New PrC: Twice-Gifted

[Axelos]

What if a psion gets his mojo working with a sorceress? That question drove the development of this PrC: the twice-gifted.

Please give me your comments and ideas. Help me make this PrC work!

 

[Angcuru]

If the requirements are levels of classes like psion and sorcerer, then you've already got inborn psionic and arcane abilities, thus makin the PrC pointless. Now, if this were a BASE class, that'd be a different story.

I suggest you take a look at this class I wrote up and change it to suit the sorcerer+psion deal.

 

[Nifft]

I'm working on a Psionic/Arcane spellcasting PrC. The powers are going to be similar to yours, but the mechanics different.

Since arcane magic is typically better than psionic powers, many of the class abilities will go towards using Power Points to boost spellcasting.

Here's my take on the powers:

Companion Psinergy: The character may merge his Psi Crystal and his Familiar into a single entity. He gains benefit from both, and it gains powers as though his PrC, Psion and arcane caster class levels were added together.


Eldrich Psinergy: The character gains a bonus to his spellcasting based on his psionic talent. This is an unnamed bonus which stacks with everything:
- Egoist: +1 to Transmutation DCs
- Nomad: +1 to Conjuration DCs
- Savant: +1 to all Dispel Magic caster level checks
- Shaper: +1 to Evocation DCs
- Seer: +1 to all caster level checks to overcome Spell Resistance
- Telepath: +1 to Illusion DCs
- Psychic Warrior: +1 to Concentration checks related to spellcasting


Meta-Psinergy: The character's metamagic and metapsionic feats can be intermingled and either apply to both arcane spells and psionic powers. (This is a good 1st level ability.)


Psionic Metarcana: The character can apply a metamagic (or metapsionic) feat to one of his spells "on the fly", without using a higher-level spell slot or increasing the casting time. Instead, he must pay 2 PPs for each level that the spell would have been raised. For example, a Wizard could Quicken his prepared Fireball by paying 8 PPs at the time of casting. This is a free action.


Mental Arcana: The character can cast a spell as a purely mental action. Invoking this ability expends the spell slot and uses PPs as though the spell were a power of the spell's level. (In other words, a paralyzed Wizard could cast a prepared Dispel Magic on himself, but it would cost him 5 PPs in addition to using up the prepared spell.) The mental Power evokes a Display depending on the normal spell's components:
- Material = Mental
- Somatic = Visual
- Verbal = Auditory

Spells with expensive material components can be cast, but with the additonal PP cost of 1 PP per 10 GP.

Spells with a Focus cannot be cast a mental actions if the Focus is unavailable.


Psinergistic Preparation: If the arcane caster is able to prepare spells, he may prepare a psionic power as a spell of equal level (that is, in place of preparing a spell of that level). "Casting" the power does not consume PPs.


Psinergistic Penetration: The character may expend power points to enhance his ability to penetrate Spell Resistance, at the rate of 2 PPs per +1 on the caster level check. Spending PPs thus is a free action. (Note: this is a limited application of the Heighten Spell Feat.)

-- Nifft

 

[Axelos]

If the requirements are levels of classes like psion and sorcerer, then you've already got inborn psionic and arcane abilities, thus makin the PrC pointless.

How is it pointless? The PrC has five unique abilities that a sorcerer/psion would not have. I can see where you can say that the sorcerer/psion already has both arcane and psionic abilities inborn--it's obvious--but the concept of the PrC is to take it beyond simply having both to using both together to complement each other.

 

[Mordane76]

I'm actually REALLY interested in many of Nifft's ideas.


I think these form very solid PrC powers, but I do worry about how to implement these, and if the usage of PPs for spellcasting augmentation is really very balanced. It looks good on paper, but have you playtested any of these ideas for powers, NIfft?



As to the class provided for perusal...
I think your caster/manifester progression is fine, but then I like lower power-level classes and games; this is crippling compared to the standard mystic theurge, and many would balk at this considering what WoTC has on the books as precedent.

I really DON'T like your pay-off power (the 10th level) -- I'm iffy on anything that allows you to cast two things at once other than Quicken Spell or Quicken Power. I see it has a lot of restrictions, but that does bother me.


Your 8th level power is pretty hefty, as well. Entering the class requires a Sor8/Psi3, IIRC, so I might be overcompensating for perceived power a little bit here.

The swap powers aren't too out of line, I think. I'd really have to construct one and run it into an encounter or two, but I don't really see a problem with abilities that allow you to rob Peter to pay Paul so to speak.

 

[Axelos]

As to the class provided for perusal...
I think your caster/manifester progression is fine, but then I like lower power-level classes and games; this is crippling compared to the standard mystic theurge, and many would balk at this considering what WoTC has on the books as precedent.

Personally, I find the mystic theurge to be overpowered. Maybe that's just me. How about this: +1 manifester level at every level but 2, 5, and 8. +1 caster level at every level but 3, 6, and 9.

I really DON'T like your pay-off power (the 10th level) -- I'm iffy on anything that allows you to cast two things at once other than Quicken Spell or Quicken Power. I see it has a lot of restrictions, but that does bother me.

Hmmm...I thought the restrictions would compensate for the level of power, but I'd rather add on more restrictions or costs than eliminate the ability. I think the Simultaneous Gifts ability is a major part of what sets the twice-gifted off from just being a sorcerer/psion.

Your 8th level power is pretty hefty, as well. Entering the class requires a Sor8/Psi3, IIRC, so I might be overcompensating for perceived power a little bit here.

Actually, it only requires a Sor4/Psi3, but in order to do it with a Sor4/Psi3 you have to spend a few skill points on cross-class skills--that is, you need to spend some skill points from Psi levels on spellcraft, and you need to spend some skill points from Sor levels on psicraft. A Sor5/Psi5, of course, would not need to spend skill points cross-class.

Or am I missing something somewhere? I need to dig out my Psionics Handbook, and I don't have it handy. Dammit!

 

[Nifft]

I'm actually REALLY interested in many of Nifft's ideas.

I think these form very solid PrC powers, but I do worry about how to implement these, and if the usage of PPs for spellcasting augmentation is really very balanced. It looks good on paper, but have you playtested any of these ideas for powers, NIfft?

No play-tests yet, but I'm not done designing the PrC. To avoid hijacking this thread, I'll refrain from discussion until I'm ready to post my PrC.

Glad you like the effects, though!

-- Nifft

 

[Mordane76]

Personally, I find the mystic theurge to be overpowered. Maybe that's just me. How about this: +1 manifester level at every level but 2, 5, and 8. +1 caster level at every level but 3, 6, and 9.

I also believe the MT is overpowered; I think every other level is fine, actually. If you wanted to cut it back a bit more, then your proposal here is good as well.

Hmmm...I thought the restrictions would compensate for the level of power, but I'd rather add on more restrictions or costs than eliminate the ability. I think the Simultaneous Gifts ability is a major part of what sets the twice-gifted off from just being a sorcerer/psion.

The problem I see is that, if someone has a high enough Concentration check, there comes a point where they can never fail. I think you should place a limitation on how many times a day this power can be used. Skill DCs are, unfortunately, a poor limitation because one soon reaches a point where success is always assured and failure is not even a remote possibility.

Actually, it only requires a Sor4/Psi3, but in order to do it with a Sor4/Psi3 you have to spend a few skill points on cross-class skills--that is, you need to spend some skill points from Psi levels on spellcraft, and you need to spend some skill points from Sor levels on psicraft. A Sor5/Psi5, of course, would not need to spend skill points cross-class.

I see my mistake -- I thought it said 4th level spells and second level powers, not fourth level sorcerer and second level powers. My suggestion here would be, if you use powers for one, use spells for the other. If you want to use levels for one, use levels for both.

I think this class might be better served by upping the level entries a bit, and then keeping the every-other-level progression for caster/manifester level. If you make it 3rd level spells as a sorcerer and third level powers, you have a Sor6/Psi5... but then the class runs into epic levels to complete, and I don't think you envisioned that.

If you upped the entry level requirements such that it was a definite that a character would go into epic levels to complete this class, then you could possibly increase the power level of the later levels (because they will always definitely be epic-level character levels). Or you could reduce it to a 5-level PrC with high entry requirements, and do a +1/+1 caster/manifester increase every level.


Sorry -- I'm rambling... I'll shut up now.

 

[Axelos]

The problem I see is that, if someone has a high enough Concentration check, there comes a point where they can never fail. I think you should place a limitation on how many times a day this power can be used. Skill DCs are, unfortunately, a poor limitation because one soon reaches a point where success is always assured and failure is not even a remote possibility.

Yeah, I can see what you mean. That's why there are other limitations for the ability. You think I need more?

Or you could reduce it to a 5-level PrC with high entry requirements, and do a +1/+1 caster/manifester increase every level.

Actually, that's not a bad idea at all. Of course, it will take some reconsideration, but this could be a really great high-level PrC.
Perhaps use skill requirements to only allow level 13+ characters access to the PrC, then make the manifester/caster requirements not quite so strict so that characters who lean one way or the other (Psion 8/Sorcerer 5 for instance) can still qualify.

As an aside, Nifft now has a thread for his arcane/psionic blend PrC, the psychomancer. I think his PrC is a bit more polished than mine, but the abilities are actually quite different.