Creating a shared psicrystal?

[Kahuna Burger]

I have a psychic warrior PC with a psion cohort, who have a very close platonicly romantic relationship (they are a human and a gnome and the gnome just doesn't like taller women that much ). The psion has a psicrystal which spends most of it's time in the psychic warrior's possession so that they can stay in contact, but I was thinking during the last game - what if the psychic warrior took the psicrystal affinity feat and imprinted a part of her personality into the same psicrystal?

Part of the idea is purely roleplaying - in a weird way it would be almost like having a child together, by making a new mind out of pieces of each of them, and would link them in a way as well. But I was also thinking about reasonable (logical and not overpowered) mechanical results to suggest to my DM. One thought would be to have the same relationship to each other that they both have to the psicrystal as long as the psicrystal is within one mile of both of them :

Share Powers (Su)

At the owner’s option, he can have any power (but not any psi-like ability) he manifests on himself also affect his psicrystal. The psicrystal must be within 5 feet of him at the time of the manifestation to receive the benefit. If the power has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the psicrystal if it moves farther than 5 feet away, and will not affect the psicrystal again, even if it returns to its owner before the duration expires.

Additionally, the owner can manifest a power with a target of “You” on his psicrystal (as a touch range power) instead of on himself. The owner and psicrystal cannot share powers if the powers normally do not affect creatures of the psicrystal’s type (construct).

Telepathic Link (Su)

The owner has a telepathic link with his psicrystal out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The owner cannot see through the psicrystal’s senses, but the two of them can communicate telepathically as if the psicrystal were the target of a mindlink power manifested by the owner. For instance, a psicrystal placed in a distant room could relay the activities occurring in that room.

Because of the telepathic link between a psicrystal and its owner, the owner has the same connection to an item or place that the psicrystal does. For instance, if his psicrystal has seen a room, the owner can teleport into that room as if he has seen it too.

I'm thinking the abilities of the psicrystal will be based on the lower level "master".

So, is this too much for an investment of one feat from each character, or should one or both of them also be required to take a "share psicrystal" type feat?

 

[Nifft]

One feat each for just that is a bit much.

So I'd charge them each a feat, and then have the shared Psicrystal gain the benefit of one of the Psycrystal power-up feats (Improved Psicrystal or Psicrystal Containment).

I'd also give it the abilities of the higher level master, just because that's not particularly overpowered. Once you have Share Power, it's all gravy.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Bacris]

I agree with Nifft.

That's a bit weak, considering only one of them gets the bonus to skill / saves, Alertness, and the other benefits, unless they always stand within 5' of each other.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

That's a bit weak, considering only one of them gets the bonus to skill / saves, Alertness, and the other benefits, unless they always stand within 5' of each other.

Which isn't going to happen often, what with one of them being a weak psion and the other one being a charge monkey psychic warrior.

However, seeing as they are PC and cohort and the psicrystal would have 2 personality traits/bonuses, one could argue that I am trying to get my cohort to spend a feat which I then get the advantages of by holding the crystal.... (Which I don't think I would, just saying....)

 

[avr]

Just which personality/skill bonus did the psion choose for his psicrystal anyway? If 'getting a free feat out of the cohort' is an argument against it, it makes a difference whether that feat is effectively skill focus: Knowledge (nobility) or skill focus: Concentration.

 

[Nifft]

However, seeing as they are PC and cohort and the psicrystal would have 2 personality traits/bonuses, one could argue that I am trying to get my cohort to spend a feat which I then get the advantages of by holding the crystal....

If that argument is being leveled against you, point out how awful it would be if your cohort had Craft Wondrous Item and allowed you & the rest of the party to benefit from that.

If it's not, I wouldn't worry about it. There are cheesy things you can do with psicrystals, but gaining a free Skill Focus is quite low on the list.

Cheers, -- N