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Hanuman
2011-12-17, 03:28 PM
Simply put, I propose that being able to communicate telepathically should not require a spell, a psionic power, or psionic concentration.

How to approach this? Well that's interesting, limiting it to psionic classes may not be the answer, nor can limiting it to a stat, a skill or much of anything else.

I propose that Psionic be a language, and that it require a feat to obtain:

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[Speak Psionic]
Prerequisites: Will save +5 OR Psionic Subtype (any creature with Power Points, Psi-like abilities, or spell-like abilities defined as psionics).
Special: This feat may be taken at first level without meeting the prerequisites.

You gain the Speak Language [Psionic] skill, allowing you to speak telepathically as clearly as you would be able to with your voice, when communicating with thought you may choose to sound like another using a disguise check with the usual modifiers for impersonation; in addition to this impersonation you may attempt to conceal your location, decrease or amplify the apparent unnatural nature of the voice, or create an imagined sound rather than a voice for +2DC each.

Speaking telepathically has subjective limitations, this means that the maximum range of your telepathic voice is equal to the distance your voice could travel with no acoustic impedances or amplifiers that an acoustic voice may gain from it's surroundings, however unless you can pinpoint the square the target(s) of your telepathic voice are you are bound to an equal range of impedance that an acoustic voice would have. If you are out of range you may be too quiet to hear-- like whispering, you may produce no signal, or you may gain an undesirable effect.

Psionic may in all respect act as an acoustic voice for any mechanical means that do not involve the Sonic keyword or purely acoustical triggers such as verbal components to spells.

Tenno Seremel
2011-12-17, 04:30 PM
Level 1 OR
Do you need anything else after that? :}

Hanuman
2011-12-17, 10:25 PM
Do you need anything else after that? :}
How bout already rolled characters? =]

NeoSeraphi
2011-12-17, 11:07 PM
I came here praying that this was a psionic truenamer. I was sorely disappointed.

That said, the feat is decent.

Yitzi
2011-12-17, 11:41 PM
How bout already rolled characters? =]

That's not how you write that prerequisite (as if so, you'd lose the use of it as soon as you hit level 2.) Make it have no prerequisites, but have a "Special" note that it can only be taken at creation unless you have at least 1pp or have a +5 will save bonus.

Noctis Vigil
2011-12-18, 12:30 AM
I came here praying that this was a psionic truenamer. I was sorely disappointed.

That said, the feat is decent.

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter entirely, although I would probably limit it to only people with PP or a high Will save. This lets psionic characters take it at level 1 and all casters take it by level 6. Most martial classes will have to wait, or have high Wis mods to up their Will saves, or they'd be waiting a bit for this, but that makes sense, really; this is essentially a magical thing, it makes sense they'd take longer to get it. I'd make the prereqs be: at least 1PP OR Will save +5 OR Iron Will. Heck, if a Fighter really wants this, it makes Iron Will actually worth taking to some degree.

Hanuman
2011-12-19, 11:41 AM
This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter entirely, although I would probably limit it to only people with PP or a high Will save. This lets psionic characters take it at level 1 and all casters take it by level 6. Most martial classes will have to wait, or have high Wis mods to up their Will saves, or they'd be waiting a bit for this, but that makes sense, really; this is essentially a magical thing, it makes sense they'd take longer to get it. I'd make the prereqs be: at least 1PP OR Will save +5 OR Iron Will. Heck, if a Fighter really wants this, it makes Iron Will actually worth taking to some degree.
Actually, it's keyword is psionic so the weave is not involved at all-- the reqs aren't for balance reasons but flavor reasons.

I'm not used to rules lawyering-- would "a character may take this feat at level 1 without meeting it's prerequisites" work?

Noctis Vigil
2011-12-19, 10:51 PM
So you're saying make the prereqs "1PP OR Will save +5", or takeable by anyone at first level? Hmm, yes, I suppose that works. I actually like that a lot. Very good sir. :smallbiggrin:

Heliomance
2011-12-20, 05:53 AM
Prerequisites: Will save +5 OR must have a power point reserve of at least one power point.
Special: This feat may be taken at first level without meeting the prerequisites.

That's probably the best way to word it.

Tenno Seremel
2011-12-20, 08:35 AM
Prerequisites: Will save +5 OR must have a power point reserve of at least one power point.
Special: This feat may be taken at first level without meeting the prerequisites.

That's probably the best way to word it.

Will save +5 OR must have a psionic subtype would be better for some weird cases where you are psionic but have no power points at all.

Hanuman
2011-12-21, 03:39 AM
Prerequisites: Will save +5 OR must have a power point reserve of at least one power point.
Special: This feat may be taken at first level without meeting the prerequisites.
Seems perfect.

Will save +5 OR must have a psionic subtype would be better for some weird cases where you are psionic but have no power points at all.
You'd lose the skill usage if you lost the reserve if granted by PP, I see no problem with this.

Heliomance
2011-12-22, 10:55 AM
Will save +5 OR must have a psionic subtype would be better for some weird cases where you are psionic but have no power points at all.
I used the wording from the Pyromancer. *shrug*


Seems perfect.

You'd lose the skill usage if you lost the reserve if granted by PP, I see no problem with this.

I would note that I don't believe running out of power point for the day counts as no longer having a reserve. I think that "power point reserve" refers to your max points.

Hanuman
2011-12-22, 01:58 PM
I would note that I don't believe running out of power point for the day counts as no longer having a reserve. I think that "power point reserve" refers to your max points.
Yup, but what about items that can be taken off? Or granting other players PP?

Heliomance
2011-12-22, 07:28 PM
I admit to not knowing Psionics terribly well, but I don't think there are any of those. I'd be very surprised if there were any that could give power points to characters without a reserve.

Hanuman
2011-12-23, 02:55 PM
I assumed you were granted a reserve by gaining PP:


The Power Point Reserve

Psionic characters fuel their abilities through a pool, or reserve, of power points. Your power point reserve is equal to your base power points gained from your class, bonus power points from a high key ability score (see Abilities and Manifesters, below), and any additional bonus power points from sources such as your character race and feat selections.

I'm no psionic expert either, but does this mean granting a character PP grants them a reserve if they did not already have one?

Zaydos
2011-12-23, 03:03 PM
Wild Talent gives a character the psionic subtype, and 1 (2?) power points.

Several naturally psionic races also have bonus power points.

These are all permanent sources of psionic power points the same as from a class.

The spells Mental Pinnacle and Dweomer of Transference can grant a creature power points temporarily.

You could make it require the Psionic Subtype (any creature with Power Points, Psi-like abilities, or spell-like abilities defined as psionics).

Hanuman
2011-12-23, 03:12 PM
There, hows that looking?

AugustNights
2011-12-25, 01:49 AM
Speaking telepathically has subjective limitations, this means that the maximum range of your telepathic voice is equal to the distance your voice could travel with no acoustic impedances or amplifiers that an acoustic voice may gain from it's surroundings, however unless you can pinpoint the square the target(s) of your telepathic voice are you are bound to an equal range of impedance that an acoustic voice would have.

This part works oddly with D&D, because sounds don't have ranges, rather they have a Listen DC. (0 for a clear voice, I think), and a -2 penalty to listen checks for every 10 feet or so.

Since telepathic communication is not heard with the ears, but the mind, maybe it could be heard with Psicraft, or perhaps even Autohypnosis (though not very "self"-y) with a -1 per 10 feet. That way "in tune" characters can here telepathic communication at further distances.

That or make the range roughly 100 feet (The distance an average person taking 10 on their listen check would be able to hear a clear voice).

Huh, make that 1-9 feet.
It seems you need to beat the DC by 10 or more to actually understand what the clear voice is saying.
Funny that. Kinda makes sense, though, as that one probably needs to raise their voice to speak to one more than 10 feet away...

Hanuman
2011-12-26, 05:12 PM
What that part basically means is that if you know the creatures exact location you can focus your signal directly at them, and that to everyone else it works the same as if psionic speech was reverberations as normal.

Focusing your voice can allow perfect clarity under-water, through tar, steel, adamantium and inside silence areas.

How about characters with a PP reserve or psionic speech feat may make a concentration check to listen in?

How would you re-word it to change range to listen-ish DC?

AugustNights
2011-12-27, 12:43 PM
If it were me, I'd add a Concentration skill use as well.
Something like the following...

Concentration
A character may use Concentration in order to "hear" a speaker using the Speak Language (Psionic) skill. A character's Concentration check is made against a DC that reflects how "quiet" the psionic "noise" is that one might hear, or it is opposed by your target’s Concentrate check.

A character may attempt to "listen" to a psionic conversation not directed at them at a -20 penalty.

Concentration DCs
{table=head]
Concentration DC|Psionic "Sound"


-10*|Psionic "Shouting"


0*|
Psionic Speech Directed at the Character[/table]
*If the DC is beat by 10 or more, a character can make out what’s being "said".

Concentration Modifiers
{table=head]
Concentration DC Modifier|
Condition


+1|Per 10 Feet of Distance


+5|
Concentrater Distracted[/table]

=-=-=-
Mostly just the Listen Skill rewritten.
I may also add in other fun Psionic "Sounds" that could be heard, just because that sounds nifty.

Hanuman
2011-12-28, 06:14 PM
This works perfectly, sounds solid!