Psionic Power Description
The description of psionic powers follow a standard format, as shown in the sample power description below. Each category of information presented in the sample is explained and defined in its own following section. Not every power will contain each entry, but for completeness’ sake all entries have been included in the sample, along with a summary of what each entry typically contains.
The first entry of every power description gives the most common name for that power (and thus the one by which it will be referenced in all other abilities and supplements). Usually, this name provides some clue as to its effects.
The power level for each class that can manifest the power, which will be a number between 0 and 6 that indicates its relative strength. Certain special powers, which cannot be learned normally, do not have a level. Certain abilities add one or more powers to your powers known that are not on the list that your class could normally learn; these abilities will indicate the level at which you know the power. A power’s level determines its base psi point cost, as noted on Table 2-2: Power Costs by Level.
This section details the discipline to which the power belongs. Most powers belong to one of six disciplines, which broadly describe groups of powers with strong commonalities. Many powers also have one or more descriptors, which can affect how they interact with abilities, effects, other powers, and spells. Unless otherwise noted, these descriptors are the same as those that influence spells and other abilities.
Clairsentience powers are used to gather information from the past, present, or future. Powers of this discipline are similar to divination spells; abilities or effects that provide bonuses against, or immunity to, clairsentience powers also provide those bonuses or immunities against divination spells, and vice-versa.
Metacreativity powers create objects or creatures, generally out of ectoplasm. Though the raw form of ectoplasm is diaphanous and incorporeal (made, as it is, from the essence of the Astral Plane stained with mortal thoughts and soul-fragments), creatures and objects created through metacreativity powers are corporeal and solid unless stated otherwise. A creature or object brought into being by a metacreativity power must appear in an open location within the power’s range and on a surface capable of supporting it. In zero gravity conditions, this can instead be any open location within the power’s range that can physically fit the creature or object. Metacreativity powers rely on access to the Astral Plane for their raw material; abilities and effects that would prevent conjuration effects or spells also prevent the use of metacreativity, and vice-versa.
Psychokinesis powers create and manipulate energy directly. Psychokinesis is among the flashiest of the psionic disciplines; its powers create spectacular eruptions of energy, melt objects, and telekinetically manipulate the environment around the manifester. Powers of this discipline are similar to evocation spells; abilities or effects that provide bonuses against, or immunity to, psychokinesis powers also provide those bonuses and immunities against evocation powers, and vice-versa.
Psychometabolism powers alter the physical properties of creatures, most often the manifester. They may heal creatures, permit dramatic changes of form, or other similar effects. Powers of this discipline are similar to transmutation spells; abilities or effects that provide bonuses against, or immunity to, psychometabolism powers also provide those bonuses and immunities against transmutation spells, and vice-versa.
Psychoportation powers move creatures and objects through space, time, and even the planes themselves. Though psychoportation has no direct analogue to a school of magic, many of its powers have the teleportation descriptor, with all that implies.
Telepathy powers detect, examine, and influence minds. They alter or control the behavior of creatures in ways beneficial to the manifester. Powers of this discipline are similar to enchantment spells; abilities or effects that provide bonuses against, or immunity to, telepathy powers also provide those bonuses and immunities against enchantment spells, and vice-versa.
The majority of powers have a manifesting time of one standard action. Some may require 1 round or more of concentration, while others (or those modified by special abilities) might have a manifesting time of a move action or a reaction.
Like spells, powers that have a manifesting time of 1 round or longer require you to maintain your concentration from the current round to just before your turn in the next round (or just before your turn after the requisite number of rounds, as the case may be). If you lose concentration or take any other action, even a reaction, before the manifestation is complete, the power fails. You still expend all costs associated with manifesting that power.
You pay all costs of a power, including additional psi points for augmentation, when you begin manifesting it. You make all other decisions about the power, such as its range, target, area, effect, and selecting specific augmentation options, when it comes into effect. The sole exception to this is augmentation options that change the type of action it takes to manifest a power; these are chosen when you begin manifesting the power.
The power’s range indicates how far from you it can reach. Power ranges work just like the ranges for other abilities and for spells.
Powers that affect an area have that area described in the area entry. While they will sometimes define a specified area, most powers that affect an area will be described as a burst, emanation or spread, and further as a cone, cylinder, line, or sphere. Powers whose areas are shapeable will be indicated with an “(S)” after the listed area.
You select the point where the power originates, no matter what shape its area is. The power usually affects all valid targets within its area, though some abilities or powers may permit you to exclude one or more potential targets. To determine if a given creature or object is in the power’s area, count the distance from the point of the power’s origin in squares, just as you do when moving a character or determining the range of a ranged attack. The only difference is that instead of counting from the center of one square to the center of another, you count from grid intersection to grid intersection.
You can count diagonally, but just as with movement, every second diagonal counts as 2 squares. If the far edge of a square is within the power’s area, anything in that square is in the power’s area. If the edge of the power’s area only touches the near edge of a square, the creatures and objects in that square are not in the power’s area.
Some powers create or call things rather than affecting the creatures or objects around the manifester. You must choose the location where these things appear, either by observing the location or defining it. The spell’s range limits how far away the effect can appear, but if it is mobile (such as an astral construct) its movement after it appears is not restricted by the power’s range. For clarity, some powers will note the size or type of effect produced in a separate Effect entry.
Many powers have one or more targets; you can cast these spells on the creatures or objects defined in its description. You must be able to see or touch the target (but see Powers with Attack Rolls, below) and you must specifically choose the target(s) of the power. You select your targets after you have manifested the power, but before it comes into effect.
If the you are the target of a power you manifest (which is the case for all powers with a range of personal), you don’t receive a saving throw or the benefit of power resistance against it. The Saving Throw and Power Resistance entries are omitted from personal range powers.
Like spells, some powers can only target willing or unconscious creatures, and a creature can declare itself willing for such powers just like with spells. As usual, characters that are conscious can always choose to be unwilling, even if they are restrained or immobile. Similarly, powers that target “living creatures” cannot target constructs and undead, and such creatures in the power’s area do not count against the number of creatures affected. Other powers specify a category of target, such as constructs, fey, or objects. This is resolved just like normal targeting, and the target’s power resistance, if any, applies as normal. If a power’s effect can be redirected to new targets or areas, redirecting it is a move action.
Powers with Attack Rolls: Some powers require an attack roll to determine if they hit and can thus affect their target. You do not require line of sight to the target of such a power, but you still need line of effect to them. These powers can achieve a critical hit in the same manner as a weapon, and deal double damage, including ability damage if relevant, on a successful critical hit. Any duration such a power has refers to the duration of the effect it produces, not the length of time of the attack itself.
The Duration entry of a power tells you how long its effects persist. Powers that are dismissible are indicated with a “(D)” after their listed duration. Powers that affect creatures or objects directly travel with their targets for the duration. Effects created by a power last for the duration of that power, and might move or remain still. Such an effect might be destroyed or dispelled before the end of its duration. If the power affects an area, its effect remains within that area for its duration; valid targets for the power become subject to the effect when they enter that area, and are no longer subject to it once they leave.
Harmful powers generally permit the target to attempt a saving throw to negate some or all of their effects. The Saving Throw entry in the power’s description specifies which type of save is allowed (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will) and describes how the saving throw against the power functions, including for objects and harmless effects. Usually, a successful saving throw negates the power’s effects entirely, halves the damage it causes, or allows the target to suffer only part of the power’s effects. The save DC for a manifested power is equal to 10 + 1/2 the psi points spent to manifest it + your key ability score modifier.
Power resistance (PR) is a defensive ability possessed by some creatures, which functions similarly to armor class. If your power permits power resistance and targets a creature that has it, you must succeed at a power level check (1d20+your manifester level you only affect the target if the result of this manifester level check is equal to or greater than the target’s PR. The power’s Power Resistance energy tells you whether or not it power resistance defends against its effects. In most cases, power resistance only applies when the resistant creature is specifically targeted, and not when it encounters a power whose effects are already in place. The terms “object” and “harmless” are the same for power resistance as they are for saving throws. A creature with power resistance must voluntarily lower their resistance as a standard action in order to be affected by such powers without requiring their manifester to succeed at a manifester level check.
This section details the power’s effects and how it achieves them. If any of the above entries say “see text”, this is where the information is found.
Almost all psionic powers can be enhanced through the expense of additional power and will, which is known as augmenting the power. You augment a power by paying additional costs (almost always psi points) when manifesting it. As usual, you can spend no more psi points on a single manifestation than your manifester level. Once the power comes into effect, you can then assign these psi points (or other costs) to one or more of the augments available for that power, provided you spent enough to cover them all; this is done at the same time that you make other decisions about the power, such as its range and targets. Augments that can be purchased more than once per manifestation are indicated in the powers’ descriptions (generally with phrasing similar to “for every X additional psi points spent” otherwise, any given augment may only be used once per manifestation.
Some augments are not assigned and instead happen naturally as the result of spending resources on the power’s manifestation. These will be indicated at the end of the power’s list of normal augments, usually beginning with the phrase, “in addition to the above options”. You can spend additional costs, generally psi points, to specifically use such augments if you don’t want to utilize any of the power’s other augment options.
Power Layout
Power Name
Discipline: psionic discipline [descriptors]; Level: class X, class Y
Manifesting Time: action or time
Range: personal, touch, or a specified distance
Area: affected space and its shape (S)
Effect: the power’s mechanical effect, if it does not have an area or targets
Targets: the legal targets of the power (often one creature or object, or multiple creatures or objects)
Duration: rounds, minutes, or hours (D)
Saving Throw: none, partial, or negates; Power Resistance: yes or no
The power’s effects are described here
Augment: The ways you can improve or customize the manifestations of the power are described here, along with their costs.
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