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7UI that is comes Jrom the mind; it is based on the mind, it is fashioned by the mind.— The Pali Canon

CREDITS

Design: Steve Winter, with monster updates by Blake MobleyEditing: Andria Hayday

Black and white illustrations: Terry DykstraChapter illustrations: Dee BamettColor photography (used with permission):

page 1 by Lightscapes, ®The Stock Marketpage 9 by Ken Cooper, ®The Image Bankpages 4 5 and 77 by Steven Hunt, ®The Image Bank

Graphic design: Stephanie TabatTypography: Gaye O'KeefeProduction: Dee Bamett, Sarah Feggestad

Playtest coordination and liberal advice: Jon PickensPlaytesters:

Rich Brewer with Allen Thomas, Mike Mlczeko.Arthur Collins with Phred Cain, Jason Davis, Jeff Pickett.Lee G. Irons with Andy Cohen, Matt Harrop, John Whitmer.Alan Grimes with Bob Bellamy, Leo Hallack, Shaun Homer, Jeff

Kennedy, Mike Leibhart, Sam Orlando, Tim Pontallion,Alex West.

Caroline R. McBride with Brenda A. Floyd, Joe Floyd, R. KeithMcBride, Sarah McBride, Mary E. Noah, Donnie Wolfgeher.

Mark Middleton with David Boddorf, Tony Caine, Paul Conway,Jerry Harper, Ed Isaacs, Liz Neese, Kip Romine.

Jim Milan and William Tracy with Gay Milan, Jeff Stevens, JustinStevens, Paul Stevens, Teresa Stevens, Jeff Wherry.

Norm Ritchie with Linda Bingle, Mary Conczyk, Dewey Freeh, MarkHougaard, Jim Moeller, Jay Tummelson.

TSR, Inc.POB 756

Lake Geneva, Wl 53147U.S.A. TSR, Inc.

TSR, Ltd.120 Church End, Cherry HintonCambridge CB1 3LBUnited Kingdom

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of thematerial contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR Inc.Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc. and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.AD&D, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, FORGOTTEN REALMS, DRAGONLANCE and WORLD OF GREYHAWK areregistered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.RAVENLOFT, SPELLJAMMER, PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.Printed in the United States of America.

eCopyright 1991, TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN 1-56076-054-0 2117

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Player's Handbook Rules Supplement

TheComplete

PsionicsHandbook

by Steve Winter

T M

TSR, Inc.

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Table of Contents

Introduction 6What's Changed? 6How Does ThisFit My Campaign? 6Is Psionics Magical? 7

Wild Talents 19Determining Powers 20Strength Points 20The Risks w, 20

Chapter One:The Psionicist 8Requirements 8Ability Requirements 8Prime Requisites 8Racial Restrictions 8

Multi-class Characters 8Dual-class Characters 8Racial Level Limits 8Alignment 10Other Qualifications 10

Initial Funds 10A Psionics Primer 10

Psionic Strength Points 10Power Scores 11Power Checks 11

Advancement 11Gaining Disciplines 12Gaining Sciences and Devotions 12Advancing Mid-adventure 12Raising Psionic Power Scores 13

Psionic Strength Points 13Gaining Psionic Strength Points 13Recovering Psionic Strength Points 13

Defense Modes 14Special Abilities 14Maintaining Powers 14THACO and Saving Throws 14

Followers 14Restrictions 15Weapons 15Armor 15

Proficiencies 16The Psionicist Group 18

Chapter Two:Psionic Combat .22Using Powers 22Power Checks 22Psychic Contests 22Psychic Lock 24

The Combat Round 24Telepathic Combat 25Attack Modes 25Defense Modes 25Attack Modifiers 26Tangents 26

Other Considerations 27Line of Sight 27Touch Attacks 27

Combat Cards 27

Sidebar:Understanding Power Descriptions, .28

Chapter Three:Clairsentience 28Clairsentient Sciences 28Clairsentient Devotions 33

Chapter Four:Psychokinesis 38Psychokinetic Sciences 38Psychokinetic Devotions 42

4 • Table of Contents

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Chapter Five:Psychometabolism 50Psychometabolic Sciences 50Psychometabolic Devotions 53

Chapter Six:Psychoportation 64Psychoportive Sciences 64Psychoportive Devotions 68

Chapter Seven:Telepathy 74Telepathic Sciences 74Telepathic Devotions 79

Chapter Eight:Metapsionics 93Metapsionic Sciences 93Metapsionic Devotions 97

Chapter Nine:A Psionics Campaign 106Look What I Got! 106Burn Him! 106

*TSR's Campaign Worlds 108Psionics and Magic 109

Monsters, Villains, and other NPCs I l lLiving Psionics I l lKnights of the Floating Table 112Related Reading 113

Monsters 114Baku 114Brain Mole 115Cerebral Parasites 116Intellect Devourer, adult 117Intellect Devourer, larva (ustilagor) 118Shedu 119Su-Monster 120Thought Eater 121Vagabond 122

Appendices 123Monstrous Compendium Update 123Summary of Psionic Powers 125Powers Index 128

Tables1: Racial Level Limits 102: Experience Levels 113: Individual Class Awards 124: Psionic Power Progression 125: Inherent Potential 136: Psionic Strength Recovery 147: Calculated THACOs 158: Saving Throws 159: Armor Penalties 16

10: Proficiency Slots 1611: Nonweapon Proficiencies 1812: Wild Devotions 2013: Wild Sciences 2114: Attack vs. Defense Modes 26

Table of Contents • 5

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"What do you think I am, a mind reader?"As a matter of fact, you might be, if you're

an AD&D® game character with the rightstuff. All you need is brainpower, discipline,and The Complete Psionics Handbook.

Psionics—the practice of extraordinary psy-chic powers—was included in the originalAD&D game. Some players favored psionicpowers; others found them confusing. Psi-onics was not included in the AD&D 2nd Edi-tion game.

Now psionics is back by popular demand,and it's better than ever. Powers this great maynot be for everyone, so psionics is a com-pletely optional addition to the AD&D 2ndEdition rules. But if you're ready to put mindover matter—to test the limits of inner space—then this book is for you.

The Complete Psionics Handbook is not areprint of the old psionics rules; it's a completerevision. If you remember the original AD&Drules, you'll find much that seems familiarhere. Beware: old words may have new mean-ing. We've kept a lot of the terminology, butchanged the definitions. Read this book care-fully before you assume an old rule still appliesor jump to conclusions about what certainpowers can or cannot do.

What's Changed?

This book contains five major revisions tothe original AD&D psionics rules:

1) The psionicist is a character class. Char-acters cannot pick up a psionic power here andthere just because they have a superior brain.Psionicists are extraordinary characters whodevelop their powers through arduous train-ing. (While members of other classes may oc-casionally boast a psionic power or two, suchcharacters are mere shadows of true psioni-cists.) An NPC psionicist has the potential tostand his own against any other class. As a PCin a team of adventurers, the psionicist willcomplement other classes well. Most of thepsionicist's powers are unique. He advances

slowly, at a rate somewhere between thefighter and mage. At low levels, however, thepsionicist has the potential to be powerful.

2) The list of psionic powers is greatly ex-panded. Original rules included a menu of 50powers. This book has over 150.

3) Psionic powers are organized differently.All psionic powers are grouped into six disci-plines: clairsentience (expanded senses), psy-chokinesis (moving matter through space),psychometabolism (altering the body), psy-choportation (psionic travel), telepathy(mind-to-mind contact), and metapsionics (anadvanced discipline). Within each disciplineare major powers, called "sciences," and minorpowers, called "devotions." Characters canonly learn powers from the disciplines theyhave access to. At 1st level, a character has ac-cess to only one discipline, but with experiencehe gains access to more.

4) Psionic powers are treated much like pro-ficiencies. Psionic powers do not work auto-matically. A power is essentially a skill, andusing it properly requires a power check.

5) Psionic strength points are not dividedinto attack, defense, and generic batches. Allof a character's psionic strength points comefrom a single pool.

Numerous other changes, both major andminor, have been made. To avoid confusion,players are urged to read this book carefully.

How Does This Fit My Campaign?

There's no reason why adding psionics to anexisting campaign should disrupt anything. Asa class, psionicists are no more or less power-ful than any other. Guidelines on how to intro-duce psionics without trauma are given inChapter 9.

Remember, everything in this book is op-tional; none of it is part of the core of theAD&D game. If something in here doesn't suita particular campaign, rule it out.

6 • Introduction

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