3e-style Psionics using 4e-style tools

dataweaver · 08-24-2014, 10:40 PM

In this thread, I intend to rough out a primarily skill-based take on psionics, using 3e’s Psionics as inspiration but with a more open-ended and customizable approach. Basic concepts:

Either the “Magical Scope Parameters” from GURPS Thaumatology or the Effect Modifiers from Ritual Path Magic will be used in determining what a “psychic skill” can do. How they’re applied is described below, though it’s still subject to change.
Each “psychic power” has a Potency advantage which comes in levels and is priced according to how broad or narrow the power is, just like how Power Talents work in GURPS Powers — except that Potency doesn’t normally add to any dice rolls (its use will be detailed shortly). The cost per level still needs to be determined; but I suspect that 5, 10, or 15 points per level would be too cheap. My gut instinct is 10, 20, or 30 points per level; but I haven’t done any playtesting to verify or disprove this. (EDIT: vierasmarius has convinced me that the only fair pricing would be 5, 10, or 15 points per level.)

The Potency advantage also takes a “power modifier” as per GURPS Powers, allowing this system to quickly and easily be adapted for use as chi skills, divine miracles, magic spells, spiritual rituals, etc. I’m just using the “Psionic” modifier as a working example.

“Potency 0” is effectively an Unusual Background; and as such, it may have a cost as low as zero points. Note that the option from Thaumatology about allowing spellcasting without Magery at a -5 penalty can be adapted to Potence: if this option is in effect (say, for worlds where “all humans are latent psychics”), anyone can learn psychic skills; but they suffer a -5 penalty if they don’t have at least Potency 0.
Every psychic skill defines a Primary Parameter from the aforementioned Scope Parameters. The effective rating of the Primary Parameter equals the rating of the associated Potency attribute plus the skill roll’s margin of success.
The skill can have any number of Secondary Parameters, as long as the parameter in question makes sense for he psychic phenomenon that the skill represents. These Secondary Parameters start at zero by default, and can be raised as high as the associated Potency trait by taking a skill penalty at a one-for-one exchange rate; each Secondary Parameter’s skill penalty can be bought off as a Technique.

If you wish, you can apply some or all of your margin of success to a Secondary Parameter, or even split it up among several Secondary Parameters. Ignore the Potency cap when doing so.

It’s also possible that a given skill might need a Secondary Parameter with a non-zero default rating. If this is the case, the skill has a minimum Potency prerequisite, at least equal to the highest non-zero Secondary Parameter and probably higher (though how much higher, I’m not sure yet).
Prerequisites are rare. In general, if being able to do X implies the ability to do Y, then Y defaults to X at some penalty rather than X having Y as a prerequisite.
Skill difficulty is a reflection of its “complexity”, as the term is defined in the New Invention rules: Simple skills are Easy, Average skills are Average, Complex skills are Hard, and Amazing skills are Very Hard. Yes, this requires a GM judgment call; advice on how to judge it should be provided. Conversely, this provides a basis for using the Invention rules to develop new skills.
psychic abilities that don’t involve skill rolls can be added as Perks. They follow the same rules as outlined above, except that there’s no “margin of success” benefit due to there not being any margin of success to benefit from.

Perks might seem to be a little cheap; but bear in mind that if they can do a lot, it’s because they’re coupled to a Potency advantage. Compared to the skills, the perks are very reliable in that you don’t have to worry about failure; but you also don’t get the benefits that come from beating the target number by a substantial margin. A case could be made that they should be cheap Advantages rather than Perks; but I wouldn’t price them any higher than 5 points each — slightly more than the cost of buying a Hard skill at no penalty.
In general, most of the special rules that Powers provides for customizing its powers (e.g., Extra Effort rules) can be applied to this system with little to no modification. Likewise, some options available in Thaumatology (such as the Ritual Magic option) could be applied to this to further customize it — though you’d need to watch out for unintended consequences, such as the switch from Skills to Techniques clashing with the buying off of Secondary Parameter penalties as Techniques.

That’s about as far as I’ve gotten. Comments and criticisms welcome; suggestions and advice especially welcome.

08-24-2014, 10:40 PM	#1
dataweaver Join Date: Aug 2004	3e-style Psionics using 4e-style tools In this thread, I intend to rough out a primarily skill-based take on psionics, using 3e’s Psionics as inspiration but with a more open-ended and customizable approach. Basic concepts: Either the “Magical Scope Parameters” from *GURPS Thaumatology* or the Effect Modifiers from *Ritual Path Magic* will be used in determining what a “psychic skill” can do. How they’re applied is described below, though it’s still subject to change. Each “psychic power” has a Potency advantage which comes in levels and is priced according to how broad or narrow the power is, just like how Power Talents work in *GURPS Powers* — except that Potency doesn’t normally add to any dice rolls (its use will be detailed shortly). The cost per level still needs to be determined; but I suspect that 5, 10, or 15 points per level would be too cheap. My gut instinct is 10, 20, or 30 points per level; but I haven’t done any playtesting to verify or disprove this. (EDIT: vierasmarius has convinced me that the only fair pricing would be 5, 10, or 15 points per level.) The Potency advantage also takes a “power modifier” as per *GURPS Powers, allowing this system to quickly and easily be adapted for use as chi skills, divine miracles, magic spells, spiritual rituals, etc. I’m just using the “Psionic” modifier as a working example. “Potency 0” is effectively an Unusual Background; and as such, it may have a cost as low as zero points. Note that the option from Thaumatology* about allowing spellcasting without Magery at a -5 penalty can be adapted to Potence: if this option is in effect (say, for worlds where “all humans are latent psychics”), anyone can learn psychic skills; but they suffer a -5 penalty if they don’t have at least Potency 0. Every psychic skill defines a Primary Parameter from the aforementioned Scope Parameters. The effective rating of the Primary Parameter equals the rating of the associated Potency attribute plus the skill roll’s margin of success. The skill can have any number of Secondary Parameters, as long as the parameter in question makes sense for he psychic phenomenon that the skill represents. These Secondary Parameters start at zero by default, and can be raised as high as the associated Potency trait by taking a skill penalty at a one-for-one exchange rate; each Secondary Parameter’s skill penalty can be bought off as a Technique. If you wish, you can apply some or all of your margin of success to a Secondary Parameter, or even split it up among several Secondary Parameters. Ignore the Potency cap when doing so. It’s also possible that a given skill might need a Secondary Parameter with a non-zero default rating. If this is the case, the skill has a minimum Potency prerequisite, at least equal to the highest non-zero Secondary Parameter and probably higher (though how much higher, I’m not sure yet). Prerequisites are rare. In general, if being able to do X implies the ability to do Y, then Y defaults to X at some penalty rather than X having Y as a prerequisite. Skill difficulty is a reflection of its “complexity”, as the term is defined in the New Invention rules: Simple skills are Easy, Average skills are Average, Complex skills are Hard, and Amazing skills are Very Hard. Yes, this requires a GM judgment call; advice on how to judge it should be provided. Conversely, this provides a basis for using the Invention rules to develop new skills. psychic abilities that don’t involve skill rolls can be added as Perks. They follow the same rules as outlined above, except that there’s no “margin of success” benefit due to there not being any margin of success to benefit from. Perks might seem to be a little cheap; but bear in mind that if they can do a lot, it’s because they’re coupled to a Potency advantage. Compared to the skills, the perks are very reliable in that you don’t have to worry about failure; but you also don’t get the benefits that come from beating the target number by a substantial margin. A case could be made that they should be cheap Advantages rather than Perks; but I wouldn’t price them any higher than 5 points each — slightly more than the cost of buying a Hard skill at no penalty. In general, most of the special rules that *Powers* provides for customizing its powers (e.g., Extra Effort rules) can be applied to this system with little to no modification. Likewise, some options available in *Thaumatology* (such as the Ritual Magic option) could be applied to this to further customize it — though you’d need to watch out for unintended consequences, such as the switch from Skills to Techniques clashing with the buying off of Secondary Parameter penalties as Techniques. That’s about as far as I’ve gotten. Comments and criticisms welcome; suggestions and advice especially welcome. __________________ Point balance is a myth.[1][2][3][4] Last edited by dataweaver; 08-25-2014 at 02:24 AM.