Blackhack Psionics Rules Musings
Using this post to discuss some rules ideas for a potential Dark Sun hack for the Black Hack.
My basic goal is to embrace one of the more elegant mechanics from the Black Hack for these powers, and to create a risk-reward spiral with the usage die.
This post is strongly inspired by the excellent blog post Strange Powers by Joel Priddy, https://abominablefancy.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-black-hack-strange-powers.html , which posits a level-less system for mystical powers and put the idea of the usage die in my head for this.
I've been thinking of a weird, rules light Dark Sun lately, especially making use of the Black Hack. The biggest challenge for me with this whole process is the Psionicist. Psionics in D&D have been tried a variety of ways throughout the years. What I love about Psionics is the idea that these innate abilities do not function in a leveled way, and instead act somewhat like mutant superpowers. This is why I strongly prefer pre-3.5 Psionics to more modern attempts. If Psionics acts exactly like spellcasting, then I don't see enough difference between magic and psionics to make it worth calling out as a seperate system.
With Dark Sun however, if all PCs are at least wild talents, it feels somewhat like a perfect way to treat these powers as mutant superpowers.
Basic Rule Idea
So here's the gist: All PCs have a psionics usage die. These dice range from d4 to d12. When a character uses a psionic ability, they test against the relevant ability score (or maybe that's too many rolls). If that roll is a success, the ability goes off. After that, they must roll to test their psionic usage die a number of times based on if the power is minor,(1 roll) major(2 rolls) or super.(3 rolls) A 1-2 on the usage die degrades the die. If the degradation brings the psionics die to 0, and the PC still has more pending rolls, they take damage = to d4 x the number of remaining rolls, and end up with an open mind. (I'm also tempted to mess with these numbers a little bit, possibly calling for a roll on a failure as well)
An open mind is a state of vulnerability, and inability to use psionic powers. An open minded being is vulnerable to telepathy, or brute force psionic attacks which can deal direct damage, leading to scanners style head explosions.
Example
For example - Arnaka of Tyr, a 3rd level Psionicist, wants to teleport 100 yards. First, in order to determine if the power is successful, she rolls against her intelligence -2, due to the difficulty of the power. Arnaka has an intelligence of 14, so the target number here is 12 or lower. Arnaka rolls a 9, meaning that the power goes off. This is a major power, meaning that Arnaka needs to roll her psionics usage die 2 times. Arnaka is a 3rd level psionicist, so her Psionics usage die is a d10. On her first roll, she gets a 2, degrading her die to a d8. On the second roll, she gets a 6, leaving it at a d8. Arnaka still has significant psionic strength left.
This is the gist of how these rules would work. Most powers would be rated as minor, major or super based on the cost of those powers in the 2E psionics books, with some powers pared from the list for space, and descriptions kept as terse as Blackhack spell descriptions.
Power Description Template
Name - Difficulty - #, Minor, Major or Super , Ability Score, Description. Escalation?
Teleport - Difficulty -2, Major Power. Intelligence. Teleport self up to 100 meters. Power can be escalated as follows: -2 difficulty and +1 usage die roll to multiply this amount by 10, or target another. Maximum distance is interplanetary, but not inter-planar.
Wild Talents
All PCs will be wild talents at minimum. They will roll on a silly table, or draw a card to determine their power, and can use it with their inherent psionic usage die. They can also make psionic attacks against nearby targets using the associated ability score.
Psionicists
Full Class
My basic goal is to embrace one of the more elegant mechanics from the Black Hack for these powers, and to create a risk-reward spiral with the usage die.
This post is strongly inspired by the excellent blog post Strange Powers by Joel Priddy, https://abominablefancy.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-black-hack-strange-powers.html , which posits a level-less system for mystical powers and put the idea of the usage die in my head for this.
I've been thinking of a weird, rules light Dark Sun lately, especially making use of the Black Hack. The biggest challenge for me with this whole process is the Psionicist. Psionics in D&D have been tried a variety of ways throughout the years. What I love about Psionics is the idea that these innate abilities do not function in a leveled way, and instead act somewhat like mutant superpowers. This is why I strongly prefer pre-3.5 Psionics to more modern attempts. If Psionics acts exactly like spellcasting, then I don't see enough difference between magic and psionics to make it worth calling out as a seperate system.
With Dark Sun however, if all PCs are at least wild talents, it feels somewhat like a perfect way to treat these powers as mutant superpowers.
Basic Rule Idea
So here's the gist: All PCs have a psionics usage die. These dice range from d4 to d12. When a character uses a psionic ability, they test against the relevant ability score (or maybe that's too many rolls). If that roll is a success, the ability goes off. After that, they must roll to test their psionic usage die a number of times based on if the power is minor,(1 roll) major(2 rolls) or super.(3 rolls) A 1-2 on the usage die degrades the die. If the degradation brings the psionics die to 0, and the PC still has more pending rolls, they take damage = to d4 x the number of remaining rolls, and end up with an open mind. (I'm also tempted to mess with these numbers a little bit, possibly calling for a roll on a failure as well)
An open mind is a state of vulnerability, and inability to use psionic powers. An open minded being is vulnerable to telepathy, or brute force psionic attacks which can deal direct damage, leading to scanners style head explosions.
Example
For example - Arnaka of Tyr, a 3rd level Psionicist, wants to teleport 100 yards. First, in order to determine if the power is successful, she rolls against her intelligence -2, due to the difficulty of the power. Arnaka has an intelligence of 14, so the target number here is 12 or lower. Arnaka rolls a 9, meaning that the power goes off. This is a major power, meaning that Arnaka needs to roll her psionics usage die 2 times. Arnaka is a 3rd level psionicist, so her Psionics usage die is a d10. On her first roll, she gets a 2, degrading her die to a d8. On the second roll, she gets a 6, leaving it at a d8. Arnaka still has significant psionic strength left.
This is the gist of how these rules would work. Most powers would be rated as minor, major or super based on the cost of those powers in the 2E psionics books, with some powers pared from the list for space, and descriptions kept as terse as Blackhack spell descriptions.
Power Description Template
Name - Difficulty - #, Minor, Major or Super , Ability Score, Description. Escalation?
Teleport - Difficulty -2, Major Power. Intelligence. Teleport self up to 100 meters. Power can be escalated as follows: -2 difficulty and +1 usage die roll to multiply this amount by 10, or target another. Maximum distance is interplanetary, but not inter-planar.
Wild Talents
All PCs will be wild talents at minimum. They will roll on a silly table, or draw a card to determine their power, and can use it with their inherent psionic usage die. They can also make psionic attacks against nearby targets using the associated ability score.
Psionicists
Full Class
The Usage Die Psionicist
Starting HP : d6 + 4
HP Per Level/Resting : 1d6
Weapons & Armor : Staff, Dagger, Sling
Attack Damage : 1d4 / 1 when Unarmed or Improvising
Psionics Usage Die : d6
USAGE DIE IDEA: A Psionicist gets a usage die that increases as they level. When using a power, they first test the power with an ability roll, on a success, they roll their usage die, a number of times dictated by the power. Once for a minor power, twice for a major power, and three times for special super powers. Some powers may have chances to escalate, at the cost of increased usage die rolls. On a failure, their usage die degrades.
Special Features
Roll with advantage when using wisdom to avoid psychic trauma
Leveling Up
Roll with advantage for Wisdom and Constitution
Gain HP and increase usage die by one pip. Usage die maxes out at d12, and after that point, the psionicist gains an additional d4 usage die that begins to grow. (1:d6,2: d8, 3:d10, 4:d12, 5:d12 and d4, 6: d12 and d6, 7: d12 and d8, 8: d12 and d10, 9: d12 and d12, 10: d12, d12, and d4…)
Psionic Powers and Combat
A Psionic character begins play with access to one discipline, one major or super power under that discipline, and access to psionic attacks/defense with the ability score keyed to that discipline. Psionic attacks work as normal attacks, but when they hit, they force the opponent to test their usage die or suffer degradation. Against someone with an open mind, that target takes damage.
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