
Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Dark Archive / Psychic Duels

Attacks and Defenses

Source Dark Archive pg. 202
Any action taken in a mindscape is converted into a thoughtform called a psychic manifestation. An attack or spell has essentially the effect one would expect it to, though its form is far more mutable in the mindscape. Though taking place in the mind, a psychic duel still consumes any resources used by its combatants, such as HP and spell slots. A skilled warrior brought into a psychic duel isn't a helpless weakling; their martial arts training carries over into the thoughtforms they use in the duel. Statistics and actions change in a psychic duel as follows.

Always Use Will Defense: Because a psychic duel pits mind against mind, you use Will for all saving throws and your Will DC as your Armor Class. In cases where a different DC (not a save or AC) would be used for defense, the GM determines which statistic to use, typically replacing only ones based on physical ability modifiers.

Any Damage Becomes Mental Damage: Any damage dealt in a psychic duel is converted to mental damage. Any immunities, resistances, and weaknesses a creature would normally have to the psychic manifestation's form still apply, for instance, applying fire resistance to a psychic fireball. Apply the higher of a creature's weakness or resistance to the damage as normal. Weakness or resistance to mental damage applies only once against a given manifestation, no matter how many types of damage it deals.

Change Strike Damage: Though Strikes use their normal ability scores to represent thoughtform versions of the attacker's prowess, any physical ability modifier to damage is replaced with the attacker's highest mental ability modifier. A creature stat block typically doesn't list a breakdown of its Strike damage, but the GM can find the difference between its Strength modifier and highest mental ability modifier to adjust the damage.

Range Doesn't Matter: Spells and attacks with a range can target anyone inside the mindscape without penalty, even if outside their maximum range or range increment. Spells and abilities that affect a specific area or emanate from you must still follow those restrictions. Melee attacks only target foes within your reach.

Natural Psychic Spells

Source Dark Archive pg. 202
Any creature in a psychic duel can cast two spells, both heightened to half the participant's level, rounded up. They can cast the daze cantrip at will and get a second spell that can be cast once during the duel. They choose from the following when they roll initiative: fear, phantom pain, or a common summoning spell (typically summon animal, summon construct, summon fey, or summon lesser servitor for a 1st-level spell). If the creature can't cast spells, they gain these as innate occult spells until the end of the psychic duel. If they can already cast spells, they add these to their other spells and temporarily gain any spell slots necessary to cast them (even if they can't cast spells of that level yet) that can be used only for the additional spell. Natural psychic spells use the higher of the caster's spell DC or class DC for their spell DC, and that number – 10 for spell attack rolls.

Gear and Companions

Source Dark Archive pg. 202
When you enter a psychic duel, psychic echoes of your gear travel with you. An eidolon, familiar, animal companion, or the like typically appears as a psychic echo based on your perception of it. However, the GM might determine a particularly intelligent companion joins its own mind into the psychic duel.