Monday, August 17, 2009

More thoughts on Dark Sun Disciplines

Yes, this is indeed proving the biggest speed-bump so far. Fair enough, given the importance of psionics to the setting. Last time I posted the Disciplines from Eldritch Wizardy in a first pass at ranking them by Level (since there are no psionic power points in my version here). I checked the 1st ed. Player's Handbook and found a couple of things of interest:

1. The PH completely changes a major part of Psionic Combat. Namely, non-psionics are immune to Attack Modes (except for Mind Blast). I'm glad I checked because this was always my memory and I'd already incorporated it into my notes, but couldn't find any support for it in EW, which has an overly-complex system for psionics attacks versus non-psioncis.

2. The PH adds exactly one Discipline to this list: Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions. Which really is much the same as Object Reading.

Flipping through the spell lists, I see a few spells that it might make sense to convert, such as Locate Object, Command, Sleep, and Confusion. Further, it strikes me that some good generic powers could be converted: Hallucination, a riff off of the various illusions spells; Energize, something like Haste and Strength; Emotional Projection, which would combine Friends, Scare, and Confusion. Finally, I think psychic powers need something to improve the psychics senses.

So, here's Take Two of the Disciplines:

Level One
  1. Animal Telepathy
  2. Body Equilibrium (Water Walk)
  3. Body Weaponry
  4. Detection of Magic
  5. Empathy
  6. Hypnosis
  7. Mind over Body
  8. Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions (Psychometry)

Level Two
  1. Acute Senses
  2. Cell Adjustment (Heal)
  3. Domination
  4. ESP
  5. Invisibility (Occultation)
  6. Levitation
  7. Locate Object
  8. Suspended Animation

Level Three
  1. Aura Alteration (Remove Curse [Dispel Magic?])
  2. Body Control (Withstand Extremes)
  3. Dimension Walking
  4. Energize
  5. Enervation
  6. Hallucination
  7. Molecular Agitation (Firestarting)
  8. Remote Viewing

Level Four
  1. Feeblemind
  2. Mass Domination
  3. Mind Bar (Resist Possession)
  4. Molecular Manipulation (Disintegrate)
  5. Telekinesis
  6. Telepathy

Level Five
  1. Astral Projection
  2. Energy Control
  3. Etherealness
  4. Molecular Rearrangement (Transmute Metals)
  5. Shape Alteration
  6. Telepathic Projection (Suggestion + Possession)

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