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3 years ago ::
Apr 08, 2010 - 4:15AM
#1
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Dragon 386
D&D Alumni: PsionicsBy Rob Heiret In today's free Dragon column – this month's D&D Alumni – Rob Heiret follows the history of Psionics through the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, from 1st to 4th Editions. In addition, he previews an up-coming Aberrant monster from Monster Manual 3, the Intellect Devourer. Talk about this column here.  
A great man once said "If WotC put out boxes full of free money there'd still be people complaining about how it's folded." – Boraxe
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3 years ago ::
Apr 08, 2010 - 6:02AM
#2
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Little disappointed by the intellect devourer, as instead of burrowing into skulls it just vanishes into your square causing no real lasting effect.
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3 years ago ::
Apr 08, 2010 - 6:08AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jun 26, 2008
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What did you "want" it to do, kill you instantly because it threw out your brain?
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3 years ago ::
Apr 08, 2010 - 5:26PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Apr 23, 2005
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I'm definitely looking forward to the return of the intellect devourer. Bring on the brain-eating walking brains!
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3 years ago ::
Apr 08, 2010 - 5:46PM
#5
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What did you "want" it to do, kill you instantly because it threw out your brain?
No. But how about something like the Mind Flayer where it has a high-damage "burrowing" attack, which if it reduces a character to 0hp allows the devourer to use Body Thief. Body Thief itself could trigger off being adjacent to a creature reduced to 0hp and allow it to ride the body using it as a meat shield for a few rounds.
As it's written it's the definition of un-fun. You're already stunned (likely by an ID attack) and it attacks your will. Then you're dominated for at least a round with a penalty on the save. Then, when you do save, you're dazed. It takes your character away for 2+ turns and then gives you partial actions when you can act.
Before posting, ask yourself WWWS: What Would Wrecan Say?Spoiler:
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Updated Tuesday and Thursday
Read my blog on the WotC Community Site (updated irregularly to avoid spamming the "Featured Blogger" list).
You can follow me on Twitter: "@DnDJester"
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3 years ago ::
Apr 09, 2010 - 10:13PM
#6
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The article was enjoyable, an overview of the Psionic tradition in D&D. In short, the Psionic power source is just as 'core' as the Druid class, but its fringe mechanics have continually discouraged players from actually using it in game.
My feeling: unfortunately the tradition of fringe mechanics continues into 4e. The decision to use power points in 4e is probably a mistake, and the Psionic power source will probably suffer for it. Tho I hope to be wrong on this point.
Anyway, what caught my eye was the fluff, Psionic comes from the Farrealms. I thought it came from the Natural World as a response to the Farrealms.
Personally, I see both Psionic (bodily aura and conscious mind) and Martial (physical body and use of tools) as 'personal' power sources. Thus Psionic isnt a 'planar' power source at all. It is the power of ones own mind.
That said, the Farrealms would represent an assault on conscious being itself, and in this sense, the Natural World as a holistic being favors its individual creatures who learn how to use their own consciousness to defend themselves.
So all origins can be true simultaneously ...
1. Psionics is mind over mater, the influence of an individuals own conscious being and bodily aura.
2. The Farrealms, being utterly alien to the multiverse, interracts with the multiverse at the fundamental level of conscious being, thus influences the multiverse Psionically.
3. Psionics is a natural response to threats from the Farrealm. If Farrealms is the disease, Psionics is the cosmic immune system. Tho Psionics has always been potentially present within the multiverse via conscious creatures, its becoming a key to survival favors the development and evolution of Psionic powers, adapting to the new threat.
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3 years ago ::
Apr 10, 2010 - 1:30PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jun 29, 2003
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My feeling: unfortunately the tradition of fringe mechanics continues into 4e. The decision to use power points in 4e is probably a mistake, and the Psionic power source will probably suffer for it. Tho I hope to be wrong on this point.
No arguments there. As the only source to use power points the psionic source is an outsider among the other sources, and as the only psionic class to not use power points the the monk is an outsider to its own source. Both of these elements could be fixed in time, by the edition of more standard classes to the psionic source and by the addition of non-psionic power point based classes. All that said, the way power points are used in 4e seems an unnecessary holdover from previous editions that only serves to hinder the source's integration into main-line D&D.
So all origins can be true simultaneously ...
1. Psionics is mind over mater, the influence of an individuals own conscious being and bodily aura.
2. The Farrealms, being utterly alien to the multiverse, interracts with the multiverse at the fundamental level of conscious being, thus influences the multiverse Psionically.
3. Psionics is a natural response to threats from the Farrealm. If Farrealms is the disease, Psionics is the cosmic immune system. Tho Psionics has always been potentially present within the multiverse via conscious creatures, its becoming a key to survival favors the development and evolution of Psionic powers, adapting to the new threat.
Well said.
Exactly where psionic powers originate is something of a convoluted inter-relational mash-up, and that's probably for the best, as it allows each DM (and maybe even player) to put there own personal spin on the theme.
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3 years ago ::
Apr 11, 2010 - 9:35AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Sep 20, 2004
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Personally, I am glad they continued to use the power point mechanic. While it is nice to have things become more integrated (and I feel that they still are in 4e), its also nice to throw tradition a bone. I think the new psionics system is both well balanced with 4e in general, and manages to nicely capture the feeling of playing a psionic character back in 2e. I am quite happy with their chosen mechanics...
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3 years ago ::
Apr 11, 2010 - 11:04AM
#9
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Well, Im trying to keep an open mind. If you and other players are happy with it, it helps me feel better about it.
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3 years ago ::
Apr 11, 2010 - 12:36PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Jul 15, 2008
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I am on the "unecessary leftover" side here. Really, the PPs mechanics have upped some issue on its own on the side of some at-will being better augmented/low lever than some unaugmented/hgh level.
Was it really necessary?
It would have been better, IMHO, to have psionics a "power thematic" instead than a "power mechanic". Like Encounter powers that power ups under certain conditions that other powers trigger, like placing "Mind Mark"s whit at-will, and more whit encounter powers and daily.
Or, ever simpler, something like "If you hit th target whit another power before the end of your next turn, it become dazed (save end)" as common sight on Psionic powers.
Actually Play'ng:
Nothing. My old party is full of short-sighted racists and sexists (on their own admission), so I left.
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