A wild talent is someone from any other character class who has natural, latent psionic
potential. This potential can be present in any character, regardless of class, alignment, or race. Wild talents can never approach psionicists in skill, but they do boast at least one psionic power-which is known as a “wild power” among psionicists.
Any character can test for wild powers. (The character should be forewarned: such efforts are not without risk, as explained below.) A character can test for wild powers only at specific times: when the character is first created; when the character’s Wisdom increases to a higher point than it has ever been; the first time the character goes to a psionicist who can perform psychic surgery on him or her; when psionics is first introduced to the campaign.
Every character (and NPC and monster, if the GM wishes) has a base chance of 1% to
possess wild powers. This is modified as shown on the Wild Talent Chance Modifiers table.
Wild Talent Chance Modifiers
| Variable | Modifier |
| Constitution Modifier | +1% per modifier |
| Intelligence Modifier | +1% per modifier |
| Wisdom Modifier | +1% per modifier |
| Character Level 5-10 | +1 |
| Character Level 11-16 | +2 |
| Character Level 17+ | +3 |
| Cleric, Monk, or Wizard* | x1/2 |
*For characters that have a level of cleric, monk, or wizard, multiply the final result by 1/2 (round up). Clerics, monks, and wizards tend to have full control of their mental faculties. Therefore, it’s rare that a wild talent emerges from these classes.
Once you’ve determined the character’s chance to be a wild talent, roll percentile dice.
If the result is less than or equal to the modified chance, the character has at least one wild power. If the result is 97 or higher, the character suffers dire consequences (see “The Risks” below).
For example, Jonbar is a 5th-level dwarven monk with 18 Wisdom, Intelligence 11, and Charisma 16. His chance to be a wild talent is 1% (base chance) + 1% (5th-level) + 4% (Wis 18) + 3% (Cha 16) x 1/2 (monk) = 5%. Jonbar’s player rolls a 6 on percentile dice. Jonbar is not a wild talent.
Determining Powers
If a character is a wild talent, the player should roll percentile dice again and consult the Random Powers table to determine exactly what the character’s psionic powers are. Most wild talents have only one power. A lucky few (those with high-rolling players) boast more than one. The powers are described in the Power Description section.
PSPs for Wild Talents
Wild talents do not have PSPs. Instead, they can use the powers that they know once each, and can’t do so again until they complete a short or long rest.
Random Power
| d20 | Power Known |
| 1 | Arms of Hadar |
| 2 | Biofeedback |
| 3 | Body Adjustment |
| 4 | Charm Person |
| 5 | Command |
| 6 | Control Light |
| 7 | Create Sound |
| 8 | Cure Wounds |
| 9 | Destiny Dissonance |
| 10 | Detect Evil and Good |
| 11 | Featherfall |
| 12 | Find Familiar |
| 13 | Inflict Pain |
| 14 | Shield |
| 15 | Spider Climb |
| 16 | Tenser’s Floating Disk |
| 17 | Thunderwave |
| 18-20 | Choose one power. Then roll again, ignoring duplicates and results of 18-20. |
Risks
Characters who attempt to unlock their psionic potential are tampering with things they cannot begin to understand. If the dice roll is 97 or higher, the character must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the character’s physical and mental health take a considerable toll. Its Wisdom, Intelligence, and Constitution scores become 3. The character can’t cast spells, activate magic items, and can only understand very basic commands (like an animal). The character can still identify its friends, follow them, and even protect them.
At the end of every 30 days, the character can repeat its saving throw against this effect. If it succeeds on its saving throw, it regains 1d6 points in each of its three scores, not going above the original score.
This effect can be ended by greater restoration, heal, or wish.
Psychic Surgery
At the GM’s discretion, the Psychic Surgery power listed below can replace the greater restoration power.
Psychic Surgery
5th-level telepathy
Cost: 7 PSPs
Manifestation Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Duration: Instantaneous
Psychic surgery allows a psionicist to repair psychic damage. The psionicist can even operate on his or herself if need be. Choose one of the following options when manifesting this power:
- The power duplicate any of the effects of the greater restoration spell.
- Using this power, the manifester can unlock the wild talent potential of a non-psionicist creature it is touching. The target makes a wild talents check. If the target rolls percentile dice and discovers that it has no talents, it can make a second roll to check for wild talents but must keep the second result even if it brings consequences.
More to Come
This is the theme of June’s book and also used for my upcoming Dark Sun conversion. Please feel free to use any of this you like in your campaigns.
If you’d like everything in a PDF, be sure to sign up to be a Patron. You’ll get a copy of this ebook once it’s out plus all of the other PDFs that are already available.
Art by tsaber-d9jnhkt