[Eberron] - Why the Psionic Bait-and-Switch?!

[JoeGKushner]

Shadowlight, I agree that psionics could have more info.

But saying a race presented in the book isn't option is well, incorrect. Everything is optional. I've run many a campaign with no gnomes, halflings or half-elves for example.

I do agree that Sharn should've had more psioncis. After all, Frost & Fur and Races of Stone had a little psionic support.

 

[JPL]

Yeah, and you can treat the core rules, Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, Complete Arcane, etc. as the Complete Handbook of the Warforged or Shifter...

A very poor analogy. None of those products [as best as I recall] are specifically tailored to the core concepts of those races.

Kalshatar, on the other hand, are "the psionic guys." All of the crunch in XPsiH, while not truly "exclusive" to the kalshatar [in the way that the warforged juggernaut is exclusive to the warforged, for example], comes pretty close [insofar as psionics are common among the kalashatar, and apparently quite rare elsewhere].

You are overreacting. If there's no psi stuff in "Races of Eberron", then you'll have something to complain about.

 

[Remathilis]

Personally, as much as I'd like new crunch for Psionics, I'm overly amazed at the amount its getting IN the ECS...

1.) A psionic race.
2.) An entire race of psionics monsters (quori) one of which is given in detail.
3.) One new feat.
4.) An organization with psionic overtones.
5.) A contintent of psionics.
6.) Psionic crystals.

Thats more than the FRCS gives.

 

[shadowlight]

WotC may consider that some people, like me, hate psionics, and would be turned off by a setting that made psionics integral and hard to drop.

Didn't they already do that by using the Kalashtar and the Quori?

 

[JPL]

I do agree that Sharn should've had more psioncis. After all, Frost & Fur and Races of Stone had a little psionic support.

As for Sharn...isn't the kalshatar population of Sharn like, 1500? Given that population, and the relative rarity of any PC-class characters in Eberron, it seems to me like there just aren't a lot of psis running around Sharn.

And given the small amount of any sort of "crunch" in "Sharn: City of Towers" [a dozen feats and three prestige classes?], I think the lack of psi crunch is to be expected.

 

[JPL]

double post

 

[JPL]

triple post. for emphasis.

 

[shadowlight]

You are overreacting...

Thanks. That's helpful.

A very poor analogy. None of those products [as best as I recall] are specifically tailored to the core concepts of those races.

Kalshatar, on the other hand, are "the psionic guys." All of the crunch in XPsiH, while not truly "exclusive" to the kalshatar [in the way that the warforged juggernaut is exclusive to the warforged, for example], comes pretty close [insofar as psionics are common among the kalashatar, and apparently quite rare elsewhere].

I disagree (obviously). Any of the races in Eberron can use the XPH just like the Kalashtar could use the "Complete" books.

I could just as easily say that the Warforged are "the fighter guys" (I know, they can be other classes, but in general, they're fighter types) or the Shifters are "the nature guys" (in general they're barbarians, rangers, or druids, right?).

I'm not complaining about the support the Warforged and Shifters get in the Campaign Setting and the other supplements -- I think they're feats and PrCs are well-thought-out.

Here's what made me title this thread "Bait and Switch":

When I cracked open the Campaign Setting there were 4 new races presented which, presumably, embody what makes Eberron different from Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk. One of these was truly different from anything I've played before (I've never tried a Psion) so I bought the XPH (yep, just for this character) and started playing.

I was really impressed with what they'd done with the other races (except maybe the Changeling) and kept looking for the same stuff for the Kalashtar. Obviously I didn't really find much.

Now I'm not asking for the exact same level of support that the Warforged and Shifter receive, I understand that not everyone has the XPH or likes the idea of psionics. But in 2 hardback books and 2 adventures (plus several Dungeon adventures), they've received a total of one lame feat and a magic item -- I think they deserve a little more Campaign-specific crunch support for being 1 of only 4 new races that help set Eberron apart from FR and Greyhawk.

 

[shadowlight]

As for Sharn...isn't the kalshatar population of Sharn like, 1500? Given that population, and the relative rarity of any PC-class characters in Eberron, it seems to me like there just aren't a lot of psis running around Sharn.

And given the small amount of any sort of "crunch" in "Sharn: City of Towers" [a dozen feats and three prestige classes?], I think the lack of psi crunch is to be expected.

Yeah, but please even mention them! They're part of Eberron and a valid "core PC class/race" choice for an Eberron player.

 

[Fenes]

Didn't they already do that by using the Kalashtar and the Quori?

Not really. Ban the race for players, and treat quori like mindflayers, and you are done.