Index of Psionics Rules

[Nagual]

A friend of mine asked me if he could play a character with psionic powers. My initial reaction was "no way" since we have never used psionics. Even when we played "everything and the kitchen sink" kind of games (if it was in a rulebook it was accepted in the game) psionics were not accepted, since they were deemed a) too complex and b) out of place. It is strange for a rule which has appeared in every edition of the game, from OD&D to 4e with the exception of BD&D, that it has yet to be accepted as "standard" and be implemented in every game. Anyway, I had second thoughts, so I decided to compile a list of Psionic rules for D&D, to see what was "out there" and what I could use for my game. For something which is at best "optional" (and more often than not completely omitted) there are a lot of stuff! Here are the things pertaining to Psionics which I found. Feel free to mention more stuff and I will add them to the list.

D&D Books

Book	Page	System
Eldritch Wizardry	-	OD&D
Player's Handbook	110	D&D1
Dungeon Master's Guide	76	D&D1
Masters of The Mind (JG)	-	D&D1
The Complete Psionics Handbook	-	D&D2
Player's Option: Skills & Powers	142	D&D2
The Illithiad	20	D&D2
Dark Sun Campaign Setting	-	D&D2
Dark Sun Campaign Setting - Revised	-	D&D2
The Will and the Way	-	D&D2
Psionic Artifacts of Athas	-	D&D2
Dragon Kings	-	D&D2
City State of Tyr	60	D&D2
Forest Maker	16	D&D2

Dragon Magazine Articles

Article	Issue	Page	System
"Creature Features: The Mind Flayer"	SR1	2	OD&D
"Determination of Psionic Abilities"	6	25	OD&D
"D&D Option: Orgies, Inc."	10	5	OD&D
"Mind Wrestling"	23	10	OD&D
"Psionics Revisited"	24	28	OD&D
"Make Charisma Count For More"	63	19	D&D1
"Psionics Is Different"	78	7	D&D1
"Overhauling the System"	78	22	D&D1
"And Now, the Psionicist"	78	26	D&D1
"Spells Can Be Psionic, Too"	78	70	D&D1
"Meeting Of the Minds"	104	24	D&D1
"Are You Having Bad Thoughts?"	174	10	D&D2
"Psionics - In Living Color!"	182	72	D&D2
"Mind Over Matter"	188	98	D&D2
"Too Bizarre To Be Magical"	190	96	D&D2
"Open Your Mind"	191	19	D&D2
"Campaign Journal"	194	79	D&D2
"Creative Thinking"	204	32	D&D2
"Psychic Proficiencies"	212	41	D&D2
"Thought Police, The"	220	41	D&D2
"Adding Substance To Psionic Combat"	222	75	D&D2
"Caste of Characters"	225	29	D&D2
"Mindstalkers"	245	36	D&D2
"Fraal, The"	253	76	D&D2
"New Illithid Arsenal, The"	255	28	D&D2
"Psi Kits"	255	38	D&D2
"Shadow Way, The"	255	51	D&D2
"Dragon Psionics"	272	36	D&D2
"Mindscapes of Athas and Beyond"	An2	22	D&D2

Fan Created & Simulacra (With links)

Book	Page	System
Redesigning Psionics*	-	OD&D
Supplement V: Carcosa	9	OD&D
S&W Psionics	-	S&W
Old School Psionics	-	OSRIC
Psionics	-	OSRIC
Complete Net Psionics Handbook v2.0	-	D&D2
Dark Sun Net HandBook, 3rd Edition	-	D&D2
Skills & Powers Psionics NetBook	-	D&D2
Unearthed Arcania v1.1	91	D&D2
The Book of the Mind	-	C&C
Psionic Powers	-	C&C
Unearthed Arcana	36	C&C
Microlite75: Options & Monsters	7	M75
Realms of Crawling Chaos	-	LL

*Not a unified rules system

Alternative Psionics systems suggestions by DF members
ken-do-nim's 1E House Rules
Alternate S&P Based Psionics
Adapting the Complete Psionics Handbook to a C&C/AD&D
[C&C] Ilshara: Power of the Mind
Use Gamma World Mutations
Use the Chainmail magic system as a Psionics system
Use Palladium's psionic system
Use Mutant Future's mutations system
Use the Psionics Rules in Traveller (Bobjester's suggestion in this thread)
Use the Psionics Rules in Stars Without Number (Bobjester's suggestion in this thread)

[talysman]

Fan Created & Simulacra (With links)

Book	Page	System
Redesigning Psionics	-	OD&D

That's cool that you included a link to my psi section, but we should issue a warning: that's all the posts labeled as "psi", which means it's several different approaches and discussions of psi. Not a single unified system. There's at least three different ideas about re-vamping the Eldritch Wizardry rules and one completely different approach to the concept.

[rogueattorney]

You should add Strategic Review #1 (1975), which has the original version of the Mind Flayer whose Psionic Blast attack as detailed therein is the beginning of the psionic combat system.

Also, each of the 1e monster books (MMI, MMII, FF) and god books (D&Dg, LL) have psionic stats for various opponents of the pcs.

[Nagual]

Fan Created & Simulacra (With links)

Book	Page	System
Redesigning Psionics	-	OD&D

That's cool that you included a link to my psi section, but we should issue a warning: that's all the posts labeled as "psi", which means it's several different approaches and discussions of psi. Not a single unified system. There's at least three different ideas about re-vamping the Eldritch Wizardry rules and one completely different approach to the concept.

Unfortunately I haven't had the time to review all the material in my index (as you can see there's a lot of ground to cover and I'm sure there are far more Psionics stuff out there) so thanks for the clarification. Nevertheless, even if it's not a unified rule system, it's a discussion about psionics, which can prove useful to my game and perhaps others'. Was I correct in placing your rules and psionics discussion under "OD&D"?

[Nagual]

You should add Strategic Review #1 (1975), which has the original version of the Mind Flayer whose Psionic Blast attack as detailed therein is the beginning of the psionic combat system.

Thanks, added. It's very important to have the first mention of Psionics in D&D and it was a grave omission by my part.

Also, each of the 1e monster books (MMI, MMII, FF) and god books (D&Dg, LL) have psionic stats for various opponents of the pcs.

I decided not to include them, since they have no rules per se. Maybe some psionics articles in Dragon mag have the same "problem", but since they were filed under "Psionics" in DragonDex, I included them.

[talysman]

Fan Created & Simulacra (With links)

Book	Page	System
Redesigning Psionics	-	OD&D

That's cool that you included a link to my psi section, but we should issue a warning: that's all the posts labeled as "psi", which means it's several different approaches and discussions of psi. Not a single unified system. There's at least three different ideas about re-vamping the Eldritch Wizardry rules and one completely different approach to the concept.

Unfortunately I haven't had the time to review all the material in my index (as you can see there's a lot of ground to cover and I'm sure there are far more Psionics stuff out there) so thanks for the clarification. Nevertheless, even if it's not a unified rule system, it's a discussion about psionics, which can prove useful to my game and perhaps others'. Was I correct in placing your rules and psionics discussion under "OD&D"?

Yeah, that's pretty much my focus, although it's usable with pretty much any D&D-related system.

The three most recent psi posts are probably what most people will be interested in:
Simpler Psychic Combat
Thought Shield
Psychic Combat: Tying It All Together
These three posts re-do psionic combat as ordinary combat and equate psionic defense to ordinary armor, psionic attacks to weapons or aimed strikes.

[Nagual]

I added a few more stuff plus a few house rules and suggestions by DF members. Some suggest that instead of using a D&D Psionics system for your game, to adopt one from a different game entirely like Gamma World or Palladium.

Also I found out that Judges Guild had a take on Psionics as well with Masters of the Mind. Which means that there may be more D&D compatible psionics rules by third parties out there.

The more I look into it, the more fascinating it becomes. Apparently a lot of people have meddled with psionics, perhaps because the official systems didn't work very well. And people obviously want to use Jedi powers or comics Psionics with their D&D game.

[garhkal]

That is a nice listing... Forgot there were so many good dragon mag articles.

[Nagual]

The Dragon #78 is of particular pre-2e interest since therein the 1e Psionics system is overhauled and the Psionicist class is introduced. There's also the "psychic proficiencies", TD #212, for the Masque of Red Death which seems interesting since it introduces low power psychic abilities (more in line with the setting) through NWPs.

[bobjester]

How timely! I just finished editing a badly OCR'd PDF (bought legally a few years back) of Eldritch Wizardry Psionics. You list it as being on p. 7, but in truth, it starts on p.1, jumps to some notes about the new Druid class that continues on p.2, has a table of Character Alignments that ironically has NO character classes listed, but only the new monsters in EW; etc., etc..

So, now I have two Word documents on Psionics from EW. The first details what the players & DM need to know about creating psychic characters and psionic combat, while the second document has the new psionic-using monsters, including Orcus & Demogorgon.

Since these docs are word-for-word Eldritch Wizardry, I won't be posting them to any online sites & providing links to them. However, I will entertain PMs about how useful these docs are, solely because they have gathered all the scattered information on psionics in EW and put them together, making it much, much easier to read & find the interesting bits.

I eventually plan on doing the same treatment to the Druids in EW, making all the info available in one document sans interrupting rules.

Thanks for all the links to the fan-based rules and the listing of Dragon magazine issues & articles. I believe I have most of them.

[bobjester]

I added a few more stuff plus a few house rules and suggestions by DF members. Some suggest that instead of using a D&D Psionics system for your game, to adopt one from a different game entirely like Gamma World or Palladium.

Also I found out that Judges Guild had a take on Psionics as well with Masters of the Mind. Which means that there may be more D&D compatible psionics rules by third parties out there.

The more I look into it, the more fascinating it becomes. Apparently a lot of people have meddled with psionics, perhaps because the official systems didn't work very well. And people obviously want to use Jedi powers or comics Psionics with their D&D game.

Could you add Traveller Psionic system? I really like how simple & elegant that system is.

I love Gamma World mutations, but I draw a line with them, as a "mutation" is a physical change (even if its adding another brain or mental powers to the existing brain), rather than psychic/psionic powers that can be drawn out from the psyche, trained in & mastered. However, there are some gray areas with mind boosters, intentionally done or not. Radiation mutation via GW may be a viable excuse to say that the mutation facilitates psychic powers, but those powers seem pretty "all or nothing" from the get-go compared to the structured increase in power that D&D psionics offer.

Aside from Gamma World, Paranoia, WH40k, Star Wars, D&D & Traveller, I don't have any other game systems on my shelves that offer psionics, the Force or mutations that I am familiar with.

How about "Stars Without Number"? I have the PDF but haven't read it all yet. Does it offer psionics? From what I've read so far, I think SWN would be a great fit to D&D, psionics and what I would like to run eventually.

[Nagual]

How timely! I just finished editing a badly OCR'd PDF (bought legally a few years back) of Eldritch Wizardry Psionics. You list it as being on p. 7, but in truth, it starts on p.1, jumps to some notes about the new Druid class that continues on p.2, has a table of Character Alignments that ironically has NO character classes listed, but only the new monsters in EW; etc., etc..

Mea culpa. Since it is scattered throughout the book I just put a "-" under page as in most books where I couldn't find a definitive starting page number where the psionics rules are found (or if the whole book is about psionics).

Could you add Traveller Psionic system? I really like how simple & elegant that system is.

Added. Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely look into it, although Traveller is a skill based system (the first I think?) as opposed to a class based one like D&D, but that doesn't mean that it can't work nicely. There's also a "what if?" RPG which uses Traveller rules for OD&D. It's called "Adventurer" (although I think "Wayfarer" would be more fitting). It seems very good work from a quick glance.

How about "Stars Without Number"? I have the PDF but haven't read it all yet. Does it offer psionics? From what I've read so far, I think SWN would be a great fit to D&D, psionics and what I would like to run eventually.

Very good suggestion and a really great looking book. I'll have to look more into it when I have the time. And guess what? It does have psionics.

[garhkal]

Didn't the gumball crisis, Tinchi muyo or big eyes small mouth have rules?

[Nagual]

Didn't the gumball crisis, Tinchi muyo or big eyes small mouth have rules?

No idea. Actually I don't even know what these games are. But it's not an index of all psionics rules in RPGs, it's just an index of rules for TSR D&D games plus some suggestions by DF members to use some rules from another game (preferably of the same era with TSR D&D) with D&D.

[bobjester]

Could you add Traveller Psionic system? I really like how simple & elegant that system is.

Added. Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely look into it, although Traveller is a skill based system (the first I think?) as opposed to a class based one like D&D, but that doesn't mean that it can't work nicely. There's also a "what if?" RPG which uses Traveller rules for OD&D. It's called "Adventurer" (although I think "Wayfarer" would be more fitting). It seems very good work from a quick glance.

Traveller is more of a skills system, but the Psionics use power levels. Over the course of a campaign, a psi using character can get more powerful, so I think it could mesh with D&D with a minimum of work.

How about "Stars Without Number"? I have the PDF but haven't read it all yet. Does it offer psionics? From what I've read so far, I think SWN would be a great fit to D&D, psionics and what I would like to run eventually.

Very good suggestion and a really great looking book. I'll have to look more into it when I have the time. And guess what? It does have psionics.

With all the "Swords & Planets" games & campaigns coming into vogue recently, its no wonder that a game like this comes along to emulate the genre. I hope it is as good as it is touted. I really need to delve into it & read it, but alas, it will have to wait until I get Thorkie's material read one of these days.

I've long wanted to try out a science-fantasy game that mixes low-tech weaponry with a high-tech setting, and I've always felt that Arcane & Divine Magicks would feel wrong in such settings, but Psionics would fill that void just neatly.

[ken-do-nim]

Alternative Psionics systems suggestions by DF members
ken-do-nim's 1E House Rules

Hey thanks for dropping me a mention! Those rules are pretty out-dated for me, btw. I've been working on my new rules in a word document for over a year now. I do hope to have them up on DF for download before the year is out!

[bobjester]

Alternative Psionics systems suggestions by DF members
ken-do-nim's 1E House Rules

Hey thanks for dropping me a mention! Those rules are pretty out-dated for me, btw. I've been working on my new rules in a word document for over a year now. I do hope to have them up on DF for download before the year is out!

Well, since you're going to re-work them, I won't DL the current ones. I'll wait til you post the update.