Are wilders really as broken as I think they are?

[Shieldhaven]

So, it's like this. The group I DM for doesn't have an arcane caster (or didn't until just recently). They have a wilder for all of their artillery, and he outdamages anything any other character or class could manage. In tonight's game, this 5th level wilder's energy ray did (1d6 base +4d6 inflation + 2d6 surge + 1 PBS + 1 surging euphoria + 7 because he chose fire as his energy type). He sure did put down the 6th level enemy wizard with a 36-damage ranged touch attack. The big tough bodyguard NPC went down only shortly thereafter. Really, I'm just horrified by the amount of damage he is dishing out - no 5th level wizard or sorcerer could do that much damage to a single target without at least granting a save - and it's much easier, I think, for them to pass a save than for him to miss a ranged touch attack. At this point he has 18 Cha, which gives him a total of 35 power points, so he can do this seven times a day, or more if he goes less than full-blast.

So, yeah. This is my situation. I would appreciate commentary, both for and against the wilder.

Shieldhaven

 

[Corsair]

Yet the 5th level wizard could do that to a dozen or more people at once with one fireball.

Wilders are good at pretty much one thing. Let the poor guy have his day.

 

[adriayna]

Wilders kind of remind me of Warmages. They do their thing, and they do it well. But the lack of versitility can really hurt them in the long run.

Here are some suggestions:
1) Power resistance. If you play with the psionics/magic transparency, then creatures with spell resistance also have power resistance.
2) Create battles/situations where psionics aren't effective. Mean, I know, but necessary if it continues to be a problem. Maybe an area where psionics don't work so well, psychic static increases PSP expenditure, etc.
3) In my experience with the XPH, psionic classes "burn out" fast. So if you have many battles between rests, the wilder will burn through psps and run out. -OR- realize that he/she has to conserve and be a bit more selective in the power point expendature.
4) Psionkiller monster.

 

[Shieldhaven]

The fifth level wizard could not, in fact, do that to a group. He could do 5d6 to a group, at most. That's a maximum of 30 damage and an average of 17.5. He would also be very hard-pressed to do this seven times in a day. His scorching ray - the highest-damage 2nd level spell - is 4d6 (+1 if he has Point Blank Shot).

Okay, this is kind of turning into a rant. I apologize. I've been annoyed about this some time now.

I would be fine with "letting the poor guy have his day," except that, you know, that's a whole lot of advantage to have. He's vastly better than a wizard or sorcerer of equal level. At fifth level, he's good at three things - Vigor, which gives him the most hit points in the party (it hardly matters that some of them are temporary), Energy Ray (best damage in the party) and Specified Energy Resistance (a very good defensive trick).

To a significant degree, my problem is as much with energy ray as it is with wilders. My stopgap solution is to nerf energy ray so that different types of energy do not have different effects. Bonus damage is obviously the right choice, every time. Who cares if they're immune to fire? I can do just the same with cold damage, go me.

Okay, I'm done for now. Again, sorry about the rant. Just v. annoyed.

Shieldhaven

 

[MeiRen]

Yeah, the Wilders are crazy when it comes to stacking up sheer numbers. That's their speciality, and they're good at it.

But think of everything else a Wizard can do. A 5th level Wizard can cast Fly, Invisibility, Dispel Magic, Change Self, et cetera. I'd consider the Wizard to be broken, if anything.

So you want to exploit the party's lack of magical versatility. Maybe a situation where they really need to get across a chasm, and so they have to spend a week (of game time) tracking down a Wizard and cajoling him into casting flight. Or a situation where the Wilder's two powers arn't helpful. Does he have an area attack power? If not, do an encounter with a lot of weak enemies. Does he have a buff power (ie, the psionic equivalent of "bless"), If not, send an enemy with power resistance. Boy, wouldn't it be g reat if he could help the fighters somehow?

But yeah, I'd definitily let the Wilder smash thruogh things occasionally. Its one thing to keep him from burning through everything, but don't make it so he feels useless.

-Mei

 

[Jdvn1]

I think the multiple battles per day idea is probably the best. If your Wilder manifests all of his power points in the first battle, he's in trouble later.

Also remember that you can counterspell. Dispel Magic is a good spell.

(Unless you're using the Magic and Psionics are Different variant. Which I wouldn't recommend.)

 

[RigaMortus]

Yeah, if you are only pitting them against 1 or 2 creatures per encounter, or only 1 or 2 encounters per day, that would be the problem...

 

[reanjr]

In D&D, you are assumed to encounter a number of weaker foes during a single day. In this model, they are probably balanced. If you stray from this model, the entire game breaks down, not just the wilder.

 

[Thanee]

While I really think, that there is more than one thing wrong with psionics, I don't think the Wilder is that bad.

For one, the powers are extremely limited, just as it should be.

The Wild Surge does have a huge disadvantage... you'll see that soon enough, when your Wilder once fails that % roll in an important battle.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Shieldhaven]

Everyone's advice is much appreciated.

I'm actually still waiting for Wild Surge to catch up to him, even once. He has enervated once in sixteen sessions, and that one time didn't really pose a problem at all. I know that probability will bite him in the hindquarters eventually - at some point, he will miss with a full-power blast and enervate at the same time, and I'll feel much better. It just hasn't happened yet.

We're using magic-psionics transparency, of course. They're just now getting to the point of fighting enemies who could cast dispel magic, but I'm definitely planning on using that.

Haven