Psionicist

Flavor text

Role: Psionicists develop their minds and bodies to a degree that they can manifest powers that to others resemble powers. As they perfect their talents they discover new and versatile ways of making use of their innate abilities.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6

Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp)

Class Skills: The Psionicist’s class skills are

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Psionicist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Psionicists are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield.

Powers

Where a wizard casts spells, a Psionicist manifests powers. Powers are categorized into Methods (see below.) A psionicist, regardless of his preferred Method, can manifest any power he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To manifest a power, a Psionicist must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the power level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Psionicist’s power is 10 + the power level + the Psionicist’s Charisma modifier.

Like spontaneous spellcasters, a Psionicist can manifest only a certain number of powers of each level per day. His base daily power allotment is given on Table: Psionicist. In addition, he receives bonus powers per day if he has a high Charisma score.

A Psionicist begins play knowing four 0-level powers and two 1st-level powers of her choice. At each new Psionicist level, he gains one or more new powers, as indicated on Table: Psionicist powers Known. (Unlike powers per day, the number of powers a Psionicist knows is not affected by her Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Psionicist powers Known are fixed.)

A Psionicist need not prepare his powers in advance. He can manifest any power he knows at any time, assuming he is not fatigued or exhausted or suffering from any other condition which prevents or restricts power manifestation.

Drafts

Psionicists learn an unlimited number of drafts, or 0-level powers, as noted on Table: Psionicist powers Known under “powers Known.” These powers are manifest like any other power, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

Methods

Methods are similar to schools of arcane magic in that each Method has a certain focus and theme. One Method stresses physical conditioning and the ability to manipulate ones own form. Another Method stresses the ability to glean information from the minds of others while still another Method concerns itself purely with raw power and the ability to bring great harm to those who oppose the master of that Method.

All Psionicist’s must choose a Primary Method. This Method is the Method he most closely associates with and is the one with which he is the most effective. He can choose powers from other Methods but others find these powers easier to resist than powers from the Psionicist’s Primary Method.

All Methods have five levels of mastery: Initiate, Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and Grandmaster. Each title covers four class levels. For example, a character is an Initiate from levels 1 through 4, an Apprentice from levels 5-8, a Journeyman from levels 9-12, Master from levels 13-16, and Grandmaster from levels 17 to 20. Each degree represents a new threshold of power the Psionicist has reached at which point he unlocks a new secret Technique. Each time a character reaches a new title he can choose to learn a new power in place of one he already knows. In effect, the Psionicist loses the old power in exchange for the new one. The new power’s level must be the same as that of the power being exchanged. A Psionicist may swap only a single power at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the power at the same time that he gains new powers known for the level.

Techniques Techniques are used to modify powers in ways which make them much more versatile.

Listed below are the most well known Methods. This list is not complete. There are many Methods yet to be discovered.

Telepath

Grinder

Biomastery – The Biomastery Method focuses on all the ways the Psionicist can control his body.