New Psionics Balance

[reiella]

I just want to know if you can expend your focus for multiple affects at one time, such as with Greater Psionic Fist and the melee touch attack one (don't remember name). If so, good! If not..well, it makes it pointless to take more than one or two of them, I think.

Eltern

Nope, you can't, at least not too reasonably.

Psicrystal Containment or some such can be used to store focus in your PsiCrystal, but I'm not too sure how that works or can be applied.

At 21st, Epic Psionic Focus allows you to spend focus for two effects, and I think can be taken again to increase the benefits.

 

[Particle_Man]

1.) Having to take ONLY metapsionic feats to make Psionic Body useful means Psionic Body is ass.



-The Souljourner

Actually, you have to take *psionic* feats to make Psionic Body useful. This is an important difference, as Psionic Talent is a psionic feat and well repays the user by being taken multiple times. Power Points are the life-blood of the Psion, and more power points are good! More hit points at the same time is better! When I saw the feats Psionic Body and Psionic Talent, these were the very first feats I thought of for my Psion (Boost Construct coming a close third). And none of those feats require me to have or expend a psionic focus, so I can save that for a free "take 15" when manifesting on the defensive.

 

[Quaestor]

Actually, I rather like the metapsionic system. I don't typically *need* to cast that many metapowers in one combat. The reduced cost is a big incentive to use them, especially as psionicists have the most flexible system for applying metafeats on the fly.

I don't have the book yet, but I seem to recall someone talking about the wild surge ability of the wilder class raising the pp limit for purposes of applying metapsionic feats. It seems like the reduced cost would make this knack even more powerful.

Yes, I neglected to list the monk's DR passing abilities. All in all, I really wouldn't mind playing a monk or a soulknife, both seem to me to be pretty well balanced in combat and both have plenty of skills for out of combat.

Quaestor the Wanderer

 

[jgsugden]

1.) Having to take ONLY metapsionic feats to make Psionic Body useful means Psionic Body is ass.

2.) Having the ability to expend your psionic focus in order to cheapen the cost of using a metapsionic feat would be cool. Having no choice in the matter and *always* expending your psionic focus means that metapsionics are ass. Anything that requires a full round action that draws attacks of opportunity ought to be very powerful.... and saving 2 power points does *not* qualify.

Only being able to use a single metapsionic feat in a battle (which is essentially what that restriction is doing) is crap. Especially with all the other things that require either having or expending psionic focus.

Man... you would think that they would playtest these damn rules and listen to the people whine about how crappy they are!

-The Souljourner

Asses aside, they did playtest these. And they did listen to comments. And they did revise based upon those comments. Look over on the WotC boards and you'll see a lot about the process.

You, on the other hand, probably have not had time to playtest these rules, yet, have you? Perhaps you're being too harsh? Perhaps they are easier in action than they appear on paper? I suggest trying them out for a few sessions before assuming that the appearances in your eyes match the truth.

To my eyes, these all seem like very nice improvements with the possible exception of Psionic Body. PsiBod seems to be a feat for hardcore psionic characters. If you don't like it, you can always take improved toughness ...

 

[Spatula]

Only being able to use a single metapsionic feat in a battle (which is essentially what that restriction is doing) is crap.

The limit can be side-stepped by taking Psionic Meditation, which allows a character to regain the focus as a move action. At the start of a fight, a psion would presumably have a focus in place. Round 1: move action + manifest using a metapsionic feat. Round 2+: move action + manifest (no metapsi) OR regain focus + manifest using a metapsionic feat. I think Psionic Meditation is basically mandatory for most psions.

The flexibility of the powers themselves goes a long way towards reducing the need for metapsionics, anyway.

What I see as a heavier limitation is needing to expend your focus in order to use Power Penetration.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I don't have the new Psionic book, but one thing about the Soulknife really concerns me. How do they hurt things with DR in 3.5? Does their weapon count as adamantine?

 

[reiella]

I don't have the new Psionic book, but one thing about the Soulknife really concerns me. How do they hurt things with DR in 3.5? Does their weapon count as adamantine?

Holy/Unholy, they can make use of the Align Weapon feat.
Magic, already handled.
Epic, err, epic progressin.

Material is where ya suffer. Except for a few specific materials, you'll just have to have a back up weapon.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Holy/Unholy, they can make use of the Align Weapon feat.
Magic, already handled.
Epic, err, epic progressin.

Material is where ya suffer. Except for a few specific materials, you'll just have to have a back up weapon.

Hmm. That's what I was afraid of. I guess one could use Silversheen and the like. Though I don't imagine pouring oil on a lightsaber would be very effective.

 

[Spatula]

Also, in regards to the metapsionics issue, having cheaper metapsionic feats means they are usable on higher-than-normal level powers. For example, Maximize Power costs 4 PP while Maximize Spell costs +3 spell levels. A 5th level psion can Maximize a 1st level power, whereas a 5th level wizard can only Maximize cantrips. A 17th level psion can Maximize 7th level powers, which is impossible for a non-epic wizard (heck, a 19th level psion can Maximize 8th level powers!).

 

[neoweasel]

Holy/Unholy, they can make use of the Align Weapon feat.
Magic, already handled.
Epic, err, epic progressin.

Material is where ya suffer. Except for a few specific materials, you'll just have to have a back up weapon.

You CAN add the Psychokinetic or Psychokinetic burst
abilities to the weapon. d4 (or d6 on a crit) that goes straight through any DR. Not great, but it helps.