The work dives straight in with Chapter 1: Underwater Psionics, beginning with the ancient history of the world, right back when there was nothing other than water, no dry land at all. Neither arcane nor divine magic had yet developed, the only power was that of the mind, exerted by will alone. Well, it's a bit difficult to muck about with spellbooks and gestures and incantations, after all, when you're underwater! Innate powers led to greater intelligence and eventually to sentience, an intriguing role for psionics in the development of life. However, once mighty psionically-gifted creatures crawled onto dry land, other forces - notably 'the gods' - stepped in and over the course of time arcane and divine powers were discovered and knowledge of the pure force of will was by and large forgotten.

Laying this epic sweep aside for a moment, we next get the Introduction, all about how the announcement of Psionics Unleashed for the Pathfinder RPG by Dreamscarred Press inspired Alluria Publishing to take a different look at their Cerulean Seas setting, in which it had been intended from the outset that psionics should be important. The result, of course, being this product. Ancient races, inky depths and lots of tentacles go both with an undersea world and with the core concepts of psionics, so it seems a good match. The collaboration worked well, with correspondence between the two publishers resulting in a compatible development, creating a 'universal' theory of psionics that works equally well under and above the waves. However, it's been approached in a modular fashion, such that individual GMs can decide just how important psionics will be, from merely one or two monsters wielding this mysterious power to it being all-pervasive once the water closes over your head.

Background provided, next comes Chapter 2: Aquatic Psionic Races. Here six rich and strange new races are presented, denizens of the deep with, yes, psionic capabilities. Seas are rich with biodiversity and 'new' yet ancient races are always being 'discovered' - even if they have been there all along. The amphian and the melusine are evolutionary branches of the merfolk. Merkoths are sort of sea-cuckoos, being raised by other races rather than their own kind. Asrai are quite unusual, being feykith, a heritage in which psionics are rare. Then there are benthic naga, related to the land-based snake people, and finally the zef, an ancient race that is cousin to the snail-like zif who were introduced in Alluria Publishing's Remarkable Races line.

Each race is given a full write-up from history and appearance to society, racial traits, views on religion and on other folks... all you need to play one as a character or present a vibrant living group as an encounter. Both rules mechanical information and flavour text is presented - rather neatly, each one takes up by a single page (including an illustration), so you could print off the page for an interested player to review if they are considering playing one. The chapter ends with notes on halfbreeds and tables with vital information such as bouyancy and depth tolerance as well as the usual age, height and weight, etc., you normally need for a character race.

Chapter 3 deals with Aquatic Psionic Classes. Most existing psionic classes can be adapted readily enough for races who dwell underwater, and they are discussed in turn. There is also a wholly-new class, the aquanaut, specifically designed for aquatic races. Aquanauts are honed for combat, with the ability to mould their very bodies to effect... each individual comes up with their own unique interpretation. Full details are provided so that this class may be played by any character who qualifies. The mutations are wide and various - extra limbs, a shell, or amour being common. As they rise in level, an aquanaut may choose to develop himself along the lines of a particular species or group of creatures, taking on various characteristics of the creature in question... examples such as jellyfish or crustaceans, sea mammals and molluscs and more are given in detail. There are also some aquatic prestige classes to aim your development towards.

Next, Chapter 4: The Gifted Sea explores feats, powers and items for underwater psionicists; beginning with the statement that the feats of Psionics Unleashed may be used without modification underwater. Other ones may need to be examined and amended as necessary to suit the aquatic environment. There are, of course, some wholly new ones to explore as well. Altered and new psionic powers follow, along with lists for the modified classes presented in Chapter 3 as well as for the aquanaut. A wealth of material here from which to develop your capabilities. The chapter rounds out with a few new psionic items that ought to come in handy.

Chapter 5: Cerulean Seas Psionics provides a glimpse of aquatic psionics as found in the Cerulean Seas setting specifically. Racial histories for the new races presented in Chapter 2 are expanded upon, including famous members of these races and their influences on underwater history... some are still around, and could prove influencial NPC patrons, enemies or contacts. There are similar comments about other races which are described in Chapter 6, deemed unsuitable to be played as characters but potentially influential in the underwater realms nevertheless.

Finally, Chapter 6: Psionic Sea Bestiary presents a range of creatures that are both aquatic and psionic. Not all are 'monsters' in the true sense, but many may wish to fight rather than parlay. Everything from stat blocks and illustrations to descriptions and likely behaviour are provided. I don't think I've met any of them whilst diving, but they are so well-written and developed that I wouldn't be too startled to find myself adding a cerebral crab or a mindshrimp swarm to the 'observations' column of my logbook!

This is a fascinating read and, even if you normally shy away from psionics, is worth considering if you are planning underwater adventures - it's a strange world, under the sea, and if your dry land campaign is psionics-light, this could be another way to highlight the 'otherness' of the depths. Everything is clear and thought out well, it all hangs together and provides plenty of scope for development of a truly unique experience underwater.

Return to Cerulean Seas: Waves of Thought page.

Reviewed: 26 May 2013