Imbuements as Psionic Powers

[Edges]

I'm thinking of a campaign using GURPS: Psionic Powers and including a set of Imbuements as a new power.

What I'd like to do is modify the Imbuements to use the same or similar mechanics as the psionic powers while keeping it balanced.

But how?

I'm fine with one system using Hard skills and the other using VH skills. But what about,
1. FP use
2. Penalties for multiple uses
3. Gestalts
4. Getting tricky
etc.

[David Johnston2]

I don't think you can have Imbuements work the quite the same way Psionic Powers out of the supplement do. Consider that they all require concentration, but since Imbuement is intended for use as a part of physical combat, a concentration requirement means you'd need Compartmentalized Mind. The fatigue cost is a tradeoff for that.

[Crakkerjakk]

Pyramid 3/12 has an article on Psi-Powered Imbuements. It categorizes the various skills from the imbuement supplement by the Psionic Power categories.

It details the cost differentials in the way Imbuements and Psionic Powers treats the abilities.

[Edges]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Pyramid 3/12 has an article on Psi-Powered Imbuements. It categorizes the various skills from the imbuement supplement by the Psionic Power categories.

It details the cost differentials in the way Imbuements and Psionic Powers treats the abilities.

Does it have what I'm looking for?

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Edges

Does it have what I'm looking for?

Hmm. Lets see:

Originally Posted by Edges

What I'd like to do is modify the Imbuements to use the same or similar mechanics as the psionic powers while keeping it balanced.

The article puts different imbuements under different power types instead of making all imbuements a single power. It includes a few details that don't seem relevant to doing it your way.

Originally Posted by Edges

I'm fine with one system using Hard skills and the other using VH skills. But what about,
1. FP use
2. Penalties for multiple uses
3. Gestalts
4. Getting tricky
etc.

Near as I can tell this is just the effect of adding Psionic, -10%. That's just how psi works. This seems to be the article's position.

As to "all psionic power require concentration to activate," that's not a part of the power modifier, that's just how some abilities work. There are passive psionic abilities that don't require any concentration or skill roll unless using the Getting Tricky rules.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Edges

I'd be willing to require the Imbuements to take a second of concentration before the attack.

A fair way to do this is to add Takes Extra Time 1 to the Imbue advantage. Technically, you're not doing this to affect the Imbuement Skills themselves -- what you're doing is requiring someone to take a second to activate the Imbue advantage, after which you can use an Imbuement Skill.

But it seems like there should be a way to do it otherwise. A Reduced FP Cost +20% would probably be too much of a point crock. But how about giving it a Cosmic +50% (to account for not needing FP every time) and Psi -10% (to account for needing FP if you try after failing, penalties for multiple uses, countermeasures, etc.) for a net +40% on the Imbuement advantage. I'm not saying this is the way. But there has to be a way.

No, reducing the FP cost via enhancement is a crock, just like it would be for spells. Like for spells, if you want to reduce the FP cost, you need to soak the -5 penalty. Try:

Imbuement Talent 5 (Only to reduce FP cost, -40%) [15]

That oughta do it. IMO, reducing the FP cost is a large part of why you buy high levels of Imbuement skill, so -40% is fair. Note that this assumes (A) that you're allowing this particular build as the GM, since it obviously breaks the normal Talent limits and (B) that it's only 5 points/level because, unlike the Imbuement Talent at the back of PU1, it only applies to Imbuements -- not to the various Afflictions and Innate Attacks that Imbuement Power allows you to buy.

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Near as I can tell this is just the effect of adding Psionic, -10%. That's just how psi works. This seems to be the article's position.

No, this is definitely not the case. Nowhere does the article say that the way Imbuement Skills work changes. The only effect of adding Psionic is that you get a point break because your Imbuement Skills can be Neutralized, affected by Psi Static, etc. Nothing else changes.

[Edges]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

I don't think you can have Imbuements work the quite the same way Psionic Powers out of the supplement do. Consider that they all require concentration, but since Imbuement is intended for use as a part of physical combat, a concentration requirement means you'd need Compartmentalized Mind. The fatigue cost is a tradeoff for that.

Good point.

I'd be willing to require the Imbuements to take a second of concentration before the attack.

But it seems like there should be a way to do it otherwise. A Reduced FP Cost +20% would probably be too much of a point crock. But how about giving it a Cosmic +50% (to account for not needing FP every time) and Psi -10% (to account for needing FP if you try after failing, penalties for multiple uses, countermeasures, etc.) for a net +40% on the Imbuement advantage. I'm not saying this is the way. But there has to be a way.

Or if you built them up from the ground rather than modify the exiting advantage, maybe you could include Compartmentalized Mind (Imbuements only) in there somewhere.