Is it just me

[woodenbandman]

Or are psions way cooler than wizards?

Just the way the powers are written makes Psions seem extra super cool. I should play a psion now.

[Comet]

Whenever you ask "is it just me" the answer is always a confident "no". The world's a big place :smalltongue:

I like them both pretty equally. Psionics have a really different feel to them and the power names and such are awesome in a mad science sort of way. Really something else from the default fireballs and web spells.

I was introduced to them by AD&D. This means that some great settings like Dark Sun might have been an influence in my growing interest towards psionics in D&D.

And the kicker? I've never played a psion, nor run a game with one. I really should, one day.

[Boci]

Okay everyone, break out the scrolls of protection from flaming. There's not way we have enough spell slots to cover everyone. This can be a pretty touchy subject, but lets be otimistic and assume that we won't actually need the rings of fire resistence 30.

Personally I like psionics, but I feel they should take a backseat to arcanists in most settings. I don't mind the occasional one like dark sun where psionics is far more common than arcane magic, but sufficient to say I would have a hard time imagining forgotten realms, dragonlance or greyhawk with three psions for every wizard.

[Comet]

Ooh, on that note:

I think that psionics should, when used, be used as the only source of supernatural power available to the players.
They are, to me, so different in feel that just mixing them with whatever magics you would normally have in a fantasy setting would cheapen both said magics and psionics.

For me, it's either or. Possibly with the 'enemy' using the other side of mystical powers if you want to have some mystery to them.

What can I say, I like to have a great deal of thematic uniformity in my games. I'm not a huge fan of mixing and mashing.
There are exceptions, of course. Dark Sun being one of them. Sometimes mixing and mashing can be a lot of fun, but if I'll ever run a game of my own with psionics, there will be no ordinary wizards running around.

[Zeta Kai]

No, it's not just you. I think psionics belong in a sci-fi setting more than in a fantasy setting, though. Let the flame war begin.

[Melayl]

I think I like psions better than wizards. The psion's mechanic seems much closer to "magic" for me than the wizard's mechanic.

But that's my opinion.

[Emmerask]

Or are psions way cooler than wizards?


Well wizards fluff and mechanics are pretty much the epitome of boring so that isn´t such a big surprise :smalltongue:

[The-Mage-King]

I find psionics to be a bit more fun that standard vanacian casting.

I don't know why- it could be the "do a lot with a little" part of them having only so many powers to choose from.... Or it could be the flexibilty of how they use powers... Or it could even be the fact that I can put a 10th level Psion together in 10 minutes, but the same level wizard takes a day... (hunting for spells, figuring out how much each spell will cost, calculating the number of pages left in spellbook, and so on).

[JonestheSpy]

No, it's not just you. I think psionics belong in a sci-fi setting more than in a fantasy setting, though. Let the flame war begin.

Not flaming, but most of the 'magic' in Lord of the Rings translates far better as psionics the arcane magic as far as DnD rules.

I find you can mix them pretty well, but not necessarily in your standard DnD setting.

[Greenish]

I think that psionics should, when used, be used as the only source of supernatural power available to the players.
They are, to me, so different in feel that just mixing them with whatever magics you would normally have in a fantasy setting would cheapen both said magics and psionics.As an Eberron fanboy, I wish to object!

Anyhow, psions are cool in that you don't need to wave your arms about, spout gibberish, or dirty your hands with bat poo like them silly wizards.

Plus, psions can enter thrallherd. :smallcool:

[Tavar]

I prefer psionics for my fantasy. After all, Vancian casting is the true sci-fi casting mechanic, and I've always felt psionics was truer to the way casting feels in most non-dnd fantasy. Even in some DnD books, casters seem to be using some sort of spell-point system.

[Urpriest]

Psions are cool because of their Sci-Fi-ness...but I often get tired of that kind of thing in Fantasy. Magic systems like those in Eragon, the Belgariad, or Wheel of Time to some extent involve casters who can shape a general force of magic to do what they want, and that's what a lot of the flavor of psionics is. It's common enough that it's refreshing for me to see a system where magic has a lot of complicated rules and exceptions and rituals that all exist "just cuz", so I find the more complicated Wizard tricks (Planar Binding, regular Binding, Undead) more interesting. Though the Psionic Save Game Trick is damn cool.

[Urpriest]

Not flaming, but most of the 'magic' in Lord of the Rings translates far better as psionics the arcane magic as far as DnD rules.


They're neither, they're SDAs.

[Greenish]

They're neither, they're SDAs.Spell-dike abilities? :smallconfused:

[Emmerask]

Psion: I´m basically a jedi with much more powers!
Sorcerer: I have dragon or fiend ancestors and their magic in my blood gives me my power!
Wizard: I´m a geeky bookworm that can cast because I bore reality to death with my studies.

:smalltongue:

[Tavar]

Salient Divine abilities. Flashy magic in Lord of the Rings is often restricted to divine beings.

Really, though, the world just isn't compatible with DnD magic systems. Or DnD in general.

[Greenish]

Salient Divine abilities.Ah, right, I haven't paid much attention to the deity stuff.

[Psyren]

@ OP: The lack of bat poop and skirts helps too. :smalltongue:

(My bias should be fairly obvious)

[The-Mage-King]

@ OP: The lack of bat poop and skirts helps too. :smalltongue:

(My bias should be fairly obvious)

...You like sorcerers? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CompletelyMissingThePoint)

[Greenish]

...You like sorcerers? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CompletelyMissingThePoint)Though I've yet to figure how sorcerers instinctively know they need bat poo and sulphur before they can use their innate magical might to burninate the enemy, they do need that stuff.

[The-Mage-King]

Though I've yet to figure how sorcerers instinctively know they need bat poo and sulphur before they can use their innate magical might to burninate the enemy, they do need that stuff.

But they don't need skirts!

[Greenish]

But they don't need skirts!Technically, neither do wizards. They just wear them to look pretty (sorcerers don't have to, on account of actually being pretty).

[ko_sct]

@ OP: The lack of bat poop and skirts helps too. :smalltongue:

(My bias should be fairly obvious)

I find it funny that you mention the skirts while you have a clearly psionic avatar wearing one :smallwink:

Aside for that, I like both but seldom use psionics.... why ? no reason really, I dont know...

[Greenish]

I find it funny that you mention the skirts while you have a clearly psionic avatar wearing one :smallwink:A skirt: http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/3000000/skirt-teen-fashion-3035289-350-350.jpg
A coat:
http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad40/Nichirin86/ff13-snow-villiers.jpgThere's a difference.

[The-Mage-King]

A skirt: http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/3000000/skirt-teen-fashion-3035289-350-350.jpg
A coat:
http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad40/Nichirin86/ff13-snow-villiers.jpgThere's a difference.

Yep. There is. Quite noticable, isn't it?