Iron Will
A psionicist with this power has the ability to focus his willpower to extraordinary levels, persevering through conditions that would overcome lesser characters. While maintaining this power, the psionicist can temporarily ignore accumulated wounds that would reduce him to 0 hit points or less. Due solely to his mental strength, he can force himself to remain conscious and fully active until reduced to –10 hit points, at which point he dies, just as anyone else would. Up until that point, though, he can fight and use his powers normally with absolutely no interruption at all except for initiating and maintaining the iron will devotion.
While iron will is in effect, the psionicist does not lose a hit point every round, as per the normal “–10” rule, but he will begin to lose hit points once he ceases to maintain iron will. Smart psionicists will bind their wounds before losing consciousness, or they may never wake up afterward.
The psionicist can also use his iron will to resist losing consciousness or control of himself through other means. If the effect the psionicist is struggling against normally allows a saving throw (a vampire’s charm person ability or a psionic domination, for example) the psionicist gains a +4 on his saving throw while iron will is in effect. If the effect does not usually allow the victim a saving throw (a command or sleep spell, for instance), the psionicist gains the chance to attempt a saving throw versus spells with a –4 penalty.
Iron will acts as a reflexive power. It does not have to be maintained at all times in order to be effective. If a situation arises in which the psionicist needs the iron will power, he can drop what he is doing to initiate it. If he has not yet acted in the round, he has the choice of initiating iron will and aborting his intended action or of forgoing iron will to carry out whatever he had originally planned to do. Otherwise, he is forced to wait until the following round to initiate it.
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