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Skills & Powers Psionicist

This article originally appeared as part of the Sage Advice column in Dragon Magazine

#231, by Skip Williams.

Here's an unofficial method for building psionicists with character points, largely

based on some excellent suggestions from reader Emery Wilson:

A psionicist receives 35 character points to spend on class abilities. Abilities cost 5-15

points. Any unspent points can be saved to buy proficiencies or saved for use in the

game.

All psionicists use the saving throw and MTHAC0 tables on page 149 of the Skills &

Powers book.

Psionicists use the THAC0 table on page 149 of the Skills & Powers book unless they

purchase better combat abilities during character creation.

All psionicists use the experience level table on page 154 of the Skills & Powers book.Psionicists use the Psionic Progression table on page 154 Skills & Powers book unless

they purchase better psychic abilities during character creation.

Psionicist roll six-sided dice to determine hit points unless they purchase larger hit

dice.

Unless stated otherwise, a character can take each ability only once and only when

the character is first created.

Armor Use (5/10): The psionicist can employ small shields and padded, leather,

studded leather, or hide armor. As a 10-point ability the psionicist can use small or

medium shields, any of the armor types listed above, plus brigandine, chain mail, ringmail, scale mail, or metal lamellar armor. If the psionicist does not take this ability, he

can wear no armor and cannot employ shields.

Attack Mode of Choice (10): The psionicist develops extra skill in using one

particular psionic attack mode and gains a +1 bonus to mental attack rolls when using

that attack mode. This ability is useless without the contact ability.

Combat Bonus (10): The psionicist uses the priest THAC0 chart.

Contact (5/10): The psionicist receives the contact proficiency and gains attack modes

as shown on the Psionic Progression table in the Skills & Powers book. As a 10-point

ability, the psionicist receives extra attack modes as though he were two levels higherthan his actual level. For example, a 1st-level psionicist would receives two attack

modes. The character can never have more than five attack modes. If the psionicist does

not take this power, he can purchase the contact proficiency any time he has five

character points available.

Followers (5/10): The psionicist become a contemplative master at 9th level. A 1st-

level psionicist arrives each month to study with the master. Students serve without

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pay if they receive at least 10 hours of training each week (they leave to seek new

masters if they do not receive sufficient training). The maximum number of students the

master attracts is equal to one half the masters Charisma score, rounded down. If the

master builds a sanctuary, he can attract a number of students equal to his Charisma

score. As a 10-point ability, the psionicist becomes a renowned teacher and can attract

students at any level, subject to the limits noted above. If the psionicist does not choose

this ability, he never attracts followers, but can hire servants and henchmen for pay just

as any other character can.

Guarded Mind (5/10): The psionicist can block or resist attempts to usurp his will

and gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws against spells from the enchantment/charm

school. As a 10-point ability, the psionicist gains a +2 bonus to all saving throws against

spells from the enchantment/charm school.

Hit Point Bonus (10): Psionicists with this ability roll eight-sided dice for hit points

rather than six-sided dice. The psionicist still gains only two extra hit points per level at10th level and beyond.

Mental Defense (5/10): The psionicist can close his mind to psychic contact and gains

defense modes as shown on the Psionic progression table in the Skills & Powers book.

As a 10-point ability, the psionicist receives extra defense modes as though he was two

levels higher than his actual level. For example, a 1st-level psionicist receives two

defense modes. The character can never have more than five defense modes. If the

psionicist does not take this power, he has an open mind, just as if he were a non-

psionic character. If the psionicist does not choose this ability at the beginning of play,

he can purchase the five-point version whenever he has five character points to spend.The 10-point version is available only at the beginning of play. The character gains the

mental armor proficiency for free with the purchase of this ability.

Penetrating Mind (10): The psionicist can penetrate physical barriers with his mind

more readily than other psionicists can. It takes two inches of lead or iron, four inches of

obsidian, or two feet of rock to block the psionicists clairsentient and telepathic powers.

Note that most psionic powers require line of sight; this ability does not negate a

blocked line of sight (see Skills & Powers, page 150). This ability has no effect on psionic

combat and does not allow the psionicist to ignore magical or psychic barriers that

block psionic powers. PSP bonus (10): The psionicist has a potent mind and rolls eight-sided dice for

psionic strength points instead of six-sided dice. The psionicist still gains only three

extra PSPs plus his Wisdom bonus per level at 10th level and beyond.

Psychic Adept (10): The psionicist receives extra powers according to the table below

instead of the Psionic Progression table in the Skills & Powers book. The two disciplines

the psionicist chooses at first level count as primary disciplines (see Skills & Powers,

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page 154).

Psychic Adept Power Progression

Exp. Total Total To

Level Disciplines Sciences Devotions

1224

2326

3338

4331

5341

6441

7451

8451

9461

10561

11571

12571

13581

14582

15592

16592

175102

185102

195112

205112

Range Boost (5/10): The ranges of all powers within the psionicists primary

discipline increase by 25%. If the psionicist is a psychic adept, he has two primary

disciplines. At base cost (5), the ranges of only one disciplines powers increase. For a

cost of 10 character points, the ranges of powers for both disciplines increase. All

powers with ranges of 0, self, or touch remain unaffected by this ability.

Warrior Hit Point Bonus (5): The psionicist gains bonus hit points from a high

Constitution score as if he were a warrior.

Weapon Specialization (15): The psionicist can specialize in the use of a particular

weapon. This ability is useless unless the character also chooses the weapon use ability

(below), even if the psionicist specializes in a martial art or nonlethal combat. The

character-point cost for gaining proficiency and specialization in the weapon must be

met when the character chooses weapon proficiencies.

Weapon Use (5/10): The psionicist can employ the following small weapons: hand

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crossbow, dagger, dart, dirk, knife, scourge, sickle, and short sword. As a 10-point

ability the psionicist can use any of the weapons above, plus the following slightly

larger weapons: short bow, club, light crossbow, hand/throwing axe, javelin,

quarterstaff, sling, spear, and war club. If the psionicist does not take this ability, he can

employ no weapons at all, relying instead on his mental powers in combat.

Psionics and subabilities: If the rules for subabilities are in play, then

Constitution/Fitness, Intelligence/Reason, and Wisdom/Intuition determine a

psionicists PSP total. Wild talent checks use the same set of scores.

Wisdom/Willpower determines a characters base MAC, and Intelligence/ Reason

determines a characters MAC modifier.

Buying Wild Talents: A character can purchase a wild talent as a trait for 9 character

points. The character need not make a wild talent check, but must roll randomly to

determine what the wild talent is (see Skills & Powers, page 156). Note that a character

could make a normal wild talent check and use a character point to reroll if the checkfails.

Weapon Proficiencies: Once the psionicist has purchased class abilities he receives 6

character points for weapon proficiencies. The psionicist can spend these points as

designated in Table 1.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Once the psionicist has purchased class abilities and

weapon proficiencies he receives 6 character points for nonweapon proficiencies. The

psionicist can choose proficiencies from the general and psionicist groups. Refer to the

Skills & Powers book, Chapter 6, and to the table below.

Additional psionicist nonweapon proficiencies

Proficiency Cost* Initial Rating Relevant Ability

Contact** 5 N/A Wisdom/Intuition

Mental Armor** 3 N/A Wisdom/Willpower

Psioni

Gem Cutting 3 6 Dexterity/Aim

Harness Subconscious** 6 7 Wisdom/Willpower

Meditative Focus** 5 8 Wisdom/Intuition

Musical Instrument 2 7 Charisma/LeadershipReading/Writing 2 8 Intelligence/Knowle d g e

Rejuvenation** 3 6 Wisdom/Willpower

* Cost in character points

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

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