Psionics questions regarding initiative

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Hey Bob,

There's a few of us (Adam, Alex, myself) that have some questions regarding initiative as it concerns psionics.
For all questions I have plowed through sourcebooks and re-read your houserules. Nothing in your psionics houserules on this but it might be handy to put it in there after this topic get's answers 

• What is your modifier for initiative for psionics? 
• Do attacks and powers have different modifiers? 
• What is the sourcebook this comes from, if any? (I did some research and PHB and DMG didn't have anything useful on this)
• Complete Psionics, page 24 under the section header 'The Combat Round' mentions 'Unlike spells, psionic powers do not have initiative modifiers.'
• The Will & The Way, page 36 under the section header 'The Combat Round' mentions 'If a psionicist is initiating a power, use the power’s Preparation Time as an initiative modifier.
• Skills & Powers, chapter 9 on Psionics under the section header 'Psionic Combat Sequence' mentions 'Note that psionic attacks and powers don’t have initiative modifiers.' 
• In our discussions Jesse mentioned Dragon's Annual #2 (1997) with a section on 'Speed of Psionics' but the rest of that whole article is about the Revised/2.5E mthac0/mac psionics system you don't use, so, wanted to check to be 100% sure. 
• Last but not least question: The Will & The Way, page 36 under the section header 'The Combat Round' also mentions a DM's option about Intelligence functioning as a "mental dexterity" for basing the reaction adjustments from the Dexterity table on. Someone with Int 18 would have a -3 initiative bonus with psionics. Do you also use that?

Thanks Bob!

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Actually, come to think of it, I did have one other psionics matter. Not related to initiative but to power scores in relation to high ability scores.

Say you got a character with 19 intelligence. The psionic power of Blink (psychoportation devotion) has the power score listed as int +1. That makes the base power score a 20 for this psionicist.

Questions:
-What happens when I roll a 20? Do i get the power score result of blink or the 20 result of blink?
-And what happens with the power score bonus of +1 every 2 levels you get? Does it increase the power score above 20 (which makes no sense since you can never roll such a score) or does it mean you get the power score result on both a 19 and 20 now?

[DM Bob]

Usually initiative modifiers are zero. However, some powers have a preparation time. Certain things will require time - like shape changing. I don't like the idea of instant mass change. Depending on the severity of change I've ruled based on common sense/rule-of-cool.

As far as the power score question? After musing on it, I like the idea that you can't have a negative effect due to such a high stat. It also makes sense as it encourages psions to possibly spend a second slot or train their power further if they are pretty close to that benchmark.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Grand, thanks for the answers Bob.

But a character whose power score at the start of their career would be lower due to a lower intelligence, of say 14.
They would get the power score effect of Blink on rolling a 15, right?

After becoming a level 10 psionicist they would also have the +5 power score bonus per your house rules, and that would give a power score effect on rolls of 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 then?

So having a lower ability score would give them an advantage later on as compared to the character starting out with Intelligence 19.
They would only have the power score effect ever on a roll of 20. (obviously also on 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 - but that doesn't matter really).

I guess there were really some things in 2e psionics that I never really understood design wise.

[DM Bob]

But there is the fact that the higher score just means the it works more often anyways. The power score is just icing on the cake.

I'm also considering changing the progression chart a tad - to slow it a bit. Not for this game, but probably for whenever I redo the clerical spell lists in their entirety.

[ascieszl]

I was thinking that it might make sense to be able to take a penalty to your Power Score for certain effects (x2 range, duration, etc). Either ad-hoc or via the meditating to alter your powers rules...

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

Or like with physical combat, leaving only 20 as Power score when the Ability + bonuses/2 levels that you set on place are surpassed.

In combat, every time you hit with a natural 20, you crit for extra damage independently of the opposed AC, so rolling a 20 for a psionic power would result in its particular crit: the result of the Power Score.

I understand your bonuses as leveling up to make easier to activate the power, henceforth a THACO interpretation, without using that system, only as an analogy.