|
I am planning to run this AP in a few months, after my current campaign winds up. A couple of the players are interested in using the Psionics Unleashed book.
How would Psionics fit into Ustalav? I'm fairly certain the players want to be from Ustalav, not some far-off region of Xian Tia.
Also, what would the power level be like if I include this book? Would they me more powerful than other PCs, or would they be disadvantaged for not having psionic-related gear that traditional classes would have.
I haven't looked at the book yet, but I'm not particularly good at seeing what is over-powered. (in the current game I allowed the monk to take Belial's Bite (from Cheliax book - bleeding attacks) at a very low level - to my regret - at 10th level it's finally evening out, power-wise)
Any advice, suggestions, or constructive comments are much appreciated.
Just some quick thoughts:
- The plot hook for Carrion Crown suggests that the PCs not be locals from the area. They can still come from Ustalav if you want, but it's kindof encouraged for them to come from far-away places.
- "psionics" is very close to "psychic phenomina" which is something in-theme for gothic horror and especially Lovecraft. Assuming you alter the window dressing a little bit (less floating crystals, more ouija boards), I think it would work great.
- However, I caution GMs against allowing PCs to use anything that they themselves are not very familiar with: therein lies the portal to abuse. So if you don't know and love psionics yourself, don't let your PCs do it.
|
For fitting Psychic Powers into Gothic Horror, take a leaf out of stephen king's massive mountain of books. make psychic powers less Jedi, more Shining.
I'd also advise trying to get only One person to be mr psychic man, and to pick something suitably on-theme, like Telepathy or Pyrokinesis or Clairvoyance, not wacky sci-fi s+@$ like psychometabolism.
This requires steering your players a little more than they'd probably like, though. But at a certain point, if you're running a themed game like this, you have to put your foot down. Assassin's Creed notwithstanding, you cannot play a Ninja in a game of political intrigue set in 15th-century Venice.
There are tons of great character concepts that are normally out-of-place, but fit perfectly into this AP (occultist, Van Helsing, ghost-hunter, Ashley Williams), it would be a shame to waste the opportunity and play "I run up walls and turn my arms into swords and shoot ice with my brain" characters.
As to origins, the hook is that all the PCs met a traveling evil-fighting wizard that went around investigating weird s#$$ and righting wrongs. So they can be from all over, a ragtag bunch of specialists and contacts and unlucky suckers, like constables that got roped into helping with a vampire hunt.
Part of the fun would be for urbane, well-traveled PCs to scoff at these backwater peasants and their quaint ways, but be horribly out of their element when bad stuff starts happening, so having someone be from Cheliax or Katapesh is on-theme.
|
|
One person was thinking a Varisian psionic/harrower, to play it very mystical-like. He already self-eliminated some of the stranger ones, looking at ones that seem somewhat thematically appropriate.
They don't want to be from far away. They want their characters to be suitable to the setting. Most of my players for this campaign are very good RPGers. Only one is a particular optimizer, and he isn't expressing an interest in psionics.
I'm thinking that psionics would be more accepted in Ustalav than arcane magics (though less than divine).
Also, I did play a psionic wilder for a short time & loved it, back in 3.5. I always liked the idea of surging their power. I was fairly new to the game, though, so didn't look into the other classes much.
Thanks for the tips so far!
I'm wincing at the typos in my first post.
|
|
One person was thinking a Varisian psionic/harrower, to play it very mystical-like. He already self-eliminated some of the stranger ones, looking at ones that seem somewhat thematically appropriate.
They don't want to be from far away. They want their characters to be suitable to the setting. Most of my players for this campaign are very good RPGers. Only one is a particular optimizer, and he isn't expressing an interest in psionics.
I'm thinking that psionics would be more accepted in Ustalav than arcane magics (though less than divine).
Also, I did play a psionic wilder for a short time & loved it, back in 3.5. I always liked the idea of surging their power. I was fairly new to the game, though, so didn't look into the other classes much.
Thanks for the tips so far!
I'm wincing at the typos in my first post.
No prob.
Also, to be "cannonical," psionics is pretty much an unknown quantity in the inner sea among joe schmoe. Anyone who uses psionics will likely be considered a odd wizard by the average peasant, and only someone who knows a little about magic will see how different they are.