Expanded PsiHB Excerpts

[Gez]

The heretics! The blasphemers! The unholy impious traitors! They persist in their evil sin of not tasking Arnie Swekel with the chapterhead illos!

They'll roast in hell for this crime. Chapterhead illos must be done by Arnie Swekel. It's a necessity.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

I'll second that. I like the illustrations here well enough, but Swekel's practically sold me on the core books when I got back into the hobby.

Best,
Nick

 

[reiella]

*There are two psionic deities described in the book (Zucken and Ilsensine), which might mean there is a psionic-type domain

Ilsensine isn't new, "she"'s been around for quite a while. Just happens she's a mind flayer deity . Can't say I noticed Zucken though. Unless you mean Zuoken, who also isn't new (he's in the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, just no domain list).

I tell you what I would have really have liked to have seen in the Web Enhancement...

Savage Species syle write-ups of the ECL +1/+2 races so they could be taken at first.

Eek, I think Savage Species explained why it didn't have writeups of ECL +1/+2 races. Especially when these are ECLs that may not be providing racial HitDie at all. Now something akin to PGtF's "weaker races" would have worked nicely imo.

 

[Remathilis]

Ilsensine isn't new, "she"'s been around for quite a while. Just happens she's a mind flayer deity . Can't say I noticed Zucken though. Unless you mean Zuoken, who also isn't new (he's in the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, just no domain list).



Eek, I think Savage Species explained why it didn't have writeups of ECL +1/+2 races. Especially when these are ECLs that may not be providing racial HitDie at all. Now something akin to PGtF's "weaker races" would have worked nicely imo.

There was a Savage Progression Article that deconstructed the +1/+2/+3 races (asasimar, tiefling, drow, etc). Duergar was there. Use it as a template, if you wish.

 

[Dalamar]

Ilsensine isn't new, "she"'s been around for quite a while. Just happens she's a mind flayer deity . Can't say I noticed Zucken though. Unless you mean Zuoken, who also isn't new (he's in the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, just no domain list).

*checks the page again* Darn... I managed to misread it. Well, I've never heard of Zuoken or Ilsensine, so they're both new to me.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

No it won't be. The spiked chain tripper guy (or the guisarme tripper guy or the Heavy Poleaxe Exotic Weapon Master Tripper guy to name my preferred variants) already has a method of preventing opponents from closing with him: tripping. Having Stand Still really doesn't add anything to that character's schtick because if he trips his foe, he's already prevented that foe's forward movement and doesn't need another one. If he failed to trip his foe, he didn't deal any damage and Stand Still doesn't kick in.

It might be of some use as a variant tactic for use against foes that he can't reliably trip but most of them have really good fort saves anyway so it's not a very effective variant tactic.

Mostly, I expect, it will be a popular alternative reach strategy among characters too dumb to qualify for Improved Trip.

Not done elsewhere to my knowledge. This is going to be a popular feat to add to the Power Gamer Spiked Chain Tripper Guy.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Well, I've never heard of Zuoken or Ilsensine, so they're both new to me.

Check out Kamikaze Midget's Deity of the Week thread. Excellent writeup of Ilsensine, almost definately better than anything that'll be in the ExPsiH

 

[Felon]

Savage Species syle write-ups of the ECL +1/+2 races so they could be taken at first.

Eek, I think Savage Species explained why it didn't have writeups of ECL +1/+2 races. Especially when these are ECLs that may not be providing racial HitDie at all.

From what I can gather from the web excerpt, the only multiple hit die creature is the thri-keen.

Now, what I'd really like to see--and I'm surprised there aren't more folks clamouring for it--is to see the illithid presented as a psionic race that can actually avail themselves of an expanded list of psionic powers. Illithids should be the quintessential psions, rather than just some stock monster that always has the same predictable spell-like abilities.

 

[Squire James]

To make a Mind Flayer race, first determine what you think is due to their race and what is due to their psionic power. In my opinion, it is something like:

Race: +2 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Con, +8 Int, +6 Wis, +6 Cha, +3 natural armor, Spell Resistance 17+level, Telepathy 100 ft, Improved Grab, Extract Brain. Level Adjustment +7. CR Adjustment: +2.

Class: Mind Blast and all spell-like abilities replaced with Psion abilities (typically 8th level).

This would take a "typical" illithid to CR 10, which sounds about right for their extra versatility. Knocking down those HUGE stat bonuses is a good way to trim off some of that LA... eliminating them would probably drop it to LA +3 and CR +1 (the incredibly high SR needs at least that).

 

[edventure]

Advice

WTF am I supposed to do now?

I have a Half-Elf Psy Warrior 7 / Rogue 3 / Soulknife 3 in a current campaign. If I do a direct port he's now going to take an XP penalty. If I go to Soulknife 10 Rogue 3, POOF goes his powers and Improved Biofeedback.

Any suggestions? Is wilder a better idea just to get his powers back?