Psionic Power Levels Chart

[Gradius]

Ulrezaj 600? WTF? Stronger than hybrids and even Kerrigan?

Hybrids are an unknown, but I rated them lower based off the fact that they can be taken down en-masse by photon cannons in the final protoss mission.

Kerrigan, definitely yes. What makes you think Kerrigan could take on Ulrezaj? She almost got her head cut off by one dark templar, let alone 7 of the most powerful fused into an archon.

[Hawki]

And now it's massive response time...because that's how I roll.

Just something that's been sitting on my HD. The index is now an arbitrary strength scale.

1.5 - Average Human
3.5 - Malcolm Kelerchian (Wrangler)
4.5 - Aal Cistler
5.5 - Average Ghost
5.5 - Delta Emblock
6.5 - Kath Toom (%)
7.0 - Gabriel Tosh (%)
7.5 - Gestalt Zero
7.5 - Average Khalai Protoss
7.5 - Average Spectre
7.5 - Colin Phash
8.0 - Average Zealot
8.0 - Fenix
8.5 - Sarah Kerrigan (Human)
8.5 - Jackson Hauler (%)
10 - Nova
13 - Artanis
14 - Average Dark Templar
14 - Selendis
15 - Aldaris
15.5 - Average High Templar
16 - Raszagal (old)
16 - Kerrigan (before Amerigo raid)
16 - Zamara
16 - Zeratul
17 - Tassadar (khalai)
17 - Lekila
18 - Raszagal (young)
18.5 - Kerrigan (after Amerigo raid)
19 - Tassadar (twilight)
23 - Adun (twilight)
38 - Average Archon
45 - Average Dark Archon
200 - Protoss/Zerg Hybrid
250 - Voice in the Darkness
600 - Ulrezaj
(*) - Phoenix Creature
(*) - Dark Voice

I appreciate the idea, but it seems redundant to add values to non-terrans, especially when the PI is only meant for 1-10 ratings, and one's assuming that it can be applied to other species. Granted, you effectively mention this, but zerg telepathy works fundementally different from terran and protoss telepathy One can't gauge the quality of an apple if it's an orange.

Other minor tidbits-I'd personally rate Kerrigan lower in her infested form, given her "class 12 psi signature" and her being a "class 11 psionic" after de-infestation. Not necessarily PI, but it would be a fair bet. You could also include alavash I guess by virtue of its telepathic properties. Also wouldn't see Ulrezaj being above the Voice in the Darkness, as while they're both powerful, the VitD is more or less a C'thulu, whereas Ulrezaj is simply the raw total of seven Nerazim. Also not sure about the Dark Voice, since he seems to be a manipulator rather than someone whose power can be measured directly, but judging by his in-game model, I'm sure we'll get some idea in LotV.

[quote=Anyone care to wager Duran's PI?[/quote]

At the least, comparable, if not more so than Hauler's, considering that they both have chameleon-esque abilities. Again though, that's assuming that the PI can extend beyond human usage.

But you see my problem here? Overlords are telekinetic too, but I didn't want to set them higher than 8. Suggestions? :P

(I would have actually had to set Overlords far higher than 8, since they're so huge)

Again that's the issue-it's assuming that the progression from telepathy to telekinesis proceeds arbitrarily universally.

While Artanis is a Scout pilot in-game, I'm pretty sure he's also a high templar. He was trusted to carry the Uraj crystal. Furthermore, age doesn't seem to play that much of a role; Tassadar was younger than Fenix, but a more powerful psychic. And frankly, this is a setting with heroes. For that reason alone Artanis is probably more powerful than the typical high templar.

I dunno...looking at facts, we've never seen Artanis actually use psionic powers to any great degree. Either he's playing Heirarch, flying a Scout or commanding a mothership. And he is young, relatively speaking. Obviously age isn't the only determinant (e.g. Tassadar, as you mention), but there's never really been any display of psionic might from him.

[quote=Zerg could open entire warp rifts, but that didn't stop them from needing to assimilate humanity (for the reasons I mentioned earlier).[/quote]

Or rather, the Overmind could. Only reason they can travel now is because breeds such as behemoths and leviathans can travel through warp space. Granted, it hasn't been confirmed that these creatures do the opening themselves, but I can't see Kerrigan pulling it off, not to mention that there aren't any cerebrates left.

I thought that the description stated by Blizzard said that even normal or average Protoss have a psionic level greater than the strongest psionic Terrans? Can anyone confirm or deny this for me?

Think it was in a novel, but it's basically stated that even the most powerful Ghost has powers compared to an ordinary, run of the mill protoss. Think it's a bit of an understatement considering what Nova has pulled off, but I think it's generally applicable also.

How? In Queen of Blades she fought both Tassadar and Zeratul at once, and was winning too (she also disabled Raynor who intended to help, but was just useless). She can throw psi storms (although I wonder if it was just lazy spell work, or if it really is a psi storm). She can control the entire Zerg swarm, and for all we know, she can open wormholes like the Overmind could (how else would the Zerg travel vast distances?).

I agree that there's evidence for Kerrigan being more powerful than Zeratul and Tassadar, considering that she came on top of both of them, and seemed to have the upperhand against Zeratul on Ulaan. Not sure about her psionic storm ability, in that at least for the protoss, the Khala was required to properly control it, but there's no evidence against her possessing it either. And again, behemoths and leviathans seem to have the zerg covered for FTL travel.

Also added Archon & Dark Archon. I pulled their ratings out of nowhere tbh. Man I wish we actually knew these numbers. :P

And where do twilight archons fit in?

Wasn't that for locomotion, and the gas was for bouyancy?

Yes...but I see it extending beyond overlords (e.g. guardians). And as for mutalisks flying in space...

Might have to? That's part of the fun of enjoying something, thinking of new ways it could've happened.

Well, that depends on the person. I don't want to get too off-topic on AU/AR stories, or what level of material a universe needs for it (if at all), but personally I'm not that fond of AR fics, and greatly dislike AU fics (yes, there is a difference in my eyes). I even remember reading an article somewhere (think it was on Tor, but could be wrong), about how the concept is going the way of the dodo, because writers so often forget the point of divergence concept.

Come now. They could just as easily use some kind of bladder system to pump air from the front to behind. Or have some kind of organic fins/propellers/etc under that carapice. My point simply was that there were a plethora of ways overlords could achieve locomotion without having to throw psionics into the mix.

Telekenesis is generally regarded as a higher-level psionic ability, and higher-level psionics is the reason the Overmind targeted the Terrans in the first place. Judging by all the original texts and, indeed, in-game names/abilities/cues (SC1), there really was no justification for telekenetic locomotion for overlords.

Any use of gas would deplete it, and while fins, wings, etc., would work in atmospheres, it would be useless in space (ignoring mutalisks for a second here). And it's not as if Blizzard didn't consider alternatives-scourges are examples of what seems to be the gas/wing propulsion, and they can only fly for a few hours without expending themselves. And again with the telekinesis, it's only been confirmed as a higher power for terrans. Consider that the zerg have never used psionics offensively bar Kerrigan's, whereas protoss and terrans have everything from psionic storms to astral projection.

[Gradius]

I appreciate the idea, but it seems redundant to add values to non-terrans, especially when the PI is only meant for 1-10 ratings, and one's assuming that it can be applied to other species.

Granted, you effectively mention this, but zerg telepathy works fundementally different from terran and protoss telepathy One can't gauge the quality of an apple if it's an orange.

Tis' true. Though the scale is not PI, I still think you can rate units based on what you see them do. The Zergs' problem doesn't seem to be their lack of psionic processing power (I mean the Overlord is nothing but a giant floating brain), but rather their lack of a wide range of a psionic skill set. Nevertheless, Overlords still manage to suspend themselves in the air via telekinesis while coordinating a hive-mind intelligence. That's impressive. As such they would still be rated high on this index...but that would be misleading so I have since removed Overlords.

Other minor tidbits-I'd personally rate Kerrigan lower in her infested form, given her "class 12 psi signature" and her being a "class 11 psionic" after de-infestation.

I'm pretty sure Kerrigan kept the vast majority of her Queen of Blades powers. Whatever mental reworking the Overmind did would not have been undone by removing Zerg cells (it didn't even touch her nerve tendrils). It would also be pretty silly to say that the gap between them is so small, since Protoss would look like even bigger weaklings than they are, and Nova would probably be able to challenge the Queen of Blades herself.

You could also include alavash I guess by virtue of its telepathic properties.

The fruit? I wouldn't know where to begin really. :P

Also wouldn't see Ulrezaj being above the Voice in the Darkness, as while they're both powerful, the VitD is more or less a C'thulu, whereas Ulrezaj is simply the raw total of seven Nerazim.

The ViTD hasn't really demonstrated anything more impressive than taking on 3 armies singlehandedly. A warp blade attack was able to cut off one of his appendages. It can mind control, but Ulrezaj can do that as well. The ViTD has a better skillset than Ulrezaj (able to travel better between dimensions), but that's not proof that it's more powerful. Ulrezaj would probably just fry its brain if they ever went head to head.

Also not sure about the Dark Voice, since he seems to be a manipulator rather than someone whose power can be measured directly, but judging by his in-game model, I'm sure we'll get some idea in LotV.

You're right, I've changed it to a (?) instead. I was going off the DT Saga's claim that "Ulrezaj has a boss even more powerful than him".

[TheEconomist]

Anyone who has read the ending to the second book in the dark templar saga knows that Ulrezaj is by far the most over 9000ish character in StarCraft. If anything, Gradius' power level is too low.

[Gradius]

Well, it's been a year. Added a few extra entries for Kerrigan, Hybrids & Sarco. Anybody notice anything that seems off?

[Kimera757]

Kerrigan was confirmed in the Lore Q&As to be PI 10 prior to infestation.

Terrazine raises PI by a full point. (For at least one character, the boost was 1.5, enough to make them a teek, but I forget who that was, and for some very low-ranking people, like those resocialized marines, it could have boosted their PI to 5 or so.)

I suspect the average spectre would have a PI of only 6.5 as a result, although of course a few who were exceptional ghosts before (Tosh, Bennett) would end up higher.

[Gradius]

Updated the chart with different hybrid strains.

Anyone care to wager Duran's PI?

Now that HoTS is out, I put him just under primal Kerrigan's.

[Gradius]

I updated the chart to reflect the fact that Kerrigan's psi level "exceeds the scale and is at least an order of magnitude above 10." As well as some other alterations.

[Nissa]

*just now discovers thread*

What the fudge? The average Dark Templar is stronger than the average Khala 'Toss? Why? Sure, the DT are the "cool" kind of Protoss, but that doesn't make them more powerful. The fact of the matter is, we don't even know much about Templar, Judicator, and Khalai powers enough to really compare them all. Boo, sir. That, and I think it's nonsensical to say that Kerrigan has more power than the average Protoss. Given that the Zerg learned about psionic powers from her, it's doubtful they'dve been able to improve her beyond her natural abilities. I'm not willing to bet an average ghost is mentally stronger than a 'Toss.

[Gradius]

What the fudge? The average Dark Templar is stronger than the average Khala 'Toss? Why? Sure, the DT are the "cool" kind of Protoss, but that doesn't make them more powerful.

Did you even read the whole thing? I actually put High Templar above dark templar. Khalai protoss are average civilians, whereas dark templar are actual warriors who train for centuries.

The fact of the matter is, we don't even know much about Templar, Judicator, and Khalai powers enough to really compare them all. Boo, sir.

I thought it was blatantly obvious that the list is pure speculation. So thanks for that insight. :P

That, and I think it's nonsensical to say that Kerrigan has more power than the average Protoss. Given that the Zerg learned about psionic powers from her, it's doubtful they'dve been able to improve her beyond her natural abilities.

In the SC1 days I might have agreed with you. But she apparently beat Tassadar and Zeratul in a 2v1, can slam battlecruisers to the ground, etc. Obviously she's more powerful than Zeratul since she got the upper hand on him in WoL.

I'm not willing to bet an average ghost is mentally stronger than a 'Toss.

I never said it was.