can this strategy be stopped?

[Jack Simth]

What about this twist:

The psion is not able to remainfest the power on himself while the current power is active, but what if he readies an action to remanifest once the power ends. So for his turn he readies the power, his turn ends, he remanifests the power, continuous coverage.

Would this work? Also, you could say that his opponent could ready an action to attack once he recasts, but how could he tell when it is being recast since it's a purely mental action. There is some type of display associated but this can be easily suppressed with a successful concentration check.

He can't get continuous coverage that way, just nearly so; if it's up when he manifests it, it doesn't work (he's invulnerable to it) and he's wasted his action; if it's not up when he manifests it, a readied action can hit him in that window with something to disrupt concentration. He can have it up on everyone's turn until he runs out of power points, but he can't have it up in a truely continuous fasion.

He can, however, essentially force his opponents to use readied actions against him, if they don't have any of the other counters available (which are somewhat debateable as to their effectiveness - Antimagic Field under transparency, Null Psionics Field, Greater Dispel Magic, Dispel Psionics, et cetera - as, under transparency, they are powers which he is invulnerable to, but they aren't affect him, precisely, just the spells on him - but does attacking something on a character qualify as attacking the character?)

 

[superkurt13]

He can't get continuous coverage that way, just nearly so; if it's up when he manifests it, it doesn't work (he's invulnerable to it) and he's wasted his action; if it's not up when he manifests it, a readied action can hit him in that window with something to disrupt concentration. He can have it up on everyone's turn until he runs out of power points, but he can't have it up in a truely continuous fasion.

He can, however, essentially force his opponents to use readied actions against him, if they don't have any of the other counters available (which are somewhat debateable as to their effectiveness - Antimagic Field under transparency, Null Psionics Field, Greater Dispel Magic, Dispel Psionics, et cetera - as, under transparency, they are powers which he is invulnerable to, but they aren't affect him, precisely, just the spells on him - but does attacking something on a character qualify as attacking the character?)

But is it possible for the psions opponents to ready an action against something they cannot detect. it's easy to ready an action against a wizard because he has to reach for his components or say something, but a psion can manifest a power as a purely mental action giving no visible signs that he did it. There is a display (like a flash of light or whiff os smell in the air) but even that can be suppressed with a successful concentration check. So I guess the question is: can you ready an action where the trigger is something you cannot percieve?

Offhand I say no. If you know your enemy is standing on the other side of a closed door, you cannot ready an action to attack when he draws his sword because you cannot actually see him doing it.

I think we have pretty much determined which powers can stop this strategy (anti magic field, dispel) and this seems to have become more of a discussion abouot readied actions. I'm going to start a new thread entitles "The Mechanics os Readied Actions" to see if we can clear this up. thanks to everyone on their input on this topic.

 

[Jack Simth]

Oh, it's detectable. A Wizard casting a Silent, Stilled spell still provokes an attack of opportunity unless he passes his concentration check (and even then, with things like the Magebane feat...) he's concentrating rather mightily, and that shows. Granted, that specific rule pretty much only shows up in Tome & Blood, and you won't know what, specifically, he's concentrating so mightily on, but it will show.

 

[Nail]

This bears repeating:

"Lots of 20th level tactics are nigh unstoppable. So what?"

 

[Plot-Device]

win initiative

 

[ElectricDragon]

Even a power that has no display because of the Concentration check still draws an Attack of Opportunity from a fighter with no ranks in Spellcraft or Psicraft that threatens. A separate Concentration check for manifesting defensively can be made to prevent the AoO, but the fact that a fighter with no ranks in Psicraft can detect the use of a power with no display in his threatened area means nearly anyone can ready an attack "if he manifests a power." The act of concentration must be easily visible. What about the bowman across the room; is the act of concentration visible enough for him to ready an action, too? No word on that in RAW. But, if a wizard with a stilled, silenced, echewed material spell can be targeted across the room with a readied action; so too can the psion.

Ciao
Dave

 

[Michael Silverbane]

So... Here's a question. If the psion delays his action, when does the power end?

Later
silver

 

[Felix]

/sarcasm
Seriously, don't troll.

Krelios, meet Thanee. Thanee doesn't like Psionics too much, so when someone mentions a problem regarding the over-poweredness of Psionics, Thanee generally responds in a cheerful manner that Psionics don't have to be in the game. If you didn't know her that well (you are a her, right?), I guess you do now.

Psionics and Magic arn't the same. One is part of the core system. The other is an option that some folks think doesn't work too well. Even if you were being sarcastic, you should note the difference. It's why psionics has been seperate from the core rules for decades.

Finally, it isn't nice to be sarcastic at someone and then tell them not to troll.

 

[the Jester]

I don't think you can Extend it, as it has a duration of "special" iirc.

 

[hong]

Ban magic too!

You'll be amazed how many problems this solves.