Augmenting Psi-Like Abilities?

[Tilenas]

Is it possible to augment psi-like abilities like powers when your manifester level goes up and you have a reserve of power points?
My gut feeling says no, as PLAs don't work with power points, but daily uses. However, since your manifester level for PLAs goes up every two class levels, and powers don't "augment" themselves via ML as spells do, they become less and less useful over time.
Someone please point me to a clarifying rule or give me a piece of his mind.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Not only can you augment them, it's completely free.
Psionic Monsters :: d20srd.org

"When a creature uses a psi-like ability, the power is manifested as if the creature had spent a number of power points equal to its manifester level, which may augment the power to improve its damage or save DC. However, the creature does not actually spend power points for its psi-like abilities, even if it has a power point reserve due to racial abilities, class levels, or some other psionic ability."

I had a Phrenic Psion once, and was overjoyed when I discovered that text, since before then we thought they couldn't be augmented, and thus were really sucky after a few levels gained.

 

[Tilenas]

Not only can you augment them, it's completely free.

"When a creature uses a psi-like ability, the power is manifested as if the creature had spent a number of power points equal to its manifester level, which may augment the power to improve its damage or save DC. However, the creature does not actually spend power points for its psi-like abilities, even if it has a power point reserve due to racial abilities, class levels, or some other psionic ability."

I had a Phrenic Psion once, and was overjoyed when I discovered that text, since before then we thought they couldn't be augmented, and thus were really sucky after a few levels gained.

Hell yeah, that is good news indeed. Pasting that snippet into the PLA description in chapter "Psionics" would have helped a lot...
Thanks!

 

[irdeggman]

From the FAQ

Can a creature augment its psi-like abilities?

Not exactly. Since a creature doesn’t pay power points to
manifest a psi-like ability, it can’t spend extra power points to
augment it (even if the creature has a power point reserve).
However, when a creature manifests a psi-like ability, “the
power is manifested as if the creature had spent a number of
power points equal to its manifester level, which can augment
the power (XPH 184).

So no you can't augment the power, but they may be augmented by the nature of spending pp equal to the character's level. So it is not a choice, it either is effectively augmented or not, but the character spends pp equal to his manifester level when he manifests the psi-like ability.

 

[Tilenas]

So no you can't augment the power, but they may be augmented by the nature of spending pp equal to the character's level. So it is not a choice, it either is effectively augmented or not, but the character spends pp equal to his manifester level when he manifests the psi-like ability.

...this seems a little like splitting hairs to me, as the "augmentation" is practically free, so there's no "forced expenditure" of power points.

Unless, of course, there are situations where you wouldn't want your powers to be augmented?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Basically, you can't augment past your ML. That's about it. Some powers have several methods of augmenting and thus you could manifest it as a PLA in different forms at different times. But it never costs you PP, it always allows you ot augment up to ML, and you can't go past your ML. Just like regular manifesting, basically.

The FAQ just makes it sound confusing, the SRD text I quoted is pretty clear and straightforward.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

...this seems a little like splitting hairs to me, as the "augmentation" is practically free, so there's no "forced expenditure" of power points.

Unless, of course, there are situations where you wouldn't want your powers to be augmented?

In the case that you don't want your power to go full blast, you can use a Psi-Like ability at a lower manifester level (in essence, de-augmenting it).

 

[irdeggman]

Basically, you can't augment past your ML. That's about it. Some powers have several methods of augmenting and thus you could manifest it as a PLA in different forms at different times. But it never costs you PP, it always allows you ot augment up to ML, and you can't go past your ML. Just like regular manifesting, basically.

The FAQ just makes it sound confusing, the SRD text I quoted is pretty clear and straightforward.

Check the actual text in the XPsi Handbook pg 184 for a more complete definition, including an example. The example indicates that you don't have a choice on how may pp are spent when manifesting the power, it is pretty much always manifested as if spending pp equal to the creatures ML (not a lesser number).

For example, a creature that manifests mind thrust as a 5th level manifester effectively spends 5 pp on the power, and therefore deals 5d10 points of damage and adds 2 to the save DC of the power.

It also talks about using feats like empower spell-like ability or quicken spell like ability but they can't be used on powers that do not have increased effects due to augmentation.