Question For AD&D Fans

[ShiningIce]

Wizards or Pscionicists?? Personally I prefer Pscionics to magic.

 

[Flatfoot]

You present a tough choice. I couldn't really decide between those two, except for the fact that most DMs I've played with hate Psionics, because they don't know enough about them. I've read the Psionicists Handbook (2nd edition, not 3rd edition.), and the way psionics are supposed to be played is a little different and bassackwards from the other classes. I can't remember the way psionic dice rolls were made, but I remember something about all devotions were done with an ability score check, but unlike any other check, it was NOT a critical success if you rolled a 1, but it was actually better if you rolled your exact ability score for the check. I've always wanted to try playing a psionicist, but I've never really understood how one should be played. All the other classes have some sort of image you can use as a reference as to how a character should act, but there's no archetypical (That is a word, right?) psionicist.

As far as which is the better class,well, that depends on the scenario. I think psionicists benefit more if you travelled out of the Prime Material plane. Wizard spells get all jacked-up once you're in the Inner/Outer planes, but I haven't found anything in Planescape that affects Psionicists. Since psionics comes from within, I don't see how the planes would affect it. Let's say you were in Ravenloft, on the other hand. Ravenloft still has some altered wizard spells, but I think psionicists have a higher potential for misery in the demiplane of dread, especially when there's a roll of 20 on a devotion check. The horror characters are supposed to experience in Ravenloft can screw up their minds permanently (if roleplayed correctly!). A psionicist's mind can suddenly become his worst enemy.

Personally, I've come to prefer warriors and rogues, because I like high dexterity and weapon masteries (A character becomes quite dangerous when you put every weapon proficiency he has into one weapon! Damn 3rd edition for changing the system from proficiencies to skills and feats! Grrrr! Oh well. I guess it had to be done, because combat was WAY too easy in 2nd edition.), and those character classes have a very wide range of archetypes to fit. Most wizards are just mysterious, clandestine, annoying, or a combination of the three.

Well, getting back to the subject at hand, I think I like wizards more, but not at early levels. A level 1 wizard is virtually worthless, unless he's got a helluva lotta charisma under his belt, because he's probably gonna have to talk his way out of a lot of combat (Keep in mind, there's a lot more to AD&D than HACK-AND-SLASH!). Overall, I think straight wizards are best left to the DM as NPCs. Wow, I've been rambling for a while, now! Getting me started on AD&D is a dangerous thing to do!

 

[tkrexx]

I HATE Psionics! Many DM's (as Flatfoot mentioned) refused to include them...I always did if someone whined enough, but they're such a pain in the ass! They slow down an already snail's pace, generally aggrivate a DM, and cause other players to feel as though they're not getting equal time (when in fact they're not).

The Idea is cool, and honestly, I'm glad they were included in the game. But gimme a good, ol' fashioned Illusionist or wayward Druid any day.

Rxx

 

[Knightshade]

Personally I never cared very much for them myself, I almost always play as a Ranger. Do you know what these guys are capable of?!?

 

[Shem the Penman]

I've seen arguments that the 3E ranger class is seriously underpowered, but I do enjoy playing 'em once in a while.

My feelings about psionics? Unless the game world specifically has a role for psionics -- as with Dark Sun, for instance -- they tend to fit awkwardly in with a more traditional adventuring party. It's like dropping Luke Skywalker into the middle of The Lord of the Rings, to use pop-cultural references.

Psionics can also get ridiculously overpowered (I'm basing this on my knowledge of 2E psionics, as I haven't read the 3E book), as few normal opponents have much in the way of psionic defenses, and psionics can be used over much longer ranges than magic. The only solution is to throw lots of psionic monsters and opponents at the party, which is hard if psionics aren't common in the game world and which can be dull for the other players.

 

[arion30]

well good dms also put other limits on psionics like having made eye contact, mental strain of keeping other minds out while in a crwod etc.
Btw as an FYI, the new Neverwinter nights comp out on the 18 game is supposed to allow you to have regular paer-style DD session over the net. might bew worth checking into

 

[MadKalnod]

I don't know much about the AD&D rules for Psionics, but I tried to run a campaign of Dark*Matter in the Alternity rules system, which contributed some concepts to the new D20 system.

Dark*Matter is a setting similar to the X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in that it presents the paranormal as real even if the vast majority of humanity never knows about it. It allows for Psionics, Arcane Magic, and Faith Magic to coexist side by side, even if you can't have all three in the same character. Each has their own specific character class: The Mindwalker, the Arcanist, and the Believer, respectively. These three may multi-class, as you can choose one of the other four basic character classes (Combat Spec, Diplomat, Free Agent, or Tech Op) as a secondary class, but you couldn't have a Mindwalker/Arcanist. An Arcanist, for example, could pick one scool of magic as a "Broad Skill" and then purchase the individual spells as specializations of that skill. I.E., an Arcanist with the Diabolism skill can cast fireballs and summon demons, but he can't fly or shapechange unless he has the Hermetecism skill, and that's usually prohibitively expensive. On the average, Psionic skills are a little cheaper than Magic skills.

The basic mechanics for all three are the same. To use an effect, you roll a D20, plus or minus any applicable modifier die (1d20+1d4, 1d20-1d6, etc.), and try to get as low as you can. Each time you use an effect you spend anywhere from 1-3 points from your Psionics or FX Pool. When that reaches 0, you have to wait for it to build back up, usually at a rate of 1 point per day unless otherwise specified.

The fact that they all work so similarly caused me to propose a theory to the online Dark*Matter community, which seemd to be well received. All three disciplines manipulate Psycho-Kinetic Energy (PKE, as the Ghostbusters called it) to produce effects, the only difference is the source of the energy. Psionicists are drawing upon their own body's reserves of PKE, while Mages are tapping external sources of power. Arcanists harness the ambient PKE of their environment or from within material spell components; while Believers draw upon extradimensional sources, be they gods, demons, spirits, or Great Old Ones.

On the whole, I found that setup preferable to the wildly varying rules in D&D for Psionicists, Wizards, Clerics, and now Sorcerers. I agree with Shem that treating them as separate and incompatible is too complicated for its own good, and Psionics really ends up just there to weasel around anti-magic restrictions.

 

[Flatfoot]

I like the sound of the Dark*Matter explanations about the classes. For me, that pretty much explains in great depth how the classes are supposed to work. Also, under that explanation, one might argue that mages have a higher potential for power than psionicists, because psionicists can only have so much PKE within themselves, but mages manipulate a seemingly inexhaustible supply of PKE from their environment. One may FURTHER argue that priests have the highest potential for power, because their PKE is derived from deities. As far as 3rd edition goes, a friend of mine found some sort of charting system on the internet that weighs all the pros and cons of each class to show who truly is the most powerful class. According to this, monks have a drastically unfair advantage over the other classes, and sorceror is actually the weakest available class. I haven't seen this system, myself (whatever the hell it is.), but I know it's supposed to be a guide for DMs who wish to develop their own classes and prestige classes. I don't know if any of you have seen this, or know what I'm talking about.

 

[WallStreet]

I once played D&D for 12 straight hours. I was slain by an elf.