Homebrew Psionics....(or just another spellcasting type)

[Coyote0273]

The mage classes will be fairly different, so the psionic classes will benefit from the same. The Channeler is way more combat oriented than a general mage is, and that's reflected in his attack bonus and feat selections. By the same vein, a Physical Adept is going to be way more physical than a Telepath, because one is oriented toward Mental powers and the other is physical, that would be reflected in their abilities.

I'm perfectly fine with 3 classes, with expert classes adding more theme and feel to those.

As for 'new players', they tend to do better with focused classes, rather than generalists. So a specialist wizard would help keep them from being as overwhelmed as a generalist wizard just might.

[Krensky]

Oh, those ones (don't have books, just saw them for sale).   *Wonders how more specific they are,

Anyways, I have newer players, so right now, a single caster class might be good for them.  Maybe later I'll get them.

They're very specific and very different then the generalist mage.

[Desertpuma]

The Channeller is just as dangerous as a Soldier when he is not casting spells.

[Mister Andersen]

The trick with the psion classes won't be so much what they do as how they do it

[aegis]

*chuckle* Sure, they're old and not as pretty as the newer crop of specialist casters... but I always thought the Mage was the single dullest class I've ever writen . I kinda think a universal psionics class would suffer the saem fate - a whole lot of gneric abiites because you simply cannot tell in advance which way the player is going to want to jump with it .

I agree, that's why I'm leaning toward three separate psionic classes, with a lifting of course. But yes, maybe a generic class like the one posted by Zetesofos can be used as a "generalist" psion, just like the mage is for spellcasters. I most probably won't use it - just like I won't use the mage once Spellbound is out - but if some people find it useful, why not?

Thoughts?

[aegis]

Here's what I've came up with for the Mentalist. I've kept Mental Leap but he will be the only one to have that "attribute boost" ability. I've also replaced masterpieces even though I love that ability. It will better suit the Artificer, I guess. The progressions don't change. And so, here's the result:

Mentalist
While the physical adepts uses his powers to enhance his body, the mentalist is a master at boosting his own mind. His psi-druged brain is far superior as that of mortal men. Extremely smart and canny, he can even exert control over his close environment and manifest his will as a tangible force.

Party Role: Specialist/Combatant. The mentalist is a pure genius, extremely gifted in whatever he does. But his ability to manipulate matter makes him a dread opponent as well.

Class Features
Favored Attributes: Wisdom, Intelligence, Dexterity
Psion: Each level in this class increases your Psion Level by 1.
Class Skills: Crafting, Haggle, Investigate, Medicine, Notice, Resolve, Search, Sense Motive, Tactics
Skill Points: 8 + Int modifier per level
Vitality: 6 + Con modifier per level

Core Ability
Insightful: Each time you spend 1 action die to boost a Psychoinventive, Psychokinetic, or Telekinetic skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. at Career Level 1, 1d4 becomes 2d4).

Class Abilities
Mentalist Powers: At Level 1, you may purchase ranks in the Psychoinventive, Psychokinetic, and Telekinetic skills. You may also learn three powers from either of these skills.
At Levels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, you may either gain a +1 bonus to all your checks of one of these skills, or learn a new power.
Mental Leap: At Level 2, once per session with a free action, you may add a bonus to your Dexterity, Intelligence, or Wisdom score equal to your starting action dice. This effect lasts 10 rounds, though you may voluntarily end it as a free action during your Initiative Count. When this effect ends, you become fatigued I.
At Levels 11 and 19, you may use this ability 1 additional time per session.
Bonus Feat: At Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, you gain an additional Psionic or Skill feat.
Evolved Mind: You have a plan for every possible situations. At Levels 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, you may choose 1 of the following abilities. Each of these abilities may be chosen only once.
* Brilliant: Your Intelligence score rises by 1.
* Dabbler: Choose up to 10 different skills in which you possess less than 5 ranks. You gain 1 rank in each of these skills.
* Elbow Grease: You gain a +4 gear bonus with Repair checks.
* Expertise: Crafting, Haggle, Investigate, Medicine, Notice, Resolve, Search, Sense Motive, or Tactics. Taking 10 with this skill doesn’t take twice as long and taking 20 takes only 10 times as long.
* Improvised Toolbox: Choose 1 kit (see Fantasy Craft, page 160). You’re always considered to have this kit when making an associated skill check.
* Keen Senses: Your visual, hearing, and scent range increments increase by 20 ft.
* One Step Ahead: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to Defense and DR 1 against attacks with weapons in which you’re proficient.
* Mastery: Your error range with trained skill checks decreases by 1 (minimum 0).
All According to Plan: At Level 10, when making any 1 skill check, you may substitute your Intelligence for the check’s key attribute. You may use this ability a number of times per session equal to your starting action dice.
At Level 20, you may use this ability with any 1 attack, skill, or save check.
Hyperconscious: At Level 14, you gain 24 additional skill points. Further, all skills are now mentalist class skills for you.

[aegis]

And here are the Physical Adept and Telepath. I feel the latter is too much verbose. Thoughts ?

Physical Adept
The physical adept learns how to best use his psychic potential to boost his body beyond his usual limits. He slowly transforms into a superhuman, living incarnation of what psionics have to offer in their most tangible aspect.

Party Role: Combatant. The physical adept is an adept of body perfection, a talent he first applies to his martial skills, which can rival those of any proper warrior.

Class Features
Favored Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Dexterity
Psion: Each level in this class increases your Psion Level by 1.
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Atheltics, Notice, Resolve, Sneak, Survival, Tactics
Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier per level
Vitality: 9 + Con modifier per level

Core Ability
Zen: Each time you spend 1 action die to boost an Adrenal, Evolution, or Sensory skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. at Career Level 1, 1d4 becomes 2d4).

Class Abilities
Physical Adept Powers: At Level 1, you may purchase ranks in the Adrenal, Evolution, and Sensory skills. You may also learn three powers from either of these skills.
At Levels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, you may either gain a +1 bonus to all your checks of one of these skills, or learn a new power.
Stubborn I:  At Level 2, when you must make a Fortitude save, you may make a Resolve check instead.
Stubborn II: At Level 11, you add your Resolve ranks to your maximum vitality.
Stubborn III: At Level 19, when you must make a Will save, you may make a Resolve check instead.
Bonus Feat: At Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, you gain an additional Basic Combat or Psionic feat.
Powerhouse: You cannot be stopped by mortal means. At Levels 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, you may choose 1 of the following abilities. Each of these abilities may be chosen only once.
* Always Ready: You may always act during surprise rounds.
* Improved Stability: You’re considered 1 Size category larger for carrying capacity, Trample attacks, and resisting Bull Rush and Trip attempts so long as you are standing firmly on the ground and not climbing, flying, or riding.
* Killer Instinct: You inflict 2 additional damage with proficient attacks.
* No Pain: You ignore the first fatigued or shaken condition you gain in each scene.
* Rugged: Your Constitution score rises by 1.
* Sprint: In combat, your Speed increases by 10 ft.
* Take It: You gain Subdual Resistance 4.
* Unemotional: You gain Stress Resistance 4.
Complete Focus: At Level 10, once per scene, you may decrease the vitality cost of one of your power checks to 0.
At Level 20, you may use this ability up to twice per scene.
Bioadaptation: At Level 14, the vitality cost of each of your power checks decreases by 2 (minimum 1).

Telepath
A telepath is a master of the mind, a psion who can channel his psychic power to read, transform, and control other people’s minds. His ability to understand and dominate the spirit of the weak makes him a dangerous schemer.

Party Role: Talker/Solver. The telepath can easily get the upper hand in social situations thanks to his powers. But this also allows him to solve intricate problems and mysteries of persons.

Class Features
Favored Attributes: Charisma, Wisdom, Constitution
Psion: Each level in this class increases your Psion Level by 1.
Class Skills: Blend, Bluff, Disguise, Haggle, Impress, Intimidate, Investigate, Notice, Sense Motive
Skill Points: 8 + Int modifier per level
Vitality: 6 + Con modifier per level

Core Ability
Sensitive: Each time you spend 1 action die to boost an ESP, Imprit, or Intuitive skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. at Career Level 1, 1d4 becomes 2d4).

Class Abilities
Telepath Powers: At Level 1, you may purchase ranks in the ESP, Imprint, and Intuitive skills. You may also learn three powers from either of these skills.
At Levels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, you may either gain a +1 bonus to all your checks of one of these skills, or learn a new power.
Fixer I: At Level 2, instead of making an opposed Haggle check, you may set your result to 1 higher than that of your opponent. This cannot result in an error or threat.
You may use this ability a number of times per session equal to your starting action dice.
Fixer II: At Level 11, you may use this ability with opposed Haggle and Impress checks.
Fixer III: At Level 19, you may use this ability with opposed Haggle, Impress, and Sense Motive checks.
Bonus Feat: At Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, you gain an additional Psionic or Style feat.
Magnetism: Your presence grants you a natural control over others. At Levels 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, you may choose 1 of the following abilities. Each of these abilities may be chosen only once.
* Beguiling: When you successfully Taunt a character, you may decline the standard result to have your target become fixated on you for 1d6 rounds. Special characters and villains may spend 1 action die to cancel this effect and become immune to this ability for the rest of the scene. If you gain this benefit from multiple sources, you may also damage the target once without interrupting his fixation (you may do this only once, no matter how many times you gain the benefit).
* Convincing: Once per session, you may force an opponent to re-roll a successful skill check that would penetrate your disguise. You may not force an opponent to re-roll a critical success.
* Fake It: You may credibly pretend to possess a skill you don’t actually have, gaining a +20 bonus with Bluff checks made to feign its use until the end of the scene. This does not actually allow you to use the skill — it merely allows you to act like you can. Thus, you could stand next to a physician working on the injured and pretend to know what’s going on but you couldn’t perform a surgery yourself. You may use this ability a number of times per session equal to your starting action dice.
* Follow My Lead: Through a mixture of fast-talk and convincing performance you can shield others from scrutiny. Whenever you’re present with a hero who’s in disguise, they gain a Disguise check bonus equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1).
* He Did It!: When you successfully Taunt an opponent you may force him to attack any character adjacent to you (other than himself). You may use this ability a number of times per scene equal to your starting action dice.
* Inquisitive: You gain a +4 bonus with Detect Lie checks and Perception checks to see through a disguise.
* Offer They Can’t Refuse: When Coercing, your incentive modifiers are always at least extreme (see Fantasy Craft, page 75).
* Perceptive: Your Wisdom score rises by 1.
Blind Spot: At Level 10, once per scene, you may create a psychic ‘blind spot’ in the mind of one or several living targets. Any number of objects or creatures you define become completely invisible to the target while you maintain the blind spot. Even allies pointing the blind spot cannot help the target see through it. However, any interaction causes the blind spot to end. You may maintain a blind spot during 1 hour, at a cost of 1 vitality per minute per affected target.
At Level 20, you may use this ability an additional time per scene.
Mind Wipe: At Level 14, once per session with a free action, you may wipe the mind of one special character or one mob of standard characters, and one more per action die you wish to spend. Each target must succeed with a Will save (DC 10 + your Psion Level). With success, the target suffers no effect and cannot be targeted with this effect until the adventure’s end. With failure, you may selectively erase any memories the target has gained in the last hour. This does not allow you to implant new memories, however, so it’s possible the target may notice holes in his recall.

[paddyfool]

I think that's a definite improvement.

The whole concept of these classes, and their different skill checks etc., seems very interesting, but I've no idea about how balanced they are.  If anything, they seem a little underpowered, especially at low-levels when you've little vitality to spend, and especially the Mentalist and Telepath, since they'll be working on a rather more restricted Vitality pool than the Physical Adept.  But then, without playing them it's hard to be sure about this.  Quite a lot would depend on how well equipped the party is to replenishing vitality (in particular, whether you have access to Touch of Light).  And the mechanical interactions with abilities that key off low vitality (such as the Bloodied, Battered but Unbowed feat from AC) might be interesting too.

What I really did like were the Psi Blade feats... although I'd be tempted to suggest that the player have the option of selecting from a range of blades for their weapon (say, "any dagger, fencing blade or sword") when they take the feat.  The mechanical benefits of one blade over another aren't all that great, and it would add to the individual customisability of the characters you make from this.

[Mister Andersen]

These classes are the legacy of an essentially low-powered super-human setting.

[Blankbeard]

Would an alternative core ability help the low level types without being overpowering?

Core ability X:  When you spend an action die to boost one of (your class's psionic skills) you may also subtract the result from the vitality cost of the power (minimum 0).
 
Or maybe minimum 1. 

Let me say that I prefer the attribute bonus for each of the three classes.  The ability to "Hulk out" in their areas helped define them in my mind.  Rather than giving them additional uses of the power, how about related goodies?

Mental Leap I :  As written, half psion level to Dex, Int, Wis.
Mental Leap II:  When facing a complex task or trap, you may opt to substitute your Psychoinventive skill for any required skill.  Also, when parrying, you may substitute a telekinetics check for the required reflex save.
Mental Leap III: Once per session you may choose to become incorporeal for a number of rounds equal to your Psychokinetic score.

Superhuman I:  half psion level to Str, Dex, Con
Superhuman II:  Once per scene as a free action, you may declare a weapon, natural attack, or unarmed strike you possess to be massive for the remainder of the combat.  When determining the save DC, add half your psion level to the damage. 
Superhuman III:  Once per session after being successfully attacked, you may use one psionic power you know with a total cost less than the attack's damage at no additional vitality cost.

Force of Will I:  Blah, Blah, Con, Wis, Cha
Force of Will II:  All of your contact's Trust rises by 1.  If the contact's trust was already Partner, you no longer lose Reputation when that contact must stay longer than one scene (though he still leaves at the earliest opportunity)
Force of Will III:  Once per session you may declare a fixated character to be a Sympathetic Adversary without spending the required action dice.

Also, could the C abilities be broken up into C1 and C2, with C1 being the current ability and C2 being a new class specific line to help each class stand out a bit more?  Thoughts on that are forthcoming.

[aegis]

The classes themselves are not low-powered, at least not the latter versions I posted -- in my opinion. It's rather the whole psionic system that is quite less ... impressive than magic for instance. Of course, SFA's magic was less powerful than FC's magic as well. A solution might be to reduce the vitality cost of some powers, and another to give the psionic powers a little bump. What do you think?

@paddyfool: I'll try to find some way to modify the Psi Blade chain in that direction.

[Coyote0273]

If you're only going to have 1 class provide stat bonuses, I think it should be the Physical Adept. Especially since he's really the only class that is about "improving his body". It makes the most sense I think.

Another change that might work would be to only have 1 skill (Psicraft for instance), and re-word the level 1 ability similar to how the Specialist wizards work. "You are able to pick powers from these 3 psionic disciplines and are able to purchase ranks in the PsiCraft skill". Then add in a feat similar to the "extra school" feat found in the Channeler and Seer books, only "Extra Psi Discipline". While I'm not sure how well the powers are balanced in play, I think you might be nerfing the psionic classes a little by forcing them to pay for 3 skills whereas Mages only need to pay for 1 and it covers all spells.

[Big_Jim]

I wouldn't be against one skill per class, like Psichannel (Physical Adept), Psicraft (Mentalist) and Psifocus (Telepath).

[Morgenstern]

Back when the Psion base classes were being designed as a set, they had secondary mechanical themes that appear in the classes but are also reflected out into the psion feat (particularly the chamber-specific ones): Mentalist (skill points), Phystical Addept (Attribute points), and Telepath (Save bonuses).

When comparing SFA psionics to magic, keep in mind that while the psion system cost more skill points during leveling (1 skill per power - typically 3 checks/uses per skill) and vitality to use in play, "full" spell casters are still paying skill points AND have 2 design points knocked off their table by the addition of the Spell Point column. All of the psion classes are more robust/capable than any of the spell casters once they run out of SP. And as Mr. Andersen points out the context was a light Supers setting - no one was expected to maintain more than 3 powers at max rank anyway - because rang of powers availalbe to a single character is not supposed to be all that broad. While the Phys adept could use them more often (higher vitality) the other two would have greater range of ability (more skill points) - deliberately drawing from both sides of the skill points/vitality split every class faces.

I'd also say many psion powers are simply MUCH more effective than spells at the same Career level. The skill buffs are higher and with most psion attack effects the ability to use the attack for a number of rounds outpaces even a channeler in a more protracted fight.

[Morgenstern]

Would an alternative core ability help the low level types without being overpowering?

Core ability X:  When you spend an action die to boost one of (your class's psionic skills) you may also subtract the result from the vitality cost of the power (minimum 0).
 
Or maybe minimum 1.

I like that quite a bit (with the mimimum set to 1).

Let me say that I prefer the attribute bonus for each of the three classes.  The ability to "Hulk out" in their areas helped define them in my mind.  Rather than giving them additional uses of the power, how about related goodies?

Mental Leap I :  As written, half psion level to Dex, Int, Wis.
Mental Leap II:  When facing a complex task or trap, you may opt to substitute your Psychoinventive skill for any required skill.  Also, when parrying, you may substitute a telekinetics check for the required reflex save.
Mental Leap III: Once per session you may choose to become incorporeal for a number of rounds equal to your Psychokinetic score.

Superhuman I:  half psion level to Str, Dex, Con
Superhuman II:  Once per scene as a free action, you may declare a weapon, natural attack, or unarmed strike you possess to be massive for the remainder of the combat.  When determining the save DC, add half your psion level to the damage. 
Superhuman III:  Once per session after being successfully attacked, you may use one psionic power you know with a total cost less than the attack's damage at no additional vitality cost.

Force of Will I:  Blah, Blah, Con, Wis, Cha
Force of Will II:  All of your contact's Trust rises by 1.  If the contact's trust was already Partner, you no longer lose Reputation when that contact must stay longer than one scene (though he still leaves at the earliest opportunity)
Force of Will III:  Once per session you may declare a fixated character to be a Sympathetic Adversary without spending the required action dice.

Also, could the C abilities be broken up into C1 and C2, with C1 being the current ability and C2 being a new class specific line to help each class stand out a bit more?  Thoughts on that are forthcoming.

Seems potentially quite promising. I thinit might be bette rthese days to tightin the hulk out to 2 stats - Mentalist: Dex, Int; PhysAd: Str, Cn; Telepath: Wis, Cha.