Caliban said:
So you think True Seeing can penetrate, or you do see it as yet another area where 3.5 Psionics are superior to magic?
Psionics tends to be inferior to magic, both arcane and divine.
For example:
Most powers are close range. This is a significant limitation.
No true invisibility.
Fly at 7th level instead of 5th if you are a Nomad, 9th level if you are not a Nomad and use a feat to get it, or at 11th level if you do not want to use a feat. Hence, not only do you get Fly much later, it is pricier relatively speaking (i.e. PPs).
Can slightly heal yourself at 5th level, but healing others takes two powers (and possibly an additional feat) and even then, the healing ability is pretty weak (and PP pricey).
More feats for "psion killers" to protect them from psions than feats for "mage killers" to protect them from magic.
Psionic damage tends to be similar to arcane damage for Kineticists, but inferior for all other psions (although there are some exceptions such as Mind Link where they do more damage if successful, but no damage if they are not successful, hence, the power gives up the half damage on a successful save in order to be more powerful if successful, but this is also single target).
Plus, a single Minor Globe of Invulnerability or Globe of Invulnerability will negate most of a psion's attack powers (if you are using psionics and magic are the same rules and possibly even if you are not DM dependent).
And, there also seem to be more psionic powers that are nearly or totally worthless (e.g. Quintessence, Co-opt Concentration, and even Psychic Vampire / Power Leech unless you run into a lot of psionic foes).
Most psionic powers tend to be pale imitations of their arcane and divine counterparts. So, although this allows psions to be versatile, psions also run out of gas real quick accomplishing slightly less in the process.
The only significant areas I see where psionics is better is in the areas of AC boosting, temporary hit point boosting, astral constuct creation (instead of summoning, but most psions need to use a feat to get it), divination type abilities (mostly because of no pricey material components) and lack of somatic/verbal/expensive material components (although the last one sometimes gets replaced with XP). There are some specific powers where psions have an edge, but there are not that many of them.
Even mind affecting powers (except possibly Brain Lock) do not seem that much more potent for psions and that should be their forte.
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