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Old 11-29-2018, 04:14 PM   #11
platimus
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

I like Psionics...as a story-telling/role-playing device. I prefer to handle psionic powers mechanically the same as spells.
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Old 11-29-2018, 04:19 PM   #12
warhorse11h
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

I coined a talent called Psionics and decided arbitrarily that you could have one ability for each two IQ points. The talent cost (4).
I decided the easiest way to handle it was to cull the spell list for appropriate effects and use those as the powers available, with the same IQ requirements to learn them as they had as spells.
The ST+IQ=PST yielded the total available for their abilities.
Psionic abilities had the same ST cost as spells of the same name, but it is paid in PST. A spell that cost 1 ST would cost 1 PST as a psionic ability, reducing IQ and ST by one each. IQ loss is mental fatigue, you retain your full abilities, you just get mentally exhausted.
Example: Ranulf Redhand has ST 11, DX 12, IQ 9. His PST for his Psionics would be 20. He could power his abilities until his IQ hits 0, he would still have 3 ST, then he is dazed and unable to do anything until he has time to recover.
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Old 11-30-2018, 07:33 AM   #13
Shadekeep
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

Good discussion! I definitely see a use for natural psionic powers, so that some species and intelligent races might have them as a baseline. For example, some insects might have a gestalt hive mind via low-level telepathy, or a race may have a natural empathic talent. If there is a genetic or bio-magical underpining for these talents in nature, then it's conceivable that they could arise as "wild talents" in other people as well.
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Old 11-30-2018, 07:42 AM   #14
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

Aren't children who develop spells on their own sent to the Wizard's Guild at an early age?
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Old 11-30-2018, 08:03 AM   #15
TippetsTX
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Aren't children who develop spells on their own sent to the Wizard's Guild at an early age?
Like prospective Jedi? Guess it depends how you want magic to work in your campaign. In my game, kids don't "develop spells". I treat spells as magical formulae, requiring years of study and training, but to answer your question, I suppose children with the right potential could be identified and invited to learn the wizarding art... say around their 13th birthday (or 11 if it's Hogwarts).

Psionics, on the other hand, will be represented as an innate talent that typically manifests later in life.
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Old 11-30-2018, 08:39 AM   #16
Shadekeep
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

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Originally Posted by TippetsTX View Post
Psionics, on the other hand, will be represented as an innate talent that typically manifests later in life.
There's actually some biological logic to that, at least in humans. During puberty massive rewiring occurs in the brain, converting the neuronal structure from the patterns of reason we see in children to those pathways more indicative of adult thought processes. It makes sense that latent psionic abilities would manifest or amplify during this restructuring process as well.
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Old 11-30-2018, 09:19 AM   #17
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

Innate Ability(4) The character starts with a spell that isn't impended by iron and doesn't require incantation. Costs 4 skill slots for hero or wizard and can only be taken at character creation. Character is at -2 DX on casting for every IQ point short of the level required for for the level of gesture they put into casting, and another -2 DX for each requirement the spell normally has. I.e. -2 DX for each IQ level under the spell requirement if they gesture with both hands, and another 2 IQ points higher (another -4 DX) if they're holding anything other than their Staff, which heroes normally don't have.

Example a hero with IQ 13 takes Staff V as an innate ability. They are at -16 DX (-8 for requirements plus -8 for IQ) to cast the spell and -13 DX to direct occult strikes. (Because of the +3 DX at Staff III)
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Old 11-30-2018, 11:55 AM   #18
larsdangly
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

I've had a 'talent-based' approach to Psionics in my house rules in the past, but these days I like to model all supernatural sorts of effects as spells (either existing ones, or new ones I can neatly slot into the spell list). That is, I'd rather keep the standard mechanics of TFT magic and just twist the meta-story as to where the powers come from, as opposed to creating new mechanics for a sort of parallel system of supernatural powers.
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Old 07-03-2019, 07:17 AM   #19
Tywyll
 
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Originally Posted by larsdangly View Post
I've had a 'talent-based' approach to Psionics in my house rules in the past, but these days I like to model all supernatural sorts of effects as spells (either existing ones, or new ones I can neatly slot into the spell list). That is, I'd rather keep the standard mechanics of TFT magic and just twist the meta-story as to where the powers come from, as opposed to creating new mechanics for a sort of parallel system of supernatural powers.
Would you mind sharing those rules?
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Old 07-03-2019, 08:14 AM   #20
zot
 
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Default Re: Psionics in TFT

Different mechanics can create a very different feeling for the player, as the "System Does Matter" essay discusses.

Of course a huge example for me is the Theurgy system, which is not a reskinning of the magic system. Theurge players have to be concerned with what time of day it is, whether they've eaten, and their local environment: does this ceremony require a fire? Is it raining? What types of activity does the ceremony involve? Will it attract attention?

The system itself helps to keep the player focused on what their character is doing. The fact they have to perform time consuming ceremonies is a big deal, story-wise. Every ceremony is an opportunity for the GM to introduce story concerns.

If theurges were just reskinned wizards, you would have none of this. You could add fluff to make up for maybe a few things but almost all of these concerns would be "lost in translation".

I think psionics could make an impact for the players if it used different mechanics. One example from D&D 3.5 is the idea of "psionic focus". Certain actions and abilities are only possible if you "have focus". Certain abilities require you to "expend your focus", which means you can't use abilities that require focus until you take another action to regain your focus. If you have 0 psi points, you can't get focus, which could work in conjunction with a staff-mana like mechanic.

Just adding concerns about psionic focus could make psionics feel very different from wizard magic, even if psionics reused wizard spells for most of its effects.
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