Behold! Yet Another Broken Psionic Power

[JoshWilhoyte]

Is it not important to note that while Coccooned, the person Coccooned cannot be harmed without destroying the Coccoon (which also frees them). Granted, the windowless version of the Force Cage also leaves them invulnerable, but the barred window version does not.

 

[Jdvn1]

There's a Metapsionic Feat to let you manifest through a barrier, though.

 

[KarinsDad]

I too think that Ectoplasmic Cocoon and Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Mass are potent. But, are they broken?

It is not just the helplessness aspect of it which make them strong.

They create a cocoon that has hardness and hit points, but does not allow anyone to do a Strength check to break out. A strong enough creature should have no problem eventually breaking out of an object with a set hardness.

This is an obvious oversight since no other entangling type power/spell/ability can do this.

However, I can understand it not allowing an Escape Artist check to get out based on its description.

Btw, Sleep spell makes a character who can be affected by it more helpless (cannot use conscious mental powers) than Ectoplasmic Cocoon.

And yes, there are very few spells (Ghoul Touch and Holy Word, et. al.) that can make a character helpless and those have much shorter durations.

But, there are many spells that can incapacitate or kill a character outright if s/he fails a save. There are poisons that can incapacitate a character if s/he fails a save.

At 6th level, there is Flesh to Stone. It only affects one creature, but there are NO mundane ways to get the character back and it has a permanent duration. With Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Mass, you can at least break people out or wait until it expires and it is 7th level as opposed to 6th.

Potent, yes. Broken, probably not. And the main reason it is not broken is because there are mundane ways for others to get you out of it. And, I would also house rule ways to break out with massive strength.

 

[Videssian]

So you're saying Psions have to burn a feat to get a power and it's not a restriction?

It's also Shaper only. That's another restriction.

It's worth saying that even if you're not a shaper, you can get the power by burning a feat (Expanded Knowledge), so for a non-shaper, level 7 for the non-mass version, and level 15 for the mass version.

Mmmm. I doubt it, frankly: Psions get so many feats, it's easy enough to get a power from another specialty.

The same as a Wizard actually..

 

[FireLance]

The other mitigating factor for ectoplasmic cocoon is that it assumes the presence of psionics. Being restricted to purely mental actions is less of a disadvantage for psionic characters and monsters. Naturally, this power is best used against non-psionic creatures, which would be either good tactics or RBDMing.

 

[Saeviomagy]

A wizard should have a silent dimension door prepared. At which point he totally ignores the cocoon, then probably fireballs his companions loose. The same (more or less) goes for a sorceror.

A monk can simply abundant step out of the cocoon. Abundant step is (su) and therefore requires nothing more than a mental action. Thats IF he fails his save. Things with transport SLAs are the same.

I THINK freedom of movement may apply vs the cocoon, but I'm not sure. Looking at it again, I'm pretty sure - I don't see how cocoon and web could be considered different enough to allow one to be ignored but not the other.

Psions are unhampered by the spell.

It allows a save. I think that's the biggest one. Spells without saves are very, very powerful.

It's easily dispellable by just about anyone.

In short - it's a good spell, but forcecage is far, far superior.

 

[KarinsDad]

I THINK freedom of movement may apply vs the cocoon, but I'm not sure. Looking at it again, I'm pretty sure - I don't see how cocoon and web could be considered different enough to allow one to be ignored but not the other.

I suspect you are correct, but I am unsure. Sort of like an immovable object and an irresistable force. Which one wins?

The only reason I can see that Freedom of Movement might not apply is because Cocoon is more of a spell that totally traps an opponent, rather than one which just impedes movement.

I think the same of an Earthquake spell that pins you or a Wall of Stone spell that totally surrounds you. In both of these cases, your movement is impeded. But, I would not let someone walk through a Wall of Stone merely because they had a Freedom of Movement spell up.

Most of the spell examples in Freedom of Movement (with the exception of Paralysis which isn't a spell anyway) are ones where there is room to maneuver or move, movement is merely drastically reduced or slowed (i.e. impeded).

I think I would draw the line for Freedom of Movement in situations (except paralysis ones which is explicitly called out, e.g. Hold Person) where you are totally prevented from moving by all encompassing objects (such as walls or rock slides or cocoons) as opposed to merely impeded, grappled, pinned, etc.

If it is a solid barrier that does not allow an Escape Artist check to get out of, Freedom of Movement should not affect it. IMO.

I don't think a Freedom of Movement spell should allow you to go through a locked prison door for example, but a locked prison door DOES impede movement. To me, spells that totally trap someone should require the Freedom spell (as opposed to Freedom of Movement spell) in order to escape the trap.

 

[Saeviomagy]

If it is a solid barrier that does not allow an Escape Artist check to get out of, Freedom of Movement should not affect it. IMO.

I think this is by far the best metric to use in cases outside of paralysis. So no, freedom of movement doesn't work.

Ther rest of my suggestions do, however.

 

[Testament]

You must be kidding Nail. It allows a saving throw. Whoops, there goes the ultimate power, since someone escapes and starts freeing their mates.

Also, as FireLance pointed out, everything in the XPH is built assuming that there are psions, thus the constant references to "purely mental actions". Oh, so we've been cocooned? That's alright, someone lets off an Energy Missile - Sonic and we're free!

Sorry, Forcecage dumps all over this power. No save, no response.

 

[Taluron]

Errr? Then you have some seriously tricked-out Wizard PCs.
A Wiz 13 has a base Ref save of +4. Give him a (magic item boosted) Dex of 18 and a Cloak of Resistance +4, and his save is +12. Against a DC 22, that means he fails 45% of the time. I'd hardly call that reliable. (As an aside: the DC is far more likely to be higher.)

Not much higher. An 18th level shaper can boost the DC by 2. Any other psion using Expanded Knowledge to take it (at 15th) can boost the DC by one.

And that's only if you don't want to expand the creature size or radius.

Higher stats will boost the powers DC also but DC 22 assumes a casting stat bonus of +5.

Also, if the Wiz has a Staff of Power, Luck Stone, Pale Green Ioun Stone or any other such items his save is higher. Resistance isn't the only bonus that addes to saves. Luck, some Compentence, Haste, some circumstance, etc.