Expanded Psionics Handbook

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

About this preparing of powers stuff:

From the 3.0 PsiH

A psion can manifest a certain number of 1st-level and higher powers per day based on his available power points, but he need not prepare his powers in advance-he just pays the power point cost of a power to manifest it.

According to this quote, psychic warriors in 3.0 prepared their powers?

The text in the wilder class is just boiler plate text taken straight from the PsiH. It hasn't changed because the text doesn't need to be changed. However, I agree that putting that boiler plate text in a preview was a mistake, since it's started all kinds of negative speculation.

I'm not sure I like the Int-based for psionics mechanic....though MAD sucked, it could have been solved without making psions have to be great geniuses as well (I mean, how many 'savage beasts'in Dark Sun were psychic wonder-workers?). Something like, once you choose a Primary Discipline, all of your powers except those from a seperate discipline's list use the ability of your Primary Discipline.

That wouldn't work for physical ability scores. It's been widely suggested that you could use any mental ability score, however.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

The nine races detailed in the book will be Half-Giants, Thri-Kreen, Duergar, Githyanki, Githzerai, Elan, Dromites, Xeph and Maenads.

Not much is known about the new races other than the fact Elan are "potentially psionic" and meditate rather than sleep. Xeph are "mentally invigorated", Dromites are androgynous and have a +1 level adjustment, and that Maenads are dangerous. The Wilder entry seems to imply that Maenads have Wilder as their favoured class.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

While I'm sure it would really bother those who claim that psionics are already too "sci-fi", I'd like to see one of those races turn out to be something like a Gray (or is it Grey?). You know, the little alien guys from the tabloids.

There was a race in Alternity that would fit that model nicely. What were they called again? The Fraal?

 

[I'm A Banana]

I do think a Gray-like race in a Fantasy melieu would be pretty sweet...there is a comfortable place for little green men with greataxes and full plate in my heart....

That wouldn't work for physical ability scores. It's been widely suggested that you could use any mental ability score, however.

Why wouldn't it work for physical ability scores? I mean, the game does it in other places (a lot of monster abilities DC's are based on their Con score, for instance, and there are a scattering of Str and Dex based ones too), why wouldn't it work for psions?

 

[Campbell]

I'm heavily looking forward to a revision to the Gith, and if the fates allow it a slightly more detailed Mind Flayer writeup with a little more exposition on their societal ties with the Gith.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Personally I'm kind of annoyed that the half giant is.. well... so...

small.

I mean they used to be 12 foot tall powerhouses. Now they get +2 to strength and are medium size... What on earth happened?

 

[Davelozzi]

I'd like to see one of those races turn out to be something like a Gray (or is it Grey?). You know, the little alien guys from the tabloids.

There was a race in Alternity that would fit that model nicely. What were they called again? The Fraal?

In Alternity, Dark Matter called them Grays and Star*Drive had Fraal, which were similar but not small (if I remember correctly, they were slightly taller than humans, maybe around 7'). The d20 Modern Menance Manual and the Dark Matter conversion from Dungeon 108 combined them into one race (short) called Greys by humans but calling themselves Fraal.

Personally I'm kind of annoyed that the half giant is.. well... so...small.

I mean they used to be 12 foot tall powerhouses. Now they get +2 to strength and are medium size... What on earth happened?

I completely agree. After all they're supposed to be half-giant, not half-orc. I'd say a size of at least large and a Strength bonus of at least +4 is in order, even if it means uping the Level Adjustment (which I'm sure that it would).

 

[Spatula]

Personally I'm kind of annoyed that the half giant is.. well... so...

small.

And as intelligent, wise, and likeable as a normal human. And naturally psionic. The only thing these new half-giants have in common with the ones from Dark Sun is the name.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Why wouldn't it work for physical ability scores? I mean, the game does it in other places (a lot of monster abilities DC's are based on their Con score, for instance, and there are a scattering of Str and Dex based ones too), why wouldn't it work for psions?

I don't see creatures seting disintegrate save DCs off a physical ability score.

Think of the polymorph abuse. A wizard could cast polymorph on a psion to turn them into a fire giant, giving them a Strength score of 31 before any bonuses for stat-boosting items. That's +11 or +14 to the save DC, putting them into archmage territory. It gets worse with shapechange, when you can pretty much have whatever physical ability score you want.

Besides, a savant based on Con would have mondo hp and mondo Fort saves. There would be little point to ever playing any other type of psion.

 

[BOZ]

the fraal were also featured in a monstrous compendium annual... i think #4.