Total Party Kill Games Presents: Terrors from the Id: Psionic Horror (Playtest)

[Thealtruistorc]

Hello again, everyone. I'm back with another interesting little product for playtest purposes.

Once again, my focus is psionics, but a very different aspect from that covered in Arcforge. Whereas that installment focused on understanding and utilizing the logical and scientific aspects of psionics, Terrors from the Id is all about the horrific, uncomfortable, and alien factors that come with mental power.

Here, you'll find new archetypes for the majority of psionic classes, alongside a boatload of nightmarish new powers, a new prestige class, and three new corruptions (one which fans of Dark Sun may recognize). I'll be updating this with more content in the future, so be sure to stay posted. Input is always appreciated.

Enjoy! I expect some horrifying ideas from the lot of ye.

[Lord_Gareth]

Hello again, everyone. I'm back with another interesting little product for playtest purposes.

Once again, my focus is psionics, but a very different aspect from that covered in Arcforge. Whereas that installment focused on understanding and utilizing the logical and scientific aspects of psionics, Terrors from the Id (https://docs.google.com/document/d/157vgH0QME-iL5pndvehR-BHSdJAo7wfyhY7gm_VhXus/edit?usp=sharing) is all about the horrific, uncomfortable, and alien factors that come with mental power.

Here, you'll find new archetypes for the majority of psionic classes, alongside a boatload of nightmarish new powers, a new prestige class, and three new corruptions (one which fans of Dark Sun may recognize). I'll be updating this with more content in the future, so be sure to stay posted. Input is always appreciated.

Enjoy! I expect some horrifying ideas from the lot of ye.


Armaggeddon
Discipline Psychokinesis (force)
Level Kineticist 9
MANIFESTING
Display Auditory, Visual
Manifesting Time 1 minute
EFFECT
Range Personal
Area 1 mile radius/level, centered on manifester
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude half; Power Resistance No
Power Points 17

Channelling all of your raw psionic power into a single burst, you unleash cosmic destruction over all that you survey. All things within range, including you, take 10d6 points of force damage.
Augment This power can be augmented in the following ways
If you spend 2 additional power points, you may center this power on a location you are familiar with. See the Psychoport power for rules on familiarity with a location.



Assign Imperative
Discipline Telepathy (curse, mind-affecting)
Level Telepath 6
MANIFESTING
Display Auditory and Mental
Manifesting Time 10 minutes
EFFECT
Range close (25 feet + 5 feet/level)
Target One creature
Duration Permanent
Saving Throw None; Power Resistance yes
Power Points 11

One of the most terrifying abilities of any telepath, this power assumes total control over a target for a permanent duration, turning them into an absolutely loyal servitor. This power functions like Mind Control, except as noted above. In addition, this power cannot be dispelled as normal, and only a cleanse spirit, bend reality, or similarly powerful instance of magic can end its effects. Even still, these effects require a successful manifester level check (DC 10 + your manifesting ability score modifier + the number of power points spent on this power) in order to dispel this power. However, a psychic chirurgery power is strong enough to end the effects of this power automatically.

Augment In addition to the ways that Mind Control can be augmented, this power can be augmented in the following ways.
1. If you spend 4 additional power points, you may manifest this power as a standard action. If you do, the target is allowed a will save.
2. If you spend 2 additional power points, you may force a creature under the effects of this power to perform actions against its nature, including self-destructive actions. The creature is not allowed a new saving throw if it was not allowed a saving throw in the first place, but is allowed a save if they failed a save against this effect.
3. If you spend 2 additional power points, you may deteriorate the mind and body of the targeted creature should their efforts prove insufficient. Once per day, you may cause a target to take a -3 penalty to all of its ability scores. These penalties are cumulative, but can never reduce an ability score below 1.

I'd like you to walk me through the thought process that let you get from conception to execution on these in the belief that either is remotely acceptable.

[PsyBomb]

TAO, I'm not going to lie, this has a lot of work to go before it becomes publishable. I can give the full breakdown, but it will take significant time for me to work through it due to work and my own projects.

On the two above: Armageddon looks powerful until you get to the part where the damage is 10d6. This averages 35 damage, or 17.5 for those who save, on a 9th level power. Meaningful enemies will NEVER have less than a hundred HP at that level, usually more like 250, for reference. You're going to slay a ton of bystanders and collapse some weak buildings, possibly even clear out mooks, but nothing else.

Assign Imperitive breaks some of the cardinal rules of mind control. No save, and can force them to violate personal ethics without allowing one, plus permanent duration. Anything that can force a player to hand over their character sheet forever is not fun, nor something that needs to exist.

If you want, I will go on. As I said above, it will take a while.

[Thealtruistorc]

I'd like you to walk me through the thought process that let you get from conception to execution on these in the belief that either is remotely acceptable.

Both of these are weakened versions of existing spells (3.5's Apocalypse from the Sky and Pathfinder's Geas/Quest, respectively) and are iconic uses of psionics in science fiction. I envision that the former could use some tweaking, but don't see anything abnormally dangerous about Assign Imperative.

Issues like these are the whole reason playtests exist. Feel free to go on as long as you like.

[Ilorin Lorati]

Both of these are weakened versions of existing spells

Out of curiosity, have you read Geas/Quest? Because Geas/Quest is far more limited than what I'm reading from that quote.

[khadgar567]

Out of curiosity, have you read Geas/Quest? Because Geas/Quest is far more limited than what I'm reading from that quote.
Have you watch code geass aka brain daddy of the after mentioned spell it takes one well thought order to turn pc in to npc controled by caster and its simply " you are my slave" and done no way to breake by going against the order cuz order is broad enough to give new orders with no problem

[Ilorin Lorati]

"You are my slave" is not a task and would be invalid for Geas/Quest, not to mention wording it as a task ("be my slave") would be open ended and thus subject to a duration.

Geas/Quest doesn't erase the user's will like Assign Imperative does (by way of Mind Control and the wording of the power itself), and indeed goes so far as to say that the spell can be subverted if the target is clever enough.

Finally, Geas/Quest is only a single command, whilst Assign Imperative (via Mind Control) can change the target's command as a move action if the manifester changes their mind or made a mistake.

The only thing I see that Assign Imperative does have going for it is that I'm not actually sure if it overrides Mind Control's bonus saves for actions outside of the target's nature, but the text seems to suggest it does.

[JoshuaZ]

On the two above: Armageddon looks powerful until you get to the part where the damage is 10d6. This averages 35 damage, or 17.5 for those who save, on a 9th level power. Meaningful enemies will NEVER have less than a hundred HP at that level, usually more like 250, for reference. You're going to slay a ton of bystanders and collapse some weak buildings, possibly even clear out mooks, but nothing else.


You can use the power repeatedly on an area while someone may not have time to figure out where they are being attacked from. That's effectively scry and die on steroids. And it isn't at all hard to increase the damage level.


Both of these are weakened versions of existing spells (3.5's Apocalypse from the Sky and Pathfinder's Geas/Quest, respectively) and are iconic uses of psionics in science fiction. I envision that the former could use some tweaking, but don't see anything abnormally dangerous about Assign Imperative.


Apocalypse from the Sky requires an artifact as a material component, can't be cast remotely, and has all the serious issues of a corrupt spell. And that's found in BoVD which has some of the least balanced material and is more 3.25 than 3.5 as a whole.

[Thealtruistorc]

The two powers in question have been reduced in power, with Armaggedon having a serious backlash effect and Assign Imperative getting slammed with a lot of restrictions held by Geas.

[Shackel]

I can add some suggestions for the powers, though my knowledge of how balanced the archetypes are beyond if something is just straight broken is limited, so I don't think I'll be able to make suggestions there.

Awestrike really skirts the line between what being indiscriminate allows in terms of power level. Comparing it with its magical brother, Mass Hold Person, while Mass Hold Person has an effective 30ft radius within Medium Range, Awestrike not only has a whopping 60ft spread, but it's Will partial, and the effect even gets worse when you suffer from it for more than one round.

Is it indiscriminate between friend and foe? Yes, but I'm unsure if that really means its necessary to have a save-or-really-suck, and then the save also means you suck for a little for a turn anyway. I think at the least it could do with the removal of its stagger, or at least making that an augment rather than a base part of the power, then it would be more in line with Mass Hold Person by being a bigger area of effect, but also indiscriminate and centered on you.

... Or your psicrystal you could send in 2 levels later, more likely.

I admit I'm no designer or a master of balance, but while Beckoning's flavor is pretty cool as the classic fantasy distress signal, the 10PP augment seems... scary in practice in strategic scenarios. Teleporting an entire army within 100 miles at you at 6th level? Bringing in any ally with 26HD or less? I can see a lot of cases for abuse of this from PCs, villains and NPCs both in games where there's heavy interaction with the world.

I really like the concept behind Deathless Form, isn't there another power that's similar, putting you in stasis if you get killed?

Friends don't let friends recreate Astral Projection. :smallfrown:

Pseudo-confusion at 2nd level over more targets with the ability to be selective and explicitly forces targets used to basically go nova and waste resources makes Insurrection feel like... not a great idea, beyond the meta problem of bringing "Hey Fighter, you should kill all of your friends" to an even lower level. Confusion is a solid enough encounter-ender at 4th level, I'm not even sure myself what can be done for this.

Interference Field, in my opinion, should be depowered slightly and moved to 3rd level: with Reddopsi just one power level past it and its area replicated by spending two points and expending psionic focus, putting it exactly at Reddopsi's level, it crosses over a little too heavily into Reddopsi's shtick. Having it be a bit more clearly a "Lesser/Generic Reddopsi" might give it a more unique feel. But this one's just a feeling.

Two things about Latent Programming. One, yessss, it's like those tropes where someone has a bomb planted in them that'll go off, or the sleeper agent who doesn't even know they're about to be mind-controlled to, I don't know, shoot the president the next time they see them.

Two, at 9th power level it's also Unlimited Free Permanency and I don't think that's okay even for 9th level. You can't just target yourself with Personal permanent buffs until level 18(with an orange ioun stone, standard equipment for any caster at that point), sure, but orange ioun stone in a wayfinder is also a basic thing and psions can cast a lot more 9th level spell equivalents. They can afford to just cast every personal buff in history on them permanancied forever on an off-day with their 343 base PP, even if they have to waste 18PP and 4 hours on average to get a cast at ML19 at level 17. And that's without any other manifester level boosting shenanigans.

Combine with any form of getting a lot of powers, and it's effectively TO("How long were we away? A week? I have Permanent True Metamorphosis, True Metabolism, Barred Mind, Evade Burst, I paid for Repeatable Cosmic Awareness, Energy Conversion..."). for the low low price of... the absolute base level of power. Unless I'm reading this power wrong.

Malefic Metamorphosis is pretty cool, Curse but transmutation and all. Except for the augments. They... all may want to be increased to at least 4PP, since that turns Bestow Curse from pretty harmful to utterly devastating. Yeah have fun being psuedo-confused, blind and tiny for 5th level, Mr. Martial. Ooh, real shame, Mr. Caster, you failed your save, now you have -6 to your stat and can't use somatic components. At all.

Also if it can stack, it makes Greater Bestow Curse(7th level) a 4th level spell. And that's not okay :smallfrown:. If it can't stack, I'd recommend having an 8PP augment let it stack if only to keep in line with how powers often combined Greater/Lesser variants into the augmenting system.

You know, I'm genuinely surprised that the people who deal with minds and body in so many of their powers haven't gotten a form of Awaken. I like Mental Evolution. It fits well with a lot of the design of other powers in combining effects, good flavor, etc.

Isn't Psionic Effigy just an item-based way around the limitations of Trigger Power? I'm not too well-versed in Contingent optimization, so I don't know its true effects or if it'd just be TO, but I'm just curious.

Suggestion for Relapse: only let the spell or power chosen be targeted by this spell once or, with the augment, once per day, and make Relapse unable to choose. Otherwise you'll just get the psion being a battery to persist up to 9th level buffs for the entire party using 7PP.

Love Respite of Sanity.

Augment 3 of Violate Identity is unfinished.

[Thealtruistorc]

I can add some suggestions for the powers, though my knowledge of how balanced the archetypes are beyond if something is just straight broken is limited, so I don't think I'll be able to make suggestions there.

...



Thank you for all of your input. I've adjust and clarified many of the powers based on your suggestions. I feel that some deeper explanation should be set out on some of the powers.

Deathless Form is taken straight from a classic sci-fi short story (kudos to anyone who recognizes it), and while it is superficially similar to Defer Fatality, the utility and execution are a bit different. The intent of Deathless Form is to stave off a creature's demise temporarily so that the others can maybe have enough time to get their hands on life-saving treatment. Defer Fatality is much more akin to a "preserve myself in time until someone important arrives".

Interference Field is a case where I don't see your comparison. How is it similar to Reddopsi?

Psionic Effigy is intended to be a power that recreates the monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as the symbol spells so common through pathfinder. I'm trying to think of ways to balance it out while at the same time keeping the fantastic utility of it within stories (increasing the level seems to be my best bet in that regard, but I am open to other ideas).

[Thealtruistorc]

Updated with some new powers and new prestige class: The Paragon Lunatic. Imagine the Evangelist with a much crazier bent, or perhaps the Alienist which can be adapted to any class.

[Thealtruistorc]

For all those interested, the book is now out (although under Legendary Games, not TPK. There were some shifts in the publication process). As a result, the playtest is now closed.

Those who want a copy can get it here: http://www.makeyourgamelegendary.com/products-page/horror-plug-ins/terrors-from-the-id-the-book-of-psionic-horror/

[Bohandas]

Looks kind of interesting