Psionic Spells
For those who don’t know, we’ve been celebrating psionics all week, and playing in the mechanical sandbox of Dreamscarred Press, the publisher of the excellent Psionics Unleashed book. For those who aren’t familiar with psionics, while they’re different in execution, they’re similar enough in effect that, generally speaking, spell resistance stops psionics dead and detect psionics works just fine on spells.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that spellcasters and psions get along very well, however. Today’s spells are all culled from the spellbook of Matthias Zanzibrast, a wizard who was well known for his intolerance and hatred towards psions. Zanzibrast was a one-man psion-hunting task force, and he developed a number of spells designed specifically to hunt down and combat psionics wherever they arose. He argued that psionics were the realm of inhuman monsters, that magic was the only safe way for humanoids to harness cosmic power, and that psionics were a path to corruption and mutation. While his views are now seen as antiquated and backwards, his spells remain of value to anyone who expects to have to battle with a psion.
ZANZIBRAST’S MIND DRAIN
School necromancy; Level sorcerer/wizard 7, witch 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a pinch of monkey brains)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will partial; Spell Resistance yes
You violently empty the target’s mind, and use the expended energy to cast a free spell. If the target succeeds on his saving throw, he suffers 1 point of damage per caster level you possess (maximum 20), as his mind is violently assaulted, but is otherwise unaffected. If the target fails his saving throw, he suffers 1d4 points of damage per caster level you possess, or if he has a power point reserve, he suffers 1d6 points of damage per caster level you possess, instead (maximum 20d4 or 20d6 if the target has a power point reserve). If the target has a power point reserve and fails his saving throw, he also loses a number of power points from that reserve equal to your caster level. If the target loses any power points in this way, you may immediately cast any spell that you can currently cast, whose spell level is less than or equal to 1/5 the number of power points the target lost in this way (to a maximum of a 4th-level spell with 20 power points lost). Casting the spell in this way is a free action, and does not expend the spell slot used to prepare or cast the spell.
ZANZIBRAST’S PSIONIC INHIBITOR
School abjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 8
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (ground crystal dust)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You wrap the target in magical auras that interfere with psionic ability. For the spell’s duration, whenever the target attempts to spend a power point for any reason, he must expend 2 power points to accomplish the same effect, instead. This does not affect the maximum number of power points the target can spend in one turn.
ZANZIBRAST’S UNFOCUSING BOLT
School evocation; Level magus 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a 2-inch long wooden mallet)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one ray
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will partial; Spell Resistance yes
You fire a bolt of green-and-orange energy from your fingertip. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack in order to hit your target. If the attack hits, the target suffers 1d8 points of damage, and must succeed on a Will save or be dazed for 1 round and lose his psionic focus. Non-humanoid creatures and creatures with 5 or more Hit Dice are dazzled instead of dazed, but still lose psionic focus.