I'm currently working on a BBF hack of my favorite D&D setting, Dark Sun. One of the important ingredients of Dark Sun is Psionics or mental powers, things like ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, etc. I was wondering if anyone has ever put together a skill for a Psychic or Mentalist, either for BBF or Covert Ops? I've got a rough sketch of it myself, but I'm still rather new to this game and not sure if what I've got is too powerful.
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I haven't seen one yet - you should share yours :)
Ok, so here's what I have so far.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NARjLlG-cCMA0jwjIR2vSG49d13YeVmrX140...
What I'm struggling with is whether to include Psionics. I was never a huge fan of them back in 2nd Edition of D&D, so I'm not sure if I should try to convert them to BBF. Many of the spells in the BBF book could easily be used to mimic Psionic powers. Here's what I'm working on so far for the Psion skill:
Psion:
Score: Half WILL + 10 per Psion level
Detect Aura
Unarmed Combat: Use your body as a weapon using either your warrior score or your psion score.
Guardian: If an adjacent ally is hit, choose to intercept the blow taking the damage. No skill check required.
Mental Powers: Each Psion level choose one of the following powers from the spell list as you grow more centered and aware of your innate power: Aid, Charm, Divination, Illusion, Mental (Offensive) Strike, Protection, Repel, Telekinesis, Transform (Self), Transport
Please give me your brutally honest opinions!
I was never a fan of Psionics either. I did not play with it myself, and agree that many of the powers could easily be replicated with spells either arcane or supernatural.
Having said that I like the idea of making it a skill which can be then leveled up so to say. The question then becomes how to make it uniquely different from magic? If the powers an be replicated with magic why not just do so?
Mark M.
By the way welcome to the site!
Thanks for the welcome, I appreciate it!
I've really hemmed and hawed over excluding psionics, but when talking to my friends and other gamers it seems that at least half of them feel like it's not Dark Sun without it. I had thought excluding Wild Talents would be enough to keep it from taking over too much of the game, but I guess someone could take one level in Psion only and be kind of like a Wild Talent.
As far as making it different from the other types of magic, I tried to give Psions a mix of martial and supernatural powers, as I see Jedi as a great model for them. I see them as more limited in what they can do supernaturally than spellcasters, hence the list of powers they can choose from the spell list as they level up, which would limit them to at most 6. I think I will spend some more time to differentiate these powers from spells by giving them more of an inwardly directed focus than spells. For instance the Mental (Offensive) Strike might only effect beings/creatures with intelligence or psionic abilities of their own. Say an unintelligent animal like a kank would not be effected by the ability, but a halfling riding it would?
Hey, I've updated the link for the google doc, it should be open to everyone to view, but I have also specifically given you access Mark.
Great Thanks.
Mark M.
Anyone care to comment on what I've got here? I know I threw this up here right before Gen Con, but maybe a bump up will help.
It looks fine to me.
Thanks Ascent!
I bought the spell cards yesterday and liked the Elementalist skill. I'm thinking I would add it and ditch the Cleric skill in favor of a Druid skill. I've just got to figure out what the Druid skill would look like. Obviously it would have the Transform spell/ability and some sort of chatting with animals ability, maybe a find water/food ability?
This game was designed to make just about any character concept with a small list of skills. (Not that you couldn't create your own skill as you are doing, but I think the game works well as written in that regard.)
To be honest, yes your Psion skill looks fine to me, but considering how the game was designed, it seems serviceable as simply Cleric with the modified list of spells, using an all seeing eye as the symbol. (The blessings ability has continuity with modern psychics and mediums.) Simply offset it with Leader skill to get the intercept ability.
As for Druid, I would use Alchemist and Scout.