Green Age psionitek? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Green Age psionitek?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Mar 31, 2004 10:35:15 We know from a variety of sourcebooks (Mindlords of the Last Sea, City by the Silt Sea, among others) that the folks of the Green Age of Athas used psionics extensively, in a way that can only be termed "psionitek." They used psionics to create a supremely high standard of living, even imprisoning the psyches of criminals in orbs to facilitate such niceties as running water and desalination, public transportation, psionic border patrol, and so on. We even know psionic time travel was possible at one point.

What sort of psionitek treasures should PCs find, half-broken, in the ruins that dot the Tablelands? Granted, most psionitek items should be useless or nearly so, worn down and broken after countless centuries of neglect. But like the lifeshaped items of the Blue Age of Athas, some psionitek items should remain, waiting discovery.

--wanting ideas for an eventual Dark Sun campaign NB
#2
jon_oracle_of_athas
Mar 31, 2004 16:23:25 Here's one idea: A wheel of fortune/misfortune that depending on the result of the spin affects the player with either beneficial/pleasuring psionic powers or harmful psionic powers. The wheel has a tragic story to it: its psyche is that of an elf who was condemned to be trapped within the wheel for crimes he did not commit. The wheel, originally intended as both a useful and entertaining item that only used beneficial psionic powers, became corrupted over time as the elf's psyche became insane and vengeful - and the powers of the wheel became more sinister. The wheel remains "cursed" to this day. If the ancient crime is somehow solved and justice is served, the elf's psyche is released from its prison, and the wheel will cease functioning.
#3
zombiegleemax
Mar 31, 2004 19:19:31 I like that idea but see a small problem, wouldn't they simply use a psionic power to tell if he did it? I mean before sentancing a person to an eternity like that I assume they were moral enough and just enough to make sure it was a truely guilty person.
#4
xlorepdarkhelm_dup
Mar 31, 2004 19:26:11 Unless those doing the sentencing were corrupt.
#5
zombiegleemax
Mar 31, 2004 19:43:00 As I said I assumed the people doing the trial and sentancing are moral.
#6
zombiegleemax
Apr 01, 2004 7:49:04
Originally posted by Bill Druid Guy
I like that idea but see a small problem, wouldn't they simply use a psionic power to tell if he did it? I mean before sentancing a person to an eternity like that I assume they were moral enough and just enough to make sure it was a truely guilty person.

Perhaps "justice", in this case, was just a flimsy excuse for slave-taking. Perhaps, whenever the number of psyches in orbs grew low, the city-state's lawgiver said to the lawtenders: "We need more psyches. Round us up some unlucky bastards, convict them of something, and then slap them into the orbs." It could have been a rigged system from the very get-go.

--and also, who says our modern morality will be theirs, too? NB
#7
psiseveredhead
Apr 01, 2004 11:35:41 2e psionitek was described as advanced, but 2e was a low item setting, where psionic items were wimpy. (Except for those personal items that tripled your PSP scores.)

Other than the orbs, many of which might manifest a single power like control air or telekinesis, there's really nothing that wouldn't be described in the PsiH.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Mar 31, 2004 10:35:15	We know from a variety of sourcebooks (Mindlords of the Last Sea, City by the Silt Sea, among others) that the folks of the Green Age of Athas used psionics extensively, in a way that can only be termed "psionitek." They used psionics to create a supremely high standard of living, even imprisoning the psyches of criminals in orbs to facilitate such niceties as running water and desalination, public transportation, psionic border patrol, and so on. We even know psionic time travel was possible at one point. What sort of psionitek treasures should PCs find, half-broken, in the ruins that dot the Tablelands? Granted, most psionitek items should be useless or nearly so, worn down and broken after countless centuries of neglect. But like the lifeshaped items of the Blue Age of Athas, some psionitek items should remain, waiting discovery. --wanting ideas for an eventual Dark Sun campaign NB
#2 jon_oracle_of_athas Mar 31, 2004 16:23:25	Here's one idea: A wheel of fortune/misfortune that depending on the result of the spin affects the player with either beneficial/pleasuring psionic powers or harmful psionic powers. The wheel has a tragic story to it: its psyche is that of an elf who was condemned to be trapped within the wheel for crimes he did not commit. The wheel, originally intended as both a useful and entertaining item that only used beneficial psionic powers, became corrupted over time as the elf's psyche became insane and vengeful - and the powers of the wheel became more sinister. The wheel remains "cursed" to this day. If the ancient crime is somehow solved and justice is served, the elf's psyche is released from its prison, and the wheel will cease functioning.
#3 zombiegleemax Mar 31, 2004 19:19:31	I like that idea but see a small problem, wouldn't they simply use a psionic power to tell if he did it? I mean before sentancing a person to an eternity like that I assume they were moral enough and just enough to make sure it was a truely guilty person.
#4 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Mar 31, 2004 19:26:11	Unless those doing the sentencing were corrupt.
#5 zombiegleemax Mar 31, 2004 19:43:00	As I said I assumed the people doing the trial and sentancing are moral.
#6 zombiegleemax Apr 01, 2004 7:49:04	Originally posted by Bill Druid Guy I like that idea but see a small problem, wouldn't they simply use a psionic power to tell if he did it? I mean before sentancing a person to an eternity like that I assume they were moral enough and just enough to make sure it was a truely guilty person. Perhaps "justice", in this case, was just a flimsy excuse for slave-taking. Perhaps, whenever the number of psyches in orbs grew low, the city-state's lawgiver said to the lawtenders: "We need more psyches. Round us up some unlucky bastards, convict them of something, and then slap them into the orbs." It could have been a rigged system from the very get-go. --and also, who says our modern morality will be theirs, too? NB
#7 psiseveredhead Apr 01, 2004 11:35:41	2e psionitek was described as advanced, but 2e was a low item setting, where psionic items were wimpy. (Except for those personal items that tripled your PSP scores.) Other than the orbs, many of which might manifest a single power like control air or telekinesis, there's really nothing that wouldn't be described in the PsiH.