[Kallatari]

Originally Posted by Eddie T

I'm seeking feedback on alternative ways to model psionics away from the Advantage -> Talent -> Skill framework. Making the characters, I ran into exactly what David Pulver mentioned in Pyramid 3-29 with underpowered psionics in other chargen aspects. I think I might discuss David's method of using spells as psionics with my group tonight.

If I understand your problem, you're saying the Psionic abilities as a power framework is too expensive, costing to many character points to first buy the ability, and then the skill. Your first suggestion was to use "spells as psionics" where you change the power framework into a skill-based approach. This would reduce the cost of learning psionics, and thus allow a psi character to have many abilities.

I'd suggest a possible variation. Use the GURPS Psionic Powers book to define how your psi abilities work, but give the abilities (i.e., advantages) for free. If they learn the psionic skill, then they can use the ability. Basically, it's like a skill-based magic system, except you're using the psionic abilities to define how they work. The abilities will therefore certainly have more of a psionic feel to them.

The one item you'd have to work out is how to differentiate the levels for some psionic abilities. With the "magic as spells", levels of power are defined by the amount of Energy you have to provide to power the spell, thereby keeping it in balance. Using a "psionics skill" approach based on the power framework, I'd recommend that, for every 10 full character points of value of the ability you're trying to activate, you receive a -1 penalty to your skill roll. (If you prefer an Energy cost like "magic as spells", then just have every 10 character points of ability cost 1 Energy... but I find this makes it too much like magic, and at which point you may as well go with spells as psionics... also, it may be a flavor-based issue if you have both magic and psionics in the campaign as its nice, flavor-wise, to have different powers work differently).

For example (using the 10 point threshold), I want to use the Astral Armor psionic ability (Psionic Powers, p.26). To do so, I need the Astral Projection Talent and need to purchase the Astral Armor skill, as well as the Astral Travel skill as a prerequisite. The ability costs 3/level. With only the skill, I can therefore activate up to level 3 at no penalty, up to level 6 at -1, at up level 10 at -2, up to level 13 at -3, etc. I could theoretically, with just 1 point in the Astral Armor skill, attempt to activate an Astral Armor with DR 100... but that would be at -10 to skill.

As another example, using Astral Travel, to get the ability, you only need the Astral Travel skill. Looking at the cost of the ability for levels 1 to 6, to use Astral Travel at level 1 is at -2 to skill, -3 to skill for level 2, -4 for level 3, -5 for level 4, -6 for level 5, and -8 for level 6.

That's what it looks like with a 10 point threshold. Play around to find the levels you like for your game. Perhaps a -1 per 5 points will keep the powers more in check, or you can go for -1 per 20 points if you clearly want super-psis.

You otherwise apply all the usual rules for psionic abilities as per GURPS Psionic Powers. This includes the requirement of Psionic Power Talents as prerequisites, the -1 to skill rolls for every currently active ability of the same power talent, the ability to use psi techniques at a penalty to skill (on top of the penalty based on the cost of the underlying ability) and a cost of 2 FP, etc.

One change I'd recommend for balance purpose is to eliminate the ability to use psionic skills at default. Like mage spells, make them spend at least 1 point on the skill to let them use it.

Anyway, that should let you built a relatively powerful psi with just a few points while still maintaining the flavor of psi defined in GURPS Psionic Powers rather than the flavor provided in GURPS Magic.