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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Apr 2018 : 22:58:40
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There's one piece of lore about the yuan-ti that's bothered me and it's the fact they are naturally psionic.
The lore I've seen so far of yuan-ti they have yet to explain how they became naturally psionic when the Sarrukh created them. And why is it so many yuan-ti are more into magic than they are with their natural psionic abilities?
It feels as if their psionic abilities are just something leftover from older editions without any context as to the origin and whether or not they explore deeply into their psionic nature. (I see quite the opposite, that they are heavily invested in arcane magic)
Anyone have any ideas? Or shouldn't their psionic talents be stripped away and replaced with it just being natural spell like magic instead?
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2018 : 01:12:17
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| It is a leftover from earlier editions, but the fact that it has become a central part of their story in the realms makes me say don't change it. As to the "why".... the Sarrukh were studying other people's spellcasting practices.... maybe some of the original yuan-ti were bred from "abnormal" humans such as the gith (for instance, what happened to the githvyrik race). In this, I would note that we kind of have at least two stories about the formation of the yuan-ti. Some have it that they were transformed by their god, but the Serpent Kingdoms said that they were experimentally bred from human stock with serpents and sarrukh. Given the apparent "mystery" that may also be revealed about githyanki and red dragons... |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2018 : 03:32:36
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| A lot of the yuan-ti are from the area where Jhaamdath once was. It could be that there is a lot of residual psionic energy in the area (particularly with the fact that each of the 12 Cities of the Sword had a udoxias), and something about the yuan-ti made them more prone to be affected by this residual energy. Basically, it rubbed off on them. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2018 : 08:06:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Razz
There's one piece of lore about the yuan-ti that's bothered me and it's the fact they are naturally psionic.
The lore I've seen so far of yuan-ti they have yet to explain how they became naturally psionic when the Sarrukh created them.
Why not? Perhaps merely historical reasons.
Once you have a hammer, things start looking like nails.
Once you get used to see things as nails and have learned to swing the hammer really well...
The yuan-ti advanced rather far in two very good areas, psionics and alchemy, long ago. Now they mostly hold onto those, because it takes time and other resources to learn anything else while holding onto them, and most won't let go of existing advantages to invest into something new.
quote:
And why is it so many yuan-ti are more into magic than they are with their natural psionic abilities?
Desire to experiment.
Or do there are things possible only with magic. Like big BOOM spells, wards... or lichdom. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Starshade
Learned Scribe
Norway
279 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2018 : 10:22:48
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This can be explained in-game or out of game.
Psionics, though I do not know the older games in question, is a power source for non-wizards. As Psionics is explained in FR, it is magic. "Magic" as is done by wizards or sorcerers, is defined as coming from without, while psionics is from within, so Yuan-Ti generates the psionic energy to fuel their powers within their own bodies, naturally. I'd explain it as the Psion makes the energy from within, while the magical "powers" reaches out somehow, or works equal to spellcasting in some ways.
Within the realm, it's still about the Weave, while I assume it was not in other settings. The technical difference for FR is the Yuan-Ti natural abilities don't reach out to outer planes and uses cosmic energy to cast, akin to what Doctor Strange do in the Comics Books babbling about the "crimson bands of Cytorak and the by the ethernal Vishanti", but generate all energy within their own minds and bodies, naturally.
Think of the mutants in Marvel Comics: quite limited, but powerfull. You could play it as a weave using "mutant" lineage of sort, within the genetics, perhaps from the human stock, perhaps from Saurian progentors, perhaps even Gith, or mutations due to energies from Jhamdaath...
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 15 Apr 2018 : 07:55:39
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Actually, between Hlondeth, Surkh, Serpent's Holding, etc - the whole of the Vilhon is a 'scaly' region.
But I think its a holdover from their 'snakey' nature. When the Sarrukh created them (by crossing snakes with humans), I think they were surprised by the psionics - I would put this down a primitive, natural talent that snakes have (they have some sort of 'hypnotic' thing they do with their eyes to mesmerize their prey, etc.), and just say the admixture of human genes magnified the latent ability into something more powerful.
Plus, they prefer to use telepathy - when they speak in human languages they all sound like they have a lisp, and no-one takes them seriously. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 16 Oct 2018 : 15:23:14
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Master Markustay,
I can certainly appreciate that notion, but I feel it was an intention design, such as with the Yuan-ti Holy Guardian.
quote:
The sarrukh also bred and developed a handful of yuan-ti specifically to perform certain specialized tasks. Through the centuries, these subraces, known as mageslayers and holy guardians, have bred true (see Chapter 6 for descriptions). (SK, p9)
If they bred and developed them, especially with such clear success with great intention, it seems reasonable to assume that the psionics were a desired outcome. The sophistication and aptitude with Art seems to be of such fantastic ability that it seems unlikely that the Sarrukh unintentionally had such an outcome.
Best regards,
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Actually, between Hlondeth, Surkh, Serpent's Holding, etc - the whole of the Vilhon is a 'scaly' region.
But I think its a holdover from their 'snakey' nature. When the Sarrukh created them (by crossing snakes with humans), I think they were surprised by the psionics - I would put this down a primitive, natural talent that snakes have (they have some sort of 'hypnotic' thing they do with their eyes to mesmerize their prey, etc.), and just say the admixture of human genes magnified the latent ability into something more powerful.
Plus, they prefer to use telepathy - when they speak in human languages they all sound like they have a lisp, and no-one takes them seriously.
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Higher Atlar
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Why are Yuan-ti Psionic?
