[RPG] How to use Psionic Wild Talents with a Dark Sun campaign in Pathfinder

dark-sunpathfinder-1epsionics

Using Pathfinder, is there a place or reference to help with Psionic wild talents for when a Dark Sun campaign is used?

My players don't want to be full psionic classes. Instead, they'd like to posses a Psionic wild talent, like in the AD&D 2nd edtion Dark Sun games. So many creatures on Athas are naturally gifted but not always fully Psionic. How does one find/create a table for this?

I do have the Psionics Unleashed and 3.5 Psionic Players guide with the expanded guide as well. But I haven't had any luck yet, perhaps looking for the wrong thing.

Best Answer

There is no Pathfinder-specific Dark Sun material

Dark Sun is the property of Wizards of the Coast and Paizo's not allowed to touch it; that part's pretty simple. Additionally, Paizo has not published any first-party psionic material for Pathfinder, though Dreamscarred Press has done some phenomenal third-party stuff for that system that I highly suggest to you without reservation or qualification.

Random Wild Talents Got Dragged Behind a Shed and Shot

A table for random wild talents no longer exists for 3.X whatsoever. This is a good thing, believe it or not, because it makes your job as a DM much easier (to wit: it prevents you having to deal with random high-level powers tagged onto your PCs or monsters on accident). I would not suggest looking or building a replacement for this system, mostly because of the below:

There are some ways to represent what you're looking for

If you don't, or can't, use the Dreamscarred Press rules (which I am sadly not as familiar with as I would like) 3.5 still has some options for you. You could, for example, give your players Wild Talent as a bonus feat. Wild Talent gives them a single power point (but not any specific powers); access to that power point officially makes them Psionic beings, permits them to gain psionic focus, gives them access to psionic feats and lets them use certain psionic items. Alternately - or additionally! - you could give them/permit them the Hidden Talent feat, which grants two power points and access to a first-level power, many of which have staying power well beyond when a first-level spell would stop being useful (for example, a melee character will always enjoy the use of the expansion power). I'd suggest mining Dreamscarred Press's releases for additional options.

One Last Thing

With just a little bit of effort (mostly in the form of emphasizing certain feats and powers that are more martial-seeming and not flashy) the Psychic Warrior class can very easily be used to represent a martially-inclined character who has a natural psionic gift. They're not as magically powerful as a Psion or Wilder would be and retain a strong emphasis on triumph by force of arms, which can be enhanced by choosing and using psionic powers that buff themselves instead of going for flashy, attention-grabbing powers that look obviously magical. If any of your players are thinking of a martial concept, suggest it to them and see where it goes.

Related Topic