New Psion Character Suggestions

[KarinsDad]

Ok, being the min/maxxer I am, I decided to ask for suggestions for a Psion that I will be playing in our new campaign.

It will be an Eberron campaign and we are using the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Characters are starting at first level, but I am thinking more of long term goals.

Does anyone have any good race/feat/powers suggestions?

 

[Urbanmech]

The Kalashtar from the ECS book are actually a great race for psions. The one bonus power point per character level is worth loosing the human bonus feat in the long run. Plus free access to mindlink is lots of fun.

If you want raw damaging ability go with a kinetisist and blast away, shapers with the right astral construct feats are also quite powerful. Telepaths can be wonderful in the intrigue laden world of Eberron. I think nomads and egoists are probably on the bottom of the power scale.

Some good powers and feats to take:
Vigor- temporary hp are always good
Inertial Armor- while you can wear mithral armor in the long run, inertial armor can be augumented and protects against incorporeal touch attacks
Crystal Shard/Energy Ray- good touch attack spells, shard is good if they are resistant to multiple energy types, ray can exploit weaknesses in elemental creatures

Feats:
Overchannel- not too great at 1st level (raises your manifester level by +1 but you take 1d8 damage) but stellar for bringing powers to the next augumentation level (Astral Construct).
Attune Psicrystal (the feat that gives you a psicrystal)- sure it is a pet rock, but it grants so much goodness for 1 feat.
Research/Investigate (Eberron specific feats)- with all those knowledge skills and a high intelligence be the parties bookworm and find that vital information. Investigate is a bit harder to pull off since Search is a cross class skill for psions, but with the right feats and powers you can acchieve stellar results (i.e. my 6th lv Seer in an Eberron can now get a +23 Search Check)

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

You could push to play an Elan from the XPH. No need to eat or sleep, boosts on saves, etc.

 

[Patlin]

I think a warforged character with access to psionic repair damage would be fun.

If you are interested in a cerebremancer, check out the precocious aprentice feat in Complete Arcane. If there is some reason this feat wouldn't allow access to the prestige class with only one level of Wizard, it escapes me. Your DM might throw things at you, though, when he's had time to think about your Wizard 1/Psion 9/Cerebremancer 10.

 

[Piratecat]

[hijack] I can't help but think that Karin must be a much different person than she was when you first started posting here, long long ago. Hi there! Long time no see. [/hijack]

 

[Urbanmech]

Oh I really like Patlin's idea of a Warforged Psion. Take Adamantine Body at 1st level and don't worry about taking inertial armor. The body feats don't require you to have any armor proficiencies since they are your body. You would either need to be a Shaper or take Expand Knowlege at 5th to gain Psionic Repair damage. Good idea Patlin.

 

[howandwhy99]

I am playing a Changeling Telepath in our Eberron game. It's quite fun as the character has different personas and get to act a like a doppleganger most of the time.

Be careful with power selection which ever way you go, though. My experience with the Psion is they are both stronger and weaker than traditional spellcasters in different ways.

 

[KarinsDad]

[hijack] I can't help but think that Karin must be a much different person than she was when you first started posting here, long long ago. Hi there! Long time no see. [/hijack]

Hi PC. How are you doing?

Yes, Karin has grown a bit.

I was playing HARP for the last few months and before that, although I DMed DND, I really didn't come here too much. I hadn't posted here since February and before that, probably spring of '03. Actually, I lost my password and was too lazy to get a new one.

But, I thought I'd stop in some more now and then to ask questions as a player (as opposed to a DM, as DM, I have all of the answers ).

 

[Urbanmech]

Another thing to watch out for as a Psion is that you can burn through your power points very, very quickly if you just use your highest level effects or augument everything to the max. Unlike the wilder a psion should take some powers that don't require augumentation to be effective. Also don't expect to contribute much to the other party members. Almost all psionic powers only effect the manifester or an enemy. Psions are not good a buffing the party.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think a warforged character with access to psionic repair damage would be fun.

If you are interested in a cerebremancer, check out the precocious aprentice feat in Complete Arcane. If there is some reason this feat wouldn't allow access to the prestige class with only one level of Wizard, it escapes me. Your DM might throw things at you, though, when he's had time to think about your Wizard 1/Psion 9/Cerebremancer 10.

Precocious Apprentice gives you one additional second level spell. The prerequisite of Cerebremancer is that you have to be able to cast second level arcane spells. Plural. Yes, it is ticky tack, but literally, that is the rule. You would have to take the Precocious Apprentice feat twice at first level, which in turn forces you to be human.

I ran this past my DM btw. He nixed it.

Oh I really like Patlin's idea of a Warforged Psion. Take Adamantine Body at 1st level and don't worry about taking inertial armor. The body feats don't require you to have any armor proficiencies since they are your body. You would either need to be a Shaper or take Expand Knowlege at 5th to gain Psionic Repair damage. Good idea Patlin.

Where did you hear that you do not need armor proficiencies?

The Adamantine Body feat states that you are effectively wearing heavy armor. That means it has a –5 armor check penalty to weapons if you do not have the heavy armor proficiency.

If you wanted to use weapons at all (and having a PC with no weapon skill whatsoever is just asking for death at low level), you would have to multiclass.

Unless this was specifically erratted or something that I am unaware of.