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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DreamChaser" data-source="post: 2274979" data-attributes="member: 1190">so the reason it is too powerful is the very foundation of the entire system of psionics:whereas casters gain higher level spells that do the same things as lower level spells only with increased effect, the psionic classes have powers that can be scaled to increase their effect with greater effort.whereas wizards have an unlimited number of spells known and sorcerers can swap out spells that have become obsolete for newer, more powerful versions, psionic classes are stuck with their limited power selection.so, ultimately, when one omits the problem power of Energy Missile (which may be similar to 3.0 Haste in the extreme polarity of opinion), would it be fair to say that one concern with psionics is that they are versatile to the point of unpredictability?  That as a DM it is hard to know what to send against them because they might be able blow through their power points and overwhelm the challenge?  I believe that this is a valid concern.  As a DM it can be a great deal of work to keep things challenging for the characters and when coming from the core classes, the psionic classes end up feeling like power creep.I would argue that rather than power creep, what the psionic classes are is a paradigm shift.    It is not unlike the change that needs to occur if you have a party without a cleric.  Suddenly, what seemed like a reasonable combat encounter is deadly.  Or a party without a rogue: do you stop using traps or do you give them more resources to help them survive them?The psionic classes require a shift toward making sure that an enemy can survive a straight on blast.  Perhaps going with things to increase touch armor class.  This may seem like metagaming but it's not really.  In a world where wilders run around wild surging with Energy Rays at 1st level dealing 2d6+2 damage, the wise bad guy is going to prepare for that possiblity.Early on I said that in my experience, people who like the idea of psionics are more likely to see them as balanced and those who do not are less likely to.  I still believe that.  Within the shades of gray though, I think that, as I said above, psionics will be, by their nature, unbalanced if you approach them as being the same thing as magic (arcane or divine) because the systems are different.  Just like you cannot treat a wizard and a rogue the same.  Their strengths and weaknesses are different.If I were not willing to adjust my tactics and thinking for psionics (because I like them) I would not use them.  Since I am willing to adjust my tactics and thinking, they work fine and do not unbalance the game in the slightest.And before anyone tries to put words in my mouth, I'm not saying I have changed the structure of my game.  My sessions tend to be 60% roleplaying, 30% mysteries and puzzles, and 10% combat.  This has been the case for the last 5 years at least.  It is the structure that I and my gamers prefer.  What has changed is the way that I plan the encounters.  I had a psion with Dimension Leap in my game.  I needed to be sure that there was no way of seeing (gaining line of sight to) the inside of any locked room that I wanted to stay locked.  Just like when I have a cleric with Detect Lie or a wizard with Detect Thoughts, I know that deception needs to be planned out and perhaps not the key to unlocking the entire story, otherwise a single spell would end the session after 20 minutes.DC</blockquote>

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