Dwarven telepath build

[StalkingBlue]

Edit: This thread has developed since my initial post. Character builds appear in subsequent posts. Feel free to comment!

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I'm getting to play a psion, my first psionic character ever and the first one in a hitherto completely non-psionic campaign.

I've settled on telepath and I want to keep her pretty much focussed on telepath powers, taking very few powers from other paths.
She'll take the feat resculpt mind at 3rd level, giving her four metapsionic bonus feats at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th level whilst postponing the psionic combat abilities to later levels.

Taking in mind the character concept, what would you suggest are other must-haves? I'm looking for character plausibility here more than for min-maxing advice (though she should be survivable ... ).

In terms of personality and background, here's what I've got so far:

Taktorn "Whitegranite", female dwarf. Wears a bandanna to conceal that she's hairless, and a biiig iron earring, gypsy-style, with a cheap crystal dangling in it.
She's been outcast from her clan early in life for her uncanny "otherness", possibly carries a tattoo or brandmark on her forehead to show that. (Yeah. Clan name's a lie. What did you think?)

Charismatic and a survivor. In game terms:
High Cha (obviously - the most charismatic dwarf you've ever seen, though due to her lack of hair males of herown race may not think so ...).
High Con, remaining abilities average (point buy).


I'd be grateful for any advice you psionics experts can give me.

Just don't bother telling me she'd make a better savant than a telepath. Even I know that - but no.

 

[Zerovoid]

Well, the first thing I would do is ask the DM if you can be a Gold Dwarf from FR and have the -2 to dex instead of cha And, Telepath's are way better than Savant's, Con bonus or no.

 

[StalkingBlue]

OK. Good idea.

The GMs (there are two who alternate) would probably allow a gold dwarf - they've been pretty relaxed already about letting me introduce that "alien psionic element" into their pure fantasy campaign, and they're letting players use feats, classes, items and magic from all over the place.

What's better about a telepath than a savant?
I was initially playing with a savant concept until I began to see that dwarf in my mind. Somehow, mindbending seems even more uncanny and alien coming from a dwarf (and a hairless one at that ...).

 

[StalkingBlue]

bump

 

[Kyramus]

hmmm

Personally I'd take Inertial Armor. +4 to AC as long as you have Power Points (PP)

Disarm mind is great, IF you have other psionic opponents. Though it depends on the DM. Disarm mind allows the psion to deplete power points of the opponent as long as the person gets ability damage successfully. cost is the psionic attack +3.
Against a wiz/sor/cleric, I would say that the total points depleted is in spell levels and is subtracted from the highest level spells down.

Disarm mind has a prereq of cha 13+ and Mental Adversary feat.
Mental Adversary is also a nice one anyway so the two compliment how you would assault a person's mind.

Again it's up to the DM if they will allow this variant, especially if you use the Psionic/Magic Transparency rule. Meaning Dispel Magic affects Dispel Psionics, etc.


Another one is Psionic body, use your highest ability score to determine the bonus to your HP.

Telepathic Powers.....
for a 0 level, Daze!
1-disable (fun one), sense link (great to know what your scout is doing and also to know when they need help)
2-brain lock (hehe), detect thoughts (sentience radar)

I'll stop here since I don't know what level you are going to start with.

 

[StalkingBlue]

Ha! Thanks Kyramus.

I'll be starting at 2nd level (forgot to say ).
Linear point buy at 80 points, which looks over the top to me, but seems to work fine in their game.

From what I've seen of their game up to now, PCs level pretty quickly, so I'll be well advised to do some planning ahead. Also, may decide I want to work out first what I want the character to look like at 20th level and then work my way back from that.
So ...

... feel free to give me higher-level advice as well if you like!

I'll definitely want the GMs to use the transparency rule, what with their world being non-psionic, but I'm somewhat wary about introducing variant rules. The GMs trust me pretty much to keep the lid on the power kettle, so to speak, and I suspect I'll be the one who will have to explain the rules. So I don't want to complicate matters even more.



Anything else?

(Edit: sp)

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Salutations,

I threw a dwarven savant at the party in one of their last adventures- he was pretty tough. He would wear levitate out of reach and let loose with the electric power (biocurrent?)- they came to hate the guy.. a lot.

I don't have much in the form of advice- other then make sure you take the feat that lets you trade up powers on the chains.

FD

 

[StalkingBlue]

You mean upgrade power? That one is on my list - if you want to call the results of my disoriented wandering through the rules a list.

Good to hear of another dwarf suffering from a similar affliction - even if it's only an NPC.

 

[Kyramus]

<cracks fingers and opens up the srd>

I'll do a level 10 power mock up.
Feats( 3 feats): Inertial armor (+4 to ac), Chain Link feat (taken at level 4, from The Mind's Eye on the WOTC web page: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/psi/psi20020208b), Combat Manifestation (+4 to concentration checks when in combat, make sure you have your concentration maxed)

Psionic combat and defense: All the defenses, pick 4 of the attacks.
PP 43+16 (assuming an 18 in the ability score)= 59

(powers are from psionicist handbook and this web page: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/psi/psi20010928a)

6+d/3+d/2+d/2+d/1+d/d
0- memory recall (from web), befuddle (from web), Daze, detect psionics, missive, burst, catfall
1- sense link, disable, call weaponry, steadfast gaze,
2- Mental Disruption (you confuse all within 20 feet. from web), brain lock, detect thoughts,
3- Greater concusion (5d6 damage), mindlink, displacement
4- Inflict continual pain (3d6/r, from the web page), mindwipe
5- Greater Domination

Want a body guard? GReater Domination.
Want to be harder to hit? Displacement
Want to cause chaos? Mental disruption
want to finish the encounter fast? Disable, daze
want to make kissy faces at a medusa? Steadfast Gaze
want to give them pain round by round? Inflict continual pain
Want to detect enemies? Detect thoughts
Want to remember stuff that you should remember? Memory recall
want to give word to the scout that the group is under attack but no one else knows? missive.

Have fun.

 

[StalkingBlue]

Thanks, that looks great! At first glance, I like the selection of powers and I especially like the option section at the end!!

I have to run teach a martial arts class but I'll definitely be back later.
One quick remark for now: My character will have more feats at 10th with the resculpt mind feat and no psionic attacks yet (only defenses).

I am getting a feeling that this is going to be lots of fun.