tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7239577512598038009.post3780615224895438232..comments2024-02-27T01:17:39.925-08:00Comments on The Nine and Thirty Kingdoms: Wizardry, Sorcery, and PsionicsTalysmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02162328521343832412noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7239577512598038009.post-54691247069710694302011-10-26T16:41:13.506-07:002011-10-26T16:41:13.506-07:00I agree with everything you've said here, incl...I agree with everything you've said here, including re illusionists... which is one reason I've always been uncomfortable with illusions that have a mechanically-represented reality apart from the caster (per our recent discussions; the idea of illusory attacks causing damage etc).<br /><br />Ideas:<br />I reject the AD&D psionics rules out of hand and have toyed with some kind of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_of_Pliocene_Exile#Metapsychic_powers" rel="nofollow">Julian May psionics</a> system. Where wizards have their bag of tricks that work roughly the same every time I think psi should be more improvised - an application of some broad power like telekinesis, which is difficult and variable in use, like a skill.<br /><br />If psi is a "natural" ability and wizardry is a manipulation of secret codes of the world (basically a technology), sorcery could be distinguished by being based on exchange - fatigue or POW or magic points for temporary effects, permanent sacrifices for permanent results (up to the moment when all exchanges are cancelled - usually by death, maybe by something else). Again, the "spell list" would be largely improvised. The player could say "what would it cost me to fly right now?" and get a ballpark response from the DM and then have a difficult choice to make.richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517340075234811323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7239577512598038009.post-24119645108459349382011-10-26T13:29:42.677-07:002011-10-26T13:29:42.677-07:00I've never liked any of the official psionic s...I've never liked any of the official psionic systems. Personally, my perfect system is the one Geoffrey McKinney has in his Carcosa supplement, although I use it without the random element. It's beautiful in its simplicity. <br /><br />As for the sorcerer, another way to tackle it without creating too much work for the DM is to make them "memorise" their spells by performing rituals, have them fire and forget like the magic-user but instead of studying a spell book the next morning, they have to spend the equivalent time performing a "top up" ritual to gain access to those spells again. If they want to change the spells they have access to they need to perform a full ritual for each new one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7239577512598038009.post-45389768169376075042011-10-26T13:00:51.596-07:002011-10-26T13:00:51.596-07:00Here's a recent take of mine on the sorcerer. ...Here's a <a href="http://untimately.blogspot.com/2011/08/sorcerer-class.html" rel="nofollow">recent take</a> of mine on the sorcerer. I am pleased with the game mechanics, but I have not had a chance to play test it yet.<br /><br />The internal/external schema that you set out here is really interesting. It would also mean that if you killed a psionic, everything they had created would dissipate, whereas the same would not be true for a wizard.<br /><br />I still have yet to come across a psionic system that I feel works well. I think part of the problem is that I don't like having too many power lists. Maybe something like a table that was effect * magnitude, where effects included all the traditional psion powers like telekinesis, esp, etc. and magnitude would specify how powerful the effect was (how many pounds lifted, and for how long) and how many "psionic strength points" (or Con points, or whatever) were required to power the effect. Just thinking "out loud" here.Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.com