metamind...worthless??

[Coredump]

I just dont get them...

Metamind, for instance. Sure you get some 'free' casting, but by slowing down your manifesting level, you are losing points.
example. Lets say a 4th level psion. If he takes one level of metamind, he still has only 17 pp, but can cast a 1st lvl 3 times for free. So it is as if he has 20 pp. If he stays with Psion, he would have 25 pp, *and* access to more powers/higher level.
Now, this just continues. After 2 levels of metamind (4/2) he has the equivalent of 28 pp, and can store 5pp in the psicrystal. So for one day, he would have 33 pp. But by sticking with psion, he gets 35 pp and more powers.

Now, the top ability for metamind is obviously the font of power... By 10th level of metamind, the character is 14th level, but only 9th level manifester.
Font gives free casting for one minute, 10 rounds, or a maximum of 90 points 'free'.
But a 14th level psion would have 98 more pp anyway, 8 more powers, and they could be 2 levels higher.
So, why be a metamind?

 

[Piratecat]

I'd have to make one, but it certainly does seem like you give up much too much to make the class worthwhile.

 

[Plane Sailing]

As far as I can see the metamind is pointless. It doesn't even succeed at the main point of it (having power to burn). I'd probably rewrite the class from scratch...

Probably something along the lines of +1 caster level at levels 1-9 and font of power at level 10, and replace all the listed abilities with psionic talent feat (which would give +2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10pp (total +52pp) at a cost of something.

 

[Spatula]

This has been debated quite a bit over on WOTC's psionics board. The metamind just gives up too many manifester levels. IIRC, Bruce's revamped 3.0 Metamind (from If Thoughts Could Kill, also available as a free pdf on montecook.com) got similar benefits to the 3.5 version, but gets a manifester boost on 7 out of 10 levels (instead of 5 out of 10 as the XPH version does).

Funnily enough, this is exactly the same problem that the original 3.0 Metamind had.

One boost that I think would help make the class more worthwhile is if its freely manifested powers were treated in a manner similar to psi-like abilities, and thus get freely augmented up to the metamind's manifester level. So a psion 4/metamind 1 (manifester level 4) could, as one of its daily free 1st-level manifestations, create a 4-pt inertial armor effect without spending any power points. Instead of a 1-pt inertial armor effect.

 

[The Souljourner]

I don't know why they couldn't just decide to give him fewer known powers and maybe a slightly slower progression in exchange for more power points (am I the only one who still calls them PSPs in his head? ). It definitely seems like a waste of paper at the moment.

-The Souljourner

 

[Hardhead]

Yeah, it's worthless.

 

[Gideon]

(am I the only one who still calls them PSPs in his head? ). It definitely seems like a waste of paper at the moment.

-The Souljourner

No, I also call them PSP's. Or sometimes when no one is looking pee pee's

 

[Nifft]

Agreed. Worthless.

One suggestion that I saw on the WotC boards involved somehow granting free power points. The two mechanics that the XPH presents for this are lowering the cost of powers by a number of PSP (like the Torc of Power Preservation), or granting a risk-free Wild Surge effect (call it a Meta-Surge instead).

I'm not done crunching the numbers, but I have an idea for a re-working. It's only a 5 level PrC and grants NO power points or extra powers known. *looks around* ... and I'll post it over in House Rules.

-- N

 

[Shadowdweller]

So, why be a metamind?

Because psions do not continue to gain power points after level 20 without spending a feat, maybe?

 

[Hannibal Barca]

It...blows.