RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

I've added psionic combat to the optional Psionics rules in Microlite75 at the request of one of my players. He thought that if I was going to do psionics, I shouldn't leave half of it out. This version of psionic combat is different than the one in 0e supplement 3. Psionic Defense modes act as a mental armor class and a psionic attack roll is made against it. In other words, psionic combat works very much like physical combat. I'd love to claim this idea as my own, but I saw defense modes as AC somewhere on the Internet a while back and just adopted the idea for Microlite75. This has not been playtested and therefore is subject to change.

Manifesting Psionic Attack and Defense Modes: Psionic characters manifest psionic attack and defense modes as they gain psionic abilities. Specific modes manifest as the character manifests a specific number of abilities.

Number of Psionic Abilities Manifested	Attack Mode Manifested	Defense Mode Manifested
1	Mind Thrust	Thought Shield
2		Mind Blank
3	Ego Whip
4		Mental Barrier
5	Psionic Blast
6		Intellect Fortress
7	Id Insinuation
8		Tower of Iron Will
9	Psychic Crush

Psionic Combat: Only psionic characters who have manifested a psionic attack ability can make a psionic attack. Psionic attacks are made at Strike Speed 12 (the same as Glance attacks). The Psionic Attack Roll is 1D20 + MIND bonus + number of psionic abilities manifested. The attack is successful if it is higher than the target’s Psionic Armor Class (10 + MIND bonus + armor bonuses from a psionic defense mode).

Psionic attacks do psionic damage (see below for amounts). Tally psionic damage separately. If the total psionic damage ever becomes greater than the character’s current hit points, the character falls into a coma and remains in a coma until he has more hit points than psionic damage points and makes a successful WILL save (may be attempted once per hour). With a night’s sleep, psionic damage “heals” 1d6 + twice the number of psionic abilities manifested, if any.

Psionic Defense Modes: Defense modes increase the character’s psionic armor class when in use. Only one mode can be in effect at one time. Thought Shield costs 0 HP to use and gives a +1 bonus to the character’s psionic armor class. Mind Blank costs 0 HP to use and gives a +2 bonus to the character’s psionic armor class. Mental Barrier costs 0 HP to use and gives a +4 bonus to the character’s psionic armor class. Intellect Fortress costs 2 HP to use and gives a +4 bonus to the psionic armor class of the character and everyone within 10 feet. Tower of Iron Will costs 3 HP to use and gives a +6 bonus to the psionic armor class of the character and everyone within 3 feet.

Psionic Attack Modes: Mind Thrust costs 1 HP to use and does 1d8 points of psionic damage. Ego Whip costs 2 HP to use and does 2d6 points of psionic damage and the target must make a WILL save or be stunned for one minute. Psionic Blast costs 4 HP to use and attacks everyone in a conic area in front of the psionic doing 1d6 damage to everyone in the affected area, double damage to those in short range (0-10 feet), half damage at long range (31-50 feet). One attack roll is made and used against all possible targets. Id Insinuation costs 2 HP to use and does 3d6 psionic damage and the target must save vs Fear or be affected as a fear spell for 1d6 rounds. Psychic Crush costs 5 HP to use and does 4d6 psionic damage and 2d6 physical (HP) damage.