D&D 3E/3.5 [PsiHB]What house rules do you use for making Psionic Wild Talents in 3E?

[Tome]

I am in the process of making a 3E version of the 2E Psionic Wild Talent for my game, but wanted to know what everyone else is doing about this. Obviously applying the psionic template to a character would be way too powerful, and for some characters taking a level of Psion is not a viable option due to favored class requirements.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

-TOME

 

[Wolf72]

did you come to the right place!

Angelsboi and Jarval originally did Wild talents (this version), I helped later on, then Jarval had a final add-on.

Wild Talent (General) (by Angelsboi & Jarval)
You have a minor psionic ability.

Benefit: You may choose one of the listed pairings of talents. You have one free Manifestation a day (total, not one for each talent).

Power Pairings:
Biocombatant (Lesser Natural Armor, Talons) (Str)
Clairvoyant (Inkling, Know Direction) (Wis)
Gato (Burst, Catfall) (Dex)
Luminesent (Control Shadow, My Light) (Int)
Mind Drifter (Daze, Distract) (Cha)
Psychocreative (Bolt, Trinket) (Int)
Telekinetic (Far Hand, Far Punch) (Con)
Telepathic (Missive, Telempathic Projection) (Cha)

Special: you are still considered to have a non-psionic buffer as long as you do not possess a level in a psi class or have the psi template. You may not take psionic feats unless you have at least one level in a psionic class.

Improved Wild Talent (General) (by Jarval & Wolf72)
You have practiced your psionic wild talents to such an extent that you can use them more often.

Prerequisite: Wild Talent, 3rd level, 13 in key ability score.

Benefit: You have a 1 + key ability score modifer free manefestations a day for your wild talent.

Greater Wild Talent (General) (by Jarval)
You have greater innate ability than most Wild Talents.

Prerequisites: Wild Talent, Improved Wild Talent, 7th level.

Benefit: The Greater Wild Talent feat allows you to choose a further power pairing from the Wild Talent list. However, you get no additional free manefestations.
Note: You are not considered a true psionic character with this feat. You are still a closed mind, and you may not take psionic feats.

Special: You can take this feat multiple times, each time gaining a further power pairing. Save DC’s are still based on the ability tied to the talent pairing.


you may not be psionic for purposes of feats or psi-attacks, but if you use ferroplasm, I'd allow a char with wild talent to use it.

 

[Psion]

Obviously applying the psionic template to a character would be way too powerful, and for some characters taking a level of Psion is not a viable option due to favored class requirements.

I would agree (even with Bruce Cordell's variant) that the psionic template would probably have an ECL that would make it somewhat uncomfortable for PC use.

That said, the central mechanic for adding capabilities such as this to characters is the class mechanic. I would simply say if you are a wild talent, take a level in psionic. For humans, the class level shouldn't matter. Other races may require you to stretch a little. Perhaps make a feat:

Wild Talent
Benefit: You have psion as a favored class in addition to any other favored classes you may have.
Special: If you ever gain a 2nd level in psion, you immediately lose this feat. You gain a free feat in its stead.

 

[Tome]

I like the direction that thisgs are going for this question, but get the distinct impression that I am not as generous as either Psion or Wolf72. That being said, here is what I have come up with:

Feat

Latent Talent (Psionic)
Requirements:
 A wild talent can only select the Latent Talent feat at first level or after being worked upon by a psychic character with the ability to perform Psychic Surgery (DC25+1/level of the character trying to get the latent talent awoken). Awakening a Latent Talent can only be attempted once each character level.
 The character’s primary attribute must be 16 or above.

Benefits: Once awoken, a Latent Talent grants the character 1 power point and 1 psychic talent (0 level power). The power that the player receives is chosen randomly from the Psion power list based upon the player’s primary attribute. For example, a player with a 15 STR, 12 DEX, 17 CON, and a19 WIS would be granted Clarsentient talent while a character with a 19 DEX would be granted a Psychoportion talent. If the character’s highest score is in more than one attribute, then his talent is randomly selected from a pool of both associated psychic disciplines.

The Wild Talent has 1 PP to use his talent once per day. After his PP is expended he must rest for 8 hours before he can regain it.

 Wild Talents gain no access to psionic attack or defense modes.
 Wild Talents gain no additional PP for level advancement or for high ability scores.
 Wild Talents gain no other features of either of the psionic character classes unless noted.

Special:
 The Latent Talent feat may be taken multiple times without the intervention of a psychic surgeon after the character’s initial psychic potential is awoken.
 As a psychic creature, the Wild Talent may take any Psionic or Meta-Psionic feat that she qualifies for, but gains no access to psionic skills since she has not had any formal training.
 Wild Talents are more sensitive to the psychic impressions around them, and as such lose part of the +8 non-psionic buffer protecting them from psychic attacks. Every time a Wild Talent takes any Psionic or Meta-Psionic feat (Including Latent Talent and Latent Power) she receives a –2 penalty (Max –8) to saving throws against psionic attack modes.



Latent Power (Psionic)
Requirements: Feat – Any 2 Psionic or Meta-Psionic Class – The character cannot have any levels of Psion or Psychic Warrior.

Benefits: Through willpower and determination your character has been able to push his psychic powers further than others of similar experience. Your character receives an additional 2 PP and 1 1st level power randomly selected from the discipline associated with her primary attribute.

Special: Wild Talents taking this feat gain access to one Psionic skill as a class skill.


c. 2002 Tom Elmer

 

[Wolf72]

we putzed arouund with PP for a few days and just decided it was to much hastle.

that's why we went straight with one use per day (8hours rest), then with improved it became 1+ key ability mod

Bringing in PowerPoints opened up a whole new can of worms that we didn't feel like dealing with at all.

 

[RaZZer99]

Adding a single level of Psion or Psychic Warrior might prove more hazardous than its worth. With a single level you would be opening yourself up to psionic combat with out the PP to protect you.

Making a feat that grants you a a single talent used once per day like you gusy did seems the easiest. I even have feats for magic as well called minor wizardry, minor sorcery, and minor divine blessing that do the same thing.

 

[Avatar of the North]

there is a template in the Psihandbook to make creatures psionic? Why not just use that with an ECL tagged on to it?

for those that don't have the Psionic Handbook or don't read the SRD here it is

Psionic Creature Template

“Psionic” is a template that can be added to any creature that does not already possess a psionic template (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”).

A psionic creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Special Attacks: A psionic creature retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following, according to the base creature’s Hit Dice.
Psionic Powers (Sp): A psionic creature possesses the indicated number of psionic powers, which it can manifest at will. The power’s level can be no more than the creature’s Hit Dice + 2. Psionic creatures freely manifest their powers but do not need a minimum score in the key ability for a given discipline. They otherwise follow the standard rules for manifesting.

Psionic Attack/Defense Modes (Sp): A psionic creature possesses the indicated number of attack and defense modes from the five of each available. The creature does not pay power points to activate a psionic attack or defense mode but freely manifests it. Psionic creatures otherwise follow all the rules for psionic combat.

Power Resistance (Ex): A psionic creature may have power resistance (PR) as noted for its HD. Power resistance and spell resistance are equally effective against both magic and psionics.

Special Qualities: A psionic creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains telepathy.

Telepathy (Su): The creature can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.

Saves: Same as the base creature.
Abilities: Same as the base creature.
Skills: Same as the base creature.
Feats: Same as the base creature.

Climate/Terrain: Same as the base creature.
Organization: Same as the base creature.
Challenge Rating:
Up to 3 HD, as base creature +1.
4–7 HD, as base creature +2.
8–15 HD, as base creature +3.
16+ HD, as base creature +4.

Treasure: Same as the base creature.
Alignment: Same as the base creature.
Advancement: Same as the base creature.

Special Note: Creatures with more than one head, such as a hydra, usually possess the psionic powers of just one creature, not many.

Table: The Psionic Template

Hit Psionic Attack Defense Power
Dice Powers* Modes** Modes** Resistance††
---- ------- ------- ------- ------------
1–3 1 1† 1 —
4–7 3 2† 2 —
8–12 6 3† 3 —
13–15 9 4† All 15
16+ 13 All All 25

*?Unique psionic creatures (such as those described in the Monster Manual) possess the number of powers noted in their entry when it differs from this value. Unique psionic creatures may also ignore normal restrictions to a known power’s level (see below).
**?Psionic creatures in the Monster Manual do gain psionic attack and defense modes as noted here, even though their entry does not mention these.
†?Creatures of less than 15 HD never have mind blast unless they are mind flayer kin.
††?Psionic creatures in the Monster Manual have power resistance (PR) equal to their spell resistance (SR), if any. Those without spell resistance never gain power resistance, even if they have 13 or more Hit Dice.

 

[Tome]

Avatar of the North,

I appreciate your advocacy of the psionic template, but many people (including myself) belive that the psionic template is simply too powerful for a PC character. Furthermore, with an enhanced ECL for the player comes the fact that she does not have enough of the skills that she needs in her actual class to be considered a full fleged party member. Certainly a 3rd level theif with the psi template (+2 ECL = 5) has extra powers, but those powers don't necessarily make her better at moving silently or opening locks.

The psi template offers resistances and strong powers that will give the character an advantage over even a psionic character with several levels invested in his class which leads to party disharmony.

In my mind, a Psionic Wild Talent is just that, a Wild Talent. She is a person who, through a quirk of nature, has the ability to slightly manipulate the world around her in a way in which most people cannot. An example of this would be Comander Odama from Battlestar Galacta. This character was a full military commander all his adult life and hid the latent telekinesis powers that he had. He could move pencils and small objects with great mental effort.

A Wild Talent should have minor access to a small power but none of the resistances or bonuses (or penalties) that a psionic character with years of training and education can have. That's why my feat does not give access to learned skills.

This is provng to be a very interesting conversation.

Thank you all for the input. Keep it coming!

-Tome

 

[Wolf72]

recaps, pros, cons

gaining pp/or taking one lvl in a psi class: con because the character becomes psionic and thus vulnerable to psionic attk. an 8th lvl character with one lvl in a psi-class will be totally hosed against a mindflayer or any other decent psi-creature.

template: con, way to powerful for a PC/NPC.

feat: con, to easy to get. pro, simple and easy to implement ... most are fairly weak and hopefully not unbalancing.

from what you describe of Commander Odama (loved Battlestar), I think he'd have a feat more like the examples I posted earlier. IIRC he also had some fairly strong telepathic abilities in an episode.

 

[GuardianLurker]

Wild Talent Feats

While characters who begin play as a psionic character are considered to have been psionic from birth, with full manifestation during puberty, those who multi-class into a psionic class later in their career are considered to have manifested a "wild talent" and sought further training.

Any character may acquire any of these "wild talents" at any time. Once the psionic talent has manifested, a character may acquire other psionic feats besides these. However, without the advanced training represented by the psionic classes, the only way to acquire power points is through the use of the Inner Strength feat, and psionic powers can only be acquired through the Talented feat, limiting "Wild Talents" to Zero-level powers. Characters without psionic training (as a psion or psychic warrior) can never acquire any metapsionic or psionic item creation feat.

Inner Strength
Psychoanalyst
Rapid Metabolism
Talented

Special Rules for Talented
Benefit :
You can manifest 3 more 0-level powers for free per day than normal.
If this is chosen as a wild talent, until the character receives psionic training, this feat only allows him to manifest two powers, and each power costs 1 power point to manifest, and manifests as if cast by a 1st-level character. Further, the powers chosen must be one of the following :
Bolt, Burst, Catfall, Control Shadow, Daze, Detect Psionics, Distract, Elfsight, Far Punch, Float, Know Direction, Talons, or Verve.
Once the character receives psionic training, he gains the full benefit of this feat (as described in the PsiHB), and the chosen powers become his initial 0-level powers for his class.