Results 1 to 30 of 45
Thread: Why psionics solves everything
-
2010-01-03, 10:10 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Why psionics solves everything
This is why Roy needs to take that level in psion.
Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions
They'd know very quickly if the gate was actually hidden there or not. Simple 2nd level power that Girard would not be able to hide, foil, or dispel.Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2010-01-03 at 10:11 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 10:14 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
-
2010-01-03, 10:23 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
He would have had to of taken some psion levels himself and made up his own power to do so..
There is no spell-version of this, and psionics are very rare in this world, so he'd have to have taken precautions against a low-level spell from an obscure discipline of a rare class that allows no save nor saving throw. He's have had to take levels in Psicraft or Knowledge (psionics) to even know it existed. That's like a druid just happening to take levels in knowledge (architecture and engineering).
I think it is a very valid assumption.Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2010-01-03 at 10:25 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 10:24 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Last edited by Kish; 2010-01-03 at 10:25 AM.
Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
-
2010-01-03, 10:25 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2010-01-03 at 10:26 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 10:28 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Then we've already seen a spell that would have foiled it, haven't we? Cloister. And the wizard who came up with that one wasn't even the master of illusion.
Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
-
2010-01-03, 10:29 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
I imagine the mind flayer is still in custody. Do something copyrighted, wait for them to show up, and have Belkar make an intimidation check (I need that guy!)
Where? It's not like V was using psionics in one of his attempts...Last edited by silversaraph; 2010-01-03 at 10:33 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 10:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Why would Cloister have any effect on it?
Edit: 2nd question, did you follow the link I posted?Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2010-01-03 at 10:32 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 10:38 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Yes. Oh, wait, you're right, Cloister wouldn't affect a power invoked while standing in the area to be scanned.
Regardless. I think you're overrating psionics and that Girard is far more likely to have used a spell that would block all magical or psionic detection methods than something that blocks magic but lets psionics get right through (whether or not Girard actually took psionics into account). He would certainly not need actual psion levels to do so.
Although the Order's already pretty certain the Gate's not there. I imagine, if they used that power, the result would be "nothing here but a trap which already went off," not because Girard cast any manner of concealing spell there, but because that's the case.Last edited by Kish; 2010-01-03 at 10:40 AM.
Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
-
2010-01-03, 10:38 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Isn't everything in the SRD open content?
-
2010-01-03, 10:41 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
There IS nothing that blocks it yet still allows magic/psionics to function. There is nothing to block. You sense what is already there with that power.
Although the Order's already pretty certain the Gate's not there. I imagine, if they used that power, the result would be "nothing here but a trap which already went off," not because Girard cast any manner of concealing spell there, but because that's the case.
Everything mentioned so far is very LESS likely than the fact that the ability would simply work.Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2010-01-03 at 10:43 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 10:42 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
-
2010-01-03, 10:43 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
This is also a world where an intelligent goblin who as traveled the world didn't know if psionics existed or not. I think in this world psionics is like the tooth faerie to us-- everyone has heard about it, but people assume it doesn't actually exist (it's been used in bedtime stories!)
Edit:
Oh, yeah. and THIS.Last edited by silversaraph; 2010-01-03 at 10:46 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 10:45 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
-
2010-01-03, 10:51 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2008
Re: Why psionics solves everything
This is also a world where an intelligent goblin who as traveled the world didn't know if psionics existed or not. I think in this world psionics is like the tooth faerie to us-- everyone has heard about it, but people assume it doesn't actually exist (it's been used in bedtime stories!)
-
2010-01-03, 10:55 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
#1. The power is Seer-only. Not only would not every psion know of the power, only one type of psion could even manifest it regardless of whether they knew of its existence.
#2. Assuming the above, he'd have to even remember it and think, 'Well hey, maybe there is a chance in a billion someone would use it'
#3. Assuming even that, there is no way for a magic user OR psionic user to cover it.
#4. Ok, maybe all three above happen. He now has to go out of his way to research a specific spell that specifically counters a psionic power that he just had to go through a series of highly improbable events to be aware of, remember and act against.
At this point what is more likely, all of the above happened or he simply didn't prepare for it?Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2010-01-03 at 11:01 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 11:01 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
What's funny though, is that if this, on the off chance, WAS what Rich was going to do, he'd probably go ****! and cancel it. I remember him saying once that he skims through speculation threads like this, and also tries his hardest to be as unexpected as possible. So we know for sure now that it isn't going to happen. I think it would be fun to suggest every possible scenario for a comic in which something big is going to happen, with a thread title to grab his attention. I wonder, if a different person did it every time, that would be considered spamming or not...
If he does see this, it's also possible he'll use REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY and do exactly what we suspect, just to throw us off, and other people can use that as evidence in that he doesn't do what I'm saying!
And then the reverse-reverse happens. And then the universe implodes and creates a gigantic black hole. The end.
-
2010-01-03, 11:02 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Given that the Gate is unlikely to be there, he probably didn't prepare for it. However, I still don't accept your duality. It's, rather:
1: Girard cast a general-purpose epic thwart-all-kinds-of-magical-detections spell at the Gate's location. It covers the power you linked too, even though it wouldn't if you were writing the comic.
2: He didn't bother to shield the random location he sent Soon. Neither would the power pick up anything there, since there never was anything significant there.
3: Because he had to specifically be thinking of psionics, and moreover, of the specific power he wanted to block for his magic to block the power, his legendary illusions fall before the power of any psion.
Option #3 is the only one I'm discarding; I get that it's also the only one you're not discarding.
No, he said it bothers him when people guess what he's going to do, but he also said he's never actually changed anything based on forum speculation.Last edited by Kish; 2010-01-03 at 11:03 AM.
Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
-
2010-01-03, 11:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
-
2010-01-03, 11:10 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
1: Girard cast a general-purpose epic thwart-all-kinds-of-magical-detections spell at the Gate's location. It covers the power you linked too, even though it wouldn't if you were writing the comic.
2: He didn't bother to shield the random location he sent Soon. Neither would the power pick up anything there, since there never was anything significant there.
3: Because he had to specifically be thinking of psionics, and moreover, of the specific power he wanted to block for his magic to block the power, his legendary illusions fall before the power of any psion.
It's called a loophole. And it's an obscure one. It's not being more powerful, it's just knowing one thing you're opponent doesn't.
-
2010-01-03, 11:33 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Assuming that the psionics-magic transparency exist:
SRD:
Originally Posted by SRD
-
2010-01-03, 11:39 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Which would mean it would have to hide every divination power. Ever. In the entire area. Even those immune to spell resistance. Even those that doesn't specify an area, target or time period. That would hide even divinations that would read emotions that he emoted AFTER the casting.
Such a spell however would also be an answer of sorts.Last edited by The Vorpal Tribble; 2010-01-03 at 11:40 AM.
-
2010-01-03, 11:43 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
- Location
- Manchester, UK
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
If the rules say that there's nothing an epic level magic-user can do to block a 2nd level psionic power then the rules are insane. Any DM worth his salt would have that house-ruled out in about 0.03 seconds, and we know that the Giant is perfectly willing to change or ignore the rules if the plot takes precedence!
-
2010-01-03, 11:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
-
2010-01-03, 12:11 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
Re: Why psionics solves everything
The most boring power you can have in any system is the "it solves the plot power".
Really, why even PLAY if you just "throw spell X* at the problem and the plot is solved"?
* Possibly even abusing a glitch in the design.
-
2010-01-03, 12:17 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Which already exists - it's called the Conceal Seed. Granted it can be defeated with an opposed caster level check. But, who's going to win: Epic level Illusionist or 3rd level Psion?
-
2010-01-03, 12:37 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2006
- Location
- MX
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
The power wouldn't really solve it for them though. If a member of the party where to use it they'd see two things for certain: Roy as he realizes that its a trap, and Girard as he's placing it. That's it.
Odds are it would just be another divination that revealed nothing else about that particular spot of the desert. Unless Girard decided to go into an evil monologue after casting the trap, cursing Soon and saying the exact location of the gate out loud, all they would have would be a confirmation that nothing else happened there.
The way I see it, unless you know where to look, that power isn't going to help them find the gate anymore then True Seeing or Polymorphing into a Badger.Last edited by Ryuuk; 2010-01-03 at 12:38 PM.
Will be edited by Ryuuk : Sometime in the future.
-
2010-01-03, 12:39 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Mindfields
- Gender
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Which already exists - it's called the Conceal Seed. Granted it can be defeated with an opposed caster level check. But, who's going to win: Epic level Illusionist or 3rd level Psion?
The way I see it, unless you know where to look, you're that power isn't going to help them find the gate anymore then True Seeing or Polymorphing into a Badger.
Both involved heavy emotional states, something that would register with the power.
-
2010-01-03, 12:40 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
Re: Why psionics solves everything
Only detects emotional events. NOT gates. So they might see a battle. Involving some shadowy people, who may or may not be the order of the scribble. Also if Girard is mind blanked its going to fail, something he should be doing. If the rift and battle were below the sand it won't do anything. OTOH, the hapless psion might see a battle with out a gate because its the war torn western continent. Finally if the battle had conflicting emotions such as fear and rage the spell wouldn't give anything.
Which means the spell is essentially worthless. It has a good chance of missing the battle, it has a good chance of giving a battle despite the lack of gates. Its useless.
-
2010-01-03, 12:43 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2008