Psionics
Psionics are mental abilities, generated by the minds and will of some creatures. They're only available to certain kinds of creature and even then aren't inherent to most of them. This makes them comparatively rare across the worlds, and psions inspire a wide range of reactions from people and societies that are aware of them. The societies that cultivate psions have a pretty stable set of effects that are safe to use (by which we mean they don't cause any harm to the wielder or any unforeseen side effects). Some monsters (to use the term loosely) have much stronger or weirder effects; some of those can be taught, some rely on alien physiology, some could be taught but require so much power that they're guaranteed to kill cross-trained users.
For day to day purposes, Psionics resemble energy-driven skills. The skill itself costs some number of Skill Points and activating it costs some number of Psionic Poitns. Every Psionic skill you learn gives you two Psionics Points free of charge. Your psion can have as many as ten distinct psionic skills (and thus, 20 psionic strength points to fuel them) without any exceptional training or effort. These are things that are easy to self-teach or commonly taught in places that cultivate psionics. As your psion encounters other psions, you may or may not be able to learn powers from them or teach your powers to them, with or without some consequential side effects. As strictly mental powers, Psionics enjoy a bit more latitude in deployment than magic; psionic skills can be activated regardless of restraints or silence, although they require you to be conscious and in control of your own actions. Psionic skills pass cleanly through magical barriers - wizard locks, Imprison cages, Circles, and similar magically-generated structures. Psionics are generally packet-delivered and called as "Psionic <effect>", making them comparatively quick to use. Some are voice-delivered and these'll be noted in the relevant skill description.
Common, stable psionic skills include: <still in progress I just needed a break, I promise descriptions and the full powerset is coming>
| Power Name | Skill Point Cost | Use Cost | Prerequisite Powers |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | |||
| Empathic Thoughts | 2 | 1 | None |
| Awaken | 2 | 3 | Empathic Thoughts |
| Psionic Shield | 4 | 3 | Awaken |
| Clear | 5 | 4 | Psionic Shield |
| Psionic Blast | 3 | Variable | None |
| Psionic Lance | 3 | Variable | Psionic Blast |
| Psionic Slay | 5 | 8 | Psionic Lance |
| Psionic Charm | 4 | 3 | Empathic Thoughts |
| Psionic Command | 5 | 5 | Psionic Charm |
| Psionic Enthrall | 8 | 10 | Psionic Command |