| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Salius Kai |
Posted - 19 Mar 2003 : 02:07:08
I've never been able to grasp this. What are psionists. Are they just psychics? And if so, wouldn't that just basically be a type of magis (macing them a new specialist mage)? |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Purple Dragon Knight |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 23:39:55
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
The Duergar Level Adjustment reduction was mainly the consequence of feedback from, and extensive discussion on, the WotC Psionics Handbook Message Board. It was the designers intention to give players who wanted to use this race, a lower-power option mostly, although other factors did also play on the reduction. You have to remember that the XPsiHB is an attempt to present balanced and generalised races so that they can be exported into any campaign. Obviously when it comes to using duergar in the Realms, DMs will now have two options which allows them greater flexibility in regards to campaign management.
+1 LA sounds about right for the duergar, and I think that this is what I'll be using in my campaign. However, now I am not sure if I should leave the drow at +2... I think I'll basically follow the Monster Manual's guidelines in the end (Duergar +1, Drow +2). SR is simply too good to take the drow down to +1...
Now, it only leaves the rest of the FR-specific races to deal with... Avariel and Urdunnir (+3 and +4 respectively) now seem to have an tremendous disadvantage compared to the Duergar... |
| Israfel666 |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 21:18:21
Yes, Drow vs. Duergar both at LA +2 was an incredibly weighed battle (better modifiers, SR in place of a few immunities etc.) Other examples of this are still present in 3.5 - just compare the Avariel to the Half-Dragon template (both at LA +3). And I'm not even touching the 'broken' things like Half-Ogre.
Fact is, LA is an incredibly big penalty. Losing one level is a really hefty cost to pay for a few abilities (although Unearthed Arcana made it a bit easier), and it only gets exponentially worse as the LA increase, to the point that assigning a LA to a very powerful race such as (say) the sharn becomes practically impossible. Hence, a recommendation: when you design a new creature, GIVE IT ENOUGH HIT DICE SO IT DOESN'T NEED MORE THAN A +3 OR +4 LA!!! |
| Sarta |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 19:44:15
Several of the races seemed to have too low a class adjustment when compared with other races in other source books.
Sarta |
| Senbar Flay |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 19:19:02
There is some info on psionics in Night Mask of the cleric quintet series by R.A Salavatoe they discuss it. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 13:48:21
The Duergar Level Adjustment reduction was mainly the consequence of feedback from, and extensive discussion on, the WotC Psionics Handbook Message Board. It was the designers intention to give players who wanted to use this race, a lower-power option mostly, although other factors did also play on the reduction. You have to remember that the XPsiHB is an attempt to present balanced and generalised races so that they can be exported into any campaign. Obviously when it comes to using duergar in the Realms, DMs will now have two options which allows them greater flexibility in regards to campaign management.
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| Purple Dragon Knight |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 10:59:39
Ok... anyone knows why they made the Duergar even more powerful by reducing the Level Adjustment by one? FRCS and RoF have them at +2, and the Expanded Psionics Handbook have them at +1... 
Edit: forget my question... found my answer leafing through the 3.5 MM -- Duergar have light sensitivity, -4 to Cha, and don't get weapon familiarity with Waraxe&Ugrosh... that should balance out enlarge and invisibility 1/day, IMO. What do you guys think? |
| The Sage |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 08:28:33
quote:
Originally posted by Sarta
However, as a result of this book and the Complete Divine I've been tempted to start writing up a new campaign setting which makes use of some of the non-standard classes presented in each. (no clerics per se, higher presence of psionics, etc....)
Sarta
I immediately had the same thought. Although, I did not go to the same length of deciding to formulate a new campaign world. My Gateway setting has three other continents that are still relatively unexplored. I plan to make use of some of the classes and races presented in the XPsiHB to populate at least one of these continents...
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| Sarta |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 08:19:16
I picked it up as well. I really like some of the stuff implemented in it. The idea of using concentration to attain psionic focus which can then be used to power specific feats was handled very well. It was nice to see the resurrection of some of the Dark Sun character races.
While it will certainly be of benefit to anyone using psionics within the Realms, it was most definitely not written for the realms specifically. However, should psionics be a part of your realms experience, this book will prove very useful.
Oh, they did manage to sneak in some gross non-psionic feats such as Greater Manyshot (now there's a feat that probably should have been errattaed out rather than an advanced version introduced).
However, as a result of this book and the Complete Divine I've been tempted to start writing up a new campaign setting which makes use of some of the non-standard classes presented in each. (no clerics per se, higher presence of psionics, etc....)
Sarta |
| The Sage |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 07:49:39
I certainly did. It's a vast improvement over the system presented in the 3.0e handbook. Some of the new character races are interesting, although probably not as likely to be included in an FR campaign. The dromites probably have the highest probability what with their nearly compulsive need to travel...
I liked the 'augmentation' aspect of the system the most. Being able to increase the effectiveness of some powers by spending more psionic power points...
Salius, if you are still have any particular problem with the psionics system as a whole, I stand ready to assist...
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| Purple Dragon Knight |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 00:53:11
I just bought the 3.5 psionics handbook this afternoon (but I won't be able to read it for a while just yet). How is it? do you guys like it? The main reason I bought it is that they have the Duergar in it!  (and I've always wanted to know what the "psionic" version of the Duergar can do...) |
| Sadonayerah Odrydin |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 04:22:35
No problem. But you got lucky. lol. I just happened to have the psionics handbook thingy with me.  |
| Salius Kai |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 00:04:33
I think I got it.
Thats kind of what I though it was, but I just wasn't sure. I knew the Hall of Heroes webpage had quite a few psionists in it, and ecen had to make a new section just for them.
Thank you for your help. |
| Sadonayerah Odrydin |
Posted - 19 Mar 2003 : 04:12:08
*nods in agreement with Targon* That's pretty much what they are. Here's a little quote from the Psionics handbook (courtesy of my friend from school Enialis):
What is Psionics?
Simply put, psionics is the art of tapping the mind's potential. A psioinc character is blessed with a form of innate ability that enables him or her to use mental power to achieve goals or perform tasks that nonpsionic characters can only accomplish-if they're even capable of doing them all-by using gross physical skills such as brute strength or raw agility, or by using intellect of force of will as distince from the natural power of the mind itself.
...I hope this helps a little bit. If you need more info or anything, feel free to email me. |
| Targon Moonrise |
Posted - 19 Mar 2003 : 02:16:20
Psionists power is different but close to magic. Their power comes from their mind while magic comes from the weave that surrounds the realms. They are pretty much just psychics but thay might be just a bit stronger in the power of the mind that normal earth psychics. |
