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Discussion - General Discussion Thread '08
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<blockquote data-quote="Dire Tadpole" data-source="post: 4593399" data-attributes="member: 80401"><p><strong>Psicrystal Feats</strong></p><p></p><p>I see that there are two points being made. 1) Since the psicrystal is a close analogue to the familiar, and a familiar does not gain hit dice as its master advances, a psicrystal does not gain hit dice as it's master advances. 2) A psicrystal is such a good feat choice anyway, allowing a psicrystal to have feats for its hit dice is overpowering.</p><p> </p><p></p><p> </p><p>You are right that in these respects the psicrystal is similar to the familiar, there are other similairites as well such as the psicrystal granted abilities, that make it clear the psicrystal is modeled after the familiar. However, the examples provided are also explicitly mentioned to be execeptions to the normal monster generation rules. </p><p> </p><p>Yet even the familiar gains feats according to its hit dice. It is just the familiar never gains any additional hit dice from being a familiar. A psicrystal however, does have a number of hit dice based on the number of hit dice it's master has.</p><p> </p><p>It is undeniable that the the sample psicrystal given in the SRD has the Alertness feat. Even if the sentiment of the judges turned against allowing the psicrystal's feats for its hit dice, I am sure, psicrystal's would still be allowed that feat. Where did it come from?</p><p> </p><p></p><p> </p><p>Normally monsters have feats from two sources, from their Hit Dice, or a bonus feats. The psicrystal, as has been noted, also has some special generation rules.</p><p> </p><p>The alertness feat given in the example is not marked with a superscript B, so it is not a bonus feat. None of the psicrystal rules, give the psicrystal the alertness feat. The alertness feat in the example psicrystal (which is marked as being for a 1st level manifester) comes from its 1 HD.</p><p> </p><p></p><p> </p><p>I will not argue that the psicrystal affinity feat is not a good feat. I agree that it is. Your are right that personality benfits are equivalent to a skill focus or one of the save improvement feats (but then the familiar benefits are the same.) To a character that would have chosen to take alertness or one of the the skill focusefeats anyway (and not to meet some prerequisite), psicrystal affinity is a a great bargain. However, for those characters that would not have chosen such a feat, they are nice benefits.</p><p> </p><p>But let us pull back from that discussion, and look at it from another angle. Does allowing the psicrystal feats for its hit dice make it significantly more powerful? With one exception, I do not believe so.</p><p> </p><p>That exception is Leadership. In practice, if a psicrystal was allowed to take leadership it would be the same as giving it to the PC for free. Other than that, what feats are left that the psicrystal meets the requirements for? Do they make the psicrystal overpowered?</p><p> </p><p>(The problem with leadership is the same for the druid's animal companion or the paladin's special mount as they gain HD.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dire Tadpole, post: 4593399, member: 80401"] [b]Psicrystal Feats[/b] I see that there are two points being made. 1) Since the psicrystal is a close analogue to the familiar, and a familiar does not gain hit dice as its master advances, a psicrystal does not gain hit dice as it's master advances. 2) A psicrystal is such a good feat choice anyway, allowing a psicrystal to have feats for its hit dice is overpowering. You are right that in these respects the psicrystal is similar to the familiar, there are other similairites as well such as the psicrystal granted abilities, that make it clear the psicrystal is modeled after the familiar. However, the examples provided are also explicitly mentioned to be execeptions to the normal monster generation rules. Yet even the familiar gains feats according to its hit dice. It is just the familiar never gains any additional hit dice from being a familiar. A psicrystal however, does have a number of hit dice based on the number of hit dice it's master has. It is undeniable that the the sample psicrystal given in the SRD has the Alertness feat. Even if the sentiment of the judges turned against allowing the psicrystal's feats for its hit dice, I am sure, psicrystal's would still be allowed that feat. Where did it come from? Normally monsters have feats from two sources, from their Hit Dice, or a bonus feats. The psicrystal, as has been noted, also has some special generation rules. The alertness feat given in the example is not marked with a superscript B, so it is not a bonus feat. None of the psicrystal rules, give the psicrystal the alertness feat. The alertness feat in the example psicrystal (which is marked as being for a 1st level manifester) comes from its 1 HD. I will not argue that the psicrystal affinity feat is not a good feat. I agree that it is. Your are right that personality benfits are equivalent to a skill focus or one of the save improvement feats (but then the familiar benefits are the same.) To a character that would have chosen to take alertness or one of the the skill focusefeats anyway (and not to meet some prerequisite), psicrystal affinity is a a great bargain. However, for those characters that would not have chosen such a feat, they are nice benefits. But let us pull back from that discussion, and look at it from another angle. Does allowing the psicrystal feats for its hit dice make it significantly more powerful? With one exception, I do not believe so. That exception is Leadership. In practice, if a psicrystal was allowed to take leadership it would be the same as giving it to the PC for free. Other than that, what feats are left that the psicrystal meets the requirements for? Do they make the psicrystal overpowered? (The problem with leadership is the same for the druid's animal companion or the paladin's special mount as they gain HD.) [/QUOTE]
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