D&D 3E/3.5 My DM wants to nerf 3.5 Psionics, help me convince him otherwise :)

[rekash]

As the title suggest. He hasn't even read through the entire book and still wants to pose some major restrictions on the class. Here's his proposal:

1. Scale back Concentration so it's the same as for a Wizard.
2. Remove Augmentation of powers, completely.
3. Change the rate at which a Psion regains PPs, to a rule closer to the 2.0 system. It would take a mid level Psion about two days to recover all of his point pool.
4. Remove Psychoportive powers completely for the time being.
5. Scale back bonus PPs for high Int. (meaning less than the stated in the handbook)
6. Psionic feats must be taught. In his world, Psionics are hunted all across the world, making finding another Psionicist very, very difficult.

Does anyone else agree that these changes would make a Psion effectively half a wizard? What can I say to convince him to lessen his restrictions, specifically on augmentation?

 

[Hammerhead]

I know this probably isn't a good solution, but I really wouldn't be a psion in that game.

 

[MadMaxim]

It doesn't sound like your DM is interested in getting into psionics... Does he have any particular reason for nerfing them that way? If I were you, I wouldn't go near psionics the way your DM is treating them. By the way, I don't get how you can "downscale" Concentration... It's the same for both magic and psionics. So until he reads through the book, he shouldn't even include them in his world. Just my two cents...

 

[Laman Stahros]

As the title suggest. He hasn't even read through the entire book and still wants to pose some major restrictions on the class. Here's his proposal:

Dude, at least finish the book, first!

1. Scale back Concentration so it's the same as for a Wizard.

Scale back? What is there to scale back? Or is he talking about removing Psionic Focus? And why?

2. Remove Augmentation of powers, completely.

Now that would remove ALL scaling of powers. He might as well just refuse to use the rules at all!

3. Change the rate at which a Psion regains PPs, to a rule closer to the 2.0 system. It would take a mid level Psion about two days to recover all of his point pool.

Oh, that would be fair.

4. Remove Psychoportive powers completely for the time being.

Hum, does he allow wizards to use teleport spells? If so, then why can't psions?

5. Scale back bonus PPs for high Int. (meaning less than the stated in the handbook)

Well, well, well.

6. Psionic feats must be taught. In his world, Psionics are hunted all across the world, making finding another Psionicist very, very difficult.

Well, based upon these points, your DM is saying that he does not want psionics in his game, but, he does not want to say no.

Does anyone else agree that these changes would make a Psion effectively half a wizard? What can I say to convince him to lessen his restrictions, specifically on augmentation?

Wish I could help you, but, with out hearing his reasons for these changes, I don't think anyone is going to convince him of anything. These rule changes are IMHO designed to make psionics so unattractive that no one will want to use them. These changes would make a psion unusable, not just half a wizard.

By the way, welcome to the boards.

 

[Nikodemos]

Life to you, Rekash. And everlasting glory.

I am afraid I have to agree with Hammerhead, forget playing a psion.
I agree with condition 6, got to make things interesting.
If psionics is not all that different from 3.0, then with the further restrictions possed by your DM, the first serious psionic encounter will leave you dead, and the party either severly beaten, captured, or dead. HTH.


Yours Niko

 

[Gort]

Never mind. Play a druid instead

 

[Kirin'Tor]

It sounds like your DM jsut really doesn't want you to play a Psion, but doesn't have the balls to say it...if that isn't the case (which I think it is), then he really just has no grasp on the ExPsi rules at all...

 

[rekash]

Well...

He says the class is overpowered as it is in 3.5. He has a problem with Psions being a "jack of all trades". He simply thinks Psions have too much of an advantage.

I don't think it's that he doesn't want Psions in the game; he just wants them to be balanced, and as he sees it, they're not. Are there any examples or arguements I could make to prove that they're 'not' overpowered?

Help would be greatly appreciated; I need to submit my new character in a couple days, and I'd really like to play a Psion, telepath specifically, but probably not with is nerfed rules...

 

[rekash]

One additional thing...

He uses the argument of ad hoc casting. That is, he sees the Psion's ability to use any power he knows without being required to memorize the power before hand as a huge advantage, enough to justify his modifications.

Can anyone offer a compairison between a Psion, Wizard and Sorceror, proving why they're balanced?

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Look through the archives for the last week or two--specifically, look for for the Psion vs. wizards blaster thread and the Anyone else annoyed by psionics thread. The Fighter vs PsyWar comparison thread from a month or two ago may also prove instructive.

My conclusion having read and participated in those threads is that psions basically combine the strengths of a wizard with the strengths of a sorceror, however, they're not so far from being balanced as to be irredemable. (If you want the perspective of an unreconstructed psionics junkie, pay attention to Psion or Scion's posts).

My own recommended fix for psionics would be:
1. Change all of the psionic damage and DC scaling powers (Energy stun, for instance) to scale +1 DC/2 pp rather than having a few that scale +1 DC/pp.
2. Make swapping energy types either prohibited (choose when you acquire the power) or make it an augmentation costing 2pp.
3. Use the non-erratta version of Expansion. Also, limit expansion to the character's normal form--not a form he's using because of polymorph or other shapechanging powers.
4. Limit either the scaling or duration of Hostile Empathic Feedback and make PR apply.
5. Give metaphysical weapon the same cap as GMW
6. Require more augmentation for a psionic dispel to break the +10 cap. (It should cost 11 pp to get all the way to +20 on the roll.
7. Be very very very careful with items and enhancements from the book. Skin of the Proteus should not be allowed at anything remotely lke the price listed and the HD limitation based on its manifester level ought to be STRICTLY enforced. Otherwise, it will get out of hand very quickly.

I haven't playtested these nerfs and I may go too far in nerfing the psionic blaster powers. However, it's a good start.