Psionics balancing

[JimG]

I have a player who is very interested in playing a psion character, but I've never actually run a game (in any version of Traveller) with psionic characters. I want to try to make them useful but not overpowering.

Has anyone run a MGT game with psionics? Any advice for keeping the game fun for everyone?

Note: I don't own Psion yet, so we'll be using the core rulebook for psionic rules.

 

[alex_greene]

The best advice is to use the psionics core rules as presented. You don't necessarily need Psion to run a satisfactory Traveller game with psionics.

Just make sure to generate at least a couple of psionically-endowed NPCs to act as Rivals, Contacts, Allies and even Patrons, and work out exactly what a Psionics Institute does happen to look like.

 

[Infojunky]

I have to agree with Alex. Use the powers as presented in the TMB, with they provide a character with a shtick, they aren't the panacea that some people think they are.

 

[alex_greene]

I actually use some other schticks to make psions seem alien and exotic, as compared to people who have an unusual talent or who are pursuing an odd career, or cyborgs who have lots of augments.

 

[Golan2072]

Remember that the small amount of power-points most psions have limits them quite effectively; they can't use most of the high-level powers more than a very few times a day, and many can't use the higher-level powers at all.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

If you have Psion, I think that the Psychic Trauma acts as a nice limiter. Also, as others have said, the limited number of PSI points makes it self limiting too.

The character will not be tossing off fireballs every other round, that is for sure. Teleportation is quite tricky, even for the strongest Psion, so I don't think it is a deal breaker.

I have also introduced anti-Psion drugs that can be used to block a psion's powers and cause nausea and vertigo and occasionally hallucinations. Since most people are not psions, they don't even know about it.

Also, REALLY play up the anti-psion attitudes amongst the NPCs and maybe even the PCs. Having to keep their psionic powers a secret may be the biggest inhibitor of all.

 

[alex_greene]

Or the psions can be aware of the existence of such threats, and work to develop a whole bunch of secret technologies that can enable them to overcome the limitations of unaided psi.

After all, if the future of your species' evolution lay in your hands, you'd work like billy - o to make sure your species remains on top, no matter what the other guy comes up with, right?

 

[lastbesthope]

After all, if the future of your species' evolution lay in your hands, you'd work like billy - o to make sure your species remains on top, no matter what the other guy comes up with, right?

Et voila, Bab 5's Alfred Bester enters the room....

LBH

 

[alex_greene]

He always was my favourite B5 character.

 

[Stofsk]

He always was my favourite B5 character.

He was my favourite supporting character, but I loved Londo the most. It's often been said that B5 seems to be in large part, the story of Londo Mollari and his rise and fall. He was in equal parts, funny, and tragic, and his arc was the most interesting.

Once you get over the ridiculous hair style, of course...

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Yes, because some of the hairstyles we have had in the last 100 years are SO MUCH better. Anyone remember the Beehive? What about the FauxHawk? Or the Spiked Mohawk? Was Londo's really any worse?

I saw a girl in the airport yesterday with bright, neon pink hair. Is that really any different?

 

[zorlak21]

But they fun to play so have fun with it.
8)

 

[Stofsk]

Yes, because some of the hairstyles we have had in the last 100 years are SO MUCH better. Anyone remember the Beehive? What about the FauxHawk? Or the Spiked Mohawk? Was Londo's really any worse?

I don't understand your post here. How is bringing up other ridiculous hairstyles proof that Londo's wasn't?

My remark wasn't even intended to be taken seriously anyway.

I saw a girl in the airport yesterday with bright, neon pink hair. Is that really any different?

I don't mind it. Different colour hair isn't all that bad, and can even be appealing.