Help me with my Psy War/ Fighter build

[Shellman]

I am making a Half-Giant or Duergar Psy Warrior multiclass into Fighter.

Despite the drawbacks of fewer powers, power points and d8 HD for Psy War, what other major issues should I worry about. I figure by the time I am Psy War 10/ Fighter 10, I would have 17 feats without even thinking of flaws. I think both Ref and Will saves will be lagging behind but they would anyway.

I am leaning toward Half-Giant but like the fact that the duergar has better psi-like abilities.

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

First of all, a similar thread is going on at: http://enworld.org/showthread.php?t=182775

Second, from your post, I'm guessing you're using the Psionics Handbook and not the Expanded Psionics Handbook. In the 3.5 update, PsyWars have a d10 HD. If you can, get and use the newer book.

The Half Giant PsyWar is archetypal (in 3.5, at least) for a reason. They have a combo that no other class has: Natural Psionics + Powerful Build (works like Monkey Grip, but better) + Expansion (bumped up 2x) + Weapon with high base damage = Lots O Damage. Check out this thread: http://enworld.org/showthread.php?t=181123

Sure, its one low-level trick...but its a gooood one.

If you have DCv1, you'd also be able to use a Polearm in very effective ways...

 

[SteelDraco]

Actually, Danny, the XPH Psychic Warrior still has d8s for Hit Dice. That's all right, though - that's what Vigor, Hostile Empathic Transfer, and Vampiric Blade are for.

I'm playing a Psychic Warrior at the moment, gestalted with fighter and ranger. To be honest, I'm not sure I'd multiclass a psychic warrior with fighter. IMO, the powers are better than the fighter bonus feats, and there are enough ways to compensate for the loss of HP and BAB. The only way I can see it being worthwhile is if you're going for something really feat-intensive - say, a couple of tactical feats, or the Whirlwind Attack chain.

The build I'm playing is pretty simple: Expansion + Great Cleave = dead bad guys. I'm playing a variant githzerai with a high Strength, using a Vicious Greatsword for damage output. I do about 5d6+10 with a normal attack once I have Expansion going, and can crank that to 7d6 with Psionic Weapon, or use Deep Impact for a full power attack. You can do something similar with a half-giant, since they're going to be good at the same things.

Essential powers are Vigor, Expansion, and Force Screen for the AC boost. Vigor is the only one of those that's going to eat up a lot of power points, since Expanion and Force Screen just cost one point for a minutes-long boost. Take a two-handed weapon and smash the bad guys with it. In my experience, you'll mostly have to worry about being the first to drop, because you're going to be the most threatening target on the field. Everybody's going to go after you.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Man...what have I been ingesting?

He's right- it is a d8.

For the record, the last one I played was multiclassed with Monk, but he was a Githzerai. I had access to DCv1*, so he used a reach weapon- combined with the Expansion, 7 AoOs and that much reach + IUC + FoB, you just couldn't get close to him without taking a pounding.

If you can, you should also take a look at Hyperconscious. Also a Bruce Cordell product (from Malhavoc), it expands upon the XPH in many nice ways. Most of the people I know who use the XPH also use Hyperconscious.

* There are a lot of polearm feats in DCv1, including one that lets a Monk use a particular polarm type as a monk weapon. OUCH.

 

[Rolflyn]

I would shoot for PsyWar 16/Fighter 4, because then you will have four iterative attacks and 6th level powers. And you will be only two feats behind a pure fighter. And you can get Weapon Spec and Melee Weapon Mastery.

I like the half-giant more than the duergar. The duergar powers are probably never worth +1 LA. They certainly aren't all that better than a dwarf early. The half-giants stat mods just may be worth +1 LA. Better would be a goliath psychic warrior.

 

[maggot]

I like the idea of a half giant psychic warrior with improved grapple, expansion, and grip of iron. +5 str, +4 for powerful build, +4 for improved grapple, +4 for size increase, +4 for grip of iron) = +21 grapple check at first level!

 

[hanniball]

First of all, you're losing far too many manifester levels by multi-classing into fighter for more than 4 levels. With fewer manifester levels not only will you have access to only the lowest level powers, but they won't be nearly as effective for nearly as long.

Second, what in sam hell do you need 17 feats for? That many feats denotes tactical variety, but lack of focus typically leads to sub-par performance in many situations.

If you decide that you just don't need that many feats and are interested in Fighter for it's BAB, the Illithid Savant Prc provides full-BAB and 9/10 manifester progression.

Build Suggestion:

Half-Giant Psywar 4/Ftr 1/IS 10/Psywar +4

+17 BAB, ML 17 (6th lvl powers), 11 feats to play with (5 bonus from Ftr/Psywar), some amazing immunities, and great skills.

Alternatively, swap a level of IS for a level of fighter if you need another bonus fighter feat for something.

I would shoot for PsyWar 16/Fighter 4, because then you will have four iterative attacks and 6th level powers. And you will be only two feats behind a pure fighter. And you can get Weapon Spec and Melee Weapon Mastery.

While, normally, an excellent suggestion, you seem to have forgotten about the Half-Giant/Duergar's +1 LA. This makes it very difficult to obtain 6th lvl powers and +16 BAB by 20th level. The Illithid Slayer is one of the only means I know of to do such.

Either way...just my 2 cp

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Eh...personally, I don't place that much importance on lost manifester/caster levels if the resultant PC does what I want it to.

 

[Shellman]

I do appreciate everyone's input. I decided to go Half-Giant (desert race in a desert campaign) Ftr 4/ Psy War 15. I have not found a PRC i like as of yet, but I will check into Ilithid Savant.

Thanks

 

[Angellis_ater]

Just a note, the PrC everyone is referring to is the Illithid Slayer - available for 'free' at www.d20srd.org as the "Slayer" Prestige Class.

Other suggestions for the Half-Giant - a Large Deepcrystal Greatsword allows you to do 3d6 + 1.5 x Str bonus as your normal damage, while you can expend focus for +2d6/+4d6 with Psionic Weapon/Greater Psionic Weapon, spend 1pp for +2d6 damage (Deepcrystal) and add to this with Expansion.

My suggestion for a 1st lvl PsyWar would be Psionic Weapon (feat) and if you don't go the path of Armor buffs (Inertial Armor/Force Screen) I'd suggest Expansion as a 1st lvl power. Reach and 4d6 base damage with that sword is HARSH for 1st lvl.