"Mind Over Matter"... new d20 System psionics rule

[Steve Miller]

Believe it or not, I try to keep crass self-promotion to a minimum in these forums... but the more I've thought about it, the more convinced I am that the psionics rules in my forthcoming book "Mind Over Matter" is more suitable to Ravenloft than any other system I've seen.

MoM psionics are more low-key than the comic-booky craziness in the core psionics system, and they slot into the general feats and skills system, making them easily added to characters without needing addtional classes and such.

The book slanted in a sci-fi/modern day direction, but the rules work spectacularly for the feel of Ravenloft, IMO. So, I'm plugging it.

There's an overview of the content at the start of a thread on my messageboard, and the cover art has been posted at the bottom of the thread. Take a look here: http://p075.ezboard.com/fstevemillersba ... D=23.topic

The book will be available at RPGNow. com in January.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Sounds great!

Any particular sources of inspiration? The Dead Zone, for example?

[Steve Miller]

Sounds great!

Any particular sources of inspiration? The Dead Zone, for example?

The Dead Zone, The Fury, The Rowan (and the sequels), Robert E. Howard's "King Kull" stories, Tomb of Dracula, the Devil Rides Out, "non-fiction" books on psychic powers and abilities, weirdos appearing on Coast-to-Coast AM... a whole host of things.

There wasn't really a single source of inspiration. The starting point was more of a "what's wrong with psionics in the d20 System?" The combo of a couple of setting ideas and the release of "d20 Futures" (which MoM was to coincide with, but no plan survives contact with the enemy) caused the product to have a sci-fi bent. But it's written to work both with general d20 as well as the d20 Modern stuff.

(Oh, and if anyone were readers of SJG's 'd20 Weekly,' you've seen many of the rules before.)

[nothri]

I've yearned for a system to adapt a Dark Matter game to for years. D20 Modern solved most of my problems, but the FX rules were a total disappointment (really, the rigid level based system they present seems almost a contradiction when compared to the versatile way they made the base character classes available/adaptable to nearly any concept). As such I've been toying with a way to make the small amount of FX present in the campaign as available as it was in Alternity, with varying levels of success. Do you think your book would be helpful?

[Steve Miller]

The snake-oil salesman in me wants to say, "Sure! MoM will also make your breath fresh and lower the Carbs in the snacks at the gaming table!"

In honesty, I can't say whether the system will help you with an Alternity adaptation. I don't remember enough about the ALT system... sorry.

I do think that the system is about as flexibile as it can possibly be. Psionic ability is not tied to levels or classes, per se. You take a feat or two to gain the psionic abilities, then you put points into skills to use them effectively.

Naturally, higher level characters are going to be better at psionics than lower level characters... but it comes back to how the feats and skill ranks are allocated.

[Steve Miller]

I've posted a couple of illos from "Mind Over Matter" on my messageboard, here: http://p075.ezboard.com/fstevemillersba ... D=25.topic

I hope you consider getting the book when it's released in two weeks. I sincerely do think that it's far more suitable for Ravenloft than what I've seen out there. (I also think the alternative character advancement system that's in MoM's appendix is better for the sort of character-driven nature of well-run Ravenloft games.

[Merilee Markuza]

Psionics has always interested me, and a new view of the whole system makes this doubly attractive, so I will almost certainly buy this from RPGNow to add to my collection.

[Steve Miller]

"Mind Over Matter" is available for purchase now! Yay! (I've been waiting a long time for this.)

Get MoM at IDA's RPGNow.com store!

Like I said up-thread, I think the rules in the book are more suitable for Ravenlof, despite the sci-fi trappings of the product. (Psionics ends up being a bit underpowered next to magic... but if Ravenloft is run the way I think it should be, the"imbalance" will not be felt, as the ability to things up is not necessarily the end-all.)

If you get a copy, please let me know what you think, good or bad.

[Steve Miller]

I started the thread by saying I feel "Mind Over Matter" is far better suited for Ravenloft than the standard d20 System psionics rules. Now, there's a review at ENWorld that backs me up, here.

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[Jester of the FoS]

Will this ever be in stores or is it strictly a e-book?

[Steve Miller]

Will this ever be in stores or is it strictly a e-book?

It may soon be available as a Print on Demand book, but RPGNow will be the exclusive outlet for the forseeable future. (So, MoM will remain primarily an ebook as well.)

[The Nightmare Man]

I started the thread by saying I feel "Mind Over Matter" is far better suited for Ravenloft than the standard d20 System psionics rules. Now, there's a review at ENWorld that backs me up, here.

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Anyone from here have a copy of Steve's interesting work yet? I'm eager to hear about the possible combinations with existing RL material...

[Steve Miller]

Anyone from here have a copy of Steve's interesting work yet? I'm eager to hear about the possible combinations with existing RL material...

It's interesting to me to learn if no one on these boards is interested in the book. I had assumed that some of you folks were to thank for the strong sales so far, and I had likewise figured that many of you were as unhappy with the standard psionics rules for D&D as I was, particularly when it comes to Ravenloft.

I may well have been wrong on both counts!

[Joël of the FoS]

I have a copy and I am trying to fight the real life dragon to have time reading it

[The Nightmare Man]

Anyone from here have a copy of Steve's interesting work yet? I'm eager to hear about the possible combinations with existing RL material...

It's interesting to me to learn if no one on these boards is interested in the book. I had assumed that some of you folks were to thank for the strong sales so far, and I had likewise figured that many of you were as unhappy with the standard psionics rules for D&D as I was, particularly when it comes to Ravenloft.

I may well have been wrong on both counts!

Make no mistake, I fully intend to purchase your work. I've been sorely disappointed with the application of the revised D&D psionics to RL, and I have been looking for an alternative since May 2004. I was simply curious as to what early thoughts about the tome were...