Psionic Gifts (3.5e Variant Rule)

The Gift: an Alternative to "Psionics"

This is an attempt to come up with a different approach to psychic powers, for those dissatisfied with the current psionic system. I'm trying to get closer to the portrayal of the "psychic" in fantasy: the gypsy fortune-teller, the faith-healer, the warrior who can foresee his opponent's moves in combat, the otherwise normal person with one or more supernatural abilities. Not the mighty powers of "psionics" in science-fiction, the powerful abilities that operate like high-level spells (though I have assumed that it should be easier to influence minds and magic with psychic powers than to influence inanimate objects).

There are no "power points" in this system. Most psychic powers are usable at will, any number of times per day, and most operate on a successful skill check. And each of them is a Feat, allowing characters to take them without delaying progression in their main classes: provided they were born with "The Gift", a special Feat that normally must be selected at first level, representing psychic potential (and the loss of 2 points of Constitution).

If a character without the Gift wants it badly enough, there is a way of getting it: but it's not easy. The power of a full Wish is required to bestow The Gift on someone not born with it, and it must be administered by a psychic practitioner using the Insinuation power, with at least 20 ranks of Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive skills (representing the degree of mental finesse required to operate on the recipient's mind). Furthermore, the recipient will immediately lose 2 points of Constitution (the usual penalty associated with the Gift) and will lose his/her next Feat (as The Gift takes the place of it).

These powers are magical, and generally won't work in an Anti-Magic Field or null-magic area (with some exceptions: Vitality and Mind Of Power are one-off irreversible transformations). However, continually-operating psychic powers (such as Power Of Command) are very "low-key" and operate below the threshold of magical detection. Powers such as Fast Healing or Immortality can be detected only while they are actively healing damage or eliminating toxins. Generally, only obvious powers active for a limited duration (like a spell) can be readily detected. Though not spells, offensive powers resemble spells closely enough for Spell Resistance and defensive spells to work against them (they qualify as "spell-like abilities"). Magic items and spells that boost skills will NOT boost psychic skill checks, and neither will synergy bonuses or Skill Focus feats: the Skill Mastery ability of Rogues won't work either. No modifiers apply to psychic skill rolls except racial and ability score modifiers. Ability scores may include "inherent" bonuses, but "enhancement" bonuses are ignored.

Some powers are based on the character's level. In such cases, overall character level is used, including racial hitdice and level adjusts. For instance, a psychic Satyr character who is a 3rd level Bard would count as 10th level (5 hitdice, LA +2, 3 class levels).

Creatures described as naturally psychic (e.g. the various "psionic" monsters) receive The Gift as a bonus feat, and do not suffer the usual penalties associated with it: no loss of constitution, no danger of uncontrolled psychic powers. Their listed abilities don't require any additional feats, but they may still take such feats to gain additional powers. References to the "Psion" and "Psychic Warrior" classes may be replaced by "Sorcerer" and "Fighter" respectively.

For those that want to develop their psychic abilities faster, I've provided a five-level Prestige Class, the "Gifted", offering one bonus psychic Feat per level (two at 5th level).

The Gifted (Prestige Class)

There is only one entry requirement for this prestige class: the Feat known as "The Gift", the potential to develop psychic powers.

NPC members of this class will usually begin as Commoners or Experts: normal people with a special potential. However, some are children.

Hit dice: d6

Attack and Saves: The Gifted have good Will saves and moderate combat skills, gaining +1 BAB at all levels except 1st and 5th.

Weapons and Armour: The Gifted gain no proficiency with weapons or armour.

Skills: The Gifted get 6 skill points per level (plus Intelligence modifier). However, they have no class skills except those bestowed by psychic Feats: thus, Concentration (bestowed by The Gift itself) is the only class skill they are guaranteed to have.

Bonus Feats: The Gifted get one bonus psychic Feat for each of the first four levels of this class, and two at 5th level.

These abilities are summarized in the following table:

Table 1-1: The Gifted

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special Abilities
1.	+0	+0	+0	+2	Bonus Psychic Feat, +1 level of existing class
2.	+1	+0	+0	+3	Bonus Psychic Feat, +1 level of existing class
3.	+2	+1	+1	+3	Bonus Psychic Feat, +1 level of existing class
4.	+3	+1	+1	+4	Bonus Psychic Feat, +1 level of existing class
5.	+3	+1	+1	+4	2 Bonus Psychic Feats, +1 level of existing class

'The Gift' Feats

Table: 'The Gift' Feats

Feat	Prerequisites	Benefit
General 'The Gift' Feats
The Gift	1st level character	-2 Constitution, character has psychic potential
Clairvoyant 'The Gift' Feats
Clairvoyance	The Gift, 13 Wisdom	+1 Reflex, Listen / Search / Spot skills, clairvoyant potential
Boosted Reflexes	Clairvoyance, Lightning Reflexes	Reflex save equal to 1/2 level (or +1)
Clarity of Vision	Clairvoyance	Good chance of seeing through illusions
Combat Sense	Clairvoyance, Combat Reflexes	+2 Insight bonus on initiative and AC: can't be surprised / flanked
Killer Instinct	Combat Sense	BAB equal to 3/4 level (or +1)
Contact Other Plane	Clairvoyance, Telepathy	As the spell
Darkvision	Clairvoyance	Can see without light
Deepvision	Clairvoyance, Darkvision	Can see into solid objects
Precognition	Clairvoyance	Limited predictive ability
Prophecy	Precognition	Major predictive ability
Remote Sensing	Clairvoyance	As Clairvoyance/Clairaudience spell
Scrying	Clairvoyance	As Scrying spell
Seekersense	Clairvoyance	Locates objects, creatures, and places.
Uncanny Knowledge	Clairvoyance	You know things you shouldn't
Psychic Healing 'The Gift' Feats
Psychic Healing	The Gift, 13 Wisdom	+1 Fortitude, Heal skill, health sense, Psychic Healing potential
Boost Metabolism	Psychic Healing	Temporary Strength / Dexterity / Constitution boost
Boosted Fortitude	Great Fortitude, Psychic Healing	Fortitude save equal to 1/2 level (or +1)
Cure/Inflict Wounds	Psychic Healing	Cure wounds, inflict damage, cure ability damage
Damage Reduction	Psychic Healing	Damage Reduction 2/-
Gift of Life	Cure/Inflict Wounds, Damage Reduction	Fast Healing 1
Purge Metabolism	Psychic Healing	Cure poisoning & disease
Immortality	Purge Metabolism, Vitality	Immune to poison, disease and age
Vitality	Psychic Healing	+2 Constitution
Immortality	Purge Metabolism, Vitality	Immune to poison, disease and age
Psychokinetic 'The Gift' Feats
Psychokinesis	The Gift, 13 Intelligence	"Mage Hand", Disable Device / Open Locks / Sleight of Hand skills, Psychokinetic potential
Improved Psychokinesis	Psychokinesis, 16 Charisma	More force behind psychokinesis, wider variety of uses.
Controlled Fall	Psychokinesis	Feather Fall effect
Levitation	Controlled Fall	Ascend vertically
Energy Barrier	Psychokinesis	Resist energy damage
Kinetic Shield	Psychokinesis	+2 Shield bonus
Pyrokinesis	Psychokinesis	Produce / hurl flames
Self-Propulsion	Psychokinesis	True flight when levitating, +10 on movement and various skills
Shatter	Psychokinesis	As the spell
Psychomagic 'The Gift' Feats
Psychomagic	The Gift, 13 Intelligence, 2nd level spell capability	Detect Magic, Knowledge(arcane) / Spellcraft / Use Magic Device skills, Psychomagic potential
Familiar Bond	Psychomagic, Telepathy	Gain familiar, all class levels count for familiar advancement
Impromptu Dispelling	Psychomagic	Spend 3 spell levels for Dispel Magic
Spell Resistance	Impromptu Dispelling	Spell Resistance 10+level
Impromptu Metamagic	Psychomagic, any metamagic Feat	Apply metamagic without preparation
Magical Strike	Psychomagic	Treat weapon or unarmed strike as magical (or aligned)
Powercast	Psychomagic	Boosts caster level by 2 or more
Powerturn	Psychomagic	Boosts turning ability by 2 or more
Spell Recovery	Psychomagic	Chance of recovering miscast spell
Preserve Scroll	Scribe Scroll, Spell Recovery	Chance of powering scroll with your own magic
Telepathic 'The Gift' Feats
Telepathy	The Gift, 13 Charisma	+1 Will, social skills, telepathic potential
Assess The Foe	Telepathy	Identify creature type / class, Favored Enemy bonus
Boosted Will	Iron Will, Telepathy	Will save equal to 1/2 level (or +1)
Contact Other Plane	Clairvoyance, Telepathy	As the spell
Familiar Bond	Psychomagic, Telepathy	Gain familiar, all class levels count for familiar advancement
Induce Fear	Telepathy	Similar to Fear spell
Mind of Power	Telepathy	+1 Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma: -1 Constitution
Inward Focus	Mind Of Power	Bonus psychic feats on subsequent levels
Power of Command	Leadership, Telepathy	+3 on Leadership and related abilities
Read Minds	Telepathy	Read surface thoughts and deep memories
Telepathic Communication	Read Minds	Mind-to-mind communication
Insinuation	Telepathic Communication	Telepathic suggestion
Resilient Mind	Telepathy	Resistance to enchantment effects
Cloak the Mind	Resilient Mind	Unreadable mind, false alignment / thoughts

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