Introduction

Chapter Eight: Psionic Items

Since psionics are so prevalent on Athas, it is only natural that psionic items are far more common here than elsewhere. Athasians have been creating psionic items to help them master their mental talents for thousands of years. While psionic items are relatively common, they are not as common as magically enchanted devices—few psionicists ever become skilled enough to easily create an empowered item.

Creating a psionic item is a much more personal and experimental process than enchanting a magical device. When the psionicist finishes his work, he has actually created a new intelligence with its own personality, goals, and capabilities. Most psionicists are accordingly cautious about empowering items that may eventually fall into the wrong hands.

Empowering an Item

The basic method for creating a psionic item is to use the Metapsionic science empower to infuse it with psionic energy and talents. Empower is described in detail in The Complete Psionics Handbook , so the process will not be repeated here.

When the empowered item is finished, it possesses a minimum Intelligence of 12. It may be capable of communicating with its owner, as described below.

Intelligence | Communication Ability
12 | Semiempathy; item communicates by tingling or dim feelings
13 | Empathy; item transmits feelings
14 | Speech, 1 language
15 | Speech, 2 languages
16 | Speech, 3 languages
17 | Speech, languages, and telepathy with its owner only
18 | Speech, 5 languages, and telepathy with any creature within 120 feet

An item learns languages as part of the creation process. It can only learn languages the creator knows. Unless otherwise stated, the item first learns its creator’s native tongue. Items can have empathic or telepathic abilities even if not empowered with telepathic powers, if they are sufficiently Intelligent.

If the psionicist wishes, he can minimize the item’s Intelligence and communication abilities. He can always provide the item with a lower Intelligence than that indicated by the roll after the empower check, but never lower than 12.

Intelligence

What does an intelligent item think about?

First of all, a psionically empowered item has the same alignment as its creator. It will pursue its own goals based on this alignment. An evil-aligned item may betray its current owner by failing to operate or may even try to control its possessor and force him to obey its orders. A good-aligned item may try to convince an evil owner to discard it or refuse to commit evil acts.

Since psionic items are sentient, they can initiate their own powers. A teleporting staff may see its beloved owner in danger of being killed and decide to get him out of harm’s way. An evil domination helm may help its owner make up his mind by exercising its powers to influence his actions.

Items tend to pick up personality traits and goals from their creators. If the psionicist who empowers an item has a deep-rooted hatred for defilers, the item is likely to make the elimination of defiling magic one of its personal goals. There is always a streak of independence, though; items sometimes take their cues from subconscious desires of their creators and develop personality traits the psionicists may not recognize as their own.

Even if an item is only empathic, it is possible to communicate with it by using the power mindlink. Empowered items with no telepathic abilities are considered to be monsters for purposes of contacting them, with a –7 penalty to the initiator’s contact roll. However, empowered items with telepathic powers of their own are considered to be fully human for contact purposes.

Ego

Psionic items develop egos like enchanted weapons. The item gains 2 points for each devotion and 3 for each science. Refer to the “Weapon Versus Characters” rules, on page 188 of the Dungeon Master® Guide. Usually, psionic items are well-disposed toward their creators, since they initially share alignment and personality traits. An item must be deliberately alienated to turn on its creator. The item will tend to be friendly toward those its creator feels friendship for, as well.

The powerful ego of a strongly empowered item makes it dangerous to handle psionic items without knowing who created them and why. Even strong masters of the Way have been overcome by the work of an ancient mindbender. Most empowered items are clever enough to conceal their true purposes and powers until they know their owner’s goals and strengths.

Using Psionic Items

Empowered items are like magical items in that their abilities can be used by anyone. Even characters with no psionic ability at all can use them. Some items have trigger words which their possessor can use to initiate their powers. (Of course, the device may disagree with the user about whether the power is appropriate for the situation, but that’s another issue.)

Psionic items have a PSP total and expend PSPs to initiate their powers. An empowered device begins with 8 PSPs per devotion and 12 per science. In addition, a device can be given extra PSPs if the creator knows the receptacle power. The psionicist can implant a number of extra PSPs equal to his 1st-level total by augmenting the device this way.

The empowered device regains PSPs as though it were resting, recovering 6 PSPs per hour under normal circumstances. If the item is damaged, it regains only 3 PSPs per hour. Items with powers that normally affect the psionicist only (such as teleport) extend these powers to their user if the user has the item on his person. Powers with a range of 0 or of touch must be originated by the touch of the item to its target or subject.

Damaging Psionic Items

Items can be damaged in two ways: physically and psionically. Physical damage can be caused by any force that would normally damage an item of that sort, so a psionically empowered piece of cloth can be pierced, torn, burned, or whatever. If a psionic item is destroyed by physical means, it is ruined.

Psionic devices may attempt item saving throws as if they were enchanted items of the appropriate sort. Generally, an item gains a +1 on its saving throws for every 3 points of ego.

Psionic devices can also be damaged mentally. Since they are intelligent, they are subject to telepathic attacks. Items with access to Telepathy may use any defense modes they have to defend themselves. (This does not include items that only happen to have telepathy as a communication ability.) If an item does not possess a defense mode, it can be attacked psionically as if it were a nonpsionic character.

Obviously, most telepathic effects such as id insinuation, daydream, or invincible foes may not apply. Instead, when a psionic item is contacted and suffers a psionic attack it cannot defend against, it is shuts down for a number of hours equal to the level of its attacker. If the attacker is physically touching the item, he effectively dominates it, breaking it to his will.

Selected Psionic Items

By their very nature, psionic items tend to be unique creations with their own personalities and goals. The following devices are described to show what is possible with psionically empowered items.

Periapt of Tierna

Discipline: Psychometabolism PSPs: 44

Sciences: Complete healing (14)

Devotions: Body control (10), cell adjustment (11), displacement (11), mind over body (15)

Intelligence: 15 Ego: 11

Alignment: Lawful Good

The Periapt of Tierna is a pale green gemstone with a white star in its center. It was created about 200 years ago by a seeress of Raam named Tierna. Tierna wandered widely throughout the Tyr region and believed in aiding any person who needed her help. She created the Periapt as a gift for her apprentice Relia, who was unfortunately killed in the desert by raiders soon after leaving Tierna’s tutelage. Since that time, the gem has passed from hand to hand across the Tablelands.

The Periapt can speak, but only does so if someone nearby is suffering and its owner does not know of its healing abilities. It grieves for Relia and has been saddened by the violence that surrounds it. Most of its owners have been savage bandits or marauders, and the Periapt wants to be placed in the hands of a healer to perform its original mission.

Red Crystal of Tyr

Discipline: Clairsentience PSPs: 78

Sciences: Clairvoyance (13), precognition (12), spirit lore (14)

Devotions: Predestination (14), see ethereal (12), see magic (14), spirit sense (14)

Intelligence: 17 Ego: 17

Alignment: Lawful Evil

The Red Crystal of Tyr is a large, jagged shard of unidentified stone, about the size of a sword hilt. Its facets are razor-sharp and can easily injure a careless handler. The crystal is circled by two bands of copper and suspended from a copper chain. Its creator is not known, but it is suspected that Kalak the sorcerer-king may have created it about three King’s Ages ago.

The Red Crystal is a vicious thing with a sarcastic, mocking manner. It urges its possessor to do whatever it takes to amass power. It provides its bearer with remarkably accurate knowledge of the future, but delights in showing possible failures and death to its unfortunate owner. The Crystal attempts to master any who claim it.

The Crystal has been seen from time to time in the city of Tyr for decades. It is thought that a bold thief might have stolen it from Kalak’s treasury, only to be driven insane by the Crystal’s sinister whisperings. As recently as 20 years ago, a High Templar named Kiarnah embarked on a campaign of assassination and terror against his fellows, trying to win Kalak’s patronage, on the Crystal’s urgings. The Crystal disappeared during the revolution, but it is thought that it might have been taken to Urik by a fleeing ex-templar.

Agafari Rod

Discipline: Psychokinesis PSPs: 64

Sciences: Telekinesis (13), telekinetic barrier (10)

Devotions: Control flames (15), ballistic attack (11), deflect (14), inertial barrier (10), levitation (13)

Intelligence: 12 Ego: 16

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

The Agafari Rod is a mysterious device crafted by a hermit of the Crescent Forest. It is nearly 3 feet long and carved in the artistic fashion of Gulg, with totem-like creatures climbing its length. A tuft of exotic feathers decorates its head. The Agafari Rod is also enchanted as a club +2 in addition to its psionic properties.

The crafter of the Agafari Rod was a powerful druid known as the Keeper. He fought against the logging crews of Nibenay, and occasionally aided the war parties of Gulg by appearing to tell them where the Nibenese forces were encamped. Eventually, the Keeper so angered the Nibenese that a party of templars was sent to track him down and kill him. Armed with powerful sorcery, they cut a ruined swath through the Keeper’s Grove, forcing him to meet them in battle. The Keeper fell, and his weapon was taken back to Nibenay.

About five years after the expedition’s return, the Agafari Rod was stolen from the High Templar’s trophy chamber by a Gulgian slave who used it to kill her during his escape. For more than 20 years, nothing has been seen of the Rod, since the slave never appeared in Gulg. However, it’s rumored that there’s a new Keeper in the forest, and the Nibenese loggers must guard constantly against attacks from the wood.