New Feat

[lightsenshi]

I've been working on this feat and I'd like feedback, please.

PSIONICALLY RESISTANT
Restrictions: Must be taken at 1st level, can not be psionically active

The possessor of this feat in immune to all forms of psionic manipulation and is considered to have natural sheilding.

 

[Ellros]

Depends on what you mean by ALL forms? Does that mean the person cannot be lifted/moved by TK? or taken along on a teleport? I can see it meaning being immune to mental influence or attack though. All psionics is a bit much for just one feat to cover in my opinion.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Must concur with Ellros here, too much fer one feat to be done.

Psionic manipulation of the mind?( a non psion's mind)..and Shielding?
I can see a natural shielding-vs empathy/ telepathy/ probe etc...
But a Shield prevents looking in/ attacking directly...

as a feat, having natural shield I'm OK with...

But against all forms? Too Munchkinny soundin..

indirectly, psi invisibility is not... IMTU! (i have had my Pc with Shield fooled by Zho agents, and had to resort to use of a handmirror when I "heard" them coming near me.).

Being a natural "anti-psion-null" that would be a rare thing indeed. Rare as yaskodray, imho.

My .000000125Mcr worth,

 

[lightsenshi]

I agree that Psi shielding should be a feat (the T20 psi rules are a bit on the sloppy side).

I'm trying to create game mechanics for a background story. I'm using a sector on the far side of the Zhodani empire where a noble house threw off the reins of the Zhodani. They would have to not only have natural shielding, but would have to be able to shrug off most other forms of psionics. As I'm not overly familiar with Traveller psionics, I could definitely use some suggestions.

 

[valen]

Wouldn't it be better for the feat to provide a bonus to resisting Psionics. Maybe +4 to will saves vs. psionics effects.

 

[Cleon the Mad]

Originally posted by lightsenshi:
I agree that Psi shielding should be a feat (the T20 psi rules are a bit on the sloppy side).

I'm trying to create game mechanics for a background story. I'm using a sector on the far side of the Zhodani empire where a noble house threw off the reins of the Zhodani. They would have to not only have natural shielding, but would have to be able to shrug off most other forms of psionics. As I'm not overly familiar with Traveller psionics, I could definitely use some suggestions.

Well, I'd still not make them resistant to telekinesis, for instance. Basically, at best I'd say your feat should make someone immune or resistant to mental effects (telepathy, maybe some forms of clairvoyance), but telekniesis should still work, if the person can at least see them...they are sill a physical object that can be acted upon. Basically, what I'd do is make the effects of the feat similar to a the psi shield.

Also, is this noble house a group of Zhodani humans that are rebelling against the main empire, or is it another race that has noble status among the Zhodani? (If the latter, that seems to at least bend canon as I understand it, they seem to put any race "not Zhodani" into reservations, not fully integrate them into the consolate..if memory serves me right.) Anyway, if the former, they why can't any Zhodani..or for that matter any psionic human or alien take such a feat also? And, can one use psionics if one has this feat, or if one has this feat is one psionically "dead"? One could argue that the Hivers have a form of this feat, they are highly resistant to telepathy for instance, but I don't think Hivers have psionics. So, you may want to consider that if someone takes this feat, they can't also be psionic.

 

[lightsenshi]

Originally posted by Cleon the Mad:
Well, I'd still not make them resistant to telekinesis, for instance. Basically, at best I'd say your feat should make someone immune or resistant to mental effects (telepathy, maybe some forms of clairvoyance), but telekniesis should still work, if the person can at least see them...they are sill a physical object that can be acted upon. Basically, what I'd do is make the effects of the feat similar to a the psi shield.

That's more or less what I had in mind. I was thinking that it would also make then unable to use any form of psionics. Similar to a psi shielding helmet, I'm thinking.

Also, is this noble house a group of Zhodani humans that are rebelling against the main empire, or is it another race that has noble status among the Zhodani? (If the latter, that seems to at least bend canon as I understand it, they seem to put any race "not Zhodani" into reservations, not fully integrate them into the consolate..if memory serves me right.) Anyway, if the former, they why can't any Zhodani..or for that matter any psionic human or alien take such a feat also? And, can one use psionics if one has this feat, or if one has this feat is one psionically "dead"? One could argue that the Hivers have a form of this feat, they are highly resistant to telepathy for instance, but I don't think Hivers have psionics. So, you may want to consider that if someone takes this feat, they can't also be psionic.

It's Vargr noble house. The sector that I'm using is on the corner of the Zhodani empire and the Vargr realms. Hence, I have to get it down into one feat.

 

[Cleon the Mad]

I didn't quote, but this is in response to Lightsenshi's last posting.

I think we're on the same wavelength so to speak. And a Vargr noble house...noble in the Zhodani Consolate I presume? I always did wonder if the Zho's would let Vargr into their empire as full citizens, or would put treat them like they would other aliens and block off a section of space as a "reservation". Probably depends on the Vargr world, I guess if one decided to "Play Zho", they might let the Vargr on it at least reach Intendent status.

Oh lord, I'm now picturing the infamous Zho combat armor, but with the digitgrade legs and space for the snout. It would either look fairly cool...or fairly silly.

 

[lightsenshi]

Okay, here's what I've come up with.

NATURAL PSIONIC SHIELDING
Restrictions: Can only be selected at 1st level, user can never have any psionic ability.

The possessor of this feat has the natural equivalent of a Psionic Shielding Helmet in effect at all times regardless of state of health (other than dead, of course) or conciousness.

 

[Cleon the Mad]

Originally posted by lightsenshi:
Okay, here's what I've come up with.

NATURAL PSIONIC SHIELDING
Restrictions: Can only be selected at 1st level, user can never have any psionic ability.

The possessor of this feat has the natural equivalent of a Psionic Shielding Helmet in effect at all times regardless of state of health (other than dead, of course) or conciousness.

This works, and probably how I'd use it. And if you don't mind, LOL on "other then dead"...I don't know, one could argue that death causes one to always have this feat, unless revived via high tech medical means.

Although it might be good to put in "Other then Dead", I was just picturing a Knights of the Dinner Table comic where one of them tries to read the mind of someone dead, and then points out "HEY, the feat says NOTHING about the guy being dead, I can read his mind now, that's why I killed him, to interrogate him psionically!"

 

[Cleon the Mad]

Sorry to do this in two quotes, but if I may ask, how are you handling normal Zhodani PC's/NPC's. Are you waiving the restriction on psi skills being cross class, and/or allowing Zho's with high enough social standing to take psi feats as class skills?

Just curious.

 

[lightsenshi]

Originally posted by Cleon the Mad:
This works, and probably how I'd use it. And if you don't mind, LOL on "other then dead"...I don't know, one could argue that death causes one to always have this feat, unless revived via high tech medical means.

WOOT!! I'll be posting some T20 material for the campaign I run shortly online somewhere. I'll include this with it, then.

 

[lightsenshi]

Originally posted by Cleon the Mad:
Sorry to do this in two quotes, but if I may ask, how are you handling normal Zhodani PC's/NPC's. Are you waiving the restriction on psi skills being cross class, and/or allowing Zho's with high enough social standing to take psi feats as class skills?

Just curious.

I'm not going to have any Zhodani PCs.

 

[valen]

Although it might be good to put in "Other then Dead", I was just picturing a Knights of the Dinner Table comic where one of them tries to read the mind of someone dead, and then points out "HEY, the feat says NOTHING about the guy being dead, I can read his mind now, that's why I killed him, to interrogate him psionically!"

This reminds me of a evil d&d campaign where we wouldn't take prisoners because the dead effected by a "raise dead" spell couldn't lie