The psionic combat rules in the Third Edition are based around the ability scores. A psionic attack attempts to inflict ability damage to the victim. Sufficient ability damage can incapacitate or even kill. Of all the attempts at psionic combat, I think this is the best and most natural. However, the rules leave a little to be desired. They lack the integration and play testing of the spell and combat systems. To prove this point, I first summarize the existing system and play some combat between some characters. Next I compare the psionic attack modes to existing spells that damage ability scores. In addition, poisons affect abilities, so I have summarized them in some tables. Finally I tie it all together.
Psionic combat consists of an assailant using an attack mode against a defender. The various attack modes have power point costs, but do not have levels associated with them. (Note: 1, 3, 5, and 9 power points correspond to first, second, third, and fifth level powers, respectively.) A psionic attack inflicts temporary ability damage to a psionic unless successfully defended against. Against a non-psionic, the ability damage is translated to rounds of stunning on a round / ability point basis. Mind blast is an exception; it stuns non-psionics for 3d4 rounds.
|
Attack Mode |
Range |
Ability Damage |
Power Points |
|
Mind Thrust (Int) |
Close (25’ + 5’/2 levels) |
1d2 Intelligence |
1 |
|
Ego Whip (Dex) |
Close (25’ + 5’/2 levels) |
1d4 Dexterity |
3 |
|
Id Insinuation (Str) |
Close (25’ + 5’/2 levels) |
1d2 Strength (see below) |
3 |
|
Psychic Crush (Wis) |
Close (25’ + 5’/2 levels) |
2d4 Wisdom |
5 |
|
Mind Blast (Cha) |
60’ cone |
1d4 Charisma (see above) |
9 |
The defender, if a psionic, uses a defense mode to provide protection. The non-psionic defender has the advantage of a non-psionic buffer to protect him. Some of the defense modes provide mental hardness, which reduces ability damage sustained from a psionic attack. Mental hardness stacks, but mental hardness has no effect on Id Insinuation (ability damage is not reduced).
|
Defense Mode |
Secondary Protection |
Power Points |
|
Empty Mind |
None |
1 |
|
Thought Shield |
1 Mental Hardness |
1 |
|
Mental Barrier |
2 Mental Hardness |
3 |
|
Intellect Fortress |
3 Mental Hardness |
5 |
|
Tower of Iron Will |
1 Mental Hardness, 10’ radius |
5 |
|
Non-psionic Buffer |
(ability damage = stun) |
N/A |
Psionic attack and defense modes are referred to collectively as psionic combat modes.
Psionic combat is resolved by will saving throws. The DC is 1d20 + attack mode ability modifier + attack vs. defense mode adjustment found on the table below. (Unlike spells, “taking 10” is not automatic.)
|
|
Ego Whip |
Id Insinuation |
Mind Blast |
Mind Thrust |
Psychic Crush |
|
Non-psionic Buffer |
-9 |
-9 |
+4 |
-8 |
-8 |
|
No Defense Mode |
+8 |
+7 |
+8 |
+8 |
+8 |
|
Empty Mind |
+1 |
-2 |
+3 |
-3 |
-5 |
|
Intellect Fortress |
-2 |
+1 |
+0 |
+6 |
+4 |
|
Mental Barrier |
-1 |
+4 |
-3 |
+3 |
+3 |
|
Thought Shield |
-4 |
-1 |
-2 |
+4 |
+2 |
|
Tower of Iron Will |
+3 |
+0 |
-1 |
+5 |
-3 |
A psionic defender has no defense mode when caught flat-footed or he is out of power points. Non-psionics always enjoy a non-psionic buffer, even when caught flat-footed.
Each attack in a round must be defended separately, but may be defended with different defense modes. However, the defense mode’s power point cost must be paid for each attack.
If an ability score is reduced to 0, the victim immediately collapses and is unable to defend himself from further psionic attack (see the DMG, page 72). Further ability damage from any psionic attack is applied to his constitution score (ah, that is why no attack mode goes after the constitution). If constitution is reduced to 0, the victim dies.
Note that, as ability scores are reduced, a psionic victim looses access to his high level powers. A severely damaged psion (ability scores reduced below 10) may loose access to whole disciplines. However, psionic combat is not affected because combat modes do not have levels associated with them.
Several feats can be used to modify psionic combat results:
· Disarm Mind. A successful attack that causes ability damage also drains power points equal to 4 x charisma modifer. Costs is +3 power points to your attack mode.
· Mental Adversary. Increase ability damage by +1 for +3 power points. The feat can be taken multiple times.
· Mind Trap. Deplete 10 + charisma modifier power points from a successful attacker. Cost is +3 power points to your defense mode.
· Psychic Bastion. Gain +1 mental hardness for 3 power points. The feat can be taken multiple times, each time increasing the available mental hardness (and associated power point cost).
The psion class, powers, and specifications are derived from the sorcerer class. All of the sorcerer class abilities are duplicated, even the concept of a familiar. However, psionic combat has no equivalent within magic. The psion obtains psionic combat by trading a talent (cantrip) and one first level power that he would have if exactly like a sorcerer. At first level, he has 5 combat modes, and gains another combat mode at each odd level. The psychic warrior has no equivalent class to analyze.
My first beef with the combat system is that non-psionic characters are left out. Why? I see two possible reasons. One possibility is the creators envisioned (or play tested) psionic combat in a world where magic and psionics were different. In that kind of world, psionics plays a special role. Another possibility is game balance. By restricting psionic combat to the psionic, the equivalent power level is lowered. Either way, I just don’t like it. It just isn’t appropriate to have such an important class function be useless against the majority of your opponents.
My second beef with psionic combat is that the powers are expensive for the results obtained. Existing arcane spells with equivalent “costs” are superior, yet you would expect the reverse to be true. The first is the spell ray of enfeeblement (first level arcane) which reduces the targets strength by 1d6 + 1 per two caster levels (maximum 1d6+5). Unlike the psionic attack modes, the damage only lasts for 1 minute per level, instead of being temporary ability damage that must be healed. A touch attack role is required, and then a saving throw against fortitude can still negate the ability damage. Still, it is a more powerful combat spell simply because the amount of damage is greater. On top of that, the damage and duration are both functions of caster level. The extra duration of temporary ability damage is of little consequence for low-level characters.
The second spell is contagion (third level divine, fourth level arcane). A victim of contagion instantly suffers the effects of a disease of the caster’s choice. Again, a touch attack is required and a saving throw is allowed. The list of diseases and damages includes blinding sickness (1d4 strength), cackle fever (1d6 wisdom), filth fever (1d3 dexterity + 1d3 constitution), mindfire (1d4 intelligence), red ache (1d6 strength), the shakes (1d8 dexterity), or slimy doom (1d4 constitution). Some of the diseases have additional damage as well and the spell runs for 1 day per level (unless cured). This time, psionic combat is easily outclassed.
The next spell worth noting is feeblemind (fifth level arcane). If the subject fails a saving throw, his intelligence is permanently reduced to 1. A heal, wish, or the like is required to remove the effect! That is significantly more powerful effect than mind blast, also a “fifth level” power going by power cost.
The last spell I found that affects ability scores is mind fog (fifth level arcane). Those that enter the cloud must make a will saving throw or suffer –10 to wisdom and will saves for 2d6 rounds after leaving the cloud. The fog cloud itself last for 30 minutes. Both more ability damage, and a larger area of affect, than any combat mode.
Now consider the following. The psionic power animal affinity encompasses the arcane spells bull’s strength, cat’s grace, and endurance. The manifester of animal affinity selects which ability to augment by 1d4+1 points. He does not augment all abilities with a single power usage, although multiple manifestation of the power can be used to increase each ability one at a time. These powers and spells are all the same level. Thus, one aspect of psionics vs. magic is that when it concerns abilities, a single power can and should encompass what are separate spells. Thus, I conclude the following. The defense modes are deemed to be equivalent to a talent (cantrip), a zero level power. The power level is low because the only application is within psionic combat, not all defense modes are gained at first level, and the more powerful defense modes cause additional power points. The attack modes are equivalent to one first level power for similar reasons. Although it would seem odd to allow a low level power to have greater effect with the expenditure of more power points, that is the case with a few psionic powers. This gives the powers quite a bit of flexibility (which is good since powers known is limited). For example, the first level power call weapon can be used by a level 18-20 manifester willing to expend 17 power points to summon a +4 two-handed sword.
Also, as a character increases in level, his ability to dispatch lesser psionics does not increase dramatically. Psionic combat damage is not influenced by level. In other classes, a level difference of four is sufficient to overwhelmingly imbalance a one-on-one combat. On the table of attack vs. defense modes, non-psionic buffer is allowed to be ineffective against mind blast only because there is pre-existing material in the Monsters Manual for the Illithiad (mind flayer). The number of attack modes is also set to just five in order to have one attack mode cover each of the ability scores except consititution. All this seems a little bit too contrived. More important, it isn’t fun!
The psionic attack modes can also be compared to poisons. A table of various poisons and costs can be found in the DMG, page 80, and is duplicated in part in Song and Silence, page 25. On page 29 of Song and Silence, a table of trap CR modifiers is given; CR is roughly equivalent to spell level.
|
CR |
Poison |
Type |
Save DC |
Initial Dmg |
Secondary Dmg |
Price (gp) |
|
1 |
Black adder venom |
Injury |
12 |
0 |
1d6 Str |
120 |
|
1 |
Bloodroot |
Injury |
12 |
None |
1d4 Con + 1d3 Wis |
100 |
|
1 |
Blue whinnis |
Injury |
14 |
1 Con |
Unconsciousness 1d3 hours |
120 |
|
1 |
Carrion crawler brain juice |
Contact |
13 |
Paralysis 2d6 min |
None |
200 |
|
1 |
Greenboil oil |
Injury |
13 |
1 Con |
1d2 Con |
100 |
|
1 |
Small centipede poison |
Injury |
11 |
1d2 Dex |
1d2 Dex |
90 |
|
2 |
Medium Size Spider Venom |
Injury |
14 |
1d4 Str |
1d6 Str |
150 |
|
3 |
Giant wasp poison |
Injury |
18 |
1d6 Dex |
1d6 Dex |
210 |
|
3 |
Large scorpion venom |
Injury |
18 |
1d6 Str |
1d6 Str |
200 |
|
3 |
Malyss root paste |
Contact |
16 |
1 Dex |
2d4 Dex |
500 |
|
3 |
Sassone leaf residue |
Contact |
16 |
2d12 hp |
1d6 Con |
300 |
|
3 |
Shadow essence |
Injury |
17 |
1 Str* |
2d6 Str |
250 |
|
3 |
Ungol dust |
Inhaled |
15 |
1 Cha |
1d6 Cha + 1 Cha* |
1000 |
|
4 |
Insanity Mist |
Inhaled |
15 |
1d4 Wis |
2d6 Wis |
1500 |
|
4 |
Nitharit |
Contact |
13 |
None |
3d6 Con |
650 |
|
4 |
Purple worm poison |
Injury |
24 |
1d6 Str |
1d6 Str |
700 |
|
5 |
Deathblade |
Injury |
20 |
1d6 Con |
2d6 Con |
1800 |
|
5 |
Terinav root |
Contact |
16 |
1d6 Dex |
2d6 Dex |
750 |
|
5 |
Wyvern poison |
Injury |
17 |
2d6 Con |
2d6 Con |
3000 |
|
6 |
Burnt othur fumes |
Inhaled |
18 |
1 Con* |
3d6 Con |
2100 |
|
6 |
Dragon bile |
Contact |
26 |
3d6 Str |
None |
1500 |
|
8 |
Black lotus extract |
Contact |
20 |
3d6 Con |
3d6 Con |
4500** |
Damage denoted with a * is permanent, not temporary ability damage. The price of black lotus extract is corrected** over that in the DMG.
Unfortunately, the formula used to assign the value of a poison (based on type, save DC, and ability damaged) is not available.
The combat system has been developed and play tested over time. A higher level character has more hit points than a lower level character, a better base attack bonus, is likely to inflict more damage on a successful hit, and is likely to have a better armor class. The psionic combat system is based on different principles. The equivalent of hit points are ability scores. The system is based on saving throws, so the ability to inflict damage shrinks with defender level. Attacker level does not play a role beyond having more power points to expend on the combat.
A question that a DM must determine is if he wants psionic combat to be particularly lethal. My vote is for yes!
Copyright © 2002 John Lipp