Athasian psionicists may learn several special proficiencies that are unavailable elsewhere. These skills may be made available in other campaign settings at the DM’s discretion. A psionicist’s crossover proficiency groups are General and Psionicist. Learning a proficiency from any other group costs one slot more than the listed cost. Several of the character kits discussed in the previous chapter waive this penalty for certain nonweapon proficiencies.

All characters are automatically proficient at punching and wrestling, but some psionicist kits may be allowed to learn martial arts or to specialize in punching and wrestling. Detailed rules for specialization and martial arts appear in The Complete Fighter’s Handbook. A psionicist may only choose one unarmed combat style to spend extra weapon slots on.

If a character spends a weapon proficiency slot to specialize in punching, he gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls, and one additional attack per round. He also gains a +1 table bonus, which may be used to move the result one place up or down.

If a character spends a weapon proficiency slot to specialize in wrestling, he gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls, and a +1 chart bonus. He gains a +1 damage bonus for continuing holds. The wrestling specialist also gains a +2 bonus to his Strength score for purposes of maintaining a hold.

Unlike punching and wrestling, a character must spend a proficiency slot to learn martial arts. Using martial arts is just like punching or wrestling—25% of all damage is real, and the rest is temporary. A character with martial arts proficiency must make a successful attack roll and inflicts damage based on the Martial Arts Results Table plus his Strength bonus, if any.

Only sensei may specialize in martial arts for one more weapon proficiency slot. The character gains an additional attack per round, a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls and a +1 table bonus.

Only sensei may continue to specialize, spending additional weapon proficiency slots to improve their unarmed combat abilities. A character must first specialize in punching, wrestling, or martial arts before adding more slots to continue specializing. He can’t continue specializing at 1st level.

For each specialization slot, the sensei gains an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, and an additional +1 table bonus. When his table bonus reaches +2 or better, he may select any maneuver within the bonus range.

Many psionicists find that they can achieve a deeper and more productive psionic trance by focusing their meditations on an inanimate object. Crystals and gemstones are the most frequently used foci, because of their clarity and durability. A crystal focus gives the psionicist a +1 bonus on power checks for one particular science or devotion.

To use this proficiency, the psionicist must first attune a crystal to one of his psionic powers. This requires a proficiency check and two hours of meditation. After that, he can use the +1 bonus any time he initiates the power if he has the crystal in contact with his body. A psionicist may only attune one crystal at a time. if he rolls a natural 20 on his power check, the crystal burns out and is destroyed.

The crystal doesn’t have to be very valuable—a plain quartz crystal is usually enough to establish focus.

Some characters have the ability to rapidly gather information from the underworld and the city streets. A character with this proficiency will be aware of any major rumors circulating among the lowlife and commoners of an area. With a successful proficiency check, the character can gather specific information about a person or place.

The roll is modified by the character’s reaction adjustment (his Charisma score). If the character uses this skill outside his own territory—in another neighborhood or city-state, for example—he suffers a –3 penalty to his check. In addition, the character must also spend 1d10 ceramic pieces for small bribes, buying drinks, and other such expenses when he uses this skill. If he does not spend the money, he suffers an additional –3 penalty to the proficiency check.

Power manipulation is the skill of amplifying a psionic power or devotion. This proficiency can only be used to manipulate powers in the psionicist’s primary discipline. When the psionicist initiates or maintains a psionic power, he may use power manipulation to boost its effects. First he initiates the power with a normal power check. Then he may attempt power manipulation by making a proficiency check. The attempt incurs an additional cost of 5 PSPs, whether he succeeds or fails. If the character makes a successful proficiency check, he achieves the result listed for that devotion’s power score.

If the psionicist rolls a natural 20 on the proficiency check, he botches the manipulation attempt and suffers the ill effects of rolling a 20 for that devotion’s power check.

This proficiency represents the study o famous masters of the Way and the methodology of developing mental powers. The character is versed in the standard powers and effects. With a successful proficiency check, the character can identify the general effects of any psionic devotion o science. For example, the character encounters a dwarf walking across a silt basin without sinking. With a successful check, he can determine that the dwarf is using the Body Equilibrium devotion.

The second benefit of this proficiency is the ability to recognize attack patterns in mental combat. If the character makes a proficiency check with a –4 penalty, he is able to guess which attack and defense modes his opponent will be using that round and select his own modes accordingly. The DM should make this check in secret; if the PC fails the check, randomly decide which powers he thinks his opponent is using.

If two characters with psionic lore engage in mental combat, the character with the highest successful proficiency check is able to read his opponent’s intentions. If the proficiency checks are the same, neither character gains any information.

Some people are able to develop a rudimentary psionic defense, although they are not psionicists. They may be born with exceptionally strong Wills, or they may have met a teacher who instructed them in the basics of psionic self-defense.

When a character with this proficiency is attacked by contact or one of the five telepathic attack modes, he may attempt to defend himself mentally. This must be declared after the attacker has announced his attack, but before he resolves it—the defending character can’t wait to see if the attack succeeds.

If the defender makes a successful proficiency check, he manages to prevent contact for that one attack. Each subsequent mental attack provides a cumulative –4 penalty to the proficiency check, so a character who has been attacked three times in one encounter makes his check with a –12 penalty. Unlike a psionicist, whose attackers need three tangents to force contact, the general defender is bested the first time his attacker succeeds and he fails his psychic defense roll.

While a character is defending himself psionically, he may move and defend himself normally. However, he may not cast spells or initiate any wild talents. The psychic defender can make melee or missile attacks, but he suffers a –4 penalty to any attack rolls he makes since his attention is divided between his physical surroundings and the mental assault.