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 All that is comes Jrom the mind; it is based on the mind, it is fashioned by the mind.
— The Pali Canon

CREDITS

Design: Steve Winter, with monster updates by Blake Mobley

Editing: Andria Hayday

Black and white illustrations: Terry Dykstra

Chapter illustrations: Dee Barnett
Color photography (used with permission):
page by Lightscapes, ®The Stock Market
1

page 9 by Ken Cooper, ®The Image Bank

pages 45 and 77 by Steven Hunt, ®The Image Bank

Graphic design: Stephanie Tabat

Typography: Gaye O'Keefe
Production: Dee Barnett, Sarah Feggestad

Playtest coordination and liberal advice: Jon Pickens

Playtesters:
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Copyright ^1991, TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sixth printing: October 1994

ISBN 1-56076-054-0 2117

Player's Handbook Rules Supplement

The
Complete
Psionics
Handbook

by Steve Winter
 .
.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6 Wild Talents 19

What's Changed? 6 Determining Powers 20
How Does This Strength Points 20
Fit My Campaign? 6 The Risks 20
Is Psionics Magical? 7

Chapter Two:
Psionic Combat 22
Chapter One: Using Powers 22
The Psionicist ..8 Power Checks 22
Requirements ..8 Psychic Contests 22
Ability Requirements ..8 Psychic Lock 24
Prime Requisites .... ..8 The Combat Round 24
Racial Restrictions . ..8 Telepathic Combat 25
Multi-class Characters ..8 Attack Modes 25
Dual-class Characters ..8 Defense Modes 25
Racial Level Limits ..8 Attack Modifiers 26
Alignment .10 Tangents 26
Other Qualifications .10 Other Considerations 27
Initial Funds .10 Line of Sight 27
A Psionics Primer .10 Touch Attacks 27
Psionic Strength Points .10 Combat Cards 27
Power Scores .11
Power Checks .11 Sidebar:
Advancement .11 Understanding Power Descriptions .28
Gaining Disciplines .12
Gaining Sciences and Devotions . .12 Chapter Three:
Advancing Mid-adventure .12 Clairsentience . .28
Raising Psionic Power Scores .13
Clairsentient Sciences 28
Psionic Strength Points .13 Clairsentient Devotions 33
Gaining Psionic Strength Points. . .13
Recovering Psionic Strength Points .13
Defense Modes , .14
Special Abilities .14
Maintaining Powers .14 Chapter Four:
THACO and Saving Throws .14 Psychokinesis 38
Followers .14 Psychokinetic Sciences 38
Restrictions .15 Psychokinetic Devotions 42
Weapons .15
Armor .15
Proficiencies .16
The Psionicist Group .18

4 • Table of Contents
 Chapter Five: Monsters 114
Psychometabolism 50
Baku 114
Psychometabolic Sciences 50 Brain Mole 115
Psychometabolic Devotions 53 Cerebral Parasites 116
Intellect Devourer, adult 117
Intellect Devourer, larva (ustilagor) 118
Shedu 119
Su-Monster 120
Chapter Six:
Thought Eater 121
Psychoportation 64
Vagabond 122
Psychoportive Sciences 64
Psychoportive Devotions 68
Appendices 123
MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM® Update 123
Summary of Psionic Powers 125
Powers Index 128
Chapter Seven:
Telepathy 74
Tables
Telepathic Sciences 74
Telepathic Devotions 79 1: Racial Level Limits 10
2: Experience Levels 11
3: Individual Class Awards 12
4: Psionic Power Progression 12
5: Inherent Potential 13
Chapter Eight: 6: Psionic Strength Recovery 14
Metapsionics 93 7: Calculated THACOs 15
Metapsionic Sciences 93 8: Saving Throws 15
Metapsionic Devotions 97 9: Armor Penalties 16
10: Proficiency Slots 16
11: Nonweapon Proficiencies 18
12: Wild Devotions 20
13: Wild Sciences 21
Chapter Nine:
14: Attack vs. Defense Modes 26
A Psionics Campaign 106
Look What I Got! 106
Burn Him! 106
TSR's Campaign Worlds 108
Psionics and Magic 109
Monsters, Villains, and other NPCs Ill
Living Psionics Ill
Knights of the Floating Table 112
Related Reading 113

Table of Contents • 5
 —

Introduction

"What do you think I am, a mind reader?"
As a matter of fact, you might be, if you're
an AD&D®game character with the right
you need is brainpower, discipline,
stuff. All
and The Complete Psionics Handbook.
Psionics — the practice of extraordinary psy-
chic —
powers was included in the original
AD&D game. Some players favored psionic
powers; others found them confusing. Psi-
onics was not included in the AD&D 2nd Edi-
tion game.
Now psionics is back by popular demand,
and it's better than ever. Powers this great may
not be for everyone, so psionics is a com-
pletely optional addition to the AD&D 2nd
Edition rules. But if you're ready to put mind
—
over matter to test the limits of inner space
then this book is for you.
The Complete Psionics Handbook is not a
reprint of the old psionics rules; it's a complete
revision. If you remember the original
rules, you'll find much that seems familiar
here. Beware: old words may have new mean-
ing. We've kept a lot of the terminology, but
changed the definitions. Read this book care-
fully before you assume an old rule still applies
or jump to conclusions about what certain
powers can or cannot do.
What's Changed?
This book contains five major revisions to
the original AD&D psionics rules:
1) The is a character class. Char-
psionicist
acters cannot pick up a psionic power here and
there just because they have a superior brain.
Psionicists are extraordinary characters who
develop their powers through arduous train-
slowly, at a rate somewhere between the
fighter and mage. At low levels, however, the
psionicist has the potential to be powerful.
2) The list of psionic powers is greatly ex-
panded. Original rules included a menu of 50
powers. This book has over 150.
3) Psionic powers are organized differently.
All psionic powers are grouped into six disci-
plines: clairsentience (expanded senses), psy-
chokinesis (moving matter through space),
psychometabolism (altering the body), psy-
choportation (psionic travel), telepathy
(mind-to-mind contact), and metapsionics (an
advanced discipline). Within each discipline
are major powers, called "sciences," and minor
powers, called "devotions." Characters can
only learn powers from the disciplines they
have access to. At 1st level, a character has ac-
cess to only one discipline, but with experience
he gains access to more.
AD&D 4) Psionicpowers are treated much like pro-
powers do not work auto-
ficiencies. Psionic
matically. A power is essentially a skill, and
using it properly requires a power check.
5) Psionic strength points are not divided
into attack, defense, and generic batches. All
of a character's psionic strength points come
from a single pool.
Numerous other changes, both major and
minor, have been made. To avoid confusion,
players are urged to read this book carefully.
How Does This Fit My Campaign?
There's no reason why adding psionics to an
existing campaign should disrupt anything. As
a class, psionicists are no more or less power-
ful than any other. Guidelines on how to intro-

ing. (While members of other classes may oc- duce psionics without trauma are given in
casionally boast a psionic power or two, such Chapter 9.
characters are mere shadows of true psioni- Remember, everything in this book is op-
cists.) An NPC psionicist has the potential to tional; none of it is part of the core of the

stand his own against any other class. As a PC AD&D game. If something in here doesn't suit
in a team of adventurers, the psionicist will a particular campaign, rule it out.
complement other classes well. Most of the
psionicists powers are unique. He advances

6 • Introduction
Is Psionics Magical?

Many people assume that psionics is just an- do, seems nonsensical to a psionicist; they
other type of magic. The AD&D®
game al- cannot be separated. The body produces en-
ready has two types of magic one wielded by— ergy and vitality, the mind gives it shape and
wizards and the other by clerics. So it is not reality.
unreasonable to ask, "Does the game need a Neither does the psionicist study or pray for
third type of magic?" hispowers. He carries them with him wherever
The answer is no, the game probably does he goes. As long as his mind and body are
not need a third kind of magic. But the ques- rested —i.e., as long as he has not depleted his

tion is misinformed because psionics is not —

psionic strength his powers are available to
magic. Magic is the ability to shape, control, him.
harness, and utilize natural forces
game world and sur-
that infuse the
round the characters. It is based on
the principle that, through the use
of words, gestures,and catalyzing
materials of unique power, these
external energies can be controlled.
The key element of that state-
ment is external energy. Magical ef-
fects are produced externally by
manipulating outside forces. The
power does not come from inside
the wizard or priest but from some-
where else.
Psionics is the complete opposite
of this. The psionicist shapes, con-
trols, harnesses, and utilizes natu-
ral forces that infuse his own being.
His effort is focused inward rather
than outward. He must be com-
pletely in touch with and aware of
even the tiniest workings of his
body and mind.
This type of knowledge comes
from long and intense meditation
coupled with physical extremes.
The psionicist finds enlightenment
in both complete exhaustion and
complete relaxation, in both pain
and pleasure. The mind and body
are only parts of a much greater
unity. Indeed, discussing one with-
out the other, as so many people Animate Shadow: A watchman confronts his dark side.

Introduction • 7
 CHAPTER

The Psionicist

More than a character of any other class, the
psionicist is self-contained. Unlike the fighter
and thief, he needs no weapons or tools to
practice his art. Unlike the priest, he needs
deity. Unlike the wizard, he relies on no out-
side energies. His power comes from within,
and he alone gives it shape.
The psionicist strives to unite every aspect
of his self into a single, powerful whole. He
looks inward to the essence of his own being,
and gains control of his subconscious.
Through extraordinary discipline, contempla-
tion, and self-awareness, he unlocks the full
potential of his mind.
gence) are indeed crucial to this class.
However, the essence of psionic ability is the
understanding and mastery of the inner self.
no Although psionic powers are centered in the
mind, acquiring and controlling those powers
demands physical fitness. Meditative study
places tremendous physical strain on the
psionicist, not to mention the sheer drain of
projecting psychic energy out of one's body.
The psionicist need not be muscular, or even
exceptionally strong, but he must maintain his
health and fitness at a high level to fully exer-
cise his powers. That's why Constitution is
also a prime requisite for psionicists.
Racial Restrictions: Humans, halflings,

Requirements dwarves, and gnomes often have a high degree

of psionic talent. Elves and half-elves also ex-

This section describes the requirements all hibit some natural psionic ability, but they are
characters must meet to become a psionicist, unable to pursue it to high levels.

including restrictions based on ability scores, Multi-class Characters: As usual, only demi-
race,and alignment. The DM
may waive these humans can be multi-class characters. Half-

requirements in special circumstances, but lingsand dwarves can combine psionics with
players shouldn't count on it. shown below. Gnomes, elves,
other classes as
and half-elves cannot be multi-class psioni-
Ability cists; characters of these races develop their
Requirements: Constitution 11 psionic powers at the expense of all others.

Intelligence 12
Wisdom 15 Multi-class Multi-class
Prime Requisites: Constitution, Halflings: Dwarves:
Wisdom fighter /psionicist fighter /psionicist

Races Allowed: human, halfling, dwarf, thief/psionicist thief/psionicist

gnome, elf, half-elf

Dual-class Characters: Humans can be dual-
Ability Requirements: To be eligible for the class psionicists within the normal rules and
psionicist class, characters must have ability restrictions for dual-class characters. (See
scores equal to or greater than those listed "Multi-class and Dual-class Characters" in
above for Constitution, Intelligence, and Wis- Chapter 3 of the Player's Handbook.)
dom. Racial Level Limits: Humans can reach the
Prime Requisites: The pursuit of psionics re- highest possible experience level as psionicists.
quires strict mental and physical discipline, so Characters of other races have limits, as
the psionicist has two prime requisites: Wis- shown on Table 1. Because of their experience
dom and Constitution. limitations, half-elf and elf psionicists are best
—
Wisdom the measure of enlightenment suited as NPCs. Players who don't mind this
—
and willpower is the psionicist's primary "diminished potential" may still play such
mental characteristic, not Intelligence. Rea- characters, however. (The DM may amend
soning and memory (two hallmarks of Intelli- these level restrictions for characters with ex-

8 • Chapter One
l£ 1\
 —

ceptionally high Wisdom and Constitution Initial Funds

scores; see the optional rule under "Exceeding
Level Limits" in Chapter 2 of the DUNGEON When psionicist characters begin play, they
MASTER® Guide.) have 3d4xl0 gold pieces. As usual, skill and
luck will determine what they make of it.
Table 1:
PSIONICIST RACIAL LEVEL LIMITS
A Psionics Primer
Halflings 10
All psionic powers belong to one of six dis-
Gnomes 9
ciplines: clairsentience, psychokinesis, psy-
Dwarves 8
chometabolism, psychoportation, telepathy,
Half-elves 7
and metapsionics. Within each discipline are
Elves 7
major powers, called sciences, and minor
powers, called devotions.
Alignment: Psionicists have only one align-
• Clairsentient powers allow characters to
ment restriction: they cannot be chaotic. Dis-
gain knowledge that is beyond the normal ca-
cipline is the foundation of all psionic power.
pacity of human senses. For example, some
A character whose creed is chaos cannot clairsentients can see and hear events that are
achieve the level of self-control that psioni-
miles distant, while others can sense poison.
cists require.
• Psychokinetic powers move objects
This restriction applies to a character who
becomes chaotic for any reason. Such a char-
—
from molecules to missiles across space. A
psychokineticist can throw a rock without
acter will quickly lose his psionic powers. Eve-
touching it, or agitate molecules in a piece of
ry day in which his alignment is chaotic, the
paper until it bursts into flame.
character must make an ability check against
• Psychometabolic powers affect the body.
one-half of his Wisdom score, rounded down.
Biofeedback, healing, and shape-changing are
Each time he fails one of these Wisdom
just a few of the powers known.
checks, the character loses access to one of his
•Psychoportive powers move characters
disciplines, selected randomly by the
or creatures from one location to another
Dungeon Master. Furthermore, a chaotic
without crossing space. The traveler simply
character cannot recover psionic strength
ceases to exist in one location, and begins to
points. (Disciplines and psionic strength
exist somewhere else. He may even travel to
points are explained below.) If the character's
another plane of existence or to another time.
—
alignment returns to normal or even to an-
• Telepathic powers involve direct contact
other, nonchaotic alignment —
he can recover
between two or more minds. Examples in-
his disciplines,one per day, by successfully
clude mind reading, personality swapping,
making the same halved Wisdom check.
and psychic attacks.
Other Qualifications: If a character meets
• Metapsionic powers amplify, augment,
all the requirements above, and the player
or enhance other psionic abilities. This is an
wants to play a psionicist, the PC is assumed
advanced, demanding discipline.
to exhibit psionic potential. Nothing else is re-
Psionic Strength Points: Characters use psi-
quired.
onic powers much like proficiencies, with a
few significant differences. Every time a
psionicist uses a psionic devotion or science,
he must pay its "cost." This cost is deducted

10 • Chapter One
 1

from the character's total psionic strength sult. A "1" means the power works — but often
points, or PSPs. PSPs are similar to hit points, with a quirk or drawback. See the individual
except that the psionicist spends them willing- power descriptions for specifics.
ly, and he can recover them much faster than Players may use the optional "skill score"
lost hit points. (Psionic strength points are ex- rule for psionic powers, too. If the die roll for
plained more fully in a section below.) the power check equals the character's power
Power Scores: Like a proficiency, every psi- score, special results occur. Chapters 3
onic power that a character knows has a through 8 provide the details.
score. In other words, a psionic power score
represents the character's aptitude in using Advancement
that particular power. Power scores are de-
vised exactly like proficiency scores. Every Experience Levels and Awards: A
psionicist
psionic power is associated with one of the earns experience points and advances in level
character's basic attributes (Strength, Wis- just as members of other classes do. Table 2
dom, etc.). The psionic power score equals the outlines a psionicist's advancement.
character's score for that attribute, plus or mi- The DUNGEON MASTER® Guide includes
nus a specific amount. For example, a psionic an optional rule for individual experience
power with a score of "Intelligence - 3" has a awards. (See DMG Chapter 8.) Table 3 ex-
score three less than the character's Intelli- pands that rule to include psionicists.
gence.
Power Checks: When a character wants to Table 2: PSIONICIST EXPERIENCE LEVELS
use a psionic power, the player makes a psi-
onic power check by rolling ld20. If the num- Psionicist Experience Hit
ber rolled is equal to or less than the power Level Points Dice (d6)
score, the character succeeds. (In other words, 1 1
he does what he intended.) The player sub- 2 2,200 2
tracts the cost of the power from his charac- 3 4,400 3
ter's total pool of psionic strength points. 4 8,800 4
If the roll exceeds the psionic power score, it 5 16,500 5
means the character tried to use his power, but 6 30,000 6
failed. Failure has a price. The player must 7 55,000 7
subtract half the cost of the power, rounded 8 100,000 8
up, from the character's psionic strength 9 200,000 9
points. In most cases, the psionicist can try to 10 400,000 9+2
use the same power again immediately (in the 11 600,000 9 +4
next round). For exceptions, see the individual 12 800,000 9 +6
power descriptions in this book. 13 1,000,000 9+8
Like a proficiency check, a psionic power 14 1,200,000 9 + 10
check yields specific results on a die roll of 20 15 1,500,000 9 + 12
or 1. A "20" always indicates failure. A "1" al- 16 1,800,000 9 + 14
ways indicates a minimum level of success, re- 17 2,100,000 9 + 16
gardless of the character's power score. In 18 2,400,000 9 + 18
other words, even if a character's score has 19 2,700,000 9 + 20
been reduced to a negative number by penal- 20 3,000,000 9 + 22
ties, a roll of "1" still succeeds. That doesn't
mean a "1" (or any low number) is the best re-

The Psionicist • 1
Table 3: INDIVIDUAL CLASS AWARDS Gaining Sciences and Devotions: Every
new, first-level psionicist knows four powers
Psionic power used to within a single discipline: one science (major
overcome foe or problem 10 XP/PSP power) and three devotions (minor powers).
Psionic power used to With each new experience level, a psionicist
avoid combat 15 XP/PSP gains new powers. Sometimes he gains both
Defeat psionic opponent 100 XP/level sciences and devotions; at other times, only
or hit dice devotions. (See Table 4.)
Create psionic item 500 XP x level A player can select new powers for his charac-
ter as soon as the psionicist reaches a new experi-
Gaining Disciplines: Every psionic power ence level. These new powers can be chosen
belongs to one of the six disciplines listed pre- from any discipline the character can access, in-
viously. Before a character can learn a psionic cluding a discipline that was just gained.
power, he must have access to the appropriate Note: If the optional training rule is in play,
discipline. Psionic characters begin play with characters must train with a mentor until they
access to only one discipline. As they progress reach 7th level. To find the training time in
to new experience levels, they gain access to weeks, subtract the mentor's Wisdom score
additional disciplines. Table 4 shows how from 21. Beyond 7th level, psionicists can train
many disciplines a character has access to at themselves if they pass the necessary checks to
each experience level. qualify as instructors. The training time for a
is doubled.
psionicist instructing himself
Table 4: PSIONIC POWER PROGRESSION Players must follow two simple rules when
choosing new powers for their characters:
Exp. Total Total Total Def. • Within a single discipline, the number of de-
Level Discipl. Sciences Devotions Modes votions that a character knows must be at
1 1 1 3 1 least twice the number of sciences.
2 2 1 5 1 • The first discipline chosen
is the character's

3 2 2 7 2 primary discipline. A
character can never
4 2 2 9 2 learn as many sciences or devotions in an-
5 2 3 10 3 other discipline as he currently knows in his
6 3 3 11 3 primary discipline.
7 3 4 12 4
8 3 4 13 4 Example: Lena's primary discipline is clair-
9 3 5 14 5 sentience. She knows three sciences and seven
10 4 5 15 5 devotions in that discipline. This means: a) she
11 4 6 16 5 must learn an eighth clairsentient devotion be-
12 4 6 17 5 fore she can learn a fourth clairsentient sci-
13 4 7 18 5 ence, and b) at her current level, she cannot
14 5 7 19 5 know more than two sciences or six devotions
15 5 8 20 5 in any other single discipline.
16 5 8 21 5 Advancing Mid-adventure: Most Dungeon
17 5 9 22 5 Masters award experience points at the end of
18 6 9 23 5 adventures rather than in the middle, so expe-
19 6 10 24 5 rience levels are rarely gained in mid-
20 6 10 25 5 adventure. In the unusual event that a new
level is gained in the middle of an adventure,

12 • Chapter One
however, the character should have to wait at Table 5: INHERENT POTENTIAL
least until he has a chance to rest and recuper-
ate —
long enough to recover all his psionic Ability Base Ability
strength points — before gaining any new psi- Score Score Modifier
onic powers. 15 20
Raising Psionic Power Scores: A character 16 22 +1
can increase a psionic power score when he 17 24 +2
reaches a new experience level by "relearning 18 26 +3
it." (He repeats his studies, and learns some-

thing new about a familiar power.) Instead of Gaining Psionic Strength Points: Every time
learning a new devotion, the character can a character advances to a new experience
add one point to his power score in a devotion level, he expands his total pool of psionic
he already knows. Similarly, he can exchange strength points. To determine how many PSPs
a new science for a one-point increase in a sci- he gains, find the modifier on Table 5 that cor-
ence he already knows. responds to his Wisdom score. Add this num-
ber to 10. The result equals the total PSPs
Psionic Strength Points (PSPs) gained.
Example: Rowina has just advanced to a
Psionic energy comes from within the char- new level. Her Wisdom is 17.According to Ta-
acter. This energy is measured in psionic ble 5, the modifier for this score is +2. Rowina

strength points, or PSPs. When a character can add 12 PSPs (2 + 10) to her total pool.
uses a psionic power, he expends psionic Recovering Psionic Strength Points: A
strength points. The exact cost depends on character who has expended psionic strength
which power is used, and how long the charac- points can recover those points by "taking it
ter uses it.
—
easy" which means engaging in no hard
The total number of psionic strength points physical activity and refraining from using
that a character has depends on four factors: psionic powers (i.e., from expending any
his Wisdom, Intelligence, and Constitution more PSPs). After each hour in which a char-
scores, and his experience level. Wisdom, Intel- acter expends no psionic strength points,
ligence, and Constitution determine the psioni- check Table 6 to determine how many PSPs
cist's inherent potential. (Wisdom is the the character recovers. A character can never
primary factor.) Experience determines how recover more PSPs than he lost.
well the character has developed that potential. A character's rate of recovery depends on
Follow these steps to calculate a character's how much physical exertion he experienced
totalPSPs: during the hour in question. Psionicists re-
1) Find the character's Wisdom score on Ta- cover the most points when they sleep or med-
ble 5, then get his base score from that. itate for the entire hour of rest. Light activity,

2) Add the appropriate ability modifiers for such as walking or riding, diminishes the
the character's Intelligence and Constitution speed of recovery. Rate each hour according to
scores to his base score. This final adjusted the most strenuous physical activity under-
number is the character's inherent potential. taken, even if it lasted only a few minutes.
Example: Rowina's ability scores are Wis Option: DMs may allow characters to re-
17, Con 16, Int 12. Her inherent potential is 25 cover points per turn of rest rather than per
(24 points for her Wisdom score with a +1 hour. These rates are also listed on Table 6.
modifier for her Constitution score). At 1st
level she has 25 PSPs.

The Psionicist • 13
Table 6: PSIONIC STRENGTH RECOVERY Special Abilities
Physical Activity PSPs Recovered In addition to ordinary psionic powers,
Hard exertion* none which are the hallmark of the class, psionicists
Walking, riding 3/hour have several special abilities. These include
(1 every 2 turns) their saving throws, THACOs, and psionic
Sitting, resting, powers that operate continuously.
reading 6/hour (1/turn) Maintaining Powers: Certain psionic
Rejuvenating**, powers can operate continuously. (Chapters 3
sleeping 12/hour (2/turn) through 8 specify which ones do.) Such
powers can be "switched on" and kept on
"Hard exertion" includes fighting, running, without interruption, until the user decides to
digging ditches, walking while encumbered, (or is forced to) "switch them off." This is
climbing a rope, scaling a mountain, exploring called maintaining powers.
a dungeon, swimming, and any other activity Each power that is maintained is handled sep-
the DM wants to include. arately. In many cases, maintenance entails ex-
* This refers to use of the psionicist's Rejuve- pending PSPs by the hour or turn rather than
nation proficiency. the melee round (the norm for psionic combat).
// a psionicist is expending PSPs to maintain a
Defense Modes power, he cannot recover psionic strength points
that hour. A character cannot spend PSPs to
Psionic defense modes are special powers maintain a power when he is sleeping or uncon-
which all psionicists acquire naturally in time. scious; no continuous power that requires
All defense modes belong to the telepathic disci- strength points can operate during sleep.
pline. Psionicists learn thesepowers automati- A character can maintain any number of
cally as they
gain new experience powers at one time, but he can "switch on" or
levels —
regardless of whether or not they have initiate only one per round. When maintained
access to the telepathic discipline. Defense powers are deactivated, the character can
modes do not count toward the psionicist's max- drop all maintained powers at once, or one per
imum number of powers as listed in Table 4. Nor round. He cannot drop two or more in one
are they counted when characters determine the round and maintain others.
relative number of sciences and devotions they THACO and Saving Throws: As shown on
can acquire within a given discipline. Table 7, a psionicist's THACO advancement
There are five psionic defense modes: equals that of a rogue. Table 8 lists saving
• mind blank throws. Psionicists gain a +2 bonus on all sav-
• thought shield ing throws vs. enchantment/ charm spells and
• mental barrier the like. This is in addition to their magical de-
• tower of iron will fense adjustment for high Wisdom.
• intellect fortress
Each is described in Chapter 7, "Telepathy." All Followers
psionicists automatically know one of these
powers at 1st level (player's choice). They learn At 9th level (which is sometimes called
another defense mode of the player's choice "name" level), a psionicist becomes a contem-
every other level— at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th. plative master. He can build a sanctuary (usu-
ally in an isolated place), and use it as his

14 • Chapter One
Table 7: PSIONICIST CALCULATED THACOs

Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
THACO 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 13 13 12 12 11 11

Table 8: PSIONICIST SAVING THROWS

Paralyzation,
Poison, or Rod, Staff, Petrification Breath
1 2 3
Level Death Magic or Wand or Polymorph Weapon Spell
1-4 13 15 10 16 15
5-8 12 13 9 15 14
9-12 11 11 8 13 12
13-16 10 9 7 12 11
17-20 9 7 6 J- J
-

21 + 8 5 5 7

Excluding polymorph wand attacks.

Excluding those which cause petrification or polymorph.
Excluding those for which another saving throw type is specified, such as death, petrification, polymorph, etc.

headquarters. Most importantly, he begins to Weapons: Psionicists tend to disdain weap-

attract followers. ons of any given the crudeness and im-
sort,
One neophyte psionicist (1st or 2nd level) precision of such tools compared to psychic
will arrive each month, coming to study at the weaponry. Still, a good sidearm is indispensa-
feet of the master. These neophytes will arrive ble for a last-ditch personal defense, and it's es-
regardless of whether or not the master builds sential when a display of psionic power would
a sanctuary. If the master does have a sanctu- be inappropriate. Also, in the rough-and-
ary, however, he will attract a maximum num- tumble frontier areas where adventurers are
ber of followers equal to his Charisma score. If common, appearing in public without a
not, the maximum number is halved (rounded weapon often invites ridicule and trouble.
down). Psionicists can use any of the common
These followers want only to learn. They weapons listed below. Essentially, these are
will serve in any capacity the master chooses. most small- or medium-sized weapons weigh-
In return, the master must spend at least 10 ing 6 pounds or less.
hours per week instructing his followers, or
they will leave. short bow throwing axe
hand crossbow horseman's mace
Restrictions light crossbow horseman's pick
dagger scimitar
Like members of other classes, psionicists dirk spear
must abide by restrictions when choosing knife shortsword
weapons and armor, and in selecting non- club war hammer
weapon proficiencies. hand axe

The Psionicist • 15
 Armor: Psionicists can don armor made of
padded leather, studded leather, or hide. They
can also carry a small shield.
A psionicist can use his powers while wear-
ing a helmet that is psionically active, or one
featuring magical enchantments that affect or
simulate psionic powers. But if the psionicist
is wearing a normal helmet of any sort, he
cannot use his powers. Removing a normal
helmet won't affect the character's armor
class, but it may have other effects defined by
the Dungeon Master. For example, a thief who
approaches the psionicist from behind may
find the psionicist easy prey. Or, if the al-
lows called shots, the character's bare head
might present a tempting target.
Optional Rule: A DM
may allow psionicists
to wear any sort of armor, but impose penalties
for heavy armor that's made of metal. (See Ta-
ble 9.) This rule creates an across-the-board re-
duction in psionic power scores when a
psionicist wears inappropriate armor.
Table 9: PSIONICIST ARMOR PENALTIES
Proficiencies
Psionic powers function like proficiencies,
but they do not replace them. Psionicists can
learn the usual weapon and nonweapon profi-
ciencies regardless of their powers. Proficiencies
shown on Table 10.
are acquired at the rate
Psionicists can learn a weapon proficiency
for any weapon they can use. They can learn
any nonweapon proficiency from the "Gen-
eral" group (see proficiency rules in the
AD&D® 2nd Edition Player's Handbook, page
54, Table 37) or from the Psionicist group, de-
DM scribed below.
If the optional proficiency rules in the Play-
er'sHandbook are in use, psionicists can gain
extra nonweapon proficiency slots based on
their Intelligence scores. See Table 4, "Intelli-
gence" in the Player's Handbook to determine
these bonus proficiencies (Chapter 5, page
16). Characters can use these extra slots for
languages or nonweapon proficiencies, but
never additional psionic powers.
Initial refers to the number of weapon or

Psionic nonweapon proficiency slots received by

Power Score psionicists at 1st level.
Armor Reduction # Levels indicates how many levels a psioni-

Padded, leather, studded must advance before he receives a new

cist

leather, hide weapon or nonweapon proficiency. Thus,

Brigandine, ring, scale, psionicists receive a new weapon proficiency
splint mail -1 every five levels — i.e., at levels 5, 10, 15, 20,

Chain, banded mail -2 etc. They receive a new nonweapon proficiency

Plate mail -3 —
every three levels i.e., at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, etc.
Field plate -5 Penalty is the modifier to a psionicists at-
Full plate -7 tack rolls when he fights using a weapon he

Table 10:
PSIONICIST PROFICIENCY SLOTS

Weapon Nonweapon
Proficiencies Proficiencies
Group Initial ^Levels Penalty Initial ^Levels
Psionicist 2 5 -4 3 3

16 • Che >ter One

Animate Object: Raji turns the tables against his attackers.

The Psionicist • 17
isn't proficient with. This penalty is subtracted nus points), he can begin regaining PSPs nor-
directly from the character's rolls to hit. mally. He cannot recover the lost bonus
The Psionicist Group: Table 11 lists seven points, however; he can only recover enough
nonweapon proficiencies which psionicists points to return to his usual maximum.
can easily learn. These proficiencies the — Hypnosis: With this proficiency, a psionicist
"Psionicist group" —
are an extension of can hypnotise another character placing the —
Table 37 in the AD&D® 2nd Edition Player's subject into a relaxed state in which he is very
Handbook. susceptible to suggestions. However, hypnosis
PSIONICIST
Table 11: NONWEAPON is not possible unless the subject is willing and

PROFICIENCIES knows he is being hypnotised.

Psionicists with this proficiency can hypno-
# Slots Relevant
tize humans and demihumans with ease. Non-
Proficiency Required Ability
Gem Cutting 2 Dex -2 humans can be hypnotized, too, but the DM
should assign a penalty to the proficiency
Harness Subconscious 2 Wis -1
check. The size of the penalty depends on how
Hypnosis 1 Cha -2
Rejuvenation 1 Wis -1 inhuman the subject is. A half-ore, for exam-
ple, could be hypnotized with a -2 modifier,
Meditative Focus 1 Wis +1
while a lizard man could be hypnotized only
Musical Instrument 1 Dex -1
with a -8 modifier to the psionicists profi-
Reading/ Writing 1 Int +1
ciency check.
Religion 1 Wis +0
The act of hypnotizing someone takes about
Harness Subconscious: This meditative pro- five minutes. The subject is then very relaxed
ficiency lets the psionicist temporarily boost and willing to do almost anything that isn't very
his total PSPs. In effect, the proficiency lets dangerous or against his alignment. Note, how-
him tap into energy reserves that lie deep in his ever, that a hypnotized subject can be easily
—
subconscious reserves which are usually un- fooled; the subject may be convinced that he's
available to him. It's like enjoying a shot of doing one thing, while he's actually doing an-
psychic adrenalin. other. Lawful or good psionicists who trick their
Before he can harness subconscious energies, subjects in this fashion should beware. Psioni-
the psionicists PSP total must be at its maxi- cists who use hypnotism to make people do cha-
mum. He then must spend two days (48 consec- otic or evil things may find themselves with
utive hours) gathering this energy, taking only alignment problems of their own.
necessary breaks for eating and sleeping. At the Hypnotism can have the following (or simi-
end of that time, the character makes a profi- lar) effects:
ciency check. If he passes, he increases his PSP • A character can be induced to remember
totalby 20%, rounded up. things he has forgotten by reliving a fright-
The increase in PSPs lasts 72 hours. At the ening or distant event.
end of that time, the character loses as many • A character can be made calm and unafraid
strength points as he initially gained, regard- in the face of a specific situation that he has
less of his current total. This loss can never re- been prepared for.
duce his total below points, however. • A character can be cured of a bad habit or
During the 72 hours of heightened strength, addiction (but not of curses or magical af-
the character cannot recover PSPs if his cur- flictions).
rent total equals or exceeds his usual maxi- • A character can be prepared to impersonate
mum. Once his current total drops below his someone by thoroughly adopting that indi-
usual maximum (i.e., once he has spent all bo- vidual's personality.

18 • Chaptei One
 1

Hypnotism cannot be used to increase a char- cists in skill, but they do boast at least one psi-
him powers or abilities he
acter's attributes, give onic power — which is known as a "wild
does not naturally possess, let him do things that power" among psionicists.
are beyond his capabilities, or give him informa- Any character can test for wild powers. (The
tion that he couldn't possibly know. character should be forewarned: such efforts are
Rejuvenation: This proficiency allows a not without risk, as explained below.) charac- A
character to recover PSPs while he meditates, ter can test for wild powers only at specific
as quickly as if he were sleeping. The character times: when the character is first created; when
achieves a state of deep concentration, in which the character's Wisdom increases to a higher
he focuses and regains his energies. He is still point than it has ever been; the first time the
conscious and aware of his surroundings, so he character goes to a psionicist who can perform
does not suffer any penalties on surprise or ini- psychic surgery on him; when psionics is first in-
tiative rolls, and he is not helpless if attacked. troduced to the campaign.
(He still can't expend PSPs, however.) Every character (and NPC and monster, if
Meditative Focus: Through this proficiency, the DM wishes) has a base chance of 1% to
a psionicist can focus his mental energy on one possess wild powers. This is modified as
particular discipline. As a result, his power shown below:
scores in that discipline temporarily increase,
Each Wis, Con, or Int score of 18 +3
while those in other disciplines decline.
Each Wis, Con, or Int score of 17 +2
The proficiency requires the character to
Each Wis, Con, or Int score of 16 +1
meditate, uninterrupted, for 12 hours. The
Character is 5th-8th level +
last four hours of this meditation are spent in a
Character is 9th level or higher +2
deep, sleeplike trance. The psionicist can re-
cover PSPs normally during the entire period.
Mage, cleric, or nonhuman* x V2
When the meditation is complete, the player * Round fractions up. Apply this penalty only

makes a proficiency check. If the character
passes the check, he has successfully focused
his mind on one particular discipline (which
was chosen when the process began). All of
the character's psionic power scores in that
discipline are increased by two points for the
next 24 hours — or until the character's PSPs
have been reduced to zero, whichever comes
first. All of his power scores in other disci-
plines are reduced by one for the same period.
Gem Cutting, Musical Instrument Reading/
Writing, Religion: See the Player's Handbook
for a description of these proficiencies.
Wild Talents
once, even if more than one of these descrip-
tions fits (e.g., a "nonhuman mage").
Once you've determined the character's
chance to be a wild talent, roll percentile dice.
Subtract 2 from the roll if the character is un-
der the guidance of a psychic surgeon (see
"psychic surgery" in Chapter 8). If the result is
less than or equal to the modified chance, the
character has at least one wild power. If the
number is 97 or higher, the character suffers
dire consequences. See "The Risks" below.
Example: Consider a 3rd level dwarf cleric
with a Wisdom of 17, Intelligence of 9, and
Constitution of 16. His chance to be a wild tal-
ent is 1 (base chance) + 2 (Wis 17) + 1 (Con

A wild talent is someone from any other 16) x 0.5 (because he's a dwarf). The final re-
sult equals 2% The dwarf has a 2% chance of
character class who has natural, latent psionic .

potential. This potential can be present in any being a wild talent. The player rolls a 3 on per-
centile dice. The dwarf has no talent.
character, regardless of class, alignment, or
race. Wild talents can never approach psioni-

The Psionicist • 19
 Determining Powers: If a character is a wild Table 12: WILD DEVOTIONS
talent, the player should roll percentile dice
again and consult Table 12, "Wild Devotions" Clairsentient Devotions
01 All-Round Vision
to determine exactly what the character's psi-
02 Combat Mind
onic powers are. Most wild talents have only
03 Danger Sense
one power. A lucky few (those with high-roll- 04 Feel Light
ing players) boast more than one. Further- 05 FeelSound
more, if a character gains any power with a 06 Hear Light
prerequisite, he automatically gains the pre- 07 Know Direction
requisite, too. For example, if the wild talent 08 Know Location
09 Poison Sense
knows a telepathic power which requires con-
10 Radial Navigation
tact (an important telepathic power), he auto-
11 See Sound
matically knows contact, too. 12 Spirit Sense
Strength Points: Like an actual psionicist, a 13 Choose any clairsentient devotion above
wild talent has psionic strength points. He re- 14 Choose any clairsentient devotion above
ceives the minimum number of PSPs neces-
sary to use the power (or powers) once. If a Psychokinetic Devotions

power can be maintained, he receives enough 15 Animate Object

16 Animate Shadow
additional points to pay the maintenance cost
17 Ballistic Attack
four times. Afterward, the character receives 18 Control Body
four additional PSPs every time he gains a new 19 Control Flames
experience level (he receives no bonus for 20 Control Light
levels he already has). 21 ControlSound
The Risks: Characters who
attempt to un- 22 Choose any psychokinetic devotion above
lock their psionic potential are tampering with
Psychometabolic Devotions
things they cannot begin to understand. If the
23 Absorb Disease
dice roll is 97 or higher, the character suffers 24 Adrenalin Control
the following consequences: 25 Aging
26 Biofeedback
Dice 27 Body Control
Roll Result 28 Body Equilibrium
29 Body Weaponry
97 Save vs. death or Wisdom reduced by
30 Catfall
—
ld6 points permanently 31 Cause Decay
98 Save vs. death or Intelligence reduced 32 Cell Adjustment
—
by ld6 points permanently 33 Chameleon Power
99 Save vs. death or Constitution re- 34 Chemical Simulation

—
duced by ld6 points permanently 35
36
Displacement
Double Pain
00 Save vs. death with -5 penalty or
37 Enhanced Strength
Wisdom, Intelligence, and Constitu-
38 Ectoplasmic Form
tion are all reduced to 3 — perma- 39 Expansion
nently. 40 Flesh Armor
41 Graft Weapon
42 Heightened Senses
43 Immovability
44 Lend Health
45 Mind Over Body

20 • Cha| er One
46 Reduction Table 13: WILD SCIENCES
47 Share Strength
Clairsentient Sciences
48 Suspend Animation
01-02 Aura Sight
49 Choose any psychometabolic devotion above
03-04 Clairaudience
05-06 Clairvoyance
Telepathic Devotions
07-08 Object Reading
50 Attraction
09-10 Precognition
51 Aversion
11-12 Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions
52 Awe
53 Conceal Thoughts
13-16 Choose any clairsentient science or devotion
54 Daydream Psychokinetic Sciences
55 Empathy 17-18 Detonate
56 ESP 19-20 Disintegrate
57 False Sensory Input 21-22 Molecular Rearrangement
58 Identity Penetration 23-24 Project Force
59 Incarnation Awareness 25-26 Telekinesis
60 Inflict Pain 27-30 Choose any psychokinetic science or devotion
61 Invincible Foes
62 Invisibility Psychometabolic Sciences
63 Life Detection 31-32 Animal Affinity
64 Mind Bar 33-34 Complete Healing
65 Phobia Amplification 35-36 Death Field
66 Post-Hypnotic Suggestion 37-38 Energy Containment
67 Psychic Impersonation 39-40 Life Draining
68 Psychic Messenger 41-42 Metamorphosis
69 Repugnance 43-44 Shadow-form
70 Send Thoughts 45-48 Choose any psychometabolic science or
71 Sight Link devotion
72 Sound Link Telepathic Sciences
73 Synaptic Static 49-50 Domination
74 Taste Link 51-52 Fate Link
75 Telempathic Projection 53-54 Mass Domination
76 Truthear 55-56 Mindwipe
77-78 Choose any telepathic devotion above 57-58 Probe
59-60 Superior Invisibility
Psychoportive Devotions
61-62 Switch Personality
79 Astral Projection
63-64 Mindlink
80 Dimensional Door
65-68 Choose any telepathic science or devotion
81 Dimension Walk
82 Dream Travel Psychoportive Sciences
83 Time Shift 69-70 Banishment
84 Time/Space Anchor 71-72 Probability Travel
85 Choose any psychoportive devotion above 73-74 Summon Planar Creature
86-87 Roll two times 75-76 Teleport
88-89 Roll three times 77-78 Teleport Other
90 Choose any two devotions 79-82 Choose any psychoportive science or devo-
91-99 Roll on Table 13: Sciences tion
00 Choose any devotion. Then roll again and 83-85 Roll two times
consult Table 13. 86-88 Roll three times
89-92 Choose any science or devotion
93-96 Choose any scienceand two devotions
97-99 Choose any scienceand three devotions
00 Choose any two sciences and four devotions

The Psionicist • 21
 —
CHAPTER

Psionic Combat

Combat is no more com-

featuring psionicists powers. Furthermore, several powers require
plicated than a fightbetween one or more wiz- an additional power check before they'll yield
ards. In fact, it's similar. During a battle, a specific result.Check the individual power
psionicists and wizards tend to employ the descriptions in Chapters 3-8 for details.
same tactics: they avoid enemy hackers and
slashers, and focus their efforts on the strong- Psychic Contests
est opponent or shore up defenses where
needed. Psionic powers often clash "head-on." For
A lone psionicist caught by enemy fighters example, one psionicist may make a psionic
is in serious trouble. Unless he can summon, attack against a character with an active psi-
create, dominate, or otherwise garner some onic defense. Which power prevails? Does the
help, he probably will be overpowered. For attack break through the defense, or bounce
this reason, psionicists — especially NPCs off? A
psychic contest determines the answers.
rarely travel without an escort if they are ex- Resolving a psychic contest is simple when
pecting trouble. both powers are same round.
initiated in the
The two contestants just compare the die rolls
Using Powers for their power checks. The character with the
higher successful roll wins the contest. If nei-
In general, a character can initiate only one ther character's power check succeeds, or if
psionic power per round. There are two key both rolls are equal, the defender "wins" by
exceptions: default. (In other words, a tie goes to the de-
fender.)
• Once a power is initiated, a character Example: An attacker is using ego whip. The
can maintain that power for as long as defender has erected a thought barrier. The at-
he can continue paying the mainte- tacker's ego whip power score is 15, and the
nance cost. (This assumes that the defender's thought barrier score is 12. The ta-
power has a maintenance cost; if no ble below shows several possible outcomes of
such cost is mentioned in the descrip- the psychic contest between these powers.
tion, the power cannot be maintained
beyond its initial duration.) Attack Defense
• Psionic defense modes (mind blank, Roll Roll Result
thought shield, mental barrier, intellect 11 6 Attacker wins because his
fortress, and tower of iron will) do not die roll is higher.
count against the one-power-per-round Defender wins because
limit. A character can always use a de- his die roll is higher.
fense mode and initiate one other psi- 18 Attacker wins because his
onic power in the same round. attack roll succeeded and
the defender's roll did
Power Checks —
not in effect, there is no
defense this round.
The power check fundamental to psionic
is
16 10 Defender wins because
combat. In general, no psionic power func- his defense roll succeeded

tions unless the character first makes a suc- and the attacker's failed.

cessful power check. (Chapter 1 explains how 19 15 Neither power check suc-
the check is made.) Modifiers apply for some ceeded. The defender
(table continues...)

22 • Chap er Two
After months of trying, Hosni finally catches Gustafa at home.

Psionic Combat • 23
 "wins" by default simply Psychic Lock
because the attacker
didn't. In some psychic contests, there is no clear-
8 8 Tied Again, the de-
rolls. cut defender. For example, two characters
fender wins by default be- may try to use psychokinesis on the same ob-
cause the attacker didn't jectsimultaneously. (They do a little psionic
beat the defense roll. arm-wrestling.) In such a case, the character
15 — The attacker wins this au- with the higher successful die roll still wins the
tomatically. His power contest that round. In our example, the winner
check succeeded and his would control the object.
roll is higher than the de- If the power checks indicate a tie, however,
fender's power score, so the characters are deadlocked — or psychically
NO roll will let the de- locked. Neither character wins that round. To
fender win. resolve the conflict, both characters should
maintain the same powers during the next
Maintained Powers: In the example above, round, and engage in a new psychic contest. If
powers were initiated in the same round as the either character fails to maintain his power (ef-
conflict. Some psychic contests involve a fectively giving up), he suffers a backlash and
power that is being maintained — i.e., a power loses 4d4 PSPs immediately.
that was initiated in a previous round. In this In any case, victory may be fleeting. If con-
case, the player whose character is maintain- ditions are right, the loser can challenge the
ing the power must make a new power check winner to a "rematch" in the next round.
strictly to resolve the contest. He gains a +1
bonus to his power score because the power is
The Combat Round
being maintained. If the contest roll "fails," it

doesn't mean thepower fails. It's still being Psionic conflicts follow the standard
maintained — not very well. For the con-
just
AD&D® game combat sequence. All psionic
the character ignores the "failed" check
powers — excluding defense modes — are used
test,
and instead receives a "successful" result of 1.
in order of initiative. For example, if a psioni-
Multiple Conflicts: In the thick of battle, a
cist wants to attack, or plans to teleport to
psionicist may be involved in more than one
safety, he can do so when his normal chance to
psychic contest per round. If he's using more
attack comes around. Psionic defenses work
than one power, the player must make a sepa-
throughout the entire round, starting at the
rate die roll for each power used that round.
very beginning. Unlike spells, psionic powers
If he's using a single power against more
do not have initiative modifiers.
than one opponent, the player can make a sep-
Psionic powers require a certain amount of
arate die roll for each opponent. As soon as he
rolls a number he likes, the player may use
concentration. A character who uses one dur-
ing a combat round can move at only half his
that result for all remaining psychic contests
walking rate. Furthermore, he can be dis-
involving that power, in that round. (In other
rupted like a mage casting a spell. A power
words, once he gets a power really well "tuned
that is being maintained from a previous
in" during a given round, he can stop "fiddling
round cannot be disrupted this way nor can
with the dial".) This rule applies to telepathic
telepathic tangents that were established in
defense modes, as well as other powers.
previous rounds (see below). If a power is dis-
rupted during a preparatory round, the time

24 • Chapter Two
invested in preparation is lost. No PSPs are that he suffers a penalty to all of his die rolls.
expended when a power is disrupted. None of these effects occur unless the subject's
mind is open however. If the sub-
to contact,

Telepathic Combat ject's mind is an attack mode only

closed,
serves to erode his resistance. If he is repeated-

Before a psionicist can use a telepathic ly struck with an attack mode, his mind can

power, he must establish contact with the re- be forced to open, and contact will be estab-
cipient's mind. "Contact" is a telepathic devo-
lished. (See "Tangents" below for details.)

tion which paves the way for other telepathic Learning Attack Modes: A psionicist learns
powers. Usually, a single use of this devotion attack modes in the same way he learns other

is all that's required; the psionicist uses con-

powers. The character must first have access
tact first, then follows up with another tele-
to the telepathy discipline. Then he must allot
pathic power. Beings with little or no psionic one of his devotion slots to the power (only

talent, including wild talents, can be contact- psionic blast is a science). character could A
ed in this way. So can psionicists and psionic devote himself completely to learning the at-
creatures, provided they cooperate. tack modes, and know
by 2nd level.
all five

The contact devotion never works against a Or he could powers

learn dozens of telepathic

psionicist (or psionic creature) who does not without ever picking up a single attack mode.
allow it to work. This is true even when he's This is the player's option.
sleeping or unconscious. Psionicists normally The One-Two Punch: Attack modes differ

have closed minds. Before the contact power from most other psionic powers in one key re-
can work against them, they must intention- gard: a character using an attack mode gets
ally open their minds. They can be selective, one bonus attack with that power each round.
allowing contact with a friendly power while (An attack mode packs a one-two punch.) The
closing their minds to hostile characters or player rolls two power checks. Each of these
strangers. rolls constitutes a separate attack and, if op-
When a subject's mind is closed,
he can only posed, conducted as a separate psychic con-
is

test. Both attacks must be directed against the

be contacted through telepathic combat. The
text below describes five telepathic assaults, same target. The initial cost of an attack mode
or attack modes, that are used to establish includes this double attack.
contact with a closed mind. It also describes
five telepathic defenses, which can help pre- Telepathic Defense Modes
vent such attacks from succeeding. Lastly, it

explains what happens when these opposing A character with psionic powers is not de-
powers clash. fenseless against telepathic attackmodes. Five
telepathic powers, known as defense modes,

Telepathic Attack Modes help protect characters from unwanted con-

tact. These powers are mind blank, thought

There are five attack modes: mind thrust, shield, mental barrier, intellect fortress, and

ego whip, id insinuation, psychic crush, and
psionic blast. (See Chapter 7, "Telepathy," for
a complete description of each.) Against a
mind that is open to contact, each of these
powers has specific effects. For example, ego
whip can make a character feel so worthless
tower of iron will. (See Chapter 7 for a de-
scription of each.) Although these powers be-
long to the telepathy discipline, they are
common to all members of the psionicist class.
Psionicists develop these powers naturally as
they gain experience levels, regardless of
whether they have access to the telepathy dis-

Psionic Combat • 25
 "Defense Modes"
cipline. (See in Chapter 1 for someone's mind through combat requires
an explanation.) three successful attacks. (In common par-
When a character activates a telepathic de- lance, a single tangent is often called "one-
fense mode, it becomes effective at the begin- finger contact" and two tangents "two-finger
ning of the round. The character conducts a contact.") Remember that an attack mode al-
psychic contest against every attack mode lows two attacks per round, so it is possible to
coming his way. (The initial cost of the defense establish two tangents per round.
mode covers all attacks in the round.) At any A tangent has no direct effects in and of it-
point during the round, if he rolls a number he self, no matter which attack mode helps to es-
likes, he can keep it for the rest of the round. tablish it. It is only a "foot in the door." When
Defense modes have no effect against any psi- the door is —
open i.e., when three tangents
onic powers other than attack modes. have succeeded —
full contact is established.
This contact is the same condition that is
Attack Modifiers achieved when the contact power is used suc-
cessfully against a nonpsionicist. (In other
Each attack mode is more effective against words, the three effective attacks simply take
some defense modes than others, and vice the place of one successful use of contact.) The
versa. This is represented by modifiers which tangents no longer apply when contact is es-
apply to the attacker's power score. Table 14 tablished. (That's why there's no such thing as
lists these modifiers. "three-finger contact.")
When an attack mode clashes with a defense When full contact is established, the at-
mode, cross-index the attack with the defense tacker can make no more attacks against the
on Table 14. The resulting modifier is applied defender that round. In the next round, he can
to the attacker's power score. Thus, positive use any telepathic power against the defender
modifiers are bonuses and negative modifiers that he chooses —
provided he's within range
are penalties. and pays the power cost, of course. Having
contact does not make the use of another tele-
Tangents pathic power automatic; it only makes it pos-
sible. Still, the subject is incredibly vulnerable

Each time an attack mode overcomes a de- once contacted. His only means of protection
fense mode (or an attack mode succeeds is an overwhelming counterattack (probably a

against someone who was not using a defense nontelepathic attack) or ejection, which is
mode), the attacker has established a partial quite risky. A
contacted mind can be domi-
contact called a tangent. Three tangents equal nated, mindwiped, affected by any number of
full contact. Thus, establishing contact with other telepathic devotions, or crippled by an-
other assault.
Maintaining Tan-
gents: Maintaining
Table 14: ATTACK VS. DEFENSE MODES
tangents (one or
two) costs 1 PSP per
Mind Thought Mental Intellect Tower of
round. A psionicist
Blank Shield Barrier Fortress Iron Will
-2 -4 -4 -5 can maintain tan-
Mind Thrust +5
-3 -4 -3 gents with only one
Ego Whip +5
Id Insinuation -3 +2 +4 -1 -3 mind at any time.

-3 -1 -3 -4 He can maintain full

Psychic Crush +1
-1 -2 contact with any
Psionic Blast +2 +3

26 • Chapter Two
number of minds, however. A tangent is bro-
ken only when 1) the attacker voluntarily
breaks it by simply announcing he is doing so;
2) the attacker fails to pay the maintenance
cost of 1 PSP per round; 3) the attacker uses an
attack mode against a different target, or; 4)
the attacker is incapacitated.
Other Considerations
Line of Sight: Unless the description states
otherwise, psionicists require a line of sight to
their target when using a psionic power. Clair-
powers are an obvious exception, as
sentient
are many
of the telepathic powers which list
power score modifiers for targets which are
outside the psionicists field of vision.
Touch Attacks: Psionic powers with a range
of "touch" can be used in combat, but they re-
quire a physical attack roll in addition to a
power check to succeed.
Combat Cards
The use of combat cards is optional, hut
strongly recommended.
A combat card is a 3" X 5" index card (or
something similar) listing pertinent informa-
tion for one psionic power. Each player makes
one card for each power his character knows.
Pertinent information includes the power
score, initial cost and maintenance cost,
range, preparation time, area of effect, and a
brief description of the power's effect.
Combat cards serve three purposes. First,
they're a handy reference collection —
a sort of
"psionic spellbook" for a character. Second,
they help speed up the game when psionic
powers are used during combat. And third,
they make psychic contests more equitable.
If a character intends to use a psionic power
during combat, the player thumbs through his
combat cards until he finds the card for that
power. Then he places the card in front of him,
face down on the table. When the power takes
effect, he flips the card face up. This way, if
two psionicists do battle, neither psionicist
can detect what his opponent is doing before
he chooses his own action. If a character main-
tains a power from round to round, the card
remains face up on the table as a reminder.
Combat cards can also be used to hide psi-
onic activity from other players. When a psi-
onic power is put into use, the player can select
the combat card and show it to the DM
only,
instead of announcing aloud something that
he may not want everyone to know.
Psionic Combat • 27
 CHAPTER

3II
^ i
Clairsentience

Clairsentient Sciences experience level, but not both simultaneously.

A
psionicist can examine up to two auras
per round. (He must be able to see both sub-
Aura Sight
jects.) Alternately, he can examine the same
Power Score: Wis -5 aura twice, to verify his first impression with a
Initial Cost: 9 second reading or to pick up remaining infor-
Maintenance Cost: 9 /round mation. In any case, the psionicist must make
Range: 50 yds. a new power check each time he attempts to
Preparation Time: interpret an aura.
Area of Effect: personal The psionicist can be reasonably discreet
Prerequisites: none when he uses this power. He doesn't have to
An aura is a glowing halo or envelope of poke at the subject or give him the hairy eye-

colored light which surrounds all living ball. However, he does need to gaze at the sub-

things. It is invisible to the naked eye. A crea- ject intently. Since the range of this power is

the range of vision, the psionicist can go unno-

ture's aura reflects both its alignment and its

experience level. ticed by maintaining he tries to

his distance. If
sense auras on the people he conversing is
When a psionicist uses this power, he can see
with, they certainly will notice that he is star-
auras. Interpreting an aura requires some con-
ing and probably will be uncomfortable.
centration, however. With each use of this
power, the psionicist can learn only one piece of The level of the character being analyzed af-
fects the psionicist's power check. The higher
information — either the subject's alignment or

Understanding Power Descriptions ration time of "1," the character must spend one full
round preparing. (He can't initiate other powers during
Statistics. Each power in Chapters 3 through 8 be- that round, but he can still maintain them.) After one
gins with the following terms: round of preparation — i.e., in round number two — he
Power Score. This number or less must be rolled on a can make a power check. If that check fails (or is de-
d20 whenever a character makes a power check. (See layed), the character can try to use the power again in
Chapter 1.) A character always makes a power check round three. A power that has been prepared can be
when attempting to activate a power. held ready for just one round; if it isn't used after that,
Initial Cost. The number of PSPs expended when the preparation time is wasted (no PSP cost).
power is first used. If a character fails his power check, Area of Effect. The physical area or number of be-
he must expend half this many PSPs. Some telepathic ings which the power affects. "Personal" means the
powers list "contact" as their initial cost. That means power only affects the psionicist.
the contact power must be established before these Prerequisites. Other sciences or devotions which a

powers can be used. (See "Contact" in Chapter 7.)
Maintenance Cost. The number of PSPs expended per
round (unless another time period is stated) to keep a
power operating from the previous round. Maintaining a
power does not require a new power check. If no mainte-
nance cost is listed, then the power cannot be maintained.
(A character could reactivate it round after round, how-
ever, making a new power check each time.)
Range. The maximum distance from the psionicist
(psionics user) at which the power can have an effect.
"Touch" means the psionicist must touch the target.
Preparation Time. How many rounds a character
must spend preparing to use a power, before he can ac-
tually try to use it. For example, if a power has
character must know before he can use this power.
Optional Results: Each power description ends
with a section marked "Power Score" and another
marked "20." The former describes what happens if a
player rolls his character's power score exactly when
making a power check. The latter describes what hap-
pens when the player rolls a natural 20 when making a
power check. Both results are optional. DMs can use
these results or devise something similar — to add
—
spice and a small element of risk to psionics.
Psionicists. The power descriptions in this book are
written with psionicists in mind. Psionic creatures and
wild talents often use these powers too— just as psioni-
a prepa- cists do.

28 • Chapter Three
Aura Sight: Mercenary hirelings reveal their true colors.

Clairsentience • 29
the subject's experience level, the tougher it is
* Players with the SPELLJAMMER® boxed
to interpret the subject's aura. This translates setshould note that clairaudience works only
into a - 1 penalty for every three levels of the within a given crystal sphere or plane.
subject, rounded down. For example, a
Using clairaudience does not screen out
psionicist reading the aura of an 8th level
background noise around the psionicist. If
character would suffer a - 2 penalty.
something in his own neighborhood is raising
If the die roll for the power check is a 1, the
a racket, he may have trouble hearing what is
psionicist's reading is incomplete or slightly
happening somewhere else. Clairaudience al-
incorrect. For example, the psionicist may
so does not give the psionicist the ability to
learn only the chaotic portion of a chaotic
understand a foreign or alien language, nor
neutral alignment. Or he may interpret the
does it help him interpret sounds. For exam-
character's level with an error of one or two
ple, if the psionicist hears furniture scraping
levels.
across the floor, he can only guess whether it's
Power score: The psionicist can examine up
to four auras per round instead of two.
—
a chair or something else just as if he heard it
while blindfolded.
20: The initiator can't use this power again
Power Score: The psionicist automatically
for 24 hours.
gains clairvoyance of the area as well.
20: The psionicist is deaf for ldl2 hours.
Clairaudience

Power Score: Wis -3 Clairvoyance

Initial Cost: 6
Maintenance Cost: 4/round Power Score: Wis -4
Range: unlimited Initial Cost: 7
Preparation Time: Maintenance Cost: 4/round
Area of Effect: special Range: unlimited
Prerequisites: none Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: special
Clairaudience allows the user to hear Prerequisites: none
sounds from a distant area. The psionicist
picks a spot anywhere within range. He then Clairvoyance allows the user to see images
can hear everything that he would be able to from a distant area. The psionicist picks a

hear normally if he were standing in that spot. viewing spot anywhere within range. He can
If the psionicist has enhanced senses, the sens- then see anything that he could normally see if
es apply to clairaudience as well. he were standing in that spot. His field of vi-
The farther the "listening spot" is from the sion is no wider than usual, but he can scan
psionicist, the more difficult it is to use this the area by turning his head.

power. The table below gives specifics. Clairvoyance does not replace the charac-
ter's normal eyesight. The psionicist can still
Range Power Score Modifier "see" what is actually before him, but the dis-
100 yards tant scene is superimposed. For this reason,
1,000 yards -2 most clairvoyants close their eyes to avoid the
10 miles -4 confusion of images.
100 miles -6 The more distant the viewed area is, the
1,000 miles -8 more difficult it is to use clairvoyance. The ta-
10,000 miles -10 ble below shows how the range to a viewed
Interplanetary* -12 area can diminish the psionicist's power score.

30 • Chap? r Th ree
Range Power Score Modifier how he lost it. The amount of information
100 yards gained depends on the result of the power
1,000 yards -2 check. If the psionicist's power check is suc-
10 miles -4 cessful, he learns the information listed beside
100 miles -6 that result in the table below, plus all the in-
1,000 miles -8 formation listed above it.
10,000 miles -10
interplanetary* -12 Power Check
Result Information Gained
* Players with the SPELLJAMMER® boxed
1-2 Last owner's race
set should note that clairvoyance works only
3 Last owner's sex
within a given crystal sphere or plane.
4 Last owner's age
Clairvoyance does nothing to enhance the
5 Last owner's alignment
character's vision. Unless some other power
6-7 How last owner gained and
or magic is at work, he still cannot see objects
lost item
that are invisible, hidden in shadow, or be-
8+ All this information about
hind other objects. This power also provides
all owners
no sound, so the character actually sees a kind
of silent movie (without subtitles, of course). An object can be read only once per experi-
Once the viewing spot is chosen, it is fixed ence level of the psionicist; additional read-
in space. To enjoy the view from another loca- ings at that level reveal no additional
tion, the psionicist must use this power an- information. When the clairvoyant gains a
other time, and make a new power check. new experience level, he can try reading the
The psionicist's clairvoyant presence is un- same object again, even if his object reading
detectable by normal means. It cannot be dis- score has not changed.
pelled, repelled, or kept away by any form of —
Power Score The psionicist automatically
magic. learns all information on the table above.
Power Score — The psionicist automatically —
20 The psionicist becomes obsessed with
gains clairaudience, too, for the duration of the object; he strives to keep it until he can at-
the clairvoyant vision. tempt to read it again.
20 — The psionicist is blind for ld4 hours.
Precognition
Object Reading
Power Score: Wis -5
Power Score: Wis -5 Initial Cost: 24
Initial Cost: 16 Maintenance Cost: na
Maintenance Cost: na Range:
Range: Preparation Time: 5
Preparation Time: 1 Area of Effect: na
Area of Effect: touch Prerequisites: none
Prerequisites: none
Precognition enables the psionicist to fore-
Object reading is the ability to detect psy- see the probable outcome of a course of
chic impressions left on an object by its pre- action. This foresight is limited to the near
vious owner, including his race, sex, age, and —
future no more than several hours from the
alignment. The power can also reveal how the time he uses the power. Furthermore, the
owner came to possess the item, as well as character must describe the intended course of

Clairsentience • 31
action in some detail in order to establish the Sensitivity to Psychic impressions
course of events.
The DM
makes the power check secretly. If Power Score: Wis -4
the check fails, the character gains no informa- Initial Cost: 12
tion. If the roll is 20 exactly, the character sees Maintenance Cost: 2 /round
himself meeting his own death in a particu- Range:
larly nasty and grisly way and must make a Preparation Time: 2
saving throw vs. petrification. If the character Area of Effect: 20-yard radius
fails the save, he is so completely shaken up by Prerequisites: none
the vision that all his psionic power scores are
reduced by three for ld6 hours. With power, a psionicist gains a sense of
this
If the power check succeeds, the character history. He
perceives the residue of powerful
sees the most likely outcome of the actions de- emotions which were experienced in a given
scribed. The DM
has some liberty in describ- area. These impressions offer him a picture of
ing the scene and should use the d20 roll as a the location's past.
guide to how much detail to include. High Battles and betrayals, marriages and mur-
more
rolls get detail. ders, childbirth —
and great pain only events
Even when it's successful, precognition of- which elicited strong
emotional^or psychic en-
fersno guarantees. The psionicist sees only ergy leave their impression on an area. Every-
one possible (albeit likely) outcome to a spe- day occurrences leave no residue for the
cific course of action. If the characters in- psionicist to detect.
volved deviate from the actions the psionicist To determine how far into the past a psioni-
describes, then they are changing the condi- cistcan delve, divide the result of his power
tions and the lines of time, thereby making check by two and round up. This is the num-
other outcomes more likely. Die rolls (particu- ber of strong events which he can sense. Only
larly for surprise, initiative, and normal com- one event can be noted per round, however,
bat) also play a large part in a precognition's beginning with the most recent and proceed-
inaccuracy. The DM
cannot be expected to en- ing backward through time.
gineer die rolls to the players' advantage, and The character's understanding of these
even events with 95% certainty fail to occur events is vague and shadowy, as if he were
5% of the time. Anyone who on precog-
relies viewing a dream. The dominant emotion
nition to the exclusion of caution and common —
involved anger, hate, fear, love, etc.
sense asking for trouble.
is comes through very clearly.
Precognition is tiring. Regardless of the out- —
Power Score The character gains an un-
come, a psionicist who has used this power usually clear understanding of each event.
must rest for at least one turn before he can use —
20 An angry ghost comes forward and at-
any other clairsentient powers (the use of tempts to use magic jar against the psionicist.
other disciplines is not affected).
—
Power Score The psionicist's player may
reroll three die rolls to maintain the precogni-
tion's validity.
20 — See above. (Not an optional result.)

32 • Chapter Three
Clairsentient Devotions Danger Sense

All-Round Vision Power Score: Wis -3

Initial Cost: 4
Power Score: Wis -3 Maintenance Cost: 3 /turn
Initial Cost: 6 Range: special

Maintenance Cost: 4/round Preparation Time:

Range: Area of Effect: 10 yards
Preparation Time: Prerequisite: none
Area of Effect: personal When using danger sense, a psionicist will
Prerequisites: none experience a slight tingling sensation at the
This power gives the psionicist "eyes in the back of his neck when a hazard or threat is
back of his head" —
and in the sides and top, as near. The DM must make a successful power
well. (Of course, this is figurative; he does not check on the psionicist's behalf before
the
literally sprout eyeballs.) In effect, the charac- character detects the danger. This power does
ter can see in all directions simultaneously. Be- not give the psionicist any specific informa-
sides its obvious application when combined tion about the type of danger. He does not
with the clairvoyance power, all-round vision learn how or when it will strike. However, he
prevents anyone from sneaking up on the does learn the general direction of the threat
character without some sort of concealment. (i.e., to the right, left, ahead, or behind).

On the down side, the psionicist suffers a -4 The character's power check results deter-
penalty against all gaze attacks while using mine how much warning he gets. If the roll is 12
this power. or more, he knows whether danger is lurking
Power Score — Infravision also gained.
is anywhere in the immediate area. If the roll is 8
20 — The psionicist blind for ld4 hours.
is or more, he enjoys a full round of warning be-
fore that danger strikes. If the roll is 7 or less,

Combat Mind however, the psionicist isn't alerted until mo-

ments before danger strikes. If the roll is 1 ex-
Power Score: Int -4 actly, he still has several moments' warning but
Initial Cost: 5 the direction is off; e.g., if the attack is coming
Maintenance Cost: 4/round from the left, he thinks it is coming from ahead,
Range: behind, or the right (DM's option).
Preparation Time: If the psionicist and his companions have
Area of Effect: personal enough warning, they can do something to
Prerequisites: none —
prepare getting into defensive positions, pre-
A character using this power has an unusu- paring spells, or running away, for example. If
ally keen understanding of his enemies and they have less than one round of warning, the
their fighting tactics. As a result, the psioni- DM must decide how much preparation is
side in combat gains a
cist's -1 bonus when possible. In any case, they always gain a +2

making initiative die rolls. This is cumulative bonus on their own surprise rolls.

with any other modifiers which may apply. Power Score — The psionicist learns how far
Power Score — The psionicist (but not his away the danger is.
companions) also gains a +1 AC bonus. 20 — The psionicist cannot sense danger suc-
—
20 The psionicist and his companions suf-
cessfully for ld6 hours.
fer a +1 initiative penalty.

Clairsentience • 33
Feel Light Power Score — The psionicist can detect
same experience level.
noise like a thief of the
Power Score: Wis -3 —
20 For ld4 rounds, any sound causes 1
Initial Cost: 7
point of damage per round and is garbled.
Maintenance Cost: 5/round
Range:
Hear Light
Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: special Power Score: Wis -3
Prerequisites: none Initial Cost: 6
Maintenance Cost: 3/round
This extrasensory power allows the psioni-
Range:
cist to experience light through tactile sensa-
Preparation Time:
tions (by touch). His entire body becomes a
Area of Effect: special
receiver for light waves. In effect, his body re-
Prerequisites: none
places his eyes; he can see what his eyes would
normally reveal. (His field of vision does not This extrasensory power resembles "feel
change.) This power does not allow him to see light," but it relies on the character's hearing
in the dark, since there must be light for him to rather than his sense of touch. A
character
feel. Nor does it counter magical darkness, who has been blinded, either artificially, natu-
which actually destroys or blocks light waves. rally, or by an injury, can "see" with his ears.
The character gains a +4 bonus when saving Any light waves which reach him are con-
against gaze attacks. verted to sound, and he "hears" the image. The
—
Power Score The character can feel light image hismind perceives is just like an image
in all directions. offered by normal sight, and the character suf-
20 — The psionicist becomes overly sensitive fers no penalties for anything requiring vision.
to light for ldlO rounds. Exposure to light Power Score — The psionicist can "hear" in
causes 1 point of damage per round, and the the dark, as if he had infravision.
character cannot see. —
20 Bright light causes deafness, and all

other light is just a buzz.

Feel Sound
Power Score: Wis -3
Know Direction
Initial Cost: 5 Power Score: Int
Maintenance Cost: 3/round Initial Cost: 1
Range: Maintenance Cost: na
Preparation Time: Range:
Area of Effect: special Preparation Time:
Prerequisites: none Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisites: none
This power is almost identical to feeling
light, but it makes the psionicist's body sensi- The psionicist becomes his own compass.
tive to sound. It allows him to continue hear- By paying 1 PSP and making a successful
ing when his ears are disabled. This power power check, he knows which way is north.
does not detect sound where there is none, Power Score — The power is automatically
however, nor is it effective inside magical si- maintained for one day.
lence. The psionicist gains a +2 bonus against —
20 The psionicist is disoriented; he cannot
sonic attacks or effects, including a siren's use this power again for ld6 hours.
song.

34 • Chapter Three
Object Reading: A wheel spins a horrid tale of the past.

Clairsentience • 35
Know Location Poison Sense

Power Score: Int Power Score: Wis

Initial Cost: 10 Initial Cost: 1
Maintenance Cost: na Maintenance Cost: na
Range: Range:
Preparation Time: 5 Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: personal Area of Effect: 1-yard radius
Prerequisites: none Prerequisites: none
This power enables a psionicist to detect the
This power is useful to characters who fre-
presence of poison and identify its location
quently travel by using teleportation, gates, or
within 1 yard of his body (or his presence, if he
via other planes of existence. When it works,
is using clairvoyance or traveling astrally).
the power reveals general information about
The type of poison is not revealed, only its
the character's location. The information is
presence. Any poison, including animal
usually no more detailed than the response of
venom, can be detected.
a simple farmer when asked, "Where am I?"
Power Score — The psionicist determines the
Typical answers include "a few miles south-
exact type of poison.
west of Waterdeep...as the crow flies," "in the
house of Kilgore the taxidermist," or "adrift on
—
20 If poison exists, the sense of it mentally
overwhelms the psionicist. The effects match
the Blood Sea."
those of actual exposure to the poison.
The higher the result of ihe power check, the
more precise the location will be. If the die roll
is 8 or more, the location is specified within a
Radial Navigation
mile or less. If the roll is 7 or less, the location Power Score: Int -3
is specified within 10 miles. Initial Cost: 4
The character can get additional informa- Maintenance Cost: 7/hour
tion that is than the initial answer
less specific Range:
if his player asks for it. (The psionicist does Preparation Time:
not make another power check.) For example, Area of Effect: personal
if the DM's first response is "you're in the Prerequisites: none
house of Kilgore the Taxidermist," the player
might then ask where the house is. The DM As long as this power is in use, the psionicist
knows where he is in relation to a fixed start-
might answer by saying Kilgore's house is in
ing point. In other words, no matter how or
Chendl, in the Kingdom of Furyondy.
where he moves, he still knows the exact direc-
—
Power Score The psionicist learns the ex-
tion and distance to his starting point.
act location he's trying to determine.
20— Nothing within 100 miles can be lo- He cannot necessarily tell someone how to
get back to that starting point, however. If he
cated with this power for 24 hours.
is in a maze or dungeon, for example, he may

know the starting point is 500 yards north, but

he cannot retrace his steps through the maze
automatically. Radial navigation does en-
hance his ability to do so, however. Every time
the character comes to a decision point — e.g.,
"should I turn right or left?"— the DM makes a

36 • Chapter Three
power check for him. If the check succeeds, This power enables a character to perceive
the character knows which way he came. If —
sound waves visually with his eyes by —
the roll fails, he (He can still main-
isn't sure. converting the sound waves to light impulses.
tain the power normally, however.) (It works in much the same way as feel light.)

Radial navigation can be helpful in several Only a character who can see normally can
ways that are not obvious. For example, tele- use this power. The psionicist can see sound
portation and other extraordinary means of even in darkness, because sound waves do not
travel become simpler. Let's say a character require light. The character can still be "blind-
cannot see a particular location because he's ed" by silence, however.
blindfolded. He leaves that location, but uses —
Power Score The psionicist can maintain
radial navigation to get a fix on it. That means this power for 1 PSP per round.
he can still teleport back there. Furthermore, —
20 Loud sounds cause "blindness," and all
if the character has a fix on a place, he can other sounds are as disturbing as bright lights.
reach it through the astral plane in just seven
hours, the minimum possible (assuming of Spirit Sense
course that he can travel through the astral
plane). And he can reach the same location by Power Score: Wis -3
dimension walking (see the psychoportation Initial Cost: 10
discipline) with no chance of getting lost. Ra- Maintenance Cost: na
can aid in telepathy, too. If the
dial navigation Range:
wants to make telepathic contact,
psionicist Preparation Time:
and he has a fix on the target's location, he Area of Effect: 15-yard radius
doesn't suffer the usual penalties for range. Prerequisites: none
If the character stops maintaining this

power, he loses his fix on the location. He can Using power allows the psionicist to
this
get it back by resuming this power and mak- sense the presence of "spirits" within 15
ing a successful power check within six hours. —
yards meaning ghosts, banshees, wraiths,
After six hours, the location is lost. Only one haunts, and other noncorporeal undead. If a
location can be fixed at a time unless the char- spirit frequently haunts the location at hand,
acter pays the maintenance cost individually the psionicist will know it. He will also know
for each. when within 15 yards, but he won't
a spirit is

Power Score — The psionicist can automati- be able to pinpoint its location.
cally retrace his steps to the starting point. —
Power Score The psionicist knows the ex-
—
20 The psionicist forgets where he is for act location of the spirits he senses.
ld4 rounds. —
20 The psionicist has aggravated the spir-
its (DM determines exact result).
See Sound

Power Score: Wis -3

Initial Cost: 6
Maintenance Cost: 3/round
Range: special
Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisites: none

Clairsentience • 37
 CHAPTER

Psychokinesis

Psychokinetic Sciences Power Score — The object is permanent. No

cost is expended to maintain it.

Create Object —
20 The power backfires, and a personal
belonging (chosen randomly) disintegrates.
Power Score: Int -4
Initial Cost: 16 Detonate
Maintenance Cost: 3 /round
Range: 20 yards Power Score: Con -3
Preparation Time: Initial Cost: 18
Area of Effect: special Maintenance Cost: na
Prerequisites: telekinesis Range: 60 yards
Preparation Time:
A psionicist with this power can assemble Area of Effect: one item, 8 cu. ft.

matter from air and the surrounding area to Prerequisites: telekinesis,

create a solid object. This object remains in ex- molecular agitation

istence as long as the psionicist pays the
power's maintenance cost. When he stops Some psionicists can make a bush self-

maintaining it, the object breaks into its con- destruct, or cause a zombie to explode. With
stituent parts. the detonate power, latent energy inside plants
An object created this way can have any or inanimate objects can be harnessed, fo-
shape, color, and texture the psionicist desires, cused, and released explosively. The power
provided it fulfills at least one of the following even works against animated undead (skele-
conditions: tons and zombies). It does not affect noncor-
• Fits entirely within a sphere no more poreal undead, such as ghosts, because they
than 4 feet in diameter. aren't material. Furthermore, the science has
• Fits entirely within a cylinder no no effect on animals of any sort, including in-
more than 20 feet long and 1 foot in telligent creatures such as humans, or undead

diameter. with free will.

• Fits entirely within a cylinder no The detonation inflicts ldlO points of dam-
more than 2 feet high and 6 feet in age upon all vulnerable objects which the
diameter. psionicist chooses to attack, within 10 feet. A
• Weighs no more than 10 pounds. saving throw vs. breath weapon reduces dam-
age to half. To determine what percentage of
Only available materials within 20 yards of the object was destroyed, multiply the result
the psionicist can be used in the construction. of the psionicists power check by 10. If the
However, these materials can be rearranged or product is 100 or more — i.e, 100% or more
restructured if the psionicist also has the the target has been completely destroyed.
power of molecular rearrangement. By com- Anything less means a few significant chunks
bining these two powers, he could manufac- remain.
ture diamonds from coal dust or a sword from No more than 8 cubic feet of material can be
rocks containing iron ore. destroyed with this power. A portion of a wall
If the power check result is a 1, the item con-
can be blown out, for example, but if the wall
tains a flaw —
e.g., a sword breaks when
is 10 inches thick, an opening about 3 feet

struck, a diamond contains impurities obvious square will appear.

to a jeweler, and so on. —
Power Score Damage and range double,
to 2dl0 points and 20 feet, respectively.

38 • Chapter Four
Detonate: Bodo eliminates a bone of contention.

Psychokinesis • 39
 20 — The air surrounding the initiator deto- Molecular rearrangement is the psionic
nates; everyone within 10 feet of him is at- equivalent of alchemy. By toying with an ob-
tacked. ject's molecular structure, the psionicist can
change its fundamental nature or properties.
Disintegrate This power cannot create matter or mass from
nothing, however. Nor can it change a materi-
Power Score: Wis -4
al's state from liquid to solid, gas to liquid, and
Initial Cost: 40
so on. It is best suited to converting one sort of
Maintenance Cost: na
element into another, but it can also be used
Range: 50 yards
Preparation Time:
for more complex operations — neutralizing a
poison, for example.
Area of Effect: one item, 8 cu. ft.
Converting one element to another is usu-
Prerequisites: telekinesis, soften
which one ounce of
ally a simple operation, in
The disintegrate science reduces an item or material can be changed each hour. Typical
creature to microscopic pieces and scatters conversions of this type include steel to lead,
them. Anything is vulnerable unless it is pro- or any metal to gold. More complex rear-
tected by magical shielding such as a minor or rangement, like changing a metal to glass or
regular globe of invulnerability or by an iner- changing a wooden goblet to a ruby goblet,
tial barrier. The psionicist chooses his target, takes four times longer.
but he can disintegrate no more than 8 cubic The creation of gold coins from other metals
feet of material with one use of this power. is it's no way to get rich quick. At
possible, but
If the target is an inanimate object, it must the rate of one ounce per hour, it would take
save vs. disintegration; success means it is un- 16 hours — about two work days — to change
affected. If the target is a living creature, char- 10 copper pieces into 10 gold pieces, for a net
an undead creature with free will,
acter, or it profit of 9 gold pieces.
must make a saving throw vs. death magic. If Molecular rearrangement is often used to
it succeeds, the creature feels only a slight tin- create superior weapons. A psionically tem-
gle, but is otherwise unaffected. If the save pered weapon may receive a +1 on damage
fails, the creature is disintegrated (or 8 cubic rolls (see "Weapon Quality" in Chapter 6 of
feet right its center, which should be
out of the DM.G). The process is time-consuming,
enough most anything).
to kill however. For example, a typical short sword
—
Power Score The power affects 16 cubic takes at least 40 hours to temper psionically.
feet and saves are made with a -5 penalty. (The average short sword weighs 3 pounds, or
—
20 The power backfires and it affects the 48 ounces, most of which is the blade.) A
initiator (save with +5 bonus). psionically tempered weapon does not auto-
matically offer a +1 attack-roll bonus. In or-
Molecular Rearrangement dei" to receive that bonus, the psionicist must

1) have the weaponsmithing proficiency and

Power Score: Int -5
2) make a successful proficiency check when
Initial Cost: 20 he fashions the weapon.
Maintenance Cost: 10 per hour The psionicist makes his power check when
Range: 2 yards the process is complete. If it fails, he did not
Preparation Time: 2 hours waste all his effort. The difference between the
Area of Effect: one item and his power score, multi-
character's die roll
Prerequisite: molecular
telekinesis,
pliedby 10, equals the percentage of work
manipulation which must be redone.

40 • Chapter Four
 / V

O %

If the roll is 1, the item seems perfect but Telekinesis

contains a hidden flaw which will cause it to
Power Score: Wis -3
break, or fail, or simply look wrong when it is
Initial Cost: 3 +
put to use (the ruby goblet might leak, for ex-
Maintenance Cost: 1 + /round
ample, or the sword might contain a soft por-
Range: 30 yards
tion which causes it to bend).
Preparation Time:
This power has no effect against living crea-
Area of Effect: single item
tures weighing more than one ounce. Crea-
Prerequisite: none
tures weighing one ounce or less are killed if
their molecules are rearranged. Telekinesis, or "TK" for short, is the ability
—
Power Score The new material is extraor- to move objects through space without touch-
dinary (DM's arbitration). ing them. All telekinetic efforts tend to be
—
20 The item is seriously flawed and utterly physically taxing, because they involve real
useless. work. Moving small, light objects is relatively
easy. As become more massive, the
the objects
Project Force task becomes significantly more difficult.
The costs above (3 PSPs initially and 1 per
Power Score: Con -2
round of maintenance) assume that the object
Initial Cost: 10
being moved weighs 3 pounds or less. For
Maintenance Cost: na
heavier objects, these rules apply:
Range: 200 yards
• The initial cost equals the object's weight
Preparation Time:
in pounds.
Area of Effect: na
• The maintenance cost is half the initial
Prerequisites: telekinesis
cost, rounded down.
Some psionicists can push, shove, and oth- • The character's power score is decreased
erwise bully an opponent from afar. Project by one-third of the object's weight in
force allows the psionicist to focus a psycho- pounds, rounded down.
kinetic "punch" against a target up to 200 For example, to telekinetically snatch a 15-
yards away. pound battle axe from a rack, a psionicist must
If used offensively, this punch causes dam- pay 15 PSPs and make a power check with a
age equal to ld6 points plus the target's armor — 5 modifier to his score.
class (negative armor classes reduce the dam- A psionicist using TK can move an object up
age). For example, a target with armor class 5 to 60 feet per round. The object can serve as a
would suffer 6 to 11 points of damage (1 to 6 weapon. In this case, the character attacks us-
points, plus 5). A successful save vs. breath ing his own THAC0 score, with a penalty
weapon reduces damage by half.
the equaling the object's weight modifier (one-
This rather unsubtle blow can also be used third its weight, rounded down).
to trigger traps, throw levers, open doors (if —
Power Score The character can lift a sec-
they aren't locked or latched), break win- ond item of equal or lesser weight simultane-
dows, and the like. ously for the same cost.
Power Score — The blow also knocks down —
20 The psionicist "fumbles" the item,
the target if it is roughly man-sized or smaller. knocking it over, etc.
20 — The blow strikes the initiator.

Psychokinesis • 41
Psychokinetic Devotions Animate Shadow
Animate Object Power Score: Wis -3
Initial Cost: 7
Power Score: Int -3 Maintenance Cost: 3 /round
Initial Cost: 8 Range: 40 yards
Maintenance Cost: 3 /round Preparation Time:
Range: 50 yards Area of Effect: 100 sq. ft
Preparation Time: Prerequisites: none
Area of Effect: 1 object, 100 lbs
Prerequisites: telekinesis With this devotion the psionicist can ani-
mate the shadow cast by anyone or anything
Inanimate objects can be "brought to life" and make it seem to have life of its own. The
with this devotion. The objects are not actu- shadow can even move away from the person
ally alive, but they move under the psionicist's or thing that castit. It must, however, remain
control as if they were. For example, chairs flatly castalong a surface. It can never be
may walk, trees may dance, and stones may more than two-dimensional.
waddle around. An animated shadow can't really do any-
The object being animated must weigh 100 thing other than startle or amuse someone. It
pounds or less. The material being animated cannot attack or disrupt a mage's concentra-
affects the difficulty of the task; stronger or tion. In this regard, it is similar to a cantrip's
more brittle materials are harder to animate effect. It can serve as a diversion by entertain-
than weak or floppy materials. Once ani- ing someone or attracting a guard's attention.
mated, however, all materials become flexible Power Score — The range increases to 100
to some extent. yards.
—
20 The shadow disappears completely for
Power Score one round.
Material Modifier
Cloth, paper Ballistic Attack
Live wood, dead animal -1
Dead wood -2 Power Score: Con -2
Water -3 Initial Cost: 5
Thin metal -4 Maintenance Cost: na
Thick metal -5 Range: 30 yards
Stone -6 Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: 1 item, 1 lb
Fluid motion is not common. The animated Prerequisites: telekinesis
item moves more like a puppet. Its move-
ments are jerky and clumsy, and if the item This power can make any psionicist a
was rigid to begin with, it makes a loud creak- "David" when he's facing "Goliath." It's a spe-
ing, groaning, or grating sound. It can move cial variation of the telekinesis science. Instead
60 feet per round (movement rate 6), in any of moving anyobject relatively slowly, ballistic
direction chosen by the psionicist. It can at- attack allows the character to hurl a small ob-
tack as a club with a THAC0 of 20. ject at a target. The object, no more than 1

Power Score — Animation is smooth and pound weight, can achieve deadly speeds. It
in

lifelike. must be within sight of the psionicist and can-

20— No additional effect. not be anchored or attached to anything else.
A rock is the most common weapon.

42 • Chapter Four
 The psionicist uses his regular THACO to or poking at a red dragon, the victim can
cliff

determine whether he hits the target. If he suc- fightanother contest with the psionicist to re-
ld6 points of damage
ceeds, the missile inflicts gain control (the adrenaline rush of imminent
(assuming, of course, that the character made danger gives him renewed strength).
a successful power check in the first place). —
Power Score The psionicist automatically
—
Power Score Damage increases to ldl2. wins the initial psychic contest.
—
20 Ballistic boomerang. The psionicist be- —
20 The psionicist suffers partial paralysis
comes the object's target. (an arm or leg) for ldlO turns.

Control Body Control Flames

Power Score: Con -2 Power Score: Wis -1
Initial Cost: 8 Initial Cost: 6
Maintenance Cost: 8/round Maintenance Cost: 3 /round
Range: 80 yards Range: 40 yards
Preparation Time: Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: individual Area of Effect: 10 sq. ft

Prerequisites: telekinesis Prerequisites: telekinesis

This science allows psychokinetic control of By controlling flames, a psionicist can make
another person's body. In effect, the victim be- a normal fire bigger, smaller, hotter, or colder.
comes a marionette. He knows that someone He can even make it move around as if it were
else is pulling his strings, though, and he's a living creature.
probably mad as all get-out. A fire's size can be increased by 100 % or de-

Before science actually works, the

this creased by 50%. If the fire's heat is increased,
psionicist must engage in a psychic contest, it causes double damage. If its heat is reduced,

pitting his power score directly against the vic- the damage is halved. This applies to flaming
tim's Strength. If the victim wins the contest, torches, burning oil, and other normal fires,
he breaks free (the psionicist still pays the but not to magical fires such as fireballs or
power cost). In a tie, the contest continues into burning hands.
the next round, provided the psionicist main- An animated fire can move up to 90 feet per
tains the power. The victim can't do anything round (MR 9) It can be shaped like a person or
.

elseduring this contest; all his effort is focused an animal, as long as it covers no more than 10
on retaining control of his own body. square feet of ground. If the fire moves away
If the power works, the psionicist has rudi- from its fuel, it can survive for only one more
mentary control over the victim's limbs. He round, then dies out.
can make the victim stand up, sit down, walk, An animated fire can also attack by engulfing
turn around, etc. The body can be forced to at- an opponent. The psionicist must make an at-
tack physically, but with a - 6 penalty on at- tack roll using his regular THACO. If successful,
tack rolls (using the victim's own THACO). the attack causes ld6 points of damage.
The victim can't be forced to speak. In fact, he —
Power Score Size can increase up to 200%
keeps control over his own voice and can say or decrease to 0% (the fire is extinguished).
whatever he likes. —
20 The psionicist burns himself, suffering
The victim must stay within the 80-yard ld4 points of damage.
range or the psionicist's control is broken au-

tomatically. If the body is forced to do some-

thing obviously suicidal, like walking off a

Psychokinesis • 43
Control Light This power allows the psionicist to shape and
alter existing sounds. As a woman speaks, for
Power Score: Int
example, the psionicist could change her words
Initial Cost: 12
into a lion's roar, or even into different words.
Maintenance Cost: 4/round
Or he could disguise the sound of 20 men
Range: 25 yards
marching past a guard as falling rain. Sounds
Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: 400 sq. ft
—
can also be layered so that one singing person
sounds like an entire choir, for example.
Prerequisites: none
If the character's power check is a 1, some-
The psionicist can manipulate existing light thing about the sound he's altered isn't quite
with devotion. He cannot create light
this right, so arouses suspicion. If he is trying to
it

from darkness, but he can create darkness exactly duplicate another voice, this fault oc-
from light. This power can accomplish the fol- curs on a roll of 1 or 2.
lowing, and anything else the allows: DM This power can also dampen a sound. The
• Deepen existing shadows, making them player must specify which sound the character
inky black. A thief hiding in this shadow intends to eliminate; the power has no area of
gets a 20% bonus on his ability roll. effect. For example, the psionicist might quiet
• Lighten existing shadows, reducing a the sound of a hammer, muffle the words
thief's hiding ability by 20% from someone's mouth, or eliminate the
• Brighten a light source until it hurts to creaking of a door. He could not do all three
look at it. This gives everyone exposed to simultaneously, however.
the light a -2 penalty on attack rolls. —
Power Score The maintenance cost is re-
• Dim a light source so it resembles twi- duced to 1 PSP per round.
light. This does not affect anyone's attack 20 —Aloud boom erupts from the psioni-
rolls. cist's location.
• Extend shadows into areas that are other-
wise well lit. Only an existing shadow can Control Wind
be extended, but its size can be increased
by 200% (i.e., its size can be tripled). Power Score: Con -4
• Extend light into areas that are otherwise Initial Cost: 16
in shadow. Shadows can be reduced in Maintenance Cost: 10/round
size by 50%. Range: 500 yards
Power Score— The maintenance cost is re- Preparation Time: 2
duced to 1 PSP per round. Area of Effect: 1,000 yards
20 — The effect is the opposite of what is de- Prerequisites: telekinesis
sired, and maintenance fails.
The psionicist can gain limited control over
Control Sound wind speed and direction with this devotion.
The speed of any existing wind can be in-
Power Score: Int -5
creased or decreased by 10 miles per hour or
Initial Cost: 5
25%, whichever is greater. The direction of
Maintenance Cost: 2/round
the wind can also be changed by up to 90 de-
Range: 100 yards
grees.
Preparation Time:
These changes are temporary, lasting only
Area of Effect: na
as long as the psionicist pays the maintenance
Prerequisites: none

44 • Chapter Four
cost. The changes occur within moments after man voice is being mimicked, this happens on
he wills them, and die out in less than a minute a roll of 1 or 2.
when he stops maintaining them. Created sounds cannot have any magical ef-
Winds above 19 miles per hour prevent any- fect. The psionicist might duplicate a ban-
thing smaller than a man or a condor from fly- shee's wail, for example, but it cannot harm
ing and impose a -4 modifier on missile fire. anyone.
They whip up waves on the sea and make
also —
Power Score Sound volume can be up to
sailing Winds gusting at over 32
difficult. that of a dragon's roar.
miles per hour cause minor damage to ships 20 — A loud boom erupts near the initiator.
and buildings. These gusts also kick up clouds
of dust, and prevent all but the largest crea- Inertial Barrier
tures from flying. Winds over 55 miles per
hour prevent all flight, knock down trees and Power Score: Con -3
wooden buildings, and threaten to swamp Initial Cost: 7
ships. Winds over 73 miles per hour are hurri- Maintenance Cost: 5/round
cane gales. Range:
Power Score — The psionicist gains total di- Preparation Time:
rection control and can change speeds by up to Area of Effect: 3-yard diam
25 mph or 50%, whichever is greater. Prerequisites: telekinesis
20— No additional effect.
The inertial barrier is a defense. The psioni-
Create Sound cist creates a barrier of "elastic" air around
himself and anyone else within 3 yards. Like
Power Score: Int -2 an unpoppable, semipermeable bubble, this
Initial Cost: 8 barrier helps soften missile blows and can
Maintenance Cost: 3/round shield those inside from many forms of dam-
Range: 100 yards age.
Preparation Time: Specifically, the barrier helps protect
Area of Effect: na against the following, by absorbing some (or
Prerequisites: telekinesis, control with luck all) damage:
of the potential
sound • Any nonmagical missile weapon.
• Any physical missile which was created
Unlike the control sound devotion, this with magic.
power allows a psionicist to create sound from • Anymissile with magical pluses.
silence. That means the psionicist can choose • Flames.
the source or location of the sound. For exam- • Some breath weapon attacks, depending
ple, he can make rocks sing, weapons cast in- on the nature of the breath.
sults, and trees sound as if a battle is occurring • Acid. The barrier stops or slows the at-
inside. The sound can be as soft as a whisper tack. This doesn't matter much if the acid
or as loud as several people shouting in uni- comes from above, because it just drips
son. Once the sound is created, the psionicist on the characters.
can control it without expending additional • Gas. The barrier turns it aside, at least
PSPs (other than normal maintenance). partially (depending on the defender's die
Ifthe die roll for the character's power check roll), but after a turn it will eventually
is a 1, the sound is not quite true and may work its way inside and take full effect.
arouse suspicion in listeners. If a specific hu-

46 • Chapter Four
 • Falling. A psionicist with an inertial bar- Levitation
rier in place suffers only one-half damage
from a fall; the barrier absorbs a lot of the Power Score: Wis -3
impact, but the character still gets banged Initial Cost: 12
around inside. Maintenance Cost: 2/round
The inertial barrier has no effect against the Range:
following: Preparation Time:
• Missiles conjured from pure magic. Area of Effect: individual
• Raw
heat or cold. Prerequisites: telekinesis
• Pure energy or light.
• Gaze weapons. Levitation allows the user to float. It is the
Furthermore, the barrier cannot keep ene- use of telekinesis on oneself.
mies out, but it does slows them a bit. Anyone A character can lift himself at the rate of 1
trying to cross the barrier must stop moving foot per second, or 60 feet per round. The
when he hits it. He can then cross inside (or character can descend as quickly as he wants
outside) in the next round. by simply letting himself fall, then slowing
Handling Missile Attacks: The inertial bar- down as he nears the ground.
riersaps energy from missile weapons by tight- Levitation is not flying; it doesn't provide
ening around them as they pass through. If a any horizontal movement. The character can
missile strikes its target inside the barrier, the hover motionless, and will drift with the wind,
attacker rolls damage normally. The defender however. He can also push himself off a wall
then rolls the same type of die (as the attacker or other fixed object and drift up to 60 feet per
just did) to see how much damage the barrier round in a straight line, but he can't stop until
absorbed. The defender does not include any he meets another solid object or lowers himself
magical pluses the weapon may have. to the ground.
The defender then subtracts the result of his Two other powers — control wind and pro-
die roll from the attacker's damage. If any- ject force —
can help the levitating psionicist
thing is left over, the defender loses that many propel himself forward. Control wind allows
hit points. If the defender's roll equals or ex- him to determine the direction in which he
ceeds the total damage, the weapon falls drifts. Project force allows him to create a
harmlessly to the ground. If the missile is ex- "wall" wherever wanted; movement is up
it's

plosive, the barrier does prevent damage, but to 60 feet per round, in any direction. Each
not the explosion. change of direction or speed is a distinct use of
The barrier does not differentiate the direc- the power, however, and costs PSPs.
tion of travel. If a weapon is fired from the in- A psionicist can always levitate his own
side, the penalties above still apply. weight. Additional weight, however, such as
Power Score — The barrier blocks an addi- equipment or passengers, is a hindrance.
tional point per die. Every 25 pounds of added weight reduces the
20 — The psionicist creates a bizarre wind- character's power score by one point.
pocket that knocks him to the ground. —
Power Score The rate of levitation is dou-
bled (to 120 feet/round).
—
20 The psionicist doubles his weight for
one round. If he falls, he suffers an extra d6
points of damage.

Psychokinesis • 47
Molecular Agitation Molecular Manipulation

Power Score: Wis Power Score: Int -3

Initial Cost: 7 Initial Cost: 6
Maintenance Cost: 6/round Maintenance Cost: 5/round
Range: 40 yards Range: 15 yards
Preparation Time: Preparation Time: 1
Area of Effect: 1 item, 20 lbs. Area of Effect: 2 sq. inches
Prerequisites: none Prerequisites: telekinesis

Molecular agitation enables the user to ex- This power allows the user to weaken the
cite the molecules of a substance: paper ig- molecular bonds within an object or struc-
nites, wood smolders, skin blisters, water ture. When someone stresses the object or
boils, etc. The
below shows what's possi-
list strikes a blow it, it snaps.
ble, depending on how many rounds the sub- The psionicist can create a "breaking point"
stance is agitated. of approximately two square inches per
round. Deterioration occurs across a plane (in
1 round: readily flammable materials (e.g., two dimensions, not three). One round's work
paper, dry grass) ignite, skin becomes red is enough to fatally weaken most small
and tender (1 point of damage), wood be- objects —
e.g., swords, ropes, saddle straps,
comes dark. belts, and bows. Larger objects require more
2 rounds: wood smolders and smokes, metal time,and DM
discretion.
becomes hot to the touch, skin blisters (ld4 DMs must decide how vulnerable this
points of damage), hair smolders, paint power makes larger, oddly shaped items like
shrivels. shields or doors. They should keep in mind
3 rounds: wood ignites, metal scorches (ld4 that an object need not be in two pieces before
points of damage), skin burns away (ld6 it's virtually useless. For example, a
little boat
points of damage), water boils, lead melts with a cracked hull is unsafe at sea. And a
(damage does not increase after this round, shield that is split halfway across offers little
but does continue). or no protection; if successive blows don't
4 rounds: steel grows soft. shatter it, they certainly will rattle the holder's
5 rounds: steel melts. arm unmercifully.
Power Score — Weakening occurs at twice
Where magical items are concerned, allow the rate above.
saving throws against destruction, but add a —
20 The item is strengthened. Now it re-
+ 10 penalty to the saving throw number (this quires twice the normal effort to weaken.
heat is quite destructive, coming from inside
the material rather than outside).
—
Power Score After round one, the rate of
agitation doubles (3 rounds of damage occurs
in just 2, 5 rounds of damage occurs in 3).
—
20 An item belonging to the psionicist
(chosen at random) is affected for one round.

48 • Chapter Four
Soften Wood: Like metal, weapons with wooden
shafts or handles suffer a - 1 penalty to attack
Power Score: Int
rolls and damage per round of softening. Af-
Initial Cost: 4
ter six rounds, wood becomes stringy and rub-
Maintenance Cost: 3/round
bery but retains its shape. After 10 rounds, the
Range: 30 yards
grain can be split easily and a punch can break
Preparation Time:
through even the hardest and thickest doors
Area of Effect: 1 object, 10 lbs
or chests.
Prerequisites: none
Stone: After two rounds, stone becomes
This power resembles molecular manipula- noticeably soft to the touch. After five
tion, except that it weakens the entire object rounds, it can be worked like stiff clay, but
instead of small area across a single plane. The this is as soft as it gets.
object softens overall, losing its rigidity and Magical Items: Save vs. crushing blow to
strength. Specific effects vary, depending on escape the effect entirely.
the material. Living Tissue: No effect.
Metal: For each round of softening, weap-
ons incur a -1 penalty to attack rolls and DMs can use their own judgement and the
cause one less point of damage, cumulatively. examples above to handle other materials.
The armor class of metal armor increases one —
Power Score All effects are doubled.
point per round of softening. After 10 rounds, —
20 The item is strengthened, and can't be
any metal becomes soft and rubbery, but re- affected again until the psionicist gains one
tains its shape. level.

A githyanki and an intellect devourer go head to head

Psychokinesis • 49
 CHAPTER

Psychometabolism

Psychometabolic Sciences 12 Panther (black leopard)

13 Percheron (draft horse)
Animal Affinity 14 Peregrine falcon (hawk)
Power Score: Con -4 15 Rattlesnake
Initial Cost: 15 16 Scorpion, giant
Maintenance Cost: 4/round 17 Shark
Range: 18 Stag
Preparation Time: 19 Tiger
Area of Effect: personal 20 Wolf
Prerequisite: none Power Score — The character gains two abil-
When the psionicist first learns this power, ities instead of one.
he develops an affinity for a particular type of 20 — The character's skin takes on the ap-
animal. He cannot choose the animal; the af- pearance of the animal's skin until the power is

finity is dictated by his aura. To determine the used again successfully (no change in AC).
nature of the affinity, the psionicist's player
rolls ld20 and consults the table below. Complete Healing
From that point on, when the character in- Power Score: Con
vokes this power, he can claim one of the ani- Initial Cost: 30
mal's attributes as his own — temporarily. He Maintenance Cost: na
can gain the animal's armor class, movement Range:
rate and mode, attacks and damage, THACO, Preparation Time: 24 hours
hit points, or any other special ability. Only Area of Effect: personal
one of these can be used however.
at a time, Prerequisite: none
The effect lasts as long as the psionicist main-
tains the power. Switching to a different abil- The psionicist who has mastered this power
ity means paying the initial cost of the power can heal himself completely of all ailments,
again,and making a new power check. wounds, and normal diseases. He places him-
The character does undergo a physical self in a trance for 24 hours to accomplish the

change when this power is invoked. The ex-
tent of the change depends on the animal and
the ability. For example, adopting a hawk's
movement obviously requires wings, while at-
tacking like a tiger calls for fangs and claws.
1 Ape
2 Barracuda
3 Boar
healing. The trance is deep, and cannot be bro-
ken unless the character loses 5 or more hit
points. As he uses this power, the psionicist's
body is repairing itself at an incredible rate. At
the end of the 24-hour period, the character
awakes, restored to complete health in every
regard except for the 30 PSPs he expended to
use complete healing.
If the character's power check fails, he

4 Bull breaks his trance after only one hour, having

5 Crocodile realized that the power was not working.
6 Eagle, giant Only 5 PSPs have been expended.
7 Elephant —
Power Score The healing occurs in just
8 Falcon one hour.
9 Griffon 20— The psionicist awakes after the full 24
10 Grizzly bear hours to discover that the attempt failed. He
11 Lion has expended 5 PSPs.

50 • Chapter Five
Chameleon Power: Leif makes like a tree and fells a goblin.

Psychometabolism • 51
Death Field energy that would fry, freeze, or otherwise
harm a normal character. Any physical assault
Power Score: Con -8 based on these energy types can be drawn into
Initial Cost: 40
the psionicists body. The character transforms
Maintenance Cost: na
the energy, and safely releases it as visible radi-
Range:
ance (light).
Preparation Time: 3
In effect, this protects the psionicist against
Area of Effect: 20 yd. rad
energy attacks. If the psionicist makes a suc-
Prerequisite: none power check, he can double the result
cessful
A death field is a life-sapping region of neg- of his die roll when saving against an energy
ative energy. Only psionicists of evil align- attack. If the character makes a successful sav-
ment can learn this power without suffering ing throw, he suffers no damage from the at-
side effects. If any other psionicist tries to tack. If he fails, he suffers only half damage,
learn the death field, his alignment will gradu- regardless of what the spell description (if ap-
allybe twisted toward evil as he explores this plicable) states.
very dark portion of his psyche. When the character absorbs energy, he radi-
A successful death field takes it toll on ev- ates visible light for a number of rounds equal
eryone inside it, including the psionicist. Be- to the points of damage he absorbed. If he suf-
fore he initiates this power, he must decide fered half damage, he radiates for that many
how many hit points he will sacrifice. If the rounds. he suffered no damage, roll for
If

power works, the loss is inevitable; he gets no
saving throw. Every other living thing within
the death field must make a saving throw vs.
death. Those who succeed escape damage.
Those who fail lose the same number of hit
points as the psionicist. For the weak, that can
mean death.
Power Score — The pionicist loses only half
the number of hit points he specifies; victims
who fail their saving throws lose the full
damage anyway to see how long he glows.
This glow is definitely noticeable, but it is soft,
and illuminates no more than an area with a 2-
yard radius.
—
Power Score All saves against energy at-
tacks automatically succeed during the round
in which the power is in effect.
—
20 The psionicist becomes an energy at-
tractor for 1 turn. All saves vs. energy attacks
fail, causing full standard damage.

amount.
—
20 The power fails, but the psionicist loses Life Draining
the hit points anyway.
Power Score: Con -3
Initial Cost: 11
Energy Containment
Maintenance Cost: 5/round
Power Score: Con -2 Range: touch
Initial Cost: 10 Preparation Time:
Maintenance Cost: na Area of Effect: individual
Range: Prerequisites: none
Preparation Time:
With this devotion, a psionicist can drain
Area of Effect: personal
hitpoints from another character and use
Prerequisite: none
them to recover his own. This transfer occurs
A power has trained
psionicist with this at the rate of ld6 points per round.
himself to safely absorb and assimilate energy The character can absorb up to 10 more hit

from electricity, fire, cold, heat, and sound— points than his healthy total, but these bonus

52 • Chapter Five
points last only one hour. After that, if the Shadow-form
psionicist still has more hit points than he
Power Score: Con -6
should, the excess points vanish.
Cost: 12
—
Power Score Rate of drain increases to
Initial
Maintenance Cost: 3/round
ld20 points per round.
Range:
—
20 Backfire! Half of the psionicist's re-
Preparation Time:
maining hit points are absorbed by the target,
Area of Effect: personal
reversing the power's effects.
Prerequisites: none
Metamorphosis A psionicist using this power actually trans-
forms himself into living shadow, along with
Power Score: Con -6
his clothing, armor, and up to 20 pounds of
Initial Cost: 21
equipment. He can blend perfectly into any
Maintenance Cost: 1/turn
other shadow and travel with a movement
Range:
rate of 6. He can only travel through darkness
Preparation Time: 5
and shadow, however. Areas of open light are
Area of Effect: personal
impassable.
Prerequisites: none
While in shadow-form, the psionicist can be
This science resembles polymorphing, but it detected only by life detection, other types of
has a much wider application. The psionicist psychic detection, or by a true seeing spell. He
can change himself into anything with approx- cannot harm anyone physically, or manipu-
imately the same mass as his body: a wolf, a late any corporeal object, but he can still use
condor, a chair, a rock, a tree. While in this psionic powers.
form, he retains his own hit points and If the psionicist rolls a 1 on his power check,
THACO, if possible, but gains the armor class he becomes shadow but none of his clothing or
the new form. The psionicist also gains all equipment makes the switch.
physical attacks that form allows, but no mag- —
Power Score The psionicist gains all desir-
ical or special abilities. (This all depends on able powers of the "shadow" monster for ld4
the new form; a tree cannot attack, so turns.
THACOs and attacks are meaningless.) —
20 The player must roll a save vs. light-
Like any massive change of shape, however, ning for the psionicist's most valuable item. If
this causes great physical stress. The psionicist it fails, the item becomes shadow and drifts

must make a system shock roll to survive the away, lost forever.
change. If the roll fails, he does not die, but the
PSPs are expended and he passes out for 2d6 Psychometabolic Devotions
turns.
—
Power Score The system shock roll auto- Absorb Disease
matically succeeds, and the new form's mass Power Score: Con -3
can be up to three times that of the psionicist's Initial Cost: 12
body. Maintenance Cost: na
20 — The psionicist must save vs. paralyza- Range: touch
tion. Failure means he changes to the new Preparation Time:
form permanently. Area of Effect: individual
Prerequisite: none

Psychometabolism • 53
 This power lets the psionicist take the disease By controlling the production and release of
from another character's body, and absorb it adrenalin in his system, the psionicist can give
himself. Presumably, the psionicist will then himself temporary physical boosts on de-
heal himself (using complete healing). This mand. When he increases his adrenalin, the
power can absorb magical diseases, but not character gains ld6 points, which he can add
curses, such as lycanthropy. directly to his Strength, Dexterity, or Consti-
—
Power Score The disease is automatically tution scores however he chooses. He enjoys
destroyed by the psionicist's immune system. all the normal bonuses for high physical at-
—
20 The disease remains in the victim while tributes while this power is in effect.
spreading to the psionicist. If the psionicist'spower check result is a 1,
he overtaxes his system with this adrenalin.
Adrenalin Control He still gets the boost, but he loses twice that
Power Score: Con -3 many hit points, too.

Initial Cost: 8 Power Score — Instead

of dividing the d6 re-
Maintenance Cost: 4/round sult, thecharacter applies that many points to
Range: each of the three attributes.
Preparation Time: —
20 The psionicist must make a successful
Area of Effect: personal system shock roll or suffer a 50% loss in cur-
Prerequisite: none rent hps and pass out for ld8 hours.

Animal Affinity: Two ogres have an eye-opening experience.

54 • Chapter Five
*Sing Body Control
Power Score: Con -5 Power Score: Con -4
Initial Cost: 10 Initial Cost: 7
Maintenance Cost: na Maintenance Cost: 5 /turn
Range: touch Range:
Preparation Time: Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: individual Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisite: none Prerequisite: none
With this power, an evil psionicist can cause This power allows a psionicist to adapt his
unnatural aging by touch. (Other psionicists
body to a hostile enviroment. The change
can use this power, too, but their alignment must be keyed to a specific surrounding: wa-
would begin to twist toward evil.) The victim ter, acid, extreme heat, extreme cold, an ele-
ages ld4 years instantly and must make a sav-
mental plane, etc. If the power works, the
ing throw vs. polymorph. Failure means that
psionicist not only survives, he fits in like a na-
the change was traumatic, and he ages another
tive organism. He can breathe and move nor-
year automatically.
mally, and he takes no damage simply from
If power check result was a 1,
the psionicists
being in that environment.
there is and he, too, ages ld4 years.
a backlash
An attack in any form does not constitute
—
Power Score The victim ages ld20 years. an environment. For example, a character
—
20 The psionicist ages ldlO years. who can survive subarctic temperatures is still
vulnerable to a cone of cold.
Biofeedback —
Power Score The psionicist can adapt
Power Score: Con -2 himself to a new environment while maintain-
Initial Cost: 6 ing the power.
Maintenance Cost: 3/round —
20 The character becomes even more vul-
Range: nerable, and the environment causes ld4
Preparation Time: points of damage per round. (A second use of
Area of Effect: personal body control halts damage.)
Prerequisite: none
Body Equilibrium
Biofeedback is the power to control the flow
of blood through one's own body. This power Power Score: Con -3
has two key effects. Initial Cost: 2
First, the psionicist can easily control bleed- Maintenance Cost: 2/round
ing. As a result, he suffers two fewer points of Range:
damage from every attack against him which Preparation Time:
causes physical injury. Area of Effect: personal
Second, by flooding key portions of his Prerequisite: none
body with blood, the psionicist effectively
cushions blows against him and reduces their Body equilibrium allows the user to adjust
effect. The character's armor class is reduced the weight of his or her body to correspond
by one. with the surface he's standing on. Thus he can
—
Power Score AC is reduced by three. walk on water, quicksand, or even a spider's

20 — Excessive blood flow results in scat- web without sinking or breaking through. If
tered bruises and a 10% hp loss. the character is falling when he uses this

Psychometabolism • 55
Expansion: Yuri will go to any length for a joke.

56 • Chapter Five
power, he will fall 120 feet per round slow — A character using this power can spring like a
enough to escape injury. cat in the same round, and always land grace-
Because of his lightness, the character must fully on He still suffers damage from
his feet.
be wary of wind gusts, which can easily sweep falling, but the damage is halved. He can jump
him up and blow him away. down 30 feet without risking any injury at all.
—
Power Score The effect lasts up to a day Power Score — The psionicist can jump 50
without maintenance. feet instead of 30 during this single use of the
—
20 The psionicist's weight instantly rises power.
by a factor of 10; he must use body equilib- 20— No effect.
rium to fix the problem.
Cause Decay
Body Weaponry Power Score: Con -2
Initial Cost: 4
Power Score: Con -3
Maintenance Cost: na
Initial Cost: 9
Range: touch
Maintenance Cost: 4/round
Preparation Time:
Range:
Area of Effect: 60 lbs
Preparation Time:
Prerequisite: none
Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisite: none This power works only against inanimate
objects. The psionicist's touch causes instant
Body weaponry allows the psionicist to decay: metal rusts, wood ages and splits, cloth
convert one of his arms into a weapon. Virtu- falls to dust. The DM
rolls a saving throw vs.
ally any sort of weapon can be imitated acid for the item touched. If this fails, the
except a short bow, hand crossbow, light —
item or a maximum of 60 pounds of it is
crossbow, or any weapon the psionicist can- consumed by decay within one round.
not normally use. The arm actually becomes —
Power Score The save automatically fails.
wood and/or metal, and assumes the weap- —
20 One of the psionicist's own items de-
on's form. It behaves in every respect like a
—
cays (no save) either the first item touched,
normal weapon of the chosen type, with a bo- or an item chosen randomly by the DM.
nus: it can never be dropped or stolen.
—
Power Score The "armament" gives the Cell Adjustment
psionicist a + 1 attack bonus (but no damage
Power Score: Con -3
bonus).
Initial Cost: 5
—
20 The psionicist must make a system
Maintenance Cost: up to 20/round
shock roll or pass out for ldlO rounds.
Range: touch
Preparation Time:
Catfall
Area of Effect: individual
Power Score: Dex -2 Prerequisite: none
Initial Cost: 4 Cell adjustment allows the psionicist to heal
Maintenance Cost: na wounds and cure diseases. Any sort of wound
Range: can be healed, but only nonmagical diseases
Preparation Time: are affected (e.g., this power cannot heal
Area of Effect: personal mummy rot, nor can it cure a lycanthropic
Prerequisite: none curse).

Psychometabolism • 57
 The psionicist can cure a disease in one light, the character's chameleon power score is

round by spending 5 PSPs and making a halved (rounded down).

succesful power check. If the die roll equals a —
Power Score The psionicist's power score
1, he succeeds but it's doubly taxing (10 PSPs). gains a +3 bonus during "hiding" checks.
If it equals a 2, he fails because the disease is —
20 The psionicist's colorations strongly
too widespread; he must spend another 5 PSPs clash with the background; he sticks out like a
and try again next round. sore thumb.
A
"cure" doesn't automatically restore hit
points lost due to illness; it merely arrests the Chemical Simulation
disease. However, the up to
psionicist can heal
Power Score: Con -4
4 points of damage in each subsequent round
Initial Cost: 9
by spending 5 psionic strength points per hit
Maintenance Cost: 6/round
point recovered. He cannot cure the disease
Range: touch
and restore hit points during the same round.
Preparation Time:
—
Power Score All disease or up to 10 — Area of Effect:
1
varies
—
points of damage is instantly healed at a cost
Prerequisite: none
of 5 PSPs.
20 — The psionicist suffers ldlO points of With this devotion, a psionicist can make
damage but the patient is unaffected. his body simulate the action of acids. The
character secretes an "acid" through his hand.
Chameleon Power Any item he touches and holds briefly must
make a saving throw vs. acid or be dissolved.
Power Score: Con -1
If used as a weapon, this acid cannot inflict
Initial Cost: 6
more than two or three points of damage,
Maintenance Cost: 3/round
though it can cause considerable pain.
Range:
Power Score — All saves for normal items
Preparation Time:
fail;magical items still get a saving throw.
Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisite: none
—
20 Acid oozes from the psionicist's sweat
glands; all items touching his skin must save
The psionicist using this power actually vs. acid.
changes the coloration of his skin, clothing,
and equipment to match his background. The Displacement
match is automatic; he does not choose the ap-
Power Score: Con -3
pearance. The change takes several seconds.
Initial Cost: 6
As he moves, the coloration changes and shifts
Maintenance Cost: 3/round
to reflect any changes in the surroundings.
Range:
In effect, chameleon power makes a psioni-
Preparation Time:
cist very difficult to spot. If the character re-
Area of Effect: personal
mains stationary, he can avoid detection
Prerequisite: none
simply by making a successful power check. If
the character moves, his power score is re- This power resembles the displacer beast's
duced by three when he makes the check. natural ability to make itself appear to be up to
This power is most effective in natural sur- 3 feet from his actual location. The psionicist
roundings, where one's coloration would logi- decides where this false image will appear.
cally conceal him. In an urban setting, or in an This is a very effective means of protecting
area without natural cover during broad day- oneself from attack, giving the psionicist a

58 • Chapter Five
two-point bonus on his armor class (lowering Preparation Time: 1
it two points). True seeing will reveal the char- Area of Effect: personal
acter's real location. Prerequisite: none
Power Score — The AC bonus is +4.
With this power a psionicist converts him-
20— No effect.
self to ectoplasm, (a fine-spun, smoky sub-
stance). He becomes insubstantial, ghostlike,
Double Pain and able walk through solid material as if it
to
Power Score: Con -3 didn't exist. The psionicist is still visible as a
Initial Cost: 7 whispy outline. He moves at his normal move-
Maintenance Cost: na ment rate and in the normal fashion (e.g., if he
Range: touch couldn't fly before, he can't now).
Preparation Time: The psionicist can also convert the follow-
Area of Effect: individual and up
ing to ectoplasm: his clothing, armor,
Prerequisite: none to 15pounds of equipment that he's carrying.

By touching another person, the psionicist

—
Power Score The maintenance cost is 3
PSPs per round.
greatly lowers that character's pain threshold.
(Even a little scrape will feel like a serious in-
—
20 The psionicist's items become ectoplas-
mic, but he doesn't. He must use this power
jury.) The effect lasts one turn. During that again (successfully) to retrieve them.
time, damage scored against that character
all

is doubled. However, only half of this damage

Enhanced Strength
is real; the other half represents the amplified
pain. When the character's total of real dam- Power Score: Wis -3
age and pain reduces his hit points to zero or Initial Cost: varies
less, he passes out. He will regain conscious- Maintenance Cost: varies
ness ldlO rounds later. At that time he also re- Range:
—
gains "fake" hit points those lost only to Preparation Time:
pain. Area of Effect: personal
If the victim does not pass out in one turn Prerequisites: none
(the duration of this power's effects), damage
scored against him is no longer doubled. How-
Apsionicist can increase his physical
Strength score to a maximum of 18 through
ever, the points of "pain damage" which he has
this devotion. The PSP cost is twice the num-
an already incurred will remain in effect for
ber of points he adds to his Strength score. (If
another ld6 rounds.
he fails, he loses half this amount; see Chapter
—
Power Score The victim must make a sys-
1.) The maintenance cost per round equals the
tem shock roll upon each hit, or pass out due
number of Strength points he has added.
to the excrutiating pain.
Physical Strength cannot be raised above 18
20 — The power backfires and affects the
psionically. The psionicist does not qualify for
psionicist for one hour.
exceptional Strength bonuses if he raises his
Strength to 18.
Ectoplasmic Form
Power Score — The psionicist can raise his
Power Score: Con -4 strength to 18/00, with each 25% increase
Initial Cost: 9 costing an additional PSP.
Maintenance Cost: 9/round —
20 The power backfires and lowers
Range: Strength by ld6 until arrested by this power.

Psychometabolism • 59
Expansion 1 left hand functions as a shield, AC 9
Power Score: Con -2
2 leather, AC 8
3-4 ring mail, AC 7
Initial Cost: 6
5-6 scale mail, AC 6
Maintenance Cost: 1/round 7-8 chain mail, AC 5
Range:
9-10 banded mail, AC 4
Preparation Time:
11 + plate mail, AC 3
Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisite: none Because this armor is part of his body, the
psionicist can enjoy its benefits without suf-
The psionicist can expand his own body fering any penalty he might have if he were
proportions in any dimension: height, length,
actually wearing that type of armor. The ar-
width, .or thickness. He can increase any or all
mor created power weighs nothing,
by this
of these proportions by 50% of their original
has no magnetic properties, and in no way en-
size per round. Maximum expansion is four
cumbers the psionicist. Its effects may be com-
times original size.
bined with rings of protection.
This power has no effect on clothing or
equipment. Ability scores don't increase ei-
—
Power Score The psionicist gains a +1
bonus to the armor class listed above.
ther. In other words, the character does not
grow stronger simply because he became tall-
—
20 The power just grows ugly hair over
his body, which must be shaved off or he loses
er. However, being very big often has other
2 points of Charisma.
advantages.
—
Power Score Maximum expansion be-
Graft Weapon
comes 10 times and the rate is 100% per
round. Power Score: Con -5
20 — The psionicist shrinks by 50% until ar- Initial Cost: 10
rested by this power. Maintenance Cost: 1/round
Range: touch
Flesh Armor Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: personal
Power Score: Con -3 Prerequisite: none
Initial Cost: 8
Maintenance Cost: 4/round With this power the psionicist can graft any
Range: one-handed melee weapon directly onto his
Preparation Time: body. He picks up the weapon, activates this
Area of Effect: personal power, and the weapon becomes an extension
Prerequisite: none of the character's arm. Assuming the charac-
ter is proficient with that type of weapon, he
The psionicist transforms his own skin into
gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage.
nonmagical armor. No one can see the
If he is not proficient with the weapon, he suf-
change, but it's as if he had actually acquired
fers the usual nonproficiency penalties, but
some type of armor. The type of armor his +1 bonus.
still gets the
body mimics depends on the result of his
power check, as shown in the following table:
—
Power Score The +1 bonus for attacks
and damage increases to +4.
—
20 The weapon has been weakened; it will
break on any attack roll of 1.

60 • Chapter Five
Heightened Senses Immovability
Power Score: Con
Power Score: Con -5
Initial Cost: 5
Initial Cost: 9
Maintenance Cost: 1/ round
Maintenance Cost: 6/round
Range:
Range:
Preparation Time:
Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: personal
Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisite: none
Prerequisite: none
By means of this devotion the psionicist
sharpens all five of his normal senses: sight, When a psionicist makes himself immov-
hearing, taste, touch, and smell. This has sev- able, he exactly that.
is A
tremendous amount
eral effects, which are described below. The of force is required to uproot him from his
DM may allow additional applications as he spot.
sees fit. Moving the psionicist requires a combined
First,the character has a good chance to no- Strength total that is at least 10 times greater
tice thieves who are hiding in shadows or than his immovability score (Con -5). If a
moving silently. The thief's skill chance is character is pushing the psionicist, and makes
halved when someone with heightened senses a successful bend bars roll, that character can
is observing him. Even if the thief is already double the Strength he's contributing to the to-
hidden, he must roll again when a character tal. Even if a group manages to move the
with heightened senses enters the picture. psionicist once, they may not be able to move
Second, the psionicist can track someone him any easier the next time. The psionicist re-
like a bloodhound. He must make an Intelli- mains immovable until he stops maintaining
gence check every turn to stay on the trail or the power.
recover the trail if it is lost. His movement rate This power has nothing to do with weight.
when tracking is 6. The trail can be no more A character will not crash through the floor
than 24 hours old. because he made himself immovable. He has
Third, the psionicist's ranges for hearing instead attached himself to the fabric of the
and seeing are tripled. He can, for example, universe, which is considerably more power-
identify a person (in daylight) at a range of 400 ful than the strongest castle. He does, how-
yards. ever, need a horizontal surface as an anchor.
Fourth, the character can taste poisons or If the psionicist's power check results in a 1,

other impurities in quantities which are much he attaches himself so well that even he can't
too small to cause any harm. break free simply by shutting off the power.
Fifth, the character can identify almost any- He must pay the initial cost again (9 PSPs) to
thing by touch. He can, for example, tell two free himself.
gold pieces from each other after having previ- Power Score — Moving the psionicist be-
ously handled just one of them. He can also comes impossible.
tell if something has been handled in the last —
20 The psionicist can't stop the power; he
five minutes simply by handling it himself. maintains it until he runs out of PSPs.
—
Power Score One of the heightened senses
(chosen randomly) stays with the psionicist
for a full day.
20 — One of the psionicist's five senses is lost
for ldl2 hours.

Psychometabolism • 61
Lend Health come. He does not feel hunger, exhaustion, or
thirst, nor does he suffer any ability reduc-

Power Score: Con -1 tions for privation.

Initial Cost: 4 The psionicist can also suppress the basic
Maintenance Cost: na needs of others while suppressing his own. To
Range: touch do so, he must pay an additional 10 PSPs per
Preparation Time: person and spend an additional hour of medi-
Area of Effect: individual tation per person. Each person being aided
Prerequisites: none must be in physical contact with the psionicist
throughout the entire period of meditation.
Lend health is a power of healing. The Usually, all the characters hold hands, forming
psionicistwho makes a succesful power check a continuous line or circle.
can transfer his own hit points to someone else The psionicist can survive in this fashion for
he is touching. Each hit point transferred heals a number of days equal to his experience level,
one point of damage. The character can trans- or five days, whichever is more. At the end of
fer as many points as he wants to in a single that time, he collapses from exhaustion. He
round. must then rest one day for every two days
If the psionicist tries to transfer hit points spent sublimating his body's needs. Or he can
when he has fewer than five remaining, he be restored through 24 hours of complete heal-
must make another power check. If this fails, ing. These rules also apply to any characters
he cannot transfer the points. In any case, he the psionicist has aided.
cannot transfer hit points if he has only one re- —
Power Score The psionicist need not rest
maining. after using this power.
The beneficiary of this power can never ex- —
20 The power fails, but the psionicist col-
ceed his normal, healthy total of hit points. lapses with exhaustion and must rest for 24
—
Power Score Every point drained from the hours.
psionicist heals two hit points in the benefi-
ciary. Reduction
—
20 The psionicist suffers all the wounds
Power Score: Con -2
which his target currently has. No one is
Initial Cost: varies
healed.
Maintenance Cost: 1/round
Range:
Mind Over Body Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: personal
Power Score: Wis -3 Prerequisites: none
Initial Cost: na
Maintenance Cost: 10/day This power is the reverse of expansion. The
Range: touch psionicist can reduce his body's dimensions
Preparation Time: along any or all axes: height, length, width, or
Area of Effect: individual thickness. The change amounts to 1 foot per
Prerequisites: none PSP spent, until the dimension being affected
is 1 foot or less. After that, the psionicist can

Mind over body allows the user to suppress halve his dimensions each time he spends a
his body's need for food, water, and sleep. In PSP.
exchange for one hour of meditation per day, For example, let's assume Magnilda (a dual-
all of the psionicist's physical needs are over- class psionicist and warrior maiden) stands 6

62 • Chapter Five
feet tall. Five strength points reduce her height Suspend Animation
to 1 foot. Three more strength points halve her
size three times: to 6 inches, then 3 inches, and
Power Score: Con -3
Initial Cost: 12
finally to 1.5 inches.
Maintenance Cost: na
Now let's assume Magnilda only wants to
Range: 0/touch
make her arm thin enough to slide through a
Preparation Time: 5
keyhole. At its thickest point, her arm mea-
Area of Effect: individual
sures 4 inches across. Three strength points
Prerequisites: none
will reduce the thickness of her arm to V2 inch
(from 4 to 2, then to 1, then to V2) without al- With this power a psionicist can "play
tering its length at all. She can now slide her dead" — bringing all life functions to a virtual
arm through the keyhole and unlock the door halt. Only most careful examination will
the
from the inside. show that the character is still alive. Even psi-
Power Score — Each PSP spent results in onic powers such as life detection and ESP will
twice the described effect (if desired). not turn up any evidence of life unless those
20 — The psionicist doubles in size, and powers are maintained for at least three min-
stays this big for an hour or until he uses this utes. Use of the probe power will detect life im-
power again successfully. mediately.
The psionicist can remain in suspended ani-
Share Strength mation for a number of weeks equal to the re-
Power Score: Con -4
sults of his power check —
or less. When he
wishes to put himself to sleep, he first decides
Initial Cost: 6
when he wants to wake. Then he makes his
Maintenance Cost: 2/round
power check. Ifthe number rolled is less than
Range: touch
the time he hoped to be "suspended," he
Preparation Time:
awakens prematurely.
Area of Effect: individual
Another willing character can also be sus-
Prerequisites: none
pended for the same PSP cost (not at the same
The psionicist can effectively lend his physi- time as the psionicist, however). This has a
cal Strength toanother character. The psioni- preparation time of one hour and a range of
cist sacrifices his own Strength points
two of touch.
(ability not PSPs) for every single
points, —
Power Score The psionicist remains aware
point the recipient gains. This transfer remains of his surroundings and can wake at any time
in effect until the psionicist stops paying the he chooses.
devotion's maintenance cost; then all points —
20 The psionicist falls unconscious and
return in one round. If the recipient is killed only violent slapping can revive him.
before the psionicist gets his Strength points
back, the psionicist's Strength score is perma-
nently reduced.
If the psionicist's die roll is a 1, he must ex-

pend three points for each point his pal gains,

instead of two for one.
Power Score — The point transfer is 1:1.
20 — The psionicist loses one Strength point
for a day. If he fails a save vs. paralyzation, the

loss is permanent.
Heart and Limps.

Psychometabolism • 63
 CHAPTER

6
^d
| Psychoportation
^^__^m^____^^^^^_^™™^___j-i^^_-^^__^

Psychoportive Sciences stops paying the maintenance cost, but the

psionicist himself must return via some other

Banishment method: teleportation, probability travel, etc.

Power Score: Int -1 Probability Travel

Initial Cost: 30
Maintenance Cost: 10/round Power Score: Int

Range: 5 yards Initial Cost: 20

Preparation Time: Maintenance Cost: 8/hour
Area of Effect: individual Range: unlimited
Prerequisites: teleport Preparation Time: 2
Area of Effect: individual +
With power, the psionicist can teleport
this Prerequisites: none
a creature against its will to a pocket dimen-
sion and hold it there. The creature being ban- With probability travel, a psionicist can tra-

ished must be extremely close within 5 — verse the astral plane physically as if he's in as-

yards. The pocket dimension is a featureless tral form. This power has a distinct advantage
area with a benign environment it may be — over magical astral travel. When a wizard uses
hot or cold, dark or light, but not so much the astral spell, he forms an astral body, which
that it will cause injury. remains connected to his material body by a sil-
Banishment has a boomerang feature. If the very cord. In contrast, a psionicist using proba-
psionicist fails to pay the maintenance cost, bility travel never leaves his physical form; he

the banished creature automatically returns to brings it along. He has no cord, so, unlike the
its original location. The creature cannot re- wizard, he can never die because his cord has
appear in a location that now contains other been severed. (On the other hand, he can still be
matter, however (e.g., to a doorway that has blown to bits.)

been closed, or to a spot that now has a sharp
stakes upon it). If this happens, the creature
returns to the nearest open space. In other
words, psionicists cannot rely on the boomer-
ang feature to kill or harm a creature.
As long as the psionicist pays the mainte-
nance cost, the creature will not automatically
return. If the creature has access to the astral
or ethereal planes, or it can teleport between
The astral plane boasts nothing that would
attract tourists, but its two-dimensional color
pools serve as highways to the outer planes.
These pools, scattered randomly throughout
the astral plane, provide connections to all
surface layers of the outer planes.
Travel through the astral plane is speedy: 10
yards per minute per Intelligence point. How-
ever, distance on the astral plane does not

planes, it could try to return that way. If the equate to distance on other planes. After
banisher is still maintaining the power, how- ld6 + 6 hours of travel, the traveler reaches
ever, a psychic contest takes place. If the the color pool he sought. There is a flat 75%
banisher wins, the victim is prevented from chance that this pool leads to the exact desti-
returning. nation the character wants. Otherwise, it is at
Power Score — The banished figure cannot least 10 miles off target —
maybe more.
return of its own accord; it must wait until it is
The psionicist can take other persons (as de-
allowed to return. fined by the charm person spell) along on his
20 — Both the intended victim and the probability trip. Each passenger costs 12 extra
psionicist are banished to the same The
place. PSPs initially, plus 4 extra PSPs per hour, and
other figure bounces back when the psionicist adds one-half hour to the time needed to find
the correct color pool. Passengers must travel

64 • Che >;er Six

Dimensional Door: Juan decides not to stay for dinner.

Psychoportation • 65
voluntarily; this power cannot drag
a charac- psionic power does neither; it merely teleports
ter into the astralplane against his will. something. To be rid of the creature, the
Combat on the astral plane is unusual. The psionicist must banish it, teleport it again, kill
traveler's physical body cannot affect astral it, or control it somehow. If the creature is in-

bodies in any way. However, psionic powers telligent, the psionicist might reason with it.
do work against the minds of astral travelers. However, the creature is almost certain to fly
Most magical items do not work in the astral into a murderous rage when it discovers its
plane. Magical items which are keyed to a plight.
particular plane do function there, often with The psionicist can make the summoned
enhanced effect. creature materialize anywhere within 200
If the psionicist simply turns off this power yards of his present position. This is a tremen-
while in the astral plane, he doesn't leave. In- dous advantage, since the creature, at least
stead, he's stranded, unable to move except by initially, has no idea who summoned it. Its an-
physically pushing off of solid objects (which ger is likely to be vented against the first target
are extremely rare in the astral plane). He's al- it finds. However, if the psionicist's power
so stranded if he runs out of PSPs or is check result was a 2, this range is reduced to
knocked unconscious on the astral plane. The 50 yards. If the result was a 1, the creature
only exit from this plane is a color pool. pops in within 10 yards. Obviously, some risk
If you'd like to learn more about traveling on is involved.
the astral plane, see the new PLANESCAPE" The psionicist chooses the plane from
accessory. which the creature will come. He does not
Power Score — The color pool is right where choose the creature, however; that's deter-
the character wants it to be. mined at random. A creature from one of the
—
20 The character attracts the attention of elemental planes usually will be an elemental
an astral creature, which may or may not be of the appropriate type. A
creature from an
hostile, at the DM's discretion. outer plane probably will be a native of that
particular plane, but it could also be a visitor,
Summon Planar Creature or even an adventurer who happened to be in
the wrong place at the right time. In contrast,
Power Score: Int -4
the astral or ethereal planes are a cornucopia
Initial Cost: 45/90
of creatures, frequented by beings of every
Maintenance Cost: na imaginable description. In any event, the DM
Range: 200 yards summoned, drawing
decides which creature is
Preparation Time: 12
from the monsters for which he has game sta-
Area of Effect: one creature
tistics. This book describes some extraplanar
Prerequisites: teleport
creatures. Many more are covered in the Man-
This science allows the psionicist to reach ual of the Planes and various MONSTROUS
into another plane, grabwhatever creature he COMPENDIUM® Volumes, especially the ap-
happens to find there, and teleport it to his pendix featuring outer planar creatures.
own plane. The victim be disoriented for
will It costs 45 PSPs to summon a creature from

one round after arriving; as a result, he suffers the astral or ethereal plane. If the psionicist is
a two-point penalty on die rolls for initiative, dipping into an inner or outer plane, the cost
attacks, and saving throws. soars to 90 PSPs.
A magical summons offers some control —
Power Score The creature summoned en-
over a planar creature, and usually returns joys this sort of thing and won't be angry with
that creature to its home automatically. This the psionicist.

66 • Chapter Six
 20 — The psionicist attracts the attention of uum or is instantly displaced.
a powerful, extraplanar creature without Restraints do not affect teleportation. A
summoning it. character who is shackled to a wall,
tied up,
or buried up to his neck can still teleport. The
Teleport restraints remain behind.
Clothing, on the other hand, does accom-
Power Score: Int
pany a character who teleports. He may also
Initial Cost: 10 +
carry small items in his grasp or wear equip-
Maintenance Cost: na
ment (e.g., armor) on his person, not exceed-
Range: infinite
ing one-fifth of his own body mass. If he
Preparation Time:
doubles the amount of PSPs expended, he can
Area of Effect: personal
carry up to three times his body mass, or take
Prerequisites: none
along one or two other characters on whom
Teleport is the essential power within this he has a firm grasp.
discipline. It allows the psionicist to teleport A character can teleport any distance, but
to a familiar spot. The destination must be a as the distance increases, so does the chance of
place that the character knows and can picture failure and the cost in PSPs. Ranges, point
—
mentally even if he's never actually been costs, and power score modifiers are shown
there. For example, a psionicist may still below.
know a location that he has seen through a If the teleportation die roll is a 1 or 2, the

crystal ball, via a sight link, or even by scan- character and anyone else with him are mo-
ning someone else's mind for the information. mentarily disoriented by the jump. They can
The psionicist can still teleport to a place do nothing during the round which immedi-
even if it has somehow changed from the way ately follows the teleport. After that, they suf-
he pictures it. For example, if a room has been fer a 2-point penalty to the following for ld6
rearranged, or is currently on fire, such rounds: initiative die rolls, psionic power
changes won't affect the teleport. checks, and attack rolls.
Teleports always take characters to a fixed
Initial Power Score
location. For example, if a character tries to
Distance Cost Modifier
teleport into a gypsy wagon which is on the
10 yards 10 +1
move, he'll arrive at the wagon's location 100 yards 20
when he last knew it. The wagon itself may be 30 -1
1,000 yards
miles away by then. Also, if the character was -2
10 miles 40
picturing the wagon's interior, he will teleport -3
100 miles 50
to the space corresponding to the wagon's -4
1,000 miles 60
interior — which is several feet off the ground!
10,000 miles 70 -5
Because the wagon itselfhas moved, the tele- -6
planet to planet* 100
porter will fall when he arrives. (Imagine
tele-
* Players with the SPELLJAMMER® boxed set
porting to a room on the fifth floor of a tower,
only to discover the tower has been razed by should note that interplanetary teleports are
marauders since your last visit.) possible only within the same crystal sphere.
Teleportation is instantaneous. The tele- It is impossible to teleport between crystal

porting character simply ceases to exist in his spheres or different planes of existence.
previous location and springs into being at the —
Power Score The PSP cost is reduced by
destination. There is a slight, audible "pop" at 20 percent, rounded up.
both ends, as air rushes into the sudden vac- 20— No effect.

Psychoportation • 67
Teleport Other the physical body. Nearly all astral travelers
have such a cord. It is visible as a translucent
Power Score: Int -2
string which stretches 10 feet from the astral
Initial Cost: 10 +
body, and then becomes invisible and intangi-
Maintenance Cost: na
ble. If the cord is severed, both bodies die (so
Range: 10 yards
does the character). The silvery cord is nearly
Preparation Time:
indestructible, however. Usually it can be sev-
Area of Effect: na
ered only by the psychic wind at its most pow-
Prerequisites: teleport
erful,or by the silver swords of the githyanki.
This power is identical to the one listed di- Since the astral plane is a highway leading
rectly above, except it is used to teleport other to other planes, a character who uses this
characters. The psionicist stays where he is power usually has another destination in
while someone else is teleported. The charac- mind — either a distant point on the prime ma-
ter must be willing to be teleported, or uncon- terial plane or an outerplanar locale. When
scious. PSP costs and power score the traveler reaches his destination, a tempo-
modifications are the same as for teleporta- rary physical body is formed there. This body
tion. (In other words, cost and difficulty in- resembles the character's real body in every
crease with distance.) If the psionicist pays respect, and the two are still connected by the
twice the usual PSP cost, he can teleport up to invisible, silvery cord.
three characters, provided they are firmly If either the astral body or the temporary
grasping one another. physical body is cord returns to the
killed, the
—
Power Score The PSP cost is reduced by real body. This second physical body is not
20 percent, rounded up. formed if the character travels to another lo-
20 — All
would-be teleporters are seriously cation on the same plane where his real physi-
They cannot cast spells and suffer
disoriented. cal body is located. He can view that plane in
a -4 penalty on all die rolls for ld4 turns. astral form, but cannot affect it or even enter
it physically, nor can he direct magical or psi-

Psychoportive Devotions onic powers into it.

Magical items can be taken into the astral
plane, but most lose their magical properties
Astral Projection
temporarily while in that plane.
Power Score: Int If you'd like more detail on astral travel and
Initial Cost: 6 the astral plane, see the new PLANESCAPF"
Maintenance Cost: 2/hour accessory for the AD&D® game.
Range: na —
Power Score The first color pool found is

Preparation Time: 1 precisely where the psionicist wants it.

Area of Effect: personal 20 — The psionicist attracts the attention of
Prerequisites: none a powerful creature in the astral plane.

Astral projection is similar to probability

travel, except the traveler is not accompanied
by his physical body. Instead, an astral body is
created. This astral body immediately leaps into
the astral plane. Only creatures or characters
who are also on the astral plane can see it.

A silvery cord connects the astral body to

68 • Chapter Six
Dimensional Door tal suffer intense pain. Fools who poke their
head through a portal must make a system
Power Score: Con -1 shock roll; failure means they lose 50% of
Initial Cost: 4
their current hit points and pass out.
Maintenance Cost: 2/round
Inanimate objects are not affected by expo-
Range: 50 yards +
sure to the dimension's edge. In fact, a charac-
Preparation Time:
ter can throw or fire objects through a portal,
Area of Effect: na
and they'll come out on
the other side. Attack-
Prerequisites: none -4
ers suffer a penalty on their to-hit rolls
Like teleportation, a dimensional door takes against targets on the other side of the dimen-
a character from one location to another. The sion's edge.
similarity stops there, however. With dimen- Range: The normal range of this power
sional door, the psionicist opens a man-sized i.e., the maximum distance between the two
portalwhich leads to the edge of another di- portals —
is 50 yards. The distance can be ex-

mension. The edge acts as a lightning-quick tended only with severe reductions to the
transit system, carrying travelers to a destina- character's power score, as shown below. In-
tion chosen by the psionicist who uses this creasing the range does not increase the PSP
power. cost, however.
When the psionicist uses this devotion, he
Distance Power
creates a door leading into the alternate di-
Between Score
mension. The door is a vaguely outlined por-
Doors Modifier
tal, which appears in front of the psionicist. At
50 yards
the same time, an identical portal appears
75 yards -2
wherever he wants it, within range (see be- -5
100 yards
low). The door can have whatever orientation
150 yards -8
the psionicist chooses. If someone (including
-12
200 yards
the psionicist) steps into either portal, he im-
mediately steps out of the other. Both doors Power Score — Transit does not cause disori-
remain in place for as long as the psionicist entation.
maintains the power. 20 — The psionicist
is momentarily exposed

The dimension accessed by this power is not dimension and is disoriented as if

to the transit
fully understood. Clearly, it has very different he had stepped through the portal.
qualities of time and space, such that motion is
greatly accelerated. For many years this tran- Dimension Walk
sit was thought to be instantaneous, but ardu-

ous experiments by Larue d'jar Azif of

Power Score: Con -2
Initial Cost: 8
Dhaztanar have proved that a very tiny bit of
Maintenance Cost: 4/turn
time does elapse. What this means is still un-
Range: na
known.
Preparation Time: 2
Travel via this power is disorienting. Pre-
Area of Effect: personal
sumably, exposure to the alternate dimension
Prerequisites: none
traumatizes the body in some way. As a result,
a traveler is dazed and cannot attack or move With dimension walk, a psionicist can
for one round after stepping through a dimen- travel from place to place in his own dimen-
sional skip portal. Quick transit is advisable. sion by piercing other dimensions at right an-
People who shove only an arm through a por- gles. This has two advantages over a

Psychoportation • 69
dimensional door: 1) a dimension walk is not Dream Travel
physically traumatizing and 2) the range of
Power Score: Wis -4
travel is greater. On the other hand, dimen-
Initial Cost: 1/25 miles
sion walk only allows the psionicist himself to
Maintenance Cost: na
travel, and he can easily get lost.
Range: 500 miles
The dimension walker opens up a vaguely
Preparation Time:
shimmering portal. Only the psionicist who
Area of Effect: personal
opened the portal can enter it. As soon as he
Prerequisites: none
does, the portal closes behind him. He finds
himself engulfed by an inky grayness that is Dream travel is a powerful but unreliable
virtually without features. The effect is one of means of getting from here to there. The trav-
extreme sensory deprivation. eler journeys in his dreams, and awakes wher-
The psionicist can travel through this gray ever his nocturnal wandering carried him. The
realm at aspeed of 7 leagues (21 miles) per psionicist can even take other characters with
turn. He cannot see where he is or where he's him, although it's more difficult than traveling
going while in the realm. He has only his in- alone. (See "Passengers" below.)
stinct to guide him, and must make a Wisdom To use dream travel, the psionicist must be
check every turn. If these checks succeed, he'll asleep. Once asleep, he begins fashioning a
find himself at his chosen destination when he dream that involves traveling from his present
steps out of the realm. If any single Wisdom location to his intended destination. At the be-
check fails, however, the character will stray ginning of the journey, the DM
secretly makes
off course by several miles. When the walker a power check for the character. If the check
steps out of the gray realm, the DM can place succeeds, the psionicist will reach his destina-
him in any location, within the maximum dis- tion. If the check fails, the character will fall
tance from his starting point (e.g., if the short 10% for each point that the die roll ex-
psionicist walked for 10 rounds, he must be ceeded the power score.
within 21 miles of his origin). It's up to the If the DM wants, this power check is all
psionicist to figure out his location; this power that's required to handle dream travel during a
doesn't help him gain his bearings. game. However, it's far more satisfying to ac-
Aside from getting lost, dimension walking tually role-play the dream. The player creates
is completely safe. Apparently anything that the setting and describes his intentions, with
lives in the other dimensions crossed cannot the DMinterrupting to change things arbitrar-
interact with dimensional travelers. (Larue ily and throw obstacles in the character's path.
d'jar Azif of Dhaztanar postulated that these If the player overcomes the obstacles and
other dimensions teem with life just as much as solves problems inventively, the DM
is justi-

our own, but because the traveler is crossing
them "against the grain", as it were, they do
not register on his senses.) The character can
bring along as much as he can carry, but bags
of holding and other dimensional storage de-
vices spill their contents immediately if taken
into this space.
Power Score — The psionicist receives a
bonus when making his Wisdom checks.
—
20 Overcome with vertigo, the character
can do nothing but retch for three rounds.
fied in giving a bonus to the character's power
check. If the dream is dull and lifeless, the DM
can also penalize the power check.
The DM should remember that this is a
dream; terrain on the journey may not resem-
ble actual terrain, the character may be com-
pletely different, and the world may be
+2 completely strange. The length of the dream
journey should be approximately the same as
the real distance, however, and the final desti-
nation should be at least similar to the real des-

70 • Chapter Six
Dream Travel: Five passengers set sail that day for a three-hour tour..

Psychoportation • 71
tination. Such dream adventures should mini- flexively teleport to a safe location. After
mize combat and maximize problems, puzzles, making a successful power check, the psioni-
and surreal atmosphere. If combat does occur, it cist must specify where he intends to go. He
has no effect on the character physically, but if must also define very specifically what condi-
he is killed, he wakes up, right where he started. tions will trigger the teleportation. These can
All dream journeys take approximately eight be anything he wants, but the teleport will not
hours to complete, successful or not. be triggered unless he is aware that the condi-
Passengers: The psionicist can bring other tions have been met. A volcanic eruption 500
characters along with him in the dream. His miles away will not trigger teleportation un-
power score is reduced by one for each passen- less the character has some way to know that
ger he carries. Passengers must also be sleep- the volcano is erupting.
ing. A single power check launches everyone For example, here are three typical triggers:
on the dream journey. If the check fails, they being reduced to 10 or fewer hit points, seeing
still attempt the dream journey but fall short a mind flayer, and being attacked by a magic
of their target. The psionicist must pay the missile spell. When such predetermined condi-
PSP cost of the trip individually for each char- tions are fulfilled, the character instantly tele-
acter accompanying him dream.in the ports to the programmed location.
Intelligent animals can also be drawn into When the teleport is triggered, the character
the dream, but normal animals (horses, dogs, must have enough PSPs remaining to teleport
falcons, whatever) are very difficult to bring to that location, because he pays the cost just
along. The psionicist must make a separate as if he were performing a normal teleport.
power check to draw in each animal and his (See "teleport.") He must also make a teleport
power score is halved, rounded down, when power check, with penalties based on the dis-
making this check. tance traveled. If this power check fails, so
When the dream travelers reach their desti- does the programmed teleport.
nation, they awaken. In the place where they No PSPs are spent when the trigger is de-
lay sleeping, their bodies and any equipment fined, but the characterspends two points per
carried or worn fades away. At the same time, hour from that time just to maintain the trig-
they fade into being at their new location, still ger. The trigger remains in effect until the
in sleeping posture, but fully awake. character stops paying the maintenance cost.
—
Power Score No additional effect. —
Power Score The character can ignore
—
20 The dream is nightmarish. The psioni- power score penalties for distance.
cist must save vs. paralyzation or appear dead 20— No other effect.
until violently struck.
Time Shift
Teleport Trigger
Power Score: Int
Power Score: Int +1 Initial Cost: 16
Initial Cost: Maintenance Cost: na
Maintenance Cost: 2/hour Range:
Range: infinite Preparation Time:
Preparation Time: Area of Effect: personal
Area of Effect: personal Prerequisites: teleport
Prerequisites: teleport
Time shifting allows the psionicist to travel
A teleport trigger is a programmed event up to three rounds into the future and observe
which causes the psionicist to instantly and re- things until time catches up with him. He sees

72 • Chapter Six
everything frozen around him just as it will be Psionic Power
when that moment in the future actually ar- Time Strength Score
rives. Shifted Cost Modifier
The psionicist enters a different reality when 1 round 3
he uses this power. No one in the "still life" that 2 rounds 6 -2
surrounds him can see or detect him in any 3 rounds 12 -6
way. He can move freely through the environ-
Power Score — No other effect.
ment, putting himself wherever he wants to be
when he returns to normal time. But he cannot
20— The psionicist is disoriented, and suf-
fers a —2
penalty on all die rolls for as many
affect anything around him, nor can anything
rounds as he intended to shift.
affect him. Even two time-shifted characters
are completely invisible to each other. To the
people in real time, the character simply van-
Time/Space Anchor
ishes and then reappears sometime later. Power Score: Int
The character does not exist for any normal Initial Cost: 5
game purpose during the period when he is Maintenance Cost: 1/round
time shifted. If, for example, a fireball spell Range:
detonates in the room while the character is Preparation Time:
time shifted, the character is completely pro- Area of Effect: 3 yards
tected against its effects. In fact, unless the Prerequisites: none
blast leaves visible effects (charred walls or
This power protects psionicists against un-
corpses or sulfurous fumes), the character
wanted teleportation. When a time/space an-
won't even know it happened. He sees none of
chor is in effect, the psionicist cannot be
the intervening events.
teleported against his will unless he loses a
This power cannot help a character escape
psychic contest.
contact, however. If someone has established

contact or tangents (see Chapter 2) with the

Anyone and anything else inside the 3-yard
radius is also protected using the psionicists
—
time shifter and continues paying their
power score. Items are protected automati-
—
maintenance cost then the tangents or con-
cally, but living creatures or characters are
tact will still be in effect when the character re-
protected only if the psionicist wants them to
turns to normal time.
be. Each additional creature protected costs
Time shifting offers an obvious advantage
another PSP per round. This power cannot
in combat. A psionicist can leap one round
prevent someone from teleporting himself
into the future and maneuver into position for
away; it only prevents teleporting from an
an attack. In that case, the shifter receives a
outside source.
+ 4 bonus to his attack roll. With enough
time, he could even escape.
—
Power Score The psionicist receives a +2
bonus in any resulting psychic contests.
How long does a time shift last? If the
psionicist travels one round forward, then he
—
20 The psionicist is rooted to the spot for
ld6 rounds. During that time his AC is penal-
has one round in which to maneuver. If he
ized 5 points.
travels two rounds forward, then it takes two
rounds for reality to catch up. Three rounds is
the limit. The farther (or longer) the trip, the
more difficult it is to make, as shown in the ta-
ble below.

Psychoportation • 73
 Telepathy

Telepathic Sciences horrent (against his alignment), he can make

another saving throw to regain his free will.
Domination Domination can exact a high price in PSPs.
The cost to establish and maintain this power
Power Score: Wis -4 equals twice the cost to contact the victim.
Initial Cost: contact Power Score — The maintenance cost is
Maintenance Cost: varies halved.
Range: 30 yards —
20 The victim knows that someone at-
Preparation Time: tempted to dominate him.
Area of Effect: individual
Prerequisites: mindlink, contact Ejection
With domination, a psionicist can project Power Score: Wis -4
signals from his own mind into the mind of
Initial Cost: varies
one other person or creature. As a result, the Maintenance Cost: na
subject is forced to do nearly anything the Range:
psionicist wishes. The dominated subject Preparation Time:
knows what is happening, but he cannot resist Area of Effect: personal
the psionicist's will. Commands are given Prerequisite: none
mentally and automatically.
The victim's abilities are neither diminished Ejection is the final defense against un-
nor enhanced by this power. The subject can wanted contact. If one psionicist has forced

be forced to use any power or ability he nor- contact with another's mind, or has been
—
mally can assuming the psionicist knows granted contact and is now doing things he
about it. Domination does not reveal facts or should not be, he can be ejected.
secrets about a victim. The cost of ejection is twice the opponent's
As soon as domination is attempted, the contact power score (even if contact was es-

victim makes a saving throw vs. spells. If this tablished through combat).
saving throw succeeds, the victim is not domi- Ejection is risky for the user. If the power
nated. If it fails, the victim has fallen under the check result is 8 or less, consult the table below
psionicist's control. However, if the victim is to see what "side effects" the psionicist suffers.
later forced to do something completely ab-
1 Lose access to all sciences for ldlO
hours
Abbreviations 2 Lose access to one discipline, selected
by the DM, for ldlO hours
Telepathic attack and defense modes are of- 3 Lose ldlO + 10 additional PSPs
ten abbreviated as follows, especially in 4 Lose ldlO additional PSPs
character or creature descriptions. 5 Lose 1 point of Constitution
Attack Modes Defense Modes permanently
EW = ego whip IF = intellect fortress 6 Lose ldlO hit points
II = id insinuation MB = mental barrier 7 Sever only one portion of contact (one
MT = mind thrust M- = mind blank successful attack reestablishes it)

PB = psionic blast TS = thought shield 8 Sever only two portions of contact (two
PsC = psychic crush TW = tower of iron successful attacks reestablish it)
will

74 • Chapter Seven
 Power Score — Roll ld6 on the table above. Mindlink
The result applies to the ejected being.
Power Score: Wis -5
20 — Ejection fails,but the psionicist still
Initial Cost: contact
makes a d6 roll on the table above.
Maintenance Cost: 8/round
Range: unlimited
Fate Link
Preparation Time:
Power Score: Con -5 Area of Effect: individual
Initial Cost: contact Prerequisite: contact
Maintenance Cost: 5 /turn
Mindlink allows the user to communicate
Range: 2 miles
wordlessly with any intelligent creature he
Preparation Time: 1
can contact (Intelligence 5 or greater on a hu-
Area of Effect: individual
man scale). This is two-way communication.
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
It is not the same as mind-reading because the

This power enables the telepath to inter- psionicist only receives thoughts which the
twine his own fate with that of another crea- other party wants to send. Language is not a
ture. If either being experiences pain, both feel barrier. Distance affects the telepath's ability
it. When one loses hit points, both lose the to make contact, but it has no other effect (see
same amount. If either dies, the other must "contact").
immediately make a saving throw vs. death to —
Power Score The mindlink allows one
avoid the same fate. probing question (see probe).
—
Power Score Range is unlimited. —
20 The psionicist must save vs. petrifica-
—
20 Social regression. The psionicist loses tion or be stunned for ld4 rounds.
ld6 points of Charisma for a day.
Mindwipe
Mass Domination Power Score: Int -6
Power Score: Wis -6 Initial Cost: contact
Initial Cost: contact Maintenance Cost: 8/round
Maintenance Cost: varies Range: touch
Range: 40 yards Preparation Time: 1
Preparation Time: 2 Area of Effect: individual
Area of Effect: up to 5 creatures Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact,
Mindwiping is a crude form of psychic sur-
domination
gery which affects the subject's IQ. (It's like a
This power is identical to domination ex- temporary lobotomy.) The telepath system-
cept the psionicist can control up to five crea- atically seals off portions of the subject's
tures simultaneously. Each one must be mind, making whatever knowledge was con-
contacted and dominated individually. The tained there inaccessible.
—
maintenance cost twice the victim's level or When a mindwipe is attempted, the victim
hit dice —
must be paid for each dominated fig- saves vs. spells. If he succeeds, the mindwipe

ure. isthwarted for one round, but next round the

Power Score — The range is extended to 100 psionicist can try again.
yards. Each round of mindwiping has two impor-
20 — The intended targets are aware of the tant, immediate effects. First, it reduces the
psionicist's efforts. victim's Intelligence and Wisdom scores by 1

Telepathy • 75
point. Second, it reduces his experience level the subject fails a savingthrow vs. spells, then
or hit dice by 1 point. all his memories and knowledge are accessible
These reductions have considerable impact. to —
the prober from memories deep below the
All characters may lose languages or profi- surface to those still fresh in the subject's
ciencies and their magical defense adjustment. mind. The information gained is not necessar-
Experience level and hit dice losses affect ily true, but it is true as far as the subject
everything except hit points. The victim keeps knows.
all of his hit points regardless of what is wiped The telepath can learn the answer to one
from his mind. question per round. DMs have some discre-
Intelligence and Wisdom losses affect wiz- tion in determining this rate. If the questions
ards and clerics as if those losses were perma- (or answers) become too complicated, each
nent. Clerics lose bonus spells, their chance of may take longer than one round to resolve.
spell failure rises, and eventually they cannot Telepaths can probe a subject who is con-
cast spells. Wizards suffer reductions in their scious, as well as one who resists. A probe can
maximum spell level, their chance to learn even be carried out in the midst of melee, pro-
spells, and their maximum spells per level. vided the telepath can get close enough. If a
When the number
of available spells at a probed wizard or cleric tries casting a spell,
spell-level drops, a character must make an the telepath knows both that a spell is being
ability check before casting a spell of that cast and what the general effects of that spell
level. Wizards roll an Intelligence check. Cler- are.
ics roll a Wisdom check. Both use current Power Score — Two questions may be asked
scores. If the check succeeds, the character can per round.
cast the spell. If it fails, he has forgotten the —
20 The subject knows about the probe at-
spell and can't cast any spell that round. tempt and is not pleased.
Mindwipe only seals off information; it

doesn't erase it. All of a character's lost Wis- Psionic Blast

dom, Intelligence, and experience levels can
be restored through psychic surgery (q.v.).
Power Score: Wis -5
Initial Cost: 10
This power has no effect against creatures
with neither stats nor hit dice. Maintenance Cost: na
Range: 20/40/60 yards
—
Power Score No saving throw allowed.
Preparation Time:
20 — The power affects the psionicist instead Area of Effect: individual
of his intended victim.
Prerequisites: none
Probe Psionic blast is a wave of brain force which
can jolt a subject's mind like shocking news.
Power Score: Wis -5
This is one of the five telepathic attacks used
Initial Cost: contact
to establish contact with another psionicist.
Maintenance Cost: 9/round
(An illithid's mind blast is not the same.)
Range: 2 yards
If this power is used against a mind that has
Preparation Time:
already been contacted, the subject must save
Area of Effect: individual
vs. death. Failure means he loses 80% of his
Prerequisite: ESP, contact
remaining hit points, but only in his mind.
A probe is similar to ESP (a telepathic devo- The hit points are still there; he only thinks
tion), but a probe allows psionicists to dig they're gone. He will pass out when the re-
much deeper into a subject's subconscious. If maining 20% of his hit points are gone but

76 • Chapter Seven
ik
won't die unless all of them are actually lost. Some psionicists can put them-
literally
In any case, this effect wears off after six selves in another man's (or woman's) shoes.
turns. At that time, an unconscious character This science allows the psionicist to switch his
awakens. own mind with someone else's. In effect, they
This power has three ranges: short, medi- exchange bodies. The other person's mind in-
um, and long. At medium range, the psioni- habits the psionicists body, while the psioni-
cist's power score is reduced by two. At long cist's mind inhabits his subject's body. The

range, it is reduced by five. switch is permanent, and lasts until the psioni-
—
Power Score A victim who fails his save cist uses this power to reverse it.

passes out for one turn. Each character gains the other's physical at-
20— No other effect. tributes. However, both minds retain all their
own knowledge and knowledge-based abili-
Superior Invisibility ties. For example, a telepath who switches
minds with a 10th level fighter gains a body
Power Score: Int -5 with that and physical at-
fighter's hit points
Initial Cost: contact tributes (Strength, Constitution, and Dexteri-
Maintenance Cost: 5 / round / creature ty). However, he retains his own THACO,
Range: 100 yards proficiencies, and so forth.
Preparation Time: The switch takes a turn to complete, and
Area of Effect: personal the process is quite traumatic. At the end of
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact the turn, both characters must make system
invisibility shock saving throws using their new Constitu-
tion scores. A
character who fails this roll
Superior invisibility is like invisibility (see lapses into a coma for 1-100 hours.
page 86), but it masks the character com- Bodies that have undergone a personality
pletely. The psionicist makes no sound and switch tend to degenerate. Both characters
has no smell, though he can still be felt if must make a Constitution ability check every
touched. If he attacks someone physically, he day. If a check fails, the character loses one
automatically breaks contact with that char- point of Constitution. If his Constitution
acter. drops to zero, he dies.
Power Score — Opponents affected by this This Constitution loss is temporary, but it
power cannot detect the psionicist even if he does not reverse itself until the personalities
touches or physically attacks them. are restored to their proper bodies. At that
—
20 Everyone contacted becomes aware of point, both bodies recover one point of Con-
the psionicist and his desire to be invisible. stitution per day
The psionicist does not lose his psionic
Switch Personality powers if his Constitution drops below 11.
However, if a power score is based on
Power Score: Con -4 Constitution —like this power's score is the —
Initial Cost: contact +30 score drops accordingly.
Maintenance Cost: na Power Score — System shock rolls automat-
Range: touch ically succeed, and the Constitution checks
Preparation Time: 3 aremade only once a week.
Area of Effect: individual —
20 The psionicist lapses into a coma for
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact IdlOO hours.

78 • Chapter Seven
Tower of Iron Will from blind obsession. He won't leap into a fire
or over a cliff, for example, or climb into the
Power Score: Wis - arms of a tarrasque (a bipedal killing ma-
Initial Cost: 6
chine). He can recognize danger, but he
still
Maintenance Cost: na
will not flee unless the threat is strong and im-
Range:
mediate. And if the danger is not apparent,
Preparation Time:
(such as poison in a goblet of wine), the char-
Area of Effect: 1 yard
acter could easily destroy himself in pursuit of
Prerequisites: none
the attraction.
Tower of iron will is one of the five telepath- Power Score — The effect borders on an ob-
icdefenses against unwanted contact. It relies session; the victim takes serious risks.
only upon the superego to build an unassaila- 20 — No additional effect.
ble haven for the brain.
Like intellect fortress (a telepathic devo- Aversion
tion), tower of iron will has an area of effect
Power Score: Wis -4
beyond the psionicist's mind. At 3 feet, it's
Initial Cost: contact
very limited.
Maintenance Cost: 8/turn
A psionicist can initiate one other psionic
Range: 200 yards
power during the round in which he uses the
Preparation Time:
tower of iron will.
Area of Effect: individual
—
Power Score The area of effect increases
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
to 10 feet.
—
20 The psionicist is "lost inside himself" The victim of this power gains an aversion
and cannot engage in psionic activity for ld4 to a particular person, place, action, or event.
hours. He will do everything he can to avoid the ob-
ject of his aversion. He will not approach
Telepathic Devotions within 20 yards, and if he is already within 20
yards, he will back away at the first opportu-
nity.
Attraction
The aversion is "planted" in the victim's
Power Score: Wis -4 brain for one turn. It cannot be maintained for
Initial Cost: contact another turn unless the psionicist maintains
Maintenance Cost: 8/round contact throughout that turn.
Range: 200 yards —
Power Score The object of aversion af-
Preparation Time: fects the victim like a fear spell.
Area of Effect: individual 20 — No additional effect.
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact

The opposite of aversion (see below), this

power creates an overwhelming attraction to
a particular person or thing — be it an item,
creature, action, or event. A
victim of this
power will do whatever seems reasonable to
get close to the object of his attraction.
The key word is "reasonable." The victim is
completely fascinated, but he doesn't suffer

Telepathy • 79
Awe Contact

Power Score: Cha -2 Power Score: Wis

Initial Cost: contact Initial Cost: varies
Maintenance Cost: 4/round Maintenance Cost: 1 /round
Range: Range: special
Preparation Time: Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: 20 yards Area of Effect: individual
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact Prerequisite: none

A psionicist can use this power to make oth- Contact must be established before virtually
ers hold him awe. Each character contacted
in any telepathic power can be used on another
must make a saving throw vs. spells. Charac- character or creature. It is just what its name
ters who fail are mentally cowed; they sense implies — contact between the minds of the tel-
the telepath's "awesome might." They have no epath and another character or creature. Con-
desire to serve or befriend him, but they won't tact does not allow communication by itself; it
attack him unless forced to do so. (For exam- is merely the conduit for other telepathic ex-

ple, someone says, "You kill him or I'll kill changes.

you.") They'll do whatever they can to avoid Many powers list "contact" as
telepathic
angering or upsetting the psionicist. If possi- That means contact must be
their initial cost.
ble, they'll avoid him altogether, and take the established in a previous round before those
first opportunity to escape him. powers can be used. As long as contact is
—
Power Score The save automatically fails. maintained, the psionicist can use other
—
20 All contacted characters view the powers which require it, and can even switch
psionicist as pathetic and ridiculous. (using attraction and then mindlink on the
same subject after contact was established, for
Conceal Thoughts example).
A psionicist can maintain contact with more
Power Score: Wis than one subject at a time, but he must contact
Initial Cost: 5 each one individually, and pay a maintenance
Maintenance Cost: 3/round cost for each use of the power. For example, if
Range: a psionicist wishes to inspire awe in two sub-
Preparation Time: jects, he must establish and maintain contact
Area of Effect: 3 yards with each one separately.
Prerequisite: none Once contact is established, it costs 1 PSP
per round to maintain. The psionicist can per-
This defensive devotion protects the psioni- form any other action while maintaining con-
cist against psionic or magical ESP, probes, tact. // he uses another telepathic power on the
mindlink, life detection, and other powers or same subject while maintaining contact, the
spells which read or detect thoughts. To over- contact power is "free." (The cost of maintain-
come thought concealment, an attacker must ing contact is covered by the other power's
wage and win a psychic contest. cost.)
—
Power Score All related psychic contests Establishing Contact: The initial cost of
will automatically be won by the defender. contact is based on the target's level or hit dice,
20— No additional effect. as shown below.

80 • Chapter Seven
1-5 levels or hit dice 3 PSPs The maximum range for establishing contact
6-10 levels or hit dice 8 PSPs is 10,000 miles when a psionicist cannot view

11-15 levels or hit dice 13 PSPs his subject.Contact can be maintained across
16-20 levels or hit dice 18 PSPs any distance, however; it is not broken if a

contacted subject moves out of range. There is

A psionicist cannot contact a subject that he one exception: contact cannot be extended be-
knows nothing about. In other words, he can't
yond a crystal sphere.
use this power to scan around and "see what's
out there." He must either have his subject in
Resistance: An untrained character — i.e., a

sight or know specifically who or what he is

nonpsionicist — can actively resist intrusion,
resulting in a -2 modifier to the psionicist's
looking for. He cannot, for example, try to
power score. To resist, the character fills his
contact any random ore which may or may
mind with a barrage of thoughts and
not be standing behind a closed door. How-
emotions — much as a child avoids a lecture by
ever, he can try to contact a particular ore
plugging his ears and yelling. For example, a
which he has seen before.
character might repeat a poem ad nauseam, or
If a psionicist fails to establish contact, he
scream battle cries. However, even these ef-
can try again the next round. Failure doesn't
forts won't work unless 1) the character is spe-
necessarily mean the target's mind cannot be
cifically resisting psychic intrusion, and 2)
contacted. Rather, it means the target has not
resisting intrusion is his sole activity. If the
been found yet. The psionicist can continue
character tries to fight or cast a spell, for ex-
searching.
ample, his psychic defense has too many
Several factors can make telepathic contact
"holes" to be useful. Unless a wild talent
difficult to establish:
knows a telepathic defense mode, he is as vul-
• how far the target is (distance) nerable to contact as any nonpsionicist.
• resistance by the target — especially if the Psionicists (and psionic creatures) are much
target is a psionicist better at resisting contact. In fact, this power
• whether or not the target is an intelligent won't work against them unless they inten-
mammal tionally drop their natural defenses. They
Each factor is described below. must allow another psionicist to use contact
on them, and can exclude some contacts while
Distance: The greater the distance between
remaining open to others. If a psionicist re-
the two minds, the more difficult it usually be-
sists, contact can only be established through
comes to make contact. If the psionicist can see
mental attacks: psychic crush, ego whip, id in-
the target —
either with normal vision or by us-
sinuation, mind thrust, or psionic blast. See
ing psionic powers —
distance is not a factor. If
Chapter 2, "Psionic Combat," for more infor-
the psionicist cannot see his target, normal
mation.
range modifiers apply. Simply knowing where
Unusual Subjects: Contact can also be es-
to look does not constitute "seeing the target."
tablished with nonhuman minds, even plants.
Separation Power Score The further the subject is removed from mam-
Distance Modifier mals, the more difficult it becomes to establish
Line-of-sight contact. Modifiers that affect power scores
1 mile -1 are listed on the following page.
10 miles -3
100 miles -5
1,000 miles -7
10,000 miles -9

Telepathy • 81
Probe: We have ways of making you think.

82 • Chapter Seven
 Contact tive against characters with Intelligence 14 or
Score less who are not concentrating hard on the
Life Order Modifier task before them, but are just going about
Mammal (except marsupial) -1 their business in a casual, relaxed manner.
Marsupial -2 Once daydreamer pays little
affected, the
Bird -3 attention to his surroundings, making it much
Reptile, amphibian -4 easier for someone to pick his pocket, slip past
Fish -5 him unobserved, or otherwise escape his no-
Arachnid, insect -6 tice. Thieves gain a 20% bonus on their pick

Monster -7 pockets, move silently, and hide in shadows

Plant -8 scores. Other characters can perform these
tasks as an average 4th level thief (pick pock-
These modifiers are in addition to any dis-
ets, 45%; move silently, 33%; hide in
tance modifiers that may apply. That means
contacting a distant plant or monster is an un-
shadows, 25%). The DM can assign chances
for success to other types of skulking and
certain proposition at best.
skullduggery.
Breaking Contact: Contact is not severed
Power Score — Increase the bonuses to 30%
until the psionicist breaks it off (fails to main-
for thieves and 5th level for others.
tain it). If the person contacted is a psionicist,
he may also do something to sever it. A
20 — The victim realizes someone is toying
with his mind.
psionicist often can eject an unwanted in-
truder (see "ejection").
Ego Whip
Optional Rule: The minds of very intelligent
beings are more difficult to latch onto. Increase Power Score: Wis -3
the cost of contact by adding the creature's "# of Initial Cost: 4
Languages," minus two, as shown on Table 4 in Maintenance Cost: na
Chapter 1 of the Player's Handbook. For exam- Range: 40/80/120 yards
ple, a creature with Intelligence 17 knows six Preparation Time:
languages. The cost of contacting this creature's Area of Effect: individual
mind is increased by four. Prerequisites: mindlink, contact
Power Score — The contact is maintained
Ego whip is one of the five telepathic attacks
for four rounds for free.
used to establish contact with another psioni-
20 — Further contact with this mind is im-
cist's mind. (See Chapter 2.) The power assaults
possible at this experience level.
the victim's ego, leaving him with feelings of in-
feriority and worthlessness. If used against a
Daydream
contacted mind, the target is dazed for 1-4
Power Score: Wis rounds, during which all of his die rolls (psionic
Initial Cost: contact attacks, melee attacks, saving throws, etc.) are
Maintenance Cost: 3/round penalized five points (or 25%) and he cannot
Range: unlimited cast any spells above third level.
Preparation Time: This power has three ranges: short, medi-
Area of Effect: individual um, and long. At medium range, the psioni-
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact cist's power score is reduced by two. At long

range, it is reduced by five.

By using this power, the telepath causes
Power Score — No additional effect.
someone's mind to wander. This is only effec-
20 — No additional effect.

Telepathy • 83
Empathy headache and suffers a - 1 penalty on all tele-
pathic power scores for one hour.
Power Score: Wis
Initial Cost: contact (or 1*)
False Sensory Input
Maintenance Cost: 1/ round
Range: unlimited Power Score: Int -3
Preparation Time: Initial Cost: contact
Area of Effect: 20 ft. x 20 ft. Maintenance Cost: 4/round
Prerequisites: contact Range: unlimited
Preparation Time:
By using empathy, a psionicist can sense the
Area of Effect: individual
basic needs, drives, and/ or emotions gener-
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
ated by any mind. Thirst, hunger, fear, fa-
tigue, pain, rage, hatred, uncertainty, This devotion allows the psionicist to fal-
curiosity, hostility, friendliness, love all — sify —
someone's sensory input making the vic-
these and more can be sensed. tim think that he sees, hears, smells, tastes, or
*When used against nonpsionic targets, feels something other than he really does. The
contact is not required. falsehoods are somewhat limited. Nothing
Power —
Score The subject of the emotion is can be completely hidden or made to disap-
revealed. pear, and everything must retain its general
20 — The target senses the attempt. size and intensity.
For example, a human could be made to
ESP look like a dwarf, but not like a parrot. A
slamming door could be made to sound like a
Power Score: Wis -4
thunderclap or a cough, but not like rustling
Initial Cost: contact
paper. Oil could be made to taste like garlic,
Maintenance Cost: 6/round
but not like water.
Range: unlimited
Preparation Time:
—
Power Score Almost any false perception
can be achieved.
Area of individual
Effect:
Prerequisites: contact
—
20 The psionicist cannot see, hear, or
otherwise sense the intended victim for ld4
Extrasensory perception, or ESP, allows a rounds, except psionically.
psionicist to read someone else's mind (as the
power is treated here). The telepath can only Id Insinuation
perceive surface or active thoughts. He cannot
Power Score: Wis -4
use ESP to explore someone's memories or
Initial Cost: 5
delve into their subconscious.
Maintenance Cost: na
Most intelligent creatures tend to think in
Range: 60/120/180 yards
words, so language is a barrier to understand-
Preparation Time:
ing. Unintelligent creatures think in pictures.
Area of Effect: individual
Magical thought, such as a wizard uses in
Prerequisites: mindlink, contact
casting spells, is also unintelligible. However,
a telepath can easily recognize such thoughts Id insinuation is one of the five telepathic
as part of the spell-casting process. attack modes. Tt seeks to unleash the uncon-
—
Power Score The first round of mainte- trolled subconscious of the defender, pitting it
nance is free. against his superego. The attack leaves the
—
20 The psionicist develops a splitting victim in a state of moral uproar.

84 • Chapter Seven
 Technically speaking, this power drives him By applying this power to another charac-
nuts, at least temporarily. His id — the seat of ter, knowledge about
the psionicist can gain
primitive needs, animal drives, cruelty, and fe- past lives. One can be explored per
past life

rocity — seeks to launch him into a rage of vio- round, starting with the most powerful per-
lence and desire. His superego — the seat of sonalities (usually these are also the most fa-
moral conscience and the "civilized" part of his mous, but not always).
—
brain struggles to maintain the upper hand. If The psionicist also knows immediately how
this power is used against a contacted mind, many times this particular personality has
the target can do nothing for ld4 rounds. been killed and raised from the dead. It is up
Id insinuation has three ranges: short, me- to the players to put this information to use.
dium, and long. At medium range, the tele- —
Power Score All past life information is
path's power score is reduced by two. At long gained in one quick mental blast.
range, it is reduced by five. 20 — Overwhelmed, the psionicist lapses in-
—
Power Score The victim's id overpowers to a trance until jolted or slapped — or for ld4
his superego and he turns against his allies for hours, whichever comes first.
ld4 rounds.
—
20 The psionicist's id is unleashed; the re- Inflict Pain
sulting rage imposes a -1 penalty on all his
attack rolls and power checks for one turn.
Power Score: Con -4
Initial Cost: contact
Maintenance Cost: 2/round
Identity Penetration
Range: touch
Power Score: Wis -3 Preparation Time: 1
Initial Cost: contact Area of Effect: individual
Maintenance Cost: 6/round Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
Range: unlimited
This is a particularly nasty form of torture.
Preparation Time:
It causes no actual harm to the subject and
Area of Effect: individual
leaves no marks or scars, but causes excruciat-
Prerequisite: contact
ing pain of any sort the telepath desires. Only
Identity penetration allows the user to de- evil characters can learn this power freely;
termine the target's true identity in spite of others find their alignments twisting toward
polymorphs, illusions, disguises, etc. evil if they wish to inflict pain.
Power Score — No additional effect. If the victim is an NPC who is being ques-

20 — Until he gains another level, the tele- tioned, he must make a saving throw vs. para-
path cannot penetrate the identity of the cur- lyzation to withstand this agony.
rent target. If the psionicist finds a way to use this

power in combat, the victim must also make a

Incarnation Awareness saving throw vs. paralyzation. Success means
he grits his teeth and keeps on fighting. Failure
Power Score: Wis -4 means the pain imposes a four-point penalty
Initial Cost: contact
on the character's attack rolls that round, or
Maintenance Cost: 13/round
disrupts and ruins a spell.
Range: unlimited
Power Score — The pain is so excruciating
Preparation Time:
that the victim passes out for ldlO rounds.
Area of individual
Effect:
Prerequisite: contact
20 — This particular contact is broken.

Telepathy • 85
Intellect Fortress when the blow was struck, he's out for 10
rounds.
Power Score: Wis -3 Even if the victim of this power is never ac-
Initial Cost: 4
tually struck, his behavior is likely to change.
Maintenance Cost: na
Fully expecting the next blow to kill him, he
Range:
may stop attacking and simply parry, or try to
Preparation Time:
flee,or even surrender and beg for quarter. If
Area of Effect: 3-yd. radius
the character has not been struck, however,
Prerequisites: none
the psionicist must keep renewing the power
Intellect fortress is one of five telepathic de- every round; otherwise future blows will af-
fenses against unwanted contact. It calls forth fect him normally.
the powers of the ego and superego to stop at- "Invincible foes" can also work in reverse.
tacks. In other words, an attacker can be made to be-
Unlike most other defenses, intellect for- lieve that every blow he strikes is fatal. The
tress has an area of effect beyond the psioni- belief strong enough to create an illusion:
is

cist's mind, offering protection to other minds even if the attacker barely scratches his foe, he
within that radius. Every mind within that ar- sees the "victim" lying down, mortally
ea defends against telepathic attack with the wounded. He will continue to imagine that
psionicist's intellect fortress power score. opponent lying on the ground until the oppo-
A psionicist can initiate one other psionic nent attacks again (it doesn't matter whom he
power in the same round that he uses intellect attacks; any attack breaks the illusion).
fortress. This reversal has several consequences.
Power Score — No additional effect. Characters who have been "killed" i.e., —
20 — This
defense falters and is not usable —
struck can simply walk away from the fight,
again for ld4 rounds. leaving their "corpses" behind. Or they can
move into position and attack again, gaining a
Invincible Foes + 2 bonus to hit. After this happens three
times, the affected character must make a sav-
Power Score: Wis -3 ing throw vs. spells. If it fails, he becomes
Initial Cost: contact convinced that his foes are unkillable and re-
Maintenance Cost: 5/round acts accordingly. (PCs, of course, are free to
Range: unlimited
react as they see fit.)
Preparation Time: Power Score — No other effect.
Area of Effect: individual 20— No other effect.
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact

The victim of this devotion believes that Invisibility

any blow struck against him will cripple or -5
Power Score: Int
kill him. Even if the blow actually causes just
Initial Cost: contact
one point of damage, the victim thinks he's
Maintenance Cost: 2/round/creature
dying, and that he can no longer fight. He falls
Range: 100 yards
to the ground in horrible pain.
Preparation Time:
A character who is struck while under the Area of Effect: individual
effect of this power won't recover until a turn
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
later, even if the psionicist stops concentrating
on him and turns his attention elsewhere. As Psionic invisibility differs significantly from
long as the character was under this effect magical invisibility. To make himself invisible,

86 • Chapter Seven
the psionicistmust individually contact each
mind wants deceive. Once they are all
that he
contacted, he makes himself invisible to them
only. He can still see himself, as can anyone
who was not contacted. Only characters with-
in 100 yards of the psionicist can be affected by
this power.
yards, 90 degrees to a range of 60 yards, or 30
degrees to a range of 100 yards.
One round of scanning will detect humans,
demihumans, humanoids, mammals, and
monsters with eight or more hit dice. A sec-
ond round of scanning will detect birds, rep-
tiles, amphibians, fish, and monsters with less

Invisibility is a delusion affecting one or
more select characters, not an illusion affect-
ing everyone. The only real change occurs in
the mind of the psionicist's targets. For this
reason, the psionicist can make anyone invisi-
ble —not just himself. The "invisible" being
must be approximately man-sized
smaller), however.
than eight hit dice. In either case the character
gets an accurate count of the creatures.
The DM should make this power check and
keep the result secret from the player. If the
psionicist doesn't detect anything, the player
won't know whether that means there's noth-
(or ing there, or the power didn't work. If the roll
is 1, the psionicist gets faulty information. He

The psionicist must make a separate power detects what is there, but gets the numbers
check for each delusion, and pay a separate wrong by +/-50%.
maintenance cost for each. In this case, a delu- Power Score — The psionicist can instantly
sion is one "invisible" creature or character, as detect everything within 100 yards, in every
perceived by one other character. For exam- direction.
ple, if the psionicist wants to make two things —
20 The telepath detects ld6 creatures
invisible totwo people, he must make four which aren't there.
separate power checks.
This power affects vision only. Observers Mental Barrier
may still be able to hear or smell "invisible"
creatures. Power Score: Wis -2
Power Score — The power works like supe- Initial Cost: 3
rior invisibility (a telepathic science). Maintenance Cost: na
20 — All contacts are broken. Range:
Preparation Time:
Life Detection Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisites: none
Power Score: Int -2
Initial Cost: 3 Mental barrier is one of five telepathic de-
Maintenance Cost: 3/round fenses against unwanted contact. It is a care-
Range: 100 yards fully built wall of thought repetition which
Preparation Time: exposes only one small area of the mind at a
Area of Effect: varies time.
Prerequisite: none A psionicist can initiate one other psionic
power in the same round that he uses mental
A
telepath can detect the presence of living, barrier.
thinking creatures within a limited area. He —
Power Score Contact during this round
must scan like radar. If he is scanning at short and the next is impossible.
range, he can cover a large angle. At long —
20 The barrier fails, and the mental at-
range, the angle is significantly reduced. He tempt disrupts any currently active powers.
can scan through 180 degrees to a range of 40

Telepathy • 87
Mind Bar In fact, a character can still recover PSPs
while using this power. That's because mind
Power Score: Int -2
blank is almost instinctual; if a character
Initial Cost: 6
knows it, it's nearly always active, even when
Maintenance Cost: 4/round
he's sleeping or meditating. The power is inac-
Range:
tive only if 1) the player announces it, or 2)
Preparation Time:
the character uses another defense mode.
Area of Effect: personal
Even though mind blank has no PSP cost, it
Prerequisite: none
still constitutes psionic activity. If the power is

Mind bar is a magician's bane and the tele- active, a character vulnerable to detection.
is

path's boon. It 75% magic

gives the psionicist He still may attract psionic feeders, or suffer
resistance against charm, confusion, ESP, some other unpleasant effect.
fear, feeblemind, magic jar, sleep, and sugges- A psionicist can use one other psionic
tion spells. It also offers complete protection power (but not another defense mode) in the
against possession of any sort. same round that he uses mind blank.
In addition, mind bar protects a psionicist —
Power Score No other effect.
against all telepathic powers, except the five —
20 The character cannot use mind blank
contact-establishing attacks. No telepathic for ld4 hours.
power can barred mind unless the tele-
affect a
pathic attack prevails in a psychic contest. Mind Thrust
(The defender uses mind bar.)
Power Score: Wis -2
—
Power Score The telepath gains a +5 bo-
Initial Cost: 2
nus to his power score when defending in a
Maintenance Cost: na
psychic contest.
Range: 30/60/90 yards
—
20 The telepath's saving throws vs. the
Preparation Time:
spells listed above have a -4 penalty for one
Area of Effect: individual
hour.
Prerequisites: mindlink, contact

Mind Blank Mind thrust is one of the five telepathic at-

tacks used to establish contact with another
Power Score: Wis -7 psionicist 's mind. It is a stabbing attack which
Initial Cost:
seeks to "short" the synapses of the defender.
Maintenance Cost:
If the subject's mind has already been con-
Range:
tacted, and he has psionic powers, then this
Preparation Time:
power can do some damage. The subject loses
Area of Effect: personal
the use of one power, chosen randomly, for
Prerequisites: none
2d6 days. Beyond establishing contact, mind
Mind blank is one of five telepathic defenses thrust has no effect on creatures or characters
againstunwanted contact. It attempts to hide without psionic powers.
the mind from attack, making its parts uni- This power has three ranges: short, medi-
dentifiable. This defense is particularly effec- um, and long. At medium range, the psioni-
tive against a psionic blast and id insinuation. cist's power score is reduced by two. At long

(See Chapter 2, "Psionic Combat," for de- range, it's reduced by five.
tails.) Power Score — No other effect.
Mind blank is unique. Unlike the other four 20— The telepath loses all tangents, but not
defense modes, itcosts nothing to maintain. contacts.

88 • Chapter Seven
Phobia Amplification Any creature with an Intelligence between 7
and 17 can receive a post-hypnotic suggestion.
Power Score: Wis -2
(Very dim or very brilliant creatures are not
Initial Cost: contact
susceptible.) The psionicist plants a suggestion
Maintenance Cost: 4 /round
of some reasonable course of action in the crea-
Range: unlimited
ture's subconscious, along with the situation
Preparation Time:
that will trigger this action. When that situa-
Area of Effect: individual
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
tion arises, the DM makes a power check
against the psionicist's post-hypnotic sugges-
This power allows the psionicist to reach in- tion score, with a - 1 penalty for each day that
to someone's mind and discover his greatest has passed since the suggestion was planted.
fear, then amplify it to the point of irrational- A "reasonable course of action" is one that
ity.A victim who fails a saving throw vs. spells does not violate the creature's alignment or
believes he is imminently threatened by the ob- class restrictions. It can be something that he
ject of this fear, even if it is completely absurd. would not normally do, but if it is too strange,
A character with a fear of falling, for example, he just won't do it.
is convinced he could pitch over a cliff at any The maintenance cost for this power is a
—
moment even while on an endless prairie one-time-only payment, made when the sug-
unless he stands absolutely still. gestion is implanted.
The reaction of the frightened character de- —
Power Score The psionicist's power score
pends on the fear. He will defend himself if at- is not reduced for the passage of time.

tacked (unless defending himself is somehow —

20 The intended victim is aware of the at-
tied in to his phobia). A wizard may teleport tempt.
away or use other spells to guarantee his
safety. Other characters might freeze in place Psychic Crush
or flee for their lives. But all of their actions
Power Score: Wis -4
will be geared toward protecting against the
Initial Cost: 7
fearsome object or situation.
Maintenance Cost: na
This fear lasts as long as the psionicist main-
Range: 50 yards
tains the effect. Once he stops, the fear fades
Preparation Time:
back to its normal proportions, probably
Area of Effect: individual
leaving the character slightly shaken and
Prerequisites: mindlink
more than slightly chagrined.
—
Power Score The target's save vs. spells Psychic crush is one of the five telepathic at-
automatically fails. tacks used to establish contact with another
—
20 The subject has no detectable phobias. psionicist's mind. It is a massive assault upon
all neurons in the brain, attempting to destroy
Post-Hypnotic Suggestion all by a massive overload of signals.

If this attack is used against any mind that

Power Score: Int -3
the psionicist has contacted, the victim must
Initial Cost: contact
make a saving throw vs. paralyzation. Failure
Maintenance Cost: 1/level or hit die
costs the target ld8 hit points.
Range: unlimited
Preparation Time:
—
Power Score The save automatically fails.
Area of Effect: 1 creature
—
20 The victim is immune to further crush-
es by this psionicist for 24 hours.
Prerequisites: mindlink, contact

Telepathy • 89
Psychic Impersonation Psychic Messenger
Power Score: Con -4
Power Score: Wis
Initial Cost: 4
Initial Cost: 10
Maintenance Cost: 3/round
Maintenance Cost: 3/hour
Range: 200 miles
Range:
Preparation Time: 2
Preparation Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: 1 sq. yd.
Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisite: none
Prerequisite: probe
This power allows a character to create an
This power enables a psionicist to mask his insubstantial, 3-D image of himself, which
own aura and thought patterns, and make can appear anywhere within 200 miles and de-
them match someone else's perfectly. To ac- liver a message. Everyone present can see and
complish this, the psionicist must first probe hear the messenger. Communication is one-
the subject he wishes to impersonate. way. The telepath has no idea what is happen-
Psychic impersonation does not alter any of ing around his messenger unless he's using
It only changes
the psionicist's other features. some other power.
his identity to other creatures with psionic —
Power Score The psionicist can make the
powers. Even then, a psychic contest with messenger's appearance differ from his own.
identity penetration or probe can penetrate 20— No effect.
the disguise.
While psychic impersonation is in effect, all Repugnance
of the user's psionic power scores are reduced
Power Score: Wis -5
by one.
contact
Power Score — The disguise cannot be de-
Initial Cost:
Maintenance Cost: 8/round
tected psionically and power scores are not
Range: 200 yards
decreased.
Preparation Time:
20 — Until the psionicist reaches a new experi- Area of Effect: individual
ence level, he cannot impersonate that subject.
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact

With this power, a psionicist makes

—
something a particular person, place, or
object —
completely repugnant to another
character. That character is overwhelmed
with loathing for the "thing," and he will seek
to destroy it as completely and quickly as
possible.
If this destruction is strongly against the
•*^£2^> character's alignment (such as making a tem-
ple repugnant to its cleric), the character gets
to make a saving throw vs. spells to shake off
the effect.
Power Scor Ao save is allowed.
20— The victim is aware of the attempt.

90 • Chapter Seven
Send Thoughts Sound Link
Power Score: Int -1 Power Score: Con -2
Initial Cost: contact Initial Cost: contact
Maintenance Cost: 2/round Maintenance Cost: 4 /turn
Range: unlimited Range: unlimited
Preparation Time: Preparation Time: 1
Area of Effect: individual Area of Effect: individual
Prerequisite: contact Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
This is one-way communication, allowing By means of a sound link, the telepath taps
the telepath to send his own thoughts to some- into the auditory system of another person or
one else's mind. The telepath can send infor- creature. He
hears whatever his link hears. If
mation or simply distract the target.
the linked creature is subjected to an auditory
If the target is a wizard casting a spell, he
attack (by sirens, shriekers, etc.), the telepath
must make a saving throw vs. spells. The wiz-
must make the appropriate saving throw or
ard applies a modifier to the save: the differ- also be affected.
ence between his Intelligence and the Power Score — Sight link is also gained.
telepath's power score. (If the wizard's Intelli-
20— The psionicist is deaf for ld4 hours.
gence is higher, it's a bonus; if it's lower, it's a
penalty.) If this save fails, the wizard's concen-
Synaptic Static
tration is broken and the spell is spoiled.
If the target being distracted is someone in- Power Score: Int -4
volved he has a two-point penalty
in melee, Initial Cost: 15
on all attack rolls (but not damage rolls). Maintenance Cost: 10/round
—
Power Score Wizards cannot make the Range:
saving throw. Preparation Time:
—
20 If the receiver is a friend, he is distract- Area of Effect: 20/50/90 yds
ed. Prerequisite: mindlink

Synaptic static interferes with all psionic ac-

Sight Link
tivity within a given area. Even the psionicist
Power Score: Con -3 is affected; when he creates static, he cannot
Initial Cost: contact use any other power simultaneously. How-
Maintenance Cost: 5 /turn ever, he may also prevent others from using
Range: unlimited their powers. Anyone who tries to use a psi-
Preparation Time: 1 onic power within the area of effect must fight
Area of Effect: individual the static's creator in a psychic contest. If an
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact opponent succeeds, his power functions nor-
Sight link allows the telepath to tap into an- mally. If not, his power fails.

other character's optical system. The telepath Exposure to synaptic static for more than
sees whatever his link sees. (His own vision is five rounds will give anyone a splitting head-
unaffected.) the linked creature is subjected
If ache. This has no game effect, but it will make
to a gaze attack, the telepath must make the NPCs and animals irritable.
appropriate saving throw or also be affected This power has three ranges: short, medi-
by the gaze. um, and long. At medium range, the charac-
Power Score — Sound link is also gained. ter's power score is reduced by two. At long

20 — The psionicist is blinded for ld4 hours. range, it is reduced by five.

Telepathy • 91
 Power Score — The psionicist receives a +1 angry, for example, but not happy. Empathic
bonus in all psychic contests prompted by the changes are a matter of degrees, no more.
current use of static. Power Score — Emotions can be drastically
20 — The character has injured himself try- altered (love to hatred, etc.) while this power
ing to create static. He immediately loses ld20 is maintained.
PSPs and ld6 hps. —
20 All affected characters experience
strong negative emotions toward the psioni-
Taste Link cist for ld6 rounds.

Power Score: Con -2 Thought Shield

Initial Cost: contact
Power Score: Wis -3
Maintenance Cost: 4 /turn
Initial Cost: 1
Range: unlimited
Maintenance Cost: na
Preparation Time: 1
Range:
Area of Effect: individual
Preparation Time:
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
Area of Effect: personal
Could this be a dieter's dream? Taste link al- Prerequisites: none
lows the telepath to tap into the flavor senses
Thought shield is one of five telepathic de-
of another person or creature. The psionicist
fenses against unwanted contact. It clouds the
tastes whatever his link tastes.
mind so as to hide first one part, then another.
If the linked creature takes poison orally,

the telepath must make a saving throw vs.

A psionicist can initiate one other psionic
power during the same round in which he uses
poison to avoid passing out and severing the
thought shield.
link. The psionicist can't actually be poisoned
this way, however.
Power Score —No other effect.
Power Score — Scent
20— No other effect.
link is also gained (not
a defined power).
—
20 The psionicist has a bitter taste in his
Truthear
mouth, but no other effect occurs. Power Score: Wis
Initial Cost: 4
Telempathic Projection Maintenance Cost: 2/round
Range:
Power Score: Wis -2 Preparation Time:
Initial Cost: contact Area of Effect: hearing
Maintenance Cost: 4/round Prerequisite: mindlink
Range: unlimited
Preparation Time:
When a psionicist uses truthear, he can tell
1
whether other people intentionally lie. He
Area of Effect: 10 yard diam
does not hear their words translated into
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact
truth; he merely knows whether or not speak-
Telempathic projection allows the user to ers believe they are lying.
send emotions to everyone who has been con- —
Power Score The psionicist recognizes a
tacted within a common 10-yard diameter. falsehood even when the speaker does not.
This power cannot radically change a charac- —
20 The psionicist can't use this power ef-
ter's emotional state, however. A character fectively against this subject for ld6 days.
who is very angry could be made only slightly

92 • Chapter Seven
 CHAPTER

Metapsionics

Metapsionic Sciences Aura Alteration

Appraise Power Score: Wis -4
Initial Cost: 10
Power Score: Int -4 Maintenance Cost: na
Initial Cost: 14 Range: touch
Maintenance Cost: na Preparation Time: 5
Range: Area of Effect: individual
Preparation Time: Prerequisites: psychic surgery,
Area of Effect: personal 5th level
Prerequisites: none
With aura alteration, a psionicist can tem-
With power, a psionicist can determine
this porarily disguise a person's alignment, dis-
the likelihood that a specific course of action guise his level, or remove aura afflictions like
will succeed. He focuses on a course of action curses, geases, and quests.
and examines the possibilities. He assigns Disguising a character's alignment or level is
probabilities. Then he mentally processes the easiest to do. The disguise is temporary,
enormous calculations to arrive at an overall lasting only 1-6 hours. It has no effect on the
probability of success. character's real alignment or class, but a
In game play, the character must first pass a psionicist with aura sight will be fooled by the
power check. If he does, the DM
must reveal fake aura.
the percentage chance for the plan or action's Because curses, geases, and quests are im-
success. Exact odds may be difficult or impos- printed on the character's aura, they can be re-
sible to determine, but the DM should provide moved with power. A psionicist who tries
this
his most accurate, honest appraisal. this suffers a -6
penalty to his power score
No one, not even a psionicist, can foresee and must expend 20 PSPs instead of 10. If the
the future with assured accuracy. Like precog- die roll is 1, the psionicist's patient must make
nition, the success of this power depends on a saving throw vs. spells to avoid losing one
how closely the characters adhere to their experience level. (A slip of the psychic scalpel
plans. Do they act as they intended? React as can close off vital parts of the brain.)
they intended? What factors did they fail to Power Score — No other effect.
foresee? Every deviation steers events away 20— The full PSP cost of the power must be
from the predicted path. If this power is used, paid despite the lack of success, and this
the DMshould give the best answer he can, psionicist cannot alter this aura until he
based on information the characters have. achieves a higher experience level.
Factors they don't know about, and therefore
can't take into account while forming a plan, Empower
can change things dramatically.
—
Power Score The player is allowed to re- Power Score: Wis -12
roll any three die rolls to help make his charac- Initial Cost: varies
ter's forecast more accurate. Maintenance Cost: na
—
20 The psionicist can't use this power suc- Range: touch
cessfully again for ld4 days. Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: 1 item
Prerequisites: 10th level

This is not a tool for weak or inexperienced

characters. Empower allows a psionicist to im-

Metapsionics • 93
bue an item with rudimentary intelligence and the powers which the psionicist intends to give
The process, which requires
psionic ability. it, powers within
the psionicist can seal those
extraodinary time and effort, is described be- the item. To do this, he must prepare the item
low. one more time (expending 50 PSPs), and make
Item Requirements. An item must meet two an endowment power check one last time. If
requirements before it can be empowered. the item is sealed successfully, it can never
First, it must be of exceptional quality — worth —
gain any additional powers but it can't lose
250% to 500% of the normal cost for an item them, either. An item that has not been sealed
of its type. Second, it must be new. The proc- will lose one power per month until it is just a
ess of empowering must begin within 48 hours normal object again.
after the item is manufactured. If it is delayed An empowered PSPs per devo-
object has 8
longer, the item cannot be empowered. (If the tion and 12 per has Intelligence equal
science. It

psionicist still tries, he automatically fails Step to its maker's Intelligence minus ld6 points,
One below, expending 50 PSPs.) If the item with a minimum of 12. Its ego is 2 points per
meets these two requirements, the psionicist devotion and 3 points per science. Unless it was
can begin the empowerment. empowered with another telepathic power, it
Step One. At the start of each day, the communicates as indicated on Table 113,
psionicist must first prepare the item to re- "Weapon Intelligence and Capabilities" in the
ceive psionic power. This costs 50 PSPs and AD&D® 2nd Edition DMG (p. 186). Its align-
requires a power check. If this check fails, the ment matches its creator's. The weapon has its

day is wasted; no further progress can be own personality, however, and like all intelli-
made until the next day. gent weapons, it will try to assert its indepen-
Step Two. If the item has been prepared, the dence at every opportunity.
psionicist can give it access to a discipline. It The empowering process must be unbroken.
can have access to only one discipline, never // a day passes in which the psionicist does not
more, and the psionicist himself must have ac- at least try to prepare the object, it is finished as
cess to it. This step costs 100 PSPs and re- is. He cannot even try to seal the powers; they
quires a power check. will wear over the course of time.
off
Step Three. The psionicist can attempt to Power Score — No
other effect.
empower the item with any single power he —
20 If three 20's are rolled during the em-
knows within the chosen discipline. (The item powering process, the item is a complete and
must have been properly prepared on the utter failure.
same The psionicist must make two suc-
day.)
cessful power checks: first, a check for the Psychic Clone
chosen power (using the appropriate power
Power Score: Wis -8
score), and second, another empower check.
Initial Cost: 50
If both checks succeed, the item has that psi-
Maintenance Cost: 5 /round
onic power, with a score two points below the
Range: 60 feet
psionicist's. If Step Three is successful, the
Preparation Time: 10 rounds
psionicist expends another 100 PSPs. (Failure
Area of Effect: special
means he expends half that amount, as usual.)
Prerequisites: clairaudience,
Step Four. The psionicist can imbue the item
clairvoyance, psychic
with other powers by repeating Step Three. The
messenger, 5th level
item can acquire one power per day, provided it
has been properly prepared (see Step One). When this power is initiated, a clone of the
Step Five. When the item has acquired all psionicist steps out of his body. It is in every

94 • Chapter Eight
way identical to the original form, except that it self if need be, though his power score is re-

has no substance. The psionicist can see and duced by 5 in this case. Phobias, aversions,
hear what the clone sees and hears. The clone idiocy, comas, seizures —
all these psychic ail-

will do anything the psionicist wants it to (as if it ments can be treated and cured, as well as sev-
were actually him). Furthermore, the psioni- eral others.Curses or magical conditions such —
cist's psyche goes with the clone, thus enabling it as geases and charms —
cannot be cured.
to perform all of his psionic powers. This power cannot cure possession, either.
This power has a serious drawback. As long However, psychic surgery can confirm that
as the clone exists, the psionicist himself is the problem really is possession, and can force
practically a turnip. He retains only three the possessing entity into psionic combat if the
senses: smell, taste, and touch. He cannot surgeon desires. This may be risky, since crea-
move, see, or hear. All his psionic powers are tures capable of possession are often quite
transferred to the clone. In effect, the immo- powerful and the psionicist cannot ascertain
bile character is no longer a psionicist; not their power beforehand. On the other hand,
even psionic sense will reveal his true nature. psychic surgery could cure the possession in-
He can be slain without any combat rolls if an directly by forcing a psionically weak entity
opponent wishes to do so. to flee rather than facecombat.
The clone can travel up to 60 feet from the Most psychic ailments can be cured in one
psionicist. It can go anywhere the psionicist turn or less. However, if the psionicist's power
himself could go. For example, it can walk check result equals 1 or 2, the problem is par-
down a corridor, walk across acid (the clone ticularly tricky and requires another turn to
has no substance and cannot be hurt), and repair. If the power check fails, the problem is
swim (provided the psionicist can). Because too great for the psionicist to fix. He can try
the psionicist could walk through an unlocked again after gaining another experience level.
—
door, so can the clone although the clone Special Operations: Psychic surgery has
passes through like a ghost. However, a clone two special uses. First, the surgeon can use
cannot travel through walls or walk on water, this power to help nonpsionicists unleash their
because the psionicist could not either. wild powers. If the psionicist performs this
The clone is impervious to all forms of at- kind of operation successfully, the patient
tack and damage except psionic or mental at- gains a -2 bonus to his wild talent roll. (See
tack (which will affect the psionicist). Chapter 1.)
—
Power Score The clone can travel through The second operation can make the effect of
walls and other solid objects. any power in the telepathy discipline perma-
20— No other effect. nent with no maintenance cost. The patient is
rarely grateful, because the power is not be-
Psychic Surgery stowed on the subject, only its effect. In this
way, a person can be permanently dominated
Power Score: Wis -5 or fate-linked, for example. The following re-
Initial Cost: contact
strictions apply:
Maintenance Cost: 10/turn
Range: touch 1) The power must be maintainable (i.e., it

Preparation Time: 10 must have a maintenance cost).

Area of Effect: individual 2) The power must have a range of other
Prerequisite: mindlink, contact than zero.
3) The surgeon must know the power and
Psychic surgery allows a telepath to repair
use it successfully on the patient.
psychic damage. He can even operate on him-

Metapsionics • 95
 4) A psionicist cannot
use this type of sur-
gery on himself or on another psionicist.
If he tries, nothing happens.
5) At most, only one power can made per-
manent per turn. If the result of the
power check is 1 or 2, the procedure
takes two turns instead of one.
This procedure can also be reversed; i.e.,
psychic surgery can be used to remove a per-
manently implanted telepathic effect.
—
Power Score The surgery takes only 5
rounds per "implanted" power.
—
20 The surgeon cannot use this power suc-
cessfully again for ld4 days.
Split Personality
Power Score: Wis -5
Initial Cost: 40
Maintenance Cost: 6/round
Range:
Preparation Time: 1 Initial
Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisites: psychic surgery,
10th level
This is not a psychosis; it's the power to di-
vide one's mind into two independent parts.
Each part functions in complete autonomy,
like two characters in one body. Both parts
communicate fully. Both can use psionic
powers, even at the same time. That means a
split personality can use twice as many psionic
powers per round. (The character's total num-
ber of PSPs remains the same, however, with
both personalities drawing from it.) Alter-
nately, one personality can use psionic powers
while the other does something else e.g.,
converse, ponder a puzzle, or control the body
in melee. Thus, split personality allows a char-
acter to fight physically and psionically
same time.
Mental attacks directed against the psioni-
only half of the mind. Contact must
cist affect
be established separately with each half. If one
half is destroyed, controlled, or subdued
somehow, the other half can continue fighting
96 • Chapter Eight
independently and retains control of the body.
Before he attempts to make his personality
whole again, the psionicist must make a sav-
ing throw vs. paralyzation if any of the fol-
lowing is true: 1) he does not control both
portions of his mind, 2) he has unrepaired psy-
chic damage, or 3) is suffering unwanted con-
tact. A successful save means that his mind
returns to complete health and throws off all
undesired influences. Failure means that the
afflicted portion of his mind becomes domi-
nant and he passes out for ld6 turns, but re-
gains consciousness free of undesired
influences.
Power Score — The mind splits into three
parts instead of two.
20 — The character passes out for ld6 turns.
Ultrablast
Power Score: Wis -10
Cost: 75
Maintenance Cost:
Range:
Preparation Time: 3
Area of Effect: 50' radius
Prerequisites: 10th level
A character using psionic ultrablast can
overwhelm and damage nearby psyches. To
do this, he casts thought waves in all direc-
tions. In laymen's terms, the psionicist "grum-
bles" psychically for three rounds. Then his
consciousness bursts forth and a horrid, psy-
chic scream penetrates all minds within 50
feet. Victims may never be the same again.
All characters within 50 feet of the psionic
— ultrablast must save vs. paralyzation. Failure
means they pass out for 2d6 turns. Those who
pass out must immediately save vs. paralyza-
at the tion again. If they fail a second time, they lose
all psionic power. Only psychic surgery can
help them recover this loss.
Although the blast does not affect the initia-
tor, the risks are great. If the power check fails,
he becomes comatose for ldlO days. Some
characters may think he's dead.
 Power Score — Creatures of 3 hit dice or less Convergence
die if they fail their save.
Power Score: Wis
20 — The initiator must save vs. paralyza-
Initial Cost: 8
tion or die. If he lives, he loses the use of all his
Maintenance Cost:
psionic powers for 2d6 days.
Range: 10 yards
Preparation Time: 1
Metapsionic Devotions Area of Effect: 10 yards
Cannibalize Prerequisites: contact,
4th level
Power Score: Con
Initial Cost: When psionicists put their heads together,

Maintenance Cost: na the results can be impressive. Convergence al-

Range: lows psionicists to link their minds into one
Preparation Time: —
synergetic being an entity more powerful
Area of Effect: personal than the sum of the individual parts.
Prerequisites: 5th level There is no limit to the number of psionicists
who join minds. Each participating psionicist
This power allows the character to canni- must know the convergence power, however,
balize his own body for extra PSPs. When it is and each must make a successful power check
used, the character can take any number of in the same round. Then they are linked. All
Constitution points and convert them directly their PSPs flow into a single pool, from which
to PSPs at a ratio of 1:8. (One Constitution each draws his strength. If one participant
point becomes eight psionic strength points.) knows a power, now anyone in the group can
The psionicist can use these points anytime, as use it.
if they were part of his total.
Each participant can use psionic powers at
The Constitution reduction is not perma- the normal rate per turn: one defense and one
nent, but it is debilitating and long-lasting. other power per round. If the group is at-
The character immediately loses bonus hit tacked psionically, the attack must overcome
points. His system shock and resurrection sur- every working defense. If it does, the attack
vival chances are reduced. Most importantly, affects every character in the convergence, or
all of his psionic power scores which are based
as many as possible.
on Constitution are reduced by the appropri- When the convergence is discontinued,
ate amount. PSPs that remain in the pool are evenly di-
A psionicist can recover one cannibalized vided among all the participants. Fractions are
point of Constitution per week of rest. Rest rounded down, and no individual can exceed
means staying quietly at home (safely in- his usual maximum (extra points are lost).
doors). Adventuring is not allowed. Power Score — No other effect.
—
Power Score The psionicist gains 8 PSPs 20 — The participant loses ld20 PSPs.
without reducing his Constitution.
—
20 The character loses ld4 Constitution
points, but can regain them by resting.

Metapsionics • 97
Enhancement cide to do so (no power check is required).
Otherwise, the girding remains in place until
Power Score: Wis -3 the psionicist runs out of PSPs. That means a
Initial Cost: 30 psionicist who's unconscious or sleeping could
Maintenance Cost: 8 /round awaken to find all his psionic strength girded
Range: away. If the psionicist wishes to reestablish a
Preparation Time: 5 gird that he discontinued, he must make a new
Area of Effect: personal power check.
Prerequisites: 6th level —
Power Score No other effect.
—
20 The gird attempt disrupts the power.
This power yields the same results as the
Meditative Focus proficiency, in less time. Intensify
When a psionicist learns this power, he selects
one discipline to enhance. As long as he main- Power Score: Affected -3
tains the enhancement power, all of his power Initial Cost: 5 /increase
scores within the chosen discipline are in- Maintenance Cost: 1/round
creased by two. At the same time, all other Range:
power scores are reduced by one. Preparation Time: 1/ increase
—
Power Score Other scores are not re- Area of Effect: personal
duced. Prerequisites: 3rd level
—
20 All power scores in the chosen disci-
pline are reduced by one for 24 hours. Intensify allows the psionicist to improve
either his Constitution, his Intelligence, or his
Gird Wisdom for psionic applications. To improve
one — for psionic purposes only — he must
Power Score: Int -3 weaken the other two — for all purposes. Each
Initial Cost: point of increase in the targeted ability de-
Maintenance Cost: 2 X maintenance creases the other two abilities by the same
Range: amount. In addition, each point of increase
Preparation Time: costs 5 PSPs.
Area of Effect: personal For example, Zenita is a psionicist with Con
Prerequisites: 3rd level 15, Int 16, and Wis 17. She wants to intensify
her Intelligence by 4 points. To do so, she must
Each time a psionicist girds another power, spend 20 PSPs initially (5 PSPs for each bonus
he can maintain that power automatically point of Intelligence). Her Intelligence is raised
i.e., without mental concentration. Thus, a 4 points to 20. Meanwhile, her Constitution
psionicist who is maintaining only girded and Wisdom scores drop 4 points (to 11 and
powers can sleep without disrupting those 13, respectively). The increase in Intelligence
powers. affects psionic powers only. The drop in Con-
To use gird, the psionicist must first initiate stitution and Wisdom affects everything appli-
and maintain the power he intends to affect. cable except psionic strength points: psionic
Then he must make a girding power check. If power scores, hps, system shock rolls, saving
he succeeds, he automatically pays twice the throws, spell bonuses, spell failure, etc.

normal maintenance cost for the girded
—
power or a minimum of 1 PSP per hour. To
remove the girding, he must consciously de-
A can raise an ability score to a
psionicist
maximum of 25, provided he has enough PSPs
and no other score is reduced below zero.

98 • Chapter Eight
Empower: The sword can be mightier than the pen.

Metapsionics • 99
 Power Score — The character's ability is Martial Trance
raised to the level he intended, but the cost of
Power Score: Wis -3
this power is reduced to 3 PSPs per increased
Initial Cost: 7
point.
Maintenance Cost: (free)
—
20 The psionicist must make a system
Range:
shock roll or the ability he intended to boost
Preparation Time: 1
decreases by 1 point for 24 hours.
Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisite: 3rd level
Magnify
In some situations, the psionicist may find it
Power Score: Wis -5 useful to enter a trance before engaging in psi-
Initial Cost: 25 x magnification onic combat. This trance focuses the charac-
Maintenance Cost: magnification/round ter's complete attention on his psionic activity

Range: and tunes out all other distractions. While in

Preparation Time: 5 the trance, he gains a + 1 bonus on all of his
Area of Effect: personal Telepathy scores powers in the discipline).
(all

Prerequisites: 6th level The martial trance ends whenever the char-
acter chooses to end it. It is not deep; the char-
Magnify allows the psionicist to magnify acter is brought out of it by any blow, shake,
power in all conceivable
the effects of another or slap. His attention is completely occupied,
—
ways e.g., double damage, double range, so any melee attack against him hits automati-
double modifiers, and so on. However, the af- cally and causes maximum damage.
fected power's initial cost is proportionately Power Score — He manages to maintain
magnified, as is its maintenance cost. enough awareness to dodge melee attacks.
The psionicist initiates the magnify power 20— No other effect.
first. At the same time, he must designate

which power he intends to improve. Unless he Prolong

maintains the magnification, he must immedi- Power Score: Con -4
ately use the power he wishes to improve (in Initial Cost: 5
the same round). Otherwise he can maintain Maintenance Cost: 2/round
the magnification until he uses the affected Range:
power (a costly endeavor). Once the power Preparation Time:
has been performed, magnify must be reini- Area of Effect: personal
tiated to perform again. Prerequisite: 4th level
The amount of magnification depends upon
the psionicist's level, as follows:
When this power is in effect, the range of all

powers is increased by 50%, as is the radius of

their areas of effect. This has no effect on powers
Levels 6-10 X2
with a range of zero or individual, nor does it al-
Levels 11-15 X3
ter personal, or single-item areas of effect. It
Levels 16-20 X4
does alter powers that affect a quantity of stuff;
prolonged disintegration, for example, destroys
Power Score — The magnification factor is
up to 12 cubic feet of material instead of 8.
one greater, with no additional cost.
—
20 The affected power becomes inopera-
—
Power Score The increase is 100%.
tive for a day.
20— All ranges/areas of effect are halved
for ld4 hours.

100 • Chapter Eight

Psionic Inflation activity, even if it is only to maintain a power.
Use of the mind blank power is psionic activi-
Power Score: Wis -5 ty, too, even though it expends no PSPs.

Initial Cost: 20 When the character makes his first success-

Maintenance Cost: 3/round ful power check, he learns whether or not
Range: — —
someone or something is psionically ac-
Preparation Time: 1 tive within range. If the psionicist makes a an-
Area of Effect: 100-foot radius other successful power check in the following
Prerequisites: 3rd level round, he also learns 1) how many PSPs are
being spent, and 2) where the psionic activity
When a psionicist invokes this power, he is occuring (direction and distance). If psionic
sends out a powerful ring of psionic noise (ex-
activity is occurring in more than one place,
tending to 100 feet). All psionic activity with-
the psionicist gets a fix on all of it within 200
in this area requires twice the normal initial
yards.
cost and maintenance. The initiating psioni-
cist is not affected; the noise actually begins
—
Power Score Second-round information
is gained in the first round.
about an inch beyond his aura, creating a
bubble of relative quiet around him.
—
20 This power cannot be used effectively
for one turn.
Other psionicists in the area of effect will
not realize anything is wrong until they have
Psychic Drain
actually used a power. If they are maintaining
a power, they discover the inflated rate after
Power Score: Wis -6
paying twice the normal maintenance cost.
Initial Cost: 10/person + contact
Iftwo psionicists initiate psionic inflation in
Maintenance Cost: none
the same area, the psionicists must conduct a
Range: 30 yards
psychic contest. The loser's psionic inflation
Preparation Time:
ceases. If both characters fail, then both cease
Area of Effect: up to 6 minds
power maintenance. Reroll ties.
their
Prerequisites: mindlink, contact,
Power Score — All psionic activity within
6th level
the area requires three times the normal initial
cost and maintenance.
Psychic drain enables the psionicist to tap
20 The— psionicist cannot recover PSPs for
into the personal, psychic energy of other peo-
two hours.
ple to augment his own psionic strength. Up
to six people can be tapped at one time.
Psionic Sense
Each subject, who is often called a host,
must first be asleep. Next, the psionicist must
Power Score: Wis -3 make contact with the person's mind. Then he
Initial Cost: 4
expends another 10 PSPs and makes a psychic
Maintenance Cost: 1 /round
drain power check. If he succeeds, the host
Range:
falls into a trance which lasts 4-9 (ld6 + 3)
Preparation Time:
hours. The character can be awakened with
Area of Effect: 200-yard radius
some difficulty before then, but he'll be grog-
Prerequisites: mindlink
gy and disoriented for another hour.
With psionic sense, a character can detect While the host is in the trance, the psionicist
psionic activity anywhere within 200 yards. can siphon psychic energy. Just as a vampire
Any expenditure of PSPs constitutes psionic draws blood to grow strong, the psionicist

Metapsionics • 101
drains Wisdom, and Constitu-
Intelligence, Receptacle
tion points. He can
drain as much as he de-
sires. For every ability point the psionicist
Power Score: Wis -5
Initial Cost:
drains, he gains 10 PSPs.
Maintenance Cost:
Any PSPs gained cannot be banked (added
Range: touch
to the psionicist's total). They cannot be si-
Preparation Time: 1 round/point
phoned any faster than they are used. In other
Area of Effect: one item
words, when the psionicist expends PSPs, he
automatically draws these points from his
Prerequisites: empower or valuable

host(s) —
unless he specifies otherwise. The
psionicist must remain within range of the en-
tranced characters in order to draw strength
points from them.
If he exercises moderation, the psionicist
does not harm his hosts. A host only begins to
suffer ill effects when he loses more than 50%
gem
This power allows a psionicist to store psi-
onic energy in a special receptacle. The psioni-
cist can draw upon the energy later to fuel his
other psionic powers. He cannot use these
points when his total pool of psionic strength
is at its maximum. However, he can keep the

of his psionic potential. (Potential depends on stored PSPs on hand until he's running low on
Wisdom, Intelligence, and Constitution psionic energy, and then use them immedi-
scores. See "Psionic Strength Points" in Chap- ately. (It's your own blood
like storing a pint of
ter 1.) The table below shows the effects of ex- at a hospital. With a your body re-
little time,
cessive depletion. Psychic surgery can correct places the pint. Later, if you should lose blood
these problems. in an accident or operation, you can use the
stored blood to recover the loss quickly.)
Before powers can be stored, a receptacle
Potential must be prepared. Two types of containers are
Lost Effect on host appropriate: a vessel prepared with empower
51-60% Temporary amnesia (2-12 weeks) (a metapsionic science), or a valuable gem that
61-70% Permanent amnesia has been specially prepared using the recepta-
71-80% Intelligence reduced to 4 cle power.
81-90% Intelligence reduced to 4; put in Empowered Vessel. Any vessel can serve as
coma for 1-12 days, must make a receptacle for psionic energy if it is empow-
system shock roll every day or ered first. The psionicist must perform the ini-
die tial preparation and final sealing described
91-100% Save vs. death or die; if subject earlier under "empower." He does not do any-
lives, Intelligence, Wisdom, and thing further; the vessel needs no additional
Constitution each reduced to 3, powers. It can hold PSPs equal to his psionic
permanently potential, multiplied by his experience level.
Valuable Gem. A gem can hold 1 PSP for
Power Score — The psionicist does not harm every 100 gold pieces of its worth, rounded
the subject(s) this time, regardless of how down. For example, a gem worth 650 gold
much he drains. pieces can hold 6 PSPs, and a gem worth 1,000
20 — Contact broken. gold pieces can hold 10 PSPs. The gem still re-
quires preparation, however. To do this, the
psionicist must slowly fill the gem with
PSPs — 1 per turn — until the gem reaches max-
imum capacity (Vioo of its value). The psioni-

102 • Chapter Eight

cist can do nothing else while filling the gem. cate memories that have been loosed from
When the task is complete, the psionicist must other minds. A
psionicist must join at least
make a power check. If he fails, only one-half two other psionicists in a convergence before
of the gem's capacity is useable. —
he can use this power. He or one of the other
Storing Points. Using his receptacle power, participants in the convergence then poses a —
he can automatically place 1 PSP into a prop- question regarding a specific event in the past.
erly prepared container per round. When he is To find the answer, the psionicist must make a
finished, the psionicist must make a receptacle successful power check.
power check. If it succeeds, all is well; if it When retrospection succeeds, the charac-
fails,only half the points he expended are ters tap into a universal, pervasive memory.
stored in the receptacle, while the rest are They have access to any information that ever
merely spent. existed in anyone's memory regarding the inci-
Using Stored Points. The psionicist can re- dent they are investigating. The amount of de-
trieve stored points automatically. The recep- tail that comes to mind depends on power
tacle must be in contact with his flesh. He can check results:
never retrieve more points than the receptacle
1 extremely vague and fragmentary
currently holds, nor can he retrieve so many
2 vague or incomplete
that it raises his current psionic point total
3-5 complete but not very specific
above his maximum. No matter how many re-
6 + reasonably complete and specific
ceptacles he has, a psionicist can never store
more PSPs than his maximum total. (For ex- Memories bear the mark of the personalities
ample, if his usual maximum is 100 PSPs, he who created them. The DM
should role-play
can store no more than 100.) Only the psioni- the memories accordingly, not just recite infor-
cist who placed the points in the item can use mation. If the psionicists' alignments differ
them. significantly from the memories' alignments,
The danger of this power is receptacle loss. reaction rolls are in order. Memories can be
If the receptacle is damaged or destroyed, its politeand helpful, or they can be cantanker-
contents (PSPs) are instantly subtracted from ous and downright rude. Memories which
the psionicist's total possible points. This loss have lain undisturbed for centuries may be an-
is temporary, but until the psionicist is once gered by the intrusion, or they may be de-
again back up to his full PSP score he recovers lighted for the chance to air themselves out
PSPs only half as fast as normal. and bring the truth to light.
Power Score — No other effect. Power Score — No other effect.
20— No other effect. 20— No other effect.

Retrospection Splice
Power Score: Wis -4 Power Score: Int - (2 x ft spliced)
Initial Cost: 120 Initial Cost: 5 x # spliced
Maintenance Cost: na Maintenance Cost: # spliced/round
Range: Range:
Preparation Time: 10 Preparation Time: # spliced
Area of Effect: personal Area of Effect: personal
Prerequisites: convergence, 7th level Prerequisites: 2 + level (see below)

Retrospection is a kind of psionic seance. It Splicing psionic powers is tremendously

allows psionicists to delve into the past and lo- useful. In effect, the psionicist is splicing to-

Metapsionics • 103
gether two or more separate powers into one for every power he attempts to splice. That
psionic release. This is very difficult, however, means a character who attempts a five-power
and it requires great precision. The more splice has a score of Int -10.
powers the psionicist attempts to splice, the Many combine just
psionicists use splice to
more likely he is to fail. two powers: and another power that
contact,
First, the character must make a successful requires contact. This is the most common
splice check. His power score is decreased 2 combination.
points for each power being spliced. For exam- Power Score —
The character receives a +2
ple, if he is splicing two powers, his score bonus on power checks when unleashing the
equals Intelligence — 4. The initial cost of this spliced powers.
endeavor is 5 PSPs for every power being 20— No other effect.
spliced.
If the character passes this first power Stasis Field
check, he must then initiate each spliced
—
power in succession without interruption. Power Score: Con -3
He does not have to make a separate splicing Initial Cost: 20
check for each of these powers, but he still Maintenance Cost: 20/round or 1 /round
pays their initial costs. Furthermore, each Range:
spliced power has absolutely no effect at this Preparation Time: 3
time. Area of Effect: max. 1 yard/level
Once all powers have been initiated, the
the Prerequisites: 8th level
psionicist must make a second splice check.
(His power score is still reduced two points for A stasis field is a region in which time slows
each power being spliced.) If he fails this to a crawl and energy is reduced to a meaning-
check, all his efforts are lost; the PSPs he spent less fizzle. When created, the stasis field sur-
are gone, and none of the powers works. If the rounds the psionicist like a bubble. It can have
power check succeeds, the psionicist can any radius he desires, up to a maximum of 1
maintain the splice by expending 1 PSP per yard per each level of his experience. For ex-
spliced power per round. ample, a 10th level psionicist can create a field
At any later time (during which the splice with up to a 10-yard radius.
has been maintained), the psionicist can un- From the outside, the stasis field looks like a
leash the spliced series of powers. In effect, he slightly shimmering, completely smooth silver
performs all of the spliced powers simultane- globe. When something presses against the
ously — or with split second separations if de- edge, it gives slight resistance, but the object
not automatic. The psionicist
sired. Success is passes through.
must perform the individual power checks for Inside the field, all is murky and dim. Light
these spliced powers when he releases them. filters through from the outside, but it turns
He does not have to pay their initial costs gray. A light source inside is only about one-
again, however. fourth as bright as usual.
The maximum number of powers that a Time is 60 times slower in a stasis field. That
psionicist can splice equals his experience is, for every round (or minute) that passes in-

level. For example, a 2nd level psionicist can
splice up to two powers, and a 3rd level psioni-
cist can splice up to three. A complex splice is a
long shot at best, however. As noted above, a
psionicist's power score decreases two points
side, an hour elapses outside. (This dilation is
not apparent to those inside the field, how-
ever.) Each round the psionicist spends inside,
he must pay 20 points to maintain the stasis
field.

104 • Chapter Eight

 Energy and motion also change inside a stasis dead in the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM
field. —
Energy magicks e.g., fireball, magic mis- volumes. It specifically excludes gods, demi-
sile, cone of cold, and flamestrike have no ef- — gods, and avatars. When such a creature is
fect; the spells appear and then fizzle in midair. wrenched, it is forced entirely into one plane or
Movement is slowed down visibly, and swift the other, at the psionicist's option.
objects are affected more than slow objects. If the creature is forced out of the Prime
Character and creature movement rates are Material plane, it is trapped in the other plane
halved. A dagger can easily be pushed through for 2d6 turns. It can return to the Prime Mate-
someone, but a lightninglike slash with a sword rial when that time has elapsed.
is slowed to a graceful arc, almost like slow mo- If the creature is wrenched entirely into the

tion. A missile weapon is useless; the missile Prime Material plane, it is trapped only as
drifts lazily through the air, only to bounce off long as the psionicist continues paying the
an unwary be dodged by a target who's
target or maintenance cost. As soon as he stops, the
looking. creature's dual existence is immediately rees-
If the psionicist keeps the stasis field cen- tablished.
tered on himself, it moves with him. He can Except where contradicted by the monster's
transfer the focal point of the field to anything description, a creature wrenched onto the
he touches, however. Then he can move freely Prime Material plane suffers any or all of the
within the field, or even leave it. If he does following effects, at the DM's option:
leave the field, the cost to maintain it is re-
duced to 1 point per round. (From one per- • Its armor class is penalized ld6 points.
spective, this is actually an increase in cost, • Undead lose the ability to drain life en-
since it equals 60 points for every round which ergy.
passes inside. Remember, one hour outside • Magical pluses required to hit the crea-
equals one round inside.) While outside the ture are reduced by 1.
field, the psionicist can roam up to 100 yards • The creature is killed permanently if it
from it and still maintain the field. However, loses all of its hit points.
he cannot move the field from the outside. To
move it again, he must re-enter it. The DM
should impose any other penalties
—
Power Score No other effect. which seem appropriate, considering the crea-
—
20 The psionicist pays the full initial PSP ture and the other plane involved.
cost. —
Power Score The creature is momentarily
dazed. It has a -2 initiative penalty in the
Wrench first subsequent round.
20— No other effect.
Power Score: Wis -4
Initial Cost: 15
Maintenance Cost: 8/round
Range: 30 yards
Preparation Time:
Area of Effect: 1 undead
Prerequisites: none

This power affects only creatures which exist

simultaneously on the Prime Material and an-
other plane of existence. This includes most un-

Metapsionics • 105
This chapter explains how to bring psionics
into your AD&D® games. It examines the role
of psionics in a campaign, the attitudes of
NPCs toward psionicists, and the relationship
between psionics and magic. It offers the
advice for handling psionic villains and mon-
sters. Finally, you'll find out what it's like to
experience psionic power.
Look What I Got!
When something new and exciting comes
along, the natural impulse is to rush back to
the gaming group, toss it on the table, and let
everyone rip into with full vigor. But that's
it
the wrong way to bring something as powerful
as psionics into an existing AD&Dcampaign.
Players are likely to react in one of two ways.
First, everyone will want to play a psionicist.
The whole atmosphere of the game will sud-
—
denly change so much that players may
eventually say, "This isn't like it used to be."
and how they mesh with other elements of the
game. A particularly sly DM
might not even
mention that psionics is involved, but instead
let the players try to puzzle out the unex-
DM plained events around them. (For example,
some people currently believe that poltergeists
are not troublesome spirits, but manifesta-
tions of untrained and often unconscious psy-
chokinetic ability. An NPC with such powers
could "haunt" players for along time.) Once
the DM is satisfied and comfortable with his
psionic NPC, the class can be opened to player
characters.
Of course, in some games, secrecy may not
be appropriate. Many DMs allow players to
help develop the campaign background, and
routinely discuss the game's direction with
them. If you're that kind of DM, then your
players should take part in the introduction of
psionics. Slow and steady is still the best ap-
proach. Let one player have a psionic charac-
ter. Debrief the player after each game session;

The second reaction is that everyone will be get his reactions to both the rules and the way
skeptical about making a big change, so no psionics being used in the campaign. Ask
is

one will want to play a psionicist. Either way, other players for their opinions, too. When
enthusiasm fizzles. you and the players feel you have the bugs
Like any new source of power, psionics worked out, the class can be opened up in gen-
should be approached with common sense and eral.

—
a bit of caution especially by the DM. No
matter how much experience the DM
has, this Burn Him!
material is completely new, and there's a lot of
it. The DM who dives in with both feet may How do NPCs and society in general react
find himself drowning in details. If play bogs The answer covers the gamut of
to psionicists?
down every time a psionicist tries to do some- emotions. A DM
should choose whatever atti-
thing because the DM
must flip through this tudes best suit his campaign. Some possibili-
book, players will quickly lose interest in the ties are as follows:
class. It's best to start in the shallow end of psi-
onics and advance slowly, rather than swamp- • Psionics is viewed no differently than
ing players with the whole package at once. magic. It is a tool, as good or as bad as
An NPC psionicist is the perfect way to in- the psionicist who wields it.

troduce psionics gradually. If the NPC is a • Psionics is misunderstood by those

hireling, a follower, or an ally, he might not who don't practice it, who generally
even reveal his psionic powers right away believe it is magic and the psionicist is

especially if he's a dual-class character. The just another sort of wizard.

DM can introduce as much or as little psionics • Psionicists are feared and reviled, as
as he wants, developing a feel for the powers witches were in medieval times.

106 • Chapter Nine

Control Wind: Omar takes the enemy by storm.

A Psionics Campaign • 107

 • The practice of psionics is outlawed or He does not wear the robes or symbols of a
restricted to officially sanctioned court holy order. Psionic characters who are careful
practitioners. can conceal their nature for a long time.
• Psionicists are treated as a separate What this means to the common man is that
race entirely. They maintain their own anyone, even a friend or relative, could be
small communities within the larger —
reading your mind at any time could, in fact,
community. be influencing your actions, delving into your
• Psionicists have been driven under- most intimate secrets, entering your home
ground. They maintain secret societies without leaving a trace. Who can be trusted
for their own preservation. with this sort of power, if power truly cor-
rupts?
It is quite reasonable to mix these attitudes The answer, as far as the suspicious farmer
in a single campaign; viewpoints can vary or merchant is concerned, is no one. And if no
from country to country or even town to one can be trusted with it, then anyone who
town. When choosing a social attitude, how- has it should be controlled, or at least pre-
ever, keep several points in mind. Many fan- vented from living among decent, normal
tasy novels involving psionics have a common folks.
thread: psionicists are segregated from the rest This, of course, is the attitude among people
of society, often by choice, sometimes by with no real knowledge or experience of psi-
force. There are several good reasons for this. onics. An enlightened populace or one that
To most people, the heart of psionics is te- has benefitted from benevolent use of psionics
lepathy,and telepathy equals mind reading. would view psionicists in a positive light.
Tapping directly into someone else's thoughts
is the ultimate invasion of privacy, the ulti- TSR's Campaign Worlds
mate violation of intimacy. Worst of all, the
subject has no way to know when it is happen- The overall attitude toward and prevalence
ing or how to prevent it from happening. He is of psionics in each of TSR's published cam-
not only invaded, but helpless. paign worlds is described below. Bear in mind
Psionics lends itself to secrecy. Its use has no that these are general trends, and can vary sig-
outward Wizards must utter incanta-
sign. nificantly from region to region.
tions, wave hands through the air, and
their FORGOTTEN REALMS® game setting.
fling bits of dust and bone into sulfurous Prior to the Time of Troubles, psionics were
smoke to cast their spells. Clerics must pray extremely rare in the Realms. The incidence of
and invoke their deities. All of these things psionic abilities is now on the rise and the

clearly tip off the potential victim that some- powers themselves seem to have become more
thing is about to happen, that a supernatural stable. Most people have never heard of psi-
force is about to be released. The psionicist re- onics or psionicists; those who have tend to
veals nothing. His powers require no verbal, confuse it with magic.
material, or somatic components. When psi- WORLD OF GREYHAWK® game setting.
onic powers are used, anyone nearby could be Psionics an old and established facet of life
is

the source, and sometimes even distance is not
a restriction.
Nor does the psionicists appearance reveal
his nature. His pockets and purse do not bulge
with strange concoctions. His fingers and
sleeves are not stained with ink and chemicals.
on Oerth. Presumably it was brought there
when an illithid spacecraft crashed on the
planet ages ago. Psionicists are by no means
common, but most people are at least aware of
the existence of psionics and often consider it
to be just another mystical pursuit, little dif-

108 • Chapter Nine

ferent from magic. Psionic guilds and
associations can be found in major cities.
DRAGONLANCE® game setting. No
tives of Krynn any psionic potential
exhibit
whatsoever. What few psionicists live on that
world undoubtedly came from somewhere
else (using spelljamming vessels or other mag-
ical travel) or are the descendants of psionical-
ly-able ancestors who came from another
world. Only the most widely-read sages and
wizards will have knowledge of psionics, but
what they "know" could be wrong.
RAVENLOFT® game setting. Psionics
known However, the nature of
in Ravenloft.
the Demiplane of Dread restricts the effective-
ness of some psionic powers:
• No psionic power can breach the Mist.
character can teleport, travel through dimen-
sions, travel through dreams, or travel any
other way he chooses, but he will almost
ways emerge same domain. In those few
in the
cases where he emerges somewhere else, it will
be in a bank of Mist which will lead him who
knows where. The DM determines the exact
location.
• No power can bring another
psionic
character into Ravenloft from outside. Some
magical spells can do this; psionics cannot.
• All of the demiplane is so suffused with
evil that encroaches on everyone's aura. Ex-
it
amining a person's aura can reveal the charac-
ter's alignment only so far as law and chaos
are concerned, but not good or evil. Aura al-
teration cannot change a character's align-
ment with regard to good or evil.
• Any psionic power that gives the charac-
ter access to remote or extrasensory informa-
tion (primarily via clairsentient or telepathic
powers) also creates a shadow presence of that
character. This shadow presence can be de-
tected by rolling the subject's level or hit dice
or less on ld20. Roll only once and use the
level or hit dice of the most powerful creature
or character begin affected.
SPELLJAMMER® campaign setting.
onic powers function normally in wildspace
secret and the phlogiston. Psionics is not magic,
however, and cannot power a spelljamming
na- helm.
Psionics and Magic
Psionics and magic are completely separate
forces. Some of their effects overlap, as might
be expected, since some effects are so useful
that everyone who can get them probably will
try. For example, both psionicists and magic-
users have a means of becoming invisible,
is
traveling instantaneously, and controlling
other people or creatures. But in their basic
makeup, magic and psionics are like oil and
water; they do not mix. The text below offers
A some general guidelines and specific rules for
the interaction magic and psionics.
al- General Guidelines
• The essences of magic and psionics are
wholly different. A wizard or cleric who can
detect magic will never detect psionics. Nor
will a psionicist who scans for psionic activity
ever detect spell-casting. This holds true even
if the effect of a particular magical and psionic
skill is identical, or nearly identical. For exam-
ple, a wizard can use hold portal to hold a
door shut. In his own way, using psychokine-
sis, so can a psionicist. If a psionicist is hold-
ing a door shut, and a wizard casts detect
magic on the door, the wizard will find noth-
the wizard casts dispel
ing unusual about it. If
magic, the door will not open. No magical
forces are at work on the door.
Exceptions do exist, but they're fairly easy
to determine. For example, a wizard who casts
a detect invisibility spell will see a character
using psionic invisibility because the spell de-
scription states specifically that the spell does
not discriminate between types of invisibility.
• Magic is capable of duplicating psionic
effects like ESP, clairvoyance, clairaudience,
Psi-
teleportation, and levitation, among others.
A Psionics Campaign •109
Again, however, the energy involved is magi- Forbiddance. None of the teleportation or
cal, not psionic. So normal psionic powers do metabolic powers can breach this spell.
not detect these magicks. Free Action. This spell overcomes all psy-
• Magical images and illusions manipulate chokinetic effects against the subject's body,
light, sound, and scent. That means they can plus domination.
affect psionic powers which rely on or expand Globe of Invulnerability. Psionics are unaf-
the normal senses: clairvoyance, clairaudi- by globes.
fected
ence, all-round vision, feel light, etc. Using Magic Jar. The psionicist uses his combined
any psychometabolic, psychokinetic, tele- Wisdom and Constitution scores when deter-
pathic, or psychoportive power against a mining the differential modifier.
magical illusion automatically gives the Magic Missile. This spell has no effect inside
psionicist cause to make a saving throw vs. a stasis field.
spells. Depending on the situation, the DM Mind Blank. The psionicist is allowed a sav-
may rule that the use of such a power pene- ing throw vs. spells to overcome this spell.
trates an illusion automatically. Minor Globe of Invulnerability. Psionics
• Magical phantasms, on the other hand, by globes.
are unaffected
operate entirely in the mind of the viewer. A Misdirection. This spell affects magical de-
psionicist using any power against a phantasm tection only.
automatically gets to make a saving throw vs. Mislead. Any psionicist who tries to contact
spells to penetrate the phantasm. (The psioni- the wizard's mind will realize the deception
cist is too tuned into his own mind to be easily immediately. That first contact attempt will
fooled this way.) fail automatically, however.
Nondetection. This spell is fully effective
Spells and Psionics against psionic sensing.
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere. Psionic powers
Anti-Magic Shell. This spell has no effect cannot penetrate this spell's protection.

against psionics. Protection From Evil. All telepathic powers

Detect Charm. This will detect telepathic
control such as domination.
Detect Invisibility. This spell is
against psionic invisibility, astral travelers,
shadow form, and ethereal characters. It is not
effective against characters in other
sions.
Detect Magic. This never detects psionic ac-
used against someone protected from evil
have their power scores reduced by 2. Addi-
effective tionally, the spell prevents mental control such
as domination.
Protection from Evil, 10' Radius. Same as
dimen- protection from evil.
Reincarnation. Unless the new incarnation
is allowable in the psionicist class, all psionic

tivity. powers are lost.

Detect Scrying. When this spell is used Spell Immunity. This has no effect against

against a clairvoyant psionicist, he must make psionic powers.

a saving throw vs. spells. If successful, the Telekinesis. If this spell is opposed by psy-
clairvoyant avoids detection. chokinesis, conduct a psychic contest between
ESP. A psionicist always gets a saving throw the psionicist's power score and the wizard's
against this spell with a +2 bonus. Success ne- experience level.
gates the spell. Trap the Soul. A
psionicist trapped via this
False Vision. The psionicist is allowed a sav- spell cannot use any of his psionic powers.
ing throw vs. spells to negate the effect of this (Although the character's body is trapped
spell. along with his soul, it is stored in a radically

110 • Chapter Nine

altered, magical form. Thus the psionicist is and go- fers, they serve to wear down attack-
denied access to the physical energy which is ers before the final confrontation. (Or they
the basis for all his powers.) buy time for the psionicist to escape if the op-
Note: As stated in Chapter 1, all psionicists position is overwhelming.)
gain a + 2 bonus when making a saving throw Psionic monsters, on the other hand, tend
vs. any enchantment /charm spell. to be solitary creatures. Many of them hunt
by keying in on mental activity, or even on
Magical Items purely psionic activity. (They detect and track
psionic activity the way a hound picks up the
The same guidelines which apply to spells scent of a fox and mercilessly hunts it down.)
also apply to magical items, their effects, and A crowd of thinking beings tends to create in-
the interplay between them and psionics. One terference (i.e., "jam the airwaves"), making it
item in particular, however, deserves special more difficult to notice an actual psionicist (or
mention — the philosopher's stone. choice victim) who wanders into range.
For reasons that are unknown, a philoso- Because they operate alone or in small
pher's stone aids a psionicist in shaping en- groups, psionic creatures tend to strike quick-
ergy. As long as the stone is in contact with the ly, inflict as much damage as possible, and
psionicists flesh, all psionic power scores in then melt away before the victims can orga-
his primary discipline are increased by one. If nize a counterattack. An excellent tactic, for
the stone is of the rare, crystalline salt variety, example, is to teleport into a group, grab
it increases his power scores in his primary someone at random, and teleport away imme-
discipline and one other discipline of the char- diately.Suddenly, that one person can be dealt
it is the extremely rare white
acter's choice. If with alone, rather than in the midst of his
powder boosts his power scores in his
stone, it comrades. Tactics like this can cause far more
primary discipline and allows him to recover fear and destruction than a glance at the crea-
psionic strength points at twice the normal ture's statistics might inspire.
rate. Even when they're friendly, NPCs with psi-
onic powers tend to keep their powers to
Monsters, Villains, and Other themselves. Secrecy is always the best policy.
Unless there is a good social or employment
NPCs
reason for it, the DM should never reveal that
an NPC is a psionicist; let the players figure it
Most of the common-sense rules that apply
out for themselves.
to regular monsters, villains, and NPCs apply
equally to psionic figures. It never hurts to re-
view, however, so some pointers follow.
Living Psionics
Psionic NPCs make excellent major vil-
lains. But like any powerful, single entity — Psionics — the
harnessing and shaping of
vampire, a dragon, a lich, a beholder they — personal, internal energies —
is a unique expe-

are much less effective in isolation than they rience. Much like Zen, its essence cannot be

are at the center of a web of minions. For this described; it must be felt. At the heart of psi-
reason, most psionic villains will have numer- onics is a tautology: only understanding
ous slaves, followers, mercenaries, and other brings understanding. Still, for the curious,
vassals at their beck and call. Some of these what follows is an attempt to describe the psi-
may be minor psionicists in their own right.
onic experience.
As well as acting as the master's eyes, ears, The first thing a psionicist learns is how to
recognize internal energy. Everyone is filled

A Psionics Campaign • 1 1
with it,but most people are completely un- Contact, a common and vital power, has
aware of it. It suffuses our being 24 hours a another physical manifestation. Rather than a
day, building up during times of rest and warm spot, subjects describe the sensation of
draining away during times of exertion or contact as a "thick spot" or a "heavy spot"
stress. The psionicist learns to turn his aware- somewhere in the mind. They usually have
ness inward and search for this energy. Gradu- trouble locating it precisely (front, back, left,
ally, he gathers it together, drawing it toward right), but feel nonetheless that it is a definite
some spot. The notion of drawing is key, be- place. Forcible contact (as in telepathic com-
cause this energy cannot be pushed or forced; bat) is similar, but much more extreme. Each
it must be enticed to accumulate. An experi- tangent arrives "like a gallstone in the mind,"
enced psionicist can gather his energies con- according to Bezelar Mujarif, a prominent
tinuously and unconsciously. For a beginner, psionicist now residing in Calimshan. When
however, this is the first and most important contact finally comes, he adds, it feels "like a
breakthrough. tiger has unsheathed its claws in your head."
Once an amount of energy has been gath- Clairvoyant powers tend to operate one of
ered, the psionicist can begin shaping it. The two ways. Either the power simply layers over
closest description for this bundle of energy is the psionicists normal senses (clairaudience,
a "warm spot" at the gathering point. Initially, clairvoyance) or brings information in snatch-
warm spots are easiest to form at the front of es and bursts of insight (object reading, pre-
the brain. As the budding psionicist practices, cognition).
he learns to move it around. Eventually, he Nonpsionicists often imagine that a telepath
can gather energy anywhere: his head, his can "eavesdrop" on their thoughts. That's not
hand, his shoulder, his back. The precise loca- quite true. If a psionicist uses telepathy, the
tion is important when using some powers, target'sthoughts do not flood into his mind,
but not all. masquerading as his own thoughts, or inter-
The energy is not shaped in the normal fering with them. Instead, the thoughts come
sense of that word. Instead, primed may be a forth as simple knowledge. The psionicist
better label. The psionicist visualizes the effect knows what the target is thinking, as if some-
he wants. The stronger the visualization, the one had told him hours before and he just now
more likely it is to succeed. When the gather- remembered.
ing reaches its peak, the energy is usually real-
ized in a single, explosive release. Knights of the Floating Table
Many psionicists describe this release as an
instantaneous increase in the apparent tem- Most AD&D® game campaigns follow me-
perature of the warm spot, accompanied by a dieval themes and both historical
cultures,
"beat" sensation —
as if the warm spot had and legendary. Players can easily find models
fired spikes of energy in a radial pattern for most character classes, from wizards to
through the psionicists body. This sensation is knights. But psionics is more often thought of
strongest when the psionicist is directing en- as the property of science fiction and the fu-
ergy outward in an aggressive fashion when — ture rather than the past. Historical examples
moving an object, for example. If the power are hard to find. Svengali is one possibility, in
being used is directional, the spikes are strong- an evil vein. Modern figures like Kreskin and
est in that direction, and very minor in others. Uri Geller provide examples of extrasensory
If the power's effects continue for more than a powers (allegedly), but these characters are
few moments, the beat also continues, but at thoroughly unmedieval.
much lower intensity.

112* Chapter Nine

 To find models for the psionicist, one can May, Julian; Saga of the Pliocene Exile series:
delve into Indian and Asian folk tales. These The Many-Colored Land, The Golden Tore,
contain many characters with abilities that The Non-Born King, The Adversary.
mirror psionics, largely because Eastern mys- Nourse, Alan E.; Psi High and Others.
ticism emphasizes meditation and the harness- Pohl, Frederik; Drunkard's Walk.
ing of internal energy. Fantasy fiction also Russell, Eric Frank; The Mindwarpers.
offers some good examples. The bibliography Robinson, Frank M.; The Power.
below includes several good sources which Schmitz, James H.; The Universe Against Her,
deal with psionics. Players with an interest in The Lion Game, stories.
the subject are strongly urged to read some of Simmons, Dan; Carrion Comfort.
these books for inspiration. Sturgeon, Theodore; The Synthetic Man.
Tucker, Wilson; Wild Talent.
Related Reading Van Vogt, A.E.; Slan.
Zelazny, Roger; Creatures of Light and Dark-
Fiction ness, The Dream Master, Lord of Light, Isle
of the Dead, This Immortal, To Die in
Bester, Alfred; The Demolished Man, The Italbar.
Stars My Destination.
Bradley,Marion Zimmer; Darkover series: Nonfiction
The Bloody Sun, Children of Hastur,
Brookesmith, Peter (ed.); Strange Talents,
Darkover Landfall, The Forbidden Tower,
from the series "The Unexplained: Mys-
Hawkmistress! The Heritage of Hastur,
,

teries of Mind, Space, and Time;" Orbis

The Keeper's The Planet Savers,
Price,
Publishing, London, 1983.
Sharra's Exile, The Shattered Chain, The
Index of Possibilities: Energy and Power; Pan-
Spell Sword, Star of Danger, Stormqueen!
theon Books/Random House, New York,
The Sword of Aldones, Thendara House,
Two to Conquer, The Winds of Darkover, New York, 1974.

The World Wreckers. Mind Over Matter, Powers of Healing, Psy-

chic Powers, Psychic Voyages, from the se-
Brunner, John; The Whole Man.
ries "Mysteries of the Unknown;" Time-Life
Del Rey, Lester; Pstalemate.
Henderson, Zenna; The People, The People: Books, Alexandria, Virginia, 1987.
Puharich, Andrija; Beyond Telepathy; An-
No Different, Holding Wonder.
Foster, Alan Dean; Flinx series.
chor Press /Doubleday, Garden City, New
York, 1973.
King, Stephen; The Dead Zone.
Rhine, J.B.; The Reach of the Mind; William
Kurtz, Katherine; Deryni Rising, Deryni
Sloane Associates, New York, New York,
Checkmate, High Deryni.
1947.

A Psionics Campaign • 1 13
Baku PHBR5

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Semitropical / Forests

FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary (or group)

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Daytime

DIET: Herbivore
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional to Genius (15-18)
TREASURE: See below
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (Any See below)

NO. APPEARING: l(ld4 + l)

ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVEMENT: 21
HIT DICE: 12 + 12
THACO: 7
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3d6/2d6/2d6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionics, magical items, trumpet
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Psionics, invisibility

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 20%

SIZE: L (as 9' elephant)
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: 15,000

A baku looks like a strange elephant with a lizard's tail.It has an

elephantine head, complete with trunk, but its trunk is rarely

longer than 4 feet. Two upward thrusting tusks jut out from the
creature's lower jaws, curving slightly. Its stout forelegs have a
rhino-tough hide. The front feet are like an elephant's, but the
rear feet have leonine pads equipped with claws. Dragonlike • Psychometabolism - Sciences: animal affinity*, metamor-
back and thick tail.
scales cover a baku's On male baku, the scales phosis*. Devotions: absorb disease, cell adjustment*, ectoplas-
continue over the back of the head. mic form*, lend health*, reduction*.
• Telepathy - Sciences: psychic crush*, superior invisibility*.
Combat: Despite and bulk, a baku can move rapidly, at-
its size
Devotions: awe, conceal thoughts, contact*, invisibility (no
tacking with a goring butt and two foreleg stomps. The stomp is
cost)*, mindlink, mind thrust, telempathic projection, truthear.
used only against man-sized opponents, or those less than 6 feet • Psychoportation - Sciences: probability travel*. Devotions:
tall. A baku can hold simple devices such as weapons or wands in
dream travel, astral projection*.
its trunk, so a baku will often have some magical weapon or de-

vice when attacking. * All baku have these psionic powers.

Baku can use psionics to become invisible at will (see below).
They expend no PSPs for this, and the power check always suc- Habitat/Society: All baku come from the Concordant Opposition
ceeds. Baku also boast a trumpeting roar, which affects creatures
(an outer plane). They are seldom seen in desolate settings, and
of certain alignments. Any vulnerable creature within 40 feet of a prefer to move invisibly among mankind.
roaring baku suffers ld8 points of damage; it must also make a
Most baku (80%) are creatures of good will. They secretly
successful save vs. paralyzation or flee in panic as if affected by
dwell among humankind to serve its interests. Good baku favor
fear (as cast by a 12th level wizard). Baku can trumpet once every
societies in semitropical forests.
four rounds. Neutral good baku affect only evil creatures, dark
About 15% of all baku are of evil alignment. These baku,
(evil)baku affect good creatures, and holy baku can affect either called "The Dark Ones" by their brethren, also move amongst hu-
good and/or evil creatures at their discretion. mankind. However, they attempt to thwart the plans of their
Neutral good baku are usually timid, peace-loving creatures,
good brothers as well as cause general mayhem and suffering
but they eagerly do battle with evil and malicious monsters.
wherever they go.
The remaining 5% of baku are true neutral. Among other
Psionics Summary: baku, they are known as "The Great Ones" or "The Holy Ones."
Although they have no discernible abilities to set them apart from
Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs their brethren, they are reverently obeyed by other baku. These
12 4/6/17 MT,PsC/AH = Int 200 holy baku always have an Intelligence of at least 18.

Common Disciplines/Sciences/Devotions: Ecology: Baku tusks are worth 200 gp each. However, this trea-
• Clairvoyance - Sciences: Aura Sight*. Devotions: compre-
sure is greatly overshadowed by the magical item which a baku
hend writing, danger sense. usually carries in its trunk.
Brain Mole PHBR5

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any/Below ground

FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Family
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Psionic energy
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)

TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1-3

ARMOR CLASS: 9
MOVEMENT: 1, Br 3
HIT DICE: lhp
THACO: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: Nil

DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionic
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Psionic

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: T (3" long)
MORALE: Unsteady (5-7)
XP VALUE: 35

These small, furry animals are nearly blind, and they look like
normal moles. Brain moles are seldom seen, however. They live
in underground tunnels, burrowing through rock as well as dirt.
Usually, the only discernible evidence of a brain mole's presence
is the network of blistered stone or mounded dirt above ground,

which marks the tunnel complex. These creatures damage more Only has:
than a landscape, however. Brain moles feed on psionic activity. • Telepathy - Sciences: mindlink,
1

mindwipe Devotions: con-

From the protection of their tunnels, they can psionically burrow tact, mind thrust
into a victim's brain, and drain his psionic energy. • Metapsionics -
2
Devotions: psychic drain (no cost), psionic
sense
Combat: A brain mole commonly attacks its victim in forests or 1

A brain mole can perform mindwipe up to a range of 30 feet.

underground; in either case, the creature is usually out of sight in 2
Strangely enough, a brain mole must establish contact before
a tunnel. The mole either waits for a psionically endowed being using psychic drain. Furthermore, it can only perform psychic
to appear above it, or burrows in search of prey. drain upon psionicists or psionic creatures. However, it does not
A brain mole has an innate form of psionic sense;
it can auto-
have to put them into a trance or sleep first. It just starts siphon-
matically detect psionic activity of any sort within 200 yards. ing away psionic energy.
However, it can only feed upon psionic energy when its victim
—
nearby within 30 yards if the victim is a psionicist or psionic Habitat/Society: Brain moles live in family units that include one
creature, or within 30 feet if the victim is a wild talent. The mole
male, one female, and ld6 young (one of which may be old
can't get a fix upon its prey until the victim actually uses a psionic enough to feed by itself). Large brain mole towns of up to 3d6
power. family units have been reported. Of course, these only occur in
Once it mole attempts to establish
locates a victim, the brain places frequently traveled by the psionically endowed.
contact. If contact is made,
attempt to feed upon psionic
it will
energy. If the victim is a wild talent, feeding is accomplished us-
Ecology: Though brain moles can be dangerous to some, while
ing mindwipe. If the victim is a psionicist (or psionic creature),
others keep them as pets. The moles are rather friendly, and easi-
feeding is accomplished with amplification.
ly tamed. They are favored by royalty, who enjoy the special
A brain mole does not attack maliciously. It must feed at least protection which only brain moles can provide. Some sages
once a week or it will die. claim that even a dead brain mole can offer protection from psi-
onic attacks, provided the carcass is worn about one's neck as a
Psionics Summary: medallion. Sometimes, nobles who have been harassed by a par-
ticular psionicist will send heroes out on quests for these little
Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs furry rodents.
6 2/1/4 MT/M- 12 100 On the open market, adult brain moles sell for 50 gp. Young-
sters sell for 5 gp each.
Cerebral Parasite PHBR5

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any/ Any

FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Infestation

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any

DIET: Psionic Energy
INTELLIGENCE: Non- (0)

TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 3d4

ARMOR CLASS: Nil
MOVEMENT: Nil

HIT DICE: Nil

THACO: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS:
DAMAGE/ATTACK:
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionic
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Only affected by cure disease
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: T (flea-sized)
MORALE: Nil
XP VALUE: 35

These tiny psionic parasites float about in the air. Colorless and
nearly transparent, they cannot be seen by the human eye. They
wind until they come across a psionic being. Then they
drift in the
attach themselves to the host's aura, and slowly drain psionic
strength.

Only has:
Combat: A cerebral parasite's attack is so subtle that a victim may • Psychometabolism - Devotions: ectoplasmic form, immova-
not notice it for some time. When a psionically endowed individ-
bility.
ual comes within 1 foot of a parasite, the creature is mysteriously
• Psychoportation - Sciences: probability travel.
drawn to the character's (or monster's) aura, and attaches itself.
This initial "attack" usually will go completely unnoticed.
Habitat/Society: Psionic parasites, as these infestations are often
Only a few psionicpowers can detect cerebral parasites: aura
called, have existed ever since psionicists have been around.
sight, life detection, and psionic sense. Magical spells which de-
Sages claim that an ancient sect of wizards created the parasites to
tect invisible or hidden objects are also effective. Of course, the
infested host may
realize that something is wrong when he uses
rid the planes of "false mages" — i.e.,Of course, this
psionicists.
tale is very popular even today among most
wizards, but its va-
his psionic powers.
lidity is uncertain. The parasites' ability to enter the astral and
Each time the victim uses a psionic power, the power costs 1 ex-
ethereal planes does lend credence to this theory, however. (En-
tra PSP for each parasite infesting an individual's aura. The
tering the ethereal plane is an innate ability. They use probability
power still works normally, but the parasite absorbs the extra
travel to enter the astral plane.)
PSP. After a particular parasite has absorbed 6 psionic points in
Every 15 years, a plague of cerebral parasites infests the prime
this fashion, it can reproduce by splitting in two. Of course, both
material plane. Their frequency becomes common and 4d8 will
parasites will now feed, and the process continues. Eventually the be encountered at once. Psionicists dread this time, and call it "the
victim may not have enough PSPs to feed the parasites when us-
year of weakness."
ing a given power; in that case, the power fails.
Only two methods can rid a victim of cerebral parasites: 1) a
Ecology: Cerebral parasites, if captured, make a wonderful
cure disease spell or 2) refraining from spending PSPs until the
weapon to use against psionicists. The only problem is that they
threat of starvation forces the parasites to leave. Each day the vic-
can eventually escape even the most tightly sealed jar. Each has a
tim refrains from spending PSPs, there is a 1 %
cumulative chance
1 % cumulative chance of leaving the jar per day. Within several
(95% maximum) that each parasite will detach itself. Since this
months, few if any will remain. Of course, this is because most of
check is made individually for each parasite, a heavily infested
them will have left to search for food. Still, even a month of two
victim is not likely to shake all the pests unless he refrains from
of security is enough to prompt many to search the winds for
using his powers for three or four months.
these little clear specks.

Psionics Summary:

Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs

1 2/1/2 Nil/Nil 18 unlimited
Intellect Devourer, Adult PHBR5

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any/Subterranean or dark areas

FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any (if dark)

DIET: Minds
INTELLIGENCE: Very (11-12)
TREASURE: D
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

NO. APPEARING: 1-2

ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVEMENT: 15

HIT DICE: 6 +6
THACO: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: 4

DAMAGE/ATTACK: Id4/ld4/ld4/ld4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionics, stalk prey
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Psionics, +3 weapon needed to
hit

MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below

SIZE: S (brain sized)
MORALE: Fanatic (17-18)
XP VALUE: 6,000

The term "intellectdevourer" only applies to the adult form of

this species.(The larval stage, or ustilagor, is covered on a sepa-
rate page.) An intellect devourer looks like a large human brain
standing on four legs. The "brain" has a crusty protective cover-
ing. The legs are bony and double-jointed. Each appendage ends Intellectdevourers always have the following powers:
in a foot with three great, stubby talons. • Psychometabolism - Sciences: energy containment Devo- .

tions: body equilibrium, chameleon power, ectoplasmic form,

Combat: Intellect devourers are surprisingly capable in melee. expansion, chemical simulation, reduction.
Only magical weapons with a +3 bonus or greater can harm • Metapsionics - Sciences: split personality Devotions: psi-
them. Even then, the weapons cause only a single point of dam- onic sense (only 60' range, no cost), psychic drain.
age per attack. Furthermore, these creatures can strike back with • Telepathy - Sciences: domination (even on dead, intact
all four of their clawed legs simultaneously if they wish. To do
minds). Devotions: contact, ego whip, ESP, id insinuation, te-
this, they spring onto their opponent and rake. lempathic projection.
However, the primary offensive of an intellect devourer is psi- • Psychoportation - Devotion: astral projection.
onics. They hunt for psionic creatures and characters using a spe-
cial version of psionic sense (60' range, no cost). If they locate a 1
An energy containment is superior to the
intellect devourer's
potential victim, they proceed to stalk him, waiting until they one listed in book. It is always "on"
this —
without penalty or
can attack with surprise. This attack is doubly potent if the crea- maintenance cost. Furthermore, even if the check fails against an
ture uses split personality. With that power in action, the intellect
attack, only one point of damage will be taken per die instead of
devourer can rake a victim with its claws at the same time it at-
half damage as is listed. The only exceptions are death spell,
tacks psionically. which has a 25% chance of success; powerword kill, which will
The intellect devourer's most gruesome attack occurs just after slay the creature; and protection from evil, which keeps it at bay.
ithas killed a victim. Using reduction, an intellect devourer can
enter a dead body. Then it will proceed to either devour the vic-
Habitat/Society: Intellect devourers dwell deep beneath the
tim's brain, or control his body (using a special form of domina- ground or in dark and dismal lairs in the wilderness. They rarely
tion). In this fashion, the creature can seek opportunities to
protect their young, and may even devour them. This race is so
attack and devour other victim's brains. solitary that even the young ustilagor rarely stay together. How-
ever, occasionally up to two intellect devourers or three ustilagor
Psionics Summary: will be found together.

Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs devourers are favored pets of mind flay-
Ecology: Adult intellect
6 4/4/13 EW,II/M-,TS,+1 = Int 200 ers (illithids). They serve as watch dogs.
Intellect Devourer, Larva (Ustilagor) phbrs

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Dark, moist areas

FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary

ACTIVITY CYCLE: During Darkness

DIET: Emotions
INTELLIGENCE: Not ratable

TREASURE: Q (xld20)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (evil)

NO. APPEARING: 1-3

ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 3 +3
THACO: 17
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK: ld4 + 1 (save vs. poison or double)

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionics
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Psionics

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil (See below)

SIZE: T (Brain sized)
MORALE: Unsteady (5-7)
XP VALUE: 650

Ustilagor are the larval form of intellect devourers. Like their par-
ents, they look like brains with four legs. However, they are
much smaller, and their bodies are soft and moist. They lack the
hard covering which they will eventually gain as adults. Ustilagor
also have a 3-foot tendril which is very flexible and agile. Unlike
their parents, they have coral-like legs with no feet, so they travel
All ustilagor are attracted to gems. No one knows why for
slowly (MV 9). Even so, they can jump and dart with amazing
sure, but suspected that ustilagor use the gems for energy con-
it is
agility. (That's why their armor class is 5.)
tainment. These creatures will attack a being who's carrying gems
before they attack any others.
Combat: Ustilagor can attack by striking an opponent with their
tendril while performing their own version of chemical simula-
Psionics Summary:
tion. They never fail when using this power and expend only 1
PSP per attack. Moreover, the acid is so caustic that the victim Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs
must save vs. poison or suffer additional damage the next round
3 2/1/4 II/M- 10 150
(ld4+ l).
Of course, this is not a highly effective form of attack, and the
Only have:
ustilagor prefers to use either id insinuation or its advanced te- • Psychometabolism- Sciences: energy containment. Devo-
lempathic projection power. Using the latter, it can force its vic-
tion:chemical simulation (see above).
tims into one of five states of mind during a round: hate for • Telepathy - Devotions: contact, id insinuation, telempathic
associates, distrust of associates, fear of fungi, loathing of area,
projection (see above).
or uncertainty. These projected emotions cause attack, bickering,
desertion, or dithering, accordingly.Note that adult intellect de-
Habitat/Society: Ustilagor are so moist that fungi usually grow
vourers lose this enhanced power, and are only able to perform
upon them. It's a symbiotic relationship.The fungi prevent the
telempathic projection.
ustilagor from drying out, and they also mask
the creature's psi-
Though they are psionically endowed, ustilagor seem to have onic aura. Thus, no power that affects an aura will work against a
no intelligence as defined by humans. Thus, attacks that affect
ustilagor covered with fungi. Cerebral parasites cannot penetrate
minds (psionically or magically) do not function upon them, with
this layer of protection, either.
the exception of psionic blast. Due to an unusual fungal growth
No one knows when or how the ustilagor become intellect de-
(see "Habitat/Society"), they are immune to fungal attacks and
vourers, but it no doubt has something to do with minds and psi-
any attack that affects an aura.
onics. Sages theorize that fungi also plays a role.
Finally, ustilagor use their energy containment power to pro-
tect themselves from spells and other applicable forms of attack.
Ecology: Mind flayers (illithids) view ustilagors as culinary de-
A ustilagor does not have the advanced form of energy contain- lights. Ifthey survive the encounter, adventurers view them as
ment associated with their adult form.
treasure troves. As noted above, ustilagors like to collect gems.
Shedu PHBR5

Lesser Greater
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: — Any (prefer hot)/ Any open region-
FREQUENCY: Rare Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Herd Herd Leader
ACTIVITY CYCLE: — Hot part of the day
DIET: Herbivore Herbivore
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional (15-16) Genius (17- 18)
TREASURE: G Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful good Lawful good

NO. APPEARING: 2d4 1-2

ARMOR CLASS: 4 2
MOVEMENT: 12, Fl 24 (C) 15, Fl 30 (B)
HIT DICE: 9+9 14 + 14
THACO: 11 5
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 2

DAMAGE/ATTACK: Id6/ld6 3d6/3d6

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionics Psionics
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Psionics Psionics, invis-
ibility

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25% 50%

SIZE: L (as a mu le) L (as a draft horse)
MORALE: Champion (15-16) Fearless
(19- 20)
XP VALUE: 8,000 15,000

A shedu is a pegasus native to hot, arid climates. It has a power-

ful, stocky equine body with short but powerful feathered wings.
Upon its short, thick neck is a large humanoid head. The face is complement the herd (each takes a different discipline).
rather dwarven in appearance, and it always has a beard and • Psychometabolism - Devotions: ectoplasmic form.

mustache. A shedu's hair is very bristly, and curls into tight waves • Telepathy - Devotions: contact, empathy, mindlink.
or bands. • Psychoportation - Devotions: astral projection.
All shedu wear a simple headband made of braided cloth or
rope, with a single button for adornment. The button is centered GREATER SHEDU
on the forehead, and its material represents the bearer's status.
From the lowest rank to the highest, a button may be made of sil- Greater shedu radiate protection from evil — 10' radius.
ver, gold, platinum, sapphire, ruby, or diamond. A lesser shedu
almost never has a button above the platinum level. A greater Languages: Greater shedu speak shedu, lamia, lammasu, com-
shedu almost never wears one below sapphire status. mon, and root languages (i.e., most human tongues). However,
Shedu wander the prime material, astral, and ethereal planes. they can always rely upon their telepathy power, which they have
They further the cause of law and goodness, help allied creatures mastered so well that rudimentary contact can be made even with
in need, and combat evil. Greater shedu typically lead herds of six plants.
or more lesser shedu.
Psionics Summary:
Combat: All shedu attack with powerful front hooves. However,
both forms of shedu prefer to use their psionic powers where ap- Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs
plicable. 14 5/12/15 All/All = Int 200

LESSER SHEDU Common powers (* denotes powers they always have, ]

denotes
powers which require no point expenditure):
1

Languages: Lesser shedu speak shedu, lamia, lammasu, and most • Defense - mind bar*

human tongues (although not common). Of course, they can al- • Clairvoyance - Sciences: aura sight, clairaudience, clairvoy-
ways use their empathy power (a limited form of telepathy, see ance, object reading, precognition Devotions: danger sense, sen-
below). sitivity to psychic impressions
Psychometabolism - Sciences: energy containment, meta-
•
1

Psionics Summary: morphosis Devotions: body control, ectoplasmic form*

•
Psychokinesis - Sciences: telekinesis Devotions: molecular
Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs agitation, molecular manipulation
9 4/4/13 All/All = Int 100 • Telepathy - Sciences: domination, mass domination,
1 1

mindlink* Devotions: contact*, invisibility* post-hypnotic,

Lesser shedu always have the five powers listed below (within suggestion
1 1

three disciplines), and they can use them without expending • Psychoportation - Sciences: probability travel* teleport* ,

PSPs. In addition to these powers, a lesser shedu knows any three Devotions: dimensional door, dimension walk*
sciences and five devotions desired (from these disciplines, or oth-
ers). Each creature tends to specialize in a particular discipline to
Thought Eater PHBR5

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Ethereal Plane

FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any

DIET: Mental Energy
INTELLIGENCE: Not ratable

TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1-3

ARMOR CLASS: 9
MOVEMENT: 6 (ethereal plane only)
HIT DICE: 3
THACO: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS:
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionics, absorb: psionics, spells,
and Intelligence
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Ethereal existence

MAGIC RESISTANCE: absorb (See below)

SIZE: S (3' long)
MORALE: Unsteady (5-7)
XP VALUE: 1,400

Thought eaters are natives of the Border Ethereal, and they only
survive in ethereal form. They appear as a sickly gray skeletal
body with an oversized platypus head (to those who can observe
it). They have webbed skeletal paws, suited to swimming through
the ether.
A thought eater has only one desire in its existence,
to avoid death. For some reason, they die almost instantly on the
prime material plane. Fortunately for them, they have several psi-
onic powers which help prevent this from occurring.
Combat: Thought eaters have no combat abilities except their psi-
onic powers, even on the Border Ethereal. Thus, they can be
quickly and easily slain if encountered ethereally.
They are not harmless, however. Thought eaters are unique.
Although they cannot survive outside the Border Ethereal, their
psionic powers can extend into the prime material plane. This is
the only known case of such a cross-over.
Thought eaters always have psionic sense operating. Because
of their unique nature, they can sense psionic activity in the prime
material plane, as well as the Border Ethereal. When they detect
psionic activity of any kind, they proceed to the area (ethereally,
of course).
Their only "attack" is to absorb psionic energy. (This is an in-
nate ability.) They can perform this function when within 60 feet
of a true psionicist (or psionic creature), or within 10 feet of a wild
talent. They drain 10 psionic points per round. They can also ab-
sorb any spell cast in the area as well as memorized spells (they
get 5 points per spell level). Finally, they can feed upon Intelli-
gence, with each point converted to 10 PSPs which they absorb.
They will thus feed until all victims die or escape, or until sated.
They are sated at a number of points equal to their PSP maxi-
mum.
Although they feed on brain power, thought eaters are essen-
tially stupid. Because they lack intelligence, they are
all telepathic attacks and controls (psionic or otherwise). They
ways feed in this order of preference, even if it's illogical: 1) psi-
onic points being expended (causes power to fail), 2) magical
energy being expended (causes spell to fail), 3) PSPs, 4) memo-
rized spells, 5) Intelligence.Note that if a thought eater eats all of
and that is
someone's Intelligence, they will become a vegetable (effectively
dead). Also, the Intelligence loss is permanent, unless it is relieved
by restore or psychic surgery. Spells can be rememorized, and
drained PSPs can be recovered naturally.
All this feeding has the sole purpose of keeping thought eaters
in the ether. Their bodies process PSPs the way people process
food, at a rate of 3 PSPs/ hour. If they ever run out of points, they
drop out of the ether into the prime material plane and instantly
die.
Note that ethereal beings are invisible to creatures on the prime
material plane, so it is likely that the thought eater will attack un-
contested until sated, or until its victims out-distance it. Although
it only has a movement rate of 6, this is ethereal movement, al-
lowing it to move through walls, trees, etc. as if they didn't exist.
Any defense mode except those with a maintenance cost will
prevent the thought eaters from feeding. This includes spells such
as mind blank, and magical devices which thwart psionic attacks.
Psionics Summary: Thought eaters have ldl00 + 100 (101-200)
PSPs. Their score is 18. They boast a special form of psionic sense
(in a metapsionic power), which operates continuously with no
PSP cost. They also absorb PSPs, as described under "combat."
Habitat/Society: Little is known about thought eaters, except that
they exist solely in the ethereal plane and are very solitary beings.
Magical research has indicated that they aren't malevolent; they
simply desire to keep existing. Some claim that this is the fate of
all psionicists once they die.
immune to
al- Ecology: Thought eaters carry no treasure. When one dies, it au-
tomatically drops out of the ether and materializes on the prime
material plane. Of course, they are usually dismissed as a platy-
pus which died from starvation.
Su-Monster PHBR5

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Dark areas/Wilderness and sub-

terranean
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: Family/Clan
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Dawn and Sunset
DIET: Omnivorous
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)

TREASURE: C,Y
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic (evil)

NO. APPEARING: ldl2

ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 9

HIT DICE: 5 +5
THACO: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 5

DAMAGE/ATTACK: Id4/ld4/ld4/ld4/2d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Psionic, ambush
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Psionic

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: M (large ape)
MORALE: Average (8-10)
XP VALUE: 650

Su-monsters look like big gray monkeys, 4 to 5 feet tall. They

have large bones and muscular limbs, but they always look a bit
underfed, because their ribs and vertebrae show prominently.
Their long, prehensile tails can easily support their weight. Their
hands and feet are virtually alike, each having three long, thick Psionics Summary:
fingers and an opposable thumb, all equipped with claws. Like
the tail, their hands and feet are very strong, allowing them to Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs
hang by one limb for several hours. 2 3/1/3(2/5) PsC,MT,PB/Nil = Int 120
Short, dirty gray fur covers most of their body. Their face and
tail are black, while their paws are always bloody red (making
Su-monsters always know the following powers, and there is a
them look like they just finished killing something, which is the 10% chance that they will have one more science and two more
case more often than not). They frequently grin, but this is usu- devotions in the psychometabolic discipline.
ally a sharp-toothed threat rather than a gesture of friendliness. • Psychometabolism - Devotions: enhancement (no cost, see
above).
Combat: Su-monsters attack with four legs when possible,
all • Metapsionics - Devotions: psionic sense (always on, no
raking their extremely sharp nails across their victim. They can
cost).
also deliver a powerful bite with their canine-like mouth. • Telepathy - Sciences: psychic crush. Devotions: mind thrust,
These creatures like to hunt in small packs (ldl2 members). psionic blast.
Their favorite hunting ground is a well-traveled trail through the
jungle/forest. They search for sturdy branches that overhang the Habitat/Society: A su-monster family is composed of two parents
trail, and then perch in the trees, waiting patiently. When a poten-
(adult male and female) and two young. When two or more fami-
tial victim passes into the midst of them, they all swing down, us-
lies live together, they form a clan. Su-monsters are very territo-
ing their tails as anchors. This way they can attack with all four
rial and have a particular hatred for the psionically endowed.
claws plus the bite. Victims of this kind of ambush suffer a -4
According to legend, su-monsters were created by a powerful
penalty to their surprise rolls.
evil cleric or mage, who wished to guard his forest from intruders
What really makes these beings ferocious is their tribal protec-
(especially psionic ones). The creatures do make a formidable at-
tiveness. Half the time (50% chance), the entire family takes part tack force, which tends to support this theory. According to some
in the hunt: male, female, and two young. If the young are at-
sages (who point to the creatures' high Intelligence as proof), the
tacked or threatened, the females fight as if under a haste spell
creatures are magical hybrid made from humanoids and apes. In
(i.e., double movement and number of attacks). Likewise, if the
any event, many evil wizards and priests employ su-monsters as
females are attacked, the males appear to fight with haste. A
forest guards today.
surge of adrenaline accounts for this ferocity. Females can main-
tain the effect for up to 6 turns (an hour), and males can maintain Ecology: Su-monsters keep their valuables well hidden high in the
it for up to 4 turns.
trees of their territory. They have no food value, since their meat
can be deadly. They know three at-
Psionically, these creatures
ismildly poisonous. Characters who eat su-monster meat must
tack modes. They are also impervious to telepathic attacks (that's save vs. poison or become ill, and no natural healing is possible
why they have no defense modes). When su-monsters are using for 1 week.
their enhancement power, they can attack both psionically and
physically if they choose (instead of enjoying a double attack
rate).
Vagabond PHBR5

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: As host
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary

ACTIVITY CYCLE: As host

DIET: As host
INTELLIGENCE: Genius to Supra-genius (17-20)
TREASURE: As host + special
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (any)

NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: As host
MOVEMENT: As host
HIT DICE: As host
THACO: As host
NO. OF ATTACKS: As host
DAMAGE/ATTACK: As host
SPECIAL ATTACKS: As host, psionics
SPECIAL DEFENSES: As host, psionics

MAGIC RESISTANCE: As host, immune to mental spells

SIZE: As host
MORALE: Steady (11-12)
XP VALUE: As host + 4 Hit Dice

It is difficult to say what a vagabond really looks like, because

they can mimic countless other creatures in form. They are an
alien life force of unknown origin. They are always encountered
in the form of an intelligent, corporeal creature indigenous to the
area (a creature with at least animal intelligence).
Vagabonds can assume such forms in one of three ways. First, Vagabonds never have psychokinetic powers. They have a partic-
they can simply form the body with their unusual powers. When
ular affinity for these:
this occurs, the vagabond looks like a small blob of ink which ap-
• Clairsentience - Any power which lets them learn things.
pears on the ground, then quickly enlarges into three dimensions, - Any power which allows them
• Psychometabolism to
filling out, then forming the finer details. Such a change can be
change form or travel in difficult terrain.
tremendously terrifying if the chosen form is something like a • Metapsionics - They are masters of this discipline, having ac-
wolf were. Secondly, vagabonds can take over a freshly dead
cess to all its powers without regard to their total number of disci-
body, curing it of all ailments. Lastly, they can inhabit a living
plines, science, and devotions.
body. In this last form, they are like back-seat drivers who make • Telepathy The creature can use any telepathic power
- to
strong suggestions; they cannot do anything which the host life
communicate or gain information, plus enough attack forms to
force does not want them to do. Thus, a possessed horse wouldn't
psionically defend themselves.
jump off a cliff unless it felt safe or confident about the jump. As • Psychoportation - Any which allows them to travel.
noted above, vagabonds take the form of any creature with at
least animal intelligence. They rarely inhabit forms of higher in-
Habitat/Society: Habitat matches the form they assume. Society
telligence, however, such as player character races.
either matches the form, or the creature is a solitary wanderer.
Once they have assumed a form, vagabonds are locked into it Vagabonds are never encountered together, and no one has ever
and cannot leave, except with the typical psionic powers such as
heard of this occurring. All vagabonds can detect each other's
switch personality (which is one of their favorites).
presence up to a mile. At this point, they will separate if feasible.
If they are communicated with, it will soon become apparent

that something is amiss, for they have none of their form's knowl-
Ecology: Vagabonds seem to have come to the prime material
edge as to speech, behavior, customs, or expectations. However,
plane to gain information. They are extremely curious and in-
they are able to use all of its attack and defense forms as well as
quisitive, often about mundane or personal details. If given the
movement and Of course,
essential functions. many of these will chance to adventure with the party, they are 90% likely to join. In
be performed in strange and unique ways.
exchange, they will use their considerable power to the party's
benefit.
Combat: Vagabonds fight with the same skills as their form has. It can be great fun to have a vagabond secretly posses a PC's
They are also completely immune to all forms of mental attacks
war dog or war horse (most of these will be true neutral). Evil and
and control which are not strictly psionic. Besides these adjust-
good vagabonds tend to side with forces of similar alignment,
ments, all vagabonds are psionically endowed. If their host body
both aiding them and learning of their ways.
is slain, they will depart, never to return.

Psionics Summary:

Level Dis/Sci/Dev Attack/Defense Score PSPs

12 4/6/19 See below/All = Int ldl00 + 200
 A Monstrous Update

Many creatures in the AD&D® Monstrous Compendium Dis/Sci/ Attack/ Power

series boast psionic powers. The text below brings those Level Dev Defense Score PSPs
monsters up to date with the rules presented in this book.
The creatures appear in alphabetical order. (Creatures Dwarf, Duergar
from the Outer Planes are listed separately.) Each entry is
organized as follows: MT,EW,II/
—
Level How tough the monster is, in terms of a psioni- = HD per level M-,TS,MB = Int 12 x HD
cist'sexperience level.
Type: Powers of defense, escape, and underground move-
—
Dis/Sci/Dev How many disciplines the creature can ac-
ment.
cess, followed by the total number of sciences and devo-
Clairsentience: feel sound, poison sense*.
tions the creature knows (in all accessible disciplines).
Psychokinesis: molecular agitation*, molecular manipu-
—
Attack/Defense Telepathic attack and defense modes
lation.
the creature can use. (Defense modes are not included in the
Psychometabolism: energy containment, expansion*,
total number of powers the creature knows.) Abbrevia-
reduction*.
tions are as follows:
Telepathy: identity penetration*, invisibility*.

Attack Modes Defense Mode

De
PB = Psionic Blast M- = Mind Blank Grey Ooze (only those creatures with over 20 hps)
MT = Mind Thrust TS = Thought Shield 1 2/1/1 PsC/M- 13 ldl00 + 20
EW = Ego Whip MB = Mental Barrier
II = Id Insinuation IF = Intellect Fortress Type: Creatures have only those powers listed below.
PsC = Psychic Crush TW = Tower of Iron Will Telepathy: psychic crush*.
Metapsionics: psionic sense* (only to 60', no cost).
Power Score: The creature's typical score when using a
power that is not automatically successful. Ki-rin
PSPs: The creature's total pool of psionic strength points
9 4/5/18 All/All = Int 200
(the maximum available to it).

Type: The general type of powers the creature can use. Type: Control of the nonliving, travel, mind reading.
Powers listed after this entry (if any) are representative; the Psychokinesis: create object*, control flames, control
list is not necessarily complete.
wind.
* Creatures always
knows a power that is distinguished Psychometabolism: shadow-form*, body equilibrium,
by an asterisk. ectoplasmic form*.
Psychoportation: banishment, probability travel*.
Dis/Sci/ Attack/ Power Telepathy: mindlink*, ESP*, false sensory input*.
Level Dev Defense Score PSPs
Mind Flayer (lllithid)
Aboleth
MT/M-,
EW,II, 3/5/14 TS,MB, +1 = Int ldlOO + 250
PsC, + 1/
8 3/5/16 TS,IF,TW = Int 250 Type: Attack, mind control, travel.
Psychokinesis: detonate, control body*, levitation*
Type: Powers which control others or manipulate minds. Psychometabolism: body equilibrium* (their only psy-
Telepathy: false sensory input*, mindlink*, mass domi- chometabolic power).
nation*. Psychoportation: probability travel*, teleport*, astral
projection*.
Couatl Telepathy: domination*, awe, ESP*, post-hypnotic sug-
gestion*.
4/5/18 Any/All = Int ldl00 + 110

Type: Powers that allow them to gain information, travel, Tarrasque

or disguise themselves.
Clairsentience: aura sight*, all-round vision, see sound. These creatures are totally immune to all psionics.

Psychometabolism: metamorphosis*, chemical simula-

tion, ectoplasmic form*.
Psychoportation: teleport, time shift.
Telepathy: mindlink*, ESP*, invisibility*.

A Monstrous Update • 123

 Dis/Sci/ Attack/ Power Dis/Sci/ Attack/ Power
Level Dev Defense Score PSPs Level Dev Defense Score PSPs

Yellow Mold Gith

II/Nil = HD per level All/All = Int IdlOO + 150
1 2/0/2 (special) 15 ldlOX5
Type: Insubstantial (travel, energy), not mind- controlling
Only sentient yellow molds (1 in 6 chance) have psionic powers.
powers. Such creatures are also immune to psionic attacks
unless the attacker is being aided by one who can commu- Morti
nicate with plants.
Type: Sentient yellow molds only have the powers listed 20 All/All/All All/All 20,500
below.
Telepathy: mindwipe, id insinuation. Tanar'ri
Metapsionics: psionic sense (IdlOO + 20' range, no cost).
(Greater: babau; Lesser: succubus; True: all but vrock)
> Yuan ti HD-3 per level see below = Int see below
MT,II/
• Babau - PB,PsC,EW/M-,MB,TW; 130 PSPs.
HD-2 3/level M-,IF,TW = Int 15XHD
• Succubus - II/TS,IF;100 PSPs.
Type: Related to snakes (see below). • Nalfeshnee - PB,EW,PsC/M-,TS,MB; 125 PSPs.

Clairsentience: danger sense, feel sound, poison sense*. • Marilith PB,PsC/M-,TS,MB; 175 PSPs.
-

Psychometabolism: animal affinity* (snake), metamor- • Balor - PB,MT,EW,PsC/M-,TS,MB; 250 PSPs.

phosis (snake), chameleon power*, chemical simula- • Glabrezu - II,EW,MT/M-,MB; 150 PSPs.
tion*, flesh armor. • Hezrou - II,MT/M-,IF; 100 PSPs.
Telepathy: attraction (to snakes), aversion* (to snakes), Type: Powers of fire control, torture, shape change.
false sensory input, inflict pain, invincible foes, life de-
tection, phobia amplification*, post-hypnotic sugges- Titans
tion, repugnance (to snakes), taste link*.
MT,EW,II,
HD + l per level PsC/Nil = Int IdlOO + 100
Creatures from Outer Planes
Type: All types of powers.
All outer-planar creatures will be 1st level or greater when Note: Titans are immune to psionic attacks.
encountered. Telepathic attack and defense modes are list-
ed in the order in which the creatures usually gain them. Yugoloth (only Arcanaloth)
DMs should tailor an individual creature's repertoire of
13 5/7/24 All/All - Int IdlOO + 200
powers to its actual level, as desired.

Type: Powers of travel, combat.

Aasimon (only the 3 listed) Note: Lycanthropes never have psionic powers (except,
possibly, in the Ravenloft™ campaign setting). Anyone
= HD per level see below = Int see below contracting lycanthropy loses all psionic powers.
• Solar - All/All; 354 PSPs.
• Astral Deva - PB,MT,EW,PsC/M-,TS,MB; 210 PSPs.
• Planetar - All/All; 288 PSPs.

Type: Wide variety (nonhostile, except for control types).

Baatezu (all 4 greater)

HD-1 per level see below = Int see below

• Amnizu - MT,II/M-,TS,MB; 121 PSPs.
• Cornugon - MT,EW/M-,TS,MB; 113 PSPs.
• Gelugon
EW,II/M-,TS,MB; 166 PSPs.
-

• Pit PB,EW,PsC/TS,MB,II; 213 PSPs.

Fiend -

Type: Powers of control and cruelty.

124 • A Monstrous Update

 Summary of Powers

Score IC MC Range Prep. A. of E. Score IC MC Range Prep. A. of E.

Devotions
(
- Clairsentience
Sciences
Animate Object, p. 42
-3 8 3/rnd. 50 yds.
— Aura Sight, 28
p.
Int 1 object,
100
Wis -5 9 9/rnd. 50 yds. personal lbs.

. Clairaudience, p. 30
Animate Shadow, p. 42

Wis -3 6 4/rnd. unlim. special

Wis -3 7 3/rnd. 40 yds. 100 sq. ft.

Ballistic Attack, p. 42
Clairvoyance, p. 30
Wis -4 7 4/rnd. unlim. special
Con ~2 5 na 30 yds. 1 item, 1 lb.

Object Reading, p. 31 Control Body, p. 43

Wis -5 16 na touch Con -2 8 8/rnd. 80 yds. individ.

Precognition, p. 31
Control Flames, p. 43
Wis -5 24 na Wis -1 6 3/rnd. 40 yds. 10 sq. ft

Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions, p. 32

Control Light, p. 44
Wis -4 12 2/rnd. 20-yd.
Int 12 4/rnd. 25 yds. 400 sq. ft.

rad.
Control Sound, p. 44
Int -5 5 2/rnd. 100 yds. na
Devotions
All-Round Vision, p 33 Control Wind, p. 44
Wis -3 6 4/rnd. personal Con -4 16 10/rnd. 500 yds. 1,000 yds.
Combat Mind, 33 Create Sound, p. 46
p.
Int -2 8 3/rnd. 100 yds.
Int -4 5 4/rnd. personal
Inertial Barrier, p. 46
Danger Sense, p. 33
Wis -3 4 3/turn special 10 yds. Con -3 7 5/rnd. 3-yd.
Feel Light, p. 34 diam.
Wis -3 Levitation, p. 47
7 5/rnd. special
Feel Sound, p. 34
Wis -3 12 2/rnd. individ.

Wis -3 5 3/rnd. special

Molecular Agitation, p. 48
Hear Light, p. 34
Wis 7 6/rnd. 40 yds. 1 itftn,

Wis -3 6 3/rnd. special 20 lbs.

Know Direction, p. 34
Molecular Manipulation, 49
p.
Int -3 6 5/rnd. 15 yds. 2 sq. in.
Int 1 na personal
Know Location, p. 36 Soften, p. 50

Int 10 na personal Int 4 3/rnd. 30 yds. 1 object,

Poison Sense, p. 36 10 lbs.

Wis 1 na 1-yd. rad.

Radial Navigation, p. 36 - Psychometabolism
Int -3 4 7/hr. personal Sciences
See Sound, p. 37 Animal Affinity, p. 50
Wis -3 6 3/rnd. special personal Con -4 15 4/rnd. personal
Spirit Sense, p. 37 ? Complete Healing, p. 50
Wis -3 10 15-yd. Con 30 na 24 hrs. personal
rad. ^ Death 52
Field, p.
Con -8 40 na 3 20-yd. rad
Psychokinesis Energy Containment, p.52
Sciences Con ~2 10 na personal
1

Create Object, p. 38 Life Draining, p. 52

Int -4 16 3/rnd. 20 yds special

Con -3 11 5/rnd. touch individ.

Detonate, p. 38 Metamorphosis, p. 53
Con -3 18 na 60 yds. 1 item,
Con ~6 21 1/turn 5 personal
8 cu. ft.
Shadow-form, p. 53
Disintegrate, p. 40 Con -6 12 3/rnd. personal
Wis -4 40 na 50 yds. 1 item,
8 cu. ft. Devotions
Molecular Rearrangement, p. 40 Absorb Disease, p. 53
Int -5 20 10/hr. 2 yds. 2 hrs. 1 item Con -3 12 na touch individ.
Project Force, p. 41 Adrenalin Control, p. 54
Con -2 10 na 200 yds. na Con -3 8 4/rnd. personal
Telekinesis, p. 41 Aging, p. 55
Wis -3 3+ l + /rnd. 30 yds. single item Con - 5 10 na touch individ.
Biofeedback, p. 55
Con -2 6 3/rnd. personal
Body Control, p. 55
Con -4 7 5/turn personal

Summary of Powers • 125

 p
1

Score IC MC Range Prep. A. of E. Score IC MC Range Prep. A. of E.

Body Equilibrium, p. 55 Dream Travel, p. 70

Con -3 2 2/rnd. personal Wis -4 1/25 mi. na 500 mi. personal
Body Weaponry, p. 57 Teleport Trigger, p. 72
Con -3 9 4/rnd. personal Int +1 2/hr. infinite personal
Catfall, p. 57 Time Shift, p. 72
Dex -2 4 na personal Int 16 na personal
Cause Decay, p. 57 Time /Space Anchor, p. 73
Con -2 4 na touch 60 lbs. Int 5 1/rnd. 3 yds.
Cell Adjustment, p. 57
Con - 3 5 up to touch individ.
C Telepathy
,
20/rnd.
Sciences
Chameleon Power, p. 58 Domination, p. 74
Con -1 6 3/rnd. personal
Wis - 4 contact varies 30 yds. individ.
Chemical Simulation, p. 58 Ejection, p. 74
Con -4 9 6/rnd. touch 1 varies
Wis - 4 varies na personal
Displacement, p. 58
Fate Link, p. 75
Con -3 6 3/rnd. personal
Con — 5 contact 5 /turn 2 mi. 1 individ.
Double Pain, p. 59 Mass Domination, p. 75
Con _ 3 7 na touch individ.
Wis - 6 contact varies 40 yds. 2 up to 5
Ectoplasmic Form, p. 59
creatures
Con -4 9 9/rnd. 1 personal
Mindlink, p. 75
Enhanced Strength, p. 59 Wis _ 5 contact 8/rnd. unlim. individ.
Wis _ 3 varies varies personal
Mindwipe, p. 75
Expansion, p. 60 -6 touch
Int contact 8/rnd. 1 individ.
Con -2 6 1/rnd. personal
Probe, p. 76
Flesh Armor, p. 60
Wis - 5 contact 9/rnd. 2 yds. individ.
Con -3 8 4/rnd. personal
Psionic Blast, p. 76
Graft Weapon, p. 60
Wis -5 10 na 20/40/60 individ.
Con -5 10 1/rnd. touch personal
yds.
Heightened Senses, p. 61
Superior Invisibility, r. >. 78
Con 5 1/rnd. personal
Int -5 contact 5/rnd./ 100 yds. personal
Immovability, p. 61
creature
Con -5 9 6/rnd. personal
Switch Personality, p. 78
Lend Health, p. 62 Con _ 4 contact na touch 3 individ.
Con —1 4 na touch individ. + 30
Mind Over Body, p. 62
Tower of Iron Will, p. 79
Wis -3 na 10 /day touch individ.
Wis -2 6 na 1yd.
Reduction, p. 62
Con ~2 varies 1/rnd. personal Devotions
Share Strength, p. 63 Attraction, p. 79
Con -4 6 2/rnd. touch individ. Wis - 4 contact 8/rnd. 200 yds. individ.
Suspend Animation, p. 63 Aversion, p. 79
Con -3 12 na 0/touch 5 individ. Wis - 4 contact 8/turn 200 yds. individ.
Awe, p. 80
I\ Psychoportation Cha -2 contact 4/rnd. 20 yds.
Sciences Conceal Thoughts, p. 80
Banishment, p. 64 Wis 5 3/rnd. 3 yds.
Int -1 30
10/rnd. 5 yds. individ. Contact, p. 80
Probability Travel, p. 64 Wis varies 1/rnd. special individ.
Int 20 8/hr. unlim. 2 individ. + Daydream, p. 83
Summon Planar Creature, p. 66 Wis contact 3/rnd. unlim. individ.
Int -4 45/90 na 200 yds. 12 1 creature Ego Whip, p. 83
Teleport, p. 67 Wis -3 4 na 40/80/120 individ.
Int 10+ na infinite personal yds.
Teleport Other, p. 68 Empathy, p. 84
Int -2 20+ na 10 yds. na Wis contact 1/rnd. unlim. 20' x 20'

(orl) x 20'

Devotions ESP, p. 84
Astral Projection, p. 68 Wis _ 4 contact 6/rnd. unlim. individ.

Int 6 2/hr. na 1 personal False Sensory Input, p >. 84

Int
-3 contact 4/rnd. unlim. individ.
Dimensional Door, p. 69
Con -1 4 2/rnd. 50 yds. + na Id Insinuation, p. 84
Dimension Walk, p. 69 Wis -4 5 na 60/120/ individ.

Con -2 8 4/turn na 2 personal 180 yds.

126 • Summary of Powers

 Score IC MC Range Prep. A. of E. Score IC MC Range Prep. A. of E.

Identity Penetration, p. 85 Empower, p. 93

Wis - 3 contact 6/rnd. unlim. individ. Wis - 12 varies na touch 1 item
Incarnation Awareness, p. 85 Psychic Clone, p. 94
Wis -4 contact 13/rnd. unlim. individ. Wis -8 50 5/rnd. 60 feet 10 rnds. special
Inflict Pain, p. 85
Con - 4 contact 2/rnd. touch 1 individ. Psychic Surgery, p. 95
Intellect Fortress, p. 86 Wis — 5 contact 10/turn touch 10 individ.
Wis -3 4 na 3-yd rad. Split Personality, p. 96
Invincible Foes, p. 86 Wis -5 40 6/rnd. 1 personal
Wis - 3 contact 5/rnd. unlim. individ. Ultrablast, p. 96
Invisibility, p. 86 Wis -10 75 3 50 ft. rad.
Int
-5 contact 2/rnd./ 100 yds. individ.
creature Devotions
Life Detection, p. 87 Cannibalize, p. 97
Int -2 3 3/rnd. 100 yds. varies Con na personal
Mental Barrier, p. 87 Convergence, p. 97
Wis -2 3 na personal Wis 8 10 yds. 1 10 yds.
Mind Bar, p. 88 Enhancement, p. 98
Int -2 6 4/rnd. personal Wis -3 30 8/rnd. 5 personal
Mind Blank, p. 88 Gird, p. 98
Wis -7 personal Int -3 2*maint. personal
Mind Thrust, p. 88 Intensify, p. 98
Wis -2 2 na 30/60/90 individ. Affected 5/ 1/rnd. 1 /increase personal
yds. -3 increase
Phobia Amplification, p. 89 Magnify, p. 100
Wis ~2 contact 4/rnd. unlim. individ. Wis -5 25 x mag./rnd. 5 personal
Post-Hypnotic Suggestion, p. 89 mag.
Int
-3 contact 1/level unlim. 1 creature Martial Trance, p. 10C 1

or hit die Wis -3 7 1 personal

Psychic Crush, p. 89 Prolong, p. 100
Wis -4 7 na 50 yds. individ. Con -4 5 2/rnd. personal
Psychic Impersonation, p. 90 Psionic Inflation, p. 101
Wis 10 3/hr. 1 turn personal Wis -5 20 3/rnd. 1 101 ft. rad.
Psychic Messenger, p. 90 Psionic Sense, p. 101
Con -4 4 3/rnd. 200 mi. 2 1 sq. yd. Wis -3 4 1/rnd. 200-yd.
Repugnance, p. 90 rad.
Wis -5 contact 8/rnd. 200 yds. individ. Psychic Drain, p. 101
Send Thoughts, p. 91 Wis -6 10/person none 30 yds. up to
Int
-1 contact 2/rnd. unlim. individ. + contact 6minds
Sight Link, p. 91
Receptacle, p. 102
Con -3 contact 5/turn unlim. 1 individ. Wis -5 touch 1 rnd./ 1 item
Sound Link, p. 91 point
Con -2 contact 4/turn unlim. 1 individ. Retrospection, p. 103
Synaptic Static, p. 91 Wis -4 120 na 10 personal
Int -4 15 10/rnd. 20/50/90 Splice, p. 103
yds. Int -(2
Taste Link, p. 92 x# 5X# # spliced/
Con -2 contact 4/turn unlim. 1 individ. spliced) spliced rnd. # spliced personal
Telempathic Projection, p. 92 Stasis Field, p. 104
Wis -2 contact 4/rnd. unlim. 1 10-yd. Con -3 20 20 /rnd. or
diam 1/rnd. 3 max. 1
Thought Shield, p. 92 yd. /level
Wis -3 1 na personal Wrench, 105
p.
Truthear, p. 92
Wis -4 ^15 8/rnd. 30 yds. 1 undead
Wis 4 2/rnd. hearing

Metapsionics
Sciences
Appraise, p. 93
Int -4 14 na personal
-
Aura Alteration, p. 93
Wis -4 10 na touch individ.

Summary of Powers • 127

 Powers Index

A Empathy, Telepathic Dev 84 P

Empower, Metapsionic Sci 93 Phobia Amplification, Telepathic Dev 89
Absorb Disease, Psychometabolic Dev. . . .53
Energy Containment, Psychometabolic Sci. 52
Adrenalin Control, Psychometabolic Dev. .54 Poison Sense, Clairsentient Dev 36
Enhanced Strength, Psychometabolic Dev. .59 Post-Hypnotic Suggestion, Telepathic Dev. .89
Aging, Psychometabolic Dev 55
Enhancement, Metapsionic Dev 98 Precognition, Clairsentient Sci 31
Ail-Round Vision, Clairsentient Dev 33
Dev 84
ESP, Telepathic Probability Travel, Psychoportive Sci 64
Animal Affinity, Psychometabolic Sci 50
Expansion, Psychometabolic Dev 60 Probe, Telepathic Sci 76
Animate Object, Psychokinetic Dev 42
Project Force, Psychokinetic Sci 41
Animate Shadow, Psychokinetic Dev 42 F
93 Prolong, Metapsionic Dev 100
Appraise, Metapsionic Sci
False Sensory Input, Telepathic Dev 84 Psionic Blast, Telepathic Sci 76
Astral Projection, Psychoportive Dev 68
Fate Link, Telepathic Sci 75 Psionic Inflation, Metapsionic Dev 101
Attraction, Telepathic Dev 79
Feel Light, Clairsentient Dev 34 Psionic Sense, Metapsionic Dev 101
Aura Alteration, Metapsionic Sci 93
Feel Sound, Clairsentient Dev 34 Psychic Clone, Metapsionic Sci 94
Aura Sight, Clairsentient Sci 28
Flesh Armor, Psychometabolic Dev 60 Psychic Crush, Telepathic Dev 89
Aversion, Telepathic Dev 79
Awe, Telepathic Dev 80 Psychic Drain, Metapsionic Dev 101
G Psychic Impersonation, Telepathic Dev.. . .90
B Gird, Metapsionic Dev 98 Psychic Messenger, Telepathic Dev 90
Graft Weapon, Psychometabolic Dev 60 Psychic Surgery, Metapsionic Sci 95
Ballistic Attack, Psychokinetic Dev 42
Banishment, Psychoportive Sci 64 H R
Biofeedback, Psychometabolic Dev 55 Radial Navigation, Clairsentient Dev 36
Hear Light, Clairsentient Dev 34
Body Control, Psychometabolic Dev 55 Receptacle, Metapsionic Dev 102
Heightened Senses, Psychometabolic Dev. .61
Body Equilibrium, Psychometabolic Dev. . .55 Reduction, Psychometabolic Dev 62
Body Weaponry, Psychometabolic Dev. . .57 Repugnance, Telepathic Dev 90
Retrospection, Metapsionic Dev 103
C Id Insinuation, Telepathic Dev 84
Dev
Identity Penetration, Telepathic 85 S
Cannibalize, Metapsionic Dev 97
Immovability, Psychometabolic Dev 61 See Sound, Clairsentient Dev 37
Catfall, Psychometabolic Dev 57
Incarnation Awareness, Telepathic Dev. . .85 Send Thoughts, Telepathic Dev 91
Cause Decay, Psychometabolic Dev 57
Inertial Barrier, Psychokinetic Dev 46 Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions,
Cell Adjustment, Psychometabolic Dev. . .57
Inflict Pain, Telepathic Dev 85 Clairsentient Sci 32
Chameleon Power, Psychometabolic Dev. .58
Dev 86
Intellect Fortress, Telepathic Shadow-form, Psychometabolic Sci 53
Chemical Simulation,
Intensify, Metapsionic Dev 98 Share Strength, Psychometabolic Dev. . . .63
Psychometabolic Dev 58
Dev 86
Invincible Foes, Telepathic Sight Link, Telepathic Dev 91
Clairaudience, Clairsentient Sci 30
Invisibility, Telepathic Dev 86 Soften, Psychokinetic Dev 49
Clairvoyance, Clairsentient Sci 30
Dev Sound Link, Telepathic Dev 91
Combat Mind, Clairsentient 33 K Spirit Sense, Clairsentient Dev 37
Complete Healing, Psychometabolic Sci.. .50
Know Direction, Clairsentient Dev 34 Splice, Metapsionic Dev 103
Conceal Thoughts, Telepathic Dev 80
Know Location, Clairsentient Dev 36 Split Personality, Metapsionic Sci 96
Contact, Telepathic Dev 80
Stasis Field,Metapsionic Dev 104
Control Body, Psychokinetic Dev 43 L
Control Flames, Psychokinetic Dev 43
Summon Planar Creature,
Lend Health, Psychometabolic Dev 62 Psychoportive Sci 66
Control Light, Psychokinetic Dev 44
Control Sound, Psychokinetic Dev 44
Levitation, Psychokinetic Dev 47 Superior Invisibility, Telepathic Sci 78
Life Detection, Telepathic Dev 87 Suspend Animation,
Control Wind, Psychokinetic Dev 44
Life Draining, Psychometabolic Sci 52 Psychometabolic Dev 63
Convergence, Metapsionic Dev 97
Switch Personality, Telepathic Sci 78
Create Object, Psychokinetic Sci 38 M Synaptic Static, Telepathic Dev 91
Create Sound, Psychokinetic Dev 46
Magnify, Metapsionic Dev 100 T
D Martial Trance, Metapsionic Dev 100
Taste Link, Telepathic Dev 92
Mass Domination, Telepathic Sci 75
Danger Sense, Clairsentient Dev 33 Telekinesis, Psychokinetic Sci 41
Mental Barrier, Telepathic Dev 87
Daydream, Telepathic Dev 83 Telempathic Projection, Telepathic Dev. . .92
Metamorphosis, Psychometabolic Sci 53
Death Field, Psychometabolic Sci 52 Telepathic Devotions 79
Mind Bar, Telepathic Dev 88
Detonate, Psychokinetic Sci 38 Teleport Other, Psychoportive Sci 68
Mind Blank, Telepathic Dev 88
Dimension Walk, Psychoportive Dev 69 Teleport, Psychoportive Sci 67
Mindlink, Telepathic Sci 75
Dimensional Door, Psychoportive Dev.. . .69 Teleport Trigger, Psychoportive Dev 72
Mind Over Body, Psychometabolic Dev.. . .62
Disintegrate, Psychokinetic Sci 40 Thought Shield, Telepathic Dev 92
Mind Thrust, Telepathic Dev 88
Displacement, Psychometabolic Dev 58 Time Shift, Psychoportive Dev 72
Mindwipe, Telepathic Sci 75
Domination, Telepathic Sci 74 Time /Space Anchor, Psychoportive Dev. . .73
Molecular Agitation, Psychokinetic Dev. . .48
Double Pain, Psychometabolic Dev 59 Tower of Iron Will, Telepathic Sci 79
Molecular Manipulation 48
Dream Travel, Psychoportive Dev 70 Truthear, Telepathic Dev 92
Molecular Rearrangement,
E Psychokinetic Sci 40 U
Ultrablast, Metapsionic Sci 96
Ectoplasmic Form, Psychometabolic Dev. . .59
Ego Whip, Telepathic Dev 83
Object Reading, Clairsentient Sci 31
W
Ejection, Telepathic Sci 74 Wrench, Metapsionic Dev 105

128 • Powers Index

 !32Eps
Player's Handbook/ Rules Supplement
Th| Complete
Psionics
Handbook
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