Class: Psionicist

The Psionicist
						Psionics
Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	PPs	Disciplines	Devotions	Sciences	Arts
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Psionic Focus	3	1	2	---	---
2	+1	+0	+0	+3		6	1	3	---	---
3	+1	+1	+1	+3		9	1	4	0	---
4	+2	+1	+1	+4		12	2	6	1	---
5	+2	+1	+1	+4		15	2	7	1	---
6	+3	+2	+2	+5		18	2	8	2	---
7	+3	+2	+2	+5		21	2	10	2	---
8	+4	+2	+2	+6		24	3	11	3	---
9	+4	+3	+3	+6		27	3	12	3	---
10	+5	+3	+3	+7	Psionicist Talent	30	3	14	4	0
11	+5	+3	+3	+7		33	3	15	4	0
12	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Psionicist Talent	36	4	16	5	0
13	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		39	4	18	5	1
14	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Psionicist Talent	42	4	19	6	1
15	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9		45	4	20	6	1
16	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Psionicist Talent	48	5	22	7	2
17	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		51	5	23	7	2
18	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Psionicist Talent	54	5	24	8	2
19	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		57	5	26	8	2
20	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Psionicist Talent	60	6	27	9	3

 

Psionicist

River, iconic psionicist

"I can kill you with my brain."

The mind is a powerful thing. Nearly every culture in Trinity has stories of individuals who were able to accomplish extraordinary feats with no training, summoning forth power from some hidden reserve that transcends what would seem possible. The path of the psionicist is one of unlocking the hidden powers of the conscious mind, unlocking the ability to manipulate reality in ways that twist the rules to their breaking point.

Psionics is a very personal Force, and psionicists come from every walk of life. Unlike the other Forces of Reality, the manifestations of psionics vary from person to person: for some, the use of their powers is accompanied by those nearby experiencing unusual scents or strange tastes, while for others the psionicist may experience slight nosebleeds or exhibit some other physical sign of power usage. Regardless, these signs are significantly more subtle than the uses of Magic or Technology, and so the usage of psionics has been viewed with suspicion many times in the history of Trinity.

Any thinking sentient creature can walk the path of the psionicist. Even artilects, with fully mechanical minds, have at times - much to their chagrin - manifested the ability to use psionics. The precise mechanism for this event is seemingly unexplainable, but the nature of Psionics itself is such that its usage is rooted in inexplicable means.

Game Rule Information

Psionicists have the following game statistics.

Force Alignment: Psionics.

Force Resistances: SR 5 + level, TR 5 + level.

Abilities: The primary ability score for a psionicist is dependent upon their psionic focus ability; this will be one of the following - Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, or Perception.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills: The Psionicist's class skills (and the key ability for each) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Investigate (Int), Knowledge (Epistemology) (Edu), Knowledge (Physics) (Edu), Knowledge (Psionics) (Edu), Knowledge (Psychology) (Edu), Psicraft (Int), Research (Edu), and Search (Per).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Age: Simple.

Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10gp.

Favored By: None.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the psionicist.

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Psionicists are proficient with simple weapons and light armor, but not shields.

Psionic Focus: At first level, a psionicist chooses a specific psionic discipline (the one which she has access to at first level). This selection impacts her progression in this class, and also grants her additional benefits related to that discipline.

The metapsionic cap for any psionic power that is not within your chosen psionic discipline is one-half your manifester level, while the metapsionic cap for psionic powers within your discipline is equal to your manifester level.

The table below lists the psionic disciplines, their key manifesting ability, their bonus class skills, and the base power. Once you choose a psionic focus, the decision cannot be changed later.

 

Psionic Disciplines
Discipline	Ability	Class Skills	Description	Base Power
Clairsentience	Per	Analysis (Int), Initiative (Dex)	Information gathering, foresight, ability to glean knowledge in unusual ways.	Precognition
Imagiportation	Dex	Balance (Dex), Tumble (Dex)	Travel and propel objects through space and time.	Teleport
Metacreativity	Cha	Disguise (Cha), Perform (Cha)	Crafts metaphysical ideas into physical objects.	Telefab
Psychokinesis	Int	Balance (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex)	Manipulates real objects at a distance, energy manipulation.	Telekinesis
Ratiovitality	Con	Autohypnosis (Con), Vitality (Con)	Mental control over the body, shaping it as you choose.	Biofeedback
Telepathy	Wis	Diplomacy (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis)	Communicate with others nonverbally, probe the minds of others.	Telepathy

 

Disciplines (Ps): As noted above, psionic powers (see below) are divided into six disciplines, which the psionicist can gain access to over time.

Each time you gain access to a new discipline, you automatically learn the base power associated with that discipline as a devotion; this power does not count against your powers known. You can choose to upgrade these additional powers as normal.

Whenever you would gain access to a new discipline, you can instead choose to forgo gaining access to that new discipline in exchange for strengthening your existing powers in some fashion. If you do so, you can choose one of the following benefits.

• Focused Mind: Gain a number of PP equal to the level at which you gained the new discipline. These bonus PP are permanent, stack with bonus PP gained for a high key manifesting ability, and stack with themselves if you take this ability multiple times.
• Mental Versatility: Choose one of your existing disciplines. That discipline is now considered a psionic focus for you, and you gain all the advantages associated with that psionic focus.
• Psionic Clarity: Choose one of your existing disciplines. You gain a +3 bonus to Manifestation checks to manifest those powers; this bonus stacks with all other bonuses to Manifestation checks.

Bonus Powers
Mod	Dev	Sci	Art
+0	---	---	---
+1	0	---	---
+2	1	---	---
+3	1	0	---
+4	2	1	---
+5	2	1	0
+6	3	1	1
+7	3	1	1
+8	4	2	1
+9	4	2	1
+10	5	2	1
+11	5	2	1
+12	6	3	2
...and so on...

Powers (Ps): The abilities of psionicists are called powers; each power has three grades.

• Devotions are the simplest, easiest applications of psionic power.
• Sciences are more difficult to master, requiring a degree of study.
• Arts are the most complex, representing total mastery of a particular application of psionics.

A psionicist can use any power she knows at will, and can improve her powers by expending power points (see below). Some powers have drawbacks when used, though these can sometimes be overcome by expending power points.

At each level, the psionicist may gain access to new powers. If she would gain access to a new devotion, she chooses one from the disciplines she has access to. If she would gain a new science or art, however, she instead chooses a power she has already learned and upgrades it to that grade. If you would gain access to both a science and an art at the same level, you can upgrade a power from a devotion immediately to an art, taking up both the science and art you would gain.

A psionicist must succeed at an Manifestation check to successfully use a power. She receives a +3 bonus to this check if the discipline of the power being used is her psionic focus, and receives an additional +1 bonus for each devotion of that discipline she knows, a +2 for each science, and a +3 for each art (only count the highest grade of a power the psionicist has access to). The Manifestation DC of a power is based upon its grade: devotions require a 13, sciences a 16, and arts a 19. You cannot take 10 or take 20 on this check.

You can choose to manifest a power at a lower grade than you know; for instance, you could choose to manifest a power you have as an art as a devotion, instead. However, the power sets its saving throw DC based upon the highest grade of the power you can access (so if you know a power as an art, using it as a devotion still uses 17 as the base DC for its saving throw, if any), and is treated as that grade for purposes of detect and dispel effects.

A psionicist gains additional powers known based upon her manifesting ability. She gains additional powers known based on the table to the right (but also pay attention to the minimum ability score requirements for accessing power grades). To determine when you gain a bonus power, multiply your current level by the value on the table at the right for your manifesting ability score modifier and grade type, then divide that value by 20; if the result is 1 or greater, you gain a bonus power of that grade (do not round for this calculation). Each time you gain a bonus power of a given type, increase the division value by 20. Increasing your manifesting ability score does not retroactively grant you additional powers known, but does impact bonus powers known for future levels gained.

Example: River is a psionicist, with a manifester ability score of 18 (+4). At 1st level, she multiplies her level (1) by the number of bonus devotions she knows (2), and gets a result of 2; she divides that by 20, and gets .1, which is insufficient to gain a bonus power known. However, at 10th level, the result of that calculation will be ([10 x 2] = 20 / 20 = 1), which is 1 or greater, and thus she gains a bonus devotion known. At 11th level, she performs the calculation again, but this time dividing it by 40, so ([11 x 2] = 22 / 40 = .55), which is less than 1 and thus she does not gain a bonus devotion known. At 20th level, the calculation would be ([20 x 2] = 40 / 40 = 1), so she gains another bonus devotion known.

A psionicist must have a manifesting ability score of at least 13 to use devotions, 16 to use sciences, and 19 to use arts.

The saving throw DCs are calculated as: for devotions, 11 + manifesting ability score modifier; for sciences, the base is 14; and for arts, the base is 17.

Power Points (Ps): In addition to being able to use her powers at will, psionicists have a reserve of additional power they can use to improve their abilities. A psionicist has a number of power points at each level, per the table above; psionicists gain bonus power points based upon their key manifesting ability (see Psionic Focus, above), per the table to the right. These values are not cumulative; at each level, recalculate your total power points.

When you manifest a power, you can choose to spend any amount of PP on it; doing so is considered part of the manifestation action. Each power has a number of different augmentations on which you can spend PP. If you spend any amount of PP on a power, the Manifestation check to manifest the power automatically succeeds. You can choose to expend 1 PP when you manifest a power without using a specific augmentation to automatically make the Manifestation check.

Psionicist Bonus PP
Key	Level
Mod	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
+0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
+1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2
+2	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	5
+3	0	0	1	1	1	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	5	5	5	6	6	7	7	7
+4	0	1	1	2	2	3	3	4	4	5	5	6	6	7	7	8	8	9	9	10
+5	0	1	1	2	3	3	4	5	5	6	6	7	8	8	9	10	10	11	11	12
+6	0	1	2	3	3	4	5	6	6	7	8	9	9	10	11	12	12	13	14	15
+7	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	14	15	16	17
+8	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
+9	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	17	18	19	20	21	22
+10	1	2	3	5	6	7	8	10	11	12	13	15	16	17	18	20	21	22	23	25

Note that augmentation effects of psionic powers are independent of each other; that is, if you spend points on reddopsi to increase its duration by 2 rounds and reduce the Manifestation check penalty by 3, you must spend 9 PP (3 for each additional round, 1 for each point of penalty reduction).

Psionicist Talent: At 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, choose one of the following abilities.

• Confidence (Ex): You can take 10 on Manifestation checks for your psionic focus discipline. You can take this talent multiple times; each time you do, select a different discipline.
• Evasion (Ps): So long as you have at least 5 PP remaining, you gain Evasion. (Prerequisite: Access to the Psychoportation discipline)
  • Improved Evasion (Ps): So long as you have at least 15 PP remaining, you gain Improved Evasion. (Prerequisite: Evasion)
• Free Your Mind (Ex): The range of your Telepathy powers with Close range increases to Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/power point). (Prerequisite: Access to the Telepathy discipline)
• Intensity (Ex): You gain a +1 bonus on Manifestation checks. You can take this talent multiple times.
• Mettle (Ps): So long as you have at least 5 PP remaining, you gain Mettle. (Prerequisite: Access to the Psychometabolism discipline)
  • Improved Mettle (Ps): So long as you have at least 15 PP remaining, you gain Improved Mettle. (Prerequisite: Mettle)
• Parallel Thoughts (Ps): While concentrating on a power that requires concentration to be maintained, you may make a Concentration check (DC equal to 10 + the power's Manifestation DC) as a swift action. If you do, maintaining concentration on that power requires only a swift action each round, rather than a move.
  • Improved Parallel Thoughts (Ps): If you are concentrating on a power that requires only a swift action to maintain, you may instead use power points, rather than an action, to maintain the effect. A devotion requires 3 PP; a science requires 6 PP; and an art requires 9 PP. If you expend the indicated power points at the beginning of your turn, you automatically maintain concentration on the power without expending an action to do so. (Prerequisites: Parallel Thoughts)
• Uncanny Dodge (Ps): So long as you have at least 5 PP remaining, you gain Uncanny Dodge. (Prerequisite: Access to the Clairsentience discipline)
  • Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ps): So long as you have at least 15 PP remaining, you gain Improved Uncanny Dodge. (Prerequisite: Uncanny Dodge)

Psionicist Disciplines and Powers

The power index can be found here.

Clairsentience Discipline

Clairsentience Powers
Base Power	Effect
Precognition	Gain precognitive edge, granting you the ability to gain bonuses on rolls after the fact.
Other Powers	Effect
Remote Viewing	See distant locations, and eventually creatures and objects.

 

Metacreativity Discipline

Metacreativity Powers
Base Power	Effect
Telefab	Create an object out of thin air.
Other Powers	Effect
Astral Construct	Create a creature of raw ectoplasm that does your bidding.
Ectoweb	Create an area of strong webbing, eventually encasing creatures in web cocoons.
Reconstruction	Restore an object or construct's hit points; eventually make normal items masterwork.

 

Ratiovitality Discipline

Ratiovitality Powers
Base Power	Effect
Biofeedback	Heal yourself over time, eventually gaining the ability to regenerate.
Other Powers	Effect
Accelerate Metabolism	Gain haste, eventually also gaining extra actions on your turn.
Body Control	Meld your body into that of another, eventually able to fuse your abilities together or divide yourself into two bodies.
Chameleon	Blend into the background, gaining bonuses to Hide and eventually cloaking.
Cocoon	Harden yourself against attacks, gaining AC and eventually DR and protect.
Endocrine Control	Gain control of your endocrine system, improving your strength and changing the composition of your blood.
Energy Adaptation	Gain resistance to an energy type, eventually immunity and absorption.
Hammer	Your unarmed attacks deal more damage, and eventually gain special weapon qualities.
Kayachikitsa	You can use your ratiovitality powers on others, albeit at lower strength.
Metamorphosis	Gain metamorph mutations.
Purify	Purge your system of poison and disease, eventually purging ability damage and all other status ailments.
Synesthete	Gain alternative senses, ranging from darkvision to blindsight.
Vigor	Gain temporary hit points, eventually gain immunity to [poison] and [death] effects.

 

Telepathy Discipline

Telepathy Powers
Base Power	Effect
Telepathy	Gain the ability to contact other minds and communicate with them directly.
Other Powers	Effect
Id Insinuation	Cause confusion, and eventually amnesia.
Mind Thrust	Deal psychic damage to a creature.

 

Feats

The following are a selection of feats that are relevant to psionicists.

 

EXTRA ART [Psionic]
You have more knowledge of psionics than your experience would suggest.
Prerequisites: Manifester, ability to manifest at least one art.
Benefit: You can upgrade one science you know to an art.

 

EXTRA DEVOTION [Psionic]
You have more knowledge of psionics than your experience would suggest.
Prerequisites: Manifester.
Benefit: You gain an additional devotion known.

 

EXTRA SCIENCE [Psionic]
You have more knowledge of psionics than your experience would suggest.
Prerequisites: Manifester, ability to manifest at least one science.
Benefit: You can upgrade one devotion you know to a science.

 

EXTRAORDINARY TALENT [Epic]
You are more talented than your experience would otherwise suggest.
Prerequisites: Character level 21st+.
Benefit: You gain a talent from the talent list of one of your classes.

 

FOCUSED MIND [Psionic]
You are more readily able to manifest your powers.
Prerequisites: Manifester level 1st+.
Benefit: Choose one psionic discipline you can access. You gain a +2 insight bonus on Manifestation checks for that discipline.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, you can select the same discipline, improving your insight bonus; or you can select another discipline you can access.

 

POWERFUL MIND [Psionic]
You have a stronger mind than most.
Prerequisites: Manifester level 1st+.
Benefit: Gain 3 PP. You can take this feat multiple times; its effect stacks.

 

PSIONIC FOCUS [Psionic]
Your powers are more powerful than your experience would suggest.
Prerequisites: Manifester level 1st+.
Benefit: Choose one psionic discipline you can access. Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against powers from the psionic discipline you select.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, you can select the same discipline, improving your saving throw DCs; or you can select another discipline you can access.

 

Design Notes

Need to work on figuring out the progression for bonus powers known. Also need to clean this formatting up, or something. I don't like it at the moment.

Also this whole mode/focus thing needs to be figured out. I don't want to leave that hanging, but everything else in this revamp so far looks pretty solid.