Both psionicists and wild talents develop psionic defenses naturally when they progress in experience, as detailed on the Psionic Progression chart . Psionic defenses are gained without using up any proficiency slots. As with psionic attacks, wild talents may never have more than three of the five psionic defenses.
A character activates a psionic defense at the beginning of a combat round. This defense protects against all psionic attacks launched at the character in that round. The PSP cost is only paid once per round, no matter how many attacks it defends against in that round.
Some psionic attacks are more effective against certain psionic defenses. The reverse is also true. This is represented by modifiers that apply to the attacker's MTHAC0. See the Psionic Attacks vs. Psionic Defenses , below, for a cross-referenced list of penalties and bonuses.
When a psionic attack clashes with a psionic defense, cross-index the attack with the defense on Table 76. The resulting modifier is applied to the attacker's MTHAC0. Thus, positive modifiers are bonuses and negative modifiers are penalties.
| Mind blank |
Thought shield |
Mental barrier |
Intellect fortress |
Tower of iron will | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mind thrust | –5 | –3 | +2 | +3 | +5 |
| Ego whip | –3 | –4 | –2 | +4 | +3 |
| Id insinuation | +5 | +3 | +1 | –2 | –5 |
| Psychic crush | –1 | +4 | –4 | +1 | +2 |
| Psionic blast | +3 | –2 | +5 | –4 | –3 |
Combat cards that list psionic attacks and defenses are strongly recommended. Use 3x5 cards; one for each attack or defense that a character has. During a round of psionic combat, each player puts an attack and a defense in front of him, face down, to lock in his action. After all declarations have been made, cards are turned over and combat commences.
There are five psionic defenses. They are intellect fortress, mental barrier, mind blank, thought shield , and tower of iron will. These are described below.
Intellect Fortress (IF)[]
This defense encases the mind in a powerful keep of mental energy to protect it from psionic attack. Intellect fortress provides the best protection against ego whip, but it's extremely vulnerable to psionic blast. The cost is 4 PSPs per round to use this defense.
Mental Barrier (MB)[]
This defense throws up a wall of thought to protect against psionic attack. A mental barrier is extremely effective against a psionic blast, but vulnerable to a psychic crush attack. It costs 5 PSPs to use this defense in a round.
Mind Blank (MBk)[]
This defense hides the mind from psionic attack, forming a vast, featureless area that makes it harder to target the closed mind. Mind blank protects best against id insinuation, while mind thrust easily slices through the defensive fog. It costs 3 PSPs per round to use this defense.
Thought Shield (TS)[]
This defense forms a glowing shield to turn away a psionic attack. Thought shield defends most effectively against psychic crush but is vulnerable to ego whip. The cost is 2 PSPs per round to use this defense.
Tower of Iron Will (TW)[]
This defense builds an unassailable haven for the mind. Mind thrust has a difficult time penetrating this defense, while id insinuation can breach its protection. The defense costs 6 PSPs per round.
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