My psionics house rules for the XPH

[RangerWickett]

Hey Thanee, I read through on the wizard vs. psion balance thread, and I'd like to ask if you'd be interested in getting a review copy of the revised Elements of Magic when it comes out in a week or so? I'm really hoping it doesn't break any balances, and you have a keen eye for spotting potential issues. Plus, the system works a little like the new psionics, with scalable spells and such. If you're willing to review it, I'll send you a free copy when it's on sale.

 

[Zack2216]

Warning: Tangent!

There are some things I like about the book (now that I own it and have had a weekend to read through it). The only major qualm I have is the psionic focus expenditure.

I was thinking, "Hey, I like this mechanic, but how can I improve it so it doesn't completly break the system?" So, I came up with this feat

Autorefocus [Psionic]
Prerequisites: Psionic Meditation, Concentration 13 ranks, Wis 17
You can regain your psionic focus after expending it
Benefit: When you expend your psionic focus to use a psionic feat, you may pay 3 power points. If you do, you may make a concentration check DC 35 to regain your psionic focus as a free action. This feat can only be used when you expend your psionic focus.
Special: If this feat is used after you expend your psionic focus in conjunction with a metapsionic feat, the 3 pp is counted against your maximum allowed pp expenditure per power manifestation. IE: If Eli manifests an empowered energy ball, only to find that the oponent didn't die, he can, with this feat, pay 3 pp to make a concentration check. Assuming he succeeds, he may now use a quickened energy ray aswell.
Normal: It takes a full round action to regain your psionic focus as part of a concentration check.

Also, I was considering considering a feat that could allow a wilder to either ignore psychic enervation with an autohypnosis check or partially reduce the chance of psychic enervation to occur. A non epic version would reduce the result by either 5% or allow a check of some sort to reduce by 5% for every 5 above twenty. It would look something like this:

(Input nifty name here)
Prerequisites: Psychic enervation, cha 17, Autohypnosis 4
You can decrease the chances of psychic enervation
Benefit: by expending your psionic focus, you may make an autohypnosis check. For every 5 above 20 in the result, you may decrease the chance of psychic enervation by 5%.


So, what do you think? I like my first idea, but my second was sort of spur of the moment. Any ideas/advice?

 

[reiella]

I'd consider applying the Damage Results for the Energy Types used in the XPH to all/most spellcasters.

For instance:
Fire/Cold Damage: +1 to each Damage Die
Lightning: +2 DC, +2 SR Pierce
Sonic: -1 Damage per Die.

I'd lean against copying the Cold Damage Saving Throw to Fort (as the spells as is have that considered, possibly for use with an Energy Substitution feat).

Came up with this largely when I started to run numbers and see just how much better at 'nuking' the Kineticist is versus Arcane spellcasters.

 

[Thanee]

One other thing, that could be considered...

Change Expanded Knowledge, so that it only allows the psion to pick from the generic psion and the own discipline list, not from the other disciplines lists. That would also make the disciplines more distinct (of course everyone will be choosing nothing but other disciplines powers with this feat otherwise).

As written, it's like giving wizards the ability to choose spells from their prohibited school with the Extra Spell feat.
EDIT: This is not really a good comparison... see below for details.

Bye
Thanee

@RangerWicket: Sure, I can do that.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Sure, Thanee, because we all know that all illusionists can't take magic missile, lightning bolt or fireball when their opposition schools are enchantment and necromancy.

 

[Thanee]

Yeah, you're right, the comparison isn't that great, really.

It's a bit more complex than that... since the discipline lists are a bit like blown up domain lists, but some basic powers of each direction are in the generic psion list, so access is still there, unlike with the school system.

Anyways, playing up on this restriction would make psions more distinct, while underlining the actual restriction here. I just think it's something to consider, not that it absolutely has to be done that way.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Hardhead]

Some powers that need to be house ruled IMHO:

- Dispel Psionics (Allows +20 dispels at 10th character level. )

OK, yeah. That's bad.

- Schism (Yeah, right! This is 3.5 not 3.0 - no two powers per round. )

Bye
Thanee

Yeah, but it's not nearly Haste level. Your secondary powers are manifested if you were 6 levels lower. "Wooo! I'm 10th level, so I can manifest my secondary powers as if I were fourth level!"

It's good. But I'm not anywhere near convinced it's broken.

 

[Hardhead]

Here are some changes that I'm considering, because I'm not sure that I like how every darn feat requires expending my psionic focus:

Using Metapsionic Feats:

- Unfocused: +6 to current Metapsionic cost
- Maintain Focus: +3 to current Metapsionic cost
- Expend Focus: as listed in the XPH

snip

Focused Penetration [Psionic]
Your powers are hard to resist.
Benefit: To use this feat, you must maintain your psionic focus. You get a +2 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature's power resistance.
Special: If you expend your psionic focus, you get a +4 caster level bonus to penetrate power resistance.


Greater Focused Penetration [Psionic]
Your powers are very hard to resist.
Prerequisite: Focused Penetration
Benefit: To use this feat, you must maintain your psionic focus. You get a +4 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature's power resistance.
Special: If you expend your psionic focus, you get a +6 caster level bonus to penetrate power resistance.

Your Penetration feats (among others) are probably too powerful.

Your metapsionic feats are probably OK. Just a bit more expensive than a regular wizard Metamagic feat as long as you have focus. That's probably OK, though I honestly think the flexibility of Psions will make up for the slight extra cost.

But Power Penetration, for instance, is now basically a Spell Penetration, but with an extra beanie if you expend. In general, I think you've gone too far in the other direction. I can't imagine Psions very often expending their focuses under your rules.

 

[Thanee]

Yeah, but it's not nearly Haste level. Your secondary powers are manifested if you were 6 levels lower. "Wooo! I'm 10th level, so I can manifest my secondary powers as if I were fourth level!"

It's good. But I'm not anywhere near convinced it's broken.

No, not Haste level for sure.

But compare it with Quicken Power (or Quicken Spell).

At the expense of one 4th level power you can cast "quickened" powers every round (at -6 ML (exactly like Quicken Power), not even -8 ML which would relate to the usual 4 spell levels, but that, at least, I can understand, since powers need some more PP spent on them to scale up - so, that's fair enough) for the duration of 1 round/level. You do not even have to spend extra PP to "quicken" the powers... it's for free! And you can spontaneously choose which powers to "quicken" as well!

Of course, many Psions will need a feat to get the power, but that's a pretty fair price, considering, that Quicken Power is a feat as well, so this cost is neglectable.

The only actual cost involved is the action (and PP) spent on manifesting Schism - at higher levels, this can even be done with Quicken Power (at the expense of the psionic focus) to speed things up.

Bye
Thanee

 

[reiella]

One other thing, that could be considered...

Change Expanded Knowledge, so that it only allows the psion to pick from the generic psion and the own discipline list, not from the other disciplines lists. That would also make the disciplines more distinct (of course everyone will be choosing nothing but other disciplines powers with this feat otherwise).

As written, it's like giving wizards the ability to choose spells from their prohibited school with the Extra Spell feat.
EDIT: This is not really a good comparison... see below for details.

Bye
Thanee

@RangerWicket: Sure, I can do that.

Actually, I'd probably compare it more so to Cleric's and the Initiate Feats to be honest.

You get only one power, no 'feat-like' benefit, but you get to choose it. Seems like a relatively good trade-off. But I have my reserves about Initiate Feats being balanced .

Of course, I'm more inclined to compare the Psion against the Cleric now, since they seem in that 'power bracket' [even though wizard comparison may be easier ].