Psi Sword Creation

[13eowulf]

As written a character with the Psi Sword power needs at least one full melee round to create/summon the sword, however I have never played in a game where this is enforced.

Likewise outside of the Healing Powers I have never encountered meditation time being enforced for the use of psionic powers.

I this like the Monopoly rule for winning money when you land on Free Parking?, its not really a rule but most everybody knows about it and does it that way?

Or are there people out there who actually do enforce these meditation times?

[jaymz]

I use a version of the PPE Channeling rules in Rifter 21 for Psionics. Make Bio Manipulation and what not less munchy while it can allow characters to call up a Psi sword faster as they level up. I also use a variation of the Magic Foci in Rifter 30 to allow Psychics to double up the damage or range or both for increased ISP costs.

[13eowulf]

I use a version of the PPE Channeling rules in Rifter 21 for Psionics. Make Bio Manipulation and what not less munchy while it can allow characters to call up a Psi sword faster as they level up. I also use a variation of the Magic Foci in Rifter 30 to allow Psychics to double up the damage or range or both for increased ISP costs.

Your approach is unique and intrigues me. I have not personally utilized the channelling rules so I will have to investigate them (I was in a game they were used, but I was not a magic user).

Would you be able to elaborate on how you modified the Magic Foci?
(It need not be here, you can PM if you wish it to remain free from public scrutiny....)

[Killer Cyborg]

We always used the meditation time.

Except when we forgot, or didn't notice, that it existed.
Which was probably a few times in the early years.

[13eowulf]

We always used the meditation time.

Except when we forgot, or didn't notice, that it existed.
Which was probably a few times in the early years.

And do you find they add to the game, either in story, character building, or balance? Or do you find many avoid psionics as a result?

[SpiritInterface]

We use the meditation rule. It makes danger sense more worthwile. With a full minute warning the Psy with a psi-sword plenty of time to meditate.

[jaymz]

We use the meditation rule. It makes danger sense more worthwile. With a full minute warning the Psy with a psi-sword plenty of time to meditate.

That is all well and good if you assume the threat will be a melee threat. Otherwise it now becomes a waste of ISP since you would probably be better off putting up TK Forcefield or somesuch.

[Killer Cyborg]

We always used the meditation time.

Except when we forgot, or didn't notice, that it existed.
Which was probably a few times in the early years.

And do you find they add to the game, either in story, character building, or balance? Or do you find many avoid psionics as a result?

It can add suspense to the game, at times, and it can add balance in campaigns where psi-swords are of a significant level of power.
I've never seen anybody avoid psionics as a result.

[jaymz]

We always used the meditation time.

Except when we forgot, or didn't notice, that it existed.
Which was probably a few times in the early years.

And do you find they add to the game, either in story, character building, or balance? Or do you find many avoid psionics as a result?

It can add suspense to the game, at times, and it can add balance in campaigns where psi-swords are of a significant level of power.
I've never seen anybody avoid psionics as a result.

Yeah I could see it being an issue in Fantasy for example. Psi-swords are pretty powerful in that setting.

[Killer Cyborg]

We always used the meditation time.

Except when we forgot, or didn't notice, that it existed.
Which was probably a few times in the early years.

And do you find they add to the game, either in story, character building, or balance? Or do you find many avoid psionics as a result?

It can add suspense to the game, at times, and it can add balance in campaigns where psi-swords are of a significant level of power.
I've never seen anybody avoid psionics as a result.

Yeah I could see it being an issue in Fantasy for example. Psi-swords are pretty powerful in that setting.

They're pretty powerful in Rifts, depending on what else you're doing, and what level the psychic is.
If you've got a Battle Mage with a Deathbringer as the standard of power, then yeah, the Mind Melter shouldn't bother with the psi-sword.
If you've got a Wilderness Scout in Huntsman, armed with a Vibro-Sword, as the standard, then that Mind Melter can dish out some serious whoop-ass, once he takes the time to open the can.

[jaymz]

We always used the meditation time.

Except when we forgot, or didn't notice, that it existed.
Which was probably a few times in the early years.

And do you find they add to the game, either in story, character building, or balance? Or do you find many avoid psionics as a result?

It can add suspense to the game, at times, and it can add balance in campaigns where psi-swords are of a significant level of power.
I've never seen anybody avoid psionics as a result.

Yeah I could see it being an issue in Fantasy for example. Psi-swords are pretty powerful in that setting.

They're pretty powerful in Rifts, depending on what else you're doing, and what level the psychic is.
If you've got a Battle Mage with a Deathbringer as the standard of power, then yeah, the Mind Melter shouldn't bother with the psi-sword.
If you've got a Wilderness Scout in Huntsman, armed with a Vibro-Sword, as the standard, then that Mind Melter can dish out some serious whoop-ass, once he takes the time to open the can.

Oh I agree I was just meaning that in Rifts its power is relative whereas in Fantasy a Psi-Sword is some serious whoopass at almost all times.

[Cinos]

I noticed it early on, and removed / reduced most focusing times for such abilities down to 1-2 actions just so people would take those powers. When your core combat mechanic takes about half of most fights do (more so in ambush situations, much less after a duration has ended), no one in my groups cares about it, since it's such a cripplingly exploitable weakness.

[Killer Cyborg]

They're pretty powerful in Rifts, depending on what else you're doing, and what level the psychic is.
If you've got a Battle Mage with a Deathbringer as the standard of power, then yeah, the Mind Melter shouldn't bother with the psi-sword.
If you've got a Wilderness Scout in Huntsman, armed with a Vibro-Sword, as the standard, then that Mind Melter can dish out some serious whoop-ass, once he takes the time to open the can.

Oh I agree I was just meaning that in Rifts its power is relative whereas in Fantasy a Psi-Sword is some serious whoopass at almost all times.

[jaymz]

I noticed it early on, and removed / reduced most focusing times for such abilities down to 1-2 actions just so people would take those powers. When your core combat mechanic takes about half of most fights do (more so in ambush situations, much less after a duration has ended), no one in my groups cares about it, since it's such a cripplingly exploitable weakness.

i agree, it used to be just 1 melee action to create the psi sword. but when people began writing in that Xititix Queens were able to generate multiple ones, KS went into censorship mode and added a meditation time.

Um not sure what you are talking about because my RMB (3rd printing May 1991) has the 15 second/1 melee round summoning time for it so it has ALWAYS been that way since the queen was first given stats ion the same book. It isn't anything new.

[ZorValachan]

We always used the meditation time and never had a problem with it. If the mind melter didn't have time to summon it, he just used other powers. Never stopped anyone from playing one.

[The Dark Elf]

What and where is the meditation rule pls.

[jaymz]

What and where is the meditation rule pls.

The meditation rule is that it takes an entire melee round for a psi-sword to be created (unless you are a cyberknight). It is in the description of the psi-sword power itself.

This is not to be confused with the actual meditation "power".