Psionics Handbook

The Psionics Handbook was a sourcebook for core 3rd-edition Dungeons & Dragons by Bruce R. Cordell, detailing the system of psionics. It was superseded by the Expanded Psionics Handbook for 3.5-edition D&D.

"Masters of the Mind

Adventurers speak of a rare breed of heroes who can bend the laws of nature to their bidding through sheer force of will. This mental manipulation is not magical, nor is it the stuff of superstitious gossip. It is the art of psionics...

This supplement for the D&D game provides psionic character classes and prestige classes, psionic skills and feats, a psionic combat system, and a plethora of psionic powers, items, and monsters – everything you need to include psionics in your campaign."

Contents

 * Introduction
 * Chapter 1: Psionic Classes
 * Chapter 2: Skills
 * Chapter 3: Feats
 * Chapter 4: Psionics
 * Chapter 5: Powers
 * Chapter 6: Characters
 * Chapter 7: Psionic Items
 * Chapter 8: Monsters

Description
This book adapted the psionics concept for third edition D&D, with a new emphasis on balance and playability. The book mixed elements from previous versions of the game (such as Power Points from second edition) along with a number of innovations like linking the system closer to the new system of D&D as well as balance changes such as removing the randomness that had characterized the original system.

One of the key innovations was integrating the psionics system into the feats and class system that third edition emphasized. In the earlier editions most characters had a small chance to receive psionic powers as an extra set of abilities; a lucky character could receive powers that were equivalents of magical spells that were not available until mid-to-high levels. In 3.0 characters must take psionic classes or feats to access the abilities forcing a player to forgo other abilities in exchange for psionic powers.