| | Ref | Ouvrage | Question | | Reponse |
|---|
| 281. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | During multiple psionic operations, when two or more psionic
characters are transferring strength points back and forth,
how are the points distributed after the operation is ended? | | The points that were transferred in series among the psionic
characters are all dissipated and lost to all characters, but may be
recovered in time. It is possible for a character to be left with no
psionic strength points after an operation of this sort, but that
strength can be regained in the usual manner. |
| 282. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | The line at the bottom of p. 77 of the DMG (“Damage accruing
beyond the point . . .“) is unclear. Can you explain? | | This line refers to the attack strength point reductions taken as
a result of using the “Psionic Attack Upon Defenseless Psionic”
table; if the defender runs out of attack points because of these
reductions, then real hit points are deducted instead. |
| 283. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | Can psionic creatures or persons sense the presence of other
psionic beings? If so, at what range does this ability function? | | According to the DMG (p. 182), it is apparent that the use of
any psionic talent or attack/defense mode will attract the notice
of other psionic beings in the vicinity. The attracted creatures
will not instinctively sense the nature of the power(s) being
employed, or exactly how powerful (psionically) the “source” of
the power is, but they will be aware of the general direction from
which the psionic emanations came and will be able, for short
periods of time, to track accurately back in the direction of the
other psionic character or creature. This “tracking back” can be
done for as long as a turn (10 minutes) if a true psionic talent
was used, or for a round (1 minute) if the energy came from a
magical effect that resembles a psionic power.
The range of this ability, which is innate and common to all
psionic characters and creatures, is 1” (30 feet) per level or hit die
of the detecting creature; certain monsters (su monsters and gray
ooze, for example) are able to detect psionics-users at distances
greater than normal, but these are exceptions.
Note that a psionic character or creature not expending psionic
strength points cannot be detected at that time. Also, a
being using mind bar or the discipline of invisibility cannot be
detected while employing those skills.
To a limited extent, psionic characters and creatures (particularly
those with a high psionic ability score and those with the
sensitivity to psychic impressions discipline) can judge how
great an amount of psionic strength points were being used by
the detected being at the moment of detection, but this assessment
will be very rough, and is not necessarily a good clue to
how psionically powerful the detected being is.
|
| 284. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | If a fighter gains the discipline of domination and then
switches to the thief class (as a bard would do), would this character
lose the domination power? | | Yes. The instant that the character crosses over to begin earning
experience as a thief, he is subject to the benefits and restrictions
of that class — one of those restrictions being that a thief
cannot possess the psionic discipline of domination. The discipline
is lost, and the character may not replace it with another
ability. This principle may be applied to any instance involving
a two-classed character and a discipline that is prohibited to one
of the two classes.
Why can’t thieves use domination in the first place? Well, as
Arthur Collins points out in an article elsewhere in this magazine,
it may be rationalized that domination is a concept alien to
the thieving frame of mind; thieves do not desire or intend to
control their victims, merely to rob them, taking their goods
unseen (preferably) and without the victim’s knowledge. Stealing
is an art to thieves, and domination is the antithesis of that art. |
| 285. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | Can the psionic discipline animal telepathy be used to communicate
with humans? After all, humans are animals. | | Nice try, but no go. The word “animal” in this use should be
interpreted the same as for spells like speak with animals and
animal friendship — that is, animals are “basically normal, nonfantastic
creatures such as apes, bears, cats, dogs, elephants, and
so on” (Players Handbook, p. 46, speak with animals description).
They are “of at least animal intelligence but not above
semi-intelligent rating” (p. 54, animal friendship description).
Generally, any sentient creature with a measurable intelligence
score of 4 or lower can be affected by animal telepathy — and at
extremely high levels of mastery, even communication with
intelligent plants is possible. Although some humanoids could
qualify under this “4 or lower” definition, the term “animal” in
this usage does not encompass humans or humanoids. |
| 286. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | Could someone possessing the cell adjustment discipline
become aware of his own or someone else’s hit-point total by
using this power? How long does it take to use this discipline, in
terms of “casting time”? | | The answer to the first question depends in large part on how
your campaign is run with respect to players’ (and characters’)
knowledge of hit-point totals. If the DM is the only person with
this information, then it is not necessary to reveal any hit-point
information to a character employing (or being helped by) the
cell adjustment discipline. If, as a matter of procedure, players
are made aware of their characters’ (and perhaps others’) current
hit-point totals, then the DM is obliged to give out specific hitpoint
information in the course of moderating the use of this
discipline.
Even when hit-point totals aren’t common knowledge, the
psionics-user knows how many hit points he can restore with a
single application of the discipline, and he knows that each hit
point of damage healed costs 1 psionic strength point. He
doesn’t know — or need to know — how many hit points of
damage the recipient of the healing is suffering from; if and
when the recipient is restored to his full original hit-point total,
no more benefit can be gained from cell adjustment — but if
none of the characters has a way of being sure when full restoration
of hit points is complete, the user of the discipline may very
likely spend strength points that go to waste because no additional
healing is possible. (A cure wounds spell would operate
on the same principle, with a chance of theoretically healing
more damage than it is possible to heal.)
How long does it take to use? In “actuality,” the healing or
curing from an application of cell adjustment takes place instantaneously.
But, to prevent the abuse of the power by continuous
and repeated use, it could be ruled that only one application of
the discipline can be made in a round. To further tone down the
“wham, you’re cured!” aspect of this discipline, you might try a
variation that limits a cleric to healing 5 points of damage in a
round, a fighter 4 points, etc., regardless of the level of mastery
involved. Alternately, the “level of mastery” provision can be
kept, but the DM might rule that the discipline is only usable
once per day on a certain recipient, or once per day, period. The
fair and consistent use of this discipline is a matter for individual
DMs to arbitrate as they see fit. |
| 287. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | Can a character with the discipline of energy control negate
the effects of a powerful spell such as wish, feeblemind, or disintegrate?
Does “spell level” refer to the level of the spell caster
throwing the spell at the psionic character, or to the level of the
spell on the spell tables in the Players Handbook? | | Because the description of the discipline doesn’t specifically
exclude any types of energy, we can assume that energy control
works against even the most powerful magic. If the “die of-damage
normally delivered by the energy” is not applicable or able to
be determined, then the point cost of this discipline is equal to
the minimum level of spell caster able to employ the spell which
produces the effect. (This interpretation makes the use of energy
control against powerful magic reasonably expensive, as it
should be; under a different interpretation, it might only cost 9
points to undo a wish, and that doesn’t seem like much of a price
to pay.)
Thus, it costs 18 points to negate the effects of a wish, whether
the wish was in the form of a cast spell, a scroll spell, or from a
ring, because a caster employing a wish spell must be at least
18th level to cast it. By the same reasoning, dissipating a feeblemind
spell costs 11 points, and negating a disintegrate spell costs
12 points. |
| 288. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | Does the “Detection of Invisibility” table on p. 60 of the DMG
apply to psionic invisibility? Can a character using the discipline
of invisibility attack another creature and still remain invisible
to that creature? | | No on both counts. First, psionic invisibility involves mind
control, “not light waves or similar physical manifestations”
(Players Handbook, p. 113), and hence cannot be detected by
intelligent creatures the same way they might be able to sense
someone who was rendered invisible by magical means. Someone
employing the mind bar discipline is not subject to this mind
control, however, and thus is able to “see through” the
deception.
Second, a character using psionic invisibility cannot attack at
the same time because he must concentrate on the application of
the discipline to maintain his invisible state. Unless otherwise
specified in a particular description, no psionic attack mode or
discipline can be employed while the user’s mind is distracted or
engaged in some other decision-making activity. |
| 289. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | Can molecular agitation be carried out on any visible object,
even if seen through a crystal ball, wall of force, by clairvoyance,
and so forth? Also, if a creature only possesses a small quantity
of metal, can it still be burned if this metal is heated? | | The range of the molecular agitation discipline is “sight,” but
this means literally and strictly visible, not including objects
seen with the aid of an item that enhances or detects the object’s
image when the object cannot normally be seen (whether it’s
behind the next door or on a distant deserted island). When
actual (normal, not infra- or ultra-) vision is concerned, the DM
will have to arbitrate what can and cannot be seen at a distance;
for instance, a character could not eyeball the iron buttons on an
orc’s jacket at a range of 300 yards.
A crystal ball or the power of clairvoyance, then, cannot be
used in conjunction with molecular agitation. The employment
of a wall of force will indeed block the use of this discipline, as
will anything similar (such as a cube of force). Objects seen
through non-magical windows, though, can be affected by this
power.
Creatures that have only a small amount of metal on their
“persons” may, at the DM’s discretion, take lesser amounts of
damage from this power; if the iron buttons on the orc’s jacket
were the only metal items the creature had, perhaps it would
only take 1 hit point of damage per round (at most) until the
jacket was discarded. |
| 290. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | Can a psionic character levitate himself by the use of the telekinesis
discipline? | | No. Like the spell of the same name, this power can only affect
things or beings external to the one employing the power, not
the user or caster himself. Note that live creatures can be affected
by telekinesis, and although the discipline allows for no saving
throw for its target(s), creatures and characters may use any
means at their disposal to negate the discipline or make its maintenance
more difficult — grabbing a heavy object to increase
one’s weight, or perhaps using a spell or other power to make
oneself larger and/or heavier. |
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