in 2e, psionicists had to be Lawful in some degree because the amount of mental focus required for the powers as described in the 2e book. So, I would argue psionicists generally would tend towards Lawful over Chaotic.
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Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
A lone psionic is likely chaotic for losing control of all that stuff in their head - making them paranoid enough to avoid people and unpredictable enough to make people to avoid them.
A psionic in a society - especially a society of psionics - is likely lawful for having to maintain a strong will to keep everything under control.
That's just like my opinion, though.
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
The view on psionic alignments can probably best be summarized by the gith...one of the best examples of a "psionic" race.
The githzerai spend their time in isolation, honing their mental powers to literally impose order on the chaotic realm of Pandemonium...they are "lawful" in the sense of adhering to a rigid regime of discipline and focus...but their views are more neutral, as they are pursuing enlightenment...for better or worse.
The githyanki, on the other hand, are dragon-riding, raiding & pillaging warriors, using their psionics and martial skills to exploit everyone and everything...then they hoard what they find into the timeless Astral Realm. They are most certainly chaotic...the psionics are just something they can do...an advantage.
So on the matter of psionics & alignment...I'd say if a psionic character is trying to "master" or "understand" their power, they'd be lawful, in that they need structure.
If the character is just using their awesome mind powers as a tool, then they'll likely be more chaotic.
Huh, the 2e alignment strictures seems more bounding to lore and hamstringing imagination. Never picked it up.
Expanding on what others have written here, sure one could recognize a "lawful" alignment representative of the discipline focused work needed to bring one's mind to a more awakened level. Conversely, you could see more chaotic tinge in the need to let go of mundane hierarchies of how reality "works" to "free your mind" and unlock psionic power. And then there could be a middle ground where psionic ability is revealed through a balanced understanding of the self and the world, allow a Neutral perspective.
And all these unpowered value role playing systems can coexist in a world with powered psionic mechanical systems. I'm thinking of Babylon5 where the majority of human psychics were arguably shaped by a Lawful Evil PsiCorp regime, where intense training but also intense control made them tools of an oppressive system. Yet, there were outliers who literally reveled against that system and became more powerful than the PsiCorp could imagine....
Chaotic alignment doesn't preclude the capacity to perform hard work. Especially if that hard work furthers the individual's drive to live unfettered by bonds of rules.
Me and my friend were arguing about whether psionicists are more likely to be lawful or chaotic.
Honestly, could equally go either way
Spend years honing your mind to a weapon, becoming a master of the psychic arts: lawful
Have these wild and uncontrollable psionic abilities you just let loose for the heck of it: chaotic.
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in 2e, psionicists had to be Lawful in some degree because the amount of mental focus required for the powers as described in the 2e book. So, I would argue psionicists generally would tend towards Lawful over Chaotic.
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
Here's my take:
A lone psionic is likely chaotic for losing control of all that stuff in their head - making them paranoid enough to avoid people and unpredictable enough to make people to avoid them.
A psionic in a society - especially a society of psionics - is likely lawful for having to maintain a strong will to keep everything under control.
That's just like my opinion, though.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
The view on psionic alignments can probably best be summarized by the gith...one of the best examples of a "psionic" race.
The githzerai spend their time in isolation, honing their mental powers to literally impose order on the chaotic realm of Pandemonium...they are "lawful" in the sense of adhering to a rigid regime of discipline and focus...but their views are more neutral, as they are pursuing enlightenment...for better or worse.
The githyanki, on the other hand, are dragon-riding, raiding & pillaging warriors, using their psionics and martial skills to exploit everyone and everything...then they hoard what they find into the timeless Astral Realm. They are most certainly chaotic...the psionics are just something they can do...an advantage.
So on the matter of psionics & alignment...I'd say if a psionic character is trying to "master" or "understand" their power, they'd be lawful, in that they need structure.
If the character is just using their awesome mind powers as a tool, then they'll likely be more chaotic.
Thank you guys
Huh, the 2e alignment strictures seems more bounding to lore and hamstringing imagination. Never picked it up.
Expanding on what others have written here, sure one could recognize a "lawful" alignment representative of the discipline focused work needed to bring one's mind to a more awakened level. Conversely, you could see more chaotic tinge in the need to let go of mundane hierarchies of how reality "works" to "free your mind" and unlock psionic power. And then there could be a middle ground where psionic ability is revealed through a balanced understanding of the self and the world, allow a Neutral perspective.
And all these unpowered value role playing systems can coexist in a world with powered psionic mechanical systems. I'm thinking of Babylon5 where the majority of human psychics were arguably shaped by a Lawful Evil PsiCorp regime, where intense training but also intense control made them tools of an oppressive system. Yet, there were outliers who literally reveled against that system and became more powerful than the PsiCorp could imagine....
Chaotic alignment doesn't preclude the capacity to perform hard work. Especially if that hard work furthers the individual's drive to live unfettered by bonds of rules.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.