Psionics in Ravenloft

[Galeros]

How do you use Psionics in Ravenloft if you do us them? I know the 2E Van Richten's Guide to the Lich went over Psionic Or "Mesmeric" Liches, so I know that there are officially Psionic users in Ravenloft, but I do not know much more than that.

[The Giamarga]

Well there are a few NPCs:
The Brain the villainous mastermind antagonist of Dominic d'Honaire who is actually a psionic brain in a jar.
The God Brain darklord of the Illithid domain Bluespur.
Van Richten's Guide to Ghosts has a chapter about mediums.
Mental homes and asylums are mentioned in the Nightmare Lands boxed set and elsewhere...
Mesmerists are mentioned here and there though not always psionic.

A very abscure NPC would be the Dwarven psionicist Dural of the Iron Hills from a tribe of psionic dwarves from Greyhawk. He is hunting the evil elven telepath Vadarin, who hides in Borca. Dural's two sons are still in Greyhawk searching for him (all from the Ravenloft TSR 1993 Trading Cards)

Another interesting card is the evil Dwarven psion Mortos, who studies psychometabolism to offset his height disadvantage. This is not explicitly a Ravenloft card, but I can very much see him coming there.

Yet another two cards are Brindletop a gnome clairsentient and his custom psionic item Brindletople's Time Bomb both again explicitly Ravenloft cards.

The later 3E Ravenloft included rules for the psionic classes and cites yogi from Sri Raji as examples. There are also a few new minor NPCs noted to be psionic (some carnies are mildly psionic, the usual mediums, there's a seer's secret society in Gaz 2).


A must read for psionics in RL are imho Quoth the Raven #6 and the Book of Sacrifices (Especially the fiction "Miles to Go Before I sleep in the former and the article about the Godbrain in the latter)


PS: Other interesting threads about psionics:
Psionics in Ravenloft
Cranium Rats in Richemulot?
God Brain's curse
The Blood Moon - ideas for a revamped Bluetspur
Van Richten's Guide to Psionics
Kalshtar of RL
Alien abduction in the demiplane of dread?
Weird campaign idea: The Mushroom Kingdom

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

What The Giamarga said.

I think Psionics have a definite place in Ravenloft, when used sparingly, and when brought back to their roots. The 3.x Psionics books are a bit... out there... in terms of flavor, but if you ignore or downplay the crazy tribal tattoos, the flying, talking crystals and think about them as psychics, mediums, etc. it works great.

In other words, my concept of Psionics in Ravnloft looks less like these guys:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx072 ... _psion.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/33173.jpg

and more like these:
http://www.onlyinmyla.com/wp-content/up ... sychic.jpg
http://sabiansymbols.typepad.com/.a/6a0 ... 026970c-pi


Oh, and two that Giamarga missed:
The Thinker, from Bleak House, a vistani psionicist captured by Baron Metus and used to send gaslighting dreams to Dr. Van Richten.
Marcu Vasilis from The Forgotten Children, a psion who tangled with the God-Brain.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Has anyone bothered to make a 3.5 template for the Psionic Lich? I have a 3.0 template, but that's not quite up to scratch...

[Galeros]

Thanks, I will have to go through those links in a bit Giamarga.

[ewancummins]

I have not used psionics in years. When I did use psionics, I was running AD&D2E rules.

I might consider using some of the 3.5 stuff in the future. We'll see.

[alhoon]

Psionics in Ravenloft? You may not guess it, but I use them for mind flayers.

[The Giamarga]

Oh, and two that Giamarga missed:
The Thinker, from Bleak House, a vistani psionicist captured by Baron Metus and used to send gaslighting dreams to Dr. Van Richten.
Marcu Vasilis from The Forgotten Children, a psion who tangled with the God-Brain.

Thanks Ron, Marcu Vasilis is the one that i had in mind with a awesome great fiction part in the article, but i couldn't find the netbook. Another must read,imho.

[Tenebris]

Personally I've always used Psionics as NPC abilities *only*. I've yet to see a psionic system for PC's that wasn't overpowered. It's a shame too because I'd like to offer it as an option, as most of you know I tend to err on the side of player choice (my 1e roots I suppose lol) but attempting to balance psionic pc's within the context of not just D&D but Ravenloft specifically is a daunting task to say the least.

[Scipio]

I've never used psionics in Ravenloft, but that's mostly because I've never had a group that was interested in them for some reason. That said, I could see using them in Bluetspur obviously, or as the traditional psychic/medium as some have mentioned.

Psionics in Ravenloft? You may not guess it, but I use them for mind flayers.

Wait, Alhoon, are you saying you use mindflayers? I wouldn't have guessed...

[A G Thing]

Keeping Psionics rare is my method... By rare I mean super rare for true Psionics.

Autohypnosis is available to anyone so they can practice mind over matter and such but I tend to save the actual Powers and use them for NPC's.

I have yet to have a player that actually used Psionics in Ravenloft so it has not become an issue. I enjoy it for very specialized uses for plot and for the psychic intrusion aspect.

Nothing beats targeting the Wizard or Sorcerer with effects that don't detect as magic and all the while gas-lighting them.

You can do the whole tyrant of the mind thing as a single psion rules people through their thoughts and from a distance. A single man can threaten an entire town and control it's citizens through fear if they want!

Also it is great to give to an NPC that is seen as a mad man or charlatan but actually has such powers.

If I use a psion as a plot point and they come to the notice of a Darklord that I think would be interested they tend to end up being made to work for the lord. Since they are able to do some things outside of magical restrictions or in certain circumstances that they might like I can see them as very valuable.

Also I tend to leave scars on the ethereal resonance depending upon what a Psion does and this can cause all sorts of random effects on undead and creatures that wander or are part of the ethereal in Ravenloft. Ghosts tend to notice Psions a whole lot... Also anyone who senses things in such resonance gets images or "psychic evidence" that provides clues to what was going on though I tend to make it kind of impressions more than direct evidence unless the effect does something major in the plot or is extremely powerful.

I am working on a group of apprentices that work under Domanic as pawns in the great game he plays of manipulation. I think he among most would want to foster this!!!

And of course Illithids... You just can't throw a rock in Bluetspur an not hit an Illithid! Of course they will just TK the rock back!

Now if someone will play a Psion in one of my future games I will be able to use these!