Just picked up the Expanded Psionics Handbook

[Ssyleia]

Like some of the other monsters in the book, Yuan-Ti are now Yuan-Ti, Psionic. They list the Pureblood, Halfblood, and Abomination variants. They all get Alternate Form, Darkvision, Power Resistance, and a handful of psi-like abilities, a good many of which are at will.

Tanks a lot Alaric,

To bad they didn't include the Template Yuan-ti (from various sources) and Anathema from the Fiend Folio...

Well I guess I have to make my own conversion there when I get the book and maybe put it up with mangled names on yuan-ti.com ;-)

 

[Nightfall]

Scarred Lands did NOT come up with the idea of heralds for deities, the bible did that. Scarred Lands presents a lot of neat new idea, and WotC occasssionally copies new ideas. The herald of a deity does not fall under either of those umbrellas.

Maybe not but it still a better idea than some things they've used for deities. Like stats.

 

[Staffan]

Claw of the Beast is a swift action that lasts 1hour/level, and is augmentable to do extra damage.

Is there a life-draining power along the lines of claw of the vampire? And if so, what does it say about damage modifications? E.g. if I have Str 20, an amulet of mighty fists +2 and someone casts a prayer, will I get back 1d6 or 1d6+8 hp when I hit someone?

 

[LoneWolf23]

Is there a life-draining power along the lines of claw of the vampire? And if so, what does it say about damage modifications? E.g. if I have Str 20, an amulet of mighty fists +2 and someone casts a prayer, will I get back 1d6 or 1d6+8 hp when I hit someone?

There is a Claws of the Vampire power for Psychic Warriors in the ExpPsiHB, and it works like this: First, you need either a natural claw attack or the Claws of the Beast power, which you use to deal the actual damage. You then heal a number of HP equal to half the base damage dealth, rounded down.

Additional damage dealt because of a high Strength score or other enhancement bonuses do not count toward the amount you heal. You heal as many HP as can be gained while the creature remains at 1 HP or higher. Any damage that reduces the creature to 0 or less HP doesn't benefit you.

You also don't heal any damage if your attack deals nonlethal damage, such as when you attack a creature able to regenerate (although if you use Energy Claws (Fire) at the same time, you can use this power on Trolls, I'd imagine). Plus, you gain no healing if the creature you're attacking is under the effect of Biofeedback

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I feel somewhat childish about this but my book is due yet another week from now (Germany *sigh*)

Thanks in advance

The last couple of books were available here before they were available in the US. Why didn't they keep that up at least one more time?

 

[woodelf]

Unfortunately, some third party publishers have confused the issue, by offering LA numbers that are clearly meant to be ECL numbers.

Here's one i've been wondering about: why does the default statblock list LA, rather than ECL? Surely, the only time you'll be using it is if you're making a PC, and wouldn't it be much easier to just add the HD and LA, and report the ECL, since that's the number you'll actually use when making a character? When would you use the LA instead of the ECL (i.e., ignore the HD)? Either one can be easily derived from the other, of course, but i'd think it'd be less confusing to report the one that is used, and have the other one derivable, rather than report the unused one (LA), which leads to some confusion of people using it as thought it were the ECL (since that's the number they actually need)

 

[woodelf]

Damn you all... I had no intention of buying this book... I don't even play 3.5! But this does sounds much, much, better than 3.0 psi rules. Better than even the patched-up 3.0 psi rules - and it's all in one book to boot!.

I'll go you one better: i might even buy this book, which would make it the first book WotC has published (since The Primal Order) that i buy. Though i may have the willpower to hold out until it shows up in the D20SRD. Anyway, it sounds like this might be almost as good as The Complete Psionics Handbook, which i still rank as one of the top three psychic powers rules for any RPG (The Power is in there, and i'm leaving a slot open because there's probably another one i like as much, but that i'm not thinking of right now).

 

[woodelf]

I always found that one kind of spurious, myself.

"Ialdabode, what did you do to the Gray Render?"
"HA! I just gave him a death urge! In about 2 days he'll throw himself from the nearest convenient cliff."
"Um, that's great, but... what about right nowwwwIIIEE! AHH! AHH! HE'S EATING MY FACE! HELP! HELPEPIPLPLGPLGPLGRGRG!"

See, now, those are exactly the kind of powers/spells i like. I wish there were more spells and powers in D&D3E that were not useful in combat (or when preparing for combat)--especially more high-level spells and powers that are not combat-worthy.

 

[Corporal_Cupcake]

A little powerful?

What do you all think about the 1st-level power that does 1d10 damage to a creature and is augmentable (for each additional power point, an additional d10 damage is dealt) (i.e. Mind Thrust)? Even with a WILL save and SR (OK, PR), isn't this about two die sizes more powerful than an equivalent arcane spell?

 

[Particle_Man]

What do you all think about the 1st-level power that does 1d10 damage to a creature and is augmentable (for each additional power point, an additional d10 damage is dealt) (i.e. Mind Thrust)? Even with a WILL save and SR (OK, PR), isn't this about two die sizes more powerful than an equivalent arcane spell?

I think the two main differences are that the save negates all damage, instead of saving for half, and that it doesn't affect creatures immune to mind-affecting spells/powers. So in that sense I think it is balanced.