Arkhandus
First Post
I'd suggest that this (the OP's idea) is a bad idea, and will only lead to more problems.
In its place I would suggest, with the type of game you say you run, that you use something similar to an idea I think Thanee posted a few years ago.
Say that a manifester only has a maximum of X power points available at any given time, out of his or her reserve. Call this his ready reserve, or some such thing. X is equal to the character's highest manifester level + his or her highest key ability modifier for psionic manifesting, to a maximum X value of double the manifester level.
Psi-like abilities don't count toward this; for instance, a Half-Giant, who receives Stomp as a psi-like ability once per day, does not count his Charisma modifier for this ready reserve unless he actually has Charisma as a key ability modifier for a psionic manifesting class he has taken a level in, such as the Wilder class. He also wouldn't count his psi-like ability's effective manifester level for purposes of determining his ready reserve.
For example, if he's a Psion, X = ML + Int mod. If he's 1st-level as a Psion, then X = 1 or 2, since its maximum is double the manifester level (if his Intelligence is 11 or lower, he'd be an awful Psion, but aside from that, he'd also only have 1 power point in his ready reserve).
If he's a multiclass Wilder/Psychic Warrior, X = highest manifester level between Wilder and Psychic Warrior + highest ability modifier between Charisma and Wisdom. If that Half-Giant Wilder/Psychic Warrior is 2nd-level in the first class and 5th-level in the second, then his ready reserve would be a maximum of 10 points (but could be lower, if his Psychic Warrior manifester level + his Wisdom or Charisma modifier is less than 10).
If he's a multiclass Psion/Wilder/Psychic Warrior, X = highest ML + highest ability mod from amongst Int/Wis/Cha. So if he's a Psion 10/Wilder 3/Psychic Warrior 4, with scores of Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 17, and Cha 13, then X = 10 Psion + 3 Wisdom, which is of course 13. He has 13 power points available, at maximum, at any given time.
Temporary changes in manifester level don't affect this (such as from Overchannel or a Wilder's surging), but permanent ones do (frex, if the character is a Fighter 4/Psychic Warrior 10 and has the Practiced Manifester feat, his manifester level is 14, if I recall correctly, thanks to that feat).
Points from the character's reserve are transferred into the ready reserve through 10 minutes of meditation. This is automatic when the character first replenishes his power point reserve for the day (after 8 hours of rest), which automatically transfers enough of the replenished, total reserve into the ready reserve to fill it. The ready reserve can never have more power points than the amount given above (highest manifester level + highest key ability modifier for manifesting).
Spending power points from the ready reserve does not cause it to refill with points from the normal reserve; only 10 minutes of meditation will transfer any points to the ready reserve, at least normally. Draining power points from another source, such as through the Psychic Vampire power, does add them to the ready reserve first, but any excess points beyond the ready reserve's limit goes into the normal reserve instead. Power points cannot be spent directly from the normal reserve (they must be transferred to the ready reserve through meditation before use). However, any power points drained from the character are taken out of his or her normal reserve first, not the ready reserve; only drain the ready reserve if the normal reserve has been fully depleted.
Optionally, since this severely limits the amount of manifesting allowed in an encounter (at best they may nova with a single power in the first round, and completely exhaust their ready reserve right there; otherwise they may pull off a few unaugmented powers before running dry), you may allow a character to partially refill his or her ready reserve through one round of meditation.
As a full-round action (or maybe a standard action) that provokes attacks of opportunity, the psionic manifester may be able to transfer a number of power points from his normal reserve into his ready reserve. A maximum number of points equal to 1 + the character's highest key ability modifier for psionic manifesting (excluding psi-like abilities) may be transferred with such an action. This quick transfer cannot be executed more than three times per day. Maybe limit it to once per day or twice per day instead, I dunno.
You could probably simplify this setup, but this is what I came up with just now based on what I recall of Thanee's original idea (which, IIRC, was less stingy and less complicated, but not meant to be for campaigns where only one encounter per day was the norm).
In its place I would suggest, with the type of game you say you run, that you use something similar to an idea I think Thanee posted a few years ago.
Say that a manifester only has a maximum of X power points available at any given time, out of his or her reserve. Call this his ready reserve, or some such thing. X is equal to the character's highest manifester level + his or her highest key ability modifier for psionic manifesting, to a maximum X value of double the manifester level.
Psi-like abilities don't count toward this; for instance, a Half-Giant, who receives Stomp as a psi-like ability once per day, does not count his Charisma modifier for this ready reserve unless he actually has Charisma as a key ability modifier for a psionic manifesting class he has taken a level in, such as the Wilder class. He also wouldn't count his psi-like ability's effective manifester level for purposes of determining his ready reserve.
For example, if he's a Psion, X = ML + Int mod. If he's 1st-level as a Psion, then X = 1 or 2, since its maximum is double the manifester level (if his Intelligence is 11 or lower, he'd be an awful Psion, but aside from that, he'd also only have 1 power point in his ready reserve).
If he's a multiclass Wilder/Psychic Warrior, X = highest manifester level between Wilder and Psychic Warrior + highest ability modifier between Charisma and Wisdom. If that Half-Giant Wilder/Psychic Warrior is 2nd-level in the first class and 5th-level in the second, then his ready reserve would be a maximum of 10 points (but could be lower, if his Psychic Warrior manifester level + his Wisdom or Charisma modifier is less than 10).
If he's a multiclass Psion/Wilder/Psychic Warrior, X = highest ML + highest ability mod from amongst Int/Wis/Cha. So if he's a Psion 10/Wilder 3/Psychic Warrior 4, with scores of Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 17, and Cha 13, then X = 10 Psion + 3 Wisdom, which is of course 13. He has 13 power points available, at maximum, at any given time.
Temporary changes in manifester level don't affect this (such as from Overchannel or a Wilder's surging), but permanent ones do (frex, if the character is a Fighter 4/Psychic Warrior 10 and has the Practiced Manifester feat, his manifester level is 14, if I recall correctly, thanks to that feat).
Points from the character's reserve are transferred into the ready reserve through 10 minutes of meditation. This is automatic when the character first replenishes his power point reserve for the day (after 8 hours of rest), which automatically transfers enough of the replenished, total reserve into the ready reserve to fill it. The ready reserve can never have more power points than the amount given above (highest manifester level + highest key ability modifier for manifesting).
Spending power points from the ready reserve does not cause it to refill with points from the normal reserve; only 10 minutes of meditation will transfer any points to the ready reserve, at least normally. Draining power points from another source, such as through the Psychic Vampire power, does add them to the ready reserve first, but any excess points beyond the ready reserve's limit goes into the normal reserve instead. Power points cannot be spent directly from the normal reserve (they must be transferred to the ready reserve through meditation before use). However, any power points drained from the character are taken out of his or her normal reserve first, not the ready reserve; only drain the ready reserve if the normal reserve has been fully depleted.
Optionally, since this severely limits the amount of manifesting allowed in an encounter (at best they may nova with a single power in the first round, and completely exhaust their ready reserve right there; otherwise they may pull off a few unaugmented powers before running dry), you may allow a character to partially refill his or her ready reserve through one round of meditation.
As a full-round action (or maybe a standard action) that provokes attacks of opportunity, the psionic manifester may be able to transfer a number of power points from his normal reserve into his ready reserve. A maximum number of points equal to 1 + the character's highest key ability modifier for psionic manifesting (excluding psi-like abilities) may be transferred with such an action. This quick transfer cannot be executed more than three times per day. Maybe limit it to once per day or twice per day instead, I dunno.
You could probably simplify this setup, but this is what I came up with just now based on what I recall of Thanee's original idea (which, IIRC, was less stingy and less complicated, but not meant to be for campaigns where only one encounter per day was the norm).
