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Guest 6801328
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Losing the die on a high roll is not rewarding: Well, I flat disagree, here, as I would not feel that unrewarding at all. The die doesn't expend at all unless you get maximum effect. To compare to the battlemaster again, those dice are expended no matter what. So long as I don't roll maximum, my psi-die is always available at the same power level. If I do get maximum effect, that's the only time is expends -- ie, I only lose the resource after it's had maximum effect, never on minimum or average effect. That isn't unrewarding to me at all, it actually makes the feature more available.
Lack of control due to random die size changes: I can see where you're coming from, here, but I don't think it's as random as you're saying. I get the choice to risk my psi-die with full knowledge of both it's current state and the odds on that use of it degrading or improving. It's entirely transparent to the decision making process -- I have full information on what I'm risking and the range of outcomes. Plus, I still have the reset mechanic to fix any bad luck runs (at least once). While, yes, the mechanic is based on a random outcome, it's use is anything but random -- it's choice to get a benefit added every time with full awareness of the risk envelope. This, exactly, is the kind of design I like -- presenting the option for a risk to players that is 1) fully understood and 2) even if it costs the resource it's always of benefit when used.
Also, it takes a while before you lose it completely (unless you're spending it on abilities that automatically reduce it.). Even when you start out with a d6, there's a 1/6 chance of it going to d4, at which point you spend your Psi Replenishment, then another 1/6 chance of going to d4, then a 1/4 chance of losing it. So a 1/144 chance of only getting 3 uses out of it.
I wrote a quick monte carlo simulation, and even starting out with a d6 you get around 21 uses before you lose it. As soon as it becomes a d8 that jumps to 60+, and it doubles from there. Average value is half your max die size.