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Old 04-22-2010, 07:27 AM   #1
MissAmber
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The Kirkland Wastelands of Washington
Default Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

First, some background.

I've been playing GURPS since 2nd Edition, way back when I was a young lass. My 3rd Edition library is almost 200 books with repeats for those books that were loved so much, they fell a part and couldn't be held in a three ring binder any more. I even have multiple copies of the Basic Set so that I could lend them out when we had game day here at the house.

I am also a late adopter of 4th Edition. Primarily because of time constraints between work, my photography business, and other hobbies, I just haven't had a lot of time for a sit down game.

Until now, we started up a Wednesday night game of high fantasy set in the far future. The characters are all from 1985. Ah, the influence of my childhood. ;)

So reading over the 4th Edition rules, including GURPS Psionics, has left me feeling utterly lost as to how psionics works. I'm sure it's all there, but it's just not clicking for some reason. Perhaps I'm too entrenched in the power controlled by skill paradigm of 3rd Edition.

Would someone help explain it to me?
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Old 04-22-2010, 07:34 AM   #2
Sunrunners_Fire
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by MissAmber View Post
So reading over the 4th Edition rules, including GURPS Psionics, has left me feeling utterly lost as to how psionics works. I'm sure it's all there, but it's just not clicking for some reason. Perhaps I'm too entrenched in the power controlled by skill paradigm of 3rd Edition.

Would someone help explain it to me?
Going by GURPS Psionic Powers, which I believe you're referencing there ...
  • EDIT: The psion purchases a Power Talent.
  • The psion purchases a psionic power, which is an advantage that defines what the power actually does.
  • The psion then purchases the appropriate Attribute/Hard skill for the power (advantage) purchased above.
  • To use the psionic power, the psion must succeed at the Attribute/Hard skill purchased to control the psionic power.
... So, buy Power, buy Skill to control Power, succeed at Skill Check to use power.

Its' all skill-enabled superpowers now. (Except the default magic system. But lets' not go there.)

Last edited by Sunrunners_Fire; 04-22-2010 at 07:38 AM.
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Old 04-22-2010, 07:34 AM   #3
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by MissAmber View Post
So reading over the 4th Edition rules, including GURPS Psionics, has left me feeling utterly lost as to how psionics works. I'm sure it's all there, but it's just not clicking for some reason. Perhaps I'm too entrenched in the power controlled by skill paradigm of 3rd Edition.

Would someone help explain it to me?
The part that's explicitly Psionics is the Psionic Talents. You are supposed top buy a Psionic talent for every class of Psionic ability that you have.

After that, Psionics are just Advantages like Mind Reading or Telekinesis. You just buy the Ads that fit your Psi power. Gurps Powers has lots of examples and some guidance. The Psionic Powers pdf does a lot of the math for you and guides you toward certain combinations.

I'm not wild about it myself, but that's what there is in 4e.
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Old 04-22-2010, 07:40 AM   #4
MissAmber
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The Kirkland Wastelands of Washington
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
The part that's explicitly Psionics is the Psionic Talents. You are supposed top buy a Psionic talent for every class of Psionic ability that you have.

After that, Psionics are just Advantages like Mind Reading or Telekinesis. You just buy the Ads that fit your Psi power. Gurps Powers has lots of examples and some guidance. The Psionic Powers pdf does a lot of the math for you and guides you toward certain combinations.
Right, Talents modify your roll from what I can tell, but what exactly are you rolling against?
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Old 04-22-2010, 07:48 AM   #5
Ulzgoroth
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

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Originally Posted by MissAmber View Post
Right, Talents modify your roll from what I can tell, but what exactly are you rolling against?
Whatever the Advantage you're using says you're rolling against. If using standard-issue Advantages, that'd typically be IQ. If you're using Psionic Powers or a similar Skills for Everyone setup, it's an appropriate IQ/Hard skill. Which one to use with each ability is listed in the writeup.
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I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident.
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Old 04-22-2010, 07:49 AM   #6
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

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Originally Posted by MissAmber View Post
Right, Talents modify your roll from what I can tell, but what exactly are you rolling against?
IQ mostly. Psionic Powers adds the concept of Skills for Psi. Your level of Talent adds to the IQ roll.

To be honest, the only time I used Psi powers in a 4e campaign I just used the 3e book. It was just simpler and didn't require the same level of general system mastery.
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Old 04-22-2010, 11:26 AM   #7
sir_pudding
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Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
IQ mostly. Psionic Powers adds the concept of Skills for Psi. Your level of Talent adds to the IQ roll.
Those rules are in GURPS Powers and are useful generically, not just for Psionics.
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Old 08-01-2011, 05:44 AM   #8
Lancillotto
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

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Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
I just used the 3e book. It was just simpler and didn't require the same level of general system mastery.
Did you need any conversion work? Maybe with 3ed point costs?
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Old 01-27-2012, 11:53 AM   #9
wackyned
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

moved to new thread

Last edited by wackyned; 01-27-2012 at 01:15 PM.
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Old 04-22-2010, 07:50 AM   #10
carllarson
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Same as any roll. Each psi power has a Hard skill, modified by talent. So you roll adjusted skill, same as the 3E version. RPK wrote Psionic Powers seemingly to duplicate the understandings of 3E Psionics.

Try to look at it this way: buy a Psi Talent, you are at least latent in that ability. Buy powers that are part of that ability, such as TK Grab for Psychokinesis Talent. Buy TK Grab skill as a IQ/H skill. Roll as needed, same as always.

Added as a 4E mechanic are techniques that require FP and a skill penalty, for more fancy tricks.

If GPP is still confusing, go with this: Buy talent to define the ability (ie Psychokinesis Talent), an advantage at the level you wish to have (TK Grab 12), and a skill TK Grab. Don't look at the way psi is built until you are ready for the full impact of modifying advantages in 4E, just use the costs as given, and the text writeups of the abilites.
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