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Psionic Exaltation Discussion; Revenge of the Aboleth
Topic Started: Feb 4 2016, 03:04 PM (823 Views)
Kwak
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This is the thread in which we started the "Mindbender" exaltation

The New Psionic Exaltation
Edited by Kwak, Feb 5 2016, 01:34 AM.
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weredrago2
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TK is easily one of the most convenient powers around. If we're doing psionics, we have to keep it.
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Kwak
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Maybe a better way to look at this, then, is "Why can they move things with their minds?"

For the Psion, I said it was because sorcery was just so much of a natural bodily function for them that it was basically another limb to them, at the cost of being as tiring as physical exertion. Maybe not that, but there should at least be something tying the fluff/crunch. And I think TK is the easiest way to go with finding an identity for this piece of shit.

Unnatural Mental Characteristics is pretty unanimous at this point, too, right? So the fluff is going to have at least some elements of "You're just that strong". But too much of that and the salt will flow like crazy
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Eisenritter
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Kwak
Feb 4 2016, 03:39 PM
Maybe a better way to look at this, then, is "Why can they move things with their minds?"
I'm going to continue offering up Aboleth/Mind Flayer muckery as a possible origin. It's not mentioned in the (limited) fluff we have for them, so I'm just going to keep on assuming that ceremorphosis is still how Mind Flayers reproduce here; insert tadpole into some poor sod's ear, it eats their brain and replaces it, then sends out new hormones to turn the rest of the body into a squidhead. A Psion/Parapsyker/what-the-fuck-ever then results from the rare occurrence when the tadpole gets as far as replacing the host's brain, but the host has overwritten the tadpole's mind instead of the other way around.

Or, y'know, just a generic something weird has happened to make your brain not normal and now you can kill people with it.
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weredrago2
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Okay, so what we have thus far is "something weird happened to you involving Pandemonium, and now you can control fundamental forces with your mind". The specifics (Illithid sex, psionic biotech, warp sensitive brain cells, etc) should be left vague.

What do we have for starting powers?
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Eisenritter
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Not direct answer to weredrago's question, just some stuff I think should be included...

  • Mind-Hand Manipulation: Or Telekinesis/Mind over Matter, what have you, I just prefer the name of the Exalted charm for it. Pretty much a direct port of the Wraith's Poltergeist when Soulblazer started it.
  • Superior Action?: It's the first half of the Promethean's Orichalcum asset, really; you gain one kept die for every two rolled dice gained from spending resource points.
  • Resources: "Psi" is probably here to stay at this point. I still favor using Resolve (i.e. mental HP) in the formula for it, but I also like Stress being a thing... maybe some sort of "Overchannel" ability/asset that lets you go over limit for resources in a turn, but dings you for Fatigue afterward?
  • Psychic Phenomena: We're almost obliged to interact with this somehow, aren't we?
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weredrago2
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I like MHM, but I don't think it should be a direct rip of Wraith. Having your TK tied to your Power Stat (as opposed to a Characteristic) means you have a higher concentration of benefits for spending EXP on your Ego.

Superior Action is what I have for Do or Do Not, right? We could keep that.

Resolve is a good potential alternate, but I still think Psi is a safe bet right now. I don't agree with a mandatory stress mechanic, but it would make for a unique asset.

We need to do SOMETHING with Phenomena. I say +20 to rolls on the table, but you have the benefit of rerolls.
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Eisenritter
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Poltergeist uses the power stat to determine radius, and Willpower to determine the effective Strength rating. It's pretty much a handy barometer of what someone should be able to do with telekinesis, which is why it remained unchanged in the shift from Soulblazer's version.

I... think so? It's the name Kwak gave to the flight ability, which really didn't make sense to me by the way. Flight could probably be folded into whatever asset chooses to focus on that telekinetic ability.

I said I preferred Resolve in the formula, i.e. "Maximum Psi is equal to Resolve plus Ego" or similar. Idea being that using mental abilities requires your mind to be fresh and untaxed by previous activities.
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Kwak
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Here are my essentials:

  • Divination is exactly as crucial as Telekinesis to truly be a Psionic. So is Enchantment, I'd argue, to match the Mind Flayers.
  • Every spell they cast should feel different from a Paragon's spells. Keeping a balance between buffs and nerfs while doing this will make or break this Exalt.
  • One of these nerfs should involve spells costing something to cast, since that's what really sets D&D Psionics apart.
  • People are going to demand Evocation & other spells, and we need a response even if that response is "no fuck off"


To the surprise of no one, I think Custom Psionics pulls all of that off pretty well. Talk me out of it.

As far as Stress, the cool thing about Fatigue is it makes them Constitution-dependent, and multiple characteristics being needed is good.

Rerolls on Phenomena is so incredibly strong, though. It's better than Tested, and it makes spellcasting really safe. Maybe 1 point of Psi subtracts 10 from the roll?

EDIT:
Quote:
 
I... think so? It's the name Kwak gave to the flight ability, which really didn't make sense to me by the way.

Design inertia, that's all. Used to be stuff besides flying
Edited by Kwak, Feb 4 2016, 05:02 PM.
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weredrago2
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Though I'd prefer letting players pick their choice of school, I can deal with a Psionic School that borrows from Enchantment and Divination. As for making them different, I would say that Wild Talents removing components is a nice touch.

I think Stress/Fatigue should only be incurred when you try to write checks your Psi pool can't make.

Instead of rerolls for Phenomena, we could have it so that 1 Psi either mitigates or negates your +20 Phenomena penalty.

I think we're making progress here.
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Eisenritter
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Kwak
Feb 4 2016, 04:57 PM
Here are my essentials:

  • Divination is exactly as crucial as Telekinesis to truly be a Psionic. So is Enchantment, I'd argue, to match the Mind Flayers.
  • Every spell they cast should feel different from a Paragon's spells. Keeping a balance between buffs and nerfs while doing this will make or break this Exalt.
  • One of these nerfs should involve spells costing something to cast, since that's what really sets D&D Psionics apart.
  • People are going to demand Evocation & other spells, and we need a response even if that response is "no fuck off"


To the surprise of no one, I think Custom Psionics pulls all of that off pretty well. Talk me out of it.

As far as Stress, the cool thing about Fatigue is it makes them Constitution-dependent, and multiple characteristics being needed is good.

Rerolls on Phenomena is so incredibly strong, though. It's better than Tested, and it makes spellcasting really safe. Maybe 1 point of Psi subtracts 10 from the roll?
  • If you must have magic in the base exalt, offer the choice of Divination OR Enchantment, similar to the Kryptonian/Phoenix or Tuatha.
  • "Can't be Tested, ignore V/S/M keywords" seems appropriate?
  • Following on the above, maybe spend 1 Psi/spell level to cast as if Tested?
  • That's what assets are for. Use Cthulhu Tech as a guide; the only disciplines are Environmental (Evocation/telekinesis focus), Manipulative (Enchantment/social control focus), Sensory (Divination/mental focus), and Somatic (Transmutation/physical focus). And, again, we can also use D&D Next's version as the backbone; they don't have spells so much as they have effects that are very much like spells.
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