Psionic Question

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PsiTraveller

Cosmic Mongoose
Questions for the Psionic folks.

Assume a Psionic person uses Out of Body Experience and has their consciousness travel to a location to scout it out. They see their nemesis/target alone in a room.
If the psionic also has the power of Psionic Attack, do they use the distance from their consciousness (standing next to the target), or from their body (located in their ship several kilometers away) as the range for their power?
 
Shawn: Range for Psionic Attack, and I am thinking Mind Blast in this case. although all Psionic attack powers mention the same thing: Cost is variable, plus range.

Range is based on Telepathy table on page 55 of the Psionic Book, so I do not know why the attack would be considered unarmed. What do you mean?
 
PsiTraveller said:
Range is based on Telepathy table on page 55 of the Psionic Book, so I do not know why the attack would be considered unarmed. What do you mean?
Click to expand...
A regular gamer would treat a telekinetic attack as being unarmed combat. And close-ish range. The character is fighting with his mind instead of his fists. No weapon use.

A "power" gamer would use telekinetics to pull the trigger on a ranged weapon that is up ahead of him, thus extending the "range" of his "psionic weapon" attack.
 
Well Telekinesis uses a different column on the chart and maxes out at 250 metres. The Telepathy column maxes out at 50,000 km.
 
I am lost, are we talking Telekinesis or Telepathy? I thought the Psionic Assault was listed under Telepathy.
 
PsiTraveller said:
Well Telekinesis uses a different column on the chart and maxes out at 250 metres. The Telepathy column maxes out at 50,000 km.
Click to expand...
Depends on the PSI strength how far a range is. It sounds like you are using generic psionic skills rather than the specific ones. Just use the range band in that case as if your characters were armed with ranged/ship weapons.
 
PsiTraveller said:
Assume a Psionic person uses Out of Body Experience and has their consciousness travel to a location to scout it out. They see their nemesis/target alone in a room.
If the psionic also has the power of Psionic Attack, do they use the distance from their consciousness (standing next to the target), or from their body (located in their ship several kilometers away) as the range for their power?
Click to expand...

Book 4 - Psion - pg 3 said:
Psionics or psionic power, is the ability to acquire information and affect physical actions using the power of the mind. Psionics are extrasensory in that they often bypass the traditional five senses as a channel of entry for information (and imparting it).
Click to expand...

Range is from the "mind".
My question for you ... If another enemy sneaks up and decapitates your body with a cutlass, is your "mind" dead or several kilometers away searching for a new body?

Your answer to that will answer your question about range.
Range is from the "mind".
 
Shawn: I am using Mind Blast from the Advanced Talent Psionic Attack, page 66 of Psion Book for the example. Any Psionic Attack has the same cost listed (variable plus range)

Psionic Attack uses the Telepathic range chart on page 55 of the same book.

Atpollard: Nice analogy. That clears things up for me. I was thinking the projection of the psyche under the Out of Body description might allow a closer range increment. (Which assumes the Psionic powers are in the psyche and not the brain/meat of the Psion). Thanks.

And as an aside. If you have a Psion player with even middling points and a battery they can mind nuke a person pretty easily once a day.

Assume 3 points from a battery and they have 7 points themselves. They spend 6 of these on the Mind Blast. That would be 9d6 + 3 X Effect against the Str, Dex, and End of an opponent.

Or 6d6 + 3X Effect against everyone in a 3 metre radius. Nasty.
 
PsiTraveller said:
Shawn: I am using Mind Blast from the Advanced Talent Psionic Attack, page 66 of Psion Book for the example. Any Psionic Attack has the same cost listed (variable plus range)

Psionic Attack uses the Telepathic range chart on page 55 of the same book.
Click to expand...
Telepathic range and Mind Blast range are two different things. Don't worry what the telepathic range says. Just focus on what the Mind Blast says to do. But if the Telepathic range chart says you're out of range, then you're out of range for Mind Blasting also. Anyway, I think you may have answered your own question by now.

Typically, you need to see the people you are mind blasting. They are in the same room or cave or arena pit as you in nearly all cases. But if your character is more like Dr. Manhattan or Gary Mitchell, then you don't need to worry about any ranges.

Personally, I don't treat Out of Body Experience as being your Minding Blasting psionic you also. You're just looking-looing around from a comfy chair hopefully. Can people see your out of body dude? And shoot at it?

What exactly is your character? List out their characteristics and skills.
 
PsiTraveller said:
And as an aside. If you have a Psion player with even middling points and a battery they can mind nuke a person pretty easily once a day.
Assume 3 points from a battery and they have 7 points themselves. They spend 6 of these on the Mind Blast. That would be 9d6 + 3 X Effect against the Str, Dex, and End of an opponent.
Or 6d6 + 3X Effect against everyone in a 3 metre radius. Nasty.
Click to expand...

... (note to evil Ref self): a homeless man wanders the starport cradling a small object ... really a Paranoid Traumatized Psion with Mind Blast and a Psi Battery ... just let someone mess with the homeless crackpot. :)
 
Out of Body Power (pg 64-65) is invisible to normal sight but aura aware psions can see the aura of the OBE Psion (the aura travels with the psyche).

So no body to shoot at, it is invisible. The projected awareness is able to travel up to 50,000 km instantly (max Telepathy range)if desired and the Psion snoop can look around for 30 minutes. They cannot interact with the physical world, just look over shoulders etc.
So this makes a great spy/espionage Talent.

The character with the Talents is a Psionic Corsair/ Mind Thief. They have the Talents of Telepathy, Projection, Awareness and Psionic Attack.

The focus of the character is to get information, either by snooping around using the invisible 'astral body', or reading minds.

I think I may have messed up on Mind Blast. The Psionic Attack Description on page 65 mentions some attack options as being part of the Telepathy Talent. Then it goes on to say that these new Talents form their own Talent. The description of Mind Blast says it is an upgrade on the Telekinetic Punch ability, which (IMO) would use the Telekinesis Range chart.

Hmm, further thinking is needed. I was looking for a long range attack. Assault would work, that is in the Telepathy Talent. Pain and Paralysis would seem to be Telepathic in nature, although some may argue Pain is a telekinetic attack on the nerves.

Unlock is Telepathic (again IMO), but does no damage, just a -DM to everything.

Further thinking is required. My thanks to everyone who pointed things out to help me catch my errors! :oops:

Anyone have ideas for a good long range Telepathic attack? I am in the market for one.
 
It's been a while since I really studied Pison.
Exactly what power do you use for "out of body" experience?
I honestly don't recall seeing that ability...
Does it fall within the powers like clairvoyance, and other senses?

But without rereading Psion, I would think the range would be from your body, where you brain is located. Since an out of body experience is a projection of ones consciousness, you are still relying on the stats from your body... Psi attribute, to power your abilities.
I think it's just a very advance form of infiltrating/spying. I'm not sure you can directly interact, or attack, the environment around your projected "self"..
I could be wrong, but that's my first reaction to the question.
VERY good question though... ;)
 
Well the Psionic Corsair (Psion book pg 29) has the stated aim of piracy and commerce raiding and subduing others quickly without the need for weapons. The character is a pirate (Pirates of Drinax campaign). The psionic aspect is a hidden aspect, as I mentioned the emphasis is on stealth and espionage to get information. The Pain and Paralysis is a gritty and dark ability to interrogate people or capture them.
 
Well a Psion Rogue: Thief (pg 29 of Psion Book) could also take the Psionic Attack Talent. So could a Mind Stealer. It just depends on how violent and or willing to inflict death pain or paralysis a player is. A thief may not want to attract attention and focus on abilities like Glamour, or he or she may be willing to kill anyone who tries to stop them.
 
I'm sure thieves have changed over time. I'm used to thieves being sneaky, and getting in and out quick. But those movies don't sell anymore. Everyone has to be a thug now and get noticed. I blame 12 Monkeys.
 
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