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<blockquote data-quote="Simplicity" data-source="post: 677649" data-attributes="member: 1496">Okay the thread on Dark Sun and a possible revision of psionics has got me thinking...&nbsp; There are a lot of things about the new psionics system that I don't like.1) Psionic combat is nearly useless in practice.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; a) It's difficult for your party to contribute to the damage you &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; do. So, it's often a better plan to just do normal damage &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; with a weapon than to use psionic combat.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; b) Different attack modes do different ability damage, so &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; there's virtually no point in using any more than one &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; attack mode against an opponent.&nbsp; You want to lower &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; one ability score to 0, not cause multiple ability penalties.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; c) Psionic powers are often far more destructive than the &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; psionic attacks themselves.&nbsp; Why lower someone's &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wisdom by 3 points when you can disentigrate them or &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; blast them?&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; d) Requires either memorization of a table, or it requires &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; looking up that table every time there's a psionic combat.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This is pretty annoying, and counter to many of the &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; design principles in 3e.2) Psionic powers are underpowered.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; a) There is a lack of &quot;signature&quot; powers for psionicists.&nbsp; Mages &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; have magic missile and fireball, spells which are &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; deliberately overpowered yet kept because they give the &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; class flavor and strength.&nbsp; Psionicists have nothing like &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; this.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; b) A great deal of psionicist powers have direct correlations to &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; magic spells.&nbsp; Animal Affinity, Schism, and Ectoplasmic Wall &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; are some good examples of this.&nbsp; This causes a serious &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; lack of flavor in the psionicist class.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; c) Psionicist powers do not scale with their level.&nbsp; This leaves a &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; majority of their lower level powers unutilized when they &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; hit higher levels.So, ENWorld, how should WotC fix these problems if they revise psionics?&nbsp; What other problems do you think they should fix? (Or if you think what I said is not a problem with psionics, tell me I'm full of crap.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Simplicity, post: 677649, member: 1496"] Okay the thread on Dark Sun and a possible revision of psionics has got me thinking... There are a lot of things about the new psionics system that I don't like. 1) Psionic combat is nearly useless in practice. Why? a) It's difficult for your party to contribute to the damage you do. So, it's often a better plan to just do normal damage with a weapon than to use psionic combat. b) Different attack modes do different ability damage, so there's virtually no point in using any more than one attack mode against an opponent. You want to lower one ability score to 0, not cause multiple ability penalties. c) Psionic powers are often far more destructive than the psionic attacks themselves. Why lower someone's Wisdom by 3 points when you can disentigrate them or blast them? d) Requires either memorization of a table, or it requires looking up that table every time there's a psionic combat. This is pretty annoying, and counter to many of the design principles in 3e. 2) Psionic powers are underpowered. Why? a) There is a lack of "signature" powers for psionicists. Mages have magic missile and fireball, spells which are deliberately overpowered yet kept because they give the class flavor and strength. Psionicists have nothing like this. b) A great deal of psionicist powers have direct correlations to magic spells. Animal Affinity, Schism, and Ectoplasmic Wall are some good examples of this. This causes a serious lack of flavor in the psionicist class. c) Psionicist powers do not scale with their level. This leaves a majority of their lower level powers unutilized when they hit higher levels. So, ENWorld, how should WotC fix these problems if they revise psionics? What other problems do you think they should fix? (Or if you think what I said is not a problem with psionics, tell me I'm full of crap.) [/QUOTE]

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