Psionics requires a unified mind, body, and spirit. "A strong will, a sharp mind, and a healthy body" are required for learning the psionicist’s discipline. All psionicist candidates must meet the following requirements:
Constitution (health) 11
Intelligence (reason) 12
Wisdom (willpower) 15
Required Traits: Psionic Potential, Psionic Defense
On Athas, characters from any race may learn psionics. Psionicists have no racial limits. However, the strictness of the philosophy and discipline preclude chaotic-aligned students from ever aquiring the necessary mastery; psionicists tend towards lawfulness.
The psionicist uses the forces of his own mind to affect his environment. Psionic powers aren’t magical in nature. Rather, they come from within the psionicist whose entire essence is in perfect harmony. What's more, psionic powers in no way affect the world's ecosystem other than by direct interaction.
Any human or demihuman character who meets the ability requirements may elect to be a psionicist. However, those who don't choose the psionicist class still roll for a wild talent. See below and The Way of the Psionicist for more information on wild talents.
Most intelligent creatures on Athas have some measure of psionic power. However, only those player characters who so devote themselves (and have the necessary ability scores) can be of the psionicist character class. All player characters with lesser ability are automatically wild talents.
There are no racial restrictions or racial level limits for psionicist characters. Any human character who meets the ability requirements may become a psionicist or a dual-class psionicist. Any demihuman character who meets the ability requirements may be a psionicist or multi class psionicist. The psionicist class may be combined with any other class or classes.
Use the rules presented in House Psionics.
NPCs: Nonplayer characters can be psionicists if they meet the eligibility requirements, or they can be wild talents. However, NPCs aren't automatically wild talents as are PCs. Use the rules presented in The Way of the Psionicist to determine if an NPC has a wild talent.
The psionicist is a character specializing in the use of psionics, just as a fighter is a specialist in fighting. These characters are devoted to strenthening the Will, and perfecting their use of the Way. A well-played psionicist should rely on her mental abilities to the same degree that fighters rely on their physical abilities.
Psionicists tend to disdain using weapons of any sort, and tend not to have time to train in their use. Psionicists choose weapons only from the following list: light or hand crossbow, dagger, dart, dirk, knife, scourge, scickle, short sword, wrist razor, or any martial arts weapon that works as an extension of the body. They may choose to wear padded, leather, studded leather, or hide armor, and may carry small or medium shields.
psp and MTHACO progession (see chart below)
Level |
Petrification, Poison, Death Magic |
Rod, Staff, Wand |
Petrification or Polymorph |
Breath Weapon |
Spell* |
1-4 |
13 |
15 |
12 |
16 |
15 |
5-8 |
12 |
13 |
10 |
15 |
14 |
9-12 |
11 |
11 |
8 |
13 |
12 |
13-16 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
12 |
11 |
17-20 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
11 |
9 |
21+ |
8 |
5 |
5 |
9 |
7 |
*Psionicists get +2 on all saving throws vs. enchandment/charm spells.
PSPs
At first level, a psionicist has 10 psp plus his health score, plus his psp bonus for health (see ability score charts for health psp bonus). For example, Tiana has a 16 health. Her psps at first level would be 10 + 16 + 2 = 28 psps. At levels 2 through 10, the psionicist gains 10 psp per level, plus his health psp bonus. Tiana’s 16 health score would allow her to gain 12 psp per level. At levels 11 and above, psionicists gain 5 psp per level. Psionicists rising above 10th level recieve no psp bonuses for health.
Gaining Disciplines and Powers
Every psionic power belongs to one of the five disciplines: Clairsentience, Kinesis, Metabolism, Psychoportation, and Telepathy. Major powers are called sciences; minor ones called devotions. Before a psionicist can learn a psionic power, she must have access to the appropriate discipline.
At first level, the psionicist selects one discipline, and one science and three devotions within that discipline. This becomes her primary discipline. As she progresses in level (see chart below), she gains access to additional disciplines, sciences, and devotions. A character may never have as many sciences or devotions in other disciplines as they have in their primary discipline. This provides a focus for psionicists to adhere to; psionicists often refer to themselves as Clarsentients, Kineticists, Metabolists, Psychoporters, and Telepaths, according to their respective primary disciplines.
Psionicists gain 10 xp per psp spent wisely to solve a problem, but a full 15 xp per psp for using psionics to avoid combat. They gain 100 xp per level of psionicist defeated.
Psionicists Progression Table
Optional Penalties:
| Charp | Penalty |
| -10 | No Armor allowed, including shields. Thri-kreen characters obviously are not permitted to take the bonus for this restriction, since their exoskeleton is naturally superior to most available armor. |
| -10 | No Weapons allowed. |
| -10 | Lesser Hit Points (d4 instead of d6). |
| -10 | Reduced MTHAC0-psionicist uses the ordinary psionicist’s THAC0 chart for his MTHAC0 progression. |
| Charp | Benefit |
| 5' | Capacity to learn a high science in the psionicist’s focus discipline when she reaches 10th level. |
| 25* | Gradual access to all of the 5 psionic disciplines. Otherwise, each discipline can be purchased for 5 points. |
| 10* | Gradual access to 5 psychic attack modes. Psionicists who do not take this benefit may purchase up to 3 attacks as Contact proficiencies, just as a wild talent would. |
| 5* | Gradual access to 5 psychic defense modes. Psionicists who do not take this benefit may purchase up to two more The Mental Barrier defense mode is automatic for most beings on Athas, and certainly all beings capable of becoming psionicists.4 defences as Mental Defense proficiencies, just as a wild talent would. |
| 5 | Greater hit points (d8 instead of d6). |
| 5 | Martial specialization: Psionicist is allowed to learn up to grand mastery, given time, charps, and a trainer. |
| 5* | Meditative ability to raise reason, health, and willpower subabilities—See Will and the Way rules. |
| 5 | More PSPs: +2 psps more at each level. |
| 15 | Extra Psionic Powers: Extra devotion per 3 levels, science per 5 levels. |
| 5* | Saving throw bonus: +2 vs all mental attacks |
| 5* | Student followers. Psionicist gains followers at 10th level. |
| 10 | Warrior THAC0. Psionicist uses the Warrior THAC0 table. |
| 5 | Unarmed Warrior. Psionicist uses the Warrior THAC0 table, but only when attacking with his body, whether with unarmed combat techniques, or with psionic skills such as psychic blade or body weaponry. |
| 5 | Warrior hit point bonus for constitution. |
| 10 | Weapon specialization. Purchase up to mastery. |
* Standard for psionicists.
´ Standard only for single-class psionicists