From dd2b6e83987786dbd53113fa984630119334925d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2016 12:38:00 -0700 Subject: initial commit --- org/PsionicSchools.org | 225 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 225 insertions(+) create mode 100644 org/PsionicSchools.org (limited to 'org/PsionicSchools.org') diff --git a/org/PsionicSchools.org b/org/PsionicSchools.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..871abd2 --- /dev/null +++ b/org/PsionicSchools.org @@ -0,0 +1,225 @@ +#+HTML_HEAD_EXTRA: +=== Schools of Psionics === + +From what I've seen, the most recent few 5e Unearthed Arcana dealing +with "Psionics and the Mystic" have been getting somewhat mixed +reviews. I don't think this is because of the mechanics--or rather +not COMPLETELY because of the mechanics. Mechanics for psionics have +always been weird, and the 5e style is good for D&D, so maintaining +that is good and won't get any gripes from me. + +But I think that no matter what purely mechanical tweaks the UA team +has planned for the Mystic, the general lukewarm reception isn't going +to change unless we get something else squared away first. Something +a little deeper--something that helps us grasp Psionics in the same +way we grasp Magic: with a complete and intuitive system. + +With Weave-based magic there are schools which somewhat delineate +magical effects (conjuration, divination, etc), but that's not exactly +what I mean. Not to bash the magical schools (any system will have +inconsistencies--mine notwithstanding), but few people really +understand what it means to be a wizard by what school of magic they +specialize in. An enchantment wizard isn't fundamentally different +from an evocation one. But a wizard is different than a bard or a +warlock. These "Schools of Psionics" are as much about the state of +mind of the manifester and the method for manifestation as they are +about the outcome of the manifestation (there are several of my +Psionic "schools" that may each manifest effects in the transmutation +school of magic for instance, but each according to its own particular +rules). + +What I mean is this: + +| | Introvertion (a) | Extroversion (b) | +|-----------+------------------+------------------| +| Mind (1) | Cogitation | Domination | +| Body (2) | Sympathy | Manifestation | +| Time (3) | Prescience | Anticipation | +| Space (4) | Metapsionics | Apportation | + +There are eight categories split into two primary focuses and four +topical domains, and each of the eight describes HOW a power is +manifested. It tells us what our character is DOING to get the +blasted power to work. As a D&D culture, we know how wizards do it, +careful study and recitation, memorization, etc. We know how Bards do +it, they hear the music of creation and wrap their words in it. All +these effects are propagated through Mystra's Weave and are bound by +it's limitations. But nobody has a clue how Psionics works. Or +rather, we all have half-baked ideas that don't jive. + +In order for this to work, we need to know in canon, what it means to +BE A PSIONIST and manifest powers. I'm probably no different than +anybody else in my half-baked understanding, but as a Physicist and an +editor I feel it is my duty to try to make sense of this mess. + +First off, since we don't have a Weave, but all magic needs a medium, +lets make one. Lets call it the Psionic Field. Created spontaneously +from the first thinking being (or Source), the Psionic Field exists on +any plane containing thought. Some sources of psionic power are +stronger than others, but all thinking things produce some connection +to the field (some might wonder if magic and the Weave itself is +naught but an echo of Mystra's or Auppenser's mind--and in that light +perhaps the Psionic Field is not so foreign after all). + +With that medium in place, the world of Psionics slowly falls into +place as well. Detailed descriptions of the eight schools follow: + +1a) Cogitation - Clarity of thought, memory, action, and connection to +the Psionic Field. + +Cogitation is often one's first exposure to Psionics. It's a +clear-mindedness that opens up your own mind to see itself for the +first time, and beyond that, to sense the edges of the minds of +others. It includes the stereotypical bloody-nosed mind reading, +mimicry, and perfect recall. + +Examples of Cogitation include "Detect Thoughts" and "Mind Meld" and +the ability to learn or borrow skills and proficiencies directly from +the minds of others. + +1b) Domination - Exert dominating willpower over other minds. + +Once you've encountered sources outside yourself it is only natural to +try to influence or even dominate them. Exerting your will into the +minds of others isn't the same as reading their thoughts, you might +not know what your target is thinking, only that it will succumb. + +Examples of Domination include "Command", "Suggestion", and "Dominate +Person". + +2a) Sympathy - Exerting influence upon sympathetic objects. + +The Psionic Field is produced by thinking creatures, but it can leave +an imprint on even mundane objects and materials. Objects may be +imbued with Psionic energy to produce a variety of effects, and may +soak up ambient energy by just sitting within the Psionic Field which +can be later be discerned by a Psionist to know about an object's +history. This is done by expanding your sense of self outward from +your mind and body and into the object. + +Examples of Sympathy include "Psychometry", "Animate Objects", and +"Guards and Wards". + +2b) Manifestion - Creating both illusory and physically manipulable +constructs of pure thought. + +By focusing and condensing ideas down to their most concrete forms, +Psionists can manifest the essence of a thing as either an illusion or +as a real physical object made of Astral matter (ectoplasm). Astral +matter is most commonly associated with the Astral plane (or plane of +thought) where it occurs naturally, but can exist anywhere with a +sufficient psionic field for a Psionist to conjure it. + +Examples of Manifestation include "Mage Hand", "Conjure Astral +Construct", and "Programmed Illusion" + +3a) Prescience - See and feel other places and times. + +Because the actions of thinking things (sources of psionics) are not +stagnant, their movements create ripples in the Psionic Field. +Births, deaths, and exchanges of knowledge leave their marks. By +studying these echos and patterns, Psionists can discern events that +occurred in distant parts of the world or even in the past or future. + +Examples of Prescience include "Detect Poison and Disease", "Scrying", +and "Foresight". + +3b) Anticipation - Solidify expectation and possibility into reality. + +In many ways the Universe itself is just composed of the interactions +of groups of sources of psionism and the objects being pulled in their +wake (albeit a rather large number of each). With an awareness of the +way ripples propagate in the Psionic Field and by using the techniques +of Sympathy but directing them outwards, a Psionist can begin to +subtly manipulate expectation and the laws of Physics themselves. + +Examples of Anticipation include "Heat Metal", "Telekinesis", "Reverse +Gravity", and "Time Stop". + +4a) Metapsionics - Manipulating sources of Psionism and their direct +effects. + +The way that thinking creatures interact with the Psionic Field is +complicated and diverse, just as the creatures which produce it are +themselves. By studying how the minds of Psionically-attuned +creatures create Psionic and even Magical Weave-based effects, a +Psionist can learn to imitate or manipulate psionic effects as they +see them (and sometimes use what they've learned to imbue limited +psionic potential into others). + +Examples of Metapsionics include "Detect Magic", "Counterspell", and +"Awaken" + +4b) Apportation - Pulling and pushing on planar boundaries with the +Psionic Field. + +Since the material plane is not the only one with thinking creatures, +some far-minded Psionists can detect the Psionic Field existing on +other planes of existence and pull on these remote fields of power. +Doing so can banish alien creatures, abjure harmful elemental effects, +or even tear open portals to distant planes and places. + +Examples of Apportation include "Dimension Door", "Banishment", and +"Whitefire Portal" + +== Post Script == + +Q: Specifics (where do these fit in?) - A: Answer + +What about Soul Knives??? - A soul knife is just an adept who uses a +combination of Manifestation and Sympathy to conjure a blade and imbue +it with different Sympathetic effects. In a similar way, you can use +these eight to extend specific domains on to different classes. +Psionic warrior? Uses Sympathy to strengthen his body and Prescience +to predict the strikes of his enemy. Psionic rogue? Apportation to +teleport around or Cogitation to read minds to cheat at cards (or +memorize the deck). Once the system is in place, the variations build +themselves because you know what's possible and what isn't. +Restriction breeds Creativity. You gotta know the rules to use them. + +What's all this about "Psionist?" Isn't it "Psion" - In my +understanding a "Psion" is a mystic who uses metapsionics to +manipulate her own mind into casting spells with the Weave. It is +also a term that gets some use for a general practitioner of psionics. +It is also one of those 4e tattoo addicts... just a really overloaded +term really. Psionist sounds the best to me as a general term like +"mage." + +What's the difference between Sympathy and Anticipation when +moving/lifting things? - In Sympathy, you convince the object to move +by extending your sense of self into it and lifting it yourself, in +Anticipation, it moves because you trick the Universe into thinking +the object should already be moving and so the Universe does it for +you. Expanding self is all monk-like vs. essentially casting Luck +Bending spells. + +Apportation includes an allusion to "Whitefire Portal". What's that? - +Oh, just this cool thing I made: + +*Whitefire Portal*: You burn a temporary hole through the Astral Plane +and into another plane of your choice. Once per long rest, centered on +a point within 300 ft of you, you summon raw Astral ectoplasm which +burns with hellish, white-hot fury. Any creature standing within 20 +feet of the whitefire must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 12d10 +fire damage or half on a successful save. Inanimate objects in the +area also take the damage and flammable objects may catch on fire. A +portal then opens to the chosen plane as with a Gate spell and remains +open for 1 minute as the planes slowly knit themselves back +together. Alternatively, instead of a specific location on a plane of +your choice, you may choose to have your portal open into a generally +inhospitable location in one of the elemental planes or the planes of +positive or negative energy. If you do so, creatures who enter or +begin their turns within 20 feet of the portal take 6d10 damage of the +appropriate elemental or energy type. + +I'm actually working on an entire Psionist class for eventual +publication on the Dungeon Master's Guild (or as part of my +"MagnumOpis-MagicOfTheMultiverse" which covers EVERYTHING magical as I +understand it). Of course if somebody #wotcstaff wants to buy it +and/or hire me, I'd be totally up for #theorycrafting for a living. + +-- + +Thanks for Reading! +Andrew Murrell +ImFromNASA@gmail.com -- cgit v1.2.3-2-g168b