I am currently running a game with two players playing Psionically enriched characters, one Psion and another Psychic warrior. I was told to forget Psionic combat because it was just useless. At the time, I hadn't read any of the Psionic handbook so I sort of agreed with the group on this. Now after reviewing some of the material I downloaded, and poring over the Psionic Handbook, it looks to be that it is important because it keeps the Psion in check to some degree.
A comment was made to me that psionic combat made the Psion have to keep power points saved, because he/she never would know if they would meet a psionically active Monster in the next encounter. The reasoning behind his disapproval was because he believed that psions were already under powered to begin with and that Psionic combat would just add to the under powering.
After reviewing some of the power points that they get at later levels I tend to disagree with him. For example at 10th lvl, (with the Variant Psion out of ” If Thoughts Could Kill”), the psion would have 52 power points. He will also be able to manifest, 9 0 lvl talents for free/day; 5 1st lvl (at 1 power point apiece so that could be 52 manifestations of 1st lvl powers), 4 2nd lvl (at 3 pp, potentially 17 of them); 3 3rd lvl (at 5 pp, 10 of these); 2 4th lvl (at 7 pp, 7 of these); and 1 5th lvl (9 pp, and that is 5 of these). WOW!! Now if you spread out your powers this is not that big of a deal, but the potential to use that one big (or that one good low strengthed) power over and over is incredible. Psions are supposed to be a flexible class….with in reason
Now having the threat of Psionic combat would keep the Psion thinking that maybe he should not use all of his 52 1st lvl powers and just use maybe 1/3rd of them. Making sure that he has enough power to put up a Tower of Intellect when needed, and have enough to put a woo-pen on that Illithid around the corner (who by the way gets free Mind Blasts) .The group believes that the combat systems takes away from the Psoinic power and that the Psion is a nerfed sorcerer. I tend to disagree. What are your thoughts plz…
Oh and thanks a bunch....
Halma.....
A comment was made to me that psionic combat made the Psion have to keep power points saved, because he/she never would know if they would meet a psionically active Monster in the next encounter. The reasoning behind his disapproval was because he believed that psions were already under powered to begin with and that Psionic combat would just add to the under powering.
After reviewing some of the power points that they get at later levels I tend to disagree with him. For example at 10th lvl, (with the Variant Psion out of ” If Thoughts Could Kill”), the psion would have 52 power points. He will also be able to manifest, 9 0 lvl talents for free/day; 5 1st lvl (at 1 power point apiece so that could be 52 manifestations of 1st lvl powers), 4 2nd lvl (at 3 pp, potentially 17 of them); 3 3rd lvl (at 5 pp, 10 of these); 2 4th lvl (at 7 pp, 7 of these); and 1 5th lvl (9 pp, and that is 5 of these). WOW!! Now if you spread out your powers this is not that big of a deal, but the potential to use that one big (or that one good low strengthed) power over and over is incredible. Psions are supposed to be a flexible class….with in reason
Now having the threat of Psionic combat would keep the Psion thinking that maybe he should not use all of his 52 1st lvl powers and just use maybe 1/3rd of them. Making sure that he has enough power to put up a Tower of Intellect when needed, and have enough to put a woo-pen on that Illithid around the corner (who by the way gets free Mind Blasts) .The group believes that the combat systems takes away from the Psoinic power and that the Psion is a nerfed sorcerer. I tend to disagree. What are your thoughts plz…
Oh and thanks a bunch....
Halma.....