Psionics for MechWarriors

These rules were initially developed for a Robotech: The Sentinels campaign using the Mechwarrior, Second Edition rules.  Several alien races in that setting have supernatural powers, and we needed a way to codify these powers and use them in play.  I enjoyed these rules during that campaign, and feel they are a natural addition to any MechWarrior game--though games that do not rely exclusively on mech combat (oh no!) would benefit most.

Psionic Potential

In order to make use of psionic powers, a character must 1) have the potential (naturally or otherwise), and 2) develop that potential through skills.  There are two methods of "achiving" psionic potential:  by virtue of one's race, or through a cybernetic implant.

Race: Human (Psychic)

Under these rules, human characters who set Race as Priority 1 (instead of 0) have psionic potential.  These characters automatically have access to all psionic skills.  Pychic humans may choose not to train in psionic skills, even though they have psionic potential.  Whether or not a psychic human has trained their abilities, they always perceive psychic phenomena (see below).

Advantage:  Psionic Implant

Requirements:  member of the Clans; combined LRN & CHA of 7+

Viewing psionics as volatile and unpredictable, the Clans bred any potential for psychic powers out of their bloodlines.  However, upon their return to the Inner Sphere and encountering psychic humans, controlled psionic development was pursued.  The solution was an ectoplasm-enhanced receptor implanted in the brain. Select one of the implant classes below; you gain access to that implant’s psionic skills (but no others).

Anyone with a psionic implant as the chance of perceiving psychic phenomena (INT check).

Gamma-class implant (2 pts):  Astral Projection, Clairsentience, Telepathy.

Kappa-class implant (3 pts):  Ectoplasty, Plasmakinesis, Telekinesis.

Mages of Monvesia - Scholars

RETCON NOTE: This post replaces portions of "Mages of Monvesia" and "Savants of Monvesia;" see also "Mages of Monvesia - Malefactors."

Mastery of the arcane arts can be achieved by strengthening one's connection to the Spheres of Power.  While some mages make pacts or embrace an inborn otherworldly nature (see malefactors), a dominant majority do so through years of research, experimentation, and formal study.  These scholars view themselves as "true" mages, and often argue that they are the more powerful of their kind.  These include the industrial Artificers and the academic Wizards.

Artificer

This class is detailed in Eberron: Rising from the Last War.

From a Pracian perspective, the ways of artifice began with the dwarves and gnomes (and, presumably, neanderthals).  Humans would learn the arts from them, and spread them throughout the Monvesien Valley to the other races of Prace.  In Henjal, artifice is as old the the scalikind Empire of the Morning and Evening Star--whence it spread from the Forest of Vines to the Sea of Fuhon. While in Raviq it was practiced by an elite, priest-like caste of revered craftsmen.  Fuhonese artifice is a unique blend of all three traditions, since the korobokuru would have brought their Pracian tradition with them.

Alchemists are by far the most common artificer.  Local traditions of alchemy can be found throughout the regions Monvesia, each with their own names and customs.  This specialty forms the basis of the Natural Sciences of Goliath Medicine.

Battle Smiths and Armorers (Unearthed Arcana) are tied as the second-most widely known artifice specialties.  The two are just as often seen working side-by-side (particularly during times of war) as they are rivals. 

Artillerists are a closely-guarded dwarven secret in Prace--though the korobokuru in Fuhon have been more willing to share the art.  In Henjal, kobolds have independently developed their own artillerist tradition; it is meant to be secret, but a drunk kobold can't always keep such secrets.

Mages of Monvesia - Malefactors

RETCON NOTE: This post replaces portions of "Mages of Monvesia;" see also "Mages of Monvesia - Scholars."

Mastery of the arcane arts can be achieved by strengthening one's connection to the Spheres of Power.  This can be approached through formal study (see scholars), or else through otherworldy pacts or natural power.  The latter typically exist outside of "accepted" society, and are therefore called malefactors--commonly understood as "evil-doers," though originally meant to mean "incorrect doers."  There is nothing inherently evil about the sorcerer or warlock.

Enhancements to the class features of both these classes can be found in Unearthed Arcana.

Sorcerer

Different races have their own traditions "explaining" the nature of sorcerers.  To an extent, each version of the sorcerer story is true.  That is, these different versions of what a sorcerer is represent the sorcerous origins common to that race's history.

According to the omnipresent Senarian churches of the humans in Prace, sorcerers are possessed of an inborn connection to one of the Spheres.  While all adherents of the elemental philosophies believe that every being has such a connection, it is the sorcerers who have accepted it and gained power from it.   A sorcerer's elemental connection may be tied to his or her race (or culture, if human), personal philosophy/temperament, season of birth, etc.--but it does not define every aspect of the character.  Two origins reflect this:  Shadow Magic (Xanathar's Guide) and Storm Sorcery (Sword Coast or Xanathar's Guide).

Until such time as other, official origins are introduced, these two can be used to mimick the other elements.  Use Shadow Magic for Light Magic: reversing references to necrotic and radiant damage as well as darkness and light.  Use Storm Sorcery for other primal elements, such as Flood, Quake, and Wildfire Sorcery:  use alternate damage types and movement speeds as appropriate.

Among the successors races of the Empire of the Morning and Evening Star, it is said that sorcery is the result of having had a Dragon Ancestor.  This connection is not necessarily one of direct ancestry, but could represent a bloodline having been favored by one of the dragon lords of old.

Remember, there are only six types of dragons in Monvesia--each associated with one of the elemental forces of one of the Spheres.  Therefore, this is one origin that also follows the Temperamental beliefs of the Senarian churches.  (An early version of 5th Edition Monvesia used a variation on the Dragon Ancestor to represent Elemental Magic).

In the land of Desolation in Raviq, the HMDJVNW have taken control and cursed the native races into submission with a psychosomatic ailment known as Taint.  This cure is so potent in Desolation, that even the land, the neighboring Frenetic Ocean, and magic itself have become warped.  Some who have been affected by the Taint have also gained a connection to the Wild Magic that was released into the world because of it.

Warriors of Monvesia - Mystics

RETCON NOTE: This post replaces portions of "Savants of Monvesia," which previously incorporated elements from the earlier "Warrirors of Monvesia" post.  See also "Warriors of Monvesia - Men-at-Arms."

There are warriors whose power and ability exist beyond mere training as men-at-arms.  Though paladins draw power from their faith and rangers from their esoteric knowledge, these classes are not much different than the fighter class--even the point of demonstrating many of t
he same combat styles.  Barbarian and monks, however, are more ascetic in their approach to empowered combat.  These classes have a more mystic appreciation of the combat arts.

The designation "mystic" is borrowed from the Rules Cyclopedia, which uses the term for its version of a monk-like class.  It is not to be confused with the Mystic class which has been presented as an optional psionic class.

Enhancements to the class features of both these classes can be found in Unearthed Arcana.

Barbarian

Barbarians are spiritual warriors from various traditions.  While each path is bound to a particular culture, followers of those paths are not bound to those cultures.

Totem Warriors often emerge from Galtic druidism, which is a naturalistic faith that venerates alimal guides and guardians.  These sacred warriors typically accompany and protect druids of the Circle of the Shepherd--though many barbarians of this path exist beyond the religious community as well.

New options for the totem warrior can be found in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

The Beast (Unearthed Arcana) draws on the same Galtic tradition as the Totem Warrior; with sacred warriors of this path more commonly associated with the Circle of the Moon.  As with their counterparts above, barbarians of this path are not bound to "religious service" (though they are often considered the equivalent of Paladins).

The Shepherd/Totem and Moon/Beast dichotomy among Galtic druidism may represent an orthodox/heterodox schism in the original tradition.  Which as much as the tw denominations have in common, they are dissimilar in  in key doctrinal and practical areas.

Taint in Monvesia

A major element that separates Monvesia from other fantasy settings is Taint--the transformation of some individuals and communities into monstrous reflections of themselves.  Since taint is responsible for the goblinoid and similar races, I first touched on it in "Other Non-Humans of Monvesia."  I didn't really explore the nature of the ailment, however.

Taint is adopted, in part, from Legend of the Five Rings.  However, unlike in that setting, Taint in Monvesia is not a result of personal choice or action--it is the result of public belief and perception.  Monvesian Taint is further inspired by the Taint from the Thaumcraft mod for Minecraft; as well as the Blight from Dragon Age.

Taint is a "psychosomatic" disorder--that is, it is a mental condition that alters the physical body.   From a metaphysical, cosmologial perspective, it originates in Limbo (the Plane of Subconscious Thought).  Here, the subconscious minds of all living creatures connect; and a collective unconscious "shadow" exists--an iridescent, black and purple storm-cloud dominating the horizon.

Character Optimization in Monvesia

"Optimization" seems to be a good word for areas related to either the creation or customization of characters--and house rules related to each.

Ability Scores

The Player's Handbook presents three methods of generating ability scores:  4d6, standard array, and point-buy.  These methods have become fairly standard in fantasy roleplaying.  Of the three, my preference is for point-buy--which allows for both individuality and balance.  I disagree with the Player's Handbook in regards to the highest ability one can purchase, however.  

Experts of Monvesia

Skilled vagabonds wander Monvesia for many reasons, any of which make them a good fit for an adventuring party.  Loremasters, gutternipes, troubadours, and confidence artists all make ta place for themselves in the world--either out of necessity, or else merely of desire.

Enhancements to the class features of both these classes can be found in Unearthed Arcana.

Bard

The bard is a product of dwarven culture.  It is one of two recognized arcane professions in dwarven society (see Artificer in "Savants of Monvesia").  The eldest bardic college is the College of Valor, which emerged in the warrior caste.  The dwarves' deeds in battle needed to be passed down, so that no warrior could forget the bravery of history.  The College of Valor has remained close to dwarven and gnomish culture, spreading among humans and halflings of the Honderreich, Galtain, and Voztok.

Warriors of Monvesia - Men-at-Arms

RETCON NOTE:  See also "Warriors of Monvesia - Mystics."

Martial traditions can be grouped into two basic categories:  a formal caste of men-at-arms, and ascetic mystics.  The first group share in common, among other things, a series of fighting styles.

Additional fighting style options for Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers can be found in Unearthed Arcana, including general and class-specific styles, as well as "underdark" styles.  The former link also includes enhancements for the class features of all three classes discussed below.

Fighter

The majority of fighters are Champions and Battle Masters.  These can commonly be found as heroic soldiers and officers, but these martial archetypes are by no means bound to military service.

Among elves, the Eldritch Knight is as common as any Champion, and possibly more common than Battle Masters.  As highly magic beings, merging the martial and mystical arts is natural to them.  Any who wish to learn the ways of this archetype may study with the elves.

Brutes (Unearthed Arcana) are commonly found as street thugs and gladiators, and not among the military orders of Monvesia--though they may be conscripted into formal service.

Bannerets (Sword Coast) are mercenary and noble officers who are assisted by Battle Masters in leading troops of Champions.  While Champions and Battle Masters may exist outside the strict hierarchy of military service, the Banneret does not.

Cavaliers (Xanathar's Guide) often stand alongside Battle Masters and Bannerets as officers of a noble or mercenary forces. Some may also serve as knights errant, wandering the countryside and offering their services as their conscience (or purse) may dictate.