Here is the first part of my examination of the game mechanics in the XPH. The second part will look at psionic powers specifically, if I get the time.
My essential conclusion: Psionic spellcasting is unbalanced as against spellcasting by divine and arcane spellcasters as presented in the core rules. The XPH is a power up D&D supplement, much like the "Complete" series.
D&D v.3.x incorporates some fundamental design philosophies which need to be borne in mind when assessing the integrity of any new rules or design options. The primary design philosophy is simple – D&D is a tactical wargame. You can LARP it up all you want, but at the end of the day, the RAW only support a tactical wargame. Everything else is a necessary byproduct of individuals’ playing styles. What flows from this conclusion is that the RAW must assume that players will optimise their choices within the ruleset to gain maximum advantage for their characters. Furthermore, the RAW must not assume that there will be any balance to this optimisation by individuals’ (DMs’ or players’) playing style.
Within this context, let’s examine a number of features of the Expanded Psionics Handbook (XPH) against the SRD.
Power points vs Vancian spellcasting
The XPH introduces a system of spellcasting which departs from the system presented in the SRD. Let’s not pretend that psionics is not just another spellcasting system.
In the following discussion, I will talk about “degrees of freedom” and “degrees of limitation” in spellcasting. Essentially, I’m talking about the flexibility inherent in a particular form of spellcasting.
There are four degrees of limitation and freedom:
· spells accessible: what spells a character can potentially draw upon;
· spells prepared: what spells a character can actually draw upon during a day;
· spells per day: how many spells a character can cast in a day; and
· spells per level: the composition, by level, of the spells a character can cast in a day.
Vancian spellcasting for divine classes is characterised by three degrees of limitation: spells prepared, spells per day, and spells per level; and one degree of freedom: spells accessible.
Vancian spellcasting for wizards is characterised by four degrees of limitation: spells accessible, spells prepared, spells per day, and spells per level. While it is true that a wizard can theoretically have all sorcerer/wizard spells in their spellbooks, as a practical matter this is impossible. Hence, in practice, spells accessible is a degree of limitation for wizards, although relatively less of a limitation than that faced by spontaneous spellcasters.
Spontaneous spellcasting is characterised by three degrees of limitation: spells accessible, spells per day, and spells per level; and one degree of freedom: spells prepared.
I note that there are other variations on the degrees of limitation and freedom for spellcasters which have been presented in supplements, notably through the alternative core classes in Complete Divine and Complete Arcane. This analysis can be used to decide whether those systems are balanced with the systems in the SRD, but I don’t propose to do so. I’m just looking at the XPH.
Psionic spellcasting is characterised by two degrees of limitation: spells accessible and spells per day; and two degrees of freedom: spells prepared and spells per level.
Firstly, it should be noted that psionic spellcasting has more degrees of freedom (and consequently fewer degrees of limitation) than the spellcasting options presented in the SRD. The spells per level degree of freedom is often manifested in the observation that “psions can use their highest level powers [i.e. cast their highest level spells] until their power points run out”. Since all power points [= spell points] form one universal resource from which to cast spells (the power point pool), psionic spellcasters are not bound to limit their spellcasting to fixed numbers of spells of certain levels. Although the SRD spellcasters have the flexibility to use a spell slot of a given level for a spell of a lower level, SRD spellcasters cannot combine spell slots of lower levels to cast higher level spells.
Secondly, psionic spellcasters are more easily able to reduce the impact of the spells accessible degree of limitation than SRD spellcasters because psionic spells often duplicate the effects of multiple SRD spells through augmentation.
Let’s not make any bones about it. The game designers freely acknowledge that spell point pool spellcasting, as exemplified for in XPH, increases the power of the spellcaster. Read the Behind the Curtain sidebar on Spell Points on p154 of Unearthed Arcana. [My personal recommendation is that if you introduce XPH-style psionics into a campaign, in conjunction with it, introduce the spell point system described in Unearth Arcana for arcane spellcasters at the very least.] Even though spells cast with spell points are not “freely scalable” (i.e. effects increase with caster level independent of spell level), augmentation as ruled in the XPH grants increased flexibility, so the “balancing” effect of higher spell points for greater effect is somewhat diminished.
A comparison of spellcasting by sorcerers, wizards and psions
If one converts sorcerers and wizard spells per day into spell points, and compares them to the spell points possessed by a psion, at all but the lowest class levels:
· a sorcerer has more spell points than a psion; and
· a psion has more spell points than a wizard.
So a psion fits somewhere between a sorcerer and a wizard in terms of daily absolute spellcasting potential. But then consider the following:
· a psion knows more spells per level (with the exception of 0-2nd level spells at higher class levels) than a sorcerer; and
· a psion acquires his highest level spells one class level earlier than a sorcerer (and the same level as a wizard).
Then there are other aspects to the psion and psionic spellcasting which cannot be overlooked:
· a psion gains bonus feats like a wizard;
· a psion can cast any spell at a higher caster level than he has class levels or character levels, through the Overchannel feat, an ability which is barred to arcane spellcasters. The negative effects of Overchannel can be mitigated with another feat, Talented.
Psionicists are not affected by physical limitations
SRD arcane spellcasters suffer considerable physical limitations on their spellcasting abilities. These fall into two classes:
· arcane failure chance from armour; and
· spell components.
Although originally part of D&D as “flavour”, in v.3.x these limitations take on the nature of rules-related balancing factors.
Arcane spell failure from armour is probably only a minor balancing factor, but spell components are big limitations in practice.
Since casting of psionic spells is a purely mental affair, psionic spellcasters suffer no such limitations. There are no “Silent Power” and “Still Power” feats in the XPH. There’s no “Eschew Materials” feat for psionicists. Psionic spellcasters can cast any spell while in an area of silence, underwater, while being grappled or pinned, or even while physically meeting the description of “helpless” (held or paralysed, but not sleeping or otherwise unconscious). Under some conditions they may have to make a Concentration check, but so do SRD spellcasters; and every psion if guaranteed to put maximum ranks into Concentration, not least because of the benefits of having a psionic focus to expend. Psionic spellcasters have no chance of spell failure because they’re deafened. Psionic spellcasters don’t have to spend large sums of money on expensive gems, statues, engravings and other paraphernalia to cast their best or most useful spells, and certainly don’t have to lug all this fragile and valuable gear around.
Psionic spellcasters don’t require spellbooks, so can neither suffer from a loss of spells accessible, nor pay any money for maintenance of spells accessible.
Psionic spellcasters are obviously at an advantage here.
Augmentation increases flexibility
Many psionic powers have variable effects which are dependent upon the power points spent on them – a process called augmentation. Let’s be clear – I consider this to be a good design characteristic. However, it actually provides greater flexibility to psionic spellcasters than SRD spellcasters who are labouring under the yoke of fixed spell effects or “blessed” with spells which are “freely scalable”.
The benefit of augmentation is that it results in the need for fewer psionic spells to accomplish the same result as multiple SRD spells. An example is astral construct, which is the equivalent of 9 summon monster or 9 summon nature’s ally spells; it’s effective spell level is entirely dependent upon the number of power points the psionic spellcaster wishes to expend in manifesting [= casting] it. Similarly for psionic charm and psionic dominate, each of which replaces two SRD spells (charm/dominate person and charm/dominate monster). Thus, the spells accessible degree of limitation for psionic spellcasters is relatively less of a limitation than the spells accessible degree of limitation for arcane SRD spellcasters. What sorcerer wouldn’t give his right arm to know one spell which enables him to summon every monster from the nine tables of summon monster spells? Even wizards, whose spells accessible degree of limitation is relatively less limiting than that under which the spontaneous spellcasters labour would benefit greatly from such flexibility – as in the situation you thought you would be negotiating with humanoids so prepared charm person, and then you find out you’re dealing with humanoid-looking outsiders and your charm monster languishes uselessly unprepared in your spellbook. To say nothing of the amount of money the wizard would save by not having to scribe multiple similar spells into his spellbook.
There is another benefit to augmentation which is not present in freely scalabe SRD spells – harm minimisation. Psionicists can “pull their punches” by casting psionic spells at base power point cost; they are not “forced” into augmenting their spells by the game mechanics. A fireball cast by a 10th-level wizard will always cause 10d6 points of damage; a psion can manifest an energy ball which only does 7d6 points of damage (and can reduce this to 7d6-7 damage if he chooses sonic damage). Although I concede this is not a particularly significant unbalancing factor, there are times when a spellcaster will want to “pull his punches”, and the fact that psionic spellcasters can do so while SRD spellcasters can’t is simply another example of how the XPH has not done a good job at balancing out a spell point pool spellcasting system with a Vancian spellcasting system.
The myth that psionic powers aren’t “freely scalable”
The allegation that psionic spells are freely scalable is entirely an allegation about certain effects of the spells. Where range and duration of psionic spells are variable, then just like SRD spells, the range and duration of psionic spells scale freely with caster level.
Furthermore, there are numerous psionic powers whose effects are freely scalable – see, for example, energy adaptation and the various spell-equivalent psychoportation powers (psionic dimension door, psionic teleport etc.). These are not isolated examples.
The trouble with power points by spell level
The number of power points a psionic spells costs to cast is equivalent to (2 x spell level) –1. This is a linear arithmetic progression. Thus, the difference between each spell level as a ratio of one spell level to the next reduces as the spell levels increase. It is 3 times more expensive to cast a 2nd-level psionic spell as a 1st-level psionic spell, but only 1.13 times more expensive to cast a 9th-level psionic spell as an 8th-level psionic spell.
If one assumes that the pricing of psionic spells by level actually represents their relative mechanical value, then this system is balanced. However, my personal opinion is that the higher the spell level we’re looking at, the more under-priced it becomes compared to spells of lower levels. Is it true to say that a single 9th-level spell is worth less, mechanically speaking, than six 2nd-level spells? My personal conception of the relative value of spells involves a geometric progression of values – each spell level is (for example) 2 times more valuable than the preceding spell level. (1st-level = 1 power point, 2nd-level = 2, 3rd level = 4, 4th-level = 8, 5th-level = 16, etc.)
If in fact a 9th-level psionic spell is 2 times more mechanically valuable than an 8th-level psionic spell, which is in turn 2 times more mechanically valuable than a 7th-level psionic spell, on so on, then given that psionic spellcasters have a power point pool and no limit on spells per level, it is more efficient for psionic spellcasters to cast as many high level spells as possible.
Essentially, for psionic spellcasters, 9th-level spells are “crazy, crazy bargain-basement specials” compared to 1st-level spells.
Further, what SRD spellcaster wouldn’t want to have the flexibility to be able to burn, say, two 5th-level spell slots (= 18 power points) to cast a 9th-level and a 1st-level spell (= 18 power points)? [Actually, this point is simply a re-iteration of one of the points in the discussion about degrees of flexibility above].
The trouble with a geometric progression if power point values for psionic spells is that it makes things like augmentation and power point costs for psionic feats mathematically complex and results in higher level spellcasters having so many power points that they can cast mid-level spells for eternity.
In practice, the simplest way to deal with this issue is to cap the number of psionic spells of each level a psionic spellcaster can cast.
Comments on some psionic skills
Autohypnosis: A handy skill which should be available as a class skill for non-psionic character classes, in particular, monks. I see no reason why clerics and druids, who might very well be prone to enter long meditative trances, might not also have this skill as a class skill.
Nitpick: The XPH should at least have a sidebar which indicates how allegedly “psionic” class skills can be given as class skills to non-psionic classes. This should not have to be left to a “house rule” and its omission is either lazy design or dictated by editorial requirements; I personally doubt the latter.
Concentration and the psionic focus: Expenditure of the psionic focus “powers” many psionic feats and psionic spells. An interesting mechanic which appears to have little actual purpose. Psionic feats and spells can be made directly equivalent to SRD feats and spells, and the mechanical application of psionic feats can be made directly equivalent to the mechanical application of SRD feats.
But psionic focus is actually just a balancing game mechanic given flavour by sounding all “psionic”. It purports to be a way of balancing psionic feats and some powers, so that they can’t be used every round and there is a chance you won’t be able to access them at all (because you can’t make your DC 20 Concentration check). But the XPH provides for ways to circumvent this balance, for example, feats which enable the gaining of the focus a move action and give you a +4 on your Concentration check, and powers which enable you to regain your focus essentially for free (temporal acceleration). Balancing of psionic feats can be accomplished without using this mechanic – for example, simply by the feat description limiting uses per day, uses per round, or “stacking” of feats. So why create this concept at all? It is elegant game design. But then make sure you don’t undermine the balancing aspects of the mechanic.
Comments on some metapsionic feats
Sidebar on page 40: This sidebar says, “Trust us, we know what we’re doing”. Given what I’ve said above, I’m personally not convinced…
Boost Construct: Augment Summoning for psionicists, without the useless feat prerequisite (Spell Focus (conjuration) is a useless feat because few conjuration spells have saving throws). Put in a useless feat prerequisite to balance it.
Empower Power: Increases power point expenditure by 2, which equals one spell level. Of course, Empower Spell increases the spell level of the subject spell by 2 levels (which would be 4 power points). But because of the free scaling nature of the variable numeric effects of SRD spells, Empowering is generally more attractive for SRD spellcasters. But psionicists can cause more damage (if they want to spend the power points) because psionic spells have no damage caps; an Empowered fireball can only ever do a maximum of 10d6 x 1.5 points of damage (avg 52.5), whereas an Empowered energy ball can do (manifester level – 1) x (1d6+1) x 1.5 points of fire or cold damage (avg 128.25 spending 20 power points at 20th level). [Direct damage psionic spells continue to be useful at high levels, whereas direct damage SRD spells decline rapidly in usefulness.]
Enlarge Power: No power point cost for applying this feat to a psionic spell; c.f. Enlarge Spell. The “balancing factor” is that the psionicist must expend his psionic focus, which means that the feat can only be used every second round (and the psionicist is only Concentrating every second round) or can only be used every round if the psionicist is not moving and has the Psionic Meditation feat (which all psions certainly will).
Power Penetration and Greater Power Penetration: Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration for psionic spellcasters, but granting twice the bonuses. This is a double-benefit for psionic spellcasters, given psionics-magic transparency. Psionic spellcasters are better at affecting spell-resistant creatures than SRD spellcasters. Why? (“But you have to expend your psionic focus, and that balances it!” How about removing psionic focus from these feats completely and dropping their bonuses to +2 and +4 – that balances them).
Psionic Endowment and Greater Psionic Endowment: Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus for psionic spellcasters, but not limited to a “school” of psionic spells. “But you have to expend you psionic focus, and that balances it!”
Maximise Power: See Empower Power above. Generally, it is more efficient for SRD spellcasters to Maximise than psionic spellcasters, but psionic spellcasters can cause more damage if they want to spend to power points.
Overchannel and Talented: This feat allows the psionic spellcaster to break the maximum power point limit, at the cost of some hit points. This allows, for example, augmentation of powers which the psionic spellcaster could not normally augment, and the application of metapsionic feats to psionic spells which the spellcaster could not normally apply. Talented reduces the hit point cost of overchanneling. There is no SRD spellcaster equivalent.
Psionic Body: Can you imagine the following feat: “Every metamagic or item creation feat you have you gain 2 hit points”. For a wizard with d4 hit points per level, not an unattractive feat methinks.
Quicken Power: This feat costs 6 power points (= 3 spell levels), as compared to 4 spell levels for Quicken Spell. While Empower and Maximise Power feats will typically be applied to psionic spells which are not freely scalable, the reduction in power point cost over their SRD metamagic equivalents is fine. But Quicken Power is useful for all psionic spells, so it doesn’t make sense to reduce its cost compared to Quicken Spell. To balance this, drop the psionic focus requirement and increase the power point cost to 8.
Unconditional Power: Obviously, a self-defence feat (“I’ll dimension door/teleport/dispel magic myself out of this mess”), with a high power point cost. But no SRD spellcaster equivalent.
Cheers, Al'Kelhar
Don't forget: with the Boost Construct feat, the psion may pick 2 options from menu C.
