Description of Psionics

Diabolists, Techno-Wizards & Psionicists, Oh my! All things that are Magics and Psionics in all Palladium Games.

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Captain_Nibbz
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Description of Psionics

Unread post by Captain_Nibbz »

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Prysus wrote:
Captain_Nibbz wrote:Hey all,

Is there a solid breakdown description of what Psionics are and how they work in the Palladium system? I'm looking for something in the vein of how magic is broken down and described (i.e. pg 92 of BtS 1e, or pg 179 or Palladium Fantasy 2e). I'm working on a reformatted and organized guide to the megaverse for my players to reference at the table and I was hoping that there was something like this out there that I could give to the people who are interested in playing a P.C.C.

Thanks in advance,
Captain Nibbz

Greetings and Salutations. I don't believe Palladium has ever gone into extreme depth on the topic. Since it's natural and you're either born with it or not, it doesn't require the same details of training as something like magic. One of the sections I, personally, refer to most when dealing with psionics in general is Page 155 of the PF2 main book (Palladium Fantasy is my setting of choice, so what I know best). There we have a brief introductory paragraph that discusses psionics, followed by small sections on "Who Has Psionic Powers," "Inner Strength Points (I.S.P.)," "Meditation & Recovery of Inner Strength Points," "Saving Throws Against Psionic Attacks," "The Influence of Ley Line Energy," and "Attacks per Melee." This is then followed by a brief section discussing psionics in relation to animals. Though only a little over a page all together, this section talks about where psionics come from (no one knows) and that it's the power of the mind, gives some percentages for how common they are in a population, then followed by most of the game mechanics you should need to know for play. This section is brief (which, in my opinion, is nice for newer players), while still containing most relevant information (in my opinion).

If there's something you feel it's lacking, what would that be? I can make no promises, but if I have something more specific I can look around and see if I find anything. Hope that helps. Farewell and safe journey for now.


This is basically exactly what I was looking for. I was kind of hoping from a bit more of a break down on why they work. But if they haven't really made one, thats cool. This works perfect.
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Prysus
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Re: Description of Psionics

Unread post by Prysus »

Greetings and Salutations. I was going through some of my old files looking for something, and stumbled upon an old article I was working on (but never finished) that made me think of this thread. Not sure if it'll really help, and it is not official, but figured to share it anyways.

There is a common belief that psychics do not have to work at their powers, that they are inborn and come naturally. This mentality is both true, and untrue. It's a fact that one must be born a psychic. If one is not born with psychic abilities, no amount of training will change that fact. It is similar to a child being born double jointed. No matter how hard someone practices, they will never be able to make their arm suddenly double jointed. The same is true with psionics.

Simply being born with psionics, however, is not enough. In order to truly manifest them into something more the psychic must train in their use. A young child may be able to hold a sword in his or her hands, but to wield it skillfully there must be practice, to learn new techniques the character must understand the basics and then expand upon them. Psychic powers work in much the same way. Only by honing their inborn talents can one ever hope to become a master. Note: Psi-Mystics are the exception. They learn their psychic abilities through intuition, same as they learn their magical talents.

By no means does this mean that all psychics train in their powers. In fact, many do not. A quarter of all humans (25%) are born with psychic abilities, but only a small fraction (less than 1%) actually hone these abilities further. It is also important to keep in mind not all who train in their powers are going to be capable of developing them further. Some, no matter how hard they train, will never be able to expand upon a small handful of talents as a result of simply not having the potential.

There is a theory that all Psychic Character Classes (P.C.C.) have an equal potential, but it is their area of focus that shapes their destinies. One who wishes to heal is more likely to become a Psi-Healer while someone who wishes to seek out evil may become a Psychic Sensitive. While this is only a theory there have been instances of a psychic headed towards on path, but suffering a life changing experience in training suddenly took a new path.

Farewell and safe journeys for now.
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Rifter #45; Of Bows & Arrows (Archery; expanding rules and abilities)
Rifter #52; From Ruins to Runes (Living Rune Weapons; playable characters and NPC)
Rifter #55; Home Away From Home (Quorian Culture; expanded from PF Book 9: Baalgor Wastelands)

Official PDF versions of Rifter #45, #52, and #55 can be found at DriveThruRPG.
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