My psionics house rules for the XPH

The book looks pretty darn solid so far. Only two topics have raised their ugly heads for my game:

1. As written, the normal "spell focus" and "greater spell focus" equivalent can apply a +1 or +2 DC to any power if you expend your psionic focus to do so. I am allowing a variant that works with only one chosen discipline, such as telepathy, and which raises the DC of those powers as normal so long as the psion is focused. It does not expend the focus when used, but stops working if you expend your focus for some other reason. If a PC took both the normal and my house-ruled feats for some reason, the granted DC bonuses would not stack.

2. As written, psionic domination now has a duration of concentration. What's up with that? It doesn't even compare to the arcane equivalent. I am:
- Keeping this as a 4th lvl power
- Changing the default duration to one hour/lvl
- Allowing a change to one day/lvl for an augmentation of +2 pp
- Allowing a change to concentration for a reduced augmentation cost of -2 pp.

What are you folks changing?

As written, psionic domination now has a duration of concentration. What's up with that? It doesn't even compare to the arcane equivalent.

Click to expand...

Curious...

I don't really like your solution much though. Perhaps I would instead use the Relics and Rituals 2 variant for holding concentration while taking other actions. It would require concentration checks far too often though... no... that doesn't work either.

But Creamsteak, the arcane version is for one DAY per level. That's not even closely equivalent to concentration -- and for a class who are supposed to be expert in mind control? I welcome better ideas, but I think it's a problem as is, and changing the duration seems the obvious answer.

I think that Psionic Domination is fine for a 4th level Power (as opposed to the 5th level spell). I agree that it needs additional Augmentations to increase its duration: +2 power points gives it a duration of one hour, +4 power points gives it a duration of one day, and +8 power points gives it a duration of one week. Seriously, this is a Power that can affect multiple targets (!!!) of nearly any type including Dragons (!!!). It's more like a flexible Mass Dominate Monster than a weak Dominate Person.

-- N

Here are some changes that I'm considering, because I'm not sure that I like how every darn feat requires expending my psionic focus:

Using Metapsionic Feats:

- Unfocused: +6 to current Metapsionic cost
- Maintain Focus: +3 to current Metapsionic cost
- Expend Focus: as listed in the XPH


... and modifying some listed Feats to require Focus instead of expending it:

Psionic Strike [Psionic]
Folds Psionic Fist and Psionic Weapon into a single feat that applies to all melee attacks.

Greater Psionic Strike [Psionic]
As above, but for the Greater versions.

Fell Strike [Psionic]
Folds Deep Impact and Unavoidable Strike into a single Feat that applies to all melee attacks.


Focused Aligned Attack [Psionic]
Your attacks can overcome some kinds of damage reduction.
Prerequisite: BAB +4, at least one non-Neutral alignment component
Benefit: When you take this feat, choose one non-Neutral component of your alignment (for example, a Neutral Good character could only choose Good).
To use this feat, you must maintain your psionic focus. When you make a successful melee or ranged attack, your attack is treated as either a good, evil, chaotic or lawful attack (depending on your original choice) for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.


Focused Inquisitor [Psionic]
You are adept at discerning the truth.
Prerequisite: Negotiator, Wis 13
Benefit: To use this feat, you must maintain your psionic focus. While focused, you gain a +6 bonus to all Sense Motive checks (to discern lies or foil a feint, for example). This bonus stacks with that provided by the Negotiator feat.


Octopsionic Opportunity Power [Psionic]
You can make multiple power-enhanced attacks of opportunity.
Prerequisite: Opportunity Power, Quicken Power, Combat Reflexes, Dex13+, BAB 6+
Benefit: To use this feat, you must maintain your psionic focus. When you make an attack of opportunity, you can use any power you know with a range of Touch, if you have at least one hand free. Manifesting this power is an immediate action.
You cannot use this feat with a power whose manifesting time is longer than 1 full-round action.
Using this feat increases the power point cost of a power by 4. The power's total cost cannot exceed your manifester level.


Focused Stand Still [Psionic]
You can prevent foes from fleeing, closing, or standing up.
Prerequisite: Power Attack, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: To use this feat, you must maintain your psionic focus. When you successfully make an attack of opportunity against a foe attempting to stand or to move out of a square you threaten, there is a chance that you will halt his movement.
Resolve the attack normally. If you strike your opponent, he must make a Fortitude save vs. DC 10 + your damage inflicted, or he is unable to stand or move out of the threatened square.


Focused Penetration [Psionic]
Your powers are hard to resist.
Benefit: To use this feat, you must maintain your psionic focus. You get a +2 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature's power resistance.
Special: If you expend your psionic focus, you get a +4 caster level bonus to penetrate power resistance.


Greater Focused Penetration [Psionic]
Your powers are very hard to resist.
Prerequisite: Focused Penetration
Benefit: To use this feat, you must maintain your psionic focus. You get a +4 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature's power resistance.
Special: If you expend your psionic focus, you get a +6 caster level bonus to penetrate power resistance.


Discipline Focus [Psionic]
Your powers from a specific discipline are particularly potent.
Benefit: Choose one Discipline. While you maintain psionic focus, your powers from that Discipline gain DC +1.
Special: If you are a Psion and select your favored Discipline, those powers gain DC +2 instead.


Swift Meditation [Psionic]
You can focus your mind with astonishing speed.
Prerequisite: Psionic Meditation, Wis 15, Concentration 11 ranks.
Benefit: When you pay 6 power points, you may become psionically focused as a Swift action.


Reflexive Premeditation [Psionic]
Your mind can attain focus in reaction to future events.
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Swift Meditation, Wis 17, Concentration 15 ranks.
Benefit: When you pay 12 power points, you may become psionically focused as an Immediate action (even when it is not your turn).

-- N

Interesting ideas. I love the word "octopsionic." Focused inquisitor seems much too strong; it's effectively +6 to sense motive all the time. I like swift and reflexive meditation a lot.

I was also surprised by how many feats require spending your focus, but since it's easily reacquired (with the right feat) as a move equivalent action, I don't think it should be too much of a problem.

Nifft said:

I think that Psionic Domination is fine for a 4th level Power (as opposed to the 5th level spell). I agree that it needs additional Augmentations to increase its duration: +2 power points gives it a duration of one hour, +4 power points gives it a duration of one day, and +8 power points gives it a duration of one week.

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Holy cow! What you're saying is that the 5th lvl wizard spell dominate person, which lasts for one day per level (9 days minimum), is equivalent to an 8th level psionic power (7 pp for psionic dominate against a normal person, +8 for a one week duration, = 15 pp.) That seems underpowered.

To make it directly equivalent to the arcane version it should be 2 pp (raising it one level) for a one day per level duration. I agree that it seems strange to bump the duration up so much for only 2 pp, though.

So let's see. Right now, as is, for 7 pp you can affect a person. For 11 pp (a 6th lvl spell) you can affect a dragon or elemental. That's part of the problem, as normally this requires a 9th lvl spell to do. If you say that it requires +4 pp to last one day per lvl, then to match the arcane equivalents you have a 5th lvl spell vs a 6th lvl power, and a 9th lvl spell vs a 8th lvl power. Frankly, this would have been easier if it cost +8 pp to affect dragons et al.

I'll have to mull this over a little more.

Piratecat said:

Interesting ideas. I love the word "octopsionic." Focused inquisitor seems much too strong; it's effectively +6 to sense motive all the time. I like swift and reflexive meditation a lot.

Click to expand...

It should be somewhat balanced by the requirement Feat. Consider the mechanics of the other version, though:

DM: Your prisoner begins his tale...
PC: Is he lying?
DM: Uh, which sentence do you want to blow your Focus on?
PC: I'm going to hold up my hand and stop him from talking every time my Inquisitor duration ends.
DM: He begins his tale... it was the night of the last full moon--
PC: Wait, reFocusing... okay, go!
DM: --when the Fiendvulfen fell upon my party--
PC: Wait, reFocusing... okay, go!
DM: --and rent the Silver Princess upon the bloody snow--
PC: Wait, reFocusing... okay, go!
DM: --from which only three did rise--
PC: Wait, reFocusing... okay, go!
DM: --er, where was I?

Piratecat said:

Holy cow! What you're saying is that the 5th lvl wizard spell dominate person, which lasts for one day per level (9 days minimum), is equivalent to an 8th level psionic power (7 pp for psionic dominate against a normal person, +8 for a one week duration, = 15 pp.) That seems underpowered.

To make it directly equivalent to the arcane version it should be 2 pp (raising it one level) for a one day per level duration. I agree that it seems strange to bump the duration up so much for only 2 pp, though.

Click to expand...

No way, dude! Remember that you can affect multiple targets with this Power. So any duration increase is not linear, it's multiplicative. Also remember that offensive spells scale with level, while offensive powers scale with PP expense. Non-buff powers always require extra PP for extra duration.

Now that I'm thinking this way, it seems that +1 PP per hour, or +8 PP per day, might be the way to scale duration.

Finally, remember that you can command a Dominated critter to voluntarily fail its save against your re-manifestation of Dominate (if you picked a version with a duration), or to render himself helpless (if you're using the Concentration duration). Once you've got him, you've pretty much got him.

-- N

8 pp a day? Not a chance. Remember, you can't use any more pp than your manifester level - which means that in order to get one person for one day, you're saying that a psion would have to be 15th lvl instead of 9th if you were a wizard. The fact that you can get multiple people is mostly irrelevant; you'll generally have to choose between multiple people and a longer duration.

Okay, I think the problem is that we're trying to fit in two orthogonal Augmentations. Basically, what's fair for a humanoid is broken for a giant, and insane for a dragon or outsider.

How about this:

Augmentation: You can increase the duration of an un-Augmented Domination by one day per 2 power points expended.
If you are Dominating a fey, giant, etc. (tier 2 critter), then you may extend the duration by one hour per 2 pp, or by one day per 6 pp expended.
If you are Dominating an outsider, dragon, etc. (tier 3 critter), then you may extend the duration by one hour per 4 pp, or by one day per 10 pp expended.

-- N

I'd tweak the numbers a little for my own game, but that's a beautiful approach. Good thinking, Nifft.