Power build [psionic] feat, ((Retired))

[Patlin]

Nice comic strip!

Would you consider 1 tpp + 1tpp per 6 caster levels, but limiting it to once per day per point of primary casting stat?

This way you get a more usefull number of points at higher level, without any infinite power problems. (By the way, shouldn't the 't' be for temporary rather than temporal?)

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

I don't feel like I'm familiar enough with the psionics rules to make an informed judgment on this particular proposal. From what I've read, it doesn't sound unbalanced, however I'd like to see it test played. I suppose if it ends up being ridiculous, a proposal can be made to nerf it. But I'll leave the ruling up to the better informed.

 

[Someone]

Nice comic strip!

Would you consider 1 tpp + 1tpp per 6 caster levels, but limiting it to once per day per point of primary casting stat?

This way you get a more usefull number of points at higher level, without any infinite power problems. (By the way, shouldn't the 't' be for temporary rather than temporal?)

Thanks for the correction. The variant you propose sounds very good; in some regards it's even better than my own. The only downside it's that needs more bookkeeping, but that's not a big problem in pbp; the upside it's that it puts a limit on the amount of pps you can save/earn, which is a definite advantage when judging the feat's power.

I have an idea. I'll track a couple adventures with psions and/or psiwarriors and check when they could have used the feat, supposing they had it, and count the power points they could have reasonably gained. I think that will help judging the feat better, and decide it it's worth a requirement (perhaps something like Psionic talent, Body fuel or other thematically appropiate but seldom used feat)

 

[Someone]

As posted above I’v traked a couple adventures with psions in them that could have benefited from the feat and tracked the times where they could have reasonably used it. This gives us an idea of the feat power if only on the lower side, because those characters were not thought around it (surely a Seer or Telepath in an urban adventure with lots of investigation would be on the upper side)

The first one is Bite of the werewolf. This adventure had a Telepath 4 (Boog) that turned 5 while in the adventure and a psiwarrior 4 (Julianna), both of them that could have qualified for the feat at the moment they started the adventure.

1st day:
Combat against giant wasps: Julianna manifests Offensive prescience, but it’s unlikely she’d have used the feat. Since the wasps were Vermin, Boog is limited to using a crossbow.

Later they rest and Julianna uses Body adjustment. She could have used the feat without problem, saving one point.

Net gain: Julianna one, Boog zero.

2nd day:
Boog manifests Mindlink (no meaningful time constraints). Using Power build optimally (manifesting it twice instead of only once, getting focus in between, etc) he could have saved 2 power points.

Net gain: Boog 2 power points.

3rd day:
A fight with ethereal monsters (thought eaters) break out. As the party is caught by surprise, it’s highly unlikely any of the two psionic characters would have used the feat; they used (or try to use) several powers though, and Boog was completely drained of power points.

Net gain: zero.

5th day:
Again the party is taken by surprise by a pack of two winter wolves. They have little time to react, and being either manifesting frantically or attacking every round (taking good advantage of Psionic weapon) it’s highly unlikely they’d have used the feat, even when they spent a lot of power points on powers and Elan abilities.

Net gain: zero.

6th day:

The party is warned by an arrow shot by an invisible enemy. Julianna manifests Thicken skin spending 4 power points, and she would have been able to use the feat to save 1 pp.

Boog uses Mindlink again. Though there was a hurry to act, it wasn’t as pressing as combat and it’d been possible to use the feat to save 2 power points.

Then the final fight, against a weretiger, happens. By the time they realized their enemy was a werewolf was a little late for buffs and such, so no Power build use. The weretiger’s name was a clue, so being generous I’ll concede Julianna 2 power points saved on buffs (that she didn’t actually manifested)

Net gain: Boog 2 power points, Julianna 3.

Based on this adventure the usefulness of Power build is comparable to Psionic talent for 3-5th level characters. It’s likely to increase for higher levels, adventures with more encounters or encounters with ample preparation time, or with more opportunities for non-combat powers.

I'll post more adventures later.

 

[Bront]

In non-combat rolls, this is more powerful.

Tournoment of Flowers had a few spots (Juliana and Boog again) where it could have been used.

RA's psion, Lasair, could use this regularly for her telepathic powers.

Also, note, this does allow for stacking with things like overchannel if you can manage the 2 foci (But yes, not twice at a time).

It's powerful, but I'm still unsure if it's unbalanced powerful, or not.

 

[Someone]

S1: The Strange Case of Aif Jenkins' Farm

In this still unfinished adventure Boog’s and Julianna’s adventures continue here. There’s another psionic character, Banion, but he’s a Soulknife and therefore unable to benefit from Power build.

1st day:
Boog used Read minds and Mindlink twice. Time wasn’t a very important issue, so he could have used Power build without much problem. He manifests Psionic Charm several times too, but because he doesn’t augment it he couldn’t have used the feat. Displays were a problem; Boog was trying to suppress then the whole time without success (and the feat itself causes Displays)
Juliana prepares for trouble manifesting an augmented Thicken skin. Power build would have saved her a pp.

After this the party has to fight assassins and a pack of wolves. They manifest more powers, but in combat is highly unlikely they would have used the feat. Specially when a wolf the size of a horse is on top of you, or you are pursuing an assassin.

Net gain: Boog 3 power points, Julianna 1.

2nd day:
A fight erupts with little warning. Buffs and powers are manifested, but again the benefit the could have gained from power build would have been dubious.
Later Boog manifests Mindlink again while the party rides up to a farm. Being generous there was time for using the feat perhaps once; when the fight is over manifests Read thoughs again (saves another pp)
Julianna manifests Thiken skin as problems atart again, using just 1 pp so she couldn’t have used Power build.

Net gain (so far) Boog 2 power points, Juliana 0.

 

[Patlin]

For comparison. Psychic Meditation.

 

[Patlin]

The Psiforged Body Feat is also usefull for comparison, as an other feat that (more or less) provides power points. No time now, but some similarities between the two.

 

[Someone]

I've been skimming over other adventures with psionic characters. Without going into details like above, the trend continues; if the characters in them would have had the feat, they very rarely would have been able to gain more than a couple PPs with it (unless going out of the way manifesting many powers, which is in itself self defeating)

Is anyone aware of any way to abuse the feat?

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

One thing to consider is that at these low levels, Level 0 powers actually have some small merit, and Level 0 powers can't be helped with this ability. The problem will come, I think, at higher levels where 2 or 3 pp can be saved on every out of combat buff.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have vote NO on this. There are other feats that increase your pp reserve, Body Fuel is one, Wild Talent, Psionic Talent. They are all SRD feats, and honestly, they're significantly worse than this proposed feat, which rings warning bells for me.