Riddle of Steel Psions

[Sir Mathodius Black]

Hey all,

Ive finally gotten back after  3 months and i was just wondering what you guys thought about psionics in ROS and how they might work.

Thanks,
SMB

[Brian Leybourne]

I suspect you'll get better/more responses if you start the ball rolling yourself.

Throw out a few ideas as to how you see Psionics working, and ask for feedback and additions. That'll kick up a discussion easier than an open call.

(oh, and welcome back)

Brian.

[MonkeyWrench]

I always figured you could do psionics just like sorcery. Call it something different, maybe change Aging to something else, and perhaps tweak some of the vagaries. For the most part the spell-less system lends itself to psionics very well.

[Spartan]

For starters, I see Psionics as being very discrete powers, without the flexibility of magic.  A person who can see at a distance can't then see into the past, IMO.  Psionics to me are like unique spells.

So I guess we should list a bunch of "classic" psionic powers and then find a nice way to model them.  Perhaps they are like skills, and the invoker accrues fatigue a la HârnMaster.

So we have (say)

Telekinesis:  Character can move up to WP pounds from up to WP yards away at one yard per second.

Perhaps the character has a "Psi" stat that is used to roll.  Each use of a power invokes fatigue which penalizes the stat by X dice.  Once you're out of dice, you can no longer use power until you've recovered.  Botch a power use and you pass out.

How's that for starters?

-Mark

[contracycle]

Hmm.  I'm inclined to ask, what is the cause, and what the effect?

Do you wan't Psionics to be the underlyig Kewl Powers McGuffin?
Or do you want specific spell-like powers for some reason?

I don't see a necessary relationship between the two.  Which of these angles is it that you are interested in?

(I will say though, that I came to really had the AD&D2 approach to having psionics and magic in the same world.  Too rich for my blood.  I'd do one or the other.)

[Lxndr]

Perhaps psionics are skills that can only be learned by, say, a "D" priority human?

[Spartan]

Perhaps psionics are skills that can only be learned by, say, a "D" priority human?

Yeah, I was thinking either that or "C".

I think Psionics should be less flexible and less powerful than proper magic.  Most psionic type characters in movies have a pretty limited set of skills... some have pyrokinesis, or telekinesis, but not both (usually).  There are empaths (Deanna Troi, frex), and then there are those with more invasive talents (theses aren't the droids you're looking for).  Not that Star Wars is the best example, but anyway, you get the idea.  Very few Psionic characters can shoot lightning from their fingertips like the Emperor, to continue with SW.

A lot of psionic talents seem to be those that could be accomplished by other (usually simple) means... instead of picking an object up, one uses telekinesis.  Instead of rubbing two sticks to get a fire, there's pyrokinesis.  Instead of using truth serum (or even just good questions) to get information from someone's mind, one reads it directly.  If it starts to get much more overt than that, it becomes magic, in my opinion.  Psions don't throw fireballs around, fly, or disintigrate their enemies, or create things out of nothing.  But that's just my take on it.

-Mark

[Lxndr]

Go with the "rule of threes."

Priority D, they have one "type" of psionics (one skill?  one group of skills?)

Priority C, they have THREE "types" of psionics

Priority B, they've broken through "psionics" and reached "true" sorcery...

[Sir Mathodius Black]

I was thinking of psionics more along the lines of how DND 3rd edition has it, which i am fond of.  i am not looking for an alternate to sorcerers, however.  

As far as mechanics go, i was thinking priority B or C, and possibly just switching around some of the vagaries.  THere might also be a set of derrived attributes for psions, although in not sure what that would be.  
Some derrived attributes might possibly one that determines how deep inot his mind the psion can go for power, his discipline in retaining that power, perhaps a derrived attribute that peasures his control of his powers or perhaps his resistance agains them taking over him.  

The idea i have in my mind for an archetype psion is a highly introspective person mainly focused on knowledge of himself and his own mind.  powers might include telekenesis, clairvoiance, seeing, controling others.  One possibility is that we could just narrow down the three mental vagaries, summoning, and movement and simply use those.  

Instead of aging, im thinking we could use a system of "sanity", in that is a psion uses his powers to often and recklessley, he will eventually sink into instanity.  Im just brainstorming here so keep the ideas coming.

Thanks,
SMB

[Richard_Strey]

I'm a friend of keeping things simple. We have a wonderful -and, most importantly, unique- sorcery system on our hands here. Why not use it? I would probably allow "adepts" to be played. Sorcerers that are limited to one aspect of magics, psionics being one of them. Drop the priority by one and you're set. Maybe have them age in a way that fits their "school", so psionicists would age only mentally. Or something. Haven't given this much thought yet.

[Dan Sellars]

This is probably going to be stupid comment of the day but,

Isn't psionics just a SciFi term for magical powers?  And isn't TROS historical fantasy?  

(when I here psionics I can't help but think of Scifi men dressed in black suits using 'mind powers')  The abilities attributed to psionics seem to be low level magical abilities and thus covered by the rules already.

Dan.

[Spartan]

Isn't psionics just a SciFi term for magical powers?  And isn't TROS historical fantasy?

Yes on both counts.

Psionics may not be different from magic for the most part, but some game settings blur the lines between sci-fi and fantasy.  I run a TROS campaign set in Hârn, and that setting includes both magic and psionics, although psionics are kind of presented as optional.

So even though some magic and psionics may be similar in game effects, the flavour they have is different.  In a setting that has both, it's helpful to delineate psionics in a way that it doesn't "feel" like magic.

Not that I've been having too many good ideas about how to do that yet. ;)

-Mark

[Sir Mathodius Black]

I like the idea of dropping the priority by one and maybe giving them a few "psionic" related vagaries, perhaps the three mental ones, movement, and an alternate of summoning that is withing the mind instead of the spiritual realm.  

For me, as far as psionics and sci-fi go, i would not say that psionics are downgraded magic of sci-versions of it.  Magic is not somehting of the mind, it is a combination of mind, spirit and body.  Psionics, on the other hand, are simply the power of the mind  Psionics are also good for a lower fantasy setting because its is not as dramatic as magic and is more "within the realm of possibility" (not that i am a believer in psionics but it is less far fetched than summoning demons and spirits for the other world...)

SMB