Elemental Psionicist
The Elemental Psionicist is a subclass in the Psionicist Group. They make use of psionicist XP table, HD, ThAC0, and Saving Throw (though they do not get the standard psionicist bonus against enchantment magic). While they share many features with the standard Psionicist, their psychic powers are wildly different, oriented, instead, around the manipulation of one or more elements.
To qualify as an Elemental Psionicist, a character must have a 15 in the attribute linked to their primary element, a 12 in the attribute of a second element, and a 9 in the other two. They have the level limits of normal psionicists, though gnomes and dwarves have a level limit of 10 as Terrakineticists. There are no alignment restrictions. They are limited in weapon and armor use as normal psionicists, including the restriction on helmets.
Elemental Psionics are not organized into specific powers as standard psionics are; rather, the psychic manipulates a given element as they see fit; most often these resemble Psychokinetic powers, and Elemental Psychics are often mistaken for Psychokineticists. It is extremely rare for someone to have both forms of psionics; more common is for standard Psychokineticists to mimic Elemental psionics.
At 1st level, an elemental psionicist chooses one of the four main elements; Earth, Air, Fire, or Water. This is their primary element, and the core of all their elemental powers. They also receive the equivalent of the telepathic defense Mind Block, though their particular manifestation of the power on the mindscape more often flows from their element; you might encounter a solid wall of stone in a Terrakineticist's mind, or a raging inferno and choking smoke in a pyrokineticist's. Mechanically, however, these will function as Mind Block. Elemental psionicists defend themselves in psionic combat, but nothing more.
At level 7, an Elemental Psionicist may choose to add a second element, or improve their primary element. If they improve their own element, they receive a -1 to Complexity (and thus PSP cost) for their primary element, to a minimum of zero. If they choose a secondary element, they may also use para-elemental effects between those two elements. There is no restriction on choosing opposing elements, though those have no para-elemental effects to capitalize on; a Hydrokineticist can freely add Fire at 7th level, but adding Earth would allow for Mud effects to be created. Para-elemental effects use the more expensive complexity as a base, and then add 1.
At level 13, the choice is repeated; they may either add a new element, or improve their primary element (if they chose a 2nd element at 7th level, they may not improve their secondary element). As before, improving the primary element reduces complexity by 1 (minimum zero), and adding a new element allows any para-elemental effects between their elements. A 13th level elemental psionicist may also use quasi-elemental effects related to their primary element; these increase the complexity by 2. They may not use quasi-elemental effects of any secondary or tertiary elements.
At 9th level, they receive followers as other psionicists do; however, all of these will be elemental psionicists for elements that they, themselves, practice; a pure pyrokineticist will only receive pyrokinetic followers, while one with pyrokinetic and terrakinetic powers will receive followers of either element. Replacement followers, at subsequent levels, will follow that pattern (so an elemental psionicist who picks a new element at level 13 will begin attracting those sorts of followers, as well).
Elemental psionicists receive a +2 to saving throws against effects related to their primary element (whether magical, psionic, or natural), and +1 to saving throws against effects related to a para or quasi element of their primary. They also receive a +1 to AC against attacks related to their element, or its related para and quasi elements.
Elemental Psionicists receive PSPs similarly to other psychics, but use their element's primary attribute for both their Base Score and Ability Modifier; with an 18 Constitution, a Terrakineticist will have 29 PSPs at 1st level, and gain 13 PSPs at each additional level. If they add secondary or tertiary elements at levels 7 and 13, any bonus from those attributes add to future PSP gains; this may seem unfair to single-element psionicists, but remember that the reduction in complexity of their powers means that everything they do costs 1 or 2 less PSPs. PSPs return at the normal rate for Psionicists.
As members of the Psionicist group, they have access to psionicist proficiencies, including Rejuvenation, Meditative Focus, and Harness Subconscious. They may not use the Proficiencies of Crystal Focus or Power Manipulation for their elemental psionics; their powers don't work like that.
Multi-classing and Dual-Classing
Elemental psionicsts are not restricted from any multi or dual-class available to their race and psionicist. It is not possible to be a psionicist/elemental psionicist through either dual-classing or multiclassing.
Elemental Psionics
Elemental psionics are not divided into discrete powers as common psionics are; instead, they are an ability to manipulate the elements through one's own will. As such, each use of elemental psionic powers is created on the fly, with the psychic decided how long they will concentrate, the range, duration, and area of effect the power will have, and determine, based on their Will, what the level of Complexity will be. The power costs a number of PSPs equal to the total of concentration, range, duration, area of effect, and complexity, and is resolved by making a check against the elements attribute, minus the complexity. A failure on this check costs one-half (rounded up) of the PSPs, but has no other effect. A natural 20 is always a failure, but has no other consequences, nor are their special benefits from rolling exactly the power score.
For example, Aerokinetic flight might involve 5 minutes of concentration (3), Personal Range (1), Concentration duration (3), Medium AoE (3, just your Medium-sized self), Difficulty of 5 (only 3 to move someone, but that’s also a strength of 16 and… that’s not gonna move me). Total cost of 15 (3+1+3+3+5), succeeds on a Int-5 check. A smaller person might have a lower difficulty; someone who needs to fly right now might reduce the concentration time (and thus increase the cost, but not the difficulty).
Concentration, Range, Duration, and Area of Effect are standardized across elements; Complexity is specific to each element.
Concentration
1 Hour (0)
20 Minutes (1)
10 Minutes (2)
5 minutes (3)
1 round (4)
Action (5)
Concentration requiring 1 round will happen at the end of the round. Concentration requiring only an action will happen on the psychic's initiative this round. During concentration, the psychic may only consider the problem; this may involve some conversation with others about the problem, but limited extraneous discussion, and moving at no more than half speed. Any combat or other action will break the concentration.
Range
Personal/Self (1)
Touch (2)
Close (3) (10’)
Medium (4) (60’)
Long (5) (300’)
Duration
*Instant (1)
*1 round (2)
*1 Turn/Momentary/Concentration (3)
*20 minutes (4)
*60 minutes (5)
A "Momentary" duration is something that will make a change that then remains, as opposed to an instant, where something manifests only briefly. Throwing a mote of fire is Instant; creating a cave to sleep in overnight is Momentary.
Area of Effect:
Tiny (1)
Small (2)
Medium (3)
Large (4)
Huge (5)
Gargantuan (6)
Area of effect might involve the amount of material manipulated, on the amount of space affected. Hitting someone with a fist of air might only be tiny (though you might choose to make it small, and hit them with more air), but allowing someone to fly would have an area of effect based on their size.
Creation of Elements
Elemental psychics do not create fire, water, earth, or air; they manipulate them. In the absence of fire, a pyrokinetic must find fire, usually in the form of heat. In the absence of water, hydrokinetics must pull it from the surrounding air. Doing these things always increases the complexity, as specified in the individual elemental descriptions.
Aerokinesis
Aerokinesis involves the movement of air. Quick and agile, Air is governed by Intelligence, and those who use Air must be able to think of the many ways that the air will interact with the air around it; the proverbial butterfly that can set off a storm.
Air is frequently used for pressure or pushing. The difficulty of an effect is set either by its strength or its complexity, whichever is higher.
Attacks with pure air are always 1d2 if Tiny, d3 if Small, d4 if Medium, d6 if Large, d8 if Huge, and d10 if Gargantuan, plus the equivalent strength.
1 - Push something with a gust of wind. Strength of 10.
2 - Direct air up or down, lifting or shoving it downward. Strength of 13.
3 - Surround something with air; spin it, move it, protect it with air. Strength of 16
4 - Remove the air from a place. Strength of 18/50.
5 - Create solid objects with air. Strength of 18/00
6 - Strength of 21
7 - Strength of 24
So, pushing something (say, an aerokinetic punch across the room) is only 1 in complexity, and would be 1d3 damage if Small… it if you increase it to a difficulty 7, you punch with the strength of 24, doing 1d3+12. If you wish to lift a small object, it requires a strength of 10, but it has a complexity, and thus difficulty, of 2.
Working with the motion of the wind always reduces the difficulty by 1; going directly against it increases the difficulty by 1.
Some Aerokinetic powers:
Aerokinetic Flight: 5 minute concentration (3), Personal Range (1), Concentration duration (3), Medium AoE (3, just your Medium-sized self), Difficulty of 5 (only 3 to move someone, but that’s also a strength of 16 and… that’s not gonna move me). Total cost of 15 (3+1+3+3+5), succeeds on a Int-5 check.
Wind Punch: Action Concentration (5), Touch Range (2), Instant Duration (1), Tiny AoE (1, just the surface of your fist), complexity 7 (because I want to hit like a half-giant).
5+2+1+1+7, 16 PSPs, Int-7 check.
Bubble of Air: 1 round concentration (4), Personal range (1), 1 turn duration (3), Large AoE (4; me and my friends), 3 Complexity (surround us with clean air). 4+1+3+4+3, or 15 PSPs, and Int-3 check. In an airless place, a function like Bubble of Air might be difficult (as the aerokineticist must pull the small amount of air into their bubble), but in a room filled with foul air, it would be fine; the air is still air, and the aerokineticist can choose to only affect the "clean" parts.
Hydrokinesis
While air is quick and agile, water mixes its agility with a sense of solidity. It must be felt, and responds best to those with powerful wills; Wisdom guides the hydrokinetic.
Like Air, water is used for pushing, and difficulties are set by complexity or strength. Unlike air, however, hydrokinesis is often limited by the availability of water; creating effects above Tiny size without an available source of water is exceedingly difficult. The hydrokineticist must identify their source of water (if it’s not obvious), and the Complexity will be increased by two or three levels to find the water in the area.
Damage from Water is d3 if Tiny, d4 if small, d6 if Medium, d8 if Large, d10 if huge, and d12 if Gargantuan. Remember, larger than tiny is difficult.
1 - Move water itself; move it through the air in three dimensions, or along the ground. Strength of 11.
2 - Manipulate objects in the water; Strength of 14
3 - Dissipate bodies of water. Strength of 17
4 - Concentrate water from the air, freeze water. Strength of 18/51
5 - Remove water from a body or object, Strength of 18/00
6 - Strength of 21
7 - Strength 24
Sample Hydrokinetic powers:
Dessication: Action Concentration (5), Touch Range (2), Instant Duration (1), Medium AoE (3, that durn elf), Complexity 5 (Remove water from his body). Does d6+6 damage (equivalent strength). 5+2+1+3+5. 16 PSPs, Wisdom -5 check
Water Walking: 5 minute concentration (3), Personal Range (1), 10 minute duration (3), Medium AoE (3 just you), Complexity 2 (walk on top of the water) . 3+1+3+3+2, 12 PSPs, Wisdom -2 check
Call Water: 1 hour concentration (0), Medium Range (4; determined by the DM, based on the terrain), Momentary duration (3), Large AoE (4; calling about 50 gallons of water), 6 Complexity (calling water from the air, but raised because you don't have water to work with): 0+4+3+6+6. 17 PSPs, Wisdom -6 difficulty. The DM might determine that you need more complexity, if you’re in something like a salt flat.
Pyrokinesis
Fire is fast and hungry; it consumes what it touches, and only the charismatic can burn as hotly and keep it at bay. Charisma guides the Pyrokinetic.
Pyrokinesis, unlike the other elements, lacks force; fire burns, but it does not push or pull. Like water, it can also be difficult to produce, because fire does not usually burn upon the land. However, heat is something Athas has in abundance, so it is easier to find the source of fire. Complexity without a ready fire are usually only 1 higher, except in odd circumstances.
Fire consumes; even without force, it does significant damage. At tiny, it does 1d4+1 damage. At small, it does 2d4+2, 3d4+3 at Medium, 4d4+4 at Large, 5d4+5 at Huge, and 6d4+6 at Gargantuan. Fire does damage based on its own size, or the size of the target, whichever is lower; a tiny mote of flame will do 1d4+1 damage even to a giant, but a conflagration that consume the Huge giant will do 5d4+5. However, increasing the complexity can increase the damage above the size limit.
1 - Move fire from place to place; throw bolts, move it in a certain direction.
2 - Keep fire away from a place or person. Intensify a fire to a minimum of 2d4+2 damage.
3 - Extinguish fire. Intensify a fire to a minimum of 3d4+3 damage.
4 - Intensify a fire to a minimum of 4d4+4 damage.
5 - Intensify a fire to a minimum of 5d4+5 damage.
6 - Intensify a fire to 6d4+6 damage.
Sample Pyrokinetic Powers:
Protection from Fire: Action concentration (5), Personal Range (1), 10 minute duration (3), Medium AoE (3), Complexity 2; 5+1+3+3+2; 14 PSPs, Charisma -2 check
Firehose: Action concentration (5), Close range (3), 10 minute duration (3), Small AoE (2), Throw Fire (1; there is a campfire nearby). 5+3+3+2+1; 14 PSPs, Charisma -1 check. For 10 minutes, you can direct fire at anyone within 10 feet of you, doing 2d4+2 damage if they are Small or bigger.
Redirect Fire: 1 Round concentration (4), Personal Range (1), Concentration Duration (3), Gargantuan AoE (6), 1 Complexity (move a fire in a given direction): 4+1+3+6+1. 15 PSPs, Charisma -1 check. Lets you move a house-sized fire away from a place.
Terrakinesis
Earth is solid; earth abides. Movement is not its way, but when it moves, it is a force beyond what water or wind can hope to exert, and though it can be consumed by fire, it can also smother it with its simple immensity. Earth includes dirt, stone, and sand, but not, by itself, silt, mud, metals, or gems. Constitution is the attribute of the Terrakinetic.
Damage from Terrakinesis is d3 if Tiny, d4 if Small, d6 if Medium, d8 if Large, d10 if Huge, and d12 if Gargantuan. Sand imposes a -2 penalty to damage, dirt a -1.
Earth is abundant; unless you are flying, you are probably near a supply of Earth. However, being within recently defiled lands increases the complexity by 1 point. "Recently defiled" is variable; usually, enough has returned in a year that the penalty is gone.
1 - Change the type of earth; sand to earth, earth to stone or sand, stone to earth. Mud or Silt requires access to para-elemental effects. Shape earth, without moving it from place to place. Strength of 14
2 - Move Earth, in contact with earth. Cause a pillar of earth to rise from the ground, roll a boulder. Strength of 18.
3 - Hurl Earth. Move Earth through Water. Strength of 18/00
4 - Move Earth through the air. Strength of 22.
5 - Strength of 23
6 - Strength of 24
7 - Strength of 25
Some Terrakinetic Powers
Earthen Grasp 1 round concentration (4), Close Range (3), 1 turn duration (3), Medium AoE (3; one medium-sized target), Difficulty 1 (stone hands grab the target’s feet; the earth doesn’t have to move, just shape itself). 4+3+3+3+1, 14 PSP, Con -1 Check
Stone Vault: 20 minute concentration (1), Touch Range (2), Momentary duration (3), Huge AoE (5), Difficulty 2 (moving stone around). 1+2+3+5+2 13 PSPs, Create a huge space in earth or stone that will last until it is destroyed (momentary duration). (You can make it in sand with this, but, well, it’s a bit space in sand)
Clobbering Time: 1 Round concentration (4), Close range (3),1 turn duration (3), Large AoE (4), Difficulty 5 (Strength 23). 4+3+3+4+5 19 PSPs, Con-5 difficulty. Create an arm of stone that will strike at targets in reach (about as if it were a Large creature), with a damage of d8+11.
Elemental Wild Talents
Elemental wild talents are not common, but they are not unheard of; perhaps 1 in 10 will have an elemental wild talent. If a player wishes an elemental wild talent, have them roll 1d10 and 1d4; if they roll a 10, they have an elemental wild talent, and the d4 determines whether it is Air, Water, Fire, or Earth. If their wild talent roll indicates a science of choice, they may choose an elemental wild talent instead of that science; however, this will only happen on a 89 or higher on Table 13: Sciences (or its equivalent in Will and the Way or another book); an element can only be chosen in the case of an unfettered choice of science.
Elemental Wild Talents have a single element, but they are limited to effects that are complexity 1; they cannot perform complexity 2 effects, and will often be restricted by lacking elements (no water or fire, or defiled earth, being the most common). They have PSPs equal to twice the governing element's attribute, and receive 4 additional PSPs per level.
Elemental Psionics on Athas
Unsurpising, the psionics-rich world of Athas has its share of elemental psychics. It is not as well established as the more standard Tarandan school of psionics, and many elemental psychics are self-taught. To this date, no elemental psychic has risen to the point of being a dragon or avangion, though many clerics who became advanced beings were also elemental psychics.
As mentioned above, elemental psychics are limited in their multi-class options only as other psionicists are. It is exceedingly rare for an elemental psionicist to be a cleric or druid of an element not aligned with their primary element; a pyrokineticist will almost always be a fire cleric, a terrakineticist will almost always have Earth as one of their two allowed elemental spheres (though it may be minor). However, Elemental psionicists have no difficulty being defilers or templars; while they are closely aligned to their own element, they are not beholden to elemental powers.
Aarakocra - Unsurprisingly, aarakocra elemental psychics almost always have Air as their primary element. Increasing speed through flight with aerokinesis is 1 in complexity per +3 in movement speed. Complexity 2 can also be used to rapidly gain or reduce altitude.
Dwarves - Dwarven elemental psychics rarely take a secondary or tertiary element. Unlike dwarves of other worlds, they have no special ability as terrakineticists, save that they have impressive constitutions.
Elves - Elven elemental psychics favor Air, the element of their people, but Fire, Water, and Earth are not uncommon. The Silver Hands often have hydrokinetics, however.
Half-elves - Half-elves have no particular tendency as elemental psychics, save their slight weakness as terrakinetics.
Half-giants - Half-giants are often, and most notable, as terrakinetics. Their immense size means that effects that affect themselves are often difficult and expensive.
Halflings - Forest Ridge halflings are less likely to be pyrokineticists, though that is more from culture than anything else.
Muls - Muls make more than able terrakineticists, though they are less impressive pyrokineticists or aerokineticists.
Thri-kreen - Many thri-kreen are Aerokineticists, despite their slight debility in that element. Very few are pyrokineticists or hydrokineticists. Of special note, however, is their terrakineticists. As dasl is primarily made of sand, terrakinetic thri-kreen are some of its most skilled shapers.
