Psionicists require nothing more than time and concentration to unlock the secrets of their minds. Despite this, psionic research is still very difficult. A character must be wholly committed to the study of his mind to have any chance of success.
Time[]
The first requirement is time. Each of the various meditations has a basic time requirement, which may be shortened or lengthened by the psionicist's abilities and dedication. The following guidelines apply to any psionic research:
- Any interruption of more than 1 day forces the psionicist to start over.
- Each failed progress check adds 10 days to the time of meditation.
- If the psionicist is interrupted for any reason on two consecutive days, he must start over.
Interruptions do not include routine activities such as eating, sleeping, or brief conversations. However, any kind of combat, important meeting, or confrontation would be an interruption. For example, if a templar patrol comes to the character's home and interrogates him, it is an interruption. A single templar having a conversation with the character is not.
Progress Checks[]
Every 10 days, the meditating character must make a progress check to see if she is still on the right track. This is treated as a saving throw versus spells. The psionicist's +2 bonus versus mind-affecting spells does not apply to this saving throw. However. a character may add ability modifiers for high Wisdom, constitution, or Intelligence scores.
| Ability Score | Bonus | Ability Score | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | +1 | 20 | +5 |
| 17 | +2 | 21 | +6 |
| 18 | +3 | 22 | +7 |
| 19 | +4 |
The character may also gain bonuses to his progress check saving throw for any of the following:
- +2 bonus if the character has any of the following nonweapon proficiencies: meditative focus. power manipulation, psionic lore, or rejuvenation.
- +2 bonus if the character is instructed by another psionicist who has developed the power the character is studying.
- -2 penalty if the character has suffered an interruption during the time of the check.
Any bonuses to the progress check are cumulative. If a character fails a progress check, she must add 10 days to the time of meditation—in effect, she found a dead end and must restudy that portion of her research. If a character fails three consecutive progress checks, she has found the effect she is seeking to be beyond her skills and must wait until she has gained a level until she can try to study that particular effect again.
If the psionicist rolls the exact number required for the progress check (after adjustments) she has an inspiration and cuts 10 days from the meditation time.
Location[]
The psionicist must find a good place to meditate or risk failure due to distractions. Wilderness is good, as long as the psionicist can be certain no creatures will make a snack out of her. Natural predators tend to ignore a meditating psionicist—the character keeps such a low profile that animals dont notice her. The DM should decide if the circumstances warrant any lessening in the chance of encounters.
If a psionicist can't escape to the wilderness, then the quiet halls of a psionic academy will suffice for prolonged meditation. The masters of the school will usually screen out visitors and actively discourage any outside interruptions for a psionicist meditating in their midst. In addition, the character may be able to ask for guidance from some of the school's masters.