Psionic Prosthetics
Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 9:08 pm
so, as noted in a previous thread, i'm pretty much just getting started as far as the AtB setting is concerned. just recently got the 2nd edition core book, etc, etc.
one thing i'm wondering is that having looked through the past several forum pages of discussion for interesting stuff, i haven't seen anyone talk about the psionic prosthetic abilities at all., which feels odd to me.
the regular ectoplasmic hands aren't *too* surprising (although they are a 50% discount for any winged creature that wants full wings and a pair of arms, and isn't planning on making extensive use of other psionic abilities, and would also be great for snakes, and are useful for biped:none purebreds, particularly since it will create full arms for many of those creatures as i read it). with a free "advanced touch" thrown in for good measure - not exactly the most amazing advanced sense in existence, but hey, it's free. and also, they heal much faster than normal (if they aren't destroyed), and can even be replaced if they are lost. on the other hand (no pun previously intended, but since i left it in obviously intended now), i totally get that lots of people don't want glowing vaporous hands.
what really surprises me is that there hasn't been discussion on the extended ectoplasmic hands, or the psychic "walk".
so, first, extended hands. they do a lot of things. first off, they do all the stuff the basic ectoplasmic hands do, which is pretty nice. for bats, they're amazing; combine the ability to sense objects through walls (with advanced sonar) with the ability to *reach* through said walls and manipulate objects? yes, please. combine that with even larger bonuses to otherwise difficult skills (+25% to pick locks, for example, between advanced touch and the ability to feel inside the lock). next up is the real kicker: the ability to reach through armour. as i read it, this should allow you to ignore non-natural AR for sure, and possibly natural AR as well. and as yet another advantage, you deal damage direct to hit points, and they are a 1d6 (+PS bonus) natural weapon for all intents and purposes. they probably also can't be parried (though they can still be sacrificed to parry if needed; obviously, losing your arm for several days isn't great, but there are worse things than losing arms that will regenerate). i'm envisioning elephants that just reach through the shell of a type 1 robot, grab the pilot, and rip them in half from outside of the robot without breaking a sweat (1d6 + 25 or even 1d6 + 30 damage should be fairly easy to achieve between +10 to PS for being an elephant, strength bonus from size level, and physical skills; not very many humans are going to have enough HP to survive that hit).
have i just missed some major discussion on this, or has this actually escaped the attention of everyone else somehow?
next up, psychic "walk". by which i mean, at-will, unlimited flight, including the ability to hover, for as long as you're conscious (and don't want to use any other psychic abilities). the only flight ability that costs less which i can find anywhere is glide, which can't be used most of the time. for the typical price of full biped, you can fly at your regular speed. unlimited height, and basically perfect maneuverability. now, granted it doesn't give the overland travel speed of the actual flight abilities, or the combat bonuses once you're at high speed that flight grants. but this is so far beyond being a "prosthetic" it isn't even funny.
are these abilities just completely escaping everyone's attention because so many people seem to dislike animal psionics and never read them or something?
one thing i'm wondering is that having looked through the past several forum pages of discussion for interesting stuff, i haven't seen anyone talk about the psionic prosthetic abilities at all., which feels odd to me.
the regular ectoplasmic hands aren't *too* surprising (although they are a 50% discount for any winged creature that wants full wings and a pair of arms, and isn't planning on making extensive use of other psionic abilities, and would also be great for snakes, and are useful for biped:none purebreds, particularly since it will create full arms for many of those creatures as i read it). with a free "advanced touch" thrown in for good measure - not exactly the most amazing advanced sense in existence, but hey, it's free. and also, they heal much faster than normal (if they aren't destroyed), and can even be replaced if they are lost. on the other hand (no pun previously intended, but since i left it in obviously intended now), i totally get that lots of people don't want glowing vaporous hands.
what really surprises me is that there hasn't been discussion on the extended ectoplasmic hands, or the psychic "walk".
so, first, extended hands. they do a lot of things. first off, they do all the stuff the basic ectoplasmic hands do, which is pretty nice. for bats, they're amazing; combine the ability to sense objects through walls (with advanced sonar) with the ability to *reach* through said walls and manipulate objects? yes, please. combine that with even larger bonuses to otherwise difficult skills (+25% to pick locks, for example, between advanced touch and the ability to feel inside the lock). next up is the real kicker: the ability to reach through armour. as i read it, this should allow you to ignore non-natural AR for sure, and possibly natural AR as well. and as yet another advantage, you deal damage direct to hit points, and they are a 1d6 (+PS bonus) natural weapon for all intents and purposes. they probably also can't be parried (though they can still be sacrificed to parry if needed; obviously, losing your arm for several days isn't great, but there are worse things than losing arms that will regenerate). i'm envisioning elephants that just reach through the shell of a type 1 robot, grab the pilot, and rip them in half from outside of the robot without breaking a sweat (1d6 + 25 or even 1d6 + 30 damage should be fairly easy to achieve between +10 to PS for being an elephant, strength bonus from size level, and physical skills; not very many humans are going to have enough HP to survive that hit).
have i just missed some major discussion on this, or has this actually escaped the attention of everyone else somehow?
next up, psychic "walk". by which i mean, at-will, unlimited flight, including the ability to hover, for as long as you're conscious (and don't want to use any other psychic abilities). the only flight ability that costs less which i can find anywhere is glide, which can't be used most of the time. for the typical price of full biped, you can fly at your regular speed. unlimited height, and basically perfect maneuverability. now, granted it doesn't give the overland travel speed of the actual flight abilities, or the combat bonuses once you're at high speed that flight grants. but this is so far beyond being a "prosthetic" it isn't even funny.
are these abilities just completely escaping everyone's attention because so many people seem to dislike animal psionics and never read them or something?