Less Convoluted Rules for Psionics

The lore explanation for Psionics in my setting is that, if spells are all spirit critters like imps, ghosts, angels, and cthulhus called upon to invoke effects, 'psionics' are basically the same thing, but using your own soul. As such, it is much easier to effect yourself and beings similar to yourself, as opposed to hurling fireballs, and 'dispel' or 'antimagic' effects typically do not work because to 'dispel' a person's soul would be a Death effect, not an arcane countermeasure.

Psionic training requires a lot of meditation, introspection, self-discipline, and counts as having another Class if multiclassed, though a mono-class Psion is acceptable as well. (XP required as cleric).
If an experienced character wishes to become a Psion, they may devote any future earned XP into the class and track psychic advancement separately.

To qualify as a Psion one of the following must be true
-Trained by the ascetic psychic monkeys of Aakasa Parvat or similar locale
-Infested by a Conqueror Worm, currently or previously
-Made empathic contact with BLACK_SWAN
-Survived mental contamination from the Idea of Thorns in its degraded lunar state
-Survived electrical puppetry by a Brain Wasp or KRX.
-Endured nightmare conditioning either via a Saresaren Academy of Thought, a Skull Casket device, or natural exposure to Nightmare.
-Some other niche thing like 'part of a ooze hivemind,' trained in Witness on Hercynia in a game of Lancer, etc etc

Each level gained as a psychic grants a new offensive or defensive mode of your choice, and a random* minor discipline. Every 4th level grants a random* Major discipline.
*Random abilities should be reflavored to be appropriate to the psyche of the character if possible, and rerolled if not.
Each level of Psion adds one point to your lowest score of INT, WIS, or CHA.
Psions can 'sense' psychic activity in their vicinity, similar to smell or hearing. Psionic activity will generally add a 1-in-20 chance of having a psionic encounter to the next encounter check.

Simplified PSI Combat-
Due to the speed of the mind, it takes place before all other actions in a round. Those in a psychic duel 
secretly choose one of the following three actions, rock paper scissors style, even if they do not technically have access to these techniques, and no expenditure of points is necessary:
Psi Blast beats Read Mind. Read Mind beats Focus Thoughts. Focus Thoughts beats Psi Blast. Ties wear down both parties.

• Psi Blast x Psi Blast- Ego Whip! Each take mental damage= to opponents level and may become emotionally vulnerable due to exposed insecurities and character flaws
  
• Psi Blast x Read Mind-Mind Crush! Loser is subject to an Assassination roll, where INT/WIS/CHA mods count as levels. If 'assassinated' loser suffers the second stage of Psi Blast.
• Focus Thoughts x Psi Blast- Tower of Iron Will! The loser's attack rebounds against them and they take mental damage = to their OWN level
  
• Focus Thoughts x Focus Thoughts-Mind Thrust! Each participant has their memory stabbed, forgetting something of opponents choice for 2d4 weeks, and lose 1 point from each mental stat.
  
• Read Mind x Focus Thoughts - Id Insinuation! The loser has a secret suggestion/desire implanted in their mind
  
• Read Mind x Read Mind - Intellect Fortress! Each take mental damage equal to opponents INT, and both parties learn something about the other (childhood traumas, phobias, motivations, etc)
  

Attacks-

Without some other mental connection, only Psi Blast functions against those who are not psionic.
Beings attempting to use ESP, mental control, or similar effects via magical means may be attacked by other forms, so long as they have this 'avenue of mental contact.' Similarly, creatures that primarily exist on the dream realm (ghosts, servitors, nightmares, and demons mostly) are usually subject to psionics as well due to their close ties to the collective unconscious and (usually) ability to affect the human mind.

PSI abilities require points of INT, WIS, or CHA to be spent to use. These stats heal at an enhanced rate of 1+Level stat points of your choice after a full night's sleep, and the cost is noted in this form:
Ability (Cost)

Psi Blast (4)- An assault of telepathic visions and feelings intended to overwhelm and disable with confusion and mental overload, in a thin cone of 20' length and 10' width at the end. The saving throw is made at +2 unless eye contact is had. INT and WIS mods both apply to this save. Stat points may not be spent to use this ability if it would take the Psionic under 10 in a stat.
Those hit suffer from 2d4 turns (not rounds) of random effects, determined by turn in noncombat or by round.

1-Fear, run away at speed blindly screaming, cower if cornered, for the remainder of the duration.
2-Faint/KO/Sleep, helpless until they wake after a turn.
3-Stupefied, stand dazed, -4 AC if attacked, doesn't do anything meaningful, might experience delusion
4-Berserk Fury, attack nearest creature, free to prioritize enemies if there is the option

If Blasted again in the above states, the effects of a failed save worsen to
1-Brain exploded
2- Mentally trapped in Nightmare, body remains in the waking world
3-Gain two Insanities, after 1d4 weeks save again or permanent
4-Psionic Burnout, INT and WIS 3, no psionics, miracles, personality, or wizard business until Restored

Mind Thrust (1)- A focused and highly deft psychic assault attacking memory. Failing a save may disable one psionic ability for 2d4 weeks or cause a single idea, person, ability, skill, etc to be forgotten about for a similar length of time.
Ego Whip(2)- Attacks the sense of self either by exploiting insecurity or aggrandizing arrogance, seeking to disable by inflicting mental stat damage. Mental Damage on a failed save is equal to the attackers Level, with a bonus or malus equal to disparity in INT/WIS/CHA mods. If a stat hits 0, apply Psionic Burnout from the Psi Blast chart (resetting the broken stat to 3).
Id Insinuation (3+)- Attempts to seize control on a failed save by supplanting other desires at a subconscious level. Cost is 3 to add a desire to take a single action to the subject of a failed save, adding the HD of the target as a bonus cost if the actions are strongly against the nature of those controlled. If target has one of their mental stats at 3 or less, they may be completely controlled without expenditure, but are clearly puppets.
This and Ego Whip are the standard weapons of dream entities that seek to exploit character flaws and possess bodies, but this is typically represented via a simple Charm effects to avoid overcomplication.
Psychic Crush (3)-On a failed save, attempts to instantly overwhelm a target by amplifying any mental weakness, incongruity, dissonance, etc to lethal levels, inflicting the second stage of Psi Blast, with success chance equal to 50% +/-5% per difference in Psion level of attacker/defender, with INT/CHA/WIS mods counting as Levels. However, any mental defenses cut this chance down to 1/3rd of normal.
Against things like demons and nightmares, this is akin to an Exorcise or Banishment effect, and is the choice of psychic ghostbusters, but it is also a common 'finishing blow' for experienced and merciless  psionic duelists.

Defenses-

All provide a +4 to mental saving throws and a halving of any mental stat damage taken, both against explicitly psionic abilities and most other mind-menacing threats encountered in adventuring. When keeping them up passively, the cost is measured in Turns, not rounds, but in psionic combat it is by round.

Mind Blank (1)- By clearing ones mind, one becomes 'invisible' to psychic probing... though much like real invisibility, this is not foolproof. It makes one undetectable to assorted psionic disciplines, but does not halve mental damage taken. It is disrupted by extreme sensations like agonizing pain, overwhelming fear, etc (certainly any effects from Psi Blast) and is better for stealth than combat. This is a common Void Monk technique
Thought Shield (0)-A natural state which the mind shifts to not think about certain things while revealing others, seeking to accept but divert mental intrusions into safer regions of thought and outlast and exhaust attackers. It reduces damage taken, duration of ill effects, and any other relevant numerical perils to 1/3rd and triples the psionic cost of ongoing effects (like Id Insinuation), but actually gives the user a Penalty to saving throws (-4) instead of a bonus against other Psi Techniques.
Mental Barrier (1)- By focusing on one thing only, only that thing is subject to attack. However, the subconscious may prove a backdoor to this method of mantra-like thought repetition, and it is specifically not effective against Id Insinuation and other Charm-type effects.
Intellect Fortress (2)- Defending with facts and logic is effective so long as the reasoning is sound enough to resist attacks in kind, and stable enough to resist undermining by emotions. Can shield those you can communicate with, to talk them out of problems. Automatically passes mental saves for yourself and those you rationalize to IF your INT is higher than the attackers.
Tower of Iron Will (3)- Nuh uh! With pure mulish denial, automatically pass saves, and shield those adjacent with this unyielding determination. Towers may soar beyond reach for a while, but collapse eventually.

Disciplines

Minor-

1. Telepathy(1)- Allows mutual, consensual mind-to-mind communication with other living beings, and searching for, detecting, and identifying sought-for beings at a distance of about 50' per round of searching. About one question can be asked/answered per point expended.
2. PSI Blade(1)- A general term for physically manifested violent, short range forces that are the equivalent of a melee weapon of +1 enhancement for every 3 levels of the psionic (round up).
   
3. PSI Soothe(X)- The sympathy most living beings have leads to psionic healing being common.
   HP may be healed at a rate of (1) per 3HP, stat damage at (2) per lost stat point, sensory damage for (6) points, diseases for (9) points, poisons for (12) points, and level loss for (15) points.
4. ESP(2)- By concentrating for a Turn on one person or in one direction, surface thoughts of people may be spied upon. This also establishes a psionic connection to non-psychics, allowing attack techniques to be used upon them.
   
5. PSI-bernate (6)- The Psion may enter a state of suspended animation, appearing dead and not requiring food, water, air, etc, and not aging, and being solipsistic isolated within their own dream realm. They are self-hypnotically programmed to awaken either after a set amount of time, or upon a trigger condition. This is a common Aakasa Parvat technique.
   
6. Mass Equilibrium (3) Communication with the earth elementals within things allows almost all weight to be removed from objects and people for 1 turn. This allows lifting heavy things (oversized items used as weaponry deal +1 damage per level of Psion), feather falling, levitation without propulsion, and crossing quicksand, water, tightropes, branches, etc with ease.
7. PSI Conquer (3)- This is the the discipline associated with Conqueror Worms, and is a wide range of mental 'waves' broadened to work without close psionic contact as is normally required. It is conveniently color coded, as are the Conqueror Worms themselves. Upon a failed save, the following effects can be enforced, costing 1 point per round. Typically, only one mode is initially mastered, with other modes requiring experiencing the appropriate mental states in extremis, or eating more Conqueror Worms.
   
   • Red- Incites target to bestial rage, attacking whoever is closest.
     
   • Orange- Temporary insanity, believing a delusion chosen by the caster and acting accordingly
     
   • Yellow- Incites target to drop whatever they are holding and flee at maximum speed
     
   • Green-Hallucination, seeing whatever the Psion places in their mind and reacting as if it were real.
     
   • Blue- Puts target into a sleepy daze, unable to take action and suffering -4 AC
     
   • Violet- Stat damage as per Ego Whip or amnesia as per Mind Thrust.
     
   • Magenta- Brainwashed into helpful friendship, as per Charm Person.
     
8. Empathy Projection(3)- Psionic projects their own feelings into those nearby (5' radius per level), letting others feel their own fear, hunger, rage, fatigue, pain, hatred, curiosity, love, peace, madness, etc. This may trigger morale checks (with varying outcomes) or more extreme states depending on the Psionics own state, spreading any supernatural effects such as Charm, Fear, etc. This is the discipline associated with BLACK_SWAN and generally leads to mutual understanding.
   
9. Psychometry- (1) Allows learning about the owners of an object by handling it, revealing their identity, meaningful life events, notable uses of the object, and eventual fate, with each question to be asked costing an additional point. This is done by subconsciously communing with ghosts, the subconscious nature of contact shielding the psychic from undead possession.
   
10. PSI Invisibility(3)- A misnomer, this is actually more like the ability to be beneath conscious notice. It lasts 1 turn, and only affects equal or lower-HD targets when compared to the Psion's level.

Major

1. Borehole (10)- Allows opening the Gates of Horn and Ivory and entering the Dream Realm, allowing others to come with. Entering a living mind leads to their psyche, while the dead lead to afterlives (or in the worst cases, Nightmare, just as a Nightmare Anchor would.) This technique is not widely taught in Saresare, as it weakens the borders between the Waking World and Nightmare, and is more common among illegal Somnambulist cults than the Academies of Thought.
   This may be used to travel to other worlds when used on appropriate items and otherworlders.
   
2. Psychokinesis (3)- Allows the movement of around 10lbs/5kilograms/1 Inventory Slot per level (squared) up to 40.' Duration is based on speed, lasting until the movement is complete or concentration is broken- an item could be levitated very slowly along that distance for up to a Turn, or hurled in an instant.
   Saving throws are allowed if a living being is grasped directly (which holds them in place), and to avoid being squashed by hurled objects. This may be used to block physical attacks by deflecting or stopping bullets and blades either directly or by intervening shields, but the attacker gets a save just as if they were to be grabbed.
   
3. Swarm Queen- (10) Allows psionic abilities to target up to 5 individuals simultaneously once activated for the day, with no additional cost. This technique is typically learned by becoming part of a hive mind for some period of time, and leaving with your psyche intact.
   
4. PSI Scry(1)- Allows the Psion to cast their mind out to roam the collective subconscious of the dream realm, hopping between mental connections to locate anyone in the world and see through their senses and make psychic contact with them, for good or ill. There is generally a 10% chance per turn of scrying of finding the desired target, doubling with personal acquaintance, and doubling again for a strong emotional bond. Chances are halved if the target is on another plane of existence, and may be blocked entirely by Psi defenses or other means of hiding.
   Those unwilling may force the Psion to expend points equal to their HD to maintain connection, though if simply having their senses shared, they must make a saving throw to even notice.
   
5. Sever The Light (5)- A forbidden technique learned from being electrically puppetted by a KRX, the Psion's mind may moves beyond the paradigm of 'souls' and 'minds' and thinks only in terms of physicality and electric meat. With a 10% chance of success per Psion level, this technique renders one immune to any magical or psionic attacks that would affect the mind/soul until they 'reset' after a night's rest. After mastery at 10th level, each level beyond provides a 10% chance per level above 10 to locate and identify any would-be psychic contact, allowing immediate mental counterattacks from an unassailable position.
   
6. Omnipresence (10/20)- As the Dream Realm is everywhere, so too can be the Psion, imagining themselves elsewhere and making it so.
   The lesser cost is a personal, short-ranged, safe teleport within 240,' while the higher cost is for a long-ranged, unsafe teleport (as per the spell) that can bring the caster and up to 5 other beings with them. Spending additional points reduces the odds of a teleport mishap by 1% each.
   
7. Aura Farming-(15) The Psion may break curses, alter the apparent auras of beings to make them register as other forms of beings (allowing for a chaotic fighter to register as a lawful magic user for purposes of wielding an aligned magic sword, for instance), and identify magic spellwisps, even Cursed ones that normally hide their nature(Identification only costs 2 points). Curses may sometimes even be altered to operate in ways that benefit the accursed, such as a Cursed Berserker Sword instead Berserking those it strikes, rather than the wielder.
   
8. Precognition-(X)- By intense cognition, predictive analyses, and so on, a Psion may attempt to 'foresee' the future, with a 1% chance of success per point spent and per level of Psion.
9. Mind Over Matter-(X) The Psion may instinctively communicate with the elementals that make up the world, allowing them to endure cold, heat, vacuum, pressure, drowning, acid, poison, etc and take no harm. This costs 1 point per level of monster or spell they are enduring, or 1 point per die of damage they would take per turn in the case of more environmental effects.
   The Psion may also alter the properties of materials, making them brittle, bouncy, sticky, fluid, or solid. The effects, size, and cost of this must be ruled by the GM, though typically a save to resist the ill effects should be allowed.
   
10. PSI Pyrokinesis(3X)- Agitation of the flame soul within the self and all things can manifest flames. This allows for Pyromancies to be cast at the cost of 3/Spell Level (See Yg-A spell list),
    with a limitation that they take 1 extra round per point required to stoke the hidden flames, -2 rounds per Psion level.