Psions and Psychic Warriors
HP/level: Psion: 1d4
Required Stats: at least 9 in any one stat
Bonus Proficiencies: Psioncraft
Weapon Proficiencies: Psion: 1 +1/6 levels
Non-weapon proficiencies: Psion: 2 +1/3 levels
Racial Restrictions: Elves cannot be psions save through extraordinary means.
Other Restrictions: Sorcerers cannot also have Psion or Psychic Warrior classes, although some rare few wizards might be able to pull it off. The reason for this is that wizardly magic and psionics are incompatible forces, neither capable of affecting the other directly in many ways. Sorcerers, by their natural attunement with magic, are thereby wholly unable to be psionic as well. The DM should treat multi-class combinations of Wizard and either psion or psychic warrior as unique, meaning that about two might exist in any given world. Further, knowing how things go as I do, they're probably both player characters.
Psychic people who draw forth from the wellspring of power that is their psyche and manifest it forth, utilizing powers that, outwardly, can sometimes look and act very much like arcane or divine magicks. In fact, they are neither. Arcane magicks and Psionics are not even compatible forces, and no psion can be a wizard or sorcerer as well. Priestly magics, being of divine origin, can and do affect psionic powers normally. A priests Dispel Magic works quite effectively against a Psion’s powers, whereas a Wizard’s Dispel Magic is incapable of doing anything.
It goes both ways, however. Psionic powers cannot tear down, withhold or affect arcane spells. Elemental resistances granted and the like affect all forces equally, but a wizard’s Anti-magic shell does absolutely nothing to a psion or a psion’s manifest powers. Neither, for that matter, does a psion’s Null Psionic Field affect arcane magic at all. A psion’s powers do affect priestly magic, however. Priest magic is, conversely, affected and can affect both arcane magic and psionics.
Psions draw their energy from a pool of Power Points that increases with each level.
For every hour of sleep a psionic entity gets, they replenish 1/8th of their maximum PP.
The Meditation proficiency can allow them to regain power points as if they were sleeping while they are very much awake and alert, as described in Proficiencies.
There are six different Disciplines that psions draw their powers from.
Psychometabolism: based on Strength
Psychoportation: based on Dexterity
Psychokinesis: based on Constitution
Metacreativity: based on Intelligence
Clairsentience: based on Wisdom
Telepathy: based on Charisma
At first level, a psion chooses their Primary Discipline by putting their highest score in the correlative stat position. Psions gain bonus powers on each level from this primary discipline, and no other discipline, as well as using the correlative stat of their Primary Discipline to determine the number of bonus Power Points they will receive at each level increase.
Psions must have a stat of at least 9 in a discipline’s relative stat to use even 0th level powers from that discipline. The level, as measured in 1st through 9th level powers, of the highest level powers useable in a discipline is determined by the psion’s score in each discipline’s relative stat.
Say that a psion has the following stats:
Str: 13 max lvl of psy-met powers useable: 4th
Dex: 15 max lvl of psy-port powers useable: 6th
Con: 9 max lvl of psy-kin powers useable: 0th
Int: 14 max lvl of met-crea powers useable: 5th
Wis: 11 max lvl of clasen powers useable: 2nd
Cha: 17 max level of telepathy powers useable: 8th
The psion is a Telepath, and uses his Charisma score to determine what bonus powers he will have access to whenever he gains a new level of powers available to him, as well as determining how many bonus power points he will receive with each increase in psion level. An 18 is required in a relative stat to use 9th level powers from the stat’s discipline. As is obvious, no psion is at all likely to have all 18’s, or even all 16’s or 17’s. Psions, much like sorcerers, do not get many powers to use, though they tend to be able to use them often and repeatedly.
Psionic powers draw from a pool of powerpoints, as has been stated.
Each powerlevel requires a certain number of powerpoints to manifest powers from.
Psions receive their level +3 in free 0th level powers per day. After the “free” 0th level powers (also called Talents) are used, a psion must spend 1 PP per use.
At 18th level, a psion never has to pay a pp cost to manifest 0th level Talents. They are free to him or her ever after.
1st level powers cost 1 pp. 2nd level powers cost 3 pp. 3rd level powers cost 5 pp.
4th level powers cost 7 pp. 5th level powers cost 9 pp 6th level powers cost 11 pp
7th level powers cost 13 8th level powers cost 15 pp 9th level powers cost 17 pp
Psionic bonus power points:
Stat used- bonus per level
9-11: 0/level
12-13: 1/level for 1st-5th level total of +5
14-15: 1/level for 1st-8th level total of +8
16-17: 1/level for 1st-10th level total of +10
18-19: 2/level for 1st through 3rd level, 1/level for 4th through 12th level total of +15
20-21: 2/level for 1st-6th level, 1/level for 7th-14th level total of +20
22-23: 2/level for 1st-9th level/ 1/level for 10th-16th level total of + 25
24-25: 2/level for 1st-12th level, 1/level for 13th-18th level total of +30
At 20th level, a psion has a base of 183 power points, plus whatever bonuses they’ve managed to accrue through the levels. If a psion increases a stat to the next higher step of bonus power points, they do receive all of the “back” owed power points they would have received if they’d had that stat the whole time. For instance, if an 8th level psion raises his 17 score to an 18, he would get 3 bonus powerpoints. Each time a new step on the bonus pp chart is reached, bonus powerpoints are recalculated, taking all gained levels into account. Thus, if an 18th level psion somehow managed to raise his primary discipline’s stat from 21 to 22, he would gain 5 bonus powerpoints, since his level already exceeds the span in which the points would have otherwise been gained.
Psicrystals:
Psions can, by harnessing pieces of their own psyche, fabricate a solid little fragment of ectoplasm called a Psicrystal. These Psicrystals function as the psion’s “familiar”, in a sense. Different aspects of the psyche that are harnessed into a Psicrystal actually benefit the Psion by giving him or her a bonus to various saving throws, depending on what the psicrystal is “made” of, out of the Psion’s psyche. Some might give bonuses to proficiency checks, while yet others might give bonuses to mental-based stats and the like. DM’s are encouraged to add to this list, or alter it as their tastes desire. In no event can a psion have more than one psicrystal at a time. If a psicrystal is destroyed, it does not bring harm to the psion in any way, but the psion may not form another for a full year.
Psicrystal personality- effect
Artist: +2 to all craft checks
Bully: +2 to all intimidate checks
Coward: +2 to hide checks
Friendly: +2 to all diplomacy checks
Hero: +2 to all saves v-fear
Liar: +2 to all bluff checks
Meticulous: +2 to all search checks
Observant: +2 to all spot checks
Poised: +2 to all balance checks
Resolve: +2 to all saves v-charm/enchantment effects
Sage: +2 to any one knowledge skill. Once chosen, the affected skill cannot be changed.
Single-minded: +1 bonus to all initiative rolls, attack rolls and damage rolls in melee.
Sneak: +2 bonus to move quietly checks
Sympathetic: +2 bonus to all body language checks
Psion Level-psicrystal abilities: psicrystals have a base int of 6 +1/2 the psion level of owner and can speak all the languages the psion can.
1-2: Sighted (psion can see OR hear through the crystal if it is within 40’ of him or her. Darkness, even magical darkness, does not hinder the psion from seeing the crystal’s surroundings), Empathic link: the psion can feel what the psicrystal is emotionally feeling up to a mile distant from it.
3-4: telepathic link: the psion and crystal can mentally converse up to one mile distant
5-6: the psicrystal can grow spidery legs and run around at MR: 12 (6 I it is climbing up a vertical or across a horizontal surface, which it can do just fine). This costs the psion 1 pp for every hour this is maintained. The crystal is AC: 22 and has 10 hp’s with a hardness of 10. The legs vanish and must be re-manifested if the crystal takes even 1 point of damage the penetrates it’s hardness.
7-8: the psicrystal can telepathically speak with any creature within 60’ of it
9-10: nothing new
11-12: power resistance of the psion’s level +5
13-14: Sight Link: the psion can see and hear through the crystal to a distance of one mile
15-16: the psion can manifest powers through his or her psicrystal up to a distance of one mile
Psionic Item Crafting:
Just like wizards, psions can make items. They aren’t magical, and like all psionics, are not subject to alteration or annulment by arcane magic, though divine magicks can disrupt or negate them. And, just like wizards, psions have powers they must use to imbed powers and psionicly enhance weapons or armor. For potions, psions use alchemy as well, using their psioncraft skill instead of a Spellcraft to psionicly imbue a potion with powers. And, psions don’t make scrolls. They make Powergems.
A psion can, through a comparable but superior method taken by wizards, imbed a Masterwork gem of 1000 GP value, +1000 GP per level of power to be stored within it with a power they have access to. They pay the power point cost of the power and, thereafter, it is stored in the gem. All the psion then needs to do is will the power forth while holding the gem, and the power is used. There is no check involved, and a psion can imbed powers in properly prepared gems whenever s/he has the power and points to do so. There is no level required to do this, apart from what is needed to use the power in the first place. The only real drawback is that the psion cannot learn new powers from imbedded gems they find, and cannot even use the imbedded power if it is of a level they cannot manifest, be it due to having too low a level or too low a stat in the discipline the power is derived from. It takes one turn per power level to imbed a gem with a power. Destroying a gem that is imbedded with a power releases the power, for what it’s worth. It could be detrimental or harmless, perhaps even useful, depending on the power and who is breaking it. Gems may be re-used, but run a cumulative 1% chance per level of power being imbedded with every use beyond the first that the gem becomes flawed when the power is used from it, thus becoming useless for holding powers and dropping one step in value. Burned out gems have a smoky luster to them, and tend to be very brittle and, thus, are easily broken.
Psions being students and, eventually, masters of the mind, tend to do their most fearsome battling not in the physical world, but within the minds of other psionic foes.
At 1st level, a psion gets 5 Combat Modes, of which there are two types:
Attack Modes and Defense Modes. Each Attack Mode deals a certain amount of Stat damage to another psion’s stat. Each Defense Mode has strengths and weaknesses against the various attack modes, and some of the defense modes give the psion a Mental Hardness rating, which translates into how much Stat Damage the Defense Mode will absorb in any given round before the psion actually gets “hit” for stat damage.
Against non-psionic entities, Attack Modes cannot deal stat damage regardless of the stat they attack, but always stun a non-psionic creature for 1 round per point of stat damage they would have taken if they were psionicly capable. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th levels, the psion gains another Attack or Defense mode until, at 11th level, they have all 10.
There are 5 attack modes and 5 defense modes.
Attack Modes:
Mind Thrust: 1d2 Int dmg cost: 1pp
Ego Whip: 1d4 Dex dmg cost: 3 pp
Id insinuation: 1d2 str dmg and ignores Mental Hardness cost: 3 pp
Psychic Crush: 2d4 Wis dmg cost: 5 pp
Mind Blast: 1d4 Cha dmg in 60’ cone cost: 9 pp
Non-psionic creatures hit by a Mind Blast are stunned for 3d4 rounds rather than 1d4 if they fail a save v-death.
All beings, psionic or otherwise, receive a save v-death when hit by a psionic attack mode. Success on the saving throw negates the attack.
Defense Modes:
Empty Mind: MH:0 cost 1pp
Saves: +1 v-ego whip, -2 v-Id Insinuation, +3 v-Mind Blast, -3 v-Mind Thrust, & -5 v-Psychic Crush
Thought Shield: MH: 1 cost: 1pp
Saves: -4 v-Ego Whip, -1 v-Id Insinuation, -2 v-Mind Blast, +4 v-Mind Thrust, +2 v-Psychic Crush
Mental Barrier: MH: 2 cost: 3pp
Saves: -1 v-Ego Whip, +4 v-Id Insinuation, -3 v-Mind Blast, +1 v-Mind Thrust, +3 v-Psychic Crush
Intellect Fortress: MH: 3 cost: 5pp
Saves: -2 v-Ego Whip, +1 v-Id Insinuation, 0 v-Mind Blast, +6 v-Mind Thrust, +4 v-Psychic Crush
Tower of Iron Will: MH: 1 for all in 10’ radius Cost: 5pp
Saves: +3 v-Ego Whip, 0 v-Id Insinuation, -1 v-Mind Blast, +5 v-Mind Thrust, -3 v-Psychic Crush
All saving throw modifiers affect the psionic defender’s save versus death that s/he receives when attacked psionicly. If a psionic defender is attacked by multiple psionic attackers, they can raise one defense mode in response to each attack mode they are subject to, and must in fact do so if they want to defend against the psionic attacks.
Also, psionic combat takes place in the mind. Two dueling psions could be using attack and defense modes against each other while, at the same time, manifesting powers against each other.
In addition, psionic entities that are caught by surprise or are out of power points that are engaged in psionic combat cannot erect a defense mode, and further, receive a –8 penalty to their saves versus death against attack modes in the round that they are surprised or for as long as they are out of power points. Non-psionic creatures receive a +8 bonus to all saves versus Attack Modes except Mind Blast, which they receive a –4 to their save v-death against.
The range of all psionic attack modes is 25’ +5’ per psion level except for Mind Blast, which affects a 60’ cone spreading outward from wherever the psion is facing.
All ability damage dealt in psionic combat is temporary, with 1 point of a random stat returning for every turn of rest the character receives until all points are restored to normal. If a psionic creature is reduced to 0 in any stat as a result of psionic combat, they are rendered helpless and are treated as if they are out of power points for purposes of saving against further psionic attacks. Any further psionic attack that deals damage against the stat that has been reduced to 0 deals its damage to the psionic victim’s Constitution. If the victim’s Con is reduced to 0, the victim is slain and must be raised or resurrected. Essentially, being hammered to death in psionic combat can and does happen, although non-psions cannot be so slain. They can only be stunned, for their minds are far too tangled and “shut” for refined attack modes to do anything more.
Of course, for stunned characters, a knife to the throat or more practical manifested powers can do the trick just as nicely, if more crudely.
HP/level: 1d8
Bonus Proficiencies: Endurance, Psioncraft
Racial Restrictions: Elves cannot be psychic warriors except by extraordinary circumstances
Weapon proficiencies: 3 +1/3 levels
Non-weapon proficiencies: 2 +1/3 levels
Attacks/round at base proficiency: levels 1-6: 1 levels 7-12: 3/2 level 13: 2
Combining some of the better aspects of fighters with some of the useful aspects of Psions has given birth to this amalgamated breed of psionic entity. While not as formidable as a fighter of equal level, Psychic Warriors can attain Specialization in one weapon for every three levels they’ve attained, and can even gain Mastery in a single weapon at 10th level. They have a limited selection of psionic powers to choose from, and, compared to psions, have an even more limited reserve of powerpoints to draw from. Unlike psions, Psychic Warriors do not select a primary discipline. Rather, they simply gain powers as they advance in level, although they do get to select them from the prepared list of Psychic Warrior powers. Neither do Psychic Warriors receive bonus power points for exceptional scores in any area. However, this does little to stop them from being very admirable opponents, having access to some of the nicer features of the fighter class in that they can use any weapon and wear any armor, as well as use any shield, without fear of hindering their psionic manifestations. Being able to attain specialization and even Mastery (though with only a single weapon) also makes them combatants to be reckoned with, though their attack rolls are the same as a bards, priests or monks.
Psychic warriors, at 1st level, receive 2 psionic combat modes. At 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th level, they gain another combat mode of their choosing until they have 8 total. Only Psions can attain all ten, and though Psychic warriors are physically the superiors of Psions, few Psychic Warriors can hope to match a Psion of equal level in psychic combat without resorting to their physical side. Psions simply have too many power points for psychic warriors to really win out against, if it comes down to straight psychic combat, although a psychic warrior that has surprise on a psion (or catches the psion when s/he’s out of power points) can quickly maul them, either physically or psychically. The true strength of the psychic warrior is known when they put their psionic abilities and physical skill together. At their peak, psychic warriors can use up to 6th level powers, and though they don’t get too many of each level, those they can select are impressive. Their relatively high hit points also puts them in a very versatile position. They can duke it out in the front lines and then turn around, kicking back with the wizard or sorcerer to hurl a few powers here and there before charging back into the fray. Ultimately, what a psychic warrior is driven by is the search for perfect harmony between mind and body. They shun the views some Psions hold of the mind being the only true “tool”, and live this standard by training their minds as well as their bodies. They tend to realize that they aren’t the match of pure fighters when it comes to physical combat, or psions when it comes to psychic strength. However, they also realize that they, and only they, have both.