Psionics & OCCs

[Yendor]

I run a setting that is a mix of BtS, N&SS and HU2, and was thinking. One player wants psionics, beyond the minor/major you find in Rifts, along the line of Master Psionics. I was thinking of allowing, but deducting one skill program to have that many powers. Sound reasonable?

[Sentinel]

I run a setting that is a mix of BtS, N&SS and HU2, and was thinking. One player wants psionics, beyond the minor/major you find in Rifts, along the line of Master Psionics. I was thinking of allowing, but deducting one skill program to have that many powers. Sound reasonable?

Why not just use a PCC from BtS?

[Nekira Sudacne]

bah, if you want a psychic martial artist in N&SS, just use the Oni Ninja

[Glistam]

What's wrong with the Psionic classes listed in the HU2 book?

[Yendor]

Nothing is wrong with the Psychic classes in HU2, I just want to intergrate psionics with the O.C.C.s of N&SS.

[Glistam]

Then why not follow the guide in the back of the N&SS book that says how to give a psionic character from HU2 a martial art? The psionic class hasn't changed so much that it'd be much of an outdated rule.

[Sentinel]

The Psychics from HU now have access to Super-Psionics which were not a part of HU Revised when those guidelines were written.

Really, I think the best possible route to go would be to roll up a BtS Psychic and allow them access to martial arts forms from N&SS.

[Yendor]

Ok, what I want to do is let them have the N&SS O.C.C., education, Martial Art, etc., but also have access to Psionics (basically, they're Psychic, but their education is the N&SS O.C.C.).

Now, since some psychic classes are very powerful, what I am looking for advice on is if they take the abilities of a powerful psychic class (say, mind melter for example), should I knock off one skill program to make it "fair" that they have such powerful psychic ability?

[Glistam]

Ok, what I want to do is let them have the N&SS O.C.C., education, Martial Art, etc., but also have access to Psionics (basically, they're Psychic, but their education is the N&SS O.C.C.).

Now, since some psychic classes are very powerful, what I am looking for advice on is if they take the abilities of a powerful psychic class (say, mind melter for example), should I knock off one skill program to make it "fair" that they have such powerful psychic ability?

The fair thing to do would be to have them have minor or major psionics (as presented in the RMB) and not be a master psionic. Master psychics do not get many skills at all because of their devotion to learning their abilities. Even major psionics suffer bonus penalties to their skills. So I would say you cannot do this combo in the way you suggest.

[Guest]

See O.C.C.s for several psychic versions of N&S classes.

[Sentinel]

Ok, what I want to do is let them have the N&SS O.C.C., education, Martial Art, etc., but also have access to Psionics (basically, they're Psychic, but their education is the N&SS O.C.C.).

Now, since some psychic classes are very powerful, what I am looking for advice on is if they take the abilities of a powerful psychic class (say, mind melter for example), should I knock off one skill program to make it "fair" that they have such powerful psychic ability?

I would suggest either restricting Psychic characters to HtH Aikido/Jujutsu/Karate/Kendo/Judo, etc from Rifts Japan. That will keep their power leel from escalating out of control. And, a Kendo stylist can still have his Psi-Sword, or whatever.

When assigning skills, allow the players to select N&SS Skill Programs, but the number of programs available would still be determined by their PCC from BtS. I do this with HUII, and it works very well.

[Yendor]

Kuseru Satsujin, I saw the Psychic Martial Artist O.C.C.s you made, didn't like them (no offense).

Sentinel, your idea so far is the best by far, but still not the advice/insight I was looking for. I'll come up with something and muddle through it. Thanks.

[Sentinel]

Sentinel, your idea so far is the best by far, but still not the advice/insight I was looking for.

My perspective is to allow you the ability to add psychic characters and powers, without over-powering and over-balancing your campaign.
A DMA or a WMA with major psychic abilities and martial arts powers, could be a bit much.

Just didn't want to give your players a license to munchkin.

[Guest]

Considering that Master (not Major) Psionics lose half their Other/OCC Related skills and all OCC skill bonuses are reduced by half, charging PCs one measely skill program to become a Major Psionic would be extremely unbalancing. At best they majority of N&S OCCs would lose all but one skill program, and many OCCs, such as the DMA & WMA wouldn't be able to develop major psionic abilities at all (all their time is spent mastering their martial arts, leaving little time for the development of psionic powers), or, if they were allowed, only at the cost of losing half of their martial art styles.

[Yendor]

I always felt that the Major psychic suffers such a huge whack to skills/abilities was a crock rule (like mages in RUE and armor), so at most, I just had them suffer half bonuses to all skills. Sure, you know as much as the next guy, but the next guy is better at it than you are, since he didn't have to juggle psionics & education.

As for a WMA/DMA knowing psionics, at most, I allow a PCC from BtS or the 2 from HU2.

[Guest]

I always felt that the Major psychic suffers such a huge whack to skills/abilities was a crock rule (like mages in RUE and armor), so at most, I just had them suffer half bonuses to all skills. Sure, you know as much as the next guy, but the next guy is better at it than you are, since he didn't have to juggle psionics & education.

That seems really odd, since the justification for doing so (they have to spend time developing their psionic abilities), unlike the mage & armor rule, DOES make sense. If they're spending time developing psionic abilities, that's less time that they have to be learning skills.

[Sentinel]

In terms of keeping power levels in somewhat of a balance, I've had good success with the HtH styles.
It enables characters with combat skill beyond the generic HtH:Martial Arts to have more extensive combat abilities without having Martial Arts powers and special abilities. Thus, a mutant or a psychic can have HtH Karate and whatever powers they may possess, without being over-loaded with Tamashiwara or Zanshin, or whatever. This cuts down on bonus whoring.

On a case-by-case basis, I might allow a character who is a mage or a psychic to take an N&SS style provided it fits the character concept.

[Sentinel]

Of course, you limit players access to exclusive martial arts. Just don't let them have them. Gotta balance things out somehow.

In my early years, I allowed a Parapsychologist to have Aikido, with no skill cost.
It actually worked out well.

[Yendor]

I go case by case basis really, but wanted some input on the situation If the player is trying to "bonus whore", I nix it, but if they have a good character concept, I tend to be flexible.

[Guest]

Of course, you limit players access to exclusive martial arts. Just don't let them have them. Gotta balance things out somehow.

In my early years, I allowed a Parapsychologist to have Aikido, with no skill cost.
It actually worked out well.

That's because Aikido really shouldn't be exclusive.

[Library Ogre]

I always felt that the Major psychic suffers such a huge whack to skills/abilities was a crock rule (like mages in RUE and armor), so at most, I just had them suffer half bonuses to all skills. Sure, you know as much as the next guy, but the next guy is better at it than you are, since he didn't have to juggle psionics & education.

Personally, I dislike the freebie minor psionics almost as much as I do the huge chunk that a major psychic takes (for real fun, pull out your RMB, and compare a Major Psychic Rogue Scholar, who loses 8 skills, and a Major Psychic Vagabond, who loses 4... and gets them back at the next level).

That's why I moved all non-OCC psychic powers to a skills-cost system. Anyone can be psychic, without dice rolls... but it's going to cost them some skills.

[Guest]

Of course, you limit players access to exclusive martial arts. Just don't let them have them. Gotta balance things out somehow.

In my early years, I allowed a Parapsychologist to have Aikido, with no skill cost.
It actually worked out well.

That's because Aikido really shouldn't be exclusive.

Yeah, that's a hard one. Aikido has lot's of chi abilities... which are pretty awesome. It also has auto flip/throw, and a bunch of other cool stuff. I have to say they addressed the good against defense from multiple attackers very well in a theatrical setting. Now if I could just scrub the image of Steven Segal from my mind.

There's nothing hard about it. Aikido only has above average combat bonuses and martial art powers, being below average in other areas, so it shouldn't be exclusive.

[Sentinel]

Although, one could go hog wild with Chi abilities, particularly combinations like Body Chi, Dragon Chi, and Hardened Chi.

That was not a situation I had to contend with, but I had my eye out for possible abuses.