PSIONICS

Psionics is one of the most under-used and unappreciated options available in the AD&D system. With the exception of the Dark Sun setting, little or no official material has been produced to explore the many possibilities psionics present in a fantasy setting. Perhaps because of this, many DMs and players don't even look at psionics when making characters or building a new campaign. This is unfortunate, especially given the almost universal search for new material for DMs to use. But many DMs refuse to consider psionics at all, cutting themselves off from a fantastic resource. This article is written to present new ideas and options for psionics, to show some ways in which they can be adapted to a traditional, non Dark Sun game.
One of the most common objections to psionics is that they are not appropriate to fantasy games. There seems to be a common belief that psionics are more in keeping with science fiction games and do not belong in a fantasy setting. But even if a DM cannot see any point to having mental powers in any form within his games, it is possible to adapt the rules for psionics to make them nothing more than a different style of magic.

The New Magic
Many fantasy settings in both games and literature present the idea of different forms of magic often taught in separate schools or common in different lands. If a DM wants to add a new and different form of magic, it is possible to adopt the rules and powers of psionics and make them a new magic. In this case, psionic powers would be magical and would be affected by such spells as detect magic and anti-magic shell, just as normal magic is.
To give a more fantasy feel to this new form of magic, all existing terminology should be changed. If the DM has traditional magic users being called "mages" or "wizards," perhaps this new class of magic user could be called a "sorcerer." Then instead of psionics, you would have the powers of sorcery. Although functionally the same as psionics, sorcery sounds like a more traditional fantasy magic.
Sorcerers would follow the rules for psionicists when determining THAC0, saving throws, weapons and armor allowed, experience points per level, hit dice, and proficiency progression. Since sorcerers are actually a type of wizard, it would be best to give them the same magic item usage and nonweapon proficiency choices wizards have.

Since psionics are broken into disciplines, sciences, and devotions, you will need to keep the rules for using these divisions. However, you will need new terms for them that are more in keeping with the traditional fantasy sound of sorcery. Since traditional wizard spells are broken into schools, sorcery could be broken into six colleges, each replacing one psionic discipline.
For example, sorcery might contain the college of Thought, which replaces the psionic discipline of Telepathy. Similarly, the college of Matter replaces Psychokinesis, Body replaces Psychometabolism, Movement replaces Psychoportation, Perception replaces Clairsentience, and High Sorcery replaces Metapsionics. Although these 6 sorcerous colleges contain the same powers as the psionic disciplines they replace, they now sound more like standard fantasy magic, making them more appropriate for a traditional AD&D game.
Similarly, rather than calling the abilities in each college psionic powers (broken into sciences and devotions), the powers of colleges of sorcery could be called spells or hexes (major hexes for sciences, minor hexes for devotions). A DM could even limit a sorcerer's selection of hexes in the same way a wizard is limited in his selection of spells. Rather than automatically granting a sorcerer new hexes when he gains a level, the DM could limit him to those hexes he researches or finds in the scrolls of enemy sorcerers.
With these minor changes, a DM now has access to a brand new class of wizard. Although sorcerers lack the world shaking spells of mages and cannot always depend on their powers, they have improved martial skills, higher hit points, and are able to use the same magical powers many times in a row. Although they follow the same rules as psionicists, sorcerers seem more appropriate for a fantasy game.
A good thesaurus will allow a DM to come up with his own terminology for a new, magic using class if he doesn't like the idea of sorcerers. Psionicists could just as easily be warlocks, witches, theurgists, thaumaturges, egomancers, mentalists, magisters, magicians, or prestidigitators.
The Power Within
Another option when considering psionics is to keep the firm separation between psionics and magic, but change only the terminology. Not only does "psionic" sound futuristic, but also the terms "psionicist," "sciences," and "psionic strength points" all seem more in keeping with a science fiction setting.
Many fantasy settings have powers that seem very much like psionics, but are called something else. From heroic individuals born with a few special talents, to eastern wise men who have mastered the arts of meditation and mind over body, examples of possible templates for psionicists are commonplace. Again, the problem lies in interpretation and terminology.
When using psionics for wise men who have harnessed the powers of the mind, only a little work is required to achieve the correct feel. Changing the term psionics to mysticism is a good start. "Mystic" can easily describe a power that is not standard magic, but not simple science or skill. Naturally, psionicists now become mystics, and wild talents are said to be a "mystic gift." Instead of psionic strength points, mystic powers can be powered by "chi."
Mysticism should be broken into the same six categories as psionics, but again, new terms are needed for a fantasy feel. The wise mystics could study the Philosophies of Self (psychometabolism), Truth (clairsentience), Force (psychokinesis), Mind (telepathy), Space (psychoportation) and Void (metapsionics). The abilities mystics gain could be referred to as Secrets (devotions) and Mysteries (sciences).
In seeking a specific type of eastern, mystic martial-arts character, the powers of psychometabolism are very useful. Such powers as animal affinity, graft weapon, and body weaponry work especially well if the description is modified so no actual, physical change takes place in a character using them. Rather than actually transform into a creature with tiger claws, the mystic martial artist uses animal affinity to fight in the manner of a tiger.

Game balance
The second most common objection to using psionics in a campaign is the belief that psionic powers are unbalanced and too powerful. DMs who have had a powerful villain defeated by a single psionicist using death field or ultrablast, often decide never to allow such powers in their games again.
There are several possible solutions to such problems. The first is to make sure all rules on power prerequisites and selections outside the psionicist's primary discipline are followed. Some players try to create characters that are not legal under the psionicist rules, either out of ignorance or in the hopes their DM won't check these rules. Also, read the description of any psionic power a PC tries to use in a way that seems unreasonable to you. Many of these powers have considerable limitations built into them that a PC might not have read or might not mention. Several psionic abuses can be avoided with strict adherence to these rules.
Secondly, if the DM decides to make psionics a type of magic as outlined in the suggestions for sorcery above, remember that all defensive spells and items which protect against magic will also protect against this new type of magic. Magic resistance alone will save many villains from "sorcerous" psionic powers. This may be one of the strongest arguments in favor of using psionics as just another kind of magic.
Third, a DM may consider banning some psionic powers without ruling out all psionics. Few DMs allow every spell a PC can find some official reference for, and the same caution should be used when adding psionics to a game. Powers from Dragon Kings and The Will and the Way especially should be carefully examined before being added to a non-Dark Sun game. A few minutes of scanning all the psionic powers can save a DM a great deal of trouble later on in his game.
Fourth, in any campaign where one class is considered too powerful, it might be advisable to create a group dedicated to watching members of that class and keeping them in check. Psionicists are likely to attract such attention, and it is easy to see how a group of dedicated wizards, priests, or even paladins may band together to keep an eye on such people. Whether this group is a fanatical cult of witch-hunters sworn to destroying psionicists or an academe of scholars studying them, the existence of such an organization will help control psionic characters.
Finally, if the DM has decided to keep psionics as a power separate from magic and unaffected by spells designed for magic, it is important to create new anti-psionic spells. If psionics is a common power, it is only reasonable to assume that wizards will have developed spells specifically designed to protect them from psionicists. Especially in campaigns where witch-hunters seek to kill all psionicists, it should be assumed they are well armed with spells to help them.
The following spells are designed to help mages balance the power of psionicists. The availability of these spells is up to the DM, but they can easily be passed out to major villains, helping to protect them from PC psionicists.