Mental barrier was a psionic defense mode[5] and devotion of the telepathy discipline that allowed a manifester to protect their mind with a wall of thought.[1][3][4] In the late 14th century DR, this power was reclassified as being part of the clairsentience discipline.[1]
Effects[]
Mental barriers protected against a psionic blast, but could be penetrated with a psychic crush.[3][4]
Display[]
When this power was used it manifested an auditory display.[1]
Users[]
This power was knowable by psionicists,[1][3][4] psychic warriors, wilders,[1] and lurks.[2]
Mental barrier was innately exhibited as a power by amethyst dragons,[6] brain coral,[7] braxat,[8] dhours,[9] hollyphants,[10] hook spiders,[11] ikiryo,[12] observers,[13] the small percentage of psionic quaggoths,[14] ruby dragons,[15] shedu,[16] and topaz dragons.[15][17]
In psionics terms, it could be known by couatl, duergar, ki-rin,[18][note 1] githyanki and githzerai,[19][20] and mind flayers,[18][21] as well as by astral devas, planetars, and solars among aasimon; by amnizu, cornugons, gelugons, and pit fiends among baatezu; by balors, babau, glabrezu, mariliths, nalfeshnee,[20] and yochlol among tanar'ri;[22][23] and only by arcanaloths among yugoloths.[20][note 1]
The duergar goddess Deep Duerra was sometimes known to manifest her influence as a crown-like nimbus of silver light around a creature's head. For the next ten minutes, the target's reservoir of psionic power would quadruple and they would have some kind of psionic defense surrounding them. Mental barrier was among the many defense modes this could be.[24]
Known/Notable Users[]
- Vhondryl, a psionicist in Skullport and head of the Hall of Mental Splendor[25][26]
Mental barrier was a commonly exhibited power among the avatars of deities, though a select few stood out for having a far more limited selection of psionic defense modes. The deities who counted mental barrier among their three psionic defenses were as follows: Gruumsh, the Furies, Osiris, Prometheus, Ratri, Skerrit, and Yama.[27][note 2]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The creatures filed under "in psionics terms" are those who were first stated out with magical powers and rules, which in some cases were described as 'psionics' in fluff text, and then later got stated or revised with actual psionics powers and rules once The Complete Psionics Handbook came out.
- ↑ These deities are listed in the cited source as being a Class V psionics user. On page 6 of Deities & Demigods and its repackaged printing Legends & Lore, Class V users are listed as having the Psionic Attack/Defense modes "A,B,C,E/F,G,H". According to the 1st edition Players Handbook, page 110, the defense letters correlate to mind blank, thought shield, and mental barrier respectively.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 115. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Christopher Lindsay (April 2006). Complete Psionic. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 66. ISBN 0-7869-3911-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 87. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Douglas Niles (1995). Player's Option: Skills & Powers. (TSR, Inc), p. 148. ISBN 0-7869-0149-7.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 110. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 70. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ (1998). Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four. (TSR, Inc), p. 21. ISBN 0-7869-1212-X.
- ↑ Ed Bonny, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter (September 2002). Monster Manual II 3rd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 38. ISBN 07-8692-873-5.
- ↑ Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
- ↑ Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 50. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
- ↑ Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 99. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
- ↑ Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 123. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
- ↑ Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 70. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 298. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Arthur W. Collins (May 1980). “That's not in the Monster Manual!”. In Jake Jaquet ed. Dragon #37 (TSR, Inc.), p. 7.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 313. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 74. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 123. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (March 2001). Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 0786918357.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 124. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 251. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 130. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 113. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 54. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), pp. 109–110. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (August 1991). “Seeing the Sights in Skullport”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #172 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 12, 14, 88.
- ↑ James Ward, Robert J. Kuntz (August 1980). Deities & Demigods. Edited by Lawrence Schick. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 6, 47, 64, 69, 72, 75, 91, 112. ISBN 0-935696-22-9.