Psionics Handbook (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Upon first hearing that WOTC was redoing the Psionics system for 3rd edition - before near anything else - I was extremely disappointed. Many players fooled around with Psionics in 2nd edition and it was just a headache.Not this time. The book is very straightforward and easy to read. Psionic powers use "PSPs" - psionic points - to work and a character gets x many points per day. Powers, of course, have a point cost and are organized by level (just like spells). The addition of psionics is painless to any campaign, and doesn't cause a power shift as it oft did in 2nd.The books not too big, but all the information is useful. It's not like "The Complete X Handbook" where a player only really cares about a quarter of the information. Everything here is a useful addition. It includes the psionics rules, prestiege classes, a magical item section, and a "monstrous manual" section as well. A good purchase if you want to add yet another type of magic to your campaign.

As a long-time Dungeons and Dragons player, I've long been of the belief that D & D needed psionics as much as many people needed another hole in their head. In general, while it was a good idea, the mechanics usually made you want to throw your dice through a wall.However, the entire Dungeons and Dragons line has been fixed... no, better than fixed. Torn down and almost rewritten from scratch, and the Psionics Handbook is no exception. The rules that used to make me cringe and whimper and throw lots of d20's unnecessarily has been streamlined to actually WORK. And boy, does it ever.I _highly_ recommend this supplement - my only gripe about it is that this book is much thinner than the Players Handbook and the DM's Guide, yet more expensive. In terms of content, though... top notch.

Though, frankly, the last few systems have been, well, crap. "Why do I have to roll to activate my powers when wizards and clerics don't?" How on Earth did they come up with a "Mental THAC0"?This book takes the approach that psionics is another form of magic, and so you can use spell resistance to save yourself. This is a rather nice treatment, and fairly balanced.There are several sections. There are the base character classes, the psion and the psychic warrior; the psion concentrates on psionic abilities, while the psychic warrior is a fighter who has some small abilities. We get rules for using psionics (every attribute is important), a nifty power list that looks amazingly like a spell list (because it is...pretty much), psionic items (Green Destiny, from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, would be a psionic weapon), new prestige classes (like illithid-hunters), and creepy-crawlies to kill. The githyanki and githzerai make it into D & D3, though, sadly, the thought eater is no longer a platypus. Pity.What's good? Almost everything. Unlike a lot of people, I like the presentation of the 3rd ed. books, and this is no exception. It's a very good treatment of psionics, there are neat abilities, and it's just such a good gestalt it's not funny. I absolutely love the psychic warrior class.Bad things? Well, for one thing, it really should be only... For another, well, some of the higher-level psion abilities I'm told are overpowered, but I'm not that convinced of it. The psychic warrior's abilities tend to be, um, oddly placed; most tend to be strength-based, but I'd like a greater blend of wisdom-, dex-, and con-based powers, for that Jedi feel.All in all, this is a great book. Try and get it someplace you have a discount, though.

The Psionics Handbook is excellent. It introduces two new classes: the Psion and Psychic Warrior, which are well thought out and mesh with the rest of the Dungeons and Dragons d20 system. The Psionics Handbooks also includes new feats, new skills, psionic monster and a whole host of psionic powers. Third edition psionics seamlessly mesh with the core rules. Also, psionicists are now balanced with the other classes, so a character with psionic abilities will no longer lord it over the rest of the party. I know this will be a disappointment to power gamers everywhere, but Wizards has really worked hard to ensure that the d20 system is a zero sum game. It is nearly impossible to unbalance, unless your DM lets you! In 3rd Ed., psionics is similar to the magic system, so you do not have to learn a whole new sub-system of rules to get psionics up and running in your campaign.The artwork in the book is great, but sparse, and the graphic design is second to none in the role-playing industry. There are a few typographical errors in the book. Also, WoTC did away with the underlines on each page. I thought this feature made the books look more like ancient tomes, but I think WoTC must have recieved some strong feedback against the underlines. Aside from a few niggling details that I did not like, I think the Psionics Handbook is a welcome addition to any D & D gamer's library.

This book introduces a new class, the psionic warrior, as well as reviving a fun one from 2nd edition. The psions from 3rd edition are very different from the ones from 2nd. PSPs, now power points, are seriously reduced in number, and powers are divided into levels like spells. Each discipline has a stat linked to it, and the requirements for using a power besides power points to spare are that you have 10 + the level of the power in the linked stat. This book contains new feats for both of the psionic classes and the non-psionics, and some feats that are available only to characters with psionic powers. Also, there are several cool prestige classes, including one that can create a psychic weapon at will. Some powers make a comeback from 2nd, but there are many new powers, psionic items, artifacts, and creatures that have never been seen. This book rocks.