Ok. Let's see what we can get through here...
balance
if powers are treated like warlock powers (cast at maximum rank) then I think they are vastly overpowered - warlock gets 3 castings upto lvl 5 refresh on short rest. psionic gets +/- 25 castings with upto 10 that refresh on short rest. yes they are more limited in spell selection and must focus on a suite to increase the power level but being able to cast 20 cone of colds is still rough.
I'm not clear on where you're getting "treated like warlock powers"...is that because some [most?] subclass of the short rest? I had considered making some things long rest only....but the use of suite/ranked powers are on a long rest. Level + Int. mod. times per long rest. So...I'm not really following the question/objection here. Where are you getting "25 castings/up to 10 on a short rest"?
mind blast - 20ft cone damage +knockout on an int save -generally weakest of the saves (if it acts like sleep where they wakeup on damage, i'd still say overpowered but would be more in line - however isn't specified)
I should specify that. I suppose it would/should end with damage, like a sleep spell. That's just sporting. If something is psychically striking your mind, like a mind blast whose purpose is to overwhelm you...making an Int. save. seems the most fitting. Yes, it will be weakest for many charcters...that's not really the psychic's problem/fault, now is it?
I may limit the AoE, but I was working off memory of what a Mind Flayer could do...and the fact it uses a Mental Rank Power use for the day, vs. being at will like the other Talents, I think warrants it being quite powerful.
Having mentioned that now, it should cover/point out that further issues brought up later that include "using mind blast in such and such a way" aren't really possible, since it requires one of your "long rest power use slots", but that definitely can/should be rewritten for clarity. It does seem overpowered if you're going to double up your mind blasts (via. Mind-Layered Mind), but then, there's 2 of your long rest power uses.
How often can you really get away with doing that [before depleting all fo your long rest power uses]? How often would it be necessary? When you get up to 3 and 4 at once...yeah, I see a bit of the immersion cracking...but then, at/by 15th, I could see a party going up against hordes of creatures that, being able to sweep/knock out (80 feet?) of creatures...and that's if they all fail their saves...but could certainly be doing psychic damage to that many folks. Is a 20' wide cone really so much area to cover? At 15th level, dropping a 20' radius, basically, around the psychic...doesn't seem OP'd to me.
Mind Blast, itself, I guess needs some rewriting/reworking. What it effects. How it works. Maybe it needs being removed from the Talents' list all together...thrown in with Telepathic power effects (like in the 3 ranks area, make it the Telepath's "fireball" kinda thing).
mental whip - similar to mind blast - perma stun against 1 target for free, just let the rest of your group crit them to death.
Well, it's not a "perma stun". It's 1 round...and there is a save, so it may be just psychic damage and that's it. Yes, if the target makes it, you can try to stun them again the next round (if you don't have something else to be doing). You can use mind whip on 2 minds at once (using Multi-Layered Mind), from first level, 3 at 9th, 4 at 15th. That does not seem overly-powered to me...at least, no moreso than any other spammed at-will damage causing cantrip.
Would you suggest just removing the stunning condition? I wanted it to do something more than just psychic damage to differentiate it (and mind blast as well) from the straight "Psi-[bolt/blade/stab" damage attacks.
multi-layered mind - can you manifest the same power several times?
If you are going to use 4 power slots at once....mmm...I going to say 4 Talents, in the same round, sure. 4 powers, I think should be 1, then maintaining that power and initiaiting it your following turn, etc...but, then/there, also, you will eventually be using up 4 power slots...at 15th level, I guess you can spare that a couple of times a day.
But again, thanks for thinking this way/pointing this out...def. needs some rewriting/clarity.
even just talents drop 4 mind whips, and you are attacking like a warrior but also knocking people out. - powers means you can cast 4 spells in 1 round boom ice stormx4 clear the battle field. (this will likely fall into the clarification section when you say you can cast 1/turn and maintain several or something to that effect)
Yes. What you said. hahaha.
if multi-layered mind does not allow you to repeat the same talent then the only really viable talent as cantrip is mindwhip after mid level as you will be capped at 2d8, or 2d6 with attack roll vs cantrips that will be doing 3-4d10 or have a rider
Again, you're losing me in the numbers. Where are you getting 3-4d10? Tripling or quadrupling your mind whip is going to get you 3-4 x 2d4.
collective cognition = mind blast or mind whip at upto 17creatues (potentiallly 4 times)
Well, this was intended to be borrowing from the recent sorcerer Twin Spell "errata" in that if a power/talent targets more than 1 individual, it can not be used with Collective Cognition. So again, no, you can't mind blast this. Mind Whip? Yes. Charm Person? Yes. The telepath's "Message" ability which is a single mind, yes. A telekinetics, Levitate or Slow, sure. Psychokinetic Blast (or whatever I called it), no.
So, area effects, no. Single targets, yes. Not "I, the player, am targeting one creature." But the power, itself targets 1 creature. At 17th level, assuming the assumed game cap of 20 levels, that doesn't seem an outrageous ability to me.
-kineticist - reflexive defense 10 free shield spells per day when you already have base 14 ac +dex
You're right. This needs reworking to either "per long rest" or spending/using one of your long rest power uses to bring about the field/shield, as a reaction. That seems in line with other class abilities.
psychokinetic surge 10d6 no save bludegon dmg ontop of whatever action you were doing to cause it
To everyone in the AoE, yes. You don't have control over it. It's a big blast that can be as bad for the party as any enemies in the area. Use it smart, and you deserve the big bonus damage.
It is intended, really, as a cautionary/careful what you do thing, not a "oo! Lookit all the damage I can make." The PC should not really WANT to be using their Con. to effect any powers...and this "losing control" could be devastating for a party/are they're in.
But, I wasn't 100% on what/how I wrote it and kinda threw it up to have people look at it...So, I could, I suppose just rewrite it the same as a Chaos sorcerer's Wild/Chaos Surge, but I didn't want it to be quite THAT unpredictable. I wanted it to be possibly usable...like if the Teke really really had to they could "unleash" their control in lieu/hopes that the raw power might be helpful...or, as I said, as a "No don't make me do this I can't hold on anymore"...shades of the Phoenix Force (of X-man/Jean Grey fame -more form the comics than movies, but still) kind of thing, is what I was going for.
-kinetic field + mental muscle = an almost must dip for anyone who wants to be a tank. bonus 2 ac that adds to dex save, and advantage on dex saves.
I am not/can not write for people who are going to play with/allow "dipping" in their games. If folks want to play that way, great. But to play that way and say "Hey, then this is broken!"...DUH! Dipping ought not be allowed and if your game permits it...you get whatever broken/OP'd/powergamed nonsense you get (and ultimately, want, don't they?).
Default game, without the OPTIONAL [3e-style] multi-classing rules, doesn't worry about this. I'll write for that.
-Seer- 7 portent dice is crazy powerful
7? OH! Half your level, from 14. Again...well, 1) you're 14th level. Being able to declare what 7 rolls do doesn't seem that crazy powerful...and 2) It's per long rest. Granted, this is likely the same as "per day". But between attack rolls (yours and enemies), save rolls (yours and enemies) maybe a few skill/ability checks...those 7-10 are going to get used up pretty quickly in any group/normal day of adventure...and you get what you get...it's not like you can decide what numbers there are...not every roll is going to be beneficial...or have an opportunity present itself to/in a way the player may chose to use it. So..even if you have 7-10 per day, you might only use -or have numbers you want to use- 3 or 5 times. Then there's new rolls the follwing day/long rest.
I don't know. I don't get the impression, in play, that that would be as crazy powerful as you think it looks.
psychic talents - I know you mention that most psychic talents are for psychic battles, however all but the 4 attacks are unusable against anything non-psychic (okay protects against dissonent whispers and such, but highly limited) - seems like there should be a little more general utility in here rather than pure psychic battle.
I disagree. You can use your defensive talents to protect against all kinds of charm effects, enchantment and many illusion spells, fear effects, yes, protect yourself and others from psychic damage. Yes, they're situational. All power use is situational. But I would hardly say it is "unusable against non-psychics."
clarifications:
There are generally no distinctions between actions, bonus actions, or reactions for any talent or power.
Using a power/talent takes an action...unless otherwise specified. Why? How much distinction should there be? I could rework the multi-layered mind thing that the second power/talent being used gets to be a "bonus action"...does make it, somehow, more enticing or make more sense, in 5e terminology.
Main Class
Mental Ranks - once I am level 20 or have 5 ranks in a suite, does my rank 1 ray of frost/cure wounds rank up to be a "5th level version" similar to a warlock, or are they locked at starting rank.
Oo, good question. No! Powers are the ranks they are for your "access/unlocking" of them. They function as the "spell level" they are. That is all. Any alterations to that or '"expansions" of its powers for the psychic [that differ from the spell] would be included in the power description...but they were not written/placed/intended/will not "scale" like spells do.
At 20th level, you'll have [or can potentially have] 5 ranks in one suite, and up to 5 ranks in a second (more likely, I think, this will be spread out for 1-2-3 ranks in an assortment of powers, for most players).
multi-layered mind do instantaneous duration powers need to be maintained? ie mental whip, do they count towards the powers being maintained during a round?
Instantaneous powers do not need to be "maintained." They are "over" in a single round. But yes, they still "count." You can use multiple ones at once...within that round, they happen -count as the powers you are using that round- and are over.
assuming they do does that mean I cast mental whip resolve. say i want to cast it again, perform an int check. resolve. (upto 4 times at lvl 15?) or can I activate 1 power. next round, maintain it, activate a new power, next round maintain it, activate a new power, maintain, activate new maintain.
Either. Both. Depends on the power. With Mind Whip, you would just use 4 at once, in a single round. For a mind whip that you also wanted to use a power with, you'd have the Mind Whip and Power manifest at once. Resolve. Next turn, you'd be maintaining the Power from the last turn (assumning you wanted to) and then effect Mind Whip again, bring in a second power. Resolve. Next turn: You now are maintaining 2 powers from previous turns, you use Mind Whip again (3), and can initiate another talent or power (4).
I should really change/specify that the roll needs to be made for EACH additional power...so even if you are 15th level and want 4 powers going at once, you need to make those 3 rolls (1 for each power beyond the first)...or it doesn't work. So, again, it is not an "all the time 100% reliable/certain" thing.
if I do the above can I decide to let drop any power on my turn and activate a new power.
I don't see why not. Need to include language to that effect, I suppose.
exhaustion overburn - when the constitution is lost - ie it like temporary con damage - ie will affect con saves and can only be restored via a restoration(greater?) spell?
Yes. That is my thinking/intention.
for the hitpoints lost. assume I am lvl 10 with 60 hps, my con drops from 16 to 15. do I lost 10hps.
IS that how normal Con. loss effects HP? Then I'm going to say yes.
If I am at 10/60hps do I lose them and go unconcious?
If it brings you to 0, I'm going to guess so, yes.
does the power take effect beforehand?
You've spent the Con. to maintain/initiate the power. I would say yes. It goes off, that turn, and at the end of that turn, you have your 0 HP and pass out. That would be my ruling, yes.
mental focus - are these int saves an alternative to the normal con save? ie I can try int (as it will likely be a better save for me up to x times, after that I have to do a normal con save?)
After you have used as many Int. saves as you are allowed, then yes, you could use a normal Con one against additonal attacks. If you are asking if you can make a Con. save, as an additional failsafe, after failing an Int. save against an atack, then no. That is not my intention. You have these Int. saves you can make in addition to /instead of Con. saves for up to half your level attacks per turn. If 3 is half you level, and you are attacked (and hit! Potentially disrupted) 4 times: the first 3 are Int. saves, the 4th is a normal Con. save. Failure anywhere in there still causes disruption of your concentration.
you list telepath, telekinetic and metamind but not clairvoyant (just an editing thing)
Yes. I caught that after I made the pdf. It'll be fixed on the rewrite/next draft. But good catch.
Kineticist
Kinetic force - your example says add 2d6 per 3 levels. should it be 1d6 with a base add 2d6 for the ability (since it is a lvl 6 ability)? your example gives lvl 9 3d6 lv12 4d6
You are correct. 2d6 +d6 per 3 levels. Def. need to fix that mess up. Looks like I was thinking too fast and combined two sentences in my typing. hahaha.
metamind
psi-crystal expanded attunement - okayI can attune to 5 crystals instead of 1..why?
Short answer? Because I was at a total loss for cool things/powers for this guy to do at higher levels.
do I get +10 to those rolls? is it just incase I lose my grain of quartz that I implanted under my skin? are the psicrystals destroyed(used up) when I used psychic recovery?
You know...it was, really just to have a "in case you lose one/if you find yourself without one, you can grab another and an hour later be back up to snuff...but ,ya know, I REALLY like the idea of "using it up" for Recovery. So, in effect, giving you these extra crystals let's you use recovery, potentially, more than once per whatever.
But the whole things needs another once over/redo.
Psychic talents:
many state duration : until your next turn. is this start of your next turn.
Yes. I was trying to make sure "End of next turn" was its own thing. So if it
doesn't say "
End of your next turn" then it is the "start" of your next turn.
mind shield - is this like a temporary hp pool against psychic or like a DR/- for psychic (assuming a pool)
I suppose you can think of it either way...I tend to envision it as your shield has level + Int. mod. "psychic HPs" that it can take before the "Mind Shield" shatters/is overwhelmed...and the psychic damage/effects can begin to effect those [minds] "behind" the shield. So I guess that's a "temp HP pool" as far as you're concerned?
psi-armor : I don't understand
AH. Yeah. This was tough to try to write to fit in that space. hahaha.
What I'm thinking is: Take your "physical AC"...+ Int. mod. + Wis. mod. + Cha mod. = "Psychic AC". So psychic attacks against you -that require an attack roll- have to hit THAT AC to damage you.
It might not work...I was trying to come up with some different/interesting defensively.
mental screen : "mental defenses" what does this mean, other psychic talents aka mind shield?, any maintained power? aka haste? if you have thought tower active does it duplicate to each of your party and thus grant thought tower^n
"Mental defenses" are, for most, going to be your Talent "defensive modes". If you have a Mind Shield or Iron Will or, yes, Thought Tower, in effect, you activate Mental Screen, that that defense (as per YOU, not each individual) applies/protects every friend in range.
Something like "Haste" or "Wall of X"? No. Mask/Obscure Thoughts [reversed Detect Thoughts]? Yeah. A telepath's Mind Blank...yes, I could see that.
Powers:
are the durations the same as base spell? how is concentration handled? ie haste can I have haste and slow on at same time as a lvl 15 psionic?
I would LIKE, for simplicity's sake to have as many powers as can [make sense] to just follow their spell durations. There are some, like Hold Person, where it makes sense that concentration is required keep the person "held." So, I would probably just alter the power descriptions where necessary.
Concentration, as far as this write up was concerned, was going to just operate the way it currently does for spell casters...again, simplicity.
I had not really delved into that side of it yet.
Telekinetic -
telekinetic bolt = what base spell?
Eh. I was figuring it would be a concussive force "throw your opponents away from you" kind of bolt...but I see no reason you couldn't just use "Lightning Bolt", but change the damage to bludgeoning/force damage. [Just got the coolest image of a telekinetic character using this power down a corridor full of skeletons and bone shards just shattering and flying every which way. Teke turns to the lovely fighter with a half-bow and a flourish to say, "After you."
]
Pyro/cryo
pyro /cryo shape -- assuming this is control flames?
Pretty much yeah. I realized after running through their powers, they had nothing really "pyrokinetic", as in changing/shaping existing fires or ice..in the case of ice, this could also involve melting/refreezing water into useful shapes/items. Basically "Wood/Stone shape"...for fire or ice.
teleportation powers
line of sight teleport = ? what is base? teleport in sight, can i bring someone along?
Bottom line, again? Needed something between [better than] Misty Step and [not as good as] Dim Door. hahaha. Figured a "Nightcrawler" [X-men, again] style teleport, LoS only, would be good. I was going to probably throw teleporting with/holding onto someone else as a higher level use of the power...and/or, in true Nightcrawler fashion, making a second teleport "bonus action" to 'port away at the end of your turn.
Phew! That was a LOT! But, again, thanks for all of the questions and wonderings into areas I really wouldn't go/wasn't thinking. VERY helpful!
I'll give you a holler when the next draft goes up.
