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Ozymandias9
2009-10-15, 01:09 AM
I've got a table that wants a strictly psionic campaign starting in a couple of weeks. I'm planning on using the 3.0 Psionic Handbook as opposed to 3.5 Expanded: while the later is clearly better as a class in competition with wizards, I think that the 3.0 version creates a better and more diverse option for a self complete system.

Though I've played in games that simply substituted psionics for magic wholesale, the closest I've come to running a campaign like this for more than a brief oneshot is removing magic/psionic transparency, so I'm shopping for advise.

Mechanics and Homebrew
I've got a post in the homebrew forums working on mechanics (stuff like psychic combat for non-manifesters and psionic variants for Rangers/Paladins). Your feedback is, of course, most welcome there as well.
Homebrew/Mechanics post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7125414#post7125414)

Fluff and Flavor
Well, here it is. It's broad and open ended: the idea is generally to create a standard, vaguely medieval heroic phantasy campaign with psionics instead of magic. As such, there is little draw to keep the somewhat sci-fi flavored default presentation of psionics. One of the people who will be playing this campaign brought up that many people in the setting would view psionics essentially the way magic is viewed in a standard D&D campaign, and might even refer to it as such.

This is an issue, since the players want a different flavor than regular magic, but not the sci-fi crystal flavor that is presented by default (and became even more prevelent in 3.5). [Kamikasei is right: new-agey, 19th-century-spiritualism would seem a more acturate description.]

The sci-fi fluff is admittedly less prevalent in the 3.0 version, but its still there. The question becomes what elements of the sci-fi fluff can be divested of without damaging the basic flavor of psionics as opposed to magic: that is, what can we cut in the way of crystals and the like without divesting of the idea of this system as representing the focus of mind or will rather than the arcane or divine manipulation of cosmic forces.

Would replacing a psi-crystal with a modified familiar work for you, or does that seem too tied to the idea of the default wizard? If not, what could replace it with instead?

Same questions, but for Dorjes/Wands? Power stones/scrolls?

How would you reflavor Crystal Capacitors?

Tattoos one player likes and Universal Items don't seem too much of an issue, so I'm not concerned with those.

If you see any other places to remove crystals and the like, or any themes that could replace them in bulk without infringing too heavily on magical flavor, point them out. If you have any other ideas, I'd like to hear them too.

Realms of Chaos
2009-10-15, 05:10 AM
As for familiars, I think that It is completely reasonable to replace the odd-looking psi-crystals with simple tiny creatures that uniquely represent their owner's personality in appearance. They could keep the self-propulsion and personality types of psi-crystals but I suggest giving them a land speed as well as a small alteration.

As for power stones and crystal capacitors. One idea that you may want to explore is that of magical gems and crystals. Players already attribute onyx with undead and crystals with revival so it won't be hard. Just put very rare crystals that get mined up that happen to resonate with the magic of the land.

or something like that.

Prime32
2009-10-15, 05:35 AM
I've got a table that wants a strictly psionic campaign starting in a couple of weeks. I'm planning on using the 3.0 Psionic Handbook as opposed to 3.5 Complete Psionic: while the later is clearly better as a class in competition with wizards, I think that the 3.0 version creates a better and more diverse option for a self complete system.Um... the 3.5 psionics rules are in the "Expanded Psionics Handbook" (and also in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/)). Complete Psionic is a supplement, and a poor one at that. 3.5 psionics are regarded as far more balanced than the 3.0 system. If you want some more meat, check out some of the stuff by Dreamscarred Press (http://dreamscarredpress.com/) (the one good third-party publisher :smalltongue: - they also restore mental combat to 3.5). EDIT: They have an SRD too (http://dsp-d20-srd.wikidot.com/introduction).

There was a famous old thread on refluffing psionics (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19537914/Truenaming_Psionics). Someone around here pointed out that if you just refer to things as gemstones rather than crystals it gives a much different feel, even though you haven't really changed anything.

kamikasei
2009-10-15, 05:51 AM
Um... the 3.5 psionics rules are in the "Expanded Psionics Handbook" (and also in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/)). Complete Psionic is a supplement, and a poor one at that. 3.5 psionics are regarded as far more balanced than the 3.0 system.

Although using a combination of XPH and CP would give you psion, psychic warrior, ardent, and lurk to work with, which lets you cover all party roles pretty well. I forget whether CP lurk is a nerf of a web-published version or vice versa...

And personally I would say that psionics has much less of a sci-fi feel than a new-agey, 19th-century-spiritualism feel, with the crystals and ectoplasm and whatnot. Disliking both of those things myself, I'd simply explain that the world is in a real sense made of thought and that focused and gathered thought can be given a shape, though when this is done by a lone powerful mind imposing its will against the normal grain of events in the world the results don't quite "fit in", and you get psicrystals and astral constructs. Psicrystals are thoughts made material. Dorjes are thoughts contained in a vessel.

I don't know what crystal capacitors are or if they have a 3.5 equivalent, but power stones while serving a different role are fluff-wise not terribly different from pearls of power, magical items I've never heard accused of being sci-fi.

HereticNox
2009-10-15, 07:18 AM
Psychic Rogue (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723b)

Is an alternative to the lurk, basically a rogue with psionic powers. Has a neat list of powers though.

Ozymandias9
2009-10-15, 08:48 AM
Um... the 3.5 psionics rules are in the "Expanded Psionics Handbook".

Yes, sorry. It was late and I didn't proofread: I'll edit as such. I'm aware that the 3.5 rules are considered more balanced. But a couple of the players find the mad forced specialization from 3.0 desirable, and all seem to want the psionic combat. So 3.0 it is.

Ozymandias9
2009-10-15, 08:54 AM
And personally I would say that psionics has much less of a sci-fi feel than a new-agey, 19th-century-spiritualism feel, with the crystals and ectoplasm and whatnot. Disliking both of those things myself, I'd simply explain that the world is in a real sense made of thought and that focused and gathered thought can be given a shape, though when this is done by a lone powerful mind imposing its will against the normal grain of events in the world the results don't quite "fit in", and you get psicrystals and astral constructs. Psicrystals are thoughts made material. Dorjes are thoughts contained in a vessel.

I don't know what crystal capacitors are or if they have a 3.5 equivalent, but power stones while serving a different role are fluff-wise not terribly different from pearls of power, magical items I've never heard accused of being sci-fi.

I like that reflavoring. Crystal Capacitors store power points for later use: I believe that they can be recharged. I believe this was moved to Power Stones in 3.5, but in 3.0 Power Stones were very much scrolls (single use applications of specific powers requiring Use Psionic Device if your class didn't have access).

kamikasei
2009-10-15, 09:00 AM
Crystal Capacitors store power points for later use: I believe that they can be recharged.

Oh, right. In 3.5 they're cognizance crystals (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/cognizanceCrystals.htm) (still clunky, but a better name than "capacitors"...). In my own games I extend transparency to merge UMD/UPD and just treat these as exactly the same thing as pearls of power; I was aware they were their own item but had completely forgotten the name :P


But a couple of the players find the mad forced specialization from 3.0 desirable, and all seem to want the psionic combat. So 3.0 it is.

Interesting. Please let us know how they find it in play.

Ozymandias9
2009-10-15, 09:22 AM
Interesting. Please let us know how they find it in play.

I'll try to, though the beginning of the campaign is still a couple of weeks away. In fairness, I think it might be less mind numbingly restrictive since they aren't competing with any Vancian casters or any psionic classes with real generalist capacity.

Edit: also, if anyone's still here and feels like it (nudge nudge), please take a look at the link up above. I'm still batting 0 on feedback for the crunch I'm altering for this campaign.