Powers: Photokinesis

Powers: Photokinesis

In GURPS Psionic Powers, the Ergokinesis powers contains three subpowers - Cyberpsi, Electrokinesis, and Photokinesis. Since I'm mostly running D&D-style games, Cyberpsi is practically useless, and while in modern or sci-fi games Ergokinesis and Photokinesis do work well together, in a more fantasy setting, they feel like separate powers - that why I actually made Electrokinesis a separate power, and that leaves just Photokinesis. D&D doesn't have a photokineticist class, but it does have some light-based powers that one can use for inspiration. Also, I decided to merge Photokinesis with the Umbrakinesis subpower of Necropsi (Pyramid #3-99), as that would make sense, but I removed the Silhouette ability - this is too much even for a fantasy game (and I hate "variable" costs).

Powers: Sonokinesis

Powers: Sonokinesis

Sonokinesis was introduced as a subcategory of Psychokinesis in Pyramid #3-29. However, I would like to excise it from Psychokinesis and turn it into a separate power. I will probably write up new abilities and rework some of the existing ones to get a more D&D feel. I reworked Muffle, because not only I do not want it to be useable at range, but also the writeup has some mistakes. Due to the rework, the Muted Movement technique became more expensive and one part of it had to be cut. I decided to remove the Sonic Dampening technique and turn it into a separate ability to ease access to the DR aspect of the power against screaming monsters.

Powers: Metacreativity Revised

Powers: Metacreativity Revised

There is one psionic power in D&D that is not represented in GURPS - metacreativity. Many years ago, I wrote a post with some metacreativity abilities, and then added some more in other posts. However, now that I'm busy tweaking psionics more to my liking, I decided to revise the old stuff and combine it with the "new" abilities in a single post. Some abilities were cut or reworked because they were too similar to existing abilities of other powers, and some new techniques were added. To be honest, I'm not really content with the result. I wanted to make more abilities, but after looking through D&D books, I found that many powers that are assigned to the metacreativity discipline have nothing to do with it - they just didn't fit anywhere else. But nonetheless, at least the end result is usable. Now I only have to expand/rework sonokinesis and photokinesis as separate powers.

Powers: Electrokinesis

Powers: Electrokinesis

GURPS Psionic Powers has a large Ergokinesis powers that is comprised of three subpowers - Cyberpsi, Electrokinesis, and Photokinesis. Since I'm mostly running low-tech fantasy games, many of these abilities are simply useless, except for very rare cases with anachronistic tech. I've already did my take on Pyrokinesis and Cryokinesis as separate psionic powers, but there are some "energy" powers left - Sonokinesis (already exists in GURPS in Pyramid #3-29), Electrokinesis, and Acetokinesis. I'm not going to even think about Acetokinesis, I think WotC were on something when they came up with that concept, but Electrokinesis sounds fine, I just have to rework the power completely and make it more fantasy and less sci-fi. When writing up these abilities, I found that Electrokinesis is quite special, as it lends itself well to "buff"-like Afflictions that imbue the subject with an electrical charge, while other powers usually are incompatible with such things due to flavor reasons.

Occupational Template: Soulknife

Occupational Template: Soulknife

Another D&D occupational template - the soulknife.

Galactic Havoc: Psychotronics and TL

Galactic Havoc: Psychotronics and TL

As I mentioned in the setting design goals and overview (no, I haven't abandoned it, I'm just doing some other stuff as well), supernatural powers, including psionics, will exist in the setting. Psychotronic devices that emulate or otherwise affect psionic powers are described in GURPS Ultra-Tech and GURPS Psi-Tech, but they are not assigned to any TL - they are just listed as TL^. Splitting them between different tech levels will allow us to create civilizations that have more advanced psychotronics than others or less advanced, which is a good thing, in my opinion.

Designing Sorcery Spells vs. Designing Psionic Powers

Designing Sorcery Spells vs. Designing Psionic Powers

Both Sorcery and Psionic Powers are worked frameworks of magic-as-powers. This means that the basic building blocks are the same - you have advantages and modifiers. You might think that designing spells and psionic abilities is almost identical then, but my experience tells me that it really is not. In this short, rambly post, I'm going to explain the differences that I have encountered.

Powers: Cryokinesis

Powers: Cryokinesis

As promised, here's cryokinesis as a separate psionic power. 

Powers: Pyrokinesis

Powers: Pyrokinesis

Psychokinesis is one of the broadest psionic powers in GURPS Psionic Powers. While such abilities as Pyrokinesis and Cryokinesis are appropriate in a realistic or pseudo-realistic campaign, even GURPS Powers mentions that Pyrokinesis often is a separate power! So, let's excise this ability from Phychokinesis and create an entire new power. I might do the same with Cryokinesis in the future.

Occupational Template: Artificer

Occupational Template: Artificer

D&D artifiers are very different from the artificer found in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 4: Sages. In D&D, they are spellcasters that are adept at crafting and using magic items. Here's how I adapted artificer spellcasting for my games. In addition, I wrote up a 150-point occupation template.

Psionics: Cryokinesis, Pyrokinesis, TK Crush Reworked

 Psionics: Cryokinesis, Pyrokinesis, TK Crush Reworked

Something strange was pointed out to me a couple of days ago - certain abilities in GURPS Psionic Powers use Malediction 3 and have some other questionable modifiers when usually everything uses Malediction 2. Malediction 3 in general is something that should be used very carefully (in Low-Tech games, at least). Let's rework some of the statblocks!

Edit: I also found Spectral Surge in Pyramid #3-99 and TK Burst in Pyramid #3-29, so they also needs a similar repricing.

Occupational Template: Psychic Warrior

Occupational Template: Psychic Warrior

Another 150-point occupational template based on the eponymous D&D class. Something between the fighter, psion, and a little bit of the monk.

Occupational Template: Psion

Occupational Template: Psion

It's been a while. Here's a 150-point template based on the mentalist from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 14: Psi but reworked to incorporate non-dungeoneering traits and other new stuff, including new disadvantages from GURPS Psis.

Powers: Draconic Psi

Powers: Draconic Psi

Dragon Magic for D&D 3.5 has the diamond dragon prestige class. Diamond dragons are psionicists that have learned to tap into what they refer to as the “draconic psionic collective.” They have a variety of gem dragon-themed psionic abilities that I will translate as a new psionic power - Draconic Psi.

Monsters: Psurlons

Monsters: Psurlons

Psurlons are desert-dwelling psionics wormfolk. As far as I know, they appeared first in the Dark Sun setting, but later were published for D&D 3.0 in the Monster Manual II and then updated to D&D 3.5 in Lords of Madness.

Sorcery: Psi Spells

Sorcery: Psi Spells

Uh... what? GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 14: Psi introduces psionics to Dungeon Fantasy. On page 29 there's a sidebar about the interaction of magic and psionics. The sidebar warns you not to do it, but still provides a "college of Psionics" with variant spells from the Meta-spell college. So, there's a conversion for those of you who disregard the sidebar and want to include antipsi spells in your game.

(It's not related to these spells, but there's a spell from GURPS Magic: Artillery Spells that generates a psionic effect - Psychic Scream. Interesting.)

Monster: Wall-Walker

Monster: Wall-Walker

Wall-walkers are strange spider-reptile hybrids with innate psionics. Apparently, they are from the Dark Sun setting, but I found this template in my old notes.

Psionics: Mind Blade

Psionics: Mind Blade

Have you ever wanted to play a D&D soulknife in GURPS? You're lucky, because GURPS has not one, but two written ways to manifest psionic blades - the Psi-Sword from Pyramid #3-69 and the Psychic Sword from Pyramid #3-76. I have some problems with both of these approaches, so I will make my own, based on the Natural Weapon advantage from Pyramid #3-65.

Monster: Durzagon

Monster: Durzagon

Durzagons are specialized duergar half-fiends.

Monsters: Monster Manual II - B

Monsters: Monster Manual II - B

Let's work on Monster Manual II a bit. In this post, I will convert monsters that start with the letter B that haven't been converted yet.