Post by David on Oct 24, 2005 18:46:52 GMT -5
Two things about the zillions of disciplines printed in the original Player's Handbook, Complete Psionics Handbook, The Will and the Way, The Dragon Kings, and Player's Options: Skills and Powers.
First, a bunch of different writers with varying gifts of logic and no clear or common vision wrote them. As a result, together these sources represent a disharmonious whole.
Second, the nature of the rules in nearly each book changed so references between these sources becomes problematic to say the least.
In a nutshell, I'd like to propose three "rules of thumb"
ONE -- any ability which is classified in one source as a major discipline and in another as a minor discipline should be considered a minor discipline. This assumes, of course, that the fundamental function of the disciplines remains the same in both versions. Thus, Dimension Door, Dimension Walk, and Etherealness should all be classified as MINOR disciplines, but Body Control should have two version (the major from the PH1 that actually prevents DICE of damage and the minor, from POSP that just allows adaptation to an environment).
TWO -- any discipline that seem to be superceded or completely replaced by another discipline should still offer some benefits. Having Sending as well as Telepath allows a psi to telepathic speak to multiple individuals at the same time. Body Control (major) and Body Control (minor -- call it Adaptation) would allow the psi to maintain the major power for the timespan allowed to the minor. Levitation and Telekinesis allow lifting heavy objects and moving them slowly (instead of not at all).
THREE -- when CHOOSING a psionic discipline (for psionists and jedi knights), the PC must already possess AT LEAST one minor discipline for each major one of the same category. So, before a body takes Teleport (by choice) they better take Blink, Dimension Door, Teleport Lock, Timespace Anchor, Teleport Trigger, etc. Likewise, before selecting Aura Alteration, the PC better already have Clairvoyance, Precognition, Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions, etc.
And a corrolary of THREE is that the powers should all be at least SOMEWHAT logically connected -- Etherealness has nothing to do with Teleportation, nor does Summon Planar Energies follow from Phase.
When in doubt, ask. Meanwhile, as spare time permits, I'll attempt to revise my psionics article from my website.
David
First, a bunch of different writers with varying gifts of logic and no clear or common vision wrote them. As a result, together these sources represent a disharmonious whole.
Second, the nature of the rules in nearly each book changed so references between these sources becomes problematic to say the least.
In a nutshell, I'd like to propose three "rules of thumb"
ONE -- any ability which is classified in one source as a major discipline and in another as a minor discipline should be considered a minor discipline. This assumes, of course, that the fundamental function of the disciplines remains the same in both versions. Thus, Dimension Door, Dimension Walk, and Etherealness should all be classified as MINOR disciplines, but Body Control should have two version (the major from the PH1 that actually prevents DICE of damage and the minor, from POSP that just allows adaptation to an environment).
TWO -- any discipline that seem to be superceded or completely replaced by another discipline should still offer some benefits. Having Sending as well as Telepath allows a psi to telepathic speak to multiple individuals at the same time. Body Control (major) and Body Control (minor -- call it Adaptation) would allow the psi to maintain the major power for the timespan allowed to the minor. Levitation and Telekinesis allow lifting heavy objects and moving them slowly (instead of not at all).
THREE -- when CHOOSING a psionic discipline (for psionists and jedi knights), the PC must already possess AT LEAST one minor discipline for each major one of the same category. So, before a body takes Teleport (by choice) they better take Blink, Dimension Door, Teleport Lock, Timespace Anchor, Teleport Trigger, etc. Likewise, before selecting Aura Alteration, the PC better already have Clairvoyance, Precognition, Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions, etc.
And a corrolary of THREE is that the powers should all be at least SOMEWHAT logically connected -- Etherealness has nothing to do with Teleportation, nor does Summon Planar Energies follow from Phase.
When in doubt, ask. Meanwhile, as spare time permits, I'll attempt to revise my psionics article from my website.
David