I've always been sort of sketchy about psionics. Didn't like them in 1st edition AD&D. Kind of liked them in 2nd edition. Really liked the 3.0 version, and really like the changes made in the Expanded Psionics Handbook (even though some of them are *quite* different from 3.0, which is a bit jarring).
IMC, the psionics are not uncommon in Yavdlom (where the rulers are seers), but rare everywhere else. As far as monsters go, I think the kopru and brain collectors are naturals for psionics.
I agree that psionics should be rare on Mystara. But not that rare either.
Yavdlom is probably the major center for psionics, but other countries have them too. Ochaela and Sind(h) would be good choices, and maybe the Temple of Will in Ierendi are psionicists?
Also, I think Alphatia should have quite a few psionicists. Psionicists are treated like spellcasters there, thus granting nobility status.
Another country that might have a few psionicists is Ylaruam. What is it with desterts and psionic characters?
They might be found in other countries too, like Thyatis, Karameikos, Darokin and Glantri, but I think they should be more rare in these countries.
Just a few random thoughts...might structure them more later.
Comments?
Havard
:-) Jesper
Originally posted by havard
Yavdlom is probably the major center for psionics, but other countries have them too. Ochaela and Sind(h) would be good choices, and maybe the Temple of Will in Ierendi are psionicists?
Sounds good- though I'm not sure where this Temple of Will is. Have to refresh my Ierendi memory somewhat.
On that note, though, there is a mystic monastery on one of the Minrothad islands- perhaps some psionicists might be there?
Also, I think Alphatia should have quite a few psionicists. Psionicists are treated like spellcasters there, thus granting nobility status.
Yeah- I can definitely go for this.
Another country that might have a few psionicists is Ylaruam. What is it with desterts and psionic characters?
Good question. And also a good answer. Psionicists would definitely be preferable to wizards/sorcerers in Ylaruam.
They might be found in other countries too, like Thyatis, Karameikos, Darokin and Glantri, but I think they should be more rare in these countries.
I'd say Glantri more than any of the others- in particular, the mystics of Lhamsa might be psionicists.
Hin Master psionics?
Originally posted by Cthulhudrew
Sounds good- though I'm not sure where this Temple of Will is. Have to refresh my Ierendi memory somewhat.
On that note, though, there is a mystic monastery on one of the Minrothad islands- perhaps some psionicists might be there?
Good question. And also a good answer. Psionicists would definitely be preferable to wizards/sorcerers in Ylaruam.
I'd say Glantri more than any of the others- in particular, the mystics of Lhamsa might be psionicists.
Cant remember much about the Temple of Will myself, but I think it was a temple for clerics that were not associated with any immortal. Bruce Heard suggested that Diulanna was the sponsor of their spells. Psionicists is another approach. I also, suggest linking Diulanna, the Patroness of Will to Psionicists.
Mystics and psionicists usually go hand in hand. I see no reason why Minrothads Mystic temples cannot have them aswell. Also, on Minrothad you might have the more traditional 1800s Psychic type psionicists, rather than the Dark Sun, tatoos all over, variant.
The mystics of Lhamsa were actually on my mind when I mentioned Glantri, just couldnt remember their name. I think they would be good candidates though.
Originally posted by Woodrake
Shadow Elf Psionicists?
Hin Master Psionicis?
The shadowelves might have them, but in general I think that culture is more into Sorcery. It would be interesting to have a separate clan of shadow elves who are psionically oriented. They could be big on tatoos aswell.
I see the reason for suggesting Hin Masters as psionicists, but Id much rather have them be druids.
Havard
Originally posted by havard
[b]Cant remember much about the Temple of Will myself, but I think it was a temple for clerics that were not associated with any immortal. Bruce Heard suggested that Diulanna was the sponsor of their spells. Psionicists is another approach. I also, suggest linking Diulanna, the Patroness of Will to Psionicists.
That's a real good idea- Diulanna would be the perfect patron of psionicists on Mystara. Great connection. Maybe she has been sponsoring more psionicists lately, for people who are interested in incoporating them into Mystara, but feel that they would be too much trouble to "retrofit" as it were? This would be a way for them to ease them in.
Mystics and psionicists usually go hand in hand. I see no reason why Minrothads Mystic temples cannot have them aswell. Also, on Minrothad you might have the more traditional 1800s Psychic type psionicists, rather than the Dark Sun, tatoos all over, variant.
Minrothad was settled by Alphatians, in part. Perhaps there weren't just air and/or water wizards who came to the islands, but psionicists as well, then?
The mystics of Lhamsa were actually on my mind when I mentioned Glantri, just couldnt remember their name. I think they would be good candidates though.
It might be a good way of building up their presence in Glantri, as well. Aside from a couple of brief mentions (and their presence on maps) they never really got a whole lot of detail added to them. The question, of course, is what are their origins? The name of their monastery- Lhamsa- is obviously based on Tibetan. Implying some sort of oriental origins (as does the title of their leader, the "Saffron Mystic"). They could be Ethengarians, then, perhaps a remnant of the wizard/hakomon (sorcerer) split that drove the Krondahar to seek refuge in Glantri, or perhaps they are of Ochalean origins? In which case, why did they make such a long trek from their homeland? (Perhaps they left on a pilgrimage, and were drawn to Glantri by the same "radiance" that drew all the wizards? If you use the psionics/magic transparency rule, maybe there are some among them who are able to draw on the Radiance themselves?)
Originally posted by Cthulhudrew
That's a real good idea- Diulanna would be the perfect patron of psionicists on Mystara. Great connection. Maybe she has been sponsoring more psionicists lately, for people who are interested in incoporating them into Mystara, but feel that they would be too much trouble to "retrofit" as it were? This would be a way for them to ease them in.
That makes sense. I usually portray Diulanna more like a goddess of hunting, but her Goddess of Will aspect fits with this. Perhaps she uses another name when associated with this aspect, for instance an Ochaelan Name? We might want to include some sort of Buddah figure aswell...does Mystara have any such immortal?
Minrothad was settled by Alphatians, in part. Perhaps there weren't just air and/or water wizards who came to the islands, but psionicists as well, then?
I've always liked having psionicists in Alphatia. They would have been a much smaller group than any of the wizard/sorcerer fractions, but very much present.
It might be a good way of building up their presence in Glantri, as well. Aside from a couple of brief mentions (and their presence on maps) they never really got a whole lot of detail added to them. The question, of course, is what are their origins? The name of their monastery- Lhamsa- is obviously based on Tibetan. Implying some sort of oriental origins (as does the title of their leader, the "Saffron Mystic"). They could be Ethengarians, then, perhaps a remnant of the wizard/hakomon (sorcerer) split that drove the Krondahar to seek refuge in Glantri, or perhaps they are of Ochalean origins? In which case, why did they make such a long trek from their homeland? (Perhaps they left on a pilgrimage, and were drawn to Glantri by the same "radiance" that drew all the wizards? If you use the psionics/magic transparency rule, maybe there are some among them who are able to draw on the Radiance themselves?)
I like the Radience Connection. The Crystals used by the brotherhood of the radiance and the Shadow Elf Soul Crystals might have some connection to the crystals used by psionicists. I'm not really sure what the psionics/magic transparency rule is, you'd have to explain that one to me.
If the Mystics are in fact from Ochaela, having been drawn to Glantri by the Radiance seems like a good idea.
Håvard
Originally posted by havard
That makes sense. I usually portray Diulanna more like a goddess of hunting, but her Goddess of Will aspect fits with this. Perhaps she uses another name when associated with this aspect, for instance an Ochaelan Name? We might want to include some sort of Buddah figure aswell...does Mystara have any such immortal?
Not that I know of. There's Ganetra, the Elephant-man from HWA3: Nightstorm (who I turned into a Pachydermion Immortal). He might be a fit. Also, waaay back when the M-Orient project was still active, I know they had planned to have a Buddah sort of figure, but I don't know much more about it than that.
I like the Radience Connection. The Crystals used by the brotherhood of the radiance and the Shadow Elf Soul Crystals might have some connection to the crystals used by psionicists.
I hadn't thought of that angle- that is another good connection, though.
I'm not really sure what the psionics/magic transparency rule is, you'd have to explain that one to me.
That's the 3rd edition psionics rule that makes magic and psionics both able to be affected by the other. It's a change from the original rules where psionics were considered a different sort of ability (thus unable to be dispelled, detected, etc. by magic and vice versa). Part of making the two power systems more compatible and not so overwhelmingly powerful (in the case of psionics, which was a problem many had with the 2nd edition version of them). Under this system, it should theoretically be possible for the psionicists to tap into the Radiance just as mages do.
Which reminds me- the crew of the Beagle, it is mentioned in DA3: City of the Gods, were familiar with psionics. They originally presumed the magic of the Mystarans was psionics, but after studying it, realized it was something different. So it isn't unreasonable to assume that there may have been psionicists among the crew of the Beagle, and that they may have taught it to Blackmoorians at some point following their crash (presumably at a point when Captain Riesling's imposed isolation was no longer in effect.)
Originally posted by Cthulhudrew
Not that I know of. There's Ganetra, the Elephant-man from HWA3: Nightstorm (who I turned into a Pachydermion Immortal). He might be a fit. Also, waaay back when the M-Orient project was still active, I know they had planned to have a Buddah sort of figure, but I don't know much more about it than that.
Ganetra sounds perfect. Would that make the Pachydermions a psionically inclined race?
That's the 3rd edition psionics rule that makes magic and psionics both able to be affected by the other. It's a change from the original rules where psionics were considered a different sort of ability (thus unable to be dispelled, detected, etc. by magic and vice versa). Part of making the two power systems more compatible and not so overwhelmingly powerful (in the case of psionics, which was a problem many had with the 2nd edition version of them). Under this system, it should theoretically be possible for the psionicists to tap into the Radiance just as mages do.
Ah, okay. Well, why not allow the psionicists to do just that? Using the radiance might work a but different for them though.
Which reminds me- the crew of the Beagle, it is mentioned in DA3: City of the Gods, were familiar with psionics. They originally presumed the magic of the Mystarans was psionics, but after studying it, realized it was something different. So it isn't unreasonable to assume that there may have been psionicists among the crew of the Beagle, and that they may have taught it to Blackmoorians at some point following their crash (presumably at a point when Captain Riesling's imposed isolation was no longer in effect.)
That is certainly one possible origin for psionics on Mystara. That might also mean that Benekander and Rafiel sponsors of psionics on Mystara aswell.
Also, if Psionics was big during Blackmoor's Golden Age, there may be a number of psionic items laying around of Blackmoor/Beagle origin.
Actually, having the Galactic Federation be psionic heavy might make that culture more interesting aswell. At first I simply assumed that they would have a Psionic Councelor aboard each ship ala Councelor Troy. But what if the Federation were more like your average psionicist, dark sun style, crystals all over? Perhaps even their technology was partially based on psionics, hence making the Beagle Core magical was not so much of an alteration on the part of the Old Ones afterall?
Håvard