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2017-12-09, 05:57 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Or, ya know, the balrog of Lord of the Rings. Or any of hundreds, probably thousands, of takes on the same idea. Probably even shows up in real-world mythology, too.
Basically, this is a seriously classic and common fantasy trope. Rovagug is just one entry in a long, long line of similar ideas.
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2017-12-09, 06:23 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Yes, "They dug too deep" is a common fantasy trope. What I'm saying that on Golarion, the obvious thing they found there would be Rovagug and that one of the major changes form Pathfinder to Starfinder is that Golarion is gone and Rovagug is gone with it. Adding the two together should give the Duregar a massive change in outlook, but it didn't.
Avatar by Coronalwave
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2017-12-09, 07:59 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2017
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
And when you play using this setup in the Golarion System setting, I'm sure none of the DSP staff would hold it against you if you decided that that was the great evil in question. However, given that this is not a book for that setting, that Rovagug is a very setting specific kind of evil (even ignoring the fact that as a copyrighted name DSP actively couldn't use Rovagug even if they wanted to), and it is in fact ultimately a setting agnostic book designed for use in anything from Golarion to old Starjammer stuff to the crazy stuff I concocted at 3 AM in my basement the other night, it is far more sensible to leave it as a vague, mysterious, nebulously defined evil and leave it at that.
Last edited by FedoraFerret; 2017-12-09 at 07:59 PM.
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2017-12-11, 11:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2007
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
While we continue to tweak the material in part one, I'm proud to present part two, Encryption Decoded, featuring the Specialist class, our first release of psionic powers, and some additional skill uses and feats.
Mess my whole life up y'all.
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2017-12-15, 05:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2008
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Autohypnosis
Autostasis: If you are dying, you may make an Autohypnosis check (DC 10 plus your character level) as a standard action to slow your body’s functions and buy yourself some time, even though you normally cannot take actions. You only lose one Resolve every other round for one minute after making this check (you still stop losing Resolve if you are stabilized, as normal). You may not attempt this check again until you have regained consciousness.
Losing resolve “every other round” means you start losing it on the second round, the very next after you use the skill successfully? I heard that expression before, but never looked into its exact definition before.
If you are stabilized, but start losing resolve points again, does the autostasis 10 round limit restart where you left, did it keep ticking while stabilized, or you lost it?
Change Display: As you are manifesting any psionic power, you may make an Autohypnosis check as a part of the action used to manifest the power (DC 10 + the number of PP spent on that power). Success means that you significantly alter how your display manifests, increasing the difficulty of any skill check to identify you by observing the display by 5.
If you know the display of another manifester, you can attempt to imitate that display instead. The difficulty of this check is 10 + their manifester level, or your normal DC to change your display, whichever is higher.
Mental Resistance: When you come under the effects of any mind-affecting power or condition, you can spend one point of Resolve and make an Autohypnosis check against the original save DC (10 + caster or item level if it didn’t originally have a save DC) to delay the effect on yourself for one round. It still lasts for its full duration, you only delay the onset. This is a Reaction, which you can take even if you would not be allowed to normally.
Snapshot: You can recall this at any point in the future as a standard action by making another Autohypnosis check of the same DC, perfectly recreating it in your mind.
Can you take 10 or 20 to take the mental snapshot or recall it?
integrators, psions, and specialists
Integrators are the collective users? Vitalists are my favorite psionic class, so I'm looking forward to this.
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2017-12-16, 06:05 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2015
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
I see you dropped Improved Damage, but Energy Blast and Extra Armaments still call for it as a prerequisite
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2017-12-17, 04:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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2017-12-17, 08:14 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
I'm curious if you're planning to tap more themes from 70s-80s era sci-fi here, with psychic powers being "the next step in human evolution". I'm thinking stuff like...
- A spike in the number of "wild talents" among the populace, leading to some people fearing them and others wanting to control them. The amount of casual mingling with aliens makes this somewhat awkward to pull off, but it can still work as a background element for one of the more xenophobic races.
- Psionic powers awakening traumatically, with blasts of energy/causing the subject to go temporarily insane, etc. This may even happen regularly, unless the subject receives proper training, some kind of restraint device, or a lobotomy. Lends itself well to people fearing them, if magic is relatively controllable.
- Psionic powers warping the body while in use - either random deformities, or a fixed "game face" with otherworldly features. Aberrant aegii would help, but I'm not sure it needs a lot of rules - just a note or two in the aegis fluff. Could also throw in something like a mild allergy to healing magic, which causes your body to react to the intruding energies and give away your psionic nature.
- Scientists creating "ultimate life forms" that escape containment. Suggested new character theme: "Bioweapon" (+1 Con). Includes the once-off ability to change your subtypes at 1st-level - e.g. you could have a mutated human with four arms, who's built as a kasatha but counts as humanoid (human) - as well as something reflecting your top-secret nature. Maybe other abilities which allow you to survive in extreme conditions, reduce your reliance on equipment, or at high levels make it hard to permanently kill you unless enemies destroy your corpse. Bonuses to Survival/Autohypnosis?
- Superweapons powered by loads of comatose psychics connected together, or a bunch of cloned brains.
- Societies that spend their entire lives in a shared dreamworld, and shun anyone who's been outside it.
- Things that only certain people can detect, regardless of whether they can use psychic power offensively. Suggested new character theme: "Seer" (+1 Wis). Grants minor empathic abilities, and the ability to sense "disturbances in the force". Might receive some kind of lost-technology item that only they can use (due to descent from a mystical race that created it, etc.).
Last edited by Prime32; 2017-12-17 at 08:16 PM.
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2017-12-20, 11:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2007
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
I'm still not sure how much setting-style stuff is gonna make it into here just yet, but we'll revisit the theme ideas a bit later when we're actually doin' themes.
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2017-12-21, 12:13 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2016
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
considering how the solarian works, is it strange that I want you guys to have an animus using class? not necessarily for maneuvers or psionic powers though, but thats probably thinking a bit beyond the scope of this first book UNLESS this would be the missing component that would let you keep psychic warrior in your line-up.
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2017-12-21, 05:07 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2013
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Avatar by Elder Tsofu
Originally Posted by Forrestfire
PsyBomb's Guides to the Akashic Mysteries (Now with all three classes!)
Fear Itself: the Dread
Extended Signature HERE
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2017-12-28, 12:00 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2007
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday celebrations! Most of us here at DSP were caught up visiting family, handling the stress of day jobs, and the like, but I at least am back on deck to field feedback and everyone else should be back in the swing Soon(tm). We're still eagerly awaiting your feedback!
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2017-12-28, 11:53 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2016
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
I've been putting off reading through the powers section (partly because holidays and partly because it is daunting), and it may take me a few days regardless. questions are as follows:
1) The Specialist is only listed as having up to 3rd level powers and 7 total known by 20 (technically slightly earlier I think). this sort of breaks from the 1 to 6 we have from mystic and technomancer. Not saying this is inherently bad, but it is a break from the new norm of starfinder (as far as I can tell).
Speaking of:
2) since spells max out a 6th level (gained at 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16), will you new "full manifesters" stick with this same paradigm?
2b) and more directly relevant to this document in it's current presentation: Shouldn't the PP cost of powers also be 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 16 based on it's appropriate level, rather than pathfinder's setup (1, 3, 5, etc.)?
once I start looking at some numbers between what magic and psionics can do, I'll have more feedback, unless something glaring catches my eye.
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2017-12-29, 07:34 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2013
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
The Specialist is a half-manifester, much like the 6/9 ones from PF. They learn fewer powers and get less PP than the full-manifesters, such as the Psion.
Speaking of full manifesting, it is going to be 6-level in Starfinder, just like Spellcasting.
PP costs, we’re looking at them and that change is on The List if need be. However, right now it’s all tuned around current costs to start up the powers, so things will take adjusting if that happens.Avatar by Elder Tsofu
Originally Posted by Forrestfire
PsyBomb's Guides to the Akashic Mysteries (Now with all three classes!)
Fear Itself: the Dread
Extended Signature HERE
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2017-12-29, 04:06 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2016
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
for the moment this is what I got:
Brainlock: are you intended to only get one extra chance to break the effect, or can you try every round until broken?
Defy Gravity: “You gain the ability move yourself” should be ‘ability to move’
Mind Pierce: the fifth augment option seems VERY powerful to me. Not on it’s own mind you, but in combination with the other augments, particularly stun. Otherwise, this power is basically mind thrust, and is a solid comparison to it up until this AoE augment.
Recall Agony: the third augment may want to say hit points rather than health.
Sustenance: the fluff text sort of makes it sound like you a metabolising your own body and I am curious if long term use of this power would adversely affect its user.
I recall seeing a grammar error where a power said 'make make' but I can't find it again, so it may have been fixed already.
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2017-12-29, 05:00 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2016
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
thinking about Mind Pierce's 5th augment more, why not make a separate power? level 2, 2d10 in a small radius centered on you with augment options for damage (2 for each 1d10) and augment options for increasing radius (maybe 2 per 5 feet?). will for half, power resistance yes.
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2018-01-25, 07:29 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2015
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
The following is an issue with Paizo's operative that carries over into Dreamscarred Press's specialist as well: what is the incentive to be an Intelligence specialist over a Wisdom or Charisma specialist, and what is the point in being a Wisdom specialist over a Charisma specialist?
Skills have been compressed in Starfinder, so Intelligence nets a character even more bang for their metaphorical buck than before. Wisdom provides Will saving throws, and all Charisma does is ramp up certain skills, which is fairly bad considering that Intelligence and Wisdom govern their own skills.
It is not as though, say, Charisma specialists have truly exclusive abilities; theirs can be poached by Intelligence and Wisdom specialists. So really, why not just be an Intelligence specialist and enjoy your skill points, aside from, "Well, uh, I guess the party already has an Intelligence skill specialist and could use a Wisdom or Charisma skill specialist"?
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2018-01-27, 12:37 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2013
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
In the core game right now, you are correct about the uses for Charisma as an ability score. It’s mainly confined to social skills and certain starship or background actions. Unfortunately, DSP cannot touch the core of the game for multiple good reasons, and even substitution abilities are little more than crutches which also open up many more issues down the line.
In addition, there are speed of access differences to the lists as well as exclusive abilities between them (such as the Defensive Disruption and Rhythmic Focus abilities), which the other paths cannot poach.
We do continue to gather feedback, and thank you for this bit (which we are taking into account moving forward).Avatar by Elder Tsofu
Originally Posted by Forrestfire
PsyBomb's Guides to the Akashic Mysteries (Now with all three classes!)
Fear Itself: the Dread
Extended Signature HERE
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2018-01-27, 03:34 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2015
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Perhaps Wisdom-based specialists could use a slightly stronger package of base benefits, while Charisma-based specialists could stand to gain an even stronger package of base benefits, to compensate for not being Intelligence-based? While you cannot touch the core game rules, you can touch individual builds.
As it currently stands, if I want to play a sneaky infiltrator who is good at Disguise and Sense Motive, then I am best-off playing an Intelligence specialist and poaching abilities from the other lists (which are actually very good abilities!). That seems a little counterintuitive.Last edited by EarthSeraphEdna; 2018-01-27 at 03:34 AM.
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2018-03-15, 09:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Originally Posted by Page 3, astreidi stats
Originally Posted by Page 5, astreidi relations
Originally Posted by Page 6, blue physical description
(Ignore me if you disagree. My English preferences are idiosyncratic and sometimes don't align with others'.)
Originally Posted by Page 6, blue physical description
Originally Posted by Page 7, blue society and alignment
Originally Posted by Page 7, blue names
Nothing to say about dromites except "You made dromites interesting enough for me to want to play one for the first time; well done."
Same with duergar. That is a really cool interpretation.
No energy left tonight; I'll try to do the rest by early next week.Last edited by Jeff the Green; 2018-03-15 at 09:48 PM.
Author of The Auspician's Handbook and The Tempestarian's Handbook for Spheres of Power.Greenman by Bradakhan/Spring Greenman by Comissar/Autumn Greenman by Sgt. Pepper/Winter Greenman by gurgleflep
Ask me (or the other authors) anything.
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2018-03-16, 04:52 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2007
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Thank you for the feedback Jeff! Expect edits Soon(tm).
To update folks in general: we've been busily prepping Psion and Integrator, as well as arranging things on the business end. Our team's had some life issues, including the esteemed Psybomb needing to take a brief break from writing, which has left us a bit off the ball in terms of getting edits and responses done. We are still observing and listening, and appreciative of your time.
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2018-03-16, 08:27 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2012
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Modify Matter is missing a Manifestation Time.
Also, how is the Initiative bonus for Combat Precognition intended to work with such a short duration?Last edited by SaintNick; 2018-03-16 at 08:39 PM.
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2018-03-18, 07:21 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2013
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Thanks for the catch on Modify Matter. That one was a "see text" deal, and has been fixed.
Combat Precognition lasts for 1min/level. It isn't very long, but if you're going into a location where combat is expected (like kicking in an enemy's door, whether literally or figuratively) it becomes a very nice thing to have and has plenty of duration if you've planned things right. If you see combat coming a half-second off (or if you just aren't caught by surprise), you can always bust a Focus to drop it as a Reaction instead and just deal with the bonus vanishing after a few rounds. At least, so it went on the internal test where it was used, always looking for feedback from other games.Avatar by Elder Tsofu
Originally Posted by Forrestfire
PsyBomb's Guides to the Akashic Mysteries (Now with all three classes!)
Fear Itself: the Dread
Extended Signature HERE
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2018-03-22, 03:21 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2007
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
We're still working on edits (SO MANY ACTION TYPE FIXES) and tinkering away at Psion and Integrator, but in the meantime I'm proud and terrified to present a frequent request: Themes
Your feedback on these would be greatly appreciated. The core themes seem to kinda veer wildly in how they're executed and are hard to compare to one another, and this is my very first rodeo on the topic.
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2018-03-22, 04:51 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
I know its to powerful but when i read test subject i personally hoped more like evolutions rather then semi augmented captain golarion wannabes with same power as my skittermander expert. so is there any chance we get true escaped experiment stuff in next book.
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2018-03-22, 11:52 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2007
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
When you open up with 'I know it's too powerful' it kinda seems like you already know the answer to that question. That's not the role themes fill; there's a fairly clear standard format to follow. Could there be something like that later in another context? Maybe. Am I gonna make promises about it? No. I don't even know where to begin there. A template graft? Archetype?
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2018-03-26, 02:46 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2014
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
I'm quite liking this so far, and look foward to future installments in this series. What I'm rather curious about is whether you are going to make psions 9-level manifesters a la Starfarer's Companion or 6-level manifesters a la the Specialist, Mystic, and Technomancer. Either way, I am following this closely.
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2018-03-26, 02:51 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2007
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
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2018-03-29, 05:04 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2017
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
Alright, I've been pondering the specialist and the themes.
Specialist
The Infiltrator and Morphean specs for the Specialist are...really nonintuitive. If you want to use disguise stuff and fool people? No, that's not the charisma-based one. That's the wisdom one despite disguise and bluff being cha-based. If you want to use Sense Motive and Medicine? No, that's not the wisdom based one or the Int based one. That's the cha based one? Which rather hurts the Morphean (Which already seems a bit weaker than the others). As good social stats means you can't get the talents for social infiltration...
Themes
Test Subject Really, really fun looking. When you get advancement catalogue, can you retrain both your bonuses with the same hour work or are they an hour for each?
Conspirator By far my favourite of them thematically. Does doublespeak work for ALL methods of passing on secret messages? Like say, cryptography for a computer-sent message? That seems very relevant in a sci-fi game but they don't get anything with computers.
Sleepwalker This, I'll admit...I'm not really sold on. It feels a bit flavourless when it is just 'Be psionic' and there is already a lot of ways to do that. I feel like it needs stronger in-universe ties to...something. Sorta like how priest is tied to a religion so it's not all just about 'Being magical'. Dreaming Wide Awake requiring a power point feels a bit restricting, since the theme only give you a single power point and you are unlikely to take 'Look at me, I'm psionic' as your theme if you've already got a psionic class due to redundancy. The 1/day skill change however is fantastically powerful.
I think, if I wanted to play someone who's a fun psionic I'd likely look at Test Subject before Sleepwalker, as it gives a lot more in the way of in-universe plot hooks. Sleepwalker just feels sorta...there, without any in-universe ties to people or groups or anything but your own internal power.
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2018-03-30, 11:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2012
Re: [Starfinder] Dreamscarred Press Announces: the Psionics Guide Playtest
During most of my games, 1min/level ends up just being "until the end of the encounter" due to the group normally burning any excess duration on looting and recovery. The Focus option to turn it into a Reaction power does seem interesting. Can you use it as a Reaction before initiative is rolled, but also after the Combat Perception check? Otherwise, a save bonus just seems like a much better replacement.