Psionics Beta
Some rules for psionics inspired by the specialist class from Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Suitable for any "old-school" Dungeons and Dragons game. This is still a work in progress. If you have any feedback please get in touch.
Mindbenders
Mindbenders are the only characters in the game with access to psionic powers. They improve in their ability to use these powers as they gain levels. Characters begin the game with X "points" to allocate between the various psionic powers. They gain Y more points to allocate to these powers each time they gain a level. All skills begin with no points allocated and are unusable by the Mindbender until they spend a point to learn them. Each power has an x in 6 chance of succeeding, where x is the number of points a player as allocated to the power. (Clearly no skill can have more than a 6 in 6 chance of success.)
To use a power a player simply rolls a d6 and attempts to roll equal to or under the points allocated to the skill. The result of the die roll is called the power roll and is sometimes referred to in the power descriptions. Anytime a 1 is rolled that power is exhausted for the day. A Mindbender must rest for 8 hours to regain their exhausted powers.
In addition to the guaranteed success that comes with allocating 6 points to a power, there is one further benefit: when a 6 is rolled while attempting to use the power the Mindbender experiences a psychic surge. Each psionic power has a surge effect, that explains what happens in this case.
Mindbender's can expend 1d6 HP to use a power they have exhausted for the day with guaranteed success, or to succeed in any failed power roll. In both cases their power roll will be the amount of HP they lose. The character is knocked out if this reduces them to 0 or less HP: they will be completely catatonic for 1d6 days.
Wild Talents
If a character isn't playing a Mindbender, they still may have some latent psionic power. The player should roll under their Wisdom score to determine if their character has a wild psionic talent. If they succeed, the amount they succeed by determines their wild talent as follows:
| d | Power |
|---|---|
| 0 | Know Direction - The character knows which way is North. |
| 1 | Far Hearing - For one turn the character hears all sounds within 50’ as if they were being whispered directly into their ear. The character may choose what sounds to focus on. |
| 2 | Far Seeing - For one turn the character may view a scene up to 50' away as if they were right there. They may see through walls and other obstacles, but not through lead. |
| 3 | Thought Projection - The character may communicate a brief message mentally with a creature up to 50' away. The target understands the character, even if they share no common language. |
| 4 | Object Projection - The character may teleport a small object in their possession up to 50' away. |
| 5 | Telekinetic Grasp - For one turn the character may manipulate small objects from up to 50' away. |
| 6 | Spark - The character may ignite any flammable object within 50' of them. (The “heat” this power generates is no greater than that of a candle.) |
| 7 | Levitate - For 1 turn, the character can float above the ground (up to 10'). |
| 8 | Minor ESP: For 1 turn the character may read the mind of another creature. (The character understand the creature even if they share no common language.) |
| 9 | Cell Adjustment - The character regains up to 1d3 lost hit points. (This increases to 1d6 at level 3, 1d8 at level 6, 1d10 at level 9 and 1d12 at level 12.) The character may make a Save vs. Poison to cure themselves of any non-magical disease. |
| 10 | "Invisiblity": For 1 turn the character can completely hide his presence from up to one sentient creature per level. The target may make a Save vs. Magic to resist the character's power. |
| 11 | Id Insituation: All sentient characters, friend or foe, within 25' of the character feel an uncontrollable urge to eat, murder or fornicate. |
| 12 | Psychic Distress: All sentient characters, friend or foe, within 25’ of the character are immobilized for 1 turn. |
| 13 | Minor Mind Control: For 1 turn, the character may manipulate the target into doing whatever the character wants. The target will have no memory of any events that transpire while under this mind control. The target my make a Save vs. Magic to resist the mind control. |
| 14 | Minor Precognition: The character may re-roll any saving throw. |
| 15 | Psionic Defence - Once per day per level, the character may make a Save vs. Magic to avoid the effects of any psionic power that targets them. (This is in addition to any saving throws the power may allow for.) |
| 16 | Psionic Immunity: The character can not be the target of any psionic power. |
| 17 | The Haitian: no character within 10' of the character, friend or foe, may use their psionic powers. The character also gains Psionic Immunity. |
If they fail the roll the character has no wild talent. Instead, the character gains a bonus to all saving throws when targeted by psionic power equal to the amount they failed by divided by two (round down).
For example, if a character has 14 Wisdom, and rolls a 9 when checking to see if they have a psionic power, they would gain the power Telekinetic Grasp. If on the other hand they rolled a 17, they would gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws against psionic powers.
A character may use their psionic power once per day. (Psionic Immunity and The Haitian are exceptions here: they are always active.)
Psionic Powers
Clairaudience
Clairvoyance
Mind Control
Mind Wipe
The character leaves any creatures targeted by their telepathy completely catatonic. The number of creatures effected in Hit Dice equals the character's level plus their power roll.
Telekinesis
Telepathy
The character can read the minds of any creature around them and can communicate thoughts to them. The character need not share a common language with any creature he is communicating with in order to be understood.
Precognition
The character sees their near future. They may re-roll one of their dice rolls with a bonus equal to their power roll. (This power may be used at any time during combat.)
Surge - Beyond Time: The character exists beyond time and space, seeing all events unfold around them at once. Though they can never truly comprehend what they witness, they may re-roll any dice roll (theirs, another player's, or the DM's) with a +6 bonus.
Cell Adjustment
The character is attuned to the minute processes of their body. They may recover Xd6 HP, where X is half their power roll (round down).
Surge - Psychometabolism: The character has perfect understanding and control of their body. They recover all their HP. They may polymorph their body into any shape and size. Creatures trying to hit the character's new form take a penalty equal to the character's power roll. The character must make a Save vs. Poison: if they fail the saving throw they lose control over their transformation, mutating into a grotesque growing pile of human flesh and muscle. Each round thereafter they may make a Save vs. Poison to attempt to regain control of their transformation. If they fail their body doubles in size and grotesqueness.
Mental Blast
A psionic blast of energy deals Xd6 damage to one creature, where X is the character's power roll.
Surge: Ego Whip - Chords of psionic energy deal Xd6 damage to each enemy in a 50' radius around the Mindbender, where X is the character's power roll.