Psionics: Psion and 211 powers converted from Pathfinder

[Xohar17]

I was reading the class and saw that the starting equipment gives you "(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus", which seems to have been ported directly from the wizard starting equipment. However, since psionics don't use any spellcasting focus (since they;re not spells) I suggest either removing or substitute it with another piece equipment, though I have no idea what could be a fitting replacement.

 

[Kryx]

The arcane focus has be removed. My mistake.

For a bit I had a manifesting focus which was a crystal, but that really doesn't make flavor sense nor do it fit with the power displays.

 

[Kryx]

Question on psi points for higher level powers. I added this wording yesterday:

Powers that you manifest using 9 or more psi points (6th-level and higher) are particularly taxing. You can use psi points to manifest one power using 9 or more psi points. You can't manifest another such power until you finish a long rest. The number of powers you can manifest using 9 or more psi points increases to two when you reach 13th level, three when you reach 15th level, four when you reach 17th level, five when you reach 9th level, and six when you reach 20th level.

I think tracking each individual slot level equivalent would be too much do I came up with the overall limit. It progresses at the same rate as spells, but all of them could be used for 9th level powers when a psion reached 17.
Is this a problem? Should I further restrict it? Should it not include the increases at 19 and 20?

 

[Xohar17]

The Seer capstone ability reads:

Perpetual Forsight
At 20th level, your ability to foresee the different possibilities has suffused you. Anytime you roll a d20, you may expend your psionic focus as a reaction to roll a second time. To choose the result of the second roll, you must pay the unmodified die roll in psi points.

Unless I'm mistaken this version of the Psion doesn't Use psionic focus? So maybe it could be limited to number times per day equal to= INT mod or something. Also, there is a typo in Forsight

 

[Xohar17]

Question on psi points for higher level powers. I added this wording yesterday:

I think tracking each individual slot level equivalent would be too much do I came up with the overall limit. It progresses at the same rate as spells, but all of them could be used for 9th level powers when a psion reached 17.
Is this a problem? Should I further restrict it? Should it not include the increases at 19 and 20?

MMMMM, hadn't thought aabout the fact that you can use all of those "slots" to cast 9th level power.... Maybe only a maximum of five at 19th Level? Alternately you could say that 9th level powers are so taxing in the body that you can only manifest one per day, or that every one you manifest beyond the first in a day results in a level of exhaustion.

Also there is a typo in that text, it says: "five when you reach 9th level" instead of 19th level.

 

[Kryx]

The Seer capstone ability

Spending psi points based on the unmodified roll isn't very 5e friendly. Let's try a different approach:

"At 20th level, your ability to foresee the different possibilities has suffused you. When you roll an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can choose to reroll the die and must use the new roll. You can use this after the roll has been made, but before any effects are applied.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest unless you spend 5 psi points."

Alternately you could say that 9th level powers are so taxing in the body that you can only manifest one per day, or that every one you manifest beyond the first in a day results in a level of exhaustion.

Hmm not sure what the correct direction to go here. Perhaps split out the limit to be 6th and 7th level powers gets 4 total uses and 8th and 9th level spells get 2 total uses (scaled to the appropriate points).

 

[Xohar17]

"At 20th level, your ability to foresee the different possibilities has suffused you. When you roll an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can choose to reroll the die and must use the new roll. You can use this after the roll has been made, but before any effects are applied.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest unless you spend 5 psi points."

Mmmmh, yea I prefer this version, not sure about the exact PSI cost yet, would have to playtest it some.

Hmm not sure what the correct direction to go here. Perhaps split out the limit to be 6th and 7th level powers gets 4 total uses and 8th and 9th level spells get 2 total uses (scaled to the appropriate points).

Well, you can always go with the Standard set in the DMG, one power/Spell of each level only. I don't know though, it would feel weird for the Psion as he doesn't use slots as such.

 

[Xohar17]

Regarding the Astral Construct, I think both its HP and its damage output (Specially at the higher levels) is too high, even if it only lasts for a Minute and uses up concentration. I would Start at 4d6+4 HP and go up from there.

EDIT: Also, I don't think the psycristal HP should scale with manifester level, as the wizard's familiar HP doesn't. It would the psion's "familiar" simply better than the wizard's, I wold give it 12 CON and have its HP be just 1d4+1.

 

[Kryx]

Mmmmh, yea I prefer this version, not sure about the exact PSI cost yet, would have to playtest it some.

5 points is equivalent to a 3rd level spell. So at 20th level a Seer can reroll by expending a 3rd level power. Second Chance is a 6th level power (9 psi points) that can do it on a reaction.
So this basically removes the limit of 6th level power limits from second chance. Not 100% sure if second chance should be a 5th level power or 6th. If I made it 5th this capstone would look less impressive.

Well, you can always go with the Standard set in the DMG, one power/Spell of each level only. I don't know though, it would feel weird for the Psion as he doesn't use slots as such.

Ya, I'd like to avoid saying "you can cast 1 power using 9 points, 1 power using 10 points, 1 power using 11 points, and 1 power using 13 points. At 19th level you can manifest another power using 9 points and at 20 another power using 10 points".
The system should be intuitive. Them all grouped into 1 resource bucket is balanced enough imo except for perhaps the 8th and 9th level powers. Not sure though.

 

[Kryx]

Regarding the Astral Construct, I think both its HP and its damage output (Specially at the higher levels) is too high, even if it only lasts for a Minute and uses up concentration. I would Start at 4d6+4 HP and go up from there.

Quick note: Astral Construct should be up to 1 hour like the other conjure spells. I had it there before, but it somehow got reverted.

The HP and damage values line up with the expected values of monsters based on Challenge rating. If you compare the 5th level astral construct to the Conjure Elemental spell you'll see they are quite similar:

Earth Elemental: Challenge 5, 126 HP, 17 AC, damage resistance to b/p/s from nonmagical. Does about 28 damage per turn if both hit.
Astral Construct (5th level): Challenge 5, 112 HP, 17 AC, condition immunities. Does about 28 damage per turn if both hit. Enhancements for either more damage or utility.

Beyond that I compared the astral construct at every possible power level. See Spell Balance. So by those numbers the 5th level Astral Construct is nearly identical to Conjure Elemental​.

Is there a specific level that you think is too strong?

Also, I don't think the psycristal HP should scale with manifester level, as the wizard's familiar HP doesn't. It would the psion's "familiar" simply better than the wizard's, I wold give it 12 CON and have its HP be just 1d4+1.

The reason a psicrystal has more hp is fusion. Fusing with your crystal is a decent HP buff. Each familiar has unique and interesting features.
Most can make a small attack (probably for utility). A bat has echolocation and keen hearing, a cat has keen smell, a frog is amphibious and can leap far, an owl has flyby to deliver spells.

I'm not saying a psicrystal should 100% have the hp, but if I were to remove HP that would reduce the usage for fusion and I would need to add a different feature.