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FreakyCheeseMan
2014-06-23, 07:46 PM
Building a gestalt Psion/Binder for a PbP game; I want to come up with a custom flaw for the Psion, as (for character reasons) he's severly dyslexic. I have a few ideas, but the DM asked me to check what you guys though.

Idea #1: All powers, by default, have an X% failure rate when he uses them. He can negate 1/2X% each by adding an extra verbal or sommatic component (so if he adds both, he casts perfectly reliably.) - the fluff on this is that it's a mnemonic device, where he's trained himself to associate the structure of powers with words and gestures, and learned those by muscle memory, to help him cast more reliably.

Idea #2: All powers, by default, have a Y% failure rate. He can expend his psionic focus to negate this failure rate entirely for a given power.

Idea #3: All powers, by default, have a Z% failure rate; he can negate this by spending an extra power point, which does not count against his maximum-use-per-power.

So, which of those do you like? What would you say are appropriate X, Y or Z? Should I add any sort of "Backlash" for powers that fail in that way? (I was thinking something like PP/2 d6 nonlethal damage in a 5ft radius blast centered on him, reflex save for everyone else.)

Flickerdart
2014-06-23, 07:52 PM
In what way would dyslexia affect manifestation of psionics? Dyslexics have trouble reading. Reading is not involved in psionics.

FreakyCheeseMan
2014-06-23, 07:55 PM
In what way would dyslexia affect manifestation of psionics? Dyslexics have trouble reading. Reading is not involved in psionics.

It actually effects more than that - I've got a dyslexic friend who's a math and computer science major, and she does really strange things where she inverts or re-arranges proofs, algorithms and other logical structures. So, I figure it's reasonable to have it apply to the manifestation of powers, as well.

Kazudo
2014-06-23, 08:34 PM
Well, severe dyslexia is generally a neurological disorder, and since Psions are heavily mind based, it could have weird effects. Maybe the cost to augment costs cost-1+1d3 or something to that effect. Sometimes things just work, sometimes they just don't.

Or maybe that's ALL powers. Maybe all power point expenditures have a 30% chance of incurring a 1d4 additional power point cost, and if that would push you over your power point max = manifester level limit, you suffer a severe headache and lose your ability to manifest powers until you can make a concentration check or move action to regain your mental faculties. Basically, you have to rub your temples and refocus your thoughts again.

weckar
2014-06-23, 10:36 PM
Roll a d20
1-15: The power manifests normally
16-19: The power is manifested, but the effect is modified as if -2+1d4 extra PP were spent.
20: A random other power is manifested, with an equal amount of PP invested as the original power. If the selected power can't manifest, the PP are wasted.

Doc_Maynot
2014-06-23, 10:46 PM
Or just have it inline with the Divine Gestures feat from Dragon Magazine 326,
"You suffer a spell failure chance (due to armor, shields, or anything else which causes arcane spell failure) when [manifesting psionics], just as if they were arcane spells."
If you feel it isn't enough, add an extra 10% to it.