Need advice on making a Psionic Warrior

[Shuffle]

Well, the title says it. I'm hoping to use one in the campaign i'll be a PC in. Since I don't want to have a gimped fighter, any advice would be appreciated.

Also whether you think the Expanded Psionics handbook is broken or not, since I'm not sure how balanced it is. (The running up walls thing may set a flag)

 

[MadMaxim]

Biofeedback is an excellent power, especially for psychic warriors.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Running up walls isn't broken - it sounds like an amazing ability, but its really on par with many other core class abilities and feats, just a bit more flashy and impressive sounding.

My first bit of advice is this: always maximize your Concentration, so you can enter psionic focus reliably. Then, start accumulating feats that work off that focus - Deep Impact is good, as is Psionic Weapon (as are both feats ranged and unarmed counterparts).

I forget the name off hand, but the feat that grants a +10 ft per round insight bonus while you retain your psi focus is great. But then, I'm a movement junkie.

You also should strongly consider the feat that grants you +2 HP for every psionic feat you have - when I play psi warriors, I load up on psionic feats, so the bonus HP adds up fast.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Well, XPH is pretty strong. We are playing a Psionic game with no other sources of magic. No arcane, no divine. Alot of magic items remain changed to equal-value Psionic items to keep balance in check as far as items go, but other than that ...

It would be horribly broken trying to play a regular game. Psionic characters would regularly outperform non-psionic characters up and down the board. I know alot of people would argue, but I've seen broken on both sides and psionics is a touch more-so ... and most of that without really trying.

I play the only non-psionic character in the game, a full-progression Monk with "Psionic Hole" as the only XPH feat he has, making him more resistant to psionics. So far it's worked out quite nicely. Surprisingly nicely. If I'm ever caught out in the open I get ripped to pieces by all those psionic attack powers ... two lower level psychic warriors hit me with Deepcrystal Psionic Weaponed Dissolving Weaponed longswords and nearly took me out the first round of combat. Something like 8d6+1d8+3 x2. My monk's claim to fame is speed (monk speed plus Boots of Striding and Springing) and grappling. Grappling messes with the "caster" psions and the "fighter" psions get stuck with a 50% miss or dropping weapons to enter a grapple with a grappler-build. Waiting for Gloves of Titan's Grip. Mmmmm.

My thoughts on a broken psionic fighter-type would be: Go with a Small race of some sort. Get Psychic Weapon. Get a Deepcrystal weapon. Take two levels of regular fighter for a feat injection. Pick up Ride, Mounted Combat, Ride-By-Attack, and Spirited Charge. Then just go crazy with the various damage and defense combinations. Deepcrystal weapon (+2d6), Psionic Weapon (+2d6), Spirited charge with a small lance (3d6) and if you can get a Power Storing weapon later you can toss an Energy Bolt or such into it for some extra dice. You can only do the big one once, but Deepcrystal and Spirited Charge work every time and with the extra movement of having a mount that can double move you through a charge you can often take the time to refocus (with your unused move action, with the feat that lets you do it as a move action) and/or pump another power into the thing.

I've threatened my DM with that one if my monk ever falls in combat.

--fje

 

[Lodow MoBo]

The interesting build I made was very feat heavy, and would only lose one bab.

3 levels Psionic Warrior
2 levels fighter
Entry into war mind.

interestingly the power points grow fast with the warmind.
High cost on the skill points to qualify

You get a lot of first lvl powers, but only a few of the highers.

Elan race

At 6th lvl you have
6 feats
+5 bab
4 first lvl powers
7 power points ( this seems like only a few but you end up with psi warrior points latter on)
3 times a day (rage like power with little penalty)
The ability with war mind get pretty neat with a:
attack two adjacent squares equally. (seems very powerful, never got to try it.)

the feats i took were dodge, psionic dodge, mobility, speed of thought, run up walls, power attack

His ac with powers was real good at 22 - 24

If I would do it again, I would nix the speed and wall feats, and pick something more offensive.

 

[Anax]

My monk's claim to fame is speed (monk speed plus Boots of Striding and Springing) and grappling.

Er? Monk speed and Boots of Striding and Springing do not stack in 3.5 (which I assume you're using, since you're using XPH.) Both provide an enhancement bonus.

 

[Henry]

Shuffle, are you starting at 1st level, or higher?

What I'd recommend:

Human Psychic Warrior. Place importance of abilities on 1) Strength, then 2) Wisdom, 3) Constitution, 4) Dexterity, 5) Intelligence, and 6) Charisma. STR and WIS are interchangeable with importance, but wisdom cannot afford to be #3.

FEATS: Psionic Weapon, Psionic Body, and Either Psionic Talent (+2 Power Points), or Narrow Mind (+4 to gaining focus). Pick a devastating weapon such as greataxe, bastard sword, Dwarven Waraxe, or Greatsword. Pick some decent armor.

Power: Either Vigor, or force screen. This will give you at least 14 hit points, not including CON bonus, and a rather decent AC and damage capability.

Be sure to max out Concentration. Autohypnosis is cool and showy, and great to fight past pain or impress your friends with photographic memory, but if you need other skills first, you can afford to treat it lightly at first.

Focus on Focus. Picking powers that both use focus, and help you get Focus faster, are important.

See how that works. Note this only assumes XPH handbook and the Player's Handbook.