To use a psionic item, it must be
activated, although sometimes activation is accomplished simply by picking up
an item or putting it on. Some items, once they are carried or worn, function
constantly. In most cases, using an item requires a standard action that does
not provoke attacks of opportunity. By contrast, power completion items (see
below) are treated just like powers in combat and do provoke attacks of
opportunity.
Activating a psionic item is a
standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise. The
manifesting time of a power is the time required to activate the same power in
an item, whether it’s a power stone, a dorje, or a psionic tattoo, unless the
item description specifically states otherwise.
The four ways to activate psionic
items are described below.
Power Completion: This is the activation method for
power stones. A power stone holds a power that is mostly finished. All that’s
left to do is perform the short, simple, finishing parts of the manifestation
(the final mental coda, as it were). To use a power completion item safely, a
character must be of high enough level in the appropriate class to manifest the
power already. If he can’t already manifest the power, there’s a chance he’ll make
a mistake (see Brainburn in the power stone description). Activating a power
completion item is a standard action and provokes attacks of opportunity
exactly as manifesting a power does.
Powers stored in power completion
items are usually not augmented, because the manifester level of such an item
is assumed to be the minimum necessary to manifest the stored power. However,
an item’s description may specify otherwise (some power stones have manifester
levels higher than the minimum required to manifest the stored power, and are
then assumed to be augmented as well).
Power Trigger: This is the activation method for
dorjes and psicrowns. It requires the special knowledge of power manifestation
that a character of the appropriate class would know, and the formation of the
appropriate command thought. If a power is on a character’s power list, the
character knows how to use a power trigger item that stores that power. The
user must still determine what power is stored in the item before she can
activate it. Activating a power trigger item is a standard action that does not
provoke attacks of opportunity.
Powers stored in power trigger items
are not augmented. Such powers are assumed to be stored in the item at the
minimum manifester level necessary to manifest the power. However, certain
items may specify a higher manifester level than necessary. If such an item
holds a power that deals hit point damage, the power is assumed to be augmented
to the maximum allowed by the power and the manifester level.
Command Thought: If no activation method is suggested
either in the psionic item description or by the nature of the item, assume
that a command thought is needed to activate it. Command thought activation
means that a character mentally projects a thought, and the item activates. No
other special knowledge is needed. Activating a command thought psionic item is
a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Sometimes the command thought to
activate an item is mentally imprinted within it and is whispered into the mind
of a creature who picks it up. Other items are silent, but a Knowledge
(psionics) or Knowledge (history) check might be useful in helping to identify
command thoughts. A successful DC 30 check is needed to come up with the command
thought in this case. The power psionic identify reveals command
thoughts.
Powers stored in command thought
items are usually not augmented, because the manifester level of such an item
is assumed to be the minimum possible to manifest the stored power.
Use-Activated: This type of psionic item simply has
to be used to activate. Use activation is generally straightforward and
self-explanatory.
Many use-activated items are objects
that a character wears. Some items made for wearing must still be activated. Although
this activation sometimes requires a command thought (see above), usually it
means mentally willing the activation to happen (a free action). The description of an item states whether a
command thought is needed in such a case.
Unless stated otherwise, activating a
use-activated psionic item is either a standard action or not an action at all
and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, unless the use involves performing
an action that provokes attacks of opportunity in itself. If the use of the item
takes time before a psionic effect occurs, then use activation is a standard
action. If the item’s activation is subsumed in its use and takes no extra
time, use activation is not an action at all.
Use activation doesn’t mean that if
you use an item, you automatically know what it can do. You must know (or at
least guess) what the item can do and then use the item to activate it, unless
the benefit of the item comes automatically.
Powers stored in use-activated items
are usually not augmented, because the manifester level of such an item is
assumed to be the minimum possible to manifest the stored power.
Psionic items produce psionic powers.
The DC of a saving throw against a power from a psionic item is always 10 + the
level of the power or effect + the ability modifier of the minimum ability
score needed to manifest that level of power.
Another way to figure the same number
is to multiply the power’s level by 1-1/2 and add 10 to the result.
Psicrowns are an exception to the
rule. Treat the saving throw as if the wielder manifested the power, including
caster level and all modifiers to save DC.
Some psionic items take advantage of
the fact that powers can be augmented to increase their saving throw DCs. These
items are special and have their cost to create and market price calculated
using the manifester’s level instead of the power’s level.
Most item descriptions give saving
throw DCs for various effects, particularly when the effect has no exact power
equivalent (making its level otherwise difficult to quickly determine).
A psionic item doesn’t need to make a
saving throw unless it is unattended, it is specifically targeted by the
effect, or its wielder rolls a natural 1 on his saving throw. Psionic items
should always get a save against powers or spells that might deal damage to
them—even against attacks from which a mundane item would normally get no
chance to save. All types of psionic item saves—Fortitude, Reflex, and Will—are
calculated the same way: The item’s saving throw bonus equals 2 + 1/2 its
manifester level (round down). The only exceptions to this rule are intelligent
psionic items, which make Will saves based on their own Wisdom scores.
A psionic item, unless otherwise
noted, takes damage as a normal item of the same type. A damaged psionic item
continues to function, but if it is destroyed, all its psionic power is lost.
Some psionic items (especially
psionic weapons and shields) may take damage over the course of an adventure.
It costs no more to repair a psionic item with the Craft skill than it does to
repair its nonpsionic counterpart. The make whole spell can repair a
damaged—but not completely broken— psionic item.
Some psionic items, particularly
weapons, have an intelligence all their own. Only permanent psionic items (as
opposed to those that are single-use items, those that have charges, or those
that store power points) can be intelligent. (This means that psionic tattoos,
power stones, and dorjes, among other items, are never intelligent.) In
general, less than 1% of psionic items have intelligence.
Some psionic items are
cursed—incorrectly made, or corrupted by outside forces. Cursed items might be
particularly dangerous to the user, or they might be normal items with a minor
f law, an inconvenient requirement, or an unpredictable nature. Randomly
generated items are cursed 5% of the time.
Some items are limited in power by
the number of charges they hold or the number of power points they contain.
Normally, charged items (such as dorjes) have 50 charges at most. If such an
item is found as a random part of a treasure, roll d% and divide by 2 to
determine the number of charges left (round down, minimum 1).
Similarly, items that contain power
points (such as psicrowns) have a number of points equal to 50 x the manifester
level of the creator. If such an item is found as a random part of a treasure,
roll d% and divide by 2 to determine the number by which the manifester level
is multiplied (round down, minimum 1).
Market prices given on the tables are
always for fully charged or fully powered items. (When an item is created, it
is fully charged or fully powered.) For an item that’s worthless when its
charges or power points run out (which is the case for almost all charged or
powered items), the value of the partially used item is proportional to the
number of charges left. For an item that has usefulness in addition to its
charges, only part of the item’s value is based on the number of charges left.
Some items are single-use and
expendable. Such items can often be found in sets or groups.
Many magic items can aid psionic
characters. The table below provides some possibilities.
|
Table: Magic–Psionics Equivalencies |
|
|
Magic Item |
Psionic Effect
|
|
Helm of telepathy |
Substitute power for spell |
|
Pearl of power |
Treat in all ways as a cognizance
crystal with power point capacity appropriate to the equivalent power
level |
|
Crystal ball |
Substitute power for spell |
|
Ioun stones |
|
|
Vibrant purple |
Stores three levels of psionic
powers |
|
Pale lavender |
Absorbs powers up to 4th level
(burns out as normal) |
|
Rainbow1 |
Provides 5 power points per day
(regenerates) |
|
Dull gray2 |
Provides 1 power point to a psionic
character, then disintegrates |
|
1 New item: Treat as a cognizance
crystal in ioun stone form, except that it regenerates its stored
power points each day; Price 16,000 gp. |
|
|
2 Dull gray stones are useless for
magic but still harbor just enough resonance that a psionic character can eke
out 1 power point before the stone is gone forever. |
|
In the following sections, each type
of psionic item, such as armor or psionic tattoos, has a general description,
followed by descriptions of specific items.
General descriptions include notes on
activation, random generation, and other information. The Armor Class,
hardness, hit points, and break DC are given for typical examples of some types
of psionic items. The Armor Class assumes that the item is unattended and
includes a –5 penalty for the item’s effective Dexterity of 0. If a creature
holds the item, use the creature’s Dexterity modifier as an adjustment to Armor
Class in place of the –5 penalty.
Some individual items, notably those
that simply store psionic powers, don’t get full-blown descriptions. Simply
reference the power’s description. Assume that the power is manifested at the
minimum level required to manifest it, unless otherwise noted. Increasing the
manifester level so increases the cost of the item; see Table: Estimating Magic
Item Gold Piece Value, substituting “spell” for “power” and “caster
level” for “manifester level” as appropriate. The main reason to make the
manifester level higher, or course, would be to increase the potency of the
power. Raising the manifester level is common for powers such as astral
construct, the duration of which increases with the level of the
manifester.
Items with full descriptions have
their abilities detailed, and each of the following aspects of these items is
summarized at the end of the description.
Aura: Most of the time, a detect
psionics power will reveal the discipline associated with a psionic item
and the strength of the aura an item emits. This information (when applicable)
is given at the beginning of the item’s notational entry in the form of a
phrase. See the detect psionics power description for more information.
Manifester Level: The next entry in the summary
indicates the level of the creator (or the manifester level of the powers
placed within the item, if this level is lower than the actual level of the
creator). The manifester level provides the item’s saving throw bonus, as well
as range and other level-dependent aspects of the powers of the item (if variable).
It also determines the level that
must be contended with should the item come under the effect of a dispel
psionics power or a similar situation. This information is given in the
form “ML x,” where “ML” is an abbreviation for manifester
level and “x” is an ordinal number
representing the manifester level itself.
For psionic tattoos, power stones,
and dorjes, the creator can set the manifester level of an item at any number
high enough to manifest the stored power and not higher than her own manifester
level. For other psionic items, the item itself determines the manifester
level. In this case, the creator’s manifester level must be as high as the
item’s manifester level (and prerequisites may effectively put a higher minimum
on the creator’s level).
Prerequisites: Certain requirements must be met in
order for a character to create a psionic item. These include feats, powers,
and miscellaneous requirements such as level, alignment, and race or kind. The
prerequisites for creation of an item are given in the summary immediately
following the item’s manifester level.
A power prerequisite can be provided
by a character who knows the power, or through the use of a power completion or
power trigger psionic item or a psi-like ability that produces the desired
power effect. For each day that passes during the creation process, the creator
must expend one power completion item (such as a power stone) or 1 charge from
a power trigger item (such as a dorje), if either of those objects is used to
supply a prerequisite.
It is possible for more than one
character to cooperate in the creation of an item, with each participant
providing one or more of the prerequisites. In some cases, cooperation may even
be necessary, such as if one character knows some of the powers necessary to
create an item and another character knows the rest.
If two or more characters cooperate
to create an item, they must agree among themselves who will be considered the
creator for the purpose of determinations where the creator’s level must be
known. (It’s sensible, although not mandatory, for the highest-level character
involved to be considered the creator.) The character designated as the creator
pays the experience points required to make the item.
Typically, a list of prerequisites
includes one feat and one or more powers (or some other requirement in addition
to the feat). When two powers at the end of a list are separated by “or,” one
of those powers is required in addition to every other power mentioned prior to
the last two.
Market Price: This gold piece value, given in the
summary following the word “Price,” represents the price someone should expect
to pay to buy the item. Market prices are also included on the random
generation tables for easy reference. The market price of an item that can be
constructed with a psionic item creation feat is usually equal to the base
price + the price for any components (special materials or experience point
expenditure).
Cost to Create: The cost in gold pieces and
experience points to create the item is given in the summary following the word
“Cost.” This information appears only for items with components (material or
experience points) that make their market prices higher than their base prices.
The cost to create includes the costs derived from the base cost plus the cost
of the components. Items without components do not have a “Cost” entry. For
them, the market price and base price are the same. The cost in gold pieces is
1/2 the market price, and the cost in experience points is 1/25 the market
price.
Weight: The notational entry for many items
ends with a value for the item’s weight. When a weight figure is not given, the
item has no weight worth noting (for the purpose of determining how much of a
load a character can carry).