In my next campaign I want things to have a different feel to them, something beyond the normal fantasy game. I have been toying with different magic systems as part of that. I have no game play experience with psionics, but have Psionics Unleashed. What I don't want is something that will wind up being just the same old same old with different wording. What are your experiences with psionics and how it plays out in game?
Well it is not the same as normal magic, but it shares many of the same features in terms of what you have to watch out for: essentially, if your players can burn all their power points in one encounter, they will cakewalk it. If they are aware from the start that they have to husband their resources, things balance out rather nicely.
I'm running an on-line game here with psionics as the main 'magic' if you want to take a look.
To me, psionics feels more like innate abilities that one can use, even more so than, say, a sorcerer. One can use the abilities up until one runs out of "energy." You can have both physical abilities, mental abilities, or both.
That makes it feel very different from standard Pathfinder/D&D magic to me, and more like the abilities that show up in most fiction I've read/watched/listened to.
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Dreamscarred's psionics is a powerpoint system.
Be aware, psionics in an abstract game like PF is just another name for magic, there is no difference in 'feel' because eventually psionics gives you all of the magic spells with slightly different mechanics. You can fly, blast, charm, grow, shrink, armour yourself... it's a different mechanic, not a different fluff. The fluff is up to you. That may or may not suit your taste.
The fluff is up to you. That may or may not suit your taste.
This is an excellent point and one that we're striving to work on (reflavoring psionics).
To me, a point-based system makes far more thematic sense than a slot-based system.
I don't like spell slots. I understand that the system was designed with them (going all the way back to older editions), but I've never liked them.
I like the flexibility, scalability, and control that a point-based system gives. Which is the mechanical reason why I like psionics.
I like the flavor of psionics because I don't like flinging bat poo, or praying to a deity, or communing with nature, as the means of causing an effect, but tapping into an inner reservoir of power.
All the other trappings aside, that core flavor is why I like psionics - using the power of the mind to alter the world around you.
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I don't like flinging bat poo...
You can make anything sound terrible, if you word it a certain way. How about: I don't like resahping the primal nature of reality with a mere word and a gesture? Does that grab you?
My point is, you can flavour Vancian magic so that it is: "Using the power of the mind to alter the world around you."
You can also flavour the current psionics mechanics available from various 3pp so that they are: "I pray to my deity and X ability manifests."
Ultimately, there is no such thing as a psionics system or an arcane system or a divine system, there is Vancian Magic (CRB magic) and there is Power Point Magic (called psionics because of a hangover from 2e). The fluff can be ascribed equally to either system.
I wasn't disagreeing with you. :)
Indeed. However most fantasy novels have magic that seems to work more like D&D psionics than D&D magic.
I love the power point system. I wish the base classes had an alternate ruleset to use it. Like a magus using it, that'd be great.
Oh man Jeremy! I would just allow this at my table but perhaps A new Magus arcana should be put in the new books like broad study!
Edit: eh. maybe I rushed to that one. Broad study pretty much works just replace spellcasting with manifesting as usual. Don't need to take up space and such.
Double Edit: Also to the OP. Psionics is going to give you a very different feel from magic without much help from you. For starters it's purely Mental. No still spell, no silent spell, no arcane spell failure. Psions in Full Plate buddy, whole armys of them...SCARY! Also Psionics have a handy spell called psychic reformation. Feeling stupid after dumping all your last skill points into Profession(gardener) psychic reform the mother. Every town and city can have a shop for it. Your populace will be much more mentally aware with Psionics running wild. The village idiot may still be dumb as bricks, but even he might know about neurons. Take a good long peek at the psion spell list. Ignore the shield/blast/expansion stuff that you've seen before and check out all the things that can't be done with magic. That's where the fun is. Hmm that was a ramble. whoops! :?
Augments. These are the best part of the system. They keep lower level powers relevant all throughout the psion's career.
literally replace the words with each other and read as normal
Edit: for further clarification. If there is no difference between magic and psionics in your game world, like letting dispel/detect magic work for both systems, then Manifesting and Spellcasting should both mean the same thing. Some people play it that way (I do) which makes psionics sort of like the third spell type (Arcane,Divine,Psionic.) some like to keep psionics completely seperate. In this case Dispel Psionics and Dispel Magic do no interact at all. Thus, broad study would not be so easily used to make a psionic magus.
literally replace the words with each other and read as normal
Edit: for further clarification. If there is no difference between magic and psionics in your game world, like letting dispel/detect magic work for both systems, then Manifesting and Spellcasting should both mean the same thing. Some people play it that way (I do) which makes psionics sort of like the third spell type (Arcane,Divine,Psionic.) some like to keep psionics completely seperate. In this case Dispel Psionics and Dispel Magic do no interact at all. Thus, broad study would not be so easily used to make a psionic magus.
The assumed default is that they are the same and psionics is a third magic type - they even use Spellcraft rather than psicraft now.
Thanks Jeremy and all. I think I am just about sold on Psionics for the game.
The setting:
A thousand years ago the angels and demons went to war. In the intervening time races have died, the gods (and arch-devils) have gone silent, and magic has been fundamentally altered.
"Spells" are just templates for magic items, or ways of describing the innate abilities of some creatures. Essentially, it is a setting where magic is so advanced it looks like technology. Healing is done through a feat and Heal checks, magic items, of a limited sort, are crafted by skilled artisans with no casting powers. The only traditional "spell-casting" class allowed is the alchemist.
Psions will be very rare. Very. Rare enough that manifesting will be noteworthy, something that frightens people used to seeing imps patrol the skies. It will be a relatively new thing , representing the ability of mortal races to manipulate their own souls.
Sweet game world. The items remind me of Rune-plates from Iron Kingdoms. Those Books would be great for inspiration.