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The Complete Psionics Handbook: Player’s Handbook Rules Supplement, Dungeons & Dragons (2nd Edition)

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Good, but not necessary
This book is great for AD&D players and Dungeon Masters alike. However, everything you can find in this book is also found in the Player’s Option: Skills and Powers book as well. Save your money for the Player’s Option book; the complete psionics handbook is a waste

5 Stars Psionics Rocks
This book is worth the buy, I was realy wanting to know what was contained in it and it was worth it. Buy this book it is extreamly useful in D&D especialy for Dragon Psionist but it’s worth it.

5 Stars Stop whining about it being “to powerful” or comparing psionics to wizards
Ok ill jump straight to it. Psionics using second edition rules (which is the correct way since third edition makes them nothing more then weak sorcerers) are not unbalbalancing in any way because of one very important aspect. All psionics have to be LAWFUL. That simple. They are not going to read random peoples thoughts, teleport into random rooms to steal, dominate or mind control anyone “just because”. They need a good reason to do what they are doing, if they dont have a good reason then they are becoming chaotic and will loose access to their abilitys. A chaotic person doesnt have the discipline to do what a psion does.

In Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Ebberron, amd most campagins, magic is a invicable force that affects all things in a invisable weave (kinda like the Force in Star Wars) in Dragonlance they come from the moons, and in Dark Sun they come from living plants and animals, that is how mages get there power. A psionic gets his power soley from his mind, he can do just fine in a magic dead zone.

Finally psionics are not overpowered because i gurante they will not make all there power score checks when they need to, and they better have some allies there to help them. Also psionics in 2nd edition rules only have one power that can affect a group of enemys (called death field pshcyometabolics) and that comes with a great cost to the psion. All other powers are individual only, so really a 3rd level psionic has a better chance of beating a ogre then three goblins.

If you have looked at second edition youll see that the powers listed are unique in the way they work, with maitnance cost and power scores needed. Third edition psionics are just a different (wearker) type of sorcerer. Power may come from the mind but it does the exact same stuff. I run 3.5 edition campaign but use 2nd edition psionics. basically you use the chart giving in the 3.5 psionic handbook for skill points, feats, save throw, etc. but for the powers you use the 2nd edition handbook. To calculate a saving throw for a target I use this formula. 1d20 + penalty to power check + main stat modifier = will power save DC.

For example John the telepath is going to use psionic blast on a ogre. John has a wisdom of 18. Psionic blast is Wis -6. First he uses contact, since this power cant hurt the ogre i dont allow a saving throw (you may if you like but thats up to you) then the next round he rolls a d20. (wis of 18 - 6 = 12) he needs a 12 or lower to even activate the power. If he rolls higher then a 12 then the power doesnt even attempt to work, if he rolls lower then the power works. Assuming it works lets see if it hurts the ogre, he gets a Will save to ignore it. Save DC is 1d20 + 6 (the penalty to the power score) + 4 (wis mod). If you wanted you could just say that the d20 roll is allways a 10 (like magic works) but i find that using a random roll on every save makes psioncs feel different to.

I have more to add but I think ive written way to much, if youd like to comment good or bad, go nuts

4 Stars Unorthodox and innovative - careful integration is worth it!
The PHBR (Player’s Handbook Reference) series is one of the most highly-regarded, and yet much-maligned, series of supplements ever created. Each sourcebook takes one of the races or classes of the AD&D game, and adds to it huge amounts of new detail - new equipment, spells, kits (sub-classes), lore, new rules, etc. The problem is that the players love these so much that the DM often feels compelled to buy into the rest of the series - an expensive proposition! Fortunately, these works were “reprinted” in the excellent AD&D Core Rules CD-ROM. This one introduces the powerful and alien class of the Psionicist - if you are not running a Spelljammer or Dark Sun campaign, you will want to think VERY carefully before allowing this class to players! The power and versatility of these characters is amazing. Details of this book include: the Psionicist class and restrictions, a full explanation of psionic powers, disciplines, and advancement, special abilities, the powerful Wild Talents, psionic combat (a great system), the great powers (Clairsentience, Psychokinesis, Psychometabolism, Psychoportation, Telepathy, and Metapsionics), running a psionics campaign, and great monsters! It’s a wonderful book - and used carefully, it will add a whole new dimension to your games.

5 Stars How Psionics should be
This is the start of psionics in 2nd Edition. It is far surperios than the d20 version, which is absolute “garbage”. Better abilities and much nicer, although some are overpowered.

Translate this into the d20 similar by making it similar to the Forbidden Kingdoms system, as psionics should be skills, not spells.

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