Champions, a super hero game, has a pretty good section on psionics.

True, but we're shooting for something in a modern setting.

EDIT: This was in reference to the DnD and Pathfinder suggestions. I'm not terribly clear on what Champions is. It's a superhero thing, right? Is it a generic RP system, or does it have its own setting?
This message was last edited by the user at 03:42, Thu 21 Aug 2014.

Read 'Psyren'

I do not see why the powers could not be in a modern setting for any of those?

Never heard of it, but now that I've looked it up, it sounds like a fun premise.

However, we're trying to find a written RPG setting that supports the idea before we adapt from something else or homebrew something of our own. We are, admittedly, somewhat lazy.

You can use the psionics from 3.5 in particular; use D20 modern for everything else. There is nothing in 3.5 -psionics- rules that says it has to be fantasy.

But also, DnD psionics were just reflavored magic, essentially.

In reply to Eschatologist (msg # 5):

Pathfinder just added Technology Guide. There are also some modern pathfinder 3rd party products.

Modern d20 works too.

We're more concerned with finding a published campaign setting than finding a set of rules - although if we do homebrew, we'll probably use the 3.5 psionic power list for ideas.

I wasn't aware Pathfinder had modern stuff, I'll have to look into that. I'd love to see how they handled classes, d20's "Strong Hero, Fast Hero" classes always felt a little weird to me. But what we're looking for is a setting - some published RPG book/PDF that details a world in which psionics exist.
This message was last edited by the user at 04:19, Thu 21 Aug 2014.

Many sci-fi settings involve psionic rules to varying degrees.  Traveller being at the forefront.  Mongoose Traveller probably being the easiest of the lot, Classic is also pretty good too.  If you are going for Traveller for the psionics though, stay away from The New Era rules.  They are quite limited in psionic rules.

The GURPS Psionics book for 3E includes both notes on building your own campaign and a campaign setting called the Phoenix Project.  However, GURPS psionics is one of the bigger changes made from 3E to 4E.  Psionics is now done like other other powers, and the GURPS Powers book has a full rundown on how GURPS approaches psionics now.  There's also a GURPS Psionics Powers that has a lot of ready-made psionic powers for your group and a GURPS Psis book with examples of characters using 4E.  You could of course combine the campaign setting from 3E with the 4E rules, but the setting is only one chapter in GURPS Psionics, not a complete worldbook itself.  It's worth taking a look at for ideas, though.

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/psionics/

For settings; you're best bet is a book series or the like; than RP settings. RP settings have an unfortunate tendency to make it have as much of their source material as they can fit into it. Or that's my experience.

One of the things about Mongoose Traveller, the different 'powers' are done as skills.  So you can actually learn to use them better as the game progresses.

A published campaign setting for modern is a tough one. Most tend to be sci-fi/futuristic more than plain modern. Shadowrun might the closest I can think of.

I think companies assume that if you're doing a modernish setting; you'll use your own knowledge rather than a campaign setting book. Heck, even when running Shadowrun, I used to ignore their setting and set it in areas I knew; so that I could say how long it would take to get from X to Y.

The setting itself is easy enough to modify.  That's ancillary to the rules.

In reply to pfarland (msg # 11):

I've never played Traveller. We're looking for something modern in this case - but given the group's usual tastes, we'll give probably give Traveller a go someday.

In reply to Mad Mick (msg # 12):

Given how little we've been able to find, I think we'll be glad to give that one a look. I'm a little surprised our group's GURPS fanboy hadn't suggested it before, but I'm sure he'll be thrilled. Any other ideas?

In reply to willvr (msg # 13):

If we do homebrew, we'll probably be checking out a few novels for ideas. I'm not sure I get what you're saying in regards to fitting the source material - can you elaborate?

Many modern-era games offer setting details on top of the world we live in. Take World of Darkness, for example: there's a secret society for just about every splat, and there's usually an opposing secret society as well.

In reply to elecgraystone (msg # 15):

It's admittedly a niche market - modern games seem to be somewhat rare, at least when compared to medieval and far future games. Shadowrun's a little too "out there" for what we're shooting for, and the group never took to the game. Although I suspect that's mostly because the game wasn't very well run.

True20 is highly customizable and works for any type of setting, and even has all the powers you'd want ready-made, though the books aren't free.

Edit: nevermind, there's and SRD for True20: http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim...e_generic/index.html
This message was last edited by the user at 05:18, Thu 21 Aug 2014.

In reply to Eschatologist (msg # 18):

A lot of campaign settings try to make it so that every aspect of their various sources can fit.

Take Pathfinder for example. They make it so that everything you can find in all of their books; and all aspects of fantasy, has a place to 'live' as it were. I get why, and I understand it, but it is why I prefer homebrew worlds myself.

I just find that the setting is easy; once you figured out what rule system you want to use.

In reply to Eschatologist (msg # 18):

Simultaneously one of the greatest and one of the most off-putting things about GURPS is the amount of material there is out there.  Since systems like GURPS and FATE are designed to be universal, not as much has been developed as far as campaign worlds go, with some notable exceptions like Banestorm, Infinite Worlds, and Illuminai University (IOU).

However, another GURPS book that might be useful to you is GURPS Psionics Campaigns.  It doesn't have exactly what you're looking for, a fully fleshed-out campaign world, but it has lots of ideas for creating your own and a number of campaign frameworks that you could use.

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/psioniccampaigns/

Are you looking for rules or campaign settings?  If it's rules, they can be modified to fit the campaign, if it's a campaign, why are we discussing rules?

You had brushed off Traveller as being too sci-fi, but if that's your only objection, it's easy to drop the future part out.  Skills can be substituted or just dropped altogether.

Really though you have to think about what kind of game you want to run and where you want it to go.

If you want a grandiose game where the heroes become larger than life and are unstoppable by normal means once they are quite experienced, D20 would be a good ruleset.

If you are looking for something "more realistic" that regardless of experience a .50 bmg round will still kill or remove limbs, go with a system like Traveller or a modified Shadowrun or similar.

I don't really know where Gurps fits into those two.

Now think of what you want them to do with their psionic powers.  Do you want them strictly codified or something looser?

Codified would be more like spells, each power has a set limitation, range, damage, etc.  This provides an easier time for determining what can and cannot be accomplished, but leaves little in the way of freedom or variation.

A loose system would be like the have the Telepathic ability, if they want to read someones mind, they have to make a skill or power roll based on the situation.  Even a minimalist character can push the limits or do things a bit differently.

Now the setting itself is a whole other ballgame and that might influence the choice in rules.  Super hero type games tend to do done better with a codified and leveling system where a gritty, 'realistic' game trends toward the other direction.

Beyond the Supernatural by Palladium.  It's set in the modern world of psychic investigators and cryptozoology.

In reply to Mad Mick (msg # 21):

Awesome. If we wind up building from scratch, that'll definitely be on our "things to steal from" list.

In reply to pfarland (msg # 22):

We're absolutely interested in finding a setting that offers the idea, rather than a set of rules to support it. Looking at the orginal post, it may have been somewhat vague - I've tweaked it to hopefully make things more clear.
This message was last edited by the user at 13:08, Thu 21 Aug 2014.

In reply to Eschatologist (msg # 24):

Well, most settings offer the campaign premise without needing the rules.  It sounds like you are looking for a looser set of rules to fit into various campaigns.  The question is are you looking for grand, larger than life heroes or ones that are still human and just as fragile?

As stated here; he's after the campaign setting. THe doesn't care about the rules; at least for now.

In reply to willvr (msg # 26):

Missed that.  Other that Delta Green, I rarely run published settings myself.  Too used to coming up with my own.

I would have to second shiv's response, and add a bit. palladium/rifts psionics in general are pretty much the same across all their products, I think. if you don't like the supernatural aspect of Beyond the Supernatural, try Ninjas and Superspies. It's modern without the supernatural.