Mindsword ability (for Psionic Powers)

[Not another shrubbery]

Going through Psionic Powers, I noticed that Rev did not bring across one of my old favorite skills from 3E Psionics, Mindsword. He mimics aspects of it with the Astral Sword ability, but I liked the Telepathy-based attack, mainly for nostalgia reasons (Southern Knights *g*). This won't necessarily fit into any psionics campaign... in particular, it doesn't really make much sense if you're allowing Mental Stab. It's mostly just something I wanted to do :)

Mindsword

13 points for Level 1, plus
10 points for each additional level

Skill: Mindsword (DX/Hard); defaults to DX-6, or Force Sword-2

You can create a visible blade of concentrated mental energy. This resembles a Force Sword or an Astral Sword, but does not have the variable appearance particular to the astral-powered weapon. Damage is unrelated to your ST. The sword does 1d-3 fat damage, plus your Mindsword level, and has Reach C, 1. It can parry attacks from other Mindswords or Astral Swords normally, and is unbreakable.

It can be called into existence quickly, and dismissed instantly at any time, but should the owner wish to keep it active for an extended period, he must make a maintenance roll against Mindsword every minute. Due to its quasi-mental nature, it completely ignores normal armor and shields, and cannot parry, nor be parried by, normal weapons. This nature also makes Mind Shields and Psionic Shields effective defenses against it, either Shield type providing DR equal to half their level.

Statistics: Fatigue Attack 1d-2 (Cosmic:Irresistible, +300% (Mind Shield and Psionic Shield give DR equal to half their level, -50%); Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Nuisance Effect, Requires maintenance roll every minute, -0%; Telepathy, -10%) [13] Further levels add +1 damage [10]


The limitation following the Cosmic is just a guess, but the value feels about right. Mindsword should probably have a technique, maybe something like Astral Sword's Penetrating Blow. That would give users more of a fighting chance against defenders with Mind or Psionic Shields, which should be common in most Psionic Powers games.

[Christopher R. Rice]

PK actually wrote this up before, here and here is the main thread.

Ghostdancer

[simply Nathan]

I say use Innate Attack(Beam) or Force Sword; no need to make a new skill.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

PK actually wrote this up before, here and here is the main thread.

*g* Thanks for the reminder... I had forgotten that thread. His write-up is for a PK version, though, rather than a translation of the Telepathy skill from 3E. I was considering doing Melee Attacks for some of the other powers, so at least that will save me some trouble :)

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

*g* Thanks for the reminder... I had forgotten that thread. His write-up is for a PK version, though, rather than a translation of the Telepathy skill from 3E. I was considering doing Melee Attacks for some of the other powers, so at least that will save me some trouble :)

Glad I could help a bit. :) I'll be watching the thread with interest ^_^

Ghostdancer

[Not another shrubbery]

Finally got around to doing another one :)

Neutralizing Sword

20/35 points for level 1-2
10 points for each additional level up to Level 9

Skill: Neutralizing Sword (DX/Hard); defaults to DX-6, or Force Sword-2

You can create a visible blade of concentrated anti-psionic power. It resembles other such weapons in shape and size (Reach C,1), but has no color, instead being pure black. Psis (other than Anti-Psis) often find them vaguely unsettling to be around or to look at. A successful attack requires a QC of the skill vs. the defender's best skill in a random Power. If the attacker wins, that power is neutralized for minutes equal to his MoV, but a failure means that the sword will not affect that target for 24 hours. At Level 2, you can still attack the target after a normal failure. After that, the effect will last longer with each level, up to two days x the MoV at level 9.

The sword can be parried by normal weapons and other Neutralizing Swords, but not by other types of psionic weapons. Psionic Shields can block them, and Psychic Armor adds its level to the defenders QC roll. The Sword can be used to Interrupt, as per Cancellation. Levels of Extended Duration have no affect on such uses.

Statistics: Neutralize (Anti-Psi, -0%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Increased Immunity 3, -30%; Nuisance Effect, Only one power at a time, randomly determined, -10%) [20] Further levels remove Increased Immunity [35], then add Extended Duration, +20%/lvl, up to level 9 [+10/lvl].

The Crippling Attack and Precision Attack Techniques are as for Cancellation.


I kind of like this idea, but I'm not solid on its presentation, particularly the way it interacts with other defenses, which should be a big part of its 'flavor'. I toyed with the idea of adding the Cancellation special enhancer from Affliction, but decided against it, as it wasn't an option on any other Anti-Psi ability.

[Not another shrubbery]

An Ergokinesis melee attack :)

Electric Wand

10 points for Level 1, plus
3 points for each additional level

Skill: Electric Wand (DX/Hard); defaults to DX-6, or Force Sword-2

You can create a rod of coruscating electrical energy. It can be mistaken for a Force Sword, possibly a malfunctioning one, but usually only by those with just a passing familiarity with those weapons. Damage is unrelated to your ST. The sword does 1d-1 burn damage, plus your Mindsword level, and has Reach C, 1. It can parry attacks from other Electric Wands or Force Swords normally, but not other types of psionic swords.

Like the Lightning skill, the energy to power the Wand must be drawn from a nearby source of electricity, and the damaging ability will be limited in the same manner. Additionally, the skill will take standard range penalties depending on the ergokinetic's distance from the source. Things struck by the wand tend to ignite a bit faster than might be expected for the damage done.

Statistics: Burning Attack 1d (Environmental, Sufficient sources of electricity, -20%; Ergokinesis, -10%; Incendiary, +10%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Nuisance Effect, Takes penalty based on distance from source, -10%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%; Surge, Arcing, +100%) [10] Further levels add +1 damage [3]

Thunder Wand might be a good technique. It would have the same environmental requirements as Thunderbolt, and (I presume) represent a -4 to the base skill.


I was thinking to write up melee attacks for CyberK and PhotoK, but decided against it, as neither of those subsidiary powers have an offensive ability to easily model it from. I might come back eventually and do one for them anyway.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

PK actually wrote this up before, here and here is the main thread.

Just to give myself something to do, I decided to rework Rev's build :)

Variable Sword

8 points for Level 1, plus
6 points for each additional level

Skill: Variable Sword (DX/Hard); defaults to DX-6, or Force Sword-2

By willing it, you can cause a rod of telekinetic force to appear in your hand. Although it resembles a Force Sword, anyone familiar with those weapons will know this is something different. These with appropriate senses will be able to detect, from long distances, when a Variable Sword is being. The sword is most dangerous when used as a thrusting attack but, by tweaking the force, the user can switch to a cutting or crushing attack. In each configuration, it does a base 1d-3 damage (modified for ST), plus your ability level, and the crushing version allows the teke to give an extra "push" to those struck, which may cause extra knockback. Like other such weapons, it is unbreakable, and has Reach C, 1. It can parry attacks as though it were an actual Force Sword, but without the destructive parry.

Statistics: Impaling Attack 1d-2 (Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Nuisance Effect, "Blatant" psychic signature, -5%; ST-Based, +100%; Telekinesis, -10%) + Cutting Attack* 1d-2 (Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Nuisance Effect, "Blatant" psychic signature, -5%; ST-Based, +100%; Telekinesis, -10%) + Crushing Attack* 1d-2 (Double Knockback, +20%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Nuisance Effect, "Blatant" psychic signature, -5%; ST-Based, +100%; Telekinesis, -10%) [8] Further levels add +1 damage to each configuration [+6 per level]

* The Cutting and Crushing Attacks are Alternative Attacks to the Impaling Attack, and are 1/5 normal cost.

I liked RPK's method of adding an Alternate Attack to the build to show another use of the weapon, and just expanded the idea, while taking away the elements that didn't fit my conception of a telekinesis version of Mindsword. The NE is another idea of his, from an earlier post in a tangentially related thread. I assume the +10 to detect from that post, meaning the VS will be quite obvious to those with the right Detects. It will probably be as noticeable as a Force Sword, otherwise. The name is borrowed from Niven, but here, I am riffing off the different configurations (imp, cut, cr).

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

In each configuration, it does a base 1d-3 damage, plus your ability level...

Statistics: Impaling Attack 1d-2 (Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Nuisance Effect, "Blatant" psychic signature, -5%; ST-Based, +100%; Telekinesis, -10%) + Cutting Attack* 1d-2 (Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Nuisance Effect, "Blatant" psychic signature, -5%; ST-Based, +100%; Telekinesis, -10%) + Crushing Attack* 1d-2 (Double Knockback, +20%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Nuisance Effect, "Blatant" psychic signature, -5%; ST-Based, +100%; Telekinesis, -10%) [8] Further levels add +1 damage to each configuration [+6 per level]

Surely you mean it does "ST-based damage plus 1d-3 plus ability level"? Also, if it can only use thr-based damage for impaling and sw-based damage for cutting, apparently there's a cheaper +30% enhancement in PU4 for that.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Surely you mean it does "ST-based damage plus 1d-3 plus ability level"? Also, if it can only use thr-based damage for impaling and sw-based damage for cutting, apparently there's a cheaper +30% enhancement in PU4 for that.

I was thinking the stats section was clarification enough, but I suppose the wording could be more precise... fixing it now.