CyberSpyder
First Post
I was working through the Psionics handbook to make a telepath when I found what I consider to be an extremely neat power - Mind Seed. Description as follows...
Mind Seed
Telepathy (Cha) [Compulsion. Mind-Affecting]
Level: Psion 8
Display: Ma
Manifestation Time: 3 rounds
Range: 5 feet
Target: One humanoid of Medium-size or smaller
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 15, XP cost
You impress the totality of your psyche into a subject's subconscious.
If successfully implanted, the seed of your mind
“germinates” over a period of one week. During this time, the
subject begins to unconsciously take on your mannerisms.
For instance, if you habitually mutter, “Sure, sure, sure,” this
same litany will soon be heard from the subject's lips, though
never consciously. Any time before the sevenday deadline,
the mind seed can be purged from the subject's mind with
psychic chirurgery or the spell greater restoration (manifesting
mind seed again also cleanses the mind).
When integration is complete (after seven days), the
subject becomes you in mind as you were when you
manifested the power but eight levels lower in experience.
He does not possess any of your physical statistics or
equipment, but does possess your ability scores in
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma as they were eight levels
earlier. The subject also knows the powers you knew at the
appropriate level.
As soon as the subject becomes your mental duplicate, the
two personalities begin to diverge. Although the subject
starts off with your experiences, he possesses his original
“soul” and physical body and is free to develop his own
personality based on its own experiences. Thus, the subject is
not your slave or servant, but instead an NPC in his own right
who shares your earlier memories.
Protection from evil or a similar spell or power can prevent
you from implanting mind seed.
XP Cost: 3,000 XP.
Now, as I said, I do think it's very neat, and I have the notion of making the character plan to pull an Agent Smith, of sorts...but I'm not sure why it comes with such a hefty experience point cost. Essentially, you're just creating a weak (relative to you), friendly NPC with similar goals, which could come in handy, but given that the person created is under no obligation to you, could just as easily create problems for you. Is there some massively exploitative possibility that I missed, or did the writers of the Psionics Handbook just go xp-cost-crazy?
(For that matter, no less than 12 powers listed come with xp costs...seems like rather a lot)
Mind Seed
Telepathy (Cha) [Compulsion. Mind-Affecting]
Level: Psion 8
Display: Ma
Manifestation Time: 3 rounds
Range: 5 feet
Target: One humanoid of Medium-size or smaller
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 15, XP cost
You impress the totality of your psyche into a subject's subconscious.
If successfully implanted, the seed of your mind
“germinates” over a period of one week. During this time, the
subject begins to unconsciously take on your mannerisms.
For instance, if you habitually mutter, “Sure, sure, sure,” this
same litany will soon be heard from the subject's lips, though
never consciously. Any time before the sevenday deadline,
the mind seed can be purged from the subject's mind with
psychic chirurgery or the spell greater restoration (manifesting
mind seed again also cleanses the mind).
When integration is complete (after seven days), the
subject becomes you in mind as you were when you
manifested the power but eight levels lower in experience.
He does not possess any of your physical statistics or
equipment, but does possess your ability scores in
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma as they were eight levels
earlier. The subject also knows the powers you knew at the
appropriate level.
As soon as the subject becomes your mental duplicate, the
two personalities begin to diverge. Although the subject
starts off with your experiences, he possesses his original
“soul” and physical body and is free to develop his own
personality based on its own experiences. Thus, the subject is
not your slave or servant, but instead an NPC in his own right
who shares your earlier memories.
Protection from evil or a similar spell or power can prevent
you from implanting mind seed.
XP Cost: 3,000 XP.
Now, as I said, I do think it's very neat, and I have the notion of making the character plan to pull an Agent Smith, of sorts...but I'm not sure why it comes with such a hefty experience point cost. Essentially, you're just creating a weak (relative to you), friendly NPC with similar goals, which could come in handy, but given that the person created is under no obligation to you, could just as easily create problems for you. Is there some massively exploitative possibility that I missed, or did the writers of the Psionics Handbook just go xp-cost-crazy?
(For that matter, no less than 12 powers listed come with xp costs...seems like rather a lot)
