Psionics for everyone [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psionics for everyone [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
sindar
11-24-04, 11:21 AM In a upcoming campaign I would like to give every character access to Psionic powers if they want them and at the sometime not punish those that don't. I rather not use gesalts as I feel there a little to powerful, I need a way they can gain power points and access to powers thats balanced. I was thinking a limited form of gesalts where the character only gain the power points and powers as the psychic warrior and the character would have to pay 500 times this partiel psychic warrior level exp. points. Is this balanced against normal characters, if not how can make a system that balanced against regular characters ? Thanks
Caliphbubba
11-24-04, 01:29 PM Why not give everyone the "Wild Talent" feat for free? and make it another feat for actually gaining powers to use. I think thats a cleaner way then the pseudo-gestalt. Good luck with this....
Salla
11-25-04, 04:15 PM I must confess, my first impulse is to simply answer "That's what multiclassing is for." Take a level of Psion, Wilder, Psychic Warrior, or Psychic Rogue (see The Mind's Eye), and presto-changeo, you have psipowers.
DwarvinJedi
11-25-04, 04:42 PM remove the 1st level only part of Hidden Talent.
trapspringer
11-26-04, 08:31 PM I would suggest giving everyone Hidden Talent for free.
Thelon Fairblade
11-26-04, 09:47 PM If you give everyone Hidden Talent for free, characters who don't want psionics should gain a free feat as well. You could emphasize their "nonpsionic" nature by giving them, say, Iron Will (as opposed to the nasty psion-killer feats in XPH). If these non-psionics change their mids later, they have to spend a feat as normal to take Hidden Talent.

As for gaining new powers... Hidden Talent each time, and when they have the same power points as a Psychic Warrior who can gain 2nd level powers, they may take 2nd level powers with the feats.

However, you then end up with characters having only psionic powers and none of the "normal" feats. I think this would be balanced, but something leaves me unsatisfied with the result.

Going the other way, though, the XP cost has a certain appeal. With the "Buying Off Level Adjustments" rules, you have a framework of XP costs for greater power. Give characters 1, 2, or 3 virtual levels of Psion -- then retroactively change XP at each level to pay for it. for example, a minor talent (1 level of Psion) would have a couple 1st level powers and a small pool of points, and would cost 3000 xp, spread across however many levels you think is fair (say, 1000 xp a level for 3 levels). A Major Talent (3 levels of psion, 6 powers, 2nd level powers, nice small pool) would cost upwards of 18000 xp over 12 levels... 1500 xp a level for 12 levels, for example... and not gain "psion 2" power until 3000 xp are paid (1 LA), and "psion 3" power until 9000 xp are paid (2 LA).

Similarly, the Bloodlines ideas are a nice framework. -- you could say all beings have the "Psion Bloodline". Trivial (+0 LA) bloodlines manifest no powers or power points. Minor Bloodlines have a bloodline level somewhere before 12th, and gain Hidden Talent and a few other benefits as you deem appropriate for +1 LA. Moderate bloodlines have two "bloodline levels" and more abilities, and Major Bloodlines have 3 levels and (minor) abilities every level.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
sindar 11-24-04, 11:21 AM	In a upcoming campaign I would like to give every character access to Psionic powers if they want them and at the sometime not punish those that don't. I rather not use gesalts as I feel there a little to powerful, I need a way they can gain power points and access to powers thats balanced. I was thinking a limited form of gesalts where the character only gain the power points and powers as the psychic warrior and the character would have to pay 500 times this partiel psychic warrior level exp. points. Is this balanced against normal characters, if not how can make a system that balanced against regular characters ? Thanks
Caliphbubba 11-24-04, 01:29 PM	Why not give everyone the "Wild Talent" feat for free? and make it another feat for actually gaining powers to use. I think thats a cleaner way then the pseudo-gestalt. Good luck with this....
Salla 11-25-04, 04:15 PM	I must confess, my first impulse is to simply answer "That's what multiclassing is for." Take a level of Psion, Wilder, Psychic Warrior, or Psychic Rogue (see The Mind's Eye), and presto-changeo, you have psipowers.
DwarvinJedi 11-25-04, 04:42 PM	remove the 1st level only part of Hidden Talent.
trapspringer 11-26-04, 08:31 PM	I would suggest giving everyone Hidden Talent for free.
Thelon Fairblade 11-26-04, 09:47 PM	If you give everyone Hidden Talent for free, characters who don't want psionics should gain a free feat as well. You could emphasize their "nonpsionic" nature by giving them, say, Iron Will (as opposed to the nasty psion-killer feats in XPH). If these non-psionics change their mids later, they have to spend a feat as normal to take Hidden Talent. As for gaining new powers... Hidden Talent each time, and when they have the same power points as a Psychic Warrior who can gain 2nd level powers, they may take 2nd level powers with the feats. However, you then end up with characters having only psionic powers and none of the "normal" feats. I think this would be balanced, but something leaves me unsatisfied with the result. Going the other way, though, the XP cost has a certain appeal. With the "Buying Off Level Adjustments" rules, you have a framework of XP costs for greater power. Give characters 1, 2, or 3 virtual levels of Psion -- then retroactively change XP at each level to pay for it. for example, a minor talent (1 level of Psion) would have a couple 1st level powers and a small pool of points, and would cost 3000 xp, spread across however many levels you think is fair (say, 1000 xp a level for 3 levels). A Major Talent (3 levels of psion, 6 powers, 2nd level powers, nice small pool) would cost upwards of 18000 xp over 12 levels... 1500 xp a level for 12 levels, for example... and not gain "psion 2" power until 3000 xp are paid (1 LA), and "psion 3" power until 9000 xp are paid (2 LA). Similarly, the Bloodlines ideas are a nice framework. -- you could say all beings have the "Psion Bloodline". Trivial (+0 LA) bloodlines manifest no powers or power points. Minor Bloodlines have a bloodline level somewhere before 12th, and gain Hidden Talent and a few other benefits as you deem appropriate for +1 LA. Moderate bloodlines have two "bloodline levels" and more abilities, and Major Bloodlines have 3 levels and (minor) abilities every level.