The Hematite Order

The Hematite Order
The Hematite Order is a psionic university. Whereas most universities are centres for learning, the Hematite Order is decentralized, though no less devoted to learning. Small enclaves exist in many cities and because of this decentralized nature the order is relatively unknown. Normally such a design hinders in the accumulation of knowledge, but the order has turned it to its advantage.

At the centre of each enclave is an item called a Conduit. This Conduit is constructed of hematite and psychoactive crystals, and thrums with psionic power. Alone, a Conduit is a repository of knowledge, which can hold a modest library’s worth of lore. In addition, each Conduit is connected to other Conduits via psionic links, this allows the connected Conduits to function as a single repository. This network of Conduits is called the Font.

Through a linked Conduit one can access all knowledge in the Font. All lore is stored in at least two different Conduits, more for very important or very basic lore. This is done in order to preserve the knowledge in case one of the Conduits is disconnected and to ease the stress on the links between Conduits respectively. Because of their use of the Conduits the Order is very resilient to local calamities and able to integrate information from distant locales.


The Hematite order does not consist solely of psionic individuals. In fact, the Order values all knowledge, so there are also mundane sages comprising the membership. These members can access the Conduit through special training and for this access they need physical contact with the Conduit. Members of the Hematite Order that have psionic powers can access the Conduit’s mental energies from a distance. Some of the psionic members form the elite Net Minds, these scholars actively seek knowledge in the world and have unparalleled access to the Conduits.

All members are expected to contribute knowledge to the Font, though there is no formal requirement for this. The membership dues are based on the individual member’s means and the Order also accepts services and goods in payment. For individuals with a reservoir of psionic power (pool of power points), it the dues consist of contributing that psionic power to maintain the Conduits and their links. One month’s dues consists of donating your available pool, though you can pay for a maximum of twelve months in advance. In game terms that means that in order to pay for a month, PC members spend their daily allotment of power points.

Accessing a Conduit
Accessing a Conduit locally (i.e. not using the Net Mind class abilities) requires mental contact with the Conduit. Establishing this link requires physical contact with the Conduit for one round. Once you have established this link you can research a topic for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes you can choose to attempt to research for another 10 minutes. To continue, you must make a DC 15 concentration check, the DC increases by 2 for every check beyond the first. Failure means your research stops there. Stopping your research (forced or voluntarily) allows you to make a knowledge check with a circumstance bonus equal to 2 plus the number of successful concentration checks (so researching a topic for 30 minutes will net a +4 bonus to knowledge checks).

Individuals with the ability to manifest powers are also able to draw on the repository of known powers. They can manifest powers from the Font (or a disconnected Conduit) in the same way as manifesting a power from another’s list of powers known. The access is tiered so that the list of powers you can access is limited to powers with a level equal to the highest level power you can manifest (thus setting the DC for the first Psicraft check, see the “Manifest an Unknown Power from Another’s Powers Known” section in the SRD/XPH).

Psionic individuals can access a Conduit remotely (10 ft per manifester level, minimum of 10 ft) as long as they maintain psionic focus, though this connection is more difficult to maintain (increase the DC for the concentration check by 5). Aside from Net Minds it is not possible to access powers remotely.

Power Storage [Psionic]

Prerequisites: Manifester Level 3rd, Psicraft 7 ranks

Benefit: With this feat you can retain the ability to manifest a power from another’s powers known for 1 round per manifester level. Once you manifest the power it evaporates from your mind (you can only manifest the stored power once), though you can manifest other powers before you manifest this one . The procedure is the same as normal for manifesting from another’s power repertoire (Psicraft check against DC 15 + highest level power in repertoire, 1 round of mental contact, DC 15 + level of selected power Psicraft check to select a power and a DC 15 + level of selected power Psicraft check when trying to manifest the power. You can only store one power at a time in this way.

Normal: You only retain the ability to manifest a power from another’s repertoire for one round and you can’t manifest another power before you manifest the selected power.

The Net Mind
Net Minds are elite members of a psionic university called the Hematite Order. They are seekers of knowledge that form a special connection with the Conduits of the Hematite Order. This allows them to draw upon the collected power knowledge contained in the Font.

Their goal is the accumulation of knowledge and in order to achieve that goal they actively seek that knowledge in the world. Because they often range far from the Order’s enclaves, they have a special connection to the Conduits. This allows them access the Conduits from any distance.


Name: Net Mind
Hit Die: d4

Requirements:
Skills: Knowledge (Psionics) 8 ranks, Psicraft 8 ranks.
Feats: Power Storage
Psionics: Manifester level 5th and able to manifest Mindlink.
Special: Membership in the Order of the Hematite, Initiation rite.

Class Skills:
The Net Mind’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis) and Psicraft (Int).
Skill points at each level: 2 Int modifier

Table 1: Net Mind

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Power points/day/Powers known
1	0	0	0	2	Remote Font Access I	1 level of existing manifesting class
2	1	0	0	3		1 level of existing manifesting class
3	1	1	1	3	Download power	1 level of existing manifesting class
4	2	1	1	4		1 level of existing manifesting class
5	2	1	1	4	Remote Font Access II	1 level of existing manifesting class
6	3	2	2	5		1 level of existing manifesting class
7	3	2	2	5		1 level of existing manifesting class
8	4	2	2	6	Improved Font access	1 level of existing manifesting class
9	4	3	3	6		1 level of existing manifesting class
10	5	3	3	7	Remote Font Access III	1 level of existing manifesting class

The following are class features of the Net Mind prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Net Minds gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Powers Known: At every level a Net Mind gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if he had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that he adds the level of Net Mind to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.
If a character had more than one manifesting class before he became a Net Mind, he must decide to which class he adds the new level of Net Mind for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

Remote Font Access: Starting at level 1 the Net Mind gains remote access to the Font 1/day. Access to the Font grants you the ability to manifest a power from the Font. You can access a power no higher than 3rd level. At 5th and 10th level the maximum power level increases to 6th and 9th level powers respectively. This ability functions the same as manifesting a power from another’s powers known (XPH; p.64) with the exception that mental contact does not require physical contact (it still takes a full round action). You can use your Psionic Storage feat in conjunction with this ability. The content of the Font is up to the DM, although it is assumed that the Order is large enough that all Psion/Wilder powers listed in the XPH are available. (As it is rare for Psychic Warriors to become Net Minds, the powers on their list are not as readily available (DM’s discretion).) As with manifesting a power from another’s repertoire, you can only access powers that are on your class list.

A net mind can also access the Font’s mundane knowledge. This functions the same as the ability as described under accessing the Conduit except that the DC for the concentration checks is increased by 10.

Download Power: at 3rd level the Net Mind gains the ability to temporarily store a power (he could normally access remotely) from the Font in his own mind. This ability counts as a use of the Remote Font Access ability. To use this ability the Net Mind must meditate for 1 minute, after this time if the Net Mind succeeds on a DC 20 power level Psicraft check, the power is treated as though it is on his list of powers known for the next hour per Net Mind level or until you release it from your mind. You can maintain one such power at a time. Using this ability incurs a dept in the Font, which must be repaid within a number of days equal to his class level. This debt can be repaid by sending a power of the same level (or a number of powers with the same combined level) into the Font by meditating for one minute. It is then removed from your list of powers known for the next 24 hours (if you are an Erudite you give up a daily unique power instead). The debt is considered repaid upon the sending the power(s) into the Font. If the debt is not repaid in time the Net Mind loses access to the Font for all abilities except debt repayment. As soon as the debt is repaid, access is restored provided the debt is repaid within one year. If the debt is more than a year old, the Net Mind cut off from the Font entirely. The link can then only be reestablished by undergoing the initiation rite again (although the other Net Minds might make a few demands before they honor such a request).

Improved Font Access: at 7th level the Net Mind can remotely access the Font twice per day.

Very nice, I approve.

As our campaignsetting is Eberron with Fearun touches due to familiarity I'd like to subsume the Zealots of the Written Word monkorder from Fearun, dedicated to Deineir. Thus adding a few Tasholatora Monk/Psiwars to the Hematite Order.

I'm glad you like it

Oh yeah, where in Eberron will we be? Khorvaire I assume?

And just like the Mages of the Arcane Order, Erudite Net Mind can't learn powers through Remote Font access. What would you say about local access? Maybe Erudites can only learn powers that are stored locally in the specific Conduit. That way a player can't just pick whatever power he wants.

On a tangentially related matter,
Extra Unique Power

Prerequisites: Unique Powers per day.

Benefit: You gain one additional unique power per day.

Thoughts?

Not sure about the feat, as you have the potential to know quite a few powers, and always having one extra in your repetoire could be quite powerful. As such I'd like to cap it at "can only be taken once".

As for the Eberron bit: I was thinking of setting your base in Sharn, and dropping the group off in the far eastern Talenta plains. Halfling country.
Your local hub will thus probably be in Gatherhold.