Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

There's actually nothing in the mind flayer's mind blast that it's mind-affecting. There's also nothing about psionics all being mind-affecting, and there's nothing about stunning that mindless (or immune to mind-affecting) creatures can't be stunned. If you want to put in the immunity, we need to put it in explicitly. However, like the mind-flayer, I'd leave it out. Why couldn't this stun a vermin? Granted, this is a little sticky if they're battling other constructs, but still.

It makes sense that psionic attacks that manifest physically affect mindless creatures.

also, since Mind Flayers are non-OGL, doesn't it make more sense to crib off the psionic power Psionic Blast rather than the illithid special attack. That's a Telepathy [Mind-Affecting] power.

 

[freyar]

Right. So just take Cleon's Psychic Assault above with 7d8 untyped damage and maybe a 60 ft cone?

EDIT: Cleon jumped in there ahead of me. I don't think there's anything wrong with modeling it off of the mind flayer. But mind thrust is also a telepathy power, so if you both want to make this mind-affecting, it's ok. I'd just think it's semi-physical like the illithid's.

 

[Cleon]

Right. So just take Cleon's Psychic Assault above with 7d8 untyped damage and maybe a 60 ft cone?

EDIT: Cleon jumped in there ahead of me. I don't think there's anything wrong with modeling it off of the mind flayer. But mind thrust is also a telepathy power, so if you both want to make this mind-affecting, it's ok. I'd just think it's semi-physical like the illithid's.

I was representing the semi-physical aspect with the untyped damage. It's only the stunning that's mind-affecting.

e.g.:

Psychic Assault (Sp): Once per day, a sentinel eidolon can unleash a potent psionic blast in a cone 60 feet long. Anyone caught in this cone takes 7d8 damage and must succeed on a DC X Will save or be stunned for 4d4 rounds. Creatures with immunity to mind-affecting attacks take the damage but are immune to the stunning. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 

[Shade]

Splitting the two feels a bit fiddly for my tastes. I suppose I can live with it, but I'm fine with just picking one type (and allowing mind-affecting or not).

 

[Cleon]

Splitting the two feels a bit fiddly for my tastes. I suppose I can live with it, but I'm fine with just picking one type (and allowing mind-affecting or not).

Looks like you'll live with it, then.

It would seem odd to me to have a special attack with "Psychic" in the name that isn't at least partially mind-affecting.

 

[Shade]

Looks like you'll live with it, then.

Umm...ouch?

It would seem odd to me to have a special attack with "Psychic" in the name that isn't at least partially mind-affecting.

I'll grant you that!

 

[freyar]

There are tons of abilities with saves for part of the "damage." This is fine.

Other special abilities?

 

[Cleon]

There are tons of abilities with saves for part of the "damage." This is fine.

Updated.

I made it a (Su), although it could work as a (Sp) or (Ps).

Other special abilities?

Only the "sweeping blade" which is currently earmarked as the Whirlwind Attack feat, but could be a special attack.

 

[Shade]

Psychic Assault looks good.

I still don't care for "Eldritch Blade" as the sword's name. In my D&D experience, eldritch implies "magic", not "psionics".

Also a minor quibble, but I'd make it "Healed by Acid and Electricity" rather than Lightning.

 

[Cleon]

Psychic Assault looks good.

I still don't care for "Eldritch Blade" as the sword's name. In my D&D experience, eldritch implies "magic", not "psionics".

The name doesn't cause me any problems, but I'd be willing to humour alternatives.

Also a minor quibble, but I'd make it "Healed by Acid and Electricity" rather than Lightning.

No objection to changing the Working Draft with that.