Converting Psionic Creatures

[freyar]

Yes, something different for the dancing.

 

[Cleon]

Yes, something different for the dancing.

I'd go for some kind of "non-epic ritual" approach.

The first thing we need to decide how much time / dancers they need to generate a spell-effect of a given spell level and caster level.

Do they need material components? What about XP costs?

 

[freyar]

I think the dancing itself should negate XP costs and maybe even expensive material components. They have to dance a long time, you know.

EDIT: but perhaps first we need to settle on the reduced manifester level. What about ML 3 instead of 5?

 

[Cleon]

I think the dancing itself should negate XP costs and maybe even expensive material components. They have to dance a long time, you know.

I'm OK by that, we can always say spells with XP and material costs increase dancing times instead.

So, shall we get back to the question of what spell-level and caster-level they can create?

I'm thinking something like max spell level = HD of the "focus", max CL = HD of the focus plus number of dancers?

EDIT: but perhaps first we need to settle on the reduced manifester level. What about ML 3 instead of 5?

I prefer an all PLA approach for the powers rather than giving them Psion casting, but would keep said PLAs ML 5.

 

[freyar]

If we're going to stick to 4th level spells for standard ones, we'd better cut the casting time requirements way back. I think I like incantations better in some ways, but that's partly because I also like innate manifestation.

 

[Cleon]

If we're going to stick to 4th level spells for standard ones, we'd better cut the casting time requirements way back. I think I like incantations better in some ways, but that's partly because I also like innate manifestation.

It may be simpler just deciding on the CL and saying the max spell level is whatever matches that CL (e.g. a CL 13 dance can produce a spell of 7th level or less).

A pack can number anywhere from 4 to 40, so an average sized pack will be around 20-odd. If we make max caster level = number of rautym then the bigger packs would be throwing epic-level spells about. I guess we could impose a CL cap, so the big packs just dance the spells faster, but I'd prefer to just cap the spell level at 9th since 3E spells have more build-in level restrictions than AD&D ones.

 

[freyar]

Ok, given your max CL formula and max spell level is the same of a wiz for that caster level; max CL = 20, then I'm ok.

 

[Cleon]

Ok, given your max CL formula and max spell level is the same of a wiz for that caster level; max CL = 20, then I'm ok.

Well it does say they can build "magical energies to an unheard-of level", so I don't mind epic (20+) levels. The long casting time means it'll not be used in combat.

Oh,and it also says "there must be at least twice as many dancers as there are spell levels for spells past 5th level." Do we want to include that?

CL = #dancers (min 9th)
Max spell level = 1 + 1/2 #dancers (min 5th)

 

[freyar]

I think spells changed too much going to 3.x to stick to that formula, which is also a bit confusing. Let's just stick to the proposed CL=# of critters (up to some variation to speed casting time) and allow spell levels up to that a wiz of said CL can cast.

 

[Cleon]

I think spells changed too much going to 3.x to stick to that formula, which is also a bit confusing. Let's just stick to the proposed CL=# of critters (up to some variation to speed casting time) and allow spell levels up to that a wiz of said CL can cast.

That'd be OK.

What about the "magical energies to an unheard-of level" bit, just not have a CL limit?