How similar is manifesting to casting?

[NewJeffCT]

One of our players was a Psion in our last campaign, I have to tell you she kicked major but by the time she was 20th lvl. Holy crap, nothing could touch her. It was ridiculous. The one nice thing that we experienced with her being a psionic was no ASF. None. You can use whatever armour you like, and it didn't affect you. Also, you could pretty much cast whatever you wanted, however you wanted. All you had to say was that you were going to expend the points to do a quickened, empowered, whatever power, and you did it. There's no spell slots that you have to use. So if you wanted to use a 9th level spell, and have it quickened, you can't as a caster. However, as a psionic, you just had to pay the extra points. The other nice thing is that weapons, armour, and items can all have an ability put in them so you can "gather" more power points from them. Where as with a spell caster, unless you had pearls of power for that particular level, you were out and that was that. Not with a psionic though. I don't really see a downside to psionics, other than prestige classes are a little limited. As well, it really helps you to have a psionic race before hand. Not that you can't use a regular race to be one, it's just that you don't get bonus power points.

Other than that, there's not much else I can tell you other than your character has to remain focused, a lot.

Remember, though, that a psion can only apply 1 metamagic feat to a power, unless they have taken the correct feat chain and can apply a 2nd metamagic feat through their psicrystal. Only at epic levels with Epic Psionic Focus can a psion apply a 2nd metamagic feat to a power. Wizards & Clerics can apply as many metamagic feats as they want to a spell, as long as they can pay the slot.

Also, psions are not proficient in any armor or shields and would have to pay the armor check penalty to any skill and attack rolls made while wearing it.

That said, psions are very versatile overall and are only limited if you stick to the normal 4 encounters per day that is recommended in the Core books. If you run 4 encounters per day, then the psion might have to conserve power points, whereas a sorcerer can often just keep blasting. If you typically run 1 or 2 encounters per day, like many DMs, then a psion can fully augment every power and not worry about conservation...

 

[Thanee]

...whereas a sorcerer can often just keep blasting.

With low-level spells, at least. Sorcerers have to keep a very close eye on when to spend their more powerful spells, they don't get that many slots for those (even though they do get quite a few).

Bye
Thanee

 

[NewJeffCT]

On the wizards board somewhere, and its a number of years old at least, someone had an essay about why psionics were not overpowered.

It covers a lot of points mentioned here plus a lot more. I've lost it and haven't spent time looking for it yet, Google should find it for you.

Also remember the ACP for non-proficiency in the armour: all attacks (which I assume would cover any to hit rolls required with psionics), & STR/DEX ability and skill checks.

Psionics have the better ability to go nova in their damage, but have 4 + encounters a day and they can run out of PP's. Wizards and Co can't max out damage in short bursts like psionics can.

here is the thread you are talking about:
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some good points, but others I disagree with... not sure why the link lable is strange, but it works for me.