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Psionic blast was a psionic power of the telepathy discipline that stunned a foe's mind.[6][4][5][2][3][1] It was sometimes called mind blast, and quite dreaded by non-psionic beings,[2][1] but it was actually unrelated to an illithid's mind blast.[4]

Effects[]

Psionic blast emitted a wave of "brain force", originally forming a cone 60 feet (18 meters) long, 5 feet (1.5 meters) at its origin and 2 feet (6 meters) at its limit,[6][4][5][2] later reduced to 30 feet (9 meters).[3] It jolted the minds of those affected, like delivering "shocking news",[6][4][5] and later outright blasted their minds as the name said, stunning them for several seconds.[2][3] After the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, if an experienced manifester spent more psionic energy, they could augment the duration.[3] After the Spellplague of 1385 DR, it emitted a flood of mental energy, in all directions to 25 feet (7.6 meters) dazing and even stunning creatures in the area, but it could not be augmented.[1]

Psionic blast was originally one of the five attacks of psionic combat[6][4][5][7] and was a way of making forced contact.[7][4] If the mind was already contacted, the target perceived they'd been seriously injured or weakened, and would fall unconscious if they were injured after that, but no real harm was done. It wore off in an hour, when the victim awoke.[4] Later, it either drained the target's mental energy or opened their mind to contact. Against an open mind, it caused actual physical damage.[5] It was the most costly to the user's mental energy, but it was the only one able to target non-psionic creatures, and stunned them.[6][7][2] Originally, psionic blast was strongest against the thought shield psionic defense and weakest against the tower of iron will defense,[7] later it was strongest against intellect fortress and weakest against mental barrier,[8] and finally it was strongest against empty mind and weakest against mental barrier again.[2]

Prerequisite Powers[]

Early versions required knowledge of mindlink to learn.[4]

Display[]

Manifesting the power produced the standard auditory display.[3] The force of the mental attack caused the very air to ripple.[2][3]

Significance[]

"Psionic Blaster" was the title of the first rank of the clergy of Deep Duerra, the duergar goddess of psionics.[9]

The ability to manifest a psionic blast was a requirement for becoming a cognition thief in the Hall of Mental Splendor.[10]

Users[]

Psionic blast could be learned by psionicists[4][5] and psions,[2][3][1] as well as by wilders.[3]

It could be known by su-monsters[11] and ikiryo.[12]

In psionics terms, it could also be known by ki-rin,[13] githyanki, and githzerai, and by astral devas, planetars, and solars among aasimon; by pit fiends among baatezu; by babaus, balors, mariliths, and nalfeshnees among tanar'ri; and only by arcanaloths among yugoloths.[14]

Notable Users[]

Appendix[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Mike Mearls, Bruce Cordell, Robin Heinsoo, and Robert J. Schwalb (March 2010). Player's Handbook 3. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7869-5390-5.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Bruce R. Cordell (March 2001). Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 4, 40, 42, 43–44. ISBN 0786918357.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 71, 125. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 89–90. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Douglas Niles (1995). Player's Option: Skills & Powers. (TSR, Inc), pp. 146–147. ISBN 0-7869-0149-7.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 110, 117. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 25, 26, 81. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  8. Douglas Niles (1995). Player's Option: Skills & Powers. (TSR, Inc), p. 148. ISBN 0-7869-0149-7.
  9. Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 55. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  10. Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 174–175. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  11. Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 121. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  12. Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 123. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
  13. Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 123. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  14. Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 124. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  15. Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 127. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  16. Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), pp. 109–110. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  17. 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.
  18. Steven E. Schend (March 1998). Hellgate Keep. (TSR, Inc), p. 12. ISBN 978-0786907861.
  19. Ed Greenwood; Sean K. Reynolds (2003-11-19). Raulothim, "The Silent Shadow". Wyrms of the North. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2016-08-13.
  20. Eric L. Boyd (July/August 1998). “Sleep of Ages”. In Christopher Perkins ed. Dungeon #69 (Wizards of the Coast) (69)., p. 69.
  21. Bruce R. Cordell (April 1998). The Illithiad. Edited by Keith Francis Strohm. (TSR, Inc.), p. 89. ISBN 0-7869-1206-5.
  22. Kevin Melka, John Terra (March 1995). “Adventure Book”. In David Wise ed. Ruins of Zhentil Keep (TSR, Inc.), p. 44. ISBN 0-7869-0109-8.
  23. Ramon Arjona (2002-06-19). Teliene Coloara, the Illithid Slayer. Realms Personalities. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2019-07-15.
  24. Robert Wiese (2002-12-04). Selinah Varhast, Psychic Assassin. Realms Personalities. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2019-07-15.
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