The following example presents a scenario in which Koreth, a 6th-level telepath, and his friend Galek, a ranger, are ambushed by three gith and a 5th-level gith psionicist. Neither party was surprised, and the range is 30 feet.
Round One: The DM decides that the three nonpsionic gith will use their leaping ability to spring into combat, while the psionicist hangs back to use project force on Galek, a big and dangerous-looking fellow. Koreth declares that he will attempt contact against one of the gith. He doesn't realize one of them is psionic and randomly chooses a nonpsionic foe as his target. Galek sets his spear against a charge.
Initiative is rolled. Koreth gets a 4, Galek a 6 (-2 for set for charge, +6 for spear speed factor for a total of 10), and the gith roll an 8 (the chargers attack with claws, for a total of 11; the psionicist goes on 8).
Koreth goes first. His contact Power Score is 18. and he makes it with a roll of 12. The gith is now contacted. Next is the psionicist gith, who successfully tags Galek with his project f orce. Galek survives the blow, and he gets to go next. He impales a charging gith with his spear, killing it before it can attack. The two survivors of the charge split their attacks against Koreth and Galek. Although Koreth is grazed for minor damage, he has already initiated contact and the wound does not disrupt his concentration.
Round Two: The DM decides that the two gith in melee with the adventurers will stay there, while the last recognizes Koreth as a fellow psionicist and decides to use ballistic attack in an attempt to keep him from initiating any new powers.
Koreth also recognizes the psionic gith, but has an enemy in front of him and decides remove him from the fight with aversion, since the gith's been contacted already. Galek is happy to melee with his gith.
Initiative is rolled; Koreth gets a 5, Galek an 8 (modified to 14), and the gith roll a 4; the psionic gith will go on 4, while the others attack on 7.
The psionic gith goes first, successfully initiating ballistic attack. Fortunately for Koreth, the gith fails his attack roll with the rock and misses. Koreth is next; he initiates aversion against his opponent with a Power Score result. The gith promptly turns and flees for his life! Galek and his opponent attack and miss each other.
Round Three: The DM decides that the gith psionicist will try to attack Koreth, using ego whip with a Dragon harbinger. The monster also raises a mental barrier. The surviving nonpsionic gith continues to melee with Galek, who reciprocates. Koreth declares that he is attacking the gith psionicist with id insinuation, using a Scorpion harbinger.
For initiative, the gith roll a 1, Koreth a 7, and Galek a 9.
The psionic gith goes first. Koreth raises mind blank with the Void construct. The gith's adjusted Power Score is a 20+, while Koreth has a 15 with mind blank. The gith rolls a 4, making his roll, but Koreth rolls an 11 and wins the psychic contest. The gith does not achieve a tangent.
When Koreth's turn comes. the gith throws up a mental barrier with the Denial construct. Koreth gains a +2 bonus to his Power Score, raising it to a 16. The gith defends with a 16. Koreth makes his roll with a 13, but the gith fails his defense roll with a 19. Koreth has one tangent on the gith.
Galek and the second gith continue their battle.
Since both the psionic gith and Koreth are using telepathic attacks, they gain a second attack with each. The gith goes first. Neither psionicist can change attacks, defenses, or harbingers at this point. The gith rolls a 13, while Koreth rolls a 3. The gith gets a tangent on Koreth.
In his own second attack, Koreth rolls a 7, the gith a 5— Koreth achieves his second tangent on the gith.
Round Four: The DM decides that the psionic gith will change tactics, trying to use project force against Koreth. He intends to use the tower of iron will defense, with the Rampart construct. The other battles Galek. Koreth declares that he will switch to psionic blast and use his Kirre harbinger, while keeping his defense as mind blank with the Void (he's running low on PSPs).
For initiative, the gith roll a 3, Koreth rolls a 6, and Galek a 7. The psionic gith successfully initiates project force and pounds Koreth for 10 points of damage. Koreth's attacks are spoiled by the telekinetic punch. He is able to maintain his two tangents on the gith, though.
Galek and the second gith are locked in a battle to the death.
Round Five: All parties announce that they will repeat their actions of the previous round.
This time, Koreth wins the initiative by rolling a 1, while the gith roll a 6 and Galek a 3.
Koreth leads off. His Kirre against the Rampart suffers a -2 penalty, modifying his Power Score to 11. When he attacks, he rolls a 3; the gith rolls a 7. Koreth defeats him and achieves the third tangent. The psionic gith succeeds with his project force attack, pounding Koreth for 8 more points of damage. This successful attack spoils Koreth's second telepathic attack for the round, but at least he'll be ready to create havoc next round. Galek finally defeats his opponent, and the gith psionicist is left alone on the field of battle with his mind at Koreth's mercy.
The battle concludes in the next round, as the psionic gith tries to flee. Koreth uses domination to subdue his enemy. It was close for a while, but the heroes prevailed!
The DM should take pains to keep up a colorful and exciting narrative to go along with the rolls of the dice and the use of the modifiers when refereeing a fight scene. Instead of saying, "Kirre vs. Rampart-that's a -2 for the attacker," the DM should try something more along the lines of this: "Koreth, in the gith's mind a mighty Rampart looms before you, barring your way. Your Kirre is slowed by the search for a weakness, and you have a -2 penalty to your psionic blast attack."