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Message no. 1
From: Technomancer <arvanit@***.uch.gr>
Subject: Psionics Rework (Part Beta.1) (A different view on magic)
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 14:18:20 +0300 (EET DST)
So, here I am. No more lurking and asking questions. (Well, there will be
more questions but...)
As I mentioned (sp?) in my previous post, I just bought Awakening. I have
read it, and while reading the part about psionics, I thought:
"Hey, that's not so bad after all. I can make better though!"
So here it is:
Psionicists are people who use magic, but think of it as mere powers of
their mind. They can have exclusive spells (with only a +1 force bonus)
or concentrated powers (spells which require 2 complex actions to be
casted) with a +2 force modifier. However they can't have spells which
require a fetish.
What makes them formitable opponents is that somehow they manage to work
magic without any visible actions on the physical plane. The only way to
find out that they are casting a spell is to watch them astraly or view
the effects of the spell when cast.
The psionicists believe that spirits are creations of the mind, but
cannot easily manipulate them. They have a +2 target modifier for
banishing or summoning any kind of spirit.
Regardless of the +2 modifier they can summon spirits from an unknown
metaplane. These strange spirits are a surprise to both the psionicist
and his enemies, because even he doesn't know what will come forth once
he calls.

**** Important question ****
How is going? Should I go on or is it beyond hope?
Comments, flame and money to the address below (Or the list, but not the
money 8)

*********************************************************************
* Technomancer * Modesty is one of my countless virtues *
* arvanit@***.uch.gr *
* http://www.csd.uch.gr/~arvanit/ *
*********************************************************************
Message no. 2
From: Technomancer <arvanit@***.uch.gr>
Subject: Psionics Rework (Part Beta.1) (A different view on magic)
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 15:25:20 +0300 (EET DST)
So, here I am. No more lurking and asking questions. (Well, there will be
more questions but...)
As I mentioned (sp?) in my previous post, I just bought Awakening. I have
read it, and while reading the part about psionics, I thought:
"Hey, that's not so bad after all. I can make better though!"
So here it is:
Psionicists are people who use magic, but think of it as mere powers of
their mind. They can have exclusive spells (with only a +1 force bonus)
or concentrated powers (spells which require 2 complex actions to be
casted) with a +2 force modifier. However they can't have spells which
require a fetish.
What makes them formitable opponents is that somehow they manage to work
magic without any visible actions on the physical plane. The only way to
find out that they are casting a spell is to watch them astraly or view
the effects of the spell when cast.
The psionicists believe that spirits are creations of the mind, but
cannot easily manipulate them. They have a +2 target modifier for
banishing or summoning any kind of spirit.
Regardless of the +2 modifier they can summon spirits from an unknown
metaplane. These strange spirits are a surprise to both the psionicist
and his enemies, because even he doesn't know what will come forth once
he calls.

**** Important question ****
How is going? Should I go on or is it beyond hope?
Comments, flame and money to the address below (Or the list, but not the
money 8)

*********************************************************************
* Technomancer * Modesty is one of my countless virtues *
* arvanit@***.uch.gr *
* http://www.csd.uch.gr/~arvanit/ *
*********************************************************************

PS: If this was sent twice curse my mailer.
Message no. 3
From: Jeffrey Riordan <JRIORDAN@***.gov>
Subject: Psionics Rework (Part Beta.1) (A different view on magic)
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 13:24:08 -0400
>>> Technomancer <arvanit@***.uch.gr> 07/25/96
07:18am >>>

<SNIP>

**** Important question ****
How is going? Should I go on or is it beyond hope?
Comments, flame and money to the address below (Or
the list, but not the money 8)
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,

I've read awakenings and the section regarding
Different world viewpoints and that Psionics is another
view of the world similar but distinctly different from
the mainstream magic view. I Agree with that part
from a rationality point of view for allowing Psionic
powers into a SR game. I Really Disagree with the
view that it is a weaker form of magic than the
mainstream magic.
Pickup most Sci-Fi novels with Psionics in it and
you'll find them doing some very strenous stuff even
for High powered mages. I offer the series by Anne
McCaffery started in I believe "To Ride Pegasus" that
has some 7 or 8 books in it. Another series but Julian
May is the intervention series ("Survellence",
"Intervention", "Proctorship") it's sequal ("Jack The
Bodyless", "Diamond Mask", "Magnificat") and the
prequal to both ("The Many Colored land", "The
Golden Torc", "The Non-Born King", and one other I
forget).
The Julian May series portrayed many different
aspects of Psionic Powers from TK to
Transformations. All the characters that had Psionic
Power had varying degrees of strengths in the several
fields that were "classified" in the series. Some were
Very Powerful TKs while their abilaty to influnce
people was non-existant. Then there were grand
masters who would kick everyones butt in all the
categories.
The "popular" Magic theory has the same thing in
SR. There are Combat Mages who specialize in
Combat spells and aggressive manipulation spells
but couldn't create an illusion to save their souls.
Then there are people who have some spells from all
5 categories.
The only edge I would give a character with Psionic
powers is that they could justify a teleport power far
easier than a "normal" mage. The reason is simple,
the "popular" magic theory in SR still limits itself to
the physics of situations with some allowance for the
envolvement of the Astral space. Psionic characters
would only be really limited by their imagination and
psychological problems which seem to abound in the
(meta)Human race.
As for game playability and that I would treat them
just as any other mage type. The real test I think is to
have the Player who wants to do something like that
come up with a GOOD reason behind why the
character can put people to sleep or heal wounds. In
fact an interesting twist that can be done on the
Heal/treat spell is that the Character doing the healing
takes on a portion of the damage they heal rather than
resisting it. The CHaracter then may have another
power that he can use on himself that quickens the
healing process but only on his body.
Now that IMHO is a roleplaying opportunity if I ever
saw one. Just how much damage are you willing to
heal if you know you'll be sucking it up. Or better yet
just how good of a friend is your chum over there who
just took the grenade at gorund zero? :)

Further Reading

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Thwap!