Talents vs Psionics

Edges · 04-30-2010, 01:14 AM

There's many ways to handle psionics in GURPS. Since you have GURPS Basic and GURPS Psionic Powers, you might as well use what they put forth.

My advice:
Don't worry about what Basic says about Psionics. Use it for all the other stuff.
Use GURPS Psionic Powers for Psionics. Don't get caught up in the "statistics" section of the abilities. Just go with the descriptive text.

On GURPS Psionic Powers:
Every psionic ability lists a skill that you need to use the ability (unless you want to roll on defaults in a our-characters-don't-know-how-to-use-their-powers campaign). The player buys that skill for the character just like any other skill. The skill needed is listed with the ability (i.e. the Interruption ability on pg. 23 uses the Cancellation skill). Note, some psionic skills can be used for more than one psionic ability (the Cancellation skill can be used for 3 abilities as you can see).

After you've bought up all your abilities and the skills to use those abilities, pick out any Psionic Talents you might like. Psionic Talents add to all the Psionic skills in a power. For example, if you have Anti-Psi Talent level 2, you get +2 to the cancellation skill and +2 to the Psionic Shield skill and +2 to the Screaming skill. But this Talent doesn't add to the Cure skill on pg. 46, for example. You need the Psychic Healing Talent for that.

Don't be confused by the mundane (i.e. not psionic) Talents in Basic. The Healer Talent in Basic, for example, does not add to Psychic Healing skills. A good psi healer might have some levels in Psychic Healing Talent for her Psychic Healing abilities and some levels in (ordinary) Healing Talent for skills like First-Aid and Physician.

One final point. Talents (whether mundane or psionic) don't come with their skills. They only give bonuses to the skills. You still have to get the skills separately. Talents are a good way to be good at a bunch of skills without paying a whole lot of points. If you have a bunch of skills in a Talent, you can actually save points by getting a few levels of the Talent rather than buy a whole bunch of levels in each skill.

I hope that helps.

04-30-2010, 01:14 AM	#14
Edges Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: GMT-5	Re: Talents vs Psionics There's many ways to handle psionics in GURPS. Since you have GURPS Basic and GURPS Psionic Powers, you might as well use what they put forth. My advice: Don't worry about what Basic says about Psionics. Use it for all the other stuff. Use GURPS Psionic Powers for Psionics. Don't get caught up in the "statistics" section of the abilities. Just go with the descriptive text. On GURPS Psionic Powers: Every psionic ability lists a skill that you need to use the ability (unless you want to roll on defaults in a our-characters-don't-know-how-to-use-their-powers campaign). The player buys that skill for the character just like any other skill. The skill needed is listed with the ability (i.e. the Interruption ability on pg. 23 uses the Cancellation skill). Note, some psionic skills can be used for more than one psionic ability (the Cancellation skill can be used for 3 abilities as you can see). After you've bought up all your abilities and the skills to use those abilities, pick out any Psionic Talents you might like. Psionic Talents add to all the Psionic skills in a power. For example, if you have Anti-Psi Talent level 2, you get +2 to the cancellation skill and +2 to the Psionic Shield skill and +2 to the Screaming skill. But this Talent doesn't add to the Cure skill on pg. 46, for example. You need the Psychic Healing Talent for that. Don't be confused by the mundane (i.e. not psionic) Talents in Basic. The Healer Talent in Basic, for example, does not add to Psychic Healing skills. A good psi healer might have some levels in Psychic Healing Talent for her Psychic Healing abilities and some levels in (ordinary) Healing Talent for skills like First-Aid and Physician. One final point. Talents (whether mundane or psionic) don't come with their skills. They only give bonuses to the skills. You still have to get the skills separately. Talents are a good way to be good at a bunch of skills without paying a whole lot of points. If you have a bunch of skills in a Talent, you can actually save points by getting a few levels of the Talent rather than buy a whole bunch of levels in each skill. I hope that helps.