From: Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca (Nick Janow)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Psionics
Date: 27 Jul 92 18:13:06 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

al@calsci (Al Petterson) writes:

> Is psionics part of the SF genre, or is it mistakenly considered SF rather
> than fantasy by people who have little or no science knowledge?
> 
> If you think you can roll that past Niven, Brin, and Asimov, go right ahead
> and try.

Maybe they write what those (scientifically ignorant) readers want.

> Romance is included in many SF stories but it isn't what makes the story SF.
> Character development is included in many SF stories but it isn't what makes
> the story SF.  What's your point?

I was responding to another poster's comment: "It may not fit with 'hard'
science fiction, but there are lots of SF books out there with psionics (or
some derivative), so it *is* part of the genre."  Psionics and romance may be
included in a SF story, but they are not an integral part of the SF genre.  You
could have psionics in a "Harlequin Romance" novel, but that wouldn't make it
SF.

> Claiming psi is not part of the genre simply because SF stories with psi
> would still be SF if it were omitted is ridiculous.  Most good SF stories
> have a *number* of plot elements that make the story SF and removing any one
> of them would lessen the story, but still keep it in genre.  Can you name a
> story in which FTL appears and where if you removed FTL *only* the story
> wouldn't be SF?

You're using the wrong analogy.  The analogy to removing FTL would be removing
telekinesis (while retaining other psionic elements).

> Psi is central to all of the following SF stories, [list].  Do you claim all
> these stories violate genre by including psi?

No, I didn't claim that including psionics made the story non-SF.  I claimed
that including psionics didn't make an otherwise non-SF story suddenly SF.

> In a given *specific* SF world, psi may or may not have a part.  But any SF
> roleplaying system which purports to be "general" rather than tied to a
> specific vision of the future should include psi, or much of SF cannot be
> modeled using that system.

If you want your SF rpg to model life in a near-future solar system, you don't
include rules for cheap FTL drives.  If you want your SF rpg to model a
universe with low level psionics, you don't include rules that make it common
for PC's to melt tanks with pyrokinesis and communicate across galaxies with
telepathy.  If you want a universe with high level psionics, you don't include
a rule system that makes it almost impossible for a PC to have even the weakest
psi abilities.

If you have a system like GURPS, which I suppose is more of a rules framework
with modules that contain background and special rules to essentially make a
specific rpg system for each background, then yes, you should leave room for
psionics in the framework.  If you're not making a "general" SF rpg that is
capable of handling any SF story you could find, but instead one that is
optimized for a specific atmosphere and/or gaming style, then you only need to
add rules for those elements--be it psionics, FTL or alien races--that are part
of the atmosphere you are trying to achieve.

Of course, not including rules for psionics doesn't necessarily mean the game
system can't support a campaign with psionics.  Unless the rule system and
background pointedly and totally denies the possible existence of psionics, a
GM can add it.  If the GM intends to run most of his campaigns with psionics,
he should look for a game system that supports what he wants.  He might even be
better off choosing a game system with detailed psionics rules and lousy other
rules, and then modifying those lousy other rules.  :)

Legacy is not designed to support psionics, but the task resolution rules are
so elegant that it would be a trivial task to add psionics rules.  We even ran
a short campaign with very powerful psi powers.  If Legacy becomes popular,
someone will write a module to cover psionics.

Personally, I think a game system with a good foundation for the basic
functions (task resolution, combat, healing, etc) is easier to modify to suit a
particular atmosphere (such as a psi campaign) than a system with a set of
detailed, but mutually inconsistent, rules.

--

Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca