Does the shardmind seem overpowered?

[keterys]

Shardminds can't be +Wis and Cha, don't give you a save vs daze/stun at start of turn, and are less party friendly than Bastion. I'd certainly give them the nod over Kalashtars, but I hardly think Kalashtar got left in the dust, especially for certain character types like Chaladins and Laser Clerics who likely prefer Kalashtar over Shardminds.

 

[Bold or Stupid]

I also love Kalashtar's ability to create a within party telepathy network with a feat.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Yes, far to usefull. You are going to most likely play a psionic class, and they have a feat option that gives them +2 damage that scales with tier with all psioinic abilities. I can't think of another feat that allows you basically bonus damage to all your abilities. And it's only for them. Along with their other stuff. Frankly I find all the PHB3 races unacceptable for any campaign we typically run.

But to answer the main questions yes, far too many options to increase their damage, mobility and environmental survivability. OP dude, OP

 

[keterys]

I can't think of another feat that allows you basically bonus damage to all your abilities.

For clarification:
Dwarven Weapon Training
Goliath Greatweapon Prowess
Hellfire Blood
Draconic Spellcaster

and basically every other 'this race is good with these types of attacks' feat there is, does that

 

[doctorhook]

Shardminds can't be +Wis and Cha, don't give you a save vs daze/stun at start of turn, and are less party friendly than Bastion. I'd certainly give them the nod over Kalashtars, but I hardly think Kalashtar got left in the dust, especially for certain character types like Chaladins and Laser Clerics who likely prefer Kalashtar over Shardminds.

So, what you're saying is that Kalashtars are a niche race, meant for filling in a couple of pigeonholes that Shardminds can't?

EDIT: Also, what do mean, "(Shardminds are) less party friendly than Bastion?" Who's Bastion? Right now, I can only think of that sentinel-guy from X-Men, or possibly the kid from Neverending Story -- and neither one looks like they'd be much fun at parties...

 

[bganon]

Bastion... of Mental Clarity. Which I really think is a better racial power than Shard Swarm, which is kind of crap. Teleport 3 and CA for the shardmind only? Meh.

And Dual Soul is really very good. It's basically -1 round to all "save ends" daze/dominate durations. Considering that in practice "save ends" usually means something lasts at least 1 turn but rarely more than 2 (only about 20% of the time with zero bonus to saves), chopping a turn off that means daze/dominate effects often don't do a thing to Kalashtar, and rarely last more than a turn. The average decrease in effect duration is larger than any amount of bonus to saving throws (because even infinite bonus still doesn't change that you normally save at the end of your turn).

 

[keterys]

So, what you're saying is that Kalashtars are a niche race, meant for filling in a couple of pigeonholes that Shardminds can't?

Exactly - just like Halflings with Trickster Rogues and Wild/Storm Sorcerers, or Elves with Archer Rangers, Feral Druids, or Centered Monks, or...

EDIT: Also, what do mean, "(Shardminds are) less party friendly than Bastion?" Who's Bastion? Right now, I can only think of that sentinel-guy from X-Men, or possibly the kid from Neverending Story -- and neither one looks like they'd be much fun at parties...

You really might want to know the races being compared. It's a notable ability on Kalashtars - the Kalashtar I adventured with last week used it to make at least four attacks miss the party, all of which dazed or dominated. Very helpful.

 

[doctorhook]

Bastion... of Mental Clarity. Which I really think is a better racial power than Shard Swarm, which is kind of crap. Teleport 3 and CA for the shardmind only? Meh.

Hahaha oops. Natural 1 on my Intelligence check, there. Thanks for sorting me out.

And Dual Soul is really very good. It's basically -1 round to all "save ends" daze/dominate durations. Considering that in practice "save ends" usually means something lasts at least 1 turn but rarely more than 2 (only about 20% of the time with zero bonus to saves), chopping a turn off that means daze/dominate effects often don't do a thing to Kalashtar, and rarely last more than a turn. The average decrease in effect duration is larger than any amount of bonus to saving throws (because even infinite bonus still doesn't change that you normally save at the end of your turn).

Hmm... that does sound pretty handy, now that it's explained to me. Thanks again!

Exactly - just like Halflings with Trickster Rogues and Wild/Storm Sorcerers, or Elves with Archer Rangers, Feral Druids, or Centered Monks, or...

Go on... Are you saying that it's okay for a race to only excel in one or two builds, while some other races excel in many builds?

You really might want to know the races being compared. It's a notable ability on Kalashtars - the Kalashtar I adventured with last week used it to make at least four attacks miss the party, all of which dazed or dominated. Very helpful.

I see what you're saying, keterys. FWIW, I'm pretty familiar with Kalashtar, but when you said, "and are less party friendly than Bastion," it didn't even occur to me that you were talking about the Kalashtar racial power (Bastion of Mental Clarity). No harm done.

To be fair though, you're not always very clear in your posts. For example, in the sentence I mentioned above, you didn't change the referent of the sentence ("Shardminds") when you switched the topic to "Shardminds' racial power", so it became understood as, "Shardminds... are less party friendly than Bastion." Since there wasn't a cue that we were switching topics to racial powers, standard English LC subconsciously led me to assume you were talking about someone named "Bastion".

Regardless, like I said above, there's no harm done. Thanks for the reply!

 

[keterys]

In all fairness, I should have been clear I also didn't mean Bastian from Neverending Story

Kalashtar is a very good race. Shardmind is a slightly better race. Personally, I'd have made it worse than it is.

They both blow, say, Razorclaw Shifter, out of the water

 

[firesnakearies]

I don't find them overpowered.

They'd be really good in a Dark Sun game, though.