Unearthed Arcana Impression of the U/A Psi Knight in play

A friend started up an Eberron game, and I received the go ahead to play a Psi Knight fighter subclass from the Unearthed Arcana article. The campaign started at 3rd level. I am playing a variant human Fighter Psi Knight. For my bonus feat I chose Wild Talent (Strength).

It was really, quite fun to play.

Psi Enhanced Strength brought quite a bit of excitement to Athletics and Grapple checks. A timely +5 to a Grapple check is a pleasant occurrence indeed, (well not for the monster 😈).

Psi Enhanced Dex is the more optimal route, as now the Psi Talent die applies to Initiative, Stealth, and other Dex ability checks.

Psi Guided Strike is awesome to use, basically, in my case, any attack using Strength as the ability score gained the benefit of the Great Weapon Fighting ability, one time per round.

Combine the above with the Psi Knight powers of Protective Field and Telekinetic Strike, and I have to say, I was rolling that Psi Talent Die as much as I could. This turned out to be multiple times each round, as the opponent was way out of our 3rd level League.

The Psi Talent die was a fun and engaging mechanic to use. I rolled the maximum result twice during the game and shrank my Psi Talent die down to a d4 twice. I have never been so disappointed to roll sixes and never more happy to roll ones in a D&D game.

It felt more like a good D&D modeling of the Star Wars Force, to be honest. When the Force is with you and you add +4 to an Athletics check, +5 to damage, changed a 1 you rolled for damage to a 5 instead, and also subtracted -5 from the damage a party mate took...all in one round...you feel powerful.

The 3e Psychic Warrior always felt a little too Fighter/Magic User to me. It was a Nova class. Impressive when self buffing at low levels, that turned into desperation at higher levels, because the 3/4 BAB made them weak fighters, and the buffing was needed for parity.

It was nice to leave power points behind, and just have Psionics that made a Psionic Warrior better at being a warrior.
 
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Psi Enhanced Dex is the more optimal route, as now the Psi Talent die applies to Initiative, Stealth, and other Dex ability checks. Probably in a future feat selection.
I noticed this, it's really a bit too good compared to the other options, wheras Psi Enhanced Constitution is complete garbage. The other attributes are pretty balanced.
 

Undrave

Legend
Now I want to play a Psi class!

I noticed this, it's really a bit too good compared to the other options, wheras Psi Enhanced Constitution is complete garbage. The other attributes are pretty balanced.

It's kind of a result of the attributes not being balanced at all in the first place so it can't be helped...
 


Now I want to play a Psi class!



It's kind of a result of the attributes not being balanced at all in the first place so it can't be helped...
It rather exaggerates the inequality though (con doesn't work with anything apart from concentration checks and fire genasi Produce Flame), and it could be fixed by limiting the feat to mental stats. Yeah, I know that would hit the strength version too, but it makes sense thematically.
 

Does the psi die mechanic feel too powerful in play?
Not yet, but the day is still young! 😉

In practical terms, the Wild Talent feat grants the effect of adding a proficiency bonus to ability checks that Psi Boosted ability applies to. If you already add your proficiency bonus, the Psi Talent die, on average, will grant a bonus that brings you inline with having Expertise.

On a Fighter, this is a subtle boost. Ability Checks you would have already succeeded on, congratulations you get to be extra.

Checks you would have blown, you still fail.
Checks in the middle, is where the feat shines!
Statically, it shifts your bell curve, and over time and usage, will result in minimizing negative outcomes.

Of course the more one uses the Psi Talent die, the more likely you ’crap’ out and shrink your die. Adding the Psi Talent Die, when the die had shrunk to a d4, felt very fraught with peril.
The odds of hitting the jackpot and craping out for the day is now 25%!

Psi Guided Strike was nice, but it is only one damage roll per turn. Changing a role of 1 on a damage roll to a 5 is subtle, but impactful.

Telekinetic Strike is not as good as a Battle Master’s Maneuver, or the damage bonus of a Zealot barbarian , because the Psi Talent die is not doubled on a critical hit.

Protective Shield certainly did not overshadow the Temp HP boost of an Artillerist Artificer’s Protector Arcane Cannon. Both the Ancestor barbarian, or Knight fighter have better damage mitigation.

Overall I felt capable, and able to perform well as a generalist fighter. I also felt, lucky.
An unlucky day could just as easily have happened.

Tower of Iron Will is a very good feat, but requires a Psi Talent die, so a feat tax.
 
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TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
It's kind of a result of the attributes not being balanced at all in the first place so it can't be helped...
It's still better than the Resilient feat in that regards; at least the other 5 version of Psi talent are decent, as opposed to Resilient's 3.
 



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