Powers: Psicrystals

Powers: Psicrystals

A common concept in fantasy is a spellcaster having a familiar, typically an animal imbued with increased intelligence, special abilities, and/or speech. In D&D, familiars provided minor (usually) benefits, but were often discarded in favor of an alternative ability because having a vulnerable critter that will cause you to lose XP upon death is not something many players wanted. In GURPS, familiars are described in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5 – Allies and expanded upon in Pyramid #3-75. Sure, mages get all the fun things, but what about the psis? Expanded Psionic Handbook for D&D 3.5 has psicrystals – psionic analogues of the familiars. Let us try to convert them, using existing frameworks.

A psicrystal is a fragment of a psionic character’s personality, brought into physical form and a semblance of life. A psicrystal appears as a crystalline construct about the size of a human hand. Any psionic character who does not already have a psicrystal may create one – the meditative ritual to do so can be found in libraries of psionic lore and is not obscure. The character requires a piece of crystal and 1d weeks of daily 4-hour-long meditation. Once the ritual in complete, the piece of crystal is imbued with a semblance of life and changes color and shape according to the parameters the character had in mind during the ritual.

In game terms, a psicrystal is a meta-trait that any psi can purchase. A character can have only one psicrystal. The meta-trait comprises two parts, the psicrystal itself and the traits it grants.

The psicrystal is an Ally built on 25% points. In game statistics it is represented as Ally (Psicrystal; Built on 25%; Constantly Available; Special Abilities, +50%) [6]. In addition to that, the master will always have Special Rapport (Psicrystal; Telepathy, -10%) [5]. A psicrystal can grant the master some special traits modified with the Granted by Psicrystal, -40% limitation. These traits function only as long as the psicrystal can reach the master in a minute or less.

Psicrystal [Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 207]

3 points

Attribute Modifiers: ST-8 [-80]; DX+3 (No Fine Manipulators, -40%) [36]; IQ-2 [-40]; HT+2 [20].

Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM-6; HP+2 [4]; Basic Move-3 [-15].

Advantages: Clinging [20]; Dark Vision [25]; DR 2 (Can't Wear Armor, -40%) [6]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Extra Legs (Four Legs) [5]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Immunity to Mind Control [30]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous, No Blood, No Eyes, No Head, No Neck) [62]; Mindlink (Master) [5]; Special Rapport (Master) [5]; Telesend (Accessibility, Master Only, -80%; Can tell if sending is successful, +10%; Telepathy, -10%) [6]; Unaging [15]; Vacuum Support [5].

Disadvantages: Horizontal [-10]; Numb [-20]; Mute [-25]; No Fine Manipulators [-30]; No Sense of Smell/Taste [-5]; Sense of Duty (Master) [-2]; Social Stigma (Valuable Property) [-10]; Unhealing (Total) [-30]; Vulnerability (Sonic Attacks, x2) [-10]; Wealth (Dead Broke) [-25].

Perks: Avatar [1]; Controllable Disadvantage (No Legs (Portable)) [1].

Features: Not Subject to Fatigue; Sterile.

Creature Type: Construct.

A psicrystal looks like a piece of crystal of any color in its inert state. On will, it can grow four spidery legs to move on. It cannot perform fine manipulations with its appendages, as it has No Fine Manipulators and Horizontal. A psicrystal can easily climb up walls and ceilings on its legs at its half Basic Move.

                A psicrystal does not eat, drink, sleep, breathe, and age. It cannot be affected by mind control spells and abilities, metabolic hazards, and vacuum. While it cannot taste, smell, and feel, it can still see regardless of the illumination level. It is homogenous, but takes double injury from sonic attacks.

                A psicrystal is mute, but it can telepathically communicate with its master. It can project its thoughts directly into its master’s mind, from up to 100 miles away; if this sending fails, the psicrystal will realize it. The master must possess a similar ability to do the same, or he can just speak to the psicrystal normally. Psicrystal’s mental communication is accompanied by a clear mental image of who it is. Others cannot fake this image.

                A psicrystal often has a fair amount of points spent on skills.
         Alternatively, a psicrystal can be fashioned into a weapon. Use guidelines from GURPS Thaumatology, pp. 113-120.

GRANTED TRAITS

A psicrystal has no FP, but it can possess ER (Psi) [3/level] that its master can drain if he takes ER (Psi; Drains Psicrystal, -50%) [1.5/level]. This works identically to Drains Familiar (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5 – Allies, p. 20), but the master cannot take more levels of this ER than the psicrystal. Typically, psionic characters only use this ER to use psionic techniques.

                There are many examples written up in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5 – Allies and Pyramid #3-75, you can use those for inspiration when creating traits granted by psicrystals. In D&D, each psicrystal has a distinct personality, chosen by its owner at the time of its creation from among those given below. At first, its owner typically gets a feel for a psicrystal’s personality only through occasional impulses, but as the owner increases in power the psicrystal’s personality becomes more pronounced. It is not uncommon for a psicrystal to constantly ply its owner with observations and advice, often severely slanted toward the psicrystal’s particular worldview. The owner always sees a bit of himself in his psicrystal, even if magnified and therefore distorted.

                Roleplaying tips are described in Expanded Psionics Handbook, pp. 23-24.

                Artiste:

                For psicrystal: Delusions (Talented in arts) [-1] or Gifted Artist [5/level] or Musical Ability [5/level].

                For master: Artificer (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [6/level] + Versatile (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3].

Bully:

                For psicrystal: Bully [varies].

                For master: Tough Guy (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3/level].

Coward:

                For psicrystal: Cowardice [varies].

                For master: Craftiness (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3/level].

Friendly:

                For psicrystal: Charitable [varies] and/or Pacifism [varies].

                For master: Smooth Operator (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [9/level].

Hero:

                For psicrystal: Overconfidence [varies].

                For master: High Pain Threshold (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [6].

Liar:

                For psicrystal: Compulsive Lying [varies].

                For master: Talker (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3/level].

Meticulous:

                For psicrystal: Meticulous [-1].

                For master: Per+1 (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3/level].

Nimble:

                For psicrystal: Careful [-1].

                For master: Combat Reflexes (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [9] and/or Danger Sense (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [9].

Observant:

                For psicrystal: Per+4 [20].

                For master: Per+1 (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3/level].

Poised:

                For psicrystal: Careful [-1] or Paranoia [-10].

                For master: Perfect Balance (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [9].

Resolved:

                For psicrystal: Stubbornness [-5].

                For master: Will+1 (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3/level].

Sage:

                For psicrystal: Delusions (Knows a lot about everything) [-1] or Sage [10/level].

                For master: Sage (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [6/level].

Single-Minded:

                For psicrystal: Single-Minded [5].

                For master: Single-Minded (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3].

Sneaky:

                For psicrystal: Uncongenial [-1] or Loner [varies].

                For master: Stalker (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3/level].

Sympathetic:

                For psicrystal: Responsive [-1] or Charitable [varies].

                For master: Truth-Seeker (Granted by Psicrystal, -40%) [3/level].