Arcane Feat: Psychic Strike

[Altamont Ravenard]

(~Draconic Breath feat, from Complete Arcane)

Psychic Strike
Prerequisite: Cha 13+ (?)
Benefit: As a standard action, you can change arcane energy into a devastating mental strike. You burn a spell slot of first level (or higher) to psychally assault one creature at Close range. The strike deals 1d12 points of psychic damage, Will save for half (DC 10 + spell slot level + Cha mod.)
Creatures that do not have an Intelligence score, a Wisdom score or a Charisma score are immune to this effect.
This is a supernatural ability.

A follow-up of this feat would be:

Psychic Storm
Prerequisite: Psychic Strike, Cha 13+
Benefit: When using your Psychic Strike ability, you may burn a second spell slot of first-level or higher to affect additional enemies. The number of additional enemies is equal to the level of the burned slot. Your "main" target must still be at Close range, but the additional targets only have to be within 30' of the original target.

What do you think?

Thanks in advance,

AR

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

No love for Psychic Strike?

AR

 

[CyberSpyder]

Creatures that do not have an Intelligence score, a Wisdom score or a Charisma score are immune to this effect.

There are no creatures without a wisdom score or a charisma score.

In general...I don't know. I wouldn't take the feat. Mechanically, it's odd to make up a new damage type (psychic) just for this one effect. More to the point, it's practically worthless - an average of 6.5 damage to one target, save for half, at short range? 'Magic missile' does more damage at third level, without a save. And using higher level spell slots on it would just be a crime.

With the second feat, it's a little less certain...but still underpowered, I think. Basically, 1d12 damage, with no way of increasing it, is terrible for a spell, and will not represent significant damage to a foe above level 5 or so.

Maybe look to the Warlock for an inspiration as to how this sort of idea should operate. Though really, if you're doing that, the warlock makes a better solution for the problem anyway.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Actually, the damage is 1d12 per level of the spell slot used. The description musn't be clear on that point. If you use a 3rd-level spell slot, you deal 3d12 damage, save for half.

I wanted to use the 1d12 because it gets no love...

The spell basically mimics the Draconic Breath feat from Complete Arcane, in which you can use a spell slot of level X to breathe a cone or line of fire/acid/cold/etc for 2d6 points of damage per spell slot level used.

You're right about Charisma/Wisdom. I forgot about that. I didn't want to make it a [Mind-Affecting] ability, because I felt it would limit it too much. Every creature that has a "psyche" could be affected.

This feat was supposed to give the Sorcerer that takes it a "Psionic" feel, since I don't use Psionics in my campaigns...

Thanks for the feedback.

AR

 

[Borlon]

I'm not keen on a new type of damage, "psychic." Being new, no creature has an immunity or resistance to it. It is effectively typeless. The fact that d12 is a trifle smaller than 2d6 doesn't make up for this.

Maybe say that creatures that are immune to mind affecting effects take half damage, no damage on a successful save? They have psyches, but ones that are better protected.

Psychic Storm covers a pretty big area, doesn't it? Within a 30 ft. of the original target is a lot of area. And it is highly selective; you can get all the bad guys and spare your allies. Not something you can do with a cone or line shaped breath weapon.

True, you can't destroy a horde of mooks as well as if it was a true area effect; that precision comes at a price. But doing 6d12 precision damage (~11d6) to each of 6 monsters is in a round is nothing to sneeze at, even if it costs two 6th level spell slots. Presumably if you had a spell that would be more effective in this situation you'd be using it.

However, you've spent two feats gaining psychic storm. You should be able to do something cool with it.

I'm kinda torn. I think it might be overpowered as written, even if you mitigate it for creatures immune to mind affecting effects. But I can't really tell. It would need playtesting to really tell.

 

[Nifft]

Draconic Breath is a tier 2 feat, so it should be pretty good. Thus, I prefer limiting the 1st feat by making the damage [mind-affecting]. Boost the range if that makes it underpowered, but be sure to compare with Arcane Fire (the Archmage High Arcana).

For the 2nd feat, how about half of the damage is [Force], half is [Mind-Affecting]?

-- N

 

[Kisanji Arael]

Well, I like the idea of giving non-fighters damage feats, but the requirements should be a little steeper. This feat lets a first level sorcerer turn a magic missile (to use an example) into a d12, massively increasing his potential for a while. The damage is where it should be, though. It should be set up to be compatible with psionic or non-psionic games. I agree that you should change the damage type, as well. Consider:

Psychic Strike
Prerequisite: Cha or Int 15, Ability to cast 2nd level spells
Benefit: As a standard action, you can change arcane energy into a devastating mental strike. You burn a spell slot of first level (or higher) to psychally assault one creature at Close range. The strike deals 1d12 points of nonlethal damage to non-psionic creatures, or 1d4+1 lethal damage to psionic creatures, Will save for half (DC 10 + spell slot level + Cha mod.)
Creatures that do not have an Intelligence score are immune to this effect.
This is a supernatural ability.

 

[the Jester]

Hm, don't like it.

It turns a 1st level caster's damage from 1d4+1 or 1d6 or 1d8+1 to 1d12. Overpowered at first level, much less useful at higher levels.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Hm, don't like it.

It turns a 1st level caster's damage from 1d4+1 or 1d6 or 1d8+1 to 1d12. Overpowered at first level, much less useful at higher levels.

Have you looked at Draconic Breath?

It does either 2d6/spell level damage in a 30' cone or a 60' line (Reflex for half). A human sorcerer can get this feat at 1st level.

Psychic Storm covers a pretty big area, doesn't it? Within a 30 ft. of the original target is a lot of area.

I wanted to mean that every target must be within 30' from each other, not that every target must be 30' from the original target.

If I make it a [Mind-Affecting] attack, does that bring it more into line?

Thanks for the feedback

AR

 

[Crothian]

Have you looked at Draconic Breath?

It does either 2d6/spell level damage in a 30' cone or a 60' line (Reflex for half). A human sorcerer can get this feat at 1st level.

Congradualtions, they are both overpowered.