Your opinion about a D&D 3rd edition psionic human race (game balance).

[Nerull]

I have been designing a new campaign, and have been toying with the idea of adding a racial choice of "psionic human" (those of you who have used the World Builder's Guidebook have seen that referenced in their examples). My thought on this was to apply the psionic template to a 1 HD human (thus giving 1 attack mode, 1 defense mode, and 1 power). The attack and defense modes would just be the lowest level stuff (mind thrust/empty mind), but per the psionic template would not use power points and not need a minimum stat score to be able to use it (thus, the entire population would have these abilities, and be able to use mind thrust and empty mind at will without worrying about power points, even if the character is a fighter, rogue, etc). For the power, I was thinking that an appropriate ability would be a continuous Conceal Thoughts (1st level Telepathic power that gives +4 to saves against someone reading your thoughts, a +20 to Bluff rolls to foil Sense Motive, and makes the Psychic Inquisitor feat useless). This would only affect the character (cannot use on others like the power), but would always be on. Someone could negate it (i.e. with the Negate Psionics power), but the character could simply manifest it again on their next action as a free action (like many of the monster abilities that are always on). This just seems to be a likely power for the average citizen to manifest in a society where it is common for others to read your mind.

My question is really about how to balance this with the other races given in the Players' Handbook. I was toying with removing all of the normal human benefits (the extra feat and extra skill points) and limiting their favored classes to psion and psychic warrior. Would this balance them with the other races given in the Players' Handbook, or would this still be too powerful and thus be an ECL +1 race? Another alternative (not as favored with me, since I want these psionic humans to be equal with the other races, but I am open to suggestions) is to simply add the template to a normal human (leaving the extra feat and skill points) and move them up by either ECL +1 or +2 (not sure which).

Another problem arises with half-orcs and half-elves with this option. Since these psionic humans could interbreed with elves and orcs, the question then arises about psionic versions of these races. For elves, I was planning to have them able to advance as psions or psychic warriors (classes are open to anyone; in effect, they have a latent ability that they decide to explore), but not to have "psionic" version of elves like the humans above (in fact, I was planning to keep elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes the same, just adding that new variety of human). Thus, it would be easy with half-elves to just leave them as is, since you can simply state that the elvish parent dominates genetically as far as psionic abilities are concerned (i.e. no innate abilities, just the ability to advance as a psion or psychic warrior as other classes). The problem really arises with half-orcs, since I was toying with adding a psionic version of orc (similar to the "blues" that goblins have). What would be the best way to handle that? Just leave them as is (i.e. the interbreeding makes them non-psionic) or somehow adjust the half-orc race to create another version of it (kind of hard, as the only abilities they have are increased strength (with correspondingly lower intelligence and charisma) and darkvision, so hard to balance with Players' Handbook races).

Anyway, any suggestions you have on this subject would be greatly appreciated, as I have been wracking my brain on this for the last week.

[Nanobyte]

I wish I knew more on DMing a game, since I seem to be the only one here who has a 3rd ed. Psionics Handbook.. Hmm.. Do you have the DM Guide? Maybe you can find the answers in there? I'll check.

[Morgeruat]

sounds alot like how psionics work on Dark sun, check out here for the official TSR Site, it may give you some help with your idea [img]smile.gif[/img] hope it helps

[The Hunter of Jahanna]

IMHO they butchered psionics in 3rd ed. Try to find the second ed. handbook for psionics. It makes them MUCH less confuseing. Also Morgeurat is right, your world does sound a lot like Dark Sun.

[Nerull]

Originally posted by The Hunter of Jahanna: IMHO they butchered psionics in 3rd ed. Try to find the second ed. handbook for psionics. It makes them MUCH less confuseing. Also Morgeurat is right, your world does sound a lot like Dark Sun.

I admit that the inclusion of psionics makes it sound like Dark Sun, but the only similarity is the inclusion of psionics, mostly in the inclusion of certain psionic races (i.e. a stronger presence of psionics than the standard D&D game). For the most part, it will be very similar to the main game, with non-psionic and magical creatures still dominating the landscape, and the technology level at standard Middle Ages level (though I have been toying with moving it back to a Dark Ages technology level, which is more like the Scots in Braveheart). In other words, the two types of humans will have large differences in their outlook to psionics and magic. The normal humans will embrace magic, and look down upon psionics. The psionic humans will have the reverse reaction. Adventurers may run into an Gnoll ranger, or a Gnoll psychic warrior. Mind Flayers and Yuan-Ti will be more common adversaries for the adventurers than usual.

That's why I want the two types of humans to be balanced with each other. I really don't want one to out-shine the other; I just want them to be different, and that difference to be a major hot-point in the campaign. I figure by adding natural psionic abilities (and taking away the other human abilities) that this would keep them balanced.

I will check out the Dark Sun sight, though.