Can psionic monsters take psionic feats & skills?

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psionotic

Registered User

• Jun 28, 2003

• #1

(I already posted this on a few more boards, but haven't gotten any responses yet. Any help would be appreciated!)

Can monsters with innate psionic abilities (mind flayers, githzerai, blue goblins, etc) take psionic feats and skills when advanced with extra hd or class levels? It would seem so, as several of the creatures in the psionics handbook have psionic feats listed.

But if so, how do you get around the issue with psionic feats requiring a specific number of unspent powerpoints for maintenance? (psionic monsters have no powerpoints except those they get from PC classes) Is there a limit to the number of psionic feats, or ranks in psionic skills, a monster can have?

Thanks!

 

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StealthyMark

First Post

• Jun 28, 2003

• #2

The Githzerai actually have a Psionic Feat: Inertial Armor.

The PsiHB, pg. 139 "Psionic Creature" does not clearly state whether the creature has unlimited power points or does not need power points. The example of the Githzerai suggests option #1: every creature with a "psionic" special attack/quality has unlimited power points and thus can use prionic feats.

 

Nifft

Penguin Herder

• Jun 28, 2003

• #3

Bleah -- I feel the need to go make a Psionic Template which uses Power Points...

-- Nifft

 

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(Psi)SeveredHead

Adventurer

• Jun 28, 2003

• #4

The operant psionic creature template in Beasts of the Id uses power points.

Otherwise, the feats are free. In the hands of an NPC this shouldn't be a balance issue.

In fact, a githzerai PC can use Inertial Armor for free, but he has to pay the power point (reserve) cost for all the other psionic feats.

 

Destil

Explorer

• Jun 28, 2003

• #5

(Psi)SeveredHead said:

The operant psionic creature template in Beasts of the Id uses power points.

Otherwise, the feats are free. In the hands of an NPC this shouldn't be a balance issue.

In fact, a githzerai PC can use Inertial Armor for free, but he has to pay the power point (reserve) cost for all the other psionic feats.

Click to expand...

Yep. Psionic creatures can use all psionic feats listed in their stat block for free (no reserve cost). I think it's a good idea to recomend that anything with a cost, rather than a reserve, should only be usable 3/day if you're using that suggested rule for the attack defense modes, but I can't remember ever seeing a psionic monster with deep impact...

 

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(Psi)SeveredHead

Adventurer

• Jun 28, 2003

• #6

I would use it like this:

Deep Impact (Su): 3/day the creature can (insert text for Deep Impact). Or 5/day if you prefer.

 

Zhure

First Post

• Jun 29, 2003

• #7

The PsiHB disagrees with itself on this issue. Under the Psionic Feat description the book says a psionic character or creature must have sufficient points in reserve to use the feat.

This is opposite what is implied by the Githzerai monster character write-up.
Greg

 

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(Psi)SeveredHead

Adventurer

• Jun 29, 2003

• #8

This was based on a clarification by Bruce Cordell.