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

[Someone]

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.

I'm sorry? 0 level powers no longer exist...

The problem will come, I think, at higher levels where 2 or 3 pp can be saved on every out of combat buff.

...and the ability of gaining 3 temporary pps was removed some posts ago. Do you think that the feat should allow only 1 temporary pp? I'm totally open to suggestions.

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.

Nobody takes those feats, however (except maybe Wild talent, and just for the ability to hold a psionic focus). Everyone goes for Overchannel and Psionic meditation, which are IMO much better than this one.

 

[Patlin]

The rules for this are somewhat at odds with how temporary power point otherwise work. Perhaps we could make it more similar to a Torc of Power Preservation, with the benefit being that the cost of the next power used within 1 round is reduced by 1 pp, to a minimum of 1 pp. Then the limitations on use section can be skipped entirely, as it would be implicit.

I still think I'd like it better at a somewhat greater effect a limited number of times per day. And perhaps the duration of the effect could be increased to the next power cast within a number of rounds equal to your manifesting attribute modifier, rather than just one round? Your "Ominous Hummmm" would last longer if a Psychic Warrior with a 16 wisdom had 3 rounds to use the ability. A 6 second Hummmmm isn't sufficiently ominous, I think.

 

[Someone]

The rules for this are somewhat at odds with how temporary power point otherwise work. Perhaps we could make it more similar to a Torc of Power Preservation, with the benefit being that the cost of the next power used within 1 round is reduced by 1 pp, to a minimum of 1 pp. Then the limitations on use section can be skipped entirely, as it would be implicit.

I still think I'd like it better at a somewhat greater effect a limited number of times per day. And perhaps the duration of the effect could be increased to the next power cast within a number of rounds equal to your manifesting attribute modifier, rather than just one round? Your "Ominous Hummmm" would last longer if a Psychic Warrior with a 16 wisdom had 3 rounds to use the ability. A 6 second Hummmmm isn't sufficiently ominous, I think.

Now that you mention the Torc, together with the feat and Bestow power can be problematic, so I'll edit the feat to avoid more problems with that power, and also post your version. The only problem with the reduced cost is that it must be clarified that it doesn't allow you to manifest more powerful powers than normally allowed; suppose your ML is 6, then you can't augment a power to 7 power points, have it reduced to 6 and claim you satisfy the requirement that says that you can't spend on one power more PPs than your manifester level (there are some people that interpret that way the Metamind's Font of power)

 

[Patlin]

Yes, it would be good to be specific in the proposal on how such things interact.

Also, if you don't like my suggestions, feel free to disregard them. They're only suggestions.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Now that you mention the Torc, together with the feat and Bestow power can be problematic, so I'll edit the feat to avoid more problems with that power, and also post your version. The only problem with the reduced cost is that it must be clarified that it doesn't allow you to manifest more powerful powers than normally allowed; suppose your ML is 6, then you can't augment a power to 7 power points, have it reduced to 6 and claim you satisfy the requirement that says that you can't spend on one power more PPs than your manifester level (there are some people that interpret that way the Metamind's Font of power)

You can absolutely definitely do that with the Torc by RAW (and it isn't a problem because its just 1, and that's why you paid 36000 GP in the first place). You will need to call that out if you want the feat to work differently.

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

I'm sorry? 0 level powers no longer exist...

My mistake. I mean to say, powers which cost 1 pp, so level 1 powers.

 

[Rystil Arden]

My mistake. I mean to say, powers which cost 1 pp, so level 1 powers.

For what it's worth--I do agree with Rae that this feat becomes more useful as you level up in a nonlinear way: At higher levels, you have longer durations and more chances for pre-buffs, you have more buffs known to manifest, you have more PP to cast buffs and save, and as proposed, you would *also* be getting more PP from this feat as you leveled up.

At low levels, this isn't nearly as useful as it would be later on--if I applied the same analysis above to my high-level psionic characters, I would find that they gained as many as 50+ PP from this feat on a typical day. That said, the new limit based on casting stat helps avoid this.

 

[Patlin]

Rae, we've tinkered a bit since your no vote. Would either of the current versions meet with your aproval?

Rystil, do you have a preference between the two?

Anyone else want to chime in?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Rae, we've tinkered a bit since your no vote. Would either of the current versions meet with your aproval?

Rystil, do you have a preference between the two?

Anyone else want to chime in?

Hmm...the first one is entirely for long-term buffs and is unlimited, so it would probably give ballpark 50 PP off at high levels (I can safely say that the high level Psion in my FtF game casts 25 out-of-combat buffs per day,especially Psionic Mind Blank on the whole party, since it isn't self-only and they hate being scryed).

The second one has other idiosyncrasies--because the limit on uses prevents the character from just using it every X rounds the whole day long, it'll still be used mainly for prebuffs, but now you have a hard limit on daily uses. At level 13, this'll tend to be 30 PP per day from the feat (10 buffs, which is *easily* doable at that level), and by level 20, this'll tend to be 52 per day (13 buffs--there's no way the Psion will have less than this number unless she is intentionally avoiding buffs to be a total Blaster or something, in which case she won't have this feat anyway--she'll get much more use out of Metapsionic feats and the focus enhancers). Thus, I like the second one better. The question is--does the limit on usage balance this feat with Psionic Talent? How about the Epic feat Improved Manifestation that gives you 19 PP?

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

That's the reason I voted no: comparing this feat to other feats, even without doing the exact math, this feat clearly comes out on top. I don't want a feat that every psionic character should take, a feat that says, "You're a fool if you don't take this feat". But other judges can vote me down. I'm being an annoying conservative. =P