Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics
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® by BRUCE R. CORDELL ream is the gate, Mind the fuel, and Time an illusion . The institution known as the Oraculus splinters, sundering Dthe Seven Sages. Now, each lone sage decries the others as frauds and proclaims unique revelations of future eras—a future that whispers back secrets of great power! Are these visions true, or are they insidious dreams? Discover the latest imaginative adventure from the master of d20 psionics! During play, Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics unveils valuable game material, including new psionic prestige classes, powers, monsters, feats, and items—many based around the themes of Dream. Plus, discover more about the horrifying entity known as the Dark Plea and its latest machinations. Hyperconscious also updates all the psionics rules material from Malhavoc Press’ EN World Award-winning previous psionics books, If Thoughts Could Kill and Mindscapes, to v. 3.5 of the d20 System. This material is now fully compatible with the Expanded Psionics Handbook—and Hyperconscious is the only place you can find the updates and the new adventure all in one convenient volume. Bruce R. Cordell, designer of the D&D® Psionics Handbook and Expanded Psionics Handbook, is also known for his Origins Award- winning Return to the Tomb of Horrors and Epic Level Handbook. Malhavoc Press is game designer Monte Cook’s d20 System imprint. It is devoted to products that exhibit a mastery of the rules that only one of the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons® designers can offer you. Free bonus material at WWW.MONTECOOK.COM Requires the Dungeons & Dragons® Core Books, Third Edition, and the Expanded Psionics Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast® ©2004 Bruce R. Cordell Dungeons & Dragons and D&D are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ® PDF Version 1.0 160 pages ® ® July 8, 2004 ® HYPERCONSCIOUS EXPLORATIONS IN PSIONICS A psionics adventure-sourcebook for 7th-level characters By Bruce R. Cordell Requires use of the Dungeons & Dragons® Third Edition Core Books and the Expanded Psionics Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This book utilizes updated material from the v. 3.5 revision. Additional Credits Additional Design: Chester Douglas, Prince Elcock, and Luis Oyola Editing: Miranda Horner and Sue Weinlein Cook Cover Illustration: Kieran Yanner Interior Illustrations: Toren “MacBin” Atkinson, Kev Crossley, Alan Pollack, Kieran Yanner Cartography: Todd Gamble Production: Sue Weinlein Cook Creative Direction: Monte Cook Proofreading: Mike Johnstone Cover and Interior Page Design: Peter Whitley Playtesters: Matthew Arieta, Voin Despotovic, Prince Elcock, William Elyea, Ashwyn Rajagopalan ... and Tom For supplemental material, visit Monte Cook’s Website: <www.montecook.com> “d20 System” and the “d20 System” logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of this License can be found at <www.wizards.com/d20>. Dungeons & Dragons®, D&D®, Planescape®, and Wizards of the Coast® are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used with permission. Malhavoc is a regis- tered trademark and Eldritch Might is a trademark owned by Monte J. Cook. Sword & Sorcery and the Sword & Sorcery logo are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Artwork ©2004 Monte J. Cook. All other content is ©2004 Bruce R. Cordell. All rights reserved. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This edition of Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics is produced under version 1.0a, 5.0, and/or draft versions of the Open Game License, the d20 System Trademark Logo Guide, and the System Reference Document by permis- sion of Wizards of the Coast. Subsequent versions of this product will incorporate later versions of the license, guide, and document. Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a: Any and all Malhavoc Press logos and identifying marks and trade dress, such as all Malhavoc Press product and product line names including but not limited to The Book of Eldritch Might, Mindscapes, A Psion’s Guide, Beasts of the Id, If Thoughts Could Kill, Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics, Beyond Countless Doorways, When the Sky Falls, any specific characters, monsters, creatures, and places; capitalized names and names of places, artifacts, characters, countries, creatures, geographic locations, gods, historic events, magic items, organizations, and abilities; any and all stories, storylines, histories, plots, thematic elements, and dialogue; and all artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps, and cartography, likenesses, poses, logos, or graphic designs, except such elements that already appear in final or draft versions of the d20 System Reference Document or as Open Game Content below and are already open by virtue of appearing there. The above Product Identity is not Open Game Content. Designation of Open Game Content: Subject to the Product Identity designation above, the following portions of Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics are desig- nated as Open Game Content: the class advancement tables and Class Features in Chapter Eight; the feats in their entirety in Chapter Four; the power parameters (range, duration, etc.) and game mechanics in Chapter Seven; the psionic items of Chapter Five in their entirety; and anything else contained herein which is already Open Game Content by virtue of appearing in the System Reference Document or some other Open Game Content source. Some portions of this book which are Open Game Content originate from the System Reference Document and are ©1999, 2000, and 2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The remainder of these Open Game Content portions of this book are hereby added to Open Game Content and if so used, should bear the COPYRIGHT NOTICE “Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics ©2004 Bruce R. Cordell.” This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction, retransmission, or unauthorized use of the artwork or non-Open Game Content herein is prohibited without express written permission from Bruce R. Cordell or Monte Cook, except for purposes of review or use of Open Game Content consistent with the Open Game License. The original purchaser may print or photocopy copies for his or her own personal use only. This document is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. Check out Sword & Sorcery online at <www.swordsorcery.com> 2 Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics Table of Contents Introduction: Chapter Three: Chapter Six: THE GATE OF DREAMS MINDSCAPE PSIONIC COMBAT PSIONIC MONSTERS Using This Book . .3 What Has Changed? . .30 Bayard . .52 Overview . .30 Chalaziom . .53 Chapter One: Steps of Psionic Combat . .31 Dire Dreamself . .54 SHADES OF DELUSION Complicating Factors . .34 Duncharath . .55 Preparation . .4 Mindscape Psionic Combat Fungiform Ego . .56 Adventure Background . .4 Modes . .35 Hungry Dreamer . .58 The Nature of Dream, the Mindscape Psionic Idlock/Idbeast . .59 Shallows, and the Dark Plea . .4 Characters . .37 Kuresh . .61 The Shallows . .5 Psionic Monsters . .37 Malafide . .63 Adventure Synopsis . .6 Meibomian Cyst . .64 Character Hooks . .6 Chapter Four: Meld . .65 Part One: A Message . .7 PSIONIC FEATS Mind Grub Collective . .67 Part Two: Thales . .7 Anticipate Power . .38 Mournwrath . .68 Part Three: The Crater . .9 Continual Power . .38 Nhalcid . .70 Cortical Resonance . .38 Ogre Psychic . .71 Chapter Two: Craft Dreamgift . .38 Phrensy . .72 PLUNGE INTO DREAM Creature Capacitor . .40 Oraculus . .11 Psimech Red Saurian . .73 Disarm Mind . .40 Psionic Lich . .76 1. Oraculus Courtyard . .11 Dorje Blade . .40 2. Failed Embassy . .12 Qin . .78 3. Pool of the Mind’s Tonic . .12 Durable Construct . .40 Reflexion . .79 4. Befouled Pool . .12 Elemental Spike . .40 Scampering Maw . .82 5. Public Adyton . .13 Enduring Tattoo . .40 Scapeworm . .83 6. Rear Courtyard . .14 Favored Energy . .41 Soulshriver . .84 7. Courtyard–Pale Shallow Link 14 Heightened Dorje . .41 Taeniad . .85 8. Courtyard–Fire Temple Link .14 Infuse Dream . .41 Thelihydra . .86 9. Courtyard–Flume Link . .14 Latent Psi: Firestarter . .42 Vultaur . .88 10. The Pale Shallow . .14 Latent Psi: Hardy . .42 Xenocrysth . .89 Solon’s Agents . .15 Latent Psi: Vicious Mind . .42 Monsters by CR . .90 11. Fire Temple . .17 Lucid Dreaming . .42 11a. Fire Temple Court . .17 Mental Adversary . .42 Chapter Seven: 11b. Flaming Cleft . .17 Mind Trap . .42 PSIONIC POWERS 11c. Temple of Fire . .17 Overwhelm Buffer . .42 12. Flume . .19 Power Lists . .91 Penetrating Power . .43 Power Descriptions . .93 12a. Flume . .19 Permanent Focus . .43 12b. Milkpool . .20 Permanent Tattoo . .43 Chapter Eight: 12c. Drain . .20 Preconscious Power . .43 12d. Nadir of Thought . .20 PSIONIC PRESTIGE CLASSES 12e. Dead Dreams . .20 Persistent Power . .43 Astral Dragoon . .112 12f. Dreams Are Meat . .21 Primordial Surge . .43 Astral Zealot . .114 13. Pale Shallow– Psychic Bastion . .43 Awakened Dreamer . .117 Wild Fields Link . .21 Sequester Power . .44 Cerebral Rager . .119 14. Pale Shallow– Skill Finesse . .44 Chakra Savant . .121 Fire Temple Link . .21 Student of the Shallows .44 Chronorebel . .124 15. Fire Temple–Flume Link . .21 Subconscious