Expanded Psionics Handbook

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Expanded Psionics Handbook
ISBN
978-0-7869-3301-3

The Expanded Psionics Handbook is a

roleplaying game that contains rules and options for integrating psychic powers (also known as psionics) into the game. Along with its predecessor, the Psionics Handbook
, the Expanded Psionics Handbook expands and adapts the psionics concept with a new emphasis on balance and playability.

Contents

Your character’s mind is an infinite metaphorical plane, where all things are possible... A psionic character knows the mental pathways that lead to amazing edifices of thought and energy. Knowing the path, the psionic character walks it. Like a flare being thrown off a star, a power is manifested from a psionic character’s energy of consciousness.

— Bruce R. Cordell, The Expanded Psionics Handbook

The Expanded Psionics Handbook contains a system for adding psionics to Dungeons and Dragons. Psionics use a different system from traditional D&D spellcasting, using a point pool to track a character's power usage.

The Expanded Psionics Handbook introduces four Base Classes, several

Elocater, Fist of Zuoken, Illithid Slayer, Metamind, Psion Uncarnate, Pyrokineticist, Thrallherd and the War Mind.[1]

The Handbook also contains four new psionic races—the dromites, elan, maenads, and xelphs—provides psionic versions of dwarves,

githzerai, and yuan-ti. It adds several new psionic monsters, including the intellect devourer and temporal filcher, and adds the phrenic template, which can make any Dungeons and Dragons creature a psionic creature.[1]

Publication history

The Expanded Psionics Handbook was published in 2004. Cover art was by

Monte Moore, Jim Pavelec, Wayne Reynolds, Arnie Swekel and Sam Wood.[1]

This book is intended as a 3.5 adaptation and revision of the Psionics Handbook for 3rd Edition, which was released in 2001.[2] It was adapted for several reasons, including changes to the core D20 system and balance concerns. Some players considered psions to be weaker than wizards and sorcerers.[1]

Reception

The reviewer from

prestige classes "more imaginative, with beings who leave their physical form behind for a life of mental existence, hunters who kill illithids, and the irresistibly heroic Fist of Zuoken".[3]

Other reviewers, such as RPGnet, were less positive. Reviewer Jesse Heinig said, "As an expansion for all manner of psionic-themed characters, the Complete Psionic book provides more depth and more unusual powers. Sadly, it lacks a little in breadth and some of its last-minute changes are evident around the frayed edges."[4]

Reviews

  • Backstab #48[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Cordell, Bruce (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. Wizards of the Cost. p. 223.
  2. ^ Ryan, Michael (April 9, 2004). "Product Spotlight: Expanded Psionics Handbook". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  3. ^ "Pyramid: Pyramid Review: Expanded Psionics Handbook (for Dungeons & Dragons)". Sjgames.com. 2004-09-24. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
  4. ^ Heinig, Jesse. "Review of Complete Psionic - RPGnet d20 RPG Game Index". www.rpg.net.
  5. ^ "Backstab #048". 2004.
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