour, machineguns, and spaceships while attacking laser-rifle wielding thralls and cosmic horrors. Pure awesome.
Tempest Stormwind
02-20-08, 03:07 AM 1) A good few months back (nearly a year ago now I suppose), I found a website that converted the vancian classes into an MP system, and included arcane x versions of psionics feats. I especially liked how the classes like wizard were allowed to prepare a list of spells per day from their spellbook, and then cast using their PP resevoir.

Haven't been able to find it since, after I lost all my bookmarks. So far all I've gotten from people is the SRD spellpoint system, which ain't what I want.

I've never seen it (apart from the spellpoint system you cite; it *does* work that way, by the way), but avoid it. Vancian spells are designed with vancian mechanics in mind. You slap PP on there and you fit a square peg into a round hole -- problems arise. The very least you'd need to do is remove free spell scaling.

2) I remember reading ages ago a formula for energy damage that translated it into joules or something. Any idea where it was? The reason I ask is that I was thinking of having a sort of conversion machine that changed MP/PP into electricity for technology, so a way to ballpark things would rock. That way I can have things like LED lamps and stuff, running off like, 1 PP for a few hours or something.

Impossible to do accurately, given the difference in energy required for fire and sonic effects in the real world.

I'd come up with a ballpark figure -- or, better yet, have them work off of "psionic capacitors", which store psionic energy in a crystal nexus (perhaps even a swappable cognizance crystal) connected to a small machine that siphons it off as electricity at a steady rate. I'd assign a cost based on the size of the object, normalizing for 1pp/hour of a medium object. (If it's directly on the size modifier, an LED array -- Diminutive -- lasts for 8 hours on 1 power point.)

There already is a similar device in Secrets of Sarlona, draining power points from a rechargable reserve to keep an antiscry/teleport buffer up around the entire country.
Meikle_641
02-20-08, 03:42 AM Yeah, the system was also different in that it dropped autoscaling; which I liked.

In regards to the energy thing, I think the original figure was for fire. Possibly it had to do with ice, but I wasn't able to spot it in Frostburn. Or maybe it was the energy required for cold damage to freeze x amount of water (which it *does* sort list, but I'm not all that good with math)? In any case, I'm sure something could be worked out.

The crystal matrix idea works, especially since I was thinking of having all cog crystals regenerate PP; albeit slowly. Low grade ones (1, 2, 5) regen 1 per day, perhaps, while others (7, 9, 11) are 2/day and so on. Ones larger than low-grade would be progressively larger, but hey.

And THAT of course means that you could have an array of low-grade (perhaps 1 PP ones) for things like lighting, and larger ones could do things like operate air scrubbers (on 'jammers). Or, in the case I'm gonna like; converting diesel-fueled power armour to running off a power cell that runs off stored PP or something (and/or alchemical fuel, perhaps?).

...And now that you've brought my attention to the Darklight, I may give that a *little* more attention...And wow, the price is reasonable! Imagine that, a magic/psionic item that has a neat efefct and doesn't cost an arm and a leg? MADNESS!
Deekin
02-20-08, 03:43 AM 2) I remember reading ages ago a formula for energy damage that translated it into joules or something. Any idea where it was? The reason I ask is that I was thinking of having a sort of conversion machine that changed MP/PP into electricity for technology, so a way to ballpark things would rock. That way I can have things like LED lamps and stuff, running off like, 1 PP for a few hours or something.

D20 Future Tech, page 18 features a gadget that allows devices to operate on psionic power. It hold up to 10 power points, and Each use of charged device, like a weapon, takes 1 PP, while a device that operates with a duration, like computer, allows for 2 minutes of operation.
Lokiyn
02-20-08, 07:29 AM We tried converting damage to energy but it turned out to be a big mess

http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=10786356&postcount=14

Its probably best to just arbitrarily declare a table of some sort

Something like
(hour) (Min) (Round)
Low Med High
Basic 1 2 3
Simple 2 4 12
Complex 4 8 24

where you break machines into functions (basic to complex) then power consumption (low hourly cost to high per round cost) then asign items accordingly

So a basic low device like a flashlight might take a pp per hour while a high consumption basic device like a microwave (or something) would take 3 pp per round.
Meikle_641
03-20-08, 06:31 PM Now for a bit of necromancy... So, any idea on how I should price this Psychic Capacitor? I figure it'll use Lokiyn's chart and have a 10 PP resevoir that can be filled (perhaps more or less on model?) along with a slot for a cog crystal.

Honestly, I'm terrible for pricing things in D&D, especially given the system's tendency to make anything remotely useful expensive as hell...

EDIT:

It now occurs to me that having regenerating PP cog crystals may be slightly redundant, given I'm thinking of having per-encounter PP (as in that thread a week or two ago). In that case, one could easily fill up the crystals or machines, making things a bit nuts... But at the same time, it takes 15 minutes to attune to the rocks, so their use in battle is already limited.

I suspect that regenerating PP crystals could still have a use in situations where you don't expect to be around very often, or as emergency/backup power, such as keeping something frosted in a fridge.

So we have a world where crystals can be refilled nearly constantly, but it requires a person to be nearby to do so. Given the access time for them, would it be broken? It seems to me they'd be best used as batteries for technology, rather than use in battle.
Meikle_641
03-21-08, 03:26 AM I was just gonna add this to my last post with another edit, but I won't. Had an idea as I was listening to some music...Perhaps self-recharging cog crystals can be set up to an array of circuitry, ala Getting Wire . That way one could have an autocharging set up for places you won't be around much. So you can have a place that self-cleans and repairs, by having a pre-set Psionic Presti effect, or even keeping a bubble of air in an area (via powers from a setting called Broken).

In my opinion, this could be an interesting use for cog crystals and these former tattoos.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Meikle_641 02-20-08, 01:19 AM	Hiya guys, it's me again, here to bother you once more! Anyway, I've been doing ground work for my "Psychic War" camapign, which'll be the gith coaltion (with all who hate illithids, which is y'know, most) vs the Illithid Empire and their assorted thrall armies. The plan is to start normal D&D (will spelljammer ships), then slowly add technology to the setting, first flintlock guns, then WW2 era tech, then eventually full out sci-fi. Oh, and there's Cthulhu Mythos stuff, but I digress. Basically, I have a few questions related to psionics that I need answering. 1) A good few months back (nearly a year ago now I suppose), I found a website that converted the vancian classes into an MP system, and included arcane x versions of psionics feats. I especially liked how the classes like wizard were allowed to prepare a list of spells per day from their spellbook, and then cast using their PP resevoir. Haven't been able to find it since, after I lost all my bookmarks. So far all I've gotten from people is the SRD spellpoint system, which ain't what I want. 2) I remember reading ages ago a formula for energy damage that translated it into joules or something. Any idea where it was? The reason I ask is that I was thinking of having a sort of conversion machine that changed MP/PP into electricity for technology, so a way to ballpark things would rock. That way I can have things like LED lamps and stuff, running off like, 1 PP for a few hours or something. --- Grah, I know I have more questions, but I can't remember them right now... But I can always say them later. Anyway, I and my group are excited with it. I mean, by end-game we're gonna have powered armour, machineguns, and spaceships while attacking laser-rifle wielding thralls and cosmic horrors. Pure awesome.
Tempest Stormwind 02-20-08, 03:07 AM	1) A good few months back (nearly a year ago now I suppose), I found a website that converted the vancian classes into an MP system, and included arcane x versions of psionics feats. I especially liked how the classes like wizard were allowed to prepare a list of spells per day from their spellbook, and then cast using their PP resevoir. Haven't been able to find it since, after I lost all my bookmarks. So far all I've gotten from people is the SRD spellpoint system, which ain't what I want. I've never seen it (apart from the spellpoint system you cite; it does work that way, by the way), but avoid it. Vancian spells are designed with vancian mechanics in mind. You slap PP on there and you fit a square peg into a round hole -- problems arise. The very least you'd need to do is remove free spell scaling. 2) I remember reading ages ago a formula for energy damage that translated it into joules or something. Any idea where it was? The reason I ask is that I was thinking of having a sort of conversion machine that changed MP/PP into electricity for technology, so a way to ballpark things would rock. That way I can have things like LED lamps and stuff, running off like, 1 PP for a few hours or something. Impossible to do accurately, given the difference in energy required for fire and sonic effects in the real world. I'd come up with a ballpark figure -- or, better yet, have them work off of "psionic capacitors", which store psionic energy in a crystal nexus (perhaps even a swappable cognizance crystal) connected to a small machine that siphons it off as electricity at a steady rate. I'd assign a cost based on the size of the object, normalizing for 1pp/hour of a medium object. (If it's directly on the size modifier, an LED array -- Diminutive -- lasts for 8 hours on 1 power point.) There already is a similar device in Secrets of Sarlona, draining power points from a rechargable reserve to keep an antiscry/teleport buffer up around the entire country.
Meikle_641 02-20-08, 03:42 AM	Yeah, the system was also different in that it dropped autoscaling; which I liked. In regards to the energy thing, I think the original figure was for fire. Possibly it had to do with ice, but I wasn't able to spot it in Frostburn. Or maybe it was the energy required for cold damage to freeze x amount of water (which it does sort list, but I'm not all that good with math)? In any case, I'm sure something could be worked out. The crystal matrix idea works, especially since I was thinking of having all cog crystals regenerate PP; albeit slowly. Low grade ones (1, 2, 5) regen 1 per day, perhaps, while others (7, 9, 11) are 2/day and so on. Ones larger than low-grade would be progressively larger, but hey. And THAT of course means that you could have an array of low-grade (perhaps 1 PP ones) for things like lighting, and larger ones could do things like operate air scrubbers (on 'jammers). Or, in the case I'm gonna like; converting diesel-fueled power armour to running off a power cell that runs off stored PP or something (and/or alchemical fuel, perhaps?). ...And now that you've brought my attention to the Darklight, I may give that a little more attention...And wow, the price is reasonable! Imagine that, a magic/psionic item that has a neat efefct and doesn't cost an arm and a leg? MADNESS!
Deekin 02-20-08, 03:43 AM	2) I remember reading ages ago a formula for energy damage that translated it into joules or something. Any idea where it was? The reason I ask is that I was thinking of having a sort of conversion machine that changed MP/PP into electricity for technology, so a way to ballpark things would rock. That way I can have things like LED lamps and stuff, running off like, 1 PP for a few hours or something. D20 Future Tech, page 18 features a gadget that allows devices to operate on psionic power. It hold up to 10 power points, and Each use of charged device, like a weapon, takes 1 PP, while a device that operates with a duration, like computer, allows for 2 minutes of operation.
Lokiyn 02-20-08, 07:29 AM	We tried converting damage to energy but it turned out to be a big mess http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=10786356&postcount=14 Its probably best to just arbitrarily declare a table of some sort Something like (hour) (Min) (Round) Low Med High Basic 1 2 3 Simple 2 4 12 Complex 4 8 24 where you break machines into functions (basic to complex) then power consumption (low hourly cost to high per round cost) then asign items accordingly So a basic low device like a flashlight might take a pp per hour while a high consumption basic device like a microwave (or something) would take 3 pp per round.
Meikle_641 03-20-08, 06:31 PM	Now for a bit of necromancy... So, any idea on how I should price this Psychic Capacitor? I figure it'll use Lokiyn's chart and have a 10 PP resevoir that can be filled (perhaps more or less on model?) along with a slot for a cog crystal. Honestly, I'm terrible for pricing things in D&D, especially given the system's tendency to make anything remotely useful expensive as hell... EDIT: It now occurs to me that having regenerating PP cog crystals may be slightly redundant, given I'm thinking of having per-encounter PP (as in that thread a week or two ago). In that case, one could easily fill up the crystals or machines, making things a bit nuts... But at the same time, it takes 15 minutes to attune to the rocks, so their use in battle is already limited. I suspect that regenerating PP crystals could still have a use in situations where you don't expect to be around very often, or as emergency/backup power, such as keeping something frosted in a fridge. So we have a world where crystals can be refilled nearly constantly, but it requires a person to be nearby to do so. Given the access time for them, would it be broken? It seems to me they'd be best used as batteries for technology, rather than use in battle.
Meikle_641 03-21-08, 03:26 AM	I was just gonna add this to my last post with another edit, but I won't. Had an idea as I was listening to some music...Perhaps self-recharging cog crystals can be set up to an array of circuitry, ala Getting Wire . That way one could have an autocharging set up for places you won't be around much. So you can have a place that self-cleans and repairs, by having a pre-set Psionic Presti effect, or even keeping a bubble of air in an area (via powers from a setting called Broken). In my opinion, this could be an interesting use for cog crystals and these former tattoos.