Psionic Combat

Psionicists automatically receive the contact bonus proficiency when they are created. Contact gives them access to psionic attacks and allows them to participate in psionic combat. The psionic attacks come naturally and don’t take up any proficiency slots.

Wild talents, however, must select the contact proficiency and place it in an open nonweapon proficiency slot. (Note that this should occur at the point when a character becomes a wild talent, whether when he is first created or later in his career when his psionic ability becomes known.) Along with the proficiency, wild talents receive only one psionic attack form. However, as a wild talent rises in level and gains nonweapon proficiency slots, he may select additional attack forms. These fill open slots, and the wild talent may choose more forms (for a total of three) as he gains slots. Wild talents may never have more than three of the five psionic attacks.

Psionic combat is used to assault closed minds so that they can be opened to further psionic contact. This is accomplished like other attacks in the AD&D game system: The attacking psionicist selects an attack form and makes an MTHAC0 roll equal to or exceeding the defender’s MAC. Regardless of that MAC, a roll of 1 always fails and a roll of 20 always succeeds.

Psionic attacks can be used against psionic and nonpsionic minds. A nonpsionic mind is defined as any character without a PSP pool. The procedures are the same, but the results are slightly different.

When attacking a psionic mind, psionic combat continues until one opponent is reduced to 0 PSPs or until the battle is broken off. A mind with 0 PSPs is open and can be subjected to other psionic powers. When attacking a nonpsionic mind, however, only one successful attack is required to open the mind.

Psionic powers only can be used on open minds , whether willingly opened or attacked until that state occurs. A psionic power can be used in the same round that a mind is opened by psionic attack.

Psionic defenses , like armor and shields in physical combat, remain in place until the defender’s PSP total is reduced to 0 (in the case of a psionic character) or one successful psionic attack breaches the defenses (of a nonpsionic character).

Psionic attacks require concentration. A psionicist who uses one during a combat round can move at only half his walking rate. A character using a psionic attack also can be disrupted the same way as can a wizard casting a spell. In the round when a character using a psionic attack is disrupted, the attack can’t be used. A disrupted psionic attack costs 1 PSP for the attempt.

Psionicists can make a number of psionic attacks in a round according to their level: 1–6, 1/1 round; 7–12, 3/2 rounds; 13+, 2/1 round. Wild talents can never make more than one psionic attack in a round.

Psionicists and wild talents receive MTHAC0 bonuses depending on their Intelligence scores, making it easier to accomplish psionic attacks.

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