Psychic Sensitive (Additional Psi Powers)

[Prysus]

Greetings and Salutations. So I've effectively been making NPC for many of the various O.C.C. in the PF2 main book. I came across a few interesting notes such as Mind Mage has all Super Psionic powers by level 9 (at least those from the PF2 main book), limiting the 85 potential psionics down to only 67 (18 unused Super Psionic slots). A Wizard only learns 26 total spells by level 15, unless they learn more outside of level advancement (which is doable, of course). Warlocks learn 45 spells (only 30 if Dual Elements) with between 44 and 54 spells in each element, so Warlocks will have a majority of their spells (with single element Fire Warlocks having every spell and 1 unused slot). That brings me to Psychic Sensitives and my question here.

Additional psionic abilities: The characters get to select one additional power from the sensitive category for each additional level of experience, starting at level two. In the alternative, one super psionic power or one physical power can be selected at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15.

*Note: The quote is limited to the relevant information for the question that follows.


I can see two different ways this could be interpreted:

1. The character can (a) select one sensitive power per level, or (b) select one super or physical power at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15. ((Option a has 14 additional powers total with Option b having only 5 additional powers.))

2. The character select sensitive powers at each new level, and at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 instead of the standard sensitive selections the character may select from physical or super category instead. ((This has a total of 14 additional powers.))

I've always read it as #1. As I've selected powers I realized that the Psychic Sensitive would have every sensitive power by level 10 (limiting them from 23 maximum to only 18 powers they can actually select). #2 would still grant them all the sensitive powers by level 14, but allow them to take the maximum of 23 powers for the class. This seems like better game design (and probably what I'd rule as a G.M. for a player), but I don't believe it's the intent. With that said, I wanted to see the opinions of others. I want to keep this as closer to official as possible. Feedback is appreciated. Farewell and safe journeys.

[kiralon]

I read it as #1 also

[Veknironth]

Well, I don't know what the intent is, but it sure sounds like the character has to choose one of those two tracks.

-Vek
"But #2 sounds better."

[Library Ogre]

I have always read it as option 2, partially because option 1 makes them completely suck, while option 2 makes them moderately suck.

[Soldier of Od]

I have also always read it as #2. A while back I added up the possible selections as you have and that helped to confirm it for me, but to be honest the idea of option #1 never occurred to me. I just took the sentence to be worded clunkily. There's no way the psychic sensitive class has an option to not take psychic sensitive powers.

[Library Ogre]

I have also always read it as #2. A while back I added up the possible selections as you have and that helped to confirm it for me, but to be honest the idea of option #1 never occurred to me. I just took the sentence to be worded clunkily. There's no way the psychic sensitive class has an option to not take psychic sensitive powers.

Another for the "#1 never occurred to me" brigade, as well.

[kiralon]

There's no way the psychic sensitive class has an option to not take psychic sensitive powers.

Just like there's no way farmers couldn't farm
and first ed sailors don't have sailing for an occ skill
and wizards not being able to create scrolls.

it would never happen.

I'm surprised that people say they can play vanilla palladium, because what is that. There is so much vagueness that one persons vanilla straight from the book game can be different to someone elses.

[Hotrod]

I'm fine with either alternative, and I think that Option 1 is the canon rule-as-written. However, there's a game-breaking problem here: If the character chooses to take 1 Sensitive power per level (option 1a), the character will run out of sensitive powers to take after Level 10, because Sensitives start out with 10 powers from their category, and there are only 19 sensitive psi-powers in the game.

I disagree with Mark that the Sensitive completely sucks as a class, even under Option 1. The big benefit of the Sensitive is the class-exclusive supernatural sensing powers. While these powers pale in comparison to their Rifts counterparts, they're the only players in the automatically-aware-sentient-psychic-bloodhound business in Palladium Fantasy.

Have you ever played with one of them in rules-as-written? The GM needs to roll any time magic gets used or a significant supernatural creature comes in range. That's kind of annoying as a GM, but it's manageable, and the mechanics lend themselves to an interesting hunt dynamic. If the roll goes in the player's favor, the GM tells them that they sense... something. The character can try to identify it with a crappy chance of success or track it with a crappier chance of success (because you have to re-roll every round to stay on the trail). Basically, their passive powers serve as a useful alarm system (along with the "Sense Evil" power which auto-detects the presence of supernatural evil without ISP expenditure). Beyond that, they need to use active sensing powers like See Aura, Sense Evil, and Sense Magic to learn useful information. It's actually plays out pretty well and becomes something of a detective game as the Sensitive manages his/her ISP and active powers to glean hints about the supernatural creature/magic at play.

That said, I'll freely acknowledge that Sensitives do kind of suck, even under Option 2. What makes them suck is that the class's distinctive powers are so anemic. 30%+5% per level of experience for detecting active magic or supernatural critters is lame, especially considering that a character's dog or horse is 100% guaranteed to sense the same things and provide an obvious reaction. Additionally, the Sense Evil power does this automatically at short range, and it can be taken by any minor psionic. Sensitives' ID and tracking skills are very unreliable (15% at level 1, +2-3% per level), and the requirement to re-roll every 15 seconds for tracking makes it useless except at short range where other powers are better anyway.

Thus, the Sensitive is the best at their specialization, but only marginally so. Any Mind Mage, Mystic, or other character with minor psionics can be nearly as useful by taking Sense Evil and See Aura, and they'll probably have abilities that will be much more useful than the Sensitive at dealing with supernatural prey. Throw in a horse or a dog (which also provides tracking/attack assistance) and you're basically good to go.

[Axelmania]

Do we possibly have any Psi-Sensitive NPCs out there to gander at?

[kiralon]

NPC's often don't follow the rules so aren't a good proof of concept.

[Hotrod]

Do we possibly have any Psi-Sensitive NPCs out there to gander at?

It could be useful to have an N.P.C. list of where we can find statted-out examples of each class in the game. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any Sensitives, Healers, or Druids (which I regard as being the three worst classes in the basic book).

[Axelmania]

NPC's often don't follow the rules so aren't a good proof of concept.

The PRINTED rules anyway One can theorize that enigmas follow as-yet-unprinted Siembieda-head-canon slated for World Book 99.

Still better than nothing, of course.