WEAPONS

Although they generally follow the rules for magic weapons, psionic weapons differ from mundane and magic weapons in their design. Most possess some crystal components, and some are composed entirely of crystal. Many also sport intricate traceries along the blade or haft, which flicker now and then as if channeling flows of psychic energy.

Psionic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. They apply these bonuses on both attack and damage rolls when used in combat. This enhancement bonus is effective for the purpose of overcoming creatures with damage resistance that is penetrated by magic. All psionic weapons are also masterwork weapons, but their masterwork bonus on attack rolls does not stack with their enhancement bonus on attack rolls.

Weapons come in two basic categories: melee and ranged. Some of the weapons listed as melee weapons can also be used as ranged weapons. In this case, their enhancement bonus applies to either type of attack.

In addition to enhancement bonuses, psionic weapons can also have the special abilities detailed here. A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

The rules for manifester level for weapons (called caster level), additional damage dice, ranged weapons and ammunition, ammunition and breakage, hardness and hit points, critical hits, and weapons for unusually sized creatures for psionic weapons are the same as for magic weapons. Psionic weapons do not have the chance to generate light (though some may be mentally audible; see below).

Mentally Audible: Fully 30% of psionic weapons telepathically mutter, croon, recite battle poems, scream, or produce other mental "noises" when first drawn, at first blood, or when they slay a significant enemy. Such a weapon cannot be concealed from creatures within 15 feet when it is drawn, nor can its mental "soundtrack" be curbed.

Activation: Usually a character benefits from a psionic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon-by attacking with it. If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to project a command thought (a standard action).

Psionic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions

Most psionic weapons have only enhancement bonuses. They can also have the special abilities detailed here. A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Bodyfeeder: All feeder weapons have a special ability that functions only upon scoring a successful critical hit. A bodyfeeder weapon grants its wielder temporary hit points equal to the total damage dealt by a successful critical hit. These temporary hit points last for 10 minutes. Thus, if the wielder of a bodyfeeder weapon successfully scores a critical hit while the wielder still enjoys temporary hit points from a previous critical hit, the wielder gains only the better of the two values: either his current number of temporary hit points, or the new influx of temporary hit points, whichever is higher.

Strong psychometabolism; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, claws of the vampire; Price +3 bonus.

Collision: Collision weapons psionically increase their own mass at the end point of each swing or shot. Such weapons deal an extra 5 points of damage on each successful strike, in addition to the weapon's enhancement bonus. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow the extra damage upon their ammunition.

Moderate metacreativity; ML 10th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, matter manipulation; Price +2 bonus.

Coup de Grace: Coup de grace weapons are exceptionally dangerous. On a successful critical hit, the foe must succeed on a DC 27 Will save or be paralyzed for 1 round. While this ability does work on creatures that are immune to extra damage from critical hits, it does not work on creatures without an Intelligence score. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability on their ammunition.

Strong telepathy; ML 19th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic dominate; Price +5 bonus.

Dislocator: The wielder of this kind of weapon can attempt to dislocate a designated foe up to three times per day. On a successful hit, the foe must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or be teleported 1-100 miles in a random direction. If the weapon misses, the use is wasted. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability on their ammunition.

Strong psychoportation; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic teleport; Price +3 bonus.

Dissipater: This kind of weapon is devastating to creatures and objects composed of or originally formed from ectoplasm (such as astral constructs, walls of ectoplasm, creatures in ectoplasmic form, and items created using the metacreativity discipline). Against qualifying targets, a dissipater weapon ignores damage reduction and hardness, and treats all successful hits as critical hits.

Strong metacreativity; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, dismiss ectoplasm; Price +1 bonus.

Great Dislocator: The wielder of this kind of weapon can attempt to greatly dislocate a designated foe up to three times per day. On a successful hit, the foe must succeed on a DC 20 Will save or be cast into a random alternate plane of existence. If the weapon misses, the use is wasted. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition.

Strong psychoportation; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic plane shift; Price +4 bonus.

Lucky: A lucky weapon offers a second chance at success. Once per day, the wielder can reroll a failed attack roll (whether a single attack or one in a series of multiple attacks) as a free action. The rerolled attack uses the same bonuses or penalties as the missed roll.

Moderate clairsentience; ML 8th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, fate of one; Price +1 bonus.

Manifester: This kind of weapon generates 5 power points once per day that the wearer can use when manifesting a power he knows. These power points must all be used on the same power. As usual, a psionic character cannot pay a power's cost with power points from more than one source, so the power points in the shield must be used for discrete manifestations.

Moderate clairsentience; ML 8th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, knowledge of any 3rd-level power; Price +16,000 gp.

Mindcrusher: Any psionic creature struck in combat by a mindcrusher weapon loses a number of power points equal to half the amount of hit point damage the weapon deals (only the base damage of the weapon contributes to the power point loss; additional damage from high Strength or other sources does not cause additional power point loss). A psionic creature that is out of power points (or has none) must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or take 1d2 points of Wisdom damage.

Strong psychometabolism; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psychic vampire; Price +2 bonus.

Mindfeeder: All feeder weapons have a special ability that functions only upon scoring a successful critical hit. A mindfeeder weapon grants its wielder temporary power points equal to the total damage dealt by a successful critical hit. These temporary power points last for 10 minutes. The wielder gains power points even if the target has none (effectively, its hit point damage is converted to power points). Constructs and undead are not subject to mindfeeder weapons. As with temporary hit points, temporary power points do not stack with each other; they overlap. Thus, if a mindfeeder weapon successfully scores a critical hit while the wielder still enjoys temporary power points from a previous critical hit, the wielder gains only the better of the two values: either her current number of temporary power points, or the new influx of temporary power points, whichever is higher.

Strong psychometabolism; ML 15th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psychic vampire; Price +3 bonus.

Parrying: A parrying weapon perceives an instant into the future, and of its own accord resists melee and ranged attacks aimed at the wielder, granting a +1 insight bonus to the wielder's Armor Class. The weapon is so adept at parrying that it even affects incoming powers, granting the wielder a +1 insight bonus on saving throws. The bonuses are granted whenever the wielder holds the weapon, even if flat-footed.

Faint clairsentience; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, defensive precognition; Price +8,000 gp.

Power Storing: A power storing weapon allows a manifester to store a single targeted power of up to 5 power points in the weapon. (The power must have a manifesting time of 1 standard action.) Any time the weapon strikes a creature and the creature takes damage from it, the weapon can immediately manifest the power on that creature as a swift action if the wielder desires. (This ability is an exception to the rule that manifesting a power from an item takes at least as long as manifesting that power normally.) Once the power is manifested, the weapon is empty, and a manifester can imbed any other targeted power of up to 5 power points into it. The weapon telepathically whispers to the wearer the name of the power currently stored within it. A randomly generated power storing weapon has a 50% chance to have a power stored in it already.

Strong psychokinesis; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, creator must be a manifester of at least 12th level; Price +1 bonus.

Psibane: A psibane weapon is crafted to oppose psionic beings. When used against such creatures, its effective enhancement bonus is 2 higher than its actual enhancement bonus. It deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against psionic opponents. It bestows one negative level on any psionic creature attempting to wield it. This negative level remains as long as the weapon is in hand and disappears when the weapon is no longer wielded. This negative level never results in actual level loss, but it cannot be overcome in any way while the weapon is wielded. Psibane bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition.

Strong clairsentience; ML 15th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, bend reality; Price +2 bonus.

Psychic: A psychic weapon's power depends on its wielder. In the hands of a nonpsionic creature, the weapon possesses the qualities of a nonmagical, nonpsionic masterwork weapon. When wielded by a psionic creature, this weapon has an enhancement bonus based on the wielder's current power point reserve, as shown on the following table. The weapon's enhancement bonus decreases as the wielder spends power points, and it increases whenever the wielder gains enough power points (by any means) to put his power point reserve into the next higher category.

Strong clairsentience; ML 17th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, reality revision; Price +35,000.

Psychokinetic: Upon command, a psychokinetic weapon glows from the inside with lethal psionic energy. The energy does not harm the hands that hold the weapon. Such a weapon deals an extra 1d4 points of damage on a successful hit. This extra damage is ectoplasmic in nature and is not affected by damage reduction. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition.

Moderate psychokinesis; ML 10th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, concussion blast; Price +1 bonus.

Psychokinetic Burst: This weapon functions as a psychokinetic weapon that also releases a blast of destructive psionic energy upon scoring a successful critical hit. In addition to the extra damage of the psychokinetic ability (see above), a psychokinetic burst weapon deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on a successful critical hit. If the weapon's critical multiplier is x3, add 2d6 points of extra damage instead, and if the multiplier is x4, add 3d6 points of extra damage. This extra damage is ectoplasmic in nature and is not affected by damage reduction. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition.

Strong psychokinesis; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, concussion blast; Price +2 bonus.

Soulbreaker: This weapon has a special ability that functions only upon scoring a successful critical hit. On a successful critical hit, a soulbreaker weapon bestows one negative level on the foe. One day after being struck, if the negative levels have not been purged, the subject must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save for each negative level or lose a character level.

Strong telepathy; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, mindwipe; Price +3 bonus.

Sundering: This kind of weapon allows a wielder to attack opponents' weapons as if he had the Improved Sunder feat.

Faint metacreativity; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, Great Sunder, metaphysical weapon; Price +1 bonus.

Suppression: An opponent or object struck by this kind of weapon is subject to a targeted dispel psionics power. The wielder makes a power check (1d20 + 5 + manifester level, maximum +15) against a DC of 11 + the manifester level of the power to be dispelled. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition, but can do so only three times per day.

Moderate psychokinesis ML 10th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, dispel psionics; Price +2 bonus.

Teleporting: This ability can be imbedded only in weapons that can be thrown. A teleporting weapon returns through the Astral Plane to the creature that threw it. It teleports into the throwing creature's empty hand in the round following the round when it was thrown, just before that creature's turn. It is therefore ready to use again on that turn.

Faint psychoportation; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic dimension door; Price +1 bonus.