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What do you think are top 10 Animal Psionic powers?

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:30 am
by gaby
What do you think are top 10 Animal Psionic powers?

Re: What do you think are top 10 Animal Psionic powers?

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 4:34 pm
by Stone Gargoyle
There aren't that many to begin with, so why need a top ten?

Re: What do you think are top 10 Animal Psionic powers?

Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 1:31 am
by drewkitty ~..~
:twisted: All ten being "Mind Trap". :twisted:

Re: What do you think are top 10 Animal Psionic powers?

Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 3:55 am
by Shark_Force
drewkitty ~..~ wrote::twisted: All ten being "Mind Trap". :twisted:


nah. at least one of them has to be bio-manipulation :P

but seriously, top 10 for what? top 10 for combat? top 10 most frequently chosen? top 10 most useful? top 10 that don't work because technically you can only use one at a time and some of them require multiple powers to be used simultaneously? top 10 highest bio-e cost? top 10 that people can actually afford in the first place because there's so many other things to spend bio-e points on, like not being the size of a squirrel or actually having hands or having your animal type actually mean anything at all? top 10 that i would like to have if i had infinite bio-e? top 10 if i could have them irl?

you've only asked half a question.

Re: What do you think are top 10 Animal Psionic powers?

Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2017 5:55 pm
by eliakon
In no particular order the ones I have found the most useful in games as both a PC and a GM are...

Mind Trap
Telepathic Listening
Danger Sense
Cell Reader, Advanced
Hypnotic Suggestion
Sense Nemesis
Extended Ectoplasmic Hands
Bio-Manipulation (any of the regular ones)
Bio-Manipulation: Crystal Self

Re: What do you think are top 10 Animal Psionic powers?

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 3:38 am
by Avigor
Context, context, context!

Something to keep in mind: the saving throws are not super-difficult to make for other psionics, so the all-or-nothing attacks may not be the best options overall. Also, Mind Block will block Mind Trap, but not Bio-Manipulation. On that topic, anyone know whether the Page 61 "10 or higher" or the Page 147 "12 or better" is the correct rule for saving against psionics if you are a psionic?

I'd say my top 10, in no particular order:
Danger Sense for a small boost to your combat stats (albeit Predator Surge can be more powerful depending on circumstances)
Sense Nemesis for the ability to detect if there's a sniper and roughly where he is (per the text!), in addition to hints as to if a known enemy is involved
Cell Reader to make a buck and to detect Chameleon Mice or other disguises (Advanced gets more $ and no risk of upset "my kids are infertile!" complaints if that's a concern at the cost of more Bio-E)
Natural Mechanical Genius if you don't want to pay for parts for the party car
Psychic Diagnosis for the party medic (basically the diagnosis roll can be ignored if you have it)
Extended Ectoplasmic Hands for skill bonuses and direct to HP damage (do HTH and P.S. bonuses apply to the EEH attack?)
Telepathic Listening for interrogation
Techno-Mind to deal with computers faster
Mind Trap for incapacitation or possibly faster training (it is described as giving one hour of virtual, relative time per minute of real time, so why not give an apprentice several hours of lectures within a few minutes or even virtual practice sessions with no real-world penalty for failure, assuming the master can generate a sufficiently realistic simulation that is?)
Bio-Manipulation: Paralysis (the others mostly suck; unless you want to mute a commander/sentry to prevent alerts or orders, deafen a guard as you sneak past, make an enemy psi's attacks cost them more relatively than normal, torture someone, or try to very slowly kill them from a ranged position where they somehow can't reach you, the others are only for show to the superstitious)

+4 Honorable Mentions:
Hypnotic Suggestion: So much potential, assuming they fail their saves and don't have Mind Block up.
Invisible Haze: Basically ditto.
Animal Control: Who doesn't like having a friend to tip the odds in their favor?
See Aura: Can give a few hints, especially when dealing with disguises or Chameleon Mice.

Is the Bio-Manipulation: Crystal Self even available? It's not in the main ATB book...

Re: What do you think are top 10 Animal Psionic powers?

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 11:48 pm
by Shark_Force
a 55% chance of success is still pretty good for something that can instantly incapacitate a target, so even against other psionic individuals still pretty danged good imo.

(also, in other palladium games 10 is what master psionic classes give. i'd say no mutant animal qualifies as a master psionic character because they can only have one active at a time no matter what, even if they can actually afford to buy more than one in the first place, so i would presume it lets you save on a 12).

anyways, i would point out that ectoplasmic legs basically gives you flight, complete with perfect maneuverability including hover capabilities.

i am also fond of extended ectoplasmic hands for a bat with sonar :)