this is an idea that i've been thinkin bout for the last week or so: Psionic ability, much like the power of a Sorc, comes from within. No long formulae to memorize, no praying to the divine. But while a Pisoinc character is similar their power doesn't actually come from a powerful ancestor.

But what if it sort of did? what if a family, or even a whole nation, used the Powers of one discipine so much, over so many generations, that it eventually affected it's manifesters on a genetic level?

what are others thoughts on this? is this too far fetched or could we make this work somehow?

I like it personally. I had even tried to make a 'Bloodlines campaign' once. only those who could be identified as belonging to a bloodline had respect, power, and station. those who lacked bloodline... well, life was tough.
are you thinking about basing this in Third Dawn or more generic? I like the idea and wouldn't mind tossing in some ideas.

I'll probably be hated for that (or maybe not, after all typical Psionic haters compare it to Sci-Fi, anime is for ToB) but anyway.

This reminds me of Naruto, where most of the shinobi people can manipulate chakra thanks to their bloodline (the manga shows several "gen-pop" without any power, so I infer it does not appear randomly) and some of them even have special ability that nobody else outside the bloodline is capable of doing (the various kekkei genkais).

Shiniobi from reknown families (even without special abilities) are better because they have access to better training. The power (size of chakra pool) of each shinobi however seems to be totally random, as is their affinity to one of the five element.

From a d20 PoV, I think the bloodlines mechanic (described in Unearthed Arcana) works well to model kekkei genkais (as long as you don't respect the guidelines about what should be given at every level). For psionic now, what kind of special stuff were you thinking about LMS? Free use of a low level "signature" power? Special augmentation(s) of a std power?

=A=

Actually, this idea is in Mind Divine with the House of Mandreth family, which has a special feat which grants them additional psionic power, so the precedence is there.

IOW, I like it.

I thought of something like this for Wilders.... Passions..

They sort of beat me to it

dreamscarredpress.com/...t=717.html


Talents: Talents are low powdered psionic abilities much like cantrips or orisons. The Wilder’s Talent choices are taken from the Psion Talent List (Silke’s final conversion)
Talents are usable at will and never consume power points. Some may be augmented however. At 1st level, the Wilder gains 2 talents, and more as they gain levels.
Wilder Passion: Every wilder has some connection to one particular emotion above all others. This emotional focus is known as the Wilder’s Passion and grants her additional class skills, powers and feats much like a Sorcerers Blood Line.
Passion Name
Description:
Class Skill:
Bonus Powers:
Level 3 + 2 levels after, gain the power listed.
Bonus Feats:
Level 7 and every 6 levels after, add bonus feat from list
Passion’s Focus: A special ability or effect, that is granted with this passion.

Passion Effects:

1st

3rd

9th

15th

20th


Anger
Description: The wilder’s emotional powers are tied to anger and rage, and she can harness her anger to devastating effects.

Class Skill: Intimidate

Bonus Powers:
Level 3 + 2 levels after, gain the power on this list.
Demoralize (3rd), Concussion Blast (5th), Psionic Blast (7th), Telkenetic Maneuver (9th ), Psychic Crush (11th), Fuse Flesh (13th), Energy Wave (15th), Shadow Body (17th), Assimilate (19th)

Bonus Feats:
Level 7 and every 6 levels after, add bonus feat from list
Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Skill Focus Intimidate, Shield Bash

Passion’s Focus:
Anger’s Rage: You gain a rage ability similar to that of the Barbarian. You can use this ability 1 per day per Charisma Modifier. While Raging, you cannot manifest any psionic powers or use any Spell Like Abilities associated with your Passion. In all other aspects, this rage functions like the Barbarian Rage.

Passion Effects: These are additional effects that can be ‘manifested’ when the Wilder uses her Wild Surge Ability

1st
Fearful Voice(Su): When you use your Wild Surge ability, you scream in anger, causing a single target that is affected by one of your power’s this round, to suffer the effects of Cause Fear (as per the spell). The save DC is 10 + ½ your manifester level + Cha Modifier. You can use this ability 3 times per day + your Charisma Modifier

3rd
Anger’s Fear (Su): When your use your Wild Surge, you gain +4 to any Fear effects. This can be used for a number of rounds per day equal to your Manifester Level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
At 9th level you gain immunity to fear when you use your Wild Surge.
At 15th level, you are immune to fear effects, regardless if you use your Wild Surge or not.

9th
Fearful Presence (Su): Once per day per 2 levels, while wild surging, all creatures within 10feet of your power’s target this round are struck by Psionic Blast as though you had manifested it as well. You can use this ability once per day. At 17th level, twice per day and at 20th level, 3 times per day.

15th
Anger’s Wrath (Su): When you choose to use your Wild Surge, you can increase your effective manifester level by 2 times your Wild Surge value. When doing so, you immediately suffer Enervation effects in the follow round (no roll). You can use this ability oncer per day at 15th level, twice at 20th level.


20th
Anger Impersonated (Su): You are the embodiment of Anger.
You can apply any Meta Psionic feat to any attack power you know without increasing the power point cost.
You can also augment any attack power as if you had used your Wild Surge, without actually surging.
Any Fear based effect is turned back against the attacker
While using your Rage ability you can still manifest powers.
This state of being lasts a number of rounds equal to your Charisma Modifier. These rounds need not be consecutive. You do not need to use your Wild Surge to use this ability.


What you think?

This would be something good to put into the pathfinder book...

A little sidebar that describes the psionic sorcerer bloodline.

There are no doubt going to be "Psionic spells" much like in the EPH. These spells could be the bloodline spells of a psionic bloodline for sorcerers.

Add to it some basic psionics as bloodline powers and some choice feats and you have a full blown psionic sorcerer bloodline. Someone rooted firmly in the arcane who just so happens to have a very expansive mind.

why would there be a psionic sorceror bloodline? if a sorceror was deriving their powers from a psionic being, i can only assume that the powers would be psionic in nature, thus making it not a sorceror at all.

why? an Illithid casts as a sorcerer, though a psionic variant exists. same with the Couatl, which has spells and psionics. perhaps the sorcerer's ancestor was a powerful Sapphire dragon, who also developed arcane casting and became a Cerebremancer?

learned magic should not be inherited, so the dragon cerebramancer shouldn't have any effect.

and so far as i can recall, illithids in 3.5 either cast via spell-like abilities, or they manifest powers like a psion, depending on which version you use. one is psionic, the other is "psionic", by which i mean, "it says it's psionic but there isn't anything even remotely psionic about it"

also, illithids don't reproduce sexually. (mind-bogglingly stupid "half-illithid" template and related prestige class notwithstanding) so no chance of inheriting anything from an illithid. i'm not sure couatl even reproduce at all (aren't they outsiders? though that doesn't necessarily prevent anything in D&D), and while it does have sorceror spellcasting, it doesn't have sorceror spellcasting as psionics (those are quite clearly denoted)

finally, this is dreamscarred press. they don't do "psionics(sp)" kinda stuff. they do psionics using the psionics rules. if for some reason you really feel the need to make a sorceror who is supposedly a psionic bloodline, you really don't need anyone who's an expert in the psionics rules, because the sorceror is quite evidently not in any way, shape, or form using the psionics rules.

i realise i'm probably coming off sounding a little hostile. sorry, it's late and i can't seem to fall asleep. i'm just confused as to why there would be a need for a psionic bloodline for a sorceror. if the sorceror does happen to have ancestors with psionics, you can be fairly confident those psionic powers are not the source of the sorceror abilities.

Wayfinder #2 (Free PF magazine) actually has a psionic sorcerer bloodline. Silly I know, but for some people, that's the way they want it. Maybe some people develop magic from a psionic bloodline?