Expanded Psionics Handbook Play Use?

[JoeGKushner]

So I'm finally getting to the Expanded Psionics Handbook. It's been out for a little while now.

What are people doing with it? The additional core classes are interesting but I'm not sure I like the Soul Knife. I guess I'm stuck remembering them as psionic assassins as opposed to d10 hit dice guys. Of course the fact that they gave them d10 and psychic warriors d8 sticks in my craw but I can understand the logic of it when comparing the two.

 

[Yair]

I am using it to swat down any troublemaking players. Really, it is sturdy, and I'd hate to ruin the PH ...

I haven't actually played anything beyond one session with it, so its hard to say yet - but it looks interesting and balanced, and I expect I'll enjoy it.
I hate the soulknife too. Not that I mind them not being assasins, it is just that the class is so pigeon-holed into one role... and a role not at all to my liking.

 

[Flyspeck23]

What are people doing with it? The additional core classes are interesting but I'm not sure I like the Soul Knife. I guess I'm stuck remembering them as psionic assassins as opposed to d10 hit dice guys. Of course the fact that they gave them d10 and psychic warriors d8 sticks in my craw but I can understand the logic of it when comparing the two.

One of my players started taking levels in the Psionic Fist / Fist of Zuoken prestige class, and it helped me as a GM to flesh out that player's monastery a little more.
And I've already made NPC psions and psionic warriors, although there's precious little psionic around IMC. No wilders yet, but that might change.

I don't like the Soul Knife either, and won't be using it. If a player wants to be one I wouldn't stop him/her, though (but luckily I don't see that happen).

 

[Plane Sailing]

An existing psion character has converted over IMC (he is a monk1/psion9). He has seen a sharp upward boost in his power, both to buff his AC and to create damage. He is in the habit of augmenting *everything* to 9pp all the time, which means that his attacks seem to do a lot of damage. (but really no more than an equivalent 9th sorcerer would do).

I'm a bit wary about the ability to use energy ball/stun/wall/bolt etc in any energy form at time of casting, since it allows for an incredible amount of optimisation compared to any of the other casting classes; I might tone that down in the future by requiring a psion to pick an energy form at the time of learning each power.

One character has added two levels of psywar and that is working fine (she is heading for illithid slayer in a level or two).

Soulknife I don't like as a base class, and I'll be rewriting as a 10 level prestige class.

Cheers

 

[Davelozzi]

While I love the XPH, none of the new classes or races appeal to me at all. We're just using the improved rules for my friend's existing psion (telepath).

 

[Henry]

I'm a bit wary about the ability to use energy ball/stun/wall/bolt etc in any energy form at time of casting, since it allows for an incredible amount of optimisation compared to any of the other casting classes; I might tone that down in the future by requiring a psion to pick an energy form at the time of learning each power.

Piratecat came up with a variant rule - the Psionic character picks ONE form of energy at the start of each day. That's the only form they are "attuned" to for that day. At the cost of one feat, they can attune to a second form of energy. That way, it mirrors the sorcerer's energy substitution feat.

 

[dnddreamer70]

I don't like the Soulknife either along with everyone else, but according to a lot of people on the Wizard boards they enjoy playing the soulknife.

I think the diamond in all the rough in the new XPH is the Wilder Class. Yes, it is limited on the amount of powers they can know but that is what Expanded Knowledge feat is for. The ability to augment a power without paying for the cost of the augment is huge but you pay for it in versatility.

I haven't used the XPH much in play but planning to. Currently, I'm playing a Human with the Magic Touched (Spark) templete from Dragon #309 Bard 3rd level. Through the a ritual that is long so I won't go through details I've taken 2 levels of Half-Dragon (Amethyst) templete. So, we used the XPH to create a Half-Dragon (Amethyst) templete with psionic powers. Eventually, I will be taking the Wilder Class...oh I can't wait till I can augment some powers.

 

[dren]

There are a lot of things I and my players like about the XPH, unfortunately, they are not the same things. (Actually not true, but a pretty good line.)

I regret allowing the soul knife as they are too powerful; between psychic strike and psionic weapon (shudder, greater PW) a soulknife can do more damage every level than any other "fighter" type, and that's before using the augmented weapon abilities. I'm thinking about making it a prestige class, but the current player is just wicked in their abilities...

There are a bunch of powers I removed, so anything too unbalancing is already yanked. I think the limited power range and the specialized nature of the disciplines makes their powers very balanced for the most part.

 

[Psion]

I swapped it into my game and am using it with the mindscapes combat system.

I am not using the races nor the soul knife (if I were to use the soul knife, it would be the prestige class version from print ITCK.)

 

[Piratecat]

I regret allowing the soul knife as they are too powerful.

Wacky. The general consensus I've seen is that they are significantly too weak.

I don't think I came up with the variant rule Henry mentioned above for energy substitution, but I like it.

I like several of the races and almost all the classes. I'm running a NPC wilder right now with great success (well, great success for the bad guys, which isn't quite the same thing) and there's a high level psion in the game. We haven't seen any problems yet, and the player is having fun.