Shirt Guy John
First Post
Here's a "quick fix" for the psionics damage-power issue that just popped up (so don't think that it has any basis other than simply conceptualizing): Increase the damage dice for each psionic power that deals damage by one dice size (ie. Lesser Concussion normally deals 1d6 damage; with this house-rule, it would instead deal 1d8 damage, though no other aspect would be changed). This would affect all powers except Talents (0-level), because they are on par with the unscaling arcance damage Cantrips. Hardly a game-altering change, I'm sure.
Power-scaling has been a fix that many have advocated in the past. It has, however, been assimilated into the Sorcerer class (with more versatility in fact!), so it is hardly a balancing issue to give Psions automatic power-scaling options as a house rule. The power swapping effect will only apply to powers of the same "chain" (as Wizards has used for their materials), but only as a flavor-based decision (I'm considering putting the same restriction on Sorcerer spell-swapping). The obvious problem with power-scaling is that the "upgraded" power now costs more, and is of a higher level, thus restircting its use slightly. Still, this has mostly only been of use for telepaths and the like in circumstances that I've seen.
Psionic Combat is also an issue that needs to be at least addressed by house-rulings. I sort of like the whole concept behind the existing system (two superior minds dueling mentally on a plane that others cannot trully understand), but the mechanics make it a disadvantage to have access to psionic combat because it makes it that much more deadly when used againt you - in the case of Psychic Warriors, who have a low Will save, it's liek having a psionic death wish. Fixing Psionic Combat is a bit harder than complaining about it though. First, since I'm not just dropping the system in favor of a different one, the combat modes need some sort of boost to their DC's. Giving each a bonus as if it were a power of a level with the same cost to manifest would be my first step (+1 for those that cost 1[Mind Thrust], +2 for those that cost 3[Ego Whip, Id Insinuation], +3 for those that cost 5[Psychic Crush], and +5 for the one that costs 9[Mind Blast]). That makes the DCs usable and on par with powers of the same cost. The introduction of a "Psionic Combat Focus" feat that grants a +2 to the save DCs of combat modes (I'm house-ruling Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus to still give +2 each, so this is on par with powers again, just as a different catagory). As a balance, we'll also have a "Psionic Combat Defence" feat that give a +2 bonus on all saves against Psionic Combat modes (although this does step on Iron Will's toes a bit, it's more specific, and would thus stack. Perhaps it should have Iron Will as a requirement.) So now we have the same abilities as core psionics, but with higher save DC's. Next is the issue of Psychic Warrior's lagging behind on Psionic defences. The above defensive feat, and its more powerful cousin "Greater Psionc Combat Defence" should give the Psychic Warrior a fighting chance against the save DCs, especially since he has Psionic feats to burn (if he wants or needs to worry about psionic combat). I probably need more house-rules on the Psionic Combat issue, but I think this is enough for right this moment.
I think Psions getting Metapsionic and Item Creation feats as per the Wizard is not out of line.
[Edit: Even though no one has read the post yet, I thought I'd just throw another one in here 'fore I head off to sleep.
Psions will gain additional power points in a manner more similar to other casters. As is, they only get enough power points at each level to justify one additional use of a power of the highest level they can manifest. I'm adding enough extra power points at each level up to also justify one additional use of a power 4 levels lower than the highest power that the psion can manifest at that level. This amounts to the following alternate Power Points Per Day List (Starting at 10th level, when this change will first start to influence the total):
---------------------------------------------------------------
Psion Level: Base Power Points
10th: 44
11th: 54
12th: 68
13th: 82
14th: 100
15th: 118
16th: 130
17th: 152
18th: 178
19th: 204
20th: 234
---------------------------------------------------------------]
I'll put the rest as I write them up (and figure 'em out).
Power-scaling has been a fix that many have advocated in the past. It has, however, been assimilated into the Sorcerer class (with more versatility in fact!), so it is hardly a balancing issue to give Psions automatic power-scaling options as a house rule. The power swapping effect will only apply to powers of the same "chain" (as Wizards has used for their materials), but only as a flavor-based decision (I'm considering putting the same restriction on Sorcerer spell-swapping). The obvious problem with power-scaling is that the "upgraded" power now costs more, and is of a higher level, thus restircting its use slightly. Still, this has mostly only been of use for telepaths and the like in circumstances that I've seen.
Psionic Combat is also an issue that needs to be at least addressed by house-rulings. I sort of like the whole concept behind the existing system (two superior minds dueling mentally on a plane that others cannot trully understand), but the mechanics make it a disadvantage to have access to psionic combat because it makes it that much more deadly when used againt you - in the case of Psychic Warriors, who have a low Will save, it's liek having a psionic death wish. Fixing Psionic Combat is a bit harder than complaining about it though. First, since I'm not just dropping the system in favor of a different one, the combat modes need some sort of boost to their DC's. Giving each a bonus as if it were a power of a level with the same cost to manifest would be my first step (+1 for those that cost 1[Mind Thrust], +2 for those that cost 3[Ego Whip, Id Insinuation], +3 for those that cost 5[Psychic Crush], and +5 for the one that costs 9[Mind Blast]). That makes the DCs usable and on par with powers of the same cost. The introduction of a "Psionic Combat Focus" feat that grants a +2 to the save DCs of combat modes (I'm house-ruling Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus to still give +2 each, so this is on par with powers again, just as a different catagory). As a balance, we'll also have a "Psionic Combat Defence" feat that give a +2 bonus on all saves against Psionic Combat modes (although this does step on Iron Will's toes a bit, it's more specific, and would thus stack. Perhaps it should have Iron Will as a requirement.) So now we have the same abilities as core psionics, but with higher save DC's. Next is the issue of Psychic Warrior's lagging behind on Psionic defences. The above defensive feat, and its more powerful cousin "Greater Psionc Combat Defence" should give the Psychic Warrior a fighting chance against the save DCs, especially since he has Psionic feats to burn (if he wants or needs to worry about psionic combat). I probably need more house-rules on the Psionic Combat issue, but I think this is enough for right this moment.
I think Psions getting Metapsionic and Item Creation feats as per the Wizard is not out of line.
[Edit: Even though no one has read the post yet, I thought I'd just throw another one in here 'fore I head off to sleep.
Psions will gain additional power points in a manner more similar to other casters. As is, they only get enough power points at each level to justify one additional use of a power of the highest level they can manifest. I'm adding enough extra power points at each level up to also justify one additional use of a power 4 levels lower than the highest power that the psion can manifest at that level. This amounts to the following alternate Power Points Per Day List (Starting at 10th level, when this change will first start to influence the total):
---------------------------------------------------------------
Psion Level: Base Power Points
10th: 44
11th: 54
12th: 68
13th: 82
14th: 100
15th: 118
16th: 130
17th: 152
18th: 178
19th: 204
20th: 234
---------------------------------------------------------------]
I'll put the rest as I write them up (and figure 'em out).
Last edited:
