Skills & Powers Psionicist

This article originally appeared as part of the Sage Advice column in Dragon Magazine
#231, by Skip Williams.
Here's an unofficial method for building psionicists with character points, largely
based on some excellent suggestions from reader Emery Wilson:
A psionicist receives 35 character points to spend on class abilities. Abilities cost 5-15
points. Any unspent points can be saved to buy proficiencies or saved for use in the game.
All psionicists use the saving throw and MTHAC0 tables on page 149 of the Skills &
Powers book.
Psionicists use the THAC0 table on page 149 of the Skills & Powers book unless they
purchase better combat abilities during character creation.
All psionicists use the experience level table on page 154 of the Skills & Powers book.
Psionicists use the Psionic Progression table on page 154 Skills & Powers book unless
they purchase better psychic abilities during character creation.
Psionicist roll six-sided dice to determine hit points unless they purchase larger hit
dice.
Unless stated otherwise, a character can take each ability only once and only when
the character is first created.
Armor Use (5/10): The psionicist can employ small shields and padded, leather,
studded leather, or hide armor. As a 10-point ability the psionicist can use small or
medium shields, any of the armor types listed above, plus brigandine, chain mail, ring
mail, scale mail, or metal lamellar armor. If the psionicist does not take this ability, he can
wear no armor and cannot employ shields.
Attack Mode of Choice (10): The psionicist develops extra skill in using one
particular psionic attack mode and gains a +1 bonus to mental attack rolls when using that
attack mode. This ability is useless without the contact ability.
Combat Bonus (10): The psionicist uses the priest THAC0 chart.
Contact (5/10): The psionicist receives the contact proficiency and gains attack modes
as shown on the Psionic Progression table in the Skills & Powers book. As a 10-point
ability, the psionicist receives extra attack modes as though he were two levels higher than
his actual level. For example, a 1st-level psionicist would receives two attack modes. The
character can never have more than five attack modes. If the psionicist does not take this
power, he can purchase the contact proficiency any time he has five character points
available.
Followers (5/10): The psionicist become a contemplative master at 9th level. A
1st-level psionicist arrives each month to study with the master. Students serve without
pay if they receive at least 10 hours of training each week (they leave to seek new masters
if they do not receive sufficient training). The maximum number of students the master
attracts is equal to one half the masters Charisma score, rounded down. If the master
builds a sanctuary, he can attract a number of students equal to his Charisma score. As a
10-point ability, the psionicist becomes a renowned teacher and can attract students at any
level, subject to the limits noted above. If the psionicist does not choose this ability, he
never attracts followers, but can hire servants and henchmen for pay just as any other
character can.
Guarded Mind (5/10): The psionicist can block or resist attempts to usurp his will
and gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws against spells from the enchantment/charm
school. As a 10-point ability, the psionicist gains a +2 bonus to all saving throws against
spells from the enchantment/charm school.
Hit Point Bonus (10): Psionicists with this ability roll eight-sided dice for hit points
rather than six-sided dice. The psionicist still gains only two extra hit points per level at
10th level and beyond.
Mental Defense (5/10): The psionicist can close his mind to psychic contact and gains
defense modes as shown on the Psionic progression table in the Skills & Powers book. As a
10-point ability, the psionicist receives extra defense modes as though he was two levels
higher than his actual level. For example, a 1st-level psionicist receives two defense
modes. The character can never have more than five defense modes. If the psionicist does
not take this power, he has an open mind, just as if he were a non-psionic character. If the
psionicist does not choose this ability at the beginning of play, he can purchase the
five-point version whenever he has five character points to spend. The 10-point version is
available only at the beginning of play. The character gains the mental armor proficiency
for free with the purchase of this ability.
Penetrating Mind (10): The psionicist can penetrate physical barriers with his mind
more readily than other psionicists can. It takes two inches of lead or iron, four inches of
obsidian, or two feet of rock to block the psionicists clairsentient and telepathic powers.
Note that most psionic powers require line of sight; this ability does not negate a blocked
line of sight (see Skills & Powers, page 150). This ability has no effect on psionic combat
and does not allow the psionicist to ignore magical or psychic barriers that block psionic
powers.
PSP bonus (10): The psionicist has a potent mind and rolls eight-sided dice for
psionic strength points instead of six-sided dice. The psionicist still gains only three extra
PSPs plus his Wisdom bonus per level at 10th level and beyond.
Psychic Adept (10): The psionicist receives extra powers according to the table below
instead of the Psionic Progression table in the Skills & Powers book. The two disciplines
the psionicist chooses at first level count as primary disciplines (see Skills & Powers, page
154).

Psychic Adept Power Progression

Exp. Total Total Total
Level Disciplines Sciences Devotions
1 2 2 4
2 3 2 6
3 3 3 8
4 3 3 10
5 3 4 11
6 4 4 12
7 4 5 13
8 4 5 14
9 4 6 15
10 5 6 16
11 5 7 17
12 5 7 18
13 5 8 19
14 5 8 20
15 5 9 21
16 5 9 22
17 5 10 23
18 5 10 24
19 5 11 25
20 5 11 26

Range Boost (5/10): The ranges of all powers within the psionicists primary discipline
increase by 25%. If the psionicist is a psychic adept, he has two primary disciplines. At
base cost (5), the ranges of only one disciplines powers increase. For a cost of 10 character
points, the ranges of powers for both disciplines increase. All powers with ranges of 0, self,
or touch remain unaffected by this ability.
Warrior Hit Point Bonus (5): The psionicist gains bonus hit points from a high
Constitution score as if he were a warrior.
Weapon Specialization (15): The psionicist can specialize in the use of a particular
weapon. This ability is useless unless the character also chooses the weapon use ability
(below), even if the psionicist specializes in a martial art or nonlethal combat. The
character-point cost for gaining proficiency and specialization in the weapon must be met
when the character chooses weapon proficiencies.
Weapon Use (5/10): The psionicist can employ the following small weapons: hand
crossbow, dagger, dart, dirk, knife, scourge, sickle, and short sword. As a 10-point ability
the psionicist can use any of the weapons above, plus the following slightly larger
weapons: short bow, club, light crossbow, hand/throwing axe, javelin, quarterstaff, sling,
spear, and war club. If the psionicist does not take this ability, he can employ no weapons
at all, relying instead on his mental powers in combat.
Psionics and subabilities: If the rules for subabilities are in play, then
Constitution/Fitness, Intelligence/Reason, and Wisdom/Intuition determine a psionicists
PSP total. Wild talent checks use the same set of scores.
Wisdom/Willpower determines a characters base MAC, and Intelligence/ Reason
determines a characters MAC modifier.
Buying Wild Talents: A character can purchase a wild talent as a trait for 9 character
points. The character need not make a wild talent check, but must roll randomly to
determine what the wild talent is (see Skills & Powers, page 156). Note that a character
could make a normal wild talent check and use a character point to reroll if the check fails.
Weapon Proficiencies: Once the psionicist has purchased class abilities he receives 6
character points for weapon proficiencies. The psionicist can spend these points as
designated in Table 1.
Nonweapon proficiencies: Once the psionicist has purchased class abilities and
weapon proficiencies he receives 6 character points for nonweapon proficiencies. The
psionicist can choose proficiencies from the general and psionicist groups. Refer to the
Skills & Powers book, Chapter 6, and to the table below.

Additional psionicist nonweapon proficiencies

Proficiency Cost* Initial Rating Relevant Ability
Contact** 5 N/A Wisdom/Intuition
Mental Armor** 3 N/A Wisdom/Willpower
Psionicist Group
Gem Cutting 3 6 Dexterity/Aim
Harness Subconscious** 6 7 Wisdom/Willpower
Meditative Focus** 5 8 Wisdom/Intuition
Musical Instrument 2 7 Charisma/Leadership
Reading/Writing 2 8 Intelligence/Knowledge
Rejuvenation** 3 6 Wisdom/Willpower

* Cost in character points

** Proficiency described in Chapter 9 of the Skills & Powers book.