Sample file 7UI that is comes Jrom the mind; it is based on the mind, it is fashioned by the mind. — The Pali Canon CREDITS Design: Steve Winter, with monster updates by Blake Mobley Editing: Andria Hayday Black and white illustrations: Terry Dykstra Chapter illustrations: Dee Bamett Color photography (used with permission): page 1 by Lightscapes, ®The Stock Market page 9 by Ken Cooper, ®The Image Bank pages 45 and 77 by Steven Hunt, ®The Image Bank Graphic design: Stephanie Tabat Typography: Gaye O'Keefe Production: Dee Bamett, Sarah Feggestad Playtest coordination and liberal advice: Jon Pickens Playtesters: Rich Brewer with Allen Thomas, Mike Mlczeko. Arthur Collins with Phred Cain, Jason Davis, Jeff Pickett. Lee G. Irons with Andy Cohen, Matt Harrop, John Whitmer. Alan Grimes with Bob Bellamy, Leo Hallack, Shaun Homer, Jeff Kennedy, Mike LeibhartSample, Sam Orlando file, Tim Pontallion, Alex West. Caroline R. McBride with Brenda A. Floyd, Joe Floyd, R. Keith McBride, Sarah McBride, Mary E. Noah, Donnie Wolfgeher. Mark Middleton with David Boddorf, Tony Caine, Paul Conway, Jerry Harper, Ed Isaacs, Liz Neese, Kip Romine. Jim Milan and William Tracy with Gay Milan, Jeff Stevens, Justin Stevens, Paul Stevens, Teresa Stevens, Jeff Wherry. Norm Ritchie with Linda Bingle, Mary Conczyk, Dewey Freeh, Mark Hougaard, Jim Moeller, Jay Tummelson. TSR, Inc. TSR, Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton Lake Geneva, Wl 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. TSR, Inc. United Kingdom This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR Inc. Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc. and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. AD&D, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, FORGOTTEN REALMS, DRAGONLANCE and WORLD OF GREYHAWK are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. RAVENLOFT, SPELLJAMMER, PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Printed in the United States of America. eCopyright 1991, TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ISBN 1-56076-054-0 2117 Player's Handbook Rules Supplement The Complete Psionics Handbook by Steve Winter Sample file TM TSR, Inc. Table of Contents Introduction 6 Wild Talents 19 What's Changed? 6 Determining Powers 20 How Does This Strength Points 20 Fit My Campaign? 6 The Risks w, 20 Is Psionics Magical? 7 Chapter Two: Psionic Combat .22 Chapter One: Using Powers 22 The Psionicist 8 Power Checks 22 Requirements 8 Psychic Contests 22 Ability Requirements 8 Psychic Lock 24 Prime Requisites 8 The Combat Round 24 Racial Restrictions 8 Telepathic Combat 25 Multi-class Characters 8 Attack Modes 25 Dual-class Characters 8 Defense Modes 25 Racial Level Limits 8 Attack Modifiers 26 Alignment 10 Tangents 26 Other Qualifications 10 Other Considerations 27 Initial Funds 10 Line of Sight 27 A Psionics Primer 10 Touch Attacks 27 Psionic Strength Points 10 Combat Cards 27 Power Scores 11 Power Checks Sample11 fileSidebar: Advancement 11 Understanding Power Descriptions, .28 Gaining Disciplines 12 Gaining Sciences and Devotions 12 Chapter Three: Advancing Mid-adventure 12 Clairsentience 28 Raising Psionic Power Scores 13 Clairsentient Sciences 28 Psionic Strength Points 13 Clairsentient Devotions 33 Gaining Psionic Strength Points 13 Recovering Psionic Strength Points 13 Defense Modes 14 Special Abilities 14 Maintaining Powers 14 Chapter Four: THACO and Saving Throws 14 Psychokinesis 38 Followers 14 Psychokinetic Sciences 38 Restrictions 15 Psychokinetic Devotions 42 Weapons 15 Armor 15 Proficiencies 16 The Psionicist Group 18 4 • Table of Contents Chapter Five: Monsters 114 Psychometabolism 50 Baku 114 Psychometabolic Sciences 50 Brain Mole 115 Psychometabolic Devotions 53 Cerebral Parasites 116 Intellect Devourer, adult 117 Intellect Devourer, larva (ustilagor) 118 Shedu 119 Chapter Six: Su-Monster 120 Psychoportation 64 Thought Eater 121 Vagabond 122 Psychoportive Sciences 64 Psychoportive Devotions 68 Appendices 123 Monstrous Compendium Update 123 Summary of Psionic Powers 125 Powers Index 128 Chapter Seven: Telepathy 74 Telepathic Sciences 74 Tables Telepathic Devotions 79 1: Racial Level Limits 10 2: Experience Levels 11 3: Individual Class Awards 12 4: Psionic Power Progression 12 5: Inherent Potential 13 Chapter Eight: 6: Psionic Strength Recovery 14 Metapsionics Sample93 7: Calculate filed THACOs 15 Metapsionic Sciences 93 8: Saving Throws 15 Metapsionic Devotions 97 9: Armor Penalties 16 10: Proficiency Slots 16 11: Nonweapon Proficiencies 18 12: Wild Devotions 20 13: Wild Sciences 21 Chapter Nine: 14: Attack vs. Defense Modes 26 A Psionics Campaign 106 Look What I Got! 106 Burn Him! 106 *TSR's Campaign Worlds 108 Psionics and Magic 109 Monsters, Villains, and other NPCs Ill Living Psionics Ill Knights of the Floating Table 112 Related Reading 113 Table of Contents • 5 "What do you think I am, a mind reader?" slowly, at a rate somewhere between the As a matter of fact, you might be, if you're fighter and mage. At low levels, however, the an AD&D® game character with the right psionicist has the potential to be powerful. stuff. All you need is brainpower, discipline, 2) The list of psionic powers is greatly ex- and The Complete Psionics Handbook. panded. Original rules included a menu of 50 Psionics—the practice of extraordinary psy- powers. This book has over 150. chic powers—was included in the original 3) Psionic powers are organized differently. AD&D game. Some players favored psionic All psionic powers are grouped into six disci- powers; others found them confusing. Psi- plines: clairsentience (expanded senses), psy- onics was not included in the AD&D 2nd Edi- chokinesis (moving matter through space), tion game. psychometabolism (altering the body), psy- Now psionics is back by popular demand, choportation (psionic travel), telepathy and it's better than ever. Powers this great may (mind-to-mind contact), and metapsionics (an not be for everyone, so psionics is a com- advanced discipline). Within each discipline pletely optional addition to the AD&D 2nd are major powers, called "sciences," and minor Edition rules. But if you're ready to put mind powers, called "devotions." Characters can over matter—to test the limits of inner space— only learn powers from the disciplines they then this book is for you. have access to. At 1st level, a character has ac- The Complete Psionics Handbook is not a cess to only one discipline, but with experience reprint of the old psionics rules; it's a complete he gains access to more. revision. If you remember the original AD&D 4) Psionic powers are treated much like pro- rules, you'll find much that seems familiar ficiencies. Psionic powers do not work auto- here. Beware: old words may have new mean- matically. A power is essentially a skill, and ing. We've kept a lot of the terminology, but using it properly requires a power check. changed the definitions. Read this book care- 5) Psionic strength points are not divided fully before you assume an old rule stilSamplel applies intofile attack, defense, and generic batches. All or jump to conclusions about what certain of a character's psionic strength points come powers can or cannot do. from a single pool. Numerous other changes, both major and What's Changed? minor, have been made. To avoid confusion, players are urged to read this book carefully. This book contains five major revisions to the original AD&D psionics rules: How Does This Fit My Campaign? 1) The psionicist is a character class. Char- acters cannot pick up a psionic power here and There's no reason why adding psionics to an there just because they have a superior brain. existing campaign should disrupt anything. As Psionicists are extraordinary characters who a class, psionicists are no more or less power- develop their powers through arduous train- ful than any other. Guidelines on how to intro- ing. (While members of other classes may oc- duce psionics without trauma are given in casionally boast a psionic power or two, such Chapter 9. characters are mere shadows of true psioni- Remember, everything in this book is op- cists.) An NPC psionicist has the potential to tional; none of it is part of the core of the stand his own against any other class. As a PC AD&D game. If something in here doesn't suit in a team of adventurers, the psionicist will a particular campaign, rule it out. complement other classes well. Most of the psionicist's powers are unique. He advances 6 • Introduction.