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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sorren" data-source="post: 1750732" data-attributes="member: 20920">So would somebody explain to me how the psion is broken? Last I heard, the term broken was used to define a class/system/spell/item that completely disrupted the game, making it essentially unplayable.Last time I checked, my game sessions seemed playable. Enjoyable even.So a psion can blow all of his power up front, while a sorcerer is forced to spread it out a bit. Who cares? The psion is forced to specialize, the sorcerer isn't. And the sorcerer is hardly useless up front. As I've shown, he can deal as much damage as the psion and it's not like the rest of his spells are useless.He clearly has better buffing ability that the psion, and with only a few exceptions (Astral Construct, which of course a kineticist has to take a feat to get) the statement that powers are as good a multiple spells is pure crap. There are easily as many spells that are as good as multiple powers.So if they aren’t broken because they deal too much damage in combat, why exactly are they broken?And don’t casually dismiss the usefulness of 0 level spells. While they are only 0 level for the sorcerer, a psion who wants the equivalent has to burn a 1st level power.Psions certainly have some things going for them. The flexibility is very nice, as is the lack of components and a few other things. However, the fact that a sorcerer is still going strong over 20 rounds longer than a psion can’t easily be dismissed.So a psion hits hard with a augmented Energy Missle this round, the next round he may not be able to do anything. If the sorcerer casts a fireball this round and next round, who is more powerful?The psion’s strategy is to hit hard a few times. The sorcerer’s is to hit hard a lot more times. By what crazy logic does that result in a broken psion? The 10th level psion I showed was FINISHED after 11 rounds. If any more encounters or challenges of any sort pop up that day, he is all but helpless.So because of augmented saving throw DCs and energy types selected on the fly, he’ll probably do a little better than the sorcerer during those first 11 rounds. But then what? Where is he during that 3rd encounter? He’d doing nothing. He’s dealing 0 damage, casting 0 buff spells, healing 0 damage, manifesting 0 utility powers, and manifesting 0 strategy based powers,The sorcerer on the other hand, is doing all of these, and he’s doing them well. In fact, while the psion is sitting in the corner picking his nose, the sorcerer can be casting another:4 freely scaled 3rd level spells – Example: Fireball, 10d6 damage each7 freely scaled 2nd level spells – Example: Scorching Ray, 8d6 damage each7 freely scaled 1st level spells – Example: Magic Missle, 5d4+5 guaranteed damage eachSure, the DCs aren’t super high. So what. At least he is doing SOMETHING. And who cares about damage and DCs. While the psion is doing nothing (and his player is napping), the sorcerer could be casting buffs, invisibility, dispel magic etc.Turtle vs. Hare …and I believe the turtle wins in the end…So in my opinion. The psion’s advantages (scaled DCs, selectable energy types) make him a better artillery platform up front, for about 2-1/2 encounters. But to make up for it, that’s all he can do. Done.The sorcerer trails slightly behind the psion for the first few encounters, but after that, you are comparing a still fully capable (18+ spells left) sorcerer to a useless psion. That’s like comparing a 7th level sorcerer to a 7th level commoner.This also assumes that the psion’s player is willing to blow it all. If he is smart, and at least a little conservative, the classes come out more equal. The psions advantages (scaled DCs and energy choice) will be balanced by the fact that, if he doesn’t give it his all, his powers will be less effective than the sorcerer’s freely scaled spells.So a power that’s not fully scaled + psions advantages = roughly about the same as the sorcerer’s freely scaled spell.So if the psion takes that approach, he’ll be able to go longer. Let’s say 18 rounds. So for 18 rounds, the sorcerer and psion are on pretty equal ground. Then what? The psion STILL runs out of power and the sorcerer continues on.But what if there are only 18 rounds of combat that day? Well then, the psion and sorcerer spent the day as equals. How is that broken?</blockquote>

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