[PF] Paralyzed psion: powerless or puissant?

[haplessvictim]

A psion is bitten by a ghoul, resulting in paralysis (STR and DEX go to zero and they drop prone). Can the psion manifest a psionic power while in this state? (There's no ongoing damage.)

As far as I can tell, psionic powers have no verbal or somatic components, so they are essentially stilled spells (some are silent as well, but not all). However, this also means that psionic powers are significantly more powerful than the equivalent arcane spells (free stilled metamagic!)

[Demidos]

Yup. Go kill that ghoul now!

[haplessvictim]

Whew! I ruled correctly.

I gotta say: the Psionics Unleashed rules are pretty damn cool. I've never liked psionics (it doesn't feel like "real" D&D to me) but, mechanically, the rules make a better spontaneous magic system than the sorcerer. I like the ability to fine tune the power of your powers; expending more or fewer power points to inflict varying levels of damage or increasing the area. I'm a convert!

[SlyJohnny]

Yep.

Still, I don't know if psionic powers are better than their "equivalent spells". In the rare event that a psionic power is superior to a spell of similar effect, you've got to bear in mind that it's one of a limited quantity that the psion knows, unlike the wizard, who knows as many spells as he can get his grubby mitts on a written copy of.

Psionics are bad at doing some specific things that magic does very easily, not least of all save or lose effects. Psionic powers do tend to be slightly more versatile in their application than spells, and the ability to augment powers generally keeps them all current and useful compared to stuff like Sleep and Colour Spray. Even so, your average wizard is more powerful than your average psion. Let it slide!

The only problem I have with this is that in game worlds with psionics, it is impossible to keep certain manifesters imprisoned. You can bind a wizard's hands and gag him and be fairly sure he isn't going to teleport away unless he's a particularly tricky type who's prepared for that situation. But even those crappy expensive psionic shackles aren't a guarantee that your psion prisoner isn't just going to melt a hole in a wall and escape from jail. This has some annoying implications from a worldbuilding point of view, unless you just ignore the issue completely.

[Eurus]

It does, however, lend itself well to a paranoid anti-mage inquisition! That bloke over there? He could be wriggling his psychic tendrils into your mind right now and you'd never know! And you can't arrest him, so you might as well just get stabbing. :smallamused:

[Psyren]

For posterity, the exact rules quote is in the PsU glossary:


Purely Mental Action: An action which can be taken without physical movement, such as casting a spell without somatic or verbal components. All psionic powers and psi-like abilities are purely mental actions to manifest unless specified otherwise, although subsequent actions (such as making a melee touch attack) may not be. A character may take purely mental actions when paralyzed, pinned, or otherwise physically restrained (although a concentration check is required to manifest powers while grappled, pinned, or entangled), but not when stunned, dazed, unconscious, or otherwise mentally incapacitated.

As for the balance aspect, yes, this does mean that manifesters tend to be harder to restrain, though Psionic Restraints (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psionicRestraints) are a relatively cheap option.

[Starbuck_II]

For posterity, the exact rules quote is in the PsU glossary:



As for the balance aspect, yes, this does mean that manifesters tend to be harder to restrain, though Psionic Restraints (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psionicRestraints) are a relatively cheap option.

Well, the limiting PP/rd restraints are cheap, but denying manifesting is expensive.

[Psyren]

Well, the limiting PP/rd restraints are cheap, but denying manifesting is expensive.

Denying it entirely is, yep. But so long as you rule that the psion can't simply Dimension Hop out of them (or his clothes) they can work in a pinch.

Still, the ones that shut off manifesting entirely are only 24k. This is a far cry from the 140k 132k AMF shackles in BoED.

[Radar]

It does, however, lend itself well to a paranoid anti-mage inquisition! That bloke over there? He could be wriggling his psychic tendrils into your mind right now and you'd never know! And you can't arrest him, so you might as well just get stabbing. :smallamused:
Quick! Don your lead foil hat - it blocks Line of Effect! :smalltongue:

[SlyJohnny]

For posterity, the exact rules quote is in the PsU glossary:



As for the balance aspect, yes, this does mean that manifesters tend to be harder to restrain, though Psionic Restraints (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psionicRestraints) are a relatively cheap option.

Requiring that every small jail has at least 1000gp's worth of special restraints (and probably more) just so they can detain a random footpad with a wild talent is mildly annoying, though.

[Psyren]

Requiring that every small jail has at least 1000gp's worth of special restraints (and probably more) just so they can detain a random footpad with a wild talent is mildly annoying, though.

If psionics are common enough in the setting they'll have to - or at least, force-feed the psion enough drugs to keep him insensate while you transport him to a city somewhere that can hold him. Or hire a psionic jailer that can counter him somehow, e.g. with a NPF or catapsi field.

Wheel of Time has a similar problem - keeping channelers incarcerated is a huge issue. In general, this requires having another channeler on hand or keeping the prisoner drugged.

[Andreaz]

A psion is bitten by a ghoul, resulting in paralysis (STR and DEX go to zero and they drop prone). Can the psion manifest a psionic power while in this state? (There's no ongoing damage.)

As far as I can tell, psionic powers have no verbal or somatic components, so they are essentially stilled spells (some are silent as well, but not all). However, this also means that psionic powers are significantly more powerful than the equivalent arcane spells (free stilled metamagic!)While psionics do not have somatic components or the like, things that still rely on movement may still impede the manifesting of powers.

I do not recall how it is in the books, but talk with the authors makes it clear: things like attack rolls require some degree of mobility that paralysis does not confer.

HOWEVER, you can still do untargeted stuff, like buffs, powers without attacks and the like.
ALSO, there is the metapsionic "Unconditional Power". It costs a lot, but with it you can manifest powers when you otherwise couldn't. Things like being dazed and confused(for so long it's not true), nauseated, shaken, or stunned.

If psionics are common enough in the setting they'll have to - or at least, force-feed the psion enough drugs to keep him insensate while you transport him to a city somewhere that can hold him. Or hire a psionic jailer that can counter him somehow, e.g. with a NPF or catapsi field.Worth remembering, too, that all antimagic measures will generally work against psionics. Counterspelling is the only option that gets a bit harder, but Dispel Magic is the general-purpose Counterspeller so you're good.

[supermonkeyjoe]

If you're paralyzed, manifest Control Body (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/controlBody.htm) You can move yourself with the power of your mind, you can't manifest anything else unless you then manifest Solicit Psicrystal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/solicitPsicrystal.htm)

[TuggyNE]

Counterspelling is the only option that gets a bit harder, but Dispel Magic is the general-purpose Counterspeller so you're good.

Not exactly.
Unless specifically mentioned in a power’s description, a power cannot be counterspelled when it is being manifested, nor can powers be used to counterspell a spell as it is being cast.

This is roughly the same as in 3.5 (powers are considered psi-like abilities, psi-like abilities can't be counterspelled), but made more explicit.


If psionics are common enough in the setting they'll have to - or at least, force-feed the psion enough drugs to keep him insensate while you transport him to a city somewhere that can hold him. Or hire a psionic jailer that can counter him somehow, e.g. with a NPF or catapsi field.

Wheel of Time has a similar problem - keeping channelers incarcerated is a huge issue. In general, this requires having another channeler on hand or keeping the prisoner drugged.

Or, of course, both. (In fact, standard practice is to use redundant jailors to maintain the shield, trebled for imprisoning male channelers.)

[Psyren]

As tuggyne mentioned, antimagic will work but counterspelling will not.

One pretty low-cost option that hasn't been mentioned is Quintessence - keep vats of the stuff handy, then immerse your troublesome psion in one and he will enter stasis, ceasing to be a problem. Unfortunately, he won't age either - leading to the inevitable doomsday scenario where he breaks free in an idyllic future that has forgotten conflict, and it's up to a band of plucky and poorly-dressed youths to lock him back up again.

On the bright side though, you gave future generations one hell of a campaign hook!