Psionic Powers
Psionics, the supernatural expression of the self, continues to thrive and spread amongst the stars. Whether it is practiced as part of one’s cultural heritage, as an unexplained power come without warning or apology, or honed and studied in academies, those who wield psionic power use it to reshape their lives and redefine their worlds. The following section details the mechanical elements of psionics, their interactions with magic, and the telltale signs by which they can be distinguished.
Manifesting Powers
When your character manifests a power, she is expressing her will and self in a way that effects tangible changes in herself, her environment, or others. Though there are many kinds of manifesters (integrators, psions, and specialists being some of the most prevalent) who access and express their power differently, the basic process of manifestation is the same. A manifested power always has obvious effects that are noticeable by nearby creatures; see Displays, below. Information on manifesting powers as psi-like abilities is likewise provided below.
Choosing a Power
Deciding how you want to change the world around you is the first step in manifesting a power. Generally, your class’s Powers Known section will describe which class’s power list you can learn powers from, how to determine the number of powers you know, the levels at which you learn new powers, and the maximum level of powers you’re capable of learning and manifesting. Other abilities, such as feats or class features, might give you access to powers from lists other than those granted by your class; those abilities will provide the necessary details.
You can manifest any power you know, provided that you are capable of manifesting powers of that level or higher and that you can pay its psi point cost (and/or other attendant costs as described in the power itself). As long as you can keep paying their costs, you can manifest any power you know any number of times per day. You can find more information on how to choose which powers you know in your class’s powers known entry.
Manifester Level, psi points, and Augmentation
Any character that can manifest powers will have psi points and a manifester level. Usually, your manifester level (ML) is equal to your total level in manifesting classes. For characters with a single manifesting class, this is equal to their class level. Some non-manifesting classes such as aegis, as well as racial features such as an elan’s resilience, have psi point costs like powers; the manifester level for these abilities is equal to your class level or character level, respectively.
Your manifester level determines how many psi points you can spend on any given ability or power (see below), as well as certain level-based variables in the powers you manifest. You can choose to manifest a power at a lower manifester level, but you must decide this before you make any other decisions about its effects, and the chosen manifester level cannot be lower than the minimum number of psi points needed to manifest the power. Adjustments to your manifester level, such as from class features, feats, or items, adjust not only those variables and the number of psi points you are able to spend, but also any manifester level checks you might make. To attempt a manifester level check, such as to dispel a magical effect, roll 1d20 and add your manifester level.
Add all sources of psi points, such as classes and feats that grant them, together to determine your base psi point pool per day. If you have at least 1 level in a class that grants psi points (such as aegis or specialist), you gain bonus psi points equal to your manifester level x your key ability score modifier x 1/2. Table 2-1: Bonus psi points shows these calculations for manifester levels 1 through 20 and key ability scores from 1 to 31. Do not use your manifester level for racial abilities, if any, to calculate bonus psi points.
Table 2-1: Bonus psi points
| Key Ability Score |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
| 1-11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12-13 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
20 |
| 14-15 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
| 16-17 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
12 |
13 |
15 |
16 |
18 |
19 |
21 |
22 |
24 |
25 |
27 |
28 |
30 |
| 18-19 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
22 |
24 |
26 |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
| 20-21 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
10 |
12 |
15 |
17 |
20 |
22 |
25 |
27 |
30 |
32 |
35 |
37 |
40 |
42 |
45 |
47 |
50 |
| 22-23 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
12 |
15 |
18 |
21 |
24 |
27 |
30 |
33 |
36 |
39 |
42 |
45 |
48 |
51 |
54 |
57 |
60 |
| 24-25 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
14 |
17 |
21 |
24 |
28 |
31 |
35 |
38 |
42 |
45 |
49 |
52 |
56 |
59 |
63 |
66 |
70 |
| 26-27 |
4 |
8 |
12 |
16 |
20 |
24 |
28 |
32 |
36 |
40 |
44 |
48 |
52 |
56 |
60 |
64 |
68 |
72 |
76 |
80 |
| 28-29 |
4 |
9 |
13 |
18 |
22 |
27 |
31 |
36 |
40 |
45 |
49 |
54 |
58 |
63 |
67 |
72 |
76 |
81 |
85 |
90 |
| 30-31 |
5 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
25 |
30 |
35 |
40 |
45 |
50 |
55 |
60 |
65 |
70 |
75 |
80 |
85 |
90 |
95 |
100 |
You can spend a number of psi points equal to your manifester level on any given ability or power. You can spend less than that amount, provided you meet the minimum costs of the ability or power, but not more. If the power you manifest allows a saving throw to resist its effects, the DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the psi points you spent to manifest it + your key ability score modifier. You may spend additional psi points up to your usual maximum solely to enhance the DC of your power, even if you do not choose to otherwise augment the power. Table 2-2: Power Costs by Level provides the minimum psi point costs to manifest powers of a given level.
Table 2-2: Power Costs by Level
| Power Level |
Base Psi Point Cost |
| 0 (Talent) |
0 or 1 |
| 1 |
1 |
| 2 |
3 |
| 3 |
5 |
| 4 |
7 |
| 5 |
9 |
| 6 |
11 |
Many powers have augmentation options; these powers have stronger, additional, or alternate effects if you spend more psi points as part of their manifestation. You must decide to augment a power when you manifest it, after determining the manifester level at which you choose to manifest it but before you make any other decisions about its effects. 0th level powers manifested without paying psi points cannot be augmented. Unless otherwise noted, you may use as many of a power’s augments as you are able and willing to pay for, subject to the limit of spending no more psi points than your manifester level, and psi points spent to augment a power also enhance its save DC as described above.
Concentration and Disrupted Powers
You must be able to concentrate in order to manifest a power. The length of time you must concentrate is specified in the Manifesting Time entry in the power’s description, and during this time your foes can interrupt your manifestation. Because the concentration required to manifest a power is intense, manifesting a power briefly lowers your defenses; if a foe threatens your space when you manifest a power, you provoke an attack of opportunity unless the power specifies otherwise. If you take damage from an attack that targeted your AC or from an effect you failed your saving throw against while you’re manifesting a power, it is disrupted and the manifestation fails. Usually, this will happen because you are manifesting a power with a manifestation time of 1 round or longer, because you provoked an attack of opportunity, or because your foe readied an action to disrupt your manifestation. Ongoing damage, such as if you are on fire, does not disrupt your powers. You still pay any costs associated with a power you attempted to manifest that was then disrupted.
You can also typically manifest powers in harsh conditions such as bad weather or during tricky aerial maneuvers, but extreme conditions such as being sucked into a whirlpool or explosive decompression can prevent the concentration necessary to manifest a power. Additionally, if you attempt to manifest a power in conditions where its characteristics can’t be made to conform, such as attempting to manifest a power that targets a creature on an object, it fails. You still pay the costs associated with that power.
Displays
Psionic power is, before anything else, a method of self-expression, of making the reality that is closer to what the manifester thinks it should be. These powerful expressions of will, whether in the form of manifested powers, an aegis’s astral suit, a mind blade, or other psionic abilities, come with side effects, a kind of mental bleed or ripple known as a display. Each manifester’s displays are unique expressions of themselves and as a result no two are quite the same. Regardless of their source, displays are obvious enough that nearby creatures can notice them, making it impossible to clandestinely manifest a power.
Those who study psionics divide displays into five general categories: auditory, material, mental, olfactory, and visual. They are fleeting, transient things, enough to tickle the senses or memories of those who can perceive them but not to deceive or delude them. Displays usually extend out to 15 feet around the manifester of a power, as well as 15 feet around the power’s targets or area, but the manifester can extend this radius up to close range if they so desire. A person’s unique displays change slowly over time (assuming they change as a person in that time, that is) or in response to severe, life-changing events; otherwise, a manifester can potentially be recognized by their displays. While it is impossible to suppress a display entirely, a manifester may use the Autohypnosis skill to change their displays when they manifest their powers, or even to fraudulently imitate the displays of another manifester; see the Autohypnosis skill entry for more details.
Displays are often revealingly personal. They express important truths about the manifester, things which they associate with the kinds of power being used, ideas about which they are fearful or passionate, or combinations of the above. It is worth spending some time thinking about your character’s displays and what those displays might say about their life. Do their metacreativity powers give off the subtle scent of almond and vanilla because they associate cooking with creation? Do their combat powers flare with symbols of their faith or nation, or crawl with panicked screams and mental pleas to be left alone? Do victims of their mental control briefly trail ectoplasmic chains that snap taut in some unseen hand? Your characters’ displays add a touch of flavor and personalization to all of your powers, and are a chance to symbolize the way they wish the galaxy to be, or perhaps how they fear it already is.
The Power’s Result
Information about your power’s range, acceptable targets, and other mechanical details can be found in its description. Once you know which creatures, objects, or areas are affected and whether they have succeeded at their saving throws (if any), you can apply the power’s described results. Powers are grouped into disciplines which describe, in a general sense, the sort of effects they might have, and may also have descriptors such as mind-affecting which influence their interaction with their targets.
Attacks
Like with spells, all offensive actions, even those that don’t damage any creatures or objects, are considered attacks when resolving a power’s effects. If you make an attack roll to see if your power hits, you are making an attack. Effects that are inoffensive or beneficial to some affected creatures are still attacks if they would be considered offensive to any affected creature. Powers that deal damage, powers which foes can make a saving throw against (and are not harmless), and powers that otherwise harm or hinder subjects are all attacks.
Psionic-Magic Transparency
Though their sources and usage differ, psionics and magic share similarities and interactions. Except in special cases, a power or spell does not affect how another power or spell operates. Whenever a power has a specific effect on other powers or on spells, its description explains that effect. Like spells and other effects, powers that provide bonuses or penalties to attributes such as attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws usually do not stack with themselves if multiple effects would apply to the same attribute. As usual, two bonuses of the same type do not stack even if they come from different sources. Damage from multiple powers that deal damage is always cumulative. Powers follow the usual rules for identical effects of different strengths (such as if a spell grants a creature acid resistance 5 and a power grants that creature acid resistance 10) and are treated identically to spells when determining the outcome of multiple conflicting mental control effects. The Mysticism skill is used to identify psionic powers and effects, and to craft psionic items.
Powers cannot be used to counter spells and cannot be countered by spells (though they might be disrupted; see Concentration and Disrupted Powers, above), but they can be dispelled or suppressed by anything that could dispel or suppress a spell, and vice-versa. Powers subject to power resistance must also overcome any spell resistance their target has, and spells subject to spell resistance must overcome any power resistance their target has. In those cases, treat your manifester level as your caster level, and vice-versa (including using a lower level if you manifested the power or cast the spell at a lower ML or CL than normal).
Effects that increase a character’s caster level do not increase their manifester level, and vice-versa. If you have levels in both a manifesting class and a spellcasting class, you will have a separate caster level and manifester level.
Psi-Like Abilities
Psi-like abilities are similar to spell-like abilities in that they function in many ways like powers. They differ from powers in that they tend not to be gained through normal means. A psi-like ability has a manifesting time of a standard action unless otherwise noted in the ability or the power description. Usually, a psi-like ability can be used a specific number of times per day, at-will, or can affect a creature constantly. If the power normally requires the expense of credits or Resolve Points as part of manifesting it, a creature that can manifest it as a psi-like ability does not need to pay such costs. Psi-like abilities are manifested as if a number of psi points equal to the user’s manifester level were spent to manifest them, even though no psi points were spent, and the manifester chooses how those psi points are used to augment the power. In all other ways, a psi-like ability functions just like a power.
Because it functions like a power, psi-like abilities provoke attacks of opportunity and can be disrupted. They are subject to power resistance and effects which dispel or suppress powers. They do not function in areas where psionics are suppressed or negated.
A psi-like ability’s manifester level determines its power. If no manifester level is specified in its description, its manifester level is equal to the creature’s character level or CR. The DC of a psi-like ability is typically equal to 10 + 1/2 its manifester level + the Charisma modifier of the creature using it. If a class grants a psi-like ability that is not based on an actual power, its effective power level is equal to 1/3 the class level at which it was gained (minimum 0, maximum 6).
Psi-like abilities are denoted with the abbreviation “Ps” in parentheses next to the ability’s name.
Power Description Format
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.
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