Re: Why is psychic stuff in fantasy RPGs?
Psionic abilities in 1st ed AD&D were something, if used, that you rolled a percentile dice, and something like 1 or 2% on the roll would allow psionic abilities. Back in the day, I always thought it was a way to have non-magic users have something similar to magic. We overused it in my campaigns--but I was a teenager in the 80s, so I'll give myself some leeway.
It was an oddball rule in 1st ed, kind of like the monks.