Homebrew Setting: Magipunk (brainstorming -- input needed)

[sirpercival]

Crap, I forgot Perform.  That's going in there as a standalone, I think.

EDIT: What do we think of combining Concentration and Autohypnosis?  What would the stat be?

[nijineko]

hmmmm, based on my familiarity with self-hypnosis, i would tend towards wis for a mental based concentration stat. also, tie in hypnotizing someone else into a perform check combined with the concentration check.

mentalist is a good catchall. i recall a book by cathy livoni (iirc) called element of time. i really liked how they handled psionics in that book. each general area of psionics was referred to as a "channel". not everyone had access to all channels. and control over a channel was not a given either. people with anger management issues wound up getting "channel-blocked" by a more powerful individual so that they could not harm others. so there was a power check and a skill check. the further away or more mass involved required a higher power check, while complex or delicate manipulations required a higher skill check.

oh, and thank you for adding psionics, btw.

[sirpercival]

OK, so I'm go with combining Concentration and Autohypnosis into something Wisdom-based.

I'm glad you like the idea!  I haven't touched it yet, though, because I'm not sure where to exactly go with it, mechanics-wise.  Will the fact that my idea of the Mentalist restricts it to Telepathy still satisfy your psionics craving?

[nijineko]

something psionic is always nice. ^^

the basic forms of psi are: telekinesis, empathy, telepathy, precognition, clairsensing (such as clairvoyance & clairaudience), psychometry, bio-feedback effects, & teleportation. astral projection and the like might simply be a variation of clairsensing, but it is possible for it to be a different effect all together.

i don't think i've missed any. all other forms of psi i can think of are likely extensions of something i've already mentioned.

but restricting psionics in your homebrew to whatever you like is your privilege.

[sirpercival]

Well, yes... I suppose that's true.  Lol.

I think actually that the Mentalist won't be just telepathy anyway.  Makes more sense with my concept to be Telepathy and Clairsentience (I'm talking XPH disciplines here... where do you group Empathy and Psychometry?  What is psychometry?).

Basically, I wanted to reduce overlap of abilities with the other classes.  Psykin will be able to do the kinetics, bio-feedback is essentially Morphling, and the Psychoportation stuff is kind of Dodger (though not exactly).  Does that make sense?

[nijineko]

to answer your question psychometry is viewing the past, also known as object reading. for some people they have to have an object, and while holding or touching it they start receiving various impressions or even visions relating to it. for others, they can simply stand in a location and start getting a similar effect.

empathy is sensing of emotions, while telepathy is sensing of thoughts - usually characterized with language, but not strictly needed. so generally it should be lumped in the same discipline as telepathy.

biofeedback is usually considered the healing aspect of the body, as well as the more esoteric control and alter.

some systems even have shapeshifting via psi using a combination of projective empathy, projective telepathy, astral projection, and teleportation.


generally speaking, they can be paired by some opposite characteristic.

empathy and telepathy
telekinesis and biofeedback
clairsensing and astral projection
precognition and psychometry
teleportation and (summoning)


however, others group them by function.

precognition, psychometry, clairsensing, astral projection
telekinesis, biofeedback, teleportation, (summoning)
empathy and telepathy.


incidentally, teleportation can be viewed as a kind of 'pushing', while (summoning) is teleportation that 'pulls' things to you instead of 'pushing' you somewhere. sometimes, astral projection is grouped with teleportation instead.

there are other possible groupings depending on just how the psi is supposed to function.

[sirpercival]

This is all extremely interesting, seriously.  But then what is empathy (in terms of d20 psionics)?

So, given what I said about overlap, which of these applies to the Mentalist?

[nijineko]

sorry, mid-edit. ^^ empathy should be lumped with telepathy.

also, any of the sensing types might work with mentalist.

[sirpercival]

Crap... now that I've seen the Xenoalchemist, what do I do with my idea for the Synthevolver?  Is it similar enough that I just replace the Synthevolver with Xenoalchemist?

Also, I have awesome ideas for Mentalist and Oracle Hacker, as well as a PrC that mixes OH with Holomancer and is AWESOME.

For Mentalist, have you ever read the World of Null-A (and the Players of Null-A) by A.E. Van Vogt?

[Garryl]

• Energy Warrior, Cyberneticist, Dreadnought -- Power of Cybernetics classes.  Ideas on reflavoring back to magic?

Call them spellmolders. While Psykins and other spellshapers take magic and give it temporary shape, it dissipates rapidly. Spellmolders hold that magic in its form over longer periods of time by forming spellmolds (modules), into which they pump magic (energy) as needed, giving it a solid and lasting form for as long as it is needed. The flow of magic must be heavily restricted to prevent it from breaking free and releasing, but skilled spellmolders can channel more magical energy into a mold at once without letting it shatter (energy capacity). Practiced spellmolders learn to shape their spellmolds directly around their bodies (socket attachments), giving them greater control over the magical energies used.

[Kajhera]

• Energy Warrior, Cyberneticist, Dreadnought -- Power of Cybernetics classes.  Ideas on reflavoring back to magic?

Call them spellmolders. While Psykins and other spellshapers take magic and give it temporary shape, it dissipates rapidly. Spellmolders hold that magic in its form over longer periods of time by forming spellmolds (modules), into which they pump magic (energy) as needed, giving it a solid and lasting form for as long as it is needed. The flow of magic must be heavily restricted to prevent it from breaking free and releasing, but skilled spellmolders can channel more magical energy into a mold at once without letting it shatter (energy capacity). Practiced spellmolders learn to shape their spellmolds directly around their bodies (socket attachments), giving them greater control over the magical energies used.

I'm going to have to reverse-adapt normal incarnum into science fiction sometime

[Nanshork]

Crap... now that I've seen the Xenoalchemist, what do I do with my idea for the Synthevolver?  Is it similar enough that I just replace the Synthevolver with Xenoalchemist?

I say it is different enough to do your own thing.  Your Synthevolver sounds like someone who grafts themselves to become better, to evolve into something synthetic.  (See what I did there?   )

The Xenoalchemist makes grafts for everybody and gets bonuses when cutting up "donors". 

I like where you're going with this, make your own class.  Maybe borrow a little if it seems appropriate.

[sirpercival]

Crap... now that I've seen the Xenoalchemist, what do I do with my idea for the Synthevolver?  Is it similar enough that I just replace the Synthevolver with Xenoalchemist?

I say it is different enough to do your own thing.  Your Synthevolver sounds like someone who grafts themselves to become better, to evolve into something synthetic.  (See what I did there?   )

The Xenoalchemist makes grafts for everybody and gets bonuses when cutting up "donors". 

I like where you're going with this, make your own class.  Maybe borrow a little if it seems appropriate.

Yes, I agree.  And that's exactly where the name Synthevolver came from. 

Plus, I just realized I forgot Heal as a skill, too... blergh.

[sirpercival]

OK, I have a subforum! Wheeee.... take a look at everything and give feedback!

[Nanshork]

I saw your index and was about to tell you that you should get a subforum before I realized that you had one already.   

Edit: You should also link to Garryl's classes in your index.

[sirpercival]

My plan is to repost the classes in this forum with reflavorings and update skills, pending G's permission.

[Nanshork]

My plan is to repost the classes in this forum with reflavorings and update skills, pending G's permission.

Ahh, fair enough.

[sirpercival]

Time for updates.

Morphling seems to be completely done; Crystal Mage is done pending updating spells to the setting, which I need to do for everyone else too.  Holomancer is done pending adding the Indigo Trickster invocations, which is next on the to-do list.  I could use more feedback on the Dodger, and any at all on the Mentalist.  DivHead is nearing completion; I expect it to need lots of tweaking, however.

After DivHead, I'm going to write the adaptation info for the PoC classes, and the Spellshaping classes.  I've decided to have the Spellshaping classes (whichever ones I port, probably 2 or 3) be more or less as-is like the PoC classes, with just some reflavoring.

I think I'm going to make the Psykin into what the Soulknife should have been.  Force-blades galore!  I'm still thinking about the mechanics for the Synthevolver; input would be appreciated.  Domeskipper & Magitechnician are a little further down the to-do list, but I'm burning through these pretty quickly so it shouldn't be too long.

  ))>~-~<((

I've also been thinking about PrCs.  I have a few in mind, but I'd love some input.  As you read these new classes, what kinds of PrCs occur to you? 

[sirpercival]

If anyone wants to contribute ideas for the locations, I'm all ears.  I have basic ideas but few specifics so far.

Also, what kind of information should go into a location writeup?

[nijineko]

If anyone wants to contribute ideas for the locations, I'm all ears.  I have basic ideas but few specifics so far.

Also, what kind of information should go into a location writeup?

location write ups.... there are three basic methods for doing those. dm only, player only, and mixed. dm only should have the significant features, any hidden definitely-there stuff, and a list of one sentence or so rumors and ideas for expansion and changing things up. player only would be mostly "public knowledge" and observable stuff.

mixed tends to be the same as player only, plus rumors and plot hook teasers.

another factor is how big the location in question is.


i think it would be quite interesting if you had a megalopolis setting, but instead of hard science tech, make it all biological. sort of like everyone are parasites living in this vast neuro-organic matrix / mega structure, one so big, they don't know where the end of it is.

just throwing random stuff out there.