Codex of the Mind - A Complete Psionics System for 5E
Created by Henry Lopez
Written for the Arcanis Campaign Setting but easily adapted to any other campaign setting.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Tome of the Mind
over 4 years ago
– Sun, Sep 12, 2021 at 05:39:52 PM
Tome of the Mind - A settings agnostic psionics ruleset for 5E
Good morning everyone,
We made good progress over the weekend and we're that much closer to goal. Thank you.
I've had a few requests for additional information on the Tome of the Mind Stretch Goal, so I thought it best to provide what I can in this update.
Tome of the Mind takes the material in the Codex of the Mind and strips away all of the Arcanis setting references and source material, leaving just the rules mechanics for 5E.
While this will make the book smaller than the projected 192 - 224 pgs of the CotM, it will still be a meaty book that presents a comprehensive system for your 5E games. In addition, we'll add material that was not suitable for the Arcanis setting. This includes certain classes not supported in Arcanis, such as the Bard, Monk, and Wizard.
At the $60k Stretch Goal, everyone that pledged at the digital or physical book level will receive a PDF of this book.
At the $65k Stretch Goal, everyone that pledged at the digital or physical book level will receive an At-Cost coupon for a print copy from DrivethruRPG.
We're still a ways away from hitting these Stretch Goals, but we have plenty of time to achieve them. To do so, we need your help. Please share this Kickstarter page on any and every social platform that you are on and spread the word.
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to post below and I'll answer them as quickly as possible.
Last Days of the Kickstarter!
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Sep 09, 2021 at 01:43:14 PM
Hello everyone,
We’re zipping along towards our next Stretch Goal with only a few more days left in the Kickstarter.
Spread the Word!
Help us unlock as many Stretch Goals as possible by spreading the word about the project on whatever social platform you use or forums and message boards you frequent.
Psionic Class Options
Besides the three new base Classes (Psion, Psi-Warrior, and Wilder), we also have a number of Classes with a psionic spin.
These are:
Clerical Domains
Domain of Madness for those that serve entities whose tenents would drive others insane!
Aspect of the Mind for those who venerate the deity of the Mind.
Fury Path
val’Tensen Stormcaller - For those Awakened that have severe anger issues.
Ranger Archetypes
Hunter of the Silence – Those brave beings who hunt down the servants of the Silence!
Suromar (Psi-Bane) – Those who war against the Awakened (in this case, the elorii).
Rogue Archetypes
Occisor – A psionic rogue that specializes in the manipulation of shadows.
Warlock Patron
Lastly, the Silence – a new Warlock Patron who gifts their adherents with preternatural psionics. You just may not like your co-workers!
Voiceless One
As always, thank you for your support!
Another Stretch Goal Unlocked!
over 4 years ago
– Wed, Sep 01, 2021 at 10:55:47 AM
Hello everyone,
Unlocking this Stretch Goal was quite the nail-biter. I was hesitant to post an update so that I didn't jinx it, but we hit (and then dropped below) this goal twice before it finally sticking. Third time's the charm!
Two Milestones Achieved!
Achieving this Stretch Goal increases our art budget, which is going to make an already gorgeous book look that much better!
But not only did we do that, but we currently have over 400 backers! That's quite the milestone.
Next up is the Psionic Powers/Combat Cards PDF. When we unlock this Stretch Goal, we'll take all the psionic powers and lay them out so they can be printed out and used in your games. I'm also looking into setting them up as POD cards using DrivethruCards. I hope to have more information sometime soon.
Now, to commemorate finally making this goal, allow me to present a peek at the third psionic class presented in Codex of theMind.
Note: This is just a snippet of the full Wilder Class.
The Wilder
A val’s Awakening usually occurs in a controlled environment, under the supervision of a highly trained individual. This person, known as the Cognetitio Basilios, initiates the shattering of the val’s mind and then guides them as it’s pieced back together. They then undergo intense training on how to manifest and control their powers, mastering different gnosis and techniques.
Not all val elect to undergo the Awakening ceremony and unlock their latent psionic potential. However, there are rare instances where a val’s psionic potential is unlocked in an unexpected way. This happens when they survive a mental attack by another Awakened being or a psionic creature.
Having one’s mind violently broken without any assistance in restoring it leaves many in a vegetative state. Others, if taken to a mentatum or a trained professional, can be rehabilitated and trained properly. Then there are those who were not able to seek out such help and were forced to reintegrate their mind through sheer force of personality.
These beings, called wilders by other Awakened, substitute instinct, and raw emotion to manipulate their newfound abilities. While this makes them significantly less adaptable than psions, they are capable of unleashing powerful effects that can overwhelm even the most powerful of Awakened beings. This power comes at a price, as their fractured mind makes them more susceptible to psychosis and madness than other Awakened beings.
Requirements
Creatures with the Psionic Potential racial trait may take this class if they also possess one of the following: the Awakened racial trait (currently only possessed by the val’Cessari and the Black Talon Brood of Ven ss’ressen), the Spontaneously Awakened feat, and either the Violent Awakening or Servant of the Silence background feature.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per psion level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per psion level after 1st
Proficiencies
Your choice of the wilder path will provide you with additional proficiencies. See your chosen tradition for details.
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose one of the following skills: Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, and Psionics* (* denotes new skills)
Equipment
You start with the following equipment in addition to the equipment granted by your background. See the Arcanis 5e Campaign Setting for a list of regional weapons and armor. If you choose a weapon with ammunition you start with 20 bolts or arrows, or 10 shots of blast powder in the case of flintlocks. If using the Arcanis 5e Campaign Setting for regional weapons and armor:
Choose two simple weapons appropriate to your starting nation.
Choose either a scholar’s pack or a dungeoneer’s pack.
The equivalent of leather armor from your starting nation.
The subclasses available to the Wilder Class include:
Dimensional Drifter
Mad Seer
Mindbender
Psilicator
Physical Adept
Savage Kineticist
val'Cessari Psionic Prodigy
As always, thank you for your support!
UK Shipping Costs and a Chat in the Monastery
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Aug 26, 2021 at 09:16:45 AM
Hello everyone,
After funding (thank you!), we're off to our next Stretch Goal, a pack of VTT Tokens.
Virtual Gaming
We had quite a few requests for such tokens from many players who use virtual platforms for gaming, and we're happy to oblige.
For those who may not be aware, there are numerous Living Arcanis events (both 5E and ARG) on a Discord Channel, run by a long-time player of the campaign. I'll see if I can get an invitation link to share with everyone on the next update.
Podcast Interview
Last night, Peter and I were interviewed by Mildras the Monk on his Youtube channel (link below). The good monk dug deep into the nuts-and-bolts of the Codex of the Mind and how it can be used in non-Arcanis settings.
Thank you again to Mildras the Monk for having us on.
As everyone overseas knows, shipping from the US is expensive. As I've mentioned previously, while we don't make any money from shipping, neither can we afford to lose money. The shipping costs on the main page are as close to what I can estimate the costs will be to ship the book to the various nations across the globe. When the time comes to ship, you'll be charged the actual cost of getting the book into your hands.
Happily, I can announce that the shipping costs to the UK were reduced by $15 due to a change in the way the FedEx program we use ships to the United Kingdom.
Initially, this FedEx program routed all packages to the UK through France, which would incur VAT charges. However, as of September 1st, the FedEx program will ship directly to the UK, bypassing France. As the UK doesn't charge VAT on books, we can now subtract that cost and pass those savings on to you (the UK backer).
tldr: Shipping to the UK is now less expensive than it was originally.
That's it for now. Please keep spreading the word about the Kickstarter far and wide. I know many of you (me included) would like to unlock a certain val'Fenrix Stretch Goal.
As always, thank you for your support!
VTT Tokens Stretch Goal Unlocked!
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Aug 26, 2021 at 09:16:03 AM
Late last night, the first Stretch Goal was unlocked!
Meaning that all those who backed a digital or physical reward will receive a VTT Token pack.
VTT (Virtual Table Top) Tokens act as minis for the various games run on virtual platforms. By unlocking this Stretch Goal, we'll use the art adorning this book and turn them into tokens that both players and GMs can use.
Our graphics designer will create the template for these tokens, and I'll share some of the final ones as soon as I have them in hand. Below are two mock-ups of what the tokens may look like.
Discord Channel
Some of you may not know, but we have the longest (I believe) running Organized Play Campaign set in the same game world. Living Arcanis has been going strong for about 19 years. Currently, we're in the middle of the War of the Paragons story arc, with the adventures in this arc and previous story arcs being played regularly online. If you're interested in playing an adventure or two, there are some wonderful GMs in the discord channel that will be happy to help you take your first steps in Arcanis.
Below is a link where you can join this Discord Channel.
